bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Degradation of a protected mountain area by tourist traffic: case study of the Tatra National Park, Poland
Authors: Fidelus-Orzechowska Joanna , Gorczyca Elżbieta , Bukowski Marcin , Krzemień Kazimierz
Published: October 2021

Mountain protected areas are characterized by high biodiversity, which makes it a great challenge for managers to maintain a balance between their use and the stability of natural ecosystems. Maintaining that balance is particularly difficult in areas with high tourism pressure. The expected volume of tourist traffic should be considered at the planning stage of the tourist infrastructure development process. Insufficient capacity of tourist infrastructure can lead to environmental degradation, which is hard, or at times impossible, to repair. In our research, we identified patterns of tourist footpath and road functioning in an environmentally protected area with high volumes of tourist traffic. Data from geomorphologic mapping was analyzed in order to identify tourist footpath and road structures in the Tatra National Park (TNP). Fieldwork was conducted in several stages between 1995 and 2019. Orthophotomaps from the years 1977, 2009, 2017 and 2019 were used to identify and compare degraded zones along selected tourist footpaths. Degraded zones were defined as areas surrounding a footpath or tourist road with a mean width larger than or equal to 10 meters, with heavily damaged or completely removed vegetation and exposed, weathered cover, where geomorphic processes that would not take place under normal conditions are readily observable. The examined tourist footpaths and roads vary in terms of their morphometric parameters. Research has shown important differences between mean and maximum footpath width as well as maximum incision depth for the forest zone versus the subalpine and alpine zones. A lack of differences in these parameters was noted between the alpine and subalpine zones. Research has shown that an increase in the surface area of degraded zones found adjacent to tourist footpaths occurred in all the studied geo-ecological zones in the study period. However, the largest increase occurred atop wide ridgelines found in the alpine zone. Degraded zones may be an indication of exceeding the tourist carrying capacity of a mountain tourist area. Mass tourism in TNP contributes to the formation of degraded zones adjacent to footpaths, whose continuous evolution may lead to irreversible changes in local relief.
Essential Role of Sptan1 in Cochlear Hair Cell Morphology and Function Via Focal Adhesion Signaling
Authors: Yao Qingxiu , Wang Hui , Chen Hengchao , Li Zhuangzhuang , Jiang Yumeng , Li Zhipeng , Wang Jiping , Xing Yazhi , Liu Feng , Yu Dongzhen , Yin Shankai
Published: October 2021

Hearing loss is the most common human sensory deficit. Hearing relies on stereocilia, inserted into the cuticular plate of hair cells (HCs), where they play an important role in the perception of sound and its transmission. Although numerous genes have been associated with hearing loss, the function of many hair cell genes has yet to be elucidated. Herein, we focused on nonerythroid spectrin αII (SPTAN1), abundant in the cuticular plate, surrounding the rootlets of stereocilia and along the plasma membrane. Interestingly, mice with HC-specific Sptan1 knockout exhibited rapid deafness, abnormal formation of stereocilia and cuticular plates, and loss of HCs from middle and apical turns of the cochlea during early postnatal stages. Additionally, Sptan1 deficiency led to the decreased spreading of House Ear Institute-Organ of Corti 1 cells, and induced abnormal formation of focal adhesions and integrin signaling in mouse HCs. Altogether, our findings highlight SPTAN1 as a critical molecule for HC stereocilia morphology and auditory function via regulation of focal adhesion signaling.
Characterization of Atherosclerotic Plaque Coating for Thrombosis Microfluidics Assays
Authors: Karel M. F. A. , Lemmens T. P. , Tullemans B. M. E. , Wielders S. J. H. , Gubbins E. , van Beurden D. , van Rijt S. , Cosemans J. M. E. M.
Published: October 2021

Introduction

Studying arterial thrombus formation by in vitro flow assays is a widely used approach. Incorporating human atherosclerotic plaque material as a thrombogenic surface in these assays represents a method to model the pathophysiological environment of thrombus formation upon plaque disruption. Up until now, achieving a homogeneous coating of plaque material and subsequent reproducible platelet adhesion has been challenging. Here, we characterized a novel method for coating of plaque material on glass coverslips for use in thrombosis microfluidic assays.

Methods

A homogenate of human atherosclerotic plaques was coated on glass coverslips by conventional manual droplet coating or by spin coating. Prior to coating, a subset of coverslips was plasma treated. Water contact angle measurements were performed as an indicator for the hydrophilicity of the coverslips. Homogeneity of plaque coatings was determined using profilometric analysis and scanning electron microscopy. Thrombogenicity of the plaque material was assessed in real time by microscopic imaging while perfusing whole blood at a shear rate of 1500 s−1 over the plaque material.

Results

Plasma treatment of glass coverslips, prior to spin coating with plaque material, increased the hydrophilicity of the coverslip compared to no plasma treatment. The most homogeneous plaque coating and highest platelet adhesion was obtained upon plasma treatment followed by spin coating of the plaque material. Manual plaque coating on non-plasma treated coverslips yielded lowest coating homogeneity and platelet adhesion and activation.

Conclusion

Spin coating of atherosclerotic plaque material on plasma treated coverslips leads to a more homogenous coating and improved platelet adhesion to the plaque when compared to conventional droplet coating on non-plasma treated coverslips. These properties are beneficial in ensuring the quality and reproducibility of flow experiments.
Creating customer value from data: foundations and archetypes of analytics-based services
Authors: Hunke Fabian , Heinz Daniel , Satzger Gerhard
Published: October 2021

The digital transformation offers new opportunities for organizations to expand their existing service portfolio in order to achieve competitive advantages. A popular way to create new customer value is the offer of analytics-based services (ABS)—services that apply analytical methods to data to empower customers to make better decisions and to solve complex problems. However, research still lacks to provide a profound conceptualization of this novel service type. Similarly, actionable insights on how to purposefully establish ABS in the market to enrich the service portfolio remain scarce. We perform a cluster analysis of 105 ABS and triangulate it with a revelatory case study to identify four generic ABS archetypes and to unveil their specific service objectives and characteristics. We also isolate essential factors that shape decision-making regarding the choice of adequate archetypes and subsequent transitions between them. The detailed characterization of different ABS types contributes to a more profound theorizing process on ABS as well as provides a systematization for strategic opportunities to enrich service portfolios in practice.
“Right diet for the right person”: a focus group study of nutritionist-dietitians’ perspectives on nutritional genomics and gene-based nutrition advice
Authors: Nacis Jacus S. , Galang Marilou R. , Labrador Jason Paolo H. , Gonzales Milflor S. , Dablo Aurora Maria Francesca D. , Domalanta-Ronquillo Diana Glades A. , Alfonso Victor Franco J. , Glorioso Idelia G. , Rodriguez Marietta P.
Published: October 2021

Advances in nutritional genomics are intended to revolutionize nutrition practice. A basic understanding of nutritional genomics among nutritionist-dietitians is critical for such advancements to occur. As a precedent to the development and integration of gene-based nutrition advice, this study aimed to assess hospital-based nutritionist-dietitians’ perceptions of nutritional genomics. A total of ten focus group discussions (FGDs) with sixty-one registered nutritionist-dietitians (RNDs) from hospitals in the National Capital Region (NCR), Philippines, were conducted from October to November 2019. Data were collected using a pretested semistructured discussion guide, and thematic analysis was subsequently performed. Diverging perceptions about nutritional genomics were noted among the FGD participants. Five themes emerged relating to the enablers and barriers of gene-based nutrition advice: training and capacity building, the extent of information to be disclosed, cost, ethical considerations, and government support. Themes related to the desired features of the gene-based nutrition advice included being consent-driven, cost-effective, technology-oriented, and guided by standards. The results of this study suggest that training and continued learning will equip RNDs to provide nutrition advice based on genetic information. However, other factors, such as cost and ethical considerations, are critical dimensions that need to be acknowledged and addressed before integrating gene-based advice into nutrition practice.
Reaction products of Sm2Zr2O7 with calcium-magnesium-aluminum-silicate (CMAS) and their evolution
Authors: Wang Yinghua , Ma Zhuang , Liu Ling , Liu Yanbo
Published: October 2021

During flight, many silicates (sand, dust, debris, fly ash, etc.) are ingested by an engine. They melt at high operating temperatures on the surface of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) to form calcium-magnesium-aluminum-silicate (CMAS) amorphous settling. CMAS corrodes TBCs and causes many problems, such as composition segregation, degradation, cracking, and disbanding. As a new generation of TBC candidate materials, rare-earth zirconates (such as Sm2Zr2O7) have good CMAS resistance properties. The reaction products of Sm2Zr2O7 and CMAS and their subsequent changes were studied by the reaction of Sm2Zr2O7 and excess CMAS at 1350 °C. After 1 h of reaction, Sm2Zr2O7 powders were not completely corroded. The reaction products were Sm-apatite and c-ZrO2 solid solution. After 4 h of reaction, all Sm2Zr2O7 powders were completely corroded. After 24 h of reaction, Sm-apatite disappeared, and the c-ZrO2 solid solution remained.
Microstructural regulation, oxidation resistance, and mechanical properties of Cf/SiC/SiHfBOC composites prepared by chemical vapor infiltration with precursor infiltration pyrolysis
Authors: Lyu Yang , Du Baihe , Chen Guiqing , Zhao Guangdong , Cheng Yuan , Zhou Shanbao , Lv Qingrong , Zhang Xinghong , Han Wenbo
Published: October 2021

To further improve the oxidation resistance of polymer derived ceramic (PDC) composites in harsh environments, Cf/SiC/SiHfBOC composites were prepared by chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) and precursor impregnation pyrolysis (PIP) methods. The weight retention change, mechanical properties, and microstructure of Cf/SiC/SiHfBOC before and after oxidation in air were studied in details. Microscopic analyses showed that only the interface between the ceramics and fibers was oxidized to some extent, and hafnium had been enriched on the composite surface after oxidizing at different temperature. The main oxidation products of Cf/SiC/SiHfBOC composites were HfO2and HfSiO4after oxidation at 1500 °C for 60 min. Moreover, the weight retention ratio and compressive strength of the Cf/SiC/SiHfBOC composites are 83.97% and 23.88±3.11 MPa, respectively. It indicates that the Cf/SiC/SiHfBOC composites should be promising to be used for a short time in the oxidation environment at 1500 °C.
Low-power AES S-box design using dual-basis tower field extension method for cyber security applications
Authors: Nandan V. , Rao R. Gowri Shankar
Published: October 2021

In cryptography, one among several investigated areas is the implementation of AES S-boxes. In this paper, a substitution-box is designed which follows combined data path using dual-basis tower field extension with Golod–Shafarevich theorem fed in immune genetic algorithm for optimization purpose for each and every block. The role of enhanced immune genetic algorithm is as follows: at first, chaotic system generates S-boxes population, these S-boxes which perform excellently are then optimized by a sequence of operators such as extraction of anti-agent and immune selection. Few criteria of S-boxes such as differential uniformity, nonlinear degree, and strict avalanche effect are analyzed. The obtained results are analyzed with CMOS 35 nm and 15 nm technologies to measure the performance of the proposed designs and was observed that the proposed one outperforms in power and area. The optimized S-box can be effectively applied for securing information. The proposed Golod–Shafarevich feeder Immune Genetic Algorithm S-box (GSIGA-Sbox) is compared with two baseline methods such as Reversed Genetic Algorithm S-box (RGA-Sbox) and Discrete Space Chaotic S-box (DSC-Sbox). As a result the proposed GSIGA-Sbox achieves encryption speed of 61 MHZ, decryption speed of 55 MHZ with 24% of power consumption for 35 nm CMOS technology and 57 MHZ encryption speed, 51 MHZ decryption speed with 28% of power consumption for 15 nm CMOS technology.
The people's army “enemising” the people: The COVID-19 case of Israel
Authors: Levy Yagil
Published: October 2021

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were deployed extensively relative to other democracies’ militaries to combat the coronavirus during 2020–1. Ostensibly, the military's engagements are instrumental in addressing the pandemic due to its resources and hierarchical discipline, and especially in light of its centrality in Israel. However, problems remain concerning this deployment, the most prominent and relevant to the case of Israel being the high legitimacy that the Israeli public afforded this policy, especially given the alternative options available to the government. Motivated by this conundrum, I present a circular argument: securitisation legitimised the deployment of the military and in turn, this deployment, constitutive of the discourse of securitisation, further legitimised securitisation. Consequently, Israel could legitimately adopt an enemy-oriented approach to deal with the crisis, an approach that ‘enemises’ the population.
The type semigroup, comparison, and almost finiteness for ample groupoids
Authors: ARA PERE , BÖNICKE CHRISTIAN , BOSA JOAN , LI KANG
Published: October 2021

We prove that a minimal second countable ample groupoid has dynamical comparison if and only if its type semigroup is almost unperforated. Moreover, we investigate to what extent a not necessarily minimal almost finite groupoid has an almost unperforated type semigroup. Finally, we build a bridge between coarse geometry and topological dynamics by characterizing almost finiteness of the coarse groupoid in terms of a new coarsely invariant property for metric spaces, which might be of independent interest in coarse geometry. As a consequence, we are able to construct new examples of almost finite principal groupoids lacking other desirable properties, such as amenability or even a-T-menability. This behaviour is in stark contrast to the case of principal transformation groupoids associated to group actions.
Recent Attacks on Judicial Independence: The Vulgar, the Systemic, and the Insidious
Authors: Moliterno James E. , Čuroš Peter
Published: October 2021

This article offers an opening to Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) situation and attacks against the judiciary in this region since 2010. The focus is not primarily on historical path dependence like the rest of this issue. Instead, the focus aims at the nature of attacks on the judiciary. Such attacks have appeared in CEE and the US in recent years. Its interest lies in explaining similar patterns visible in the judiciaries of CEE. Particularly, it looks at the current conditions in the Czech judiciary, political interventions in Poland since 2015 and in Hungary since 2010, and undermining of trust towards judiciary in the U.S., where attempts for delegitimizing the judiciary have happened since 2016. The article draws on similarities of attacks of authoritarian governments and responses of judiciaries. The authors highlight similarities and diversities of CEE countries 30 years after the fall of the communist regime and a path of these resemblances and varieties.
Changes of the Political and Legal Systems: Judicial Autonomy
Authors: Fleck Zoltán
Published: October 2021

This Article summarizes the features of modern non-democratic legal systems and draws the relevant conclusions. Some of these systemic issues have long-term consequences. The Article illustrates the defining effects of the historical traditions with concrete examples based on empirical researches. Judicial independence as part of the rule of law is not only institutional guarantees but cultural, mental dispositions too. This Article shows how non-democratic legal heritage led to backsliding democracy in post-communist Hungary. However relative autonomy of judges could emerge during the last three decades of the communist rule, skills and habits of professional self-defense could not stabilize.
Law, Politics, and the Military: Towards a Theory of Authoritarian Adjudication
Authors: Cercel Cosmin
Published: October 2021

This Article explores both theoretically and historically the core features of authoritarian adjudication. It attempts to offer an ideal type of what could mean a full assertion of authoritarianism in the context of adjudication. It aims to do so by first highlighting the value of insights that critical legal history can bring to the current discussion of populism. Second, it explores the paradigm of the exception that it aims to revise and ground in a historical analysis of the interwar period. Third, it considers the intellectual and practical lines of continuity between current reactions to the pandemic and the historical role of the military in modernity by drawing on the example of Romania. In a final part, it provides a reflection on the confusion between law, politics, and military concerns as a specific feature of modern authoritarianism.
Changes in the epidemiology of ventilator-associated events over the course of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic
Authors: Weinberger Jeremy F. , Rhee Chanu , Klompas Michael ,   for the CDC Prevention Epicenters Program
Published: October 2021

Management of critically ill coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients has evolved considerably during the pandemic. We investigated rates and causes of ventilator-associated events (VAEs) in COVID-19 patients in the late versus early waves in 4 Massachusetts hospitals. VAE rates per episode decreased, rates per ventilator day were stable, and most cases were caused by acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).
“Things I Can Remember about My Life”: Autobiography and Fatherhood in Victorian Britain
Authors: Griffin Emma
Published: October 2021

It is now nearly forty years since John Burnett, David Vincent, and David Mayall compiled their invaluable and much-used three-volume finding aid,The Autobiography of the Working Class: An Annotated, Critical Bibliography(1984–1989), and established working-class autobiography as an important documentary source for exploring the lives of the working poor. Life writing now forms the basis of historical research into areas such as the emotions and domestic life that had hardly been imagined at the time that the annotated bibliography was produced. Yet as research into working-class autobiography has extended into new domains of enquiry, there has been less innovation in methodology. Historians typically use autobiographical material to pursue deep-reading strategies and unpack the meaning, experience, and identity of individual writers rather than generalize about working-class life more broadly. In this article I offer an alternative strategy: to take the autobiographical corpus and read it at scale in order to better understand fatherhood in Victorian Britain. Through a combination of intensive and extensive reading, I demonstrate that many working-class men failed to live up to expectations as breadwinners, and I explore the ramifications of that failure for the women and children with whom they lived.
Influence of nozzle external geometry on wavepackets in under-expanded supersonic impinging jets
Authors: Karami Shahram , Soria Julio
Published: October 2021

In this study, large-eddy simulations are utilised to unravel the influence of the nozzle's external geometry on upstream-travelling waves in under-expanded supersonic impinging jets. Three configurations, a thin-lipped, a thin-lipped with a sponge and an infinite-lipped nozzle are considered with the other non-dimensionalised geometrical and flow variables identical for the three cases. Spectral proper orthogonal decomposition is applied to the Mack norm, i.e. the energy norm based on the stagnation energy, to obtain the spatial modes at their corresponding frequency. The spectral decomposition of the spatial modes at optimal and suboptimal frequencies is used to isolate the wavepackets into upstream- and downstream-propagating waves based on their phase velocity. It is found that the external geometry of the nozzle has a significant influence on the first-order statistics even though the governing non-dimensional parameters are the same for all three cases. Multiple peaks emerge in the energy spectra at distinct frequencies corresponding to axisymmetric azimuthal modes for each case. The downstream-propagating wavepackets have a high amplitude at the shear layer of the three jets with the mode shapes resembling Kelvin–Helmholtz instability waves, while the upstream-travelling wavepackets exist in the three regions of the near field, shear layer and inside of the jet. The barrel shock at the nozzle exit appears as a flexible shield, which prevents upstream-travelling waves from reaching the internal region of the nozzle, where the upstream-travelling waves travel obliquely with one side of the wavefront is crawling on the reflected shock while the other side is guided by the shear layer. These latter waves can reach the nozzle lip via inside of the jet. The spectral decomposition of the spatial modes at optimal and suboptimal frequencies show that all three forms of the near field, shear layer and inside jet upstream-travelling wavepackets contribute to the receptivity process while their contributions and strength are altered by the change of the external geometry of the nozzle.
The retraction of jetted slender viscoelastic liquid filaments
Authors: Sen Uddalok , Datt Charu , Segers Tim , Wijshoff Herman , Snoeijer Jacco H. , Versluis Michel , Lohse Detlef
Published: October 2021

Long and slender liquid filaments are produced during inkjet printing, which can subsequently either retract to form a single droplet, or break up to form a primary droplet and one or more satellite droplets. These satellite droplets are undesirable since they degrade the quality and reproducibility of the print, and lead to contamination within the enclosure of the print device. Existing strategies for the suppression of satellite droplet formation include, among others, adding viscoelasticity to the ink. In the present work, we aim to improve the understanding of the role of viscoelasticity in suppressing satellite droplets in inkjet printing. We demonstrate that very dilute viscoelastic aqueous solutions ($\text {concentrations} \sim 0.003\,\%$ wt. polyethylene oxide, corresponding to nozzle Deborah number$De_{n}\sim 3$) can suppress satellite droplet formation. Furthermore, we show that, for a given driving condition, upper and lower bounds of polymer concentration exist, within which satellite droplets are suppressed. Satellite droplets are formed at concentrations below the lower bound, while jetting ceases for concentrations above the upper bound (for fixed driving conditions). Moreover, we observe that, with concentrations in between the two bounds, the filaments retract at velocities larger than the corresponding Taylor–Culick velocity for the Newtonian case. We show that this enhanced retraction velocity can be attributed to the elastic tension due to polymer stretching, which builds up during the initial jetting phase. These results shed some light on the complex interplay between inertia, capillarity and viscoelasticity for retracting liquid filaments, which is important for the stability and quality of inkjet printing of polymer solutions.
Shock induced aerobreakup of a droplet
Authors: Sharma Shubham , Pratap Singh Awanish , Srinivas Rao S. , Kumar Aloke , Basu Saptarshi
Published: October 2021

The multiscale dynamics of a shock–droplet interaction is crucial in understanding the atomisation of droplets due to external airflow. The interaction phenomena are classified into wave dynamics (stage I) and droplet breakup dynamics (stage II). Stage I involves the formation of different wave structures after an incident shock impacts the droplet surface. These waves momentarily change the droplet's ambient conditions, while in later times they are mainly influenced by shock-induced airflow. Stage II involves induced airflow interaction with the droplet that leads to its deformation and breakup. Primarily, two modes of droplet breakup, i.e. shear-induced entrainment and Rayleigh–Taylor piercing (RTP) (based on the modes of surface instabilities) were observed for the studied range of Weber numbers

$(We\sim 30\text{--}15\,000)$

. A criterion for the transition between two breakup modes is obtained, which successfully explains the observation of RTP mode of droplet breakup at high Weber numbers

$(We\sim 800)$

. For

$We > 1000$

, the breakup dynamics is governed by the shear-induced surface waves. After formation, the Kelvin–Helmholtz waves travel on the droplet surface and merge to form a liquid sheet near the droplet equator. Henceforth, the liquid sheet undergoes breakup processes via nucleation of several holes. The breakup process is recurrent until the complete droplet disintegrates or external drag acting on the droplet is insufficient for further disintegration. At lower Weber numbers, the droplet undergoes complete deformation like a flattened disk, and a multibag mode of breakup based on RTP is observed.
The fate of particles in a volumetrically heated convective fluid at high Prandtl number
Authors: Sturtz Cyril , Kaminski Édouard , Limare Angela , Tait Stephen
Published: October 2021

The dynamics of suspensions plays a crucial role in the evolution of geophysical systems such as lava lakes, magma chambers and magma oceans. During their cooling and solidification, these magmatic bodies involve convective viscous fluids and dispersed solid crystals that can form either a cumulate or a floating lid by sedimentation. We study such systems based on internal heating convection experiments in high Prandtl fluids bearing plastic beads. We aim to determine the conditions required to produce a floating lid or a sedimented deposit. We show that, although the sign of particles buoyancy is the key parameter, it is not sufficient to predict the particles fate. To complement the model we introduce the Shields formalism and couple it with scaling laws describing convection. We propose a generalized Shields number that enables a self-consistent description of the fate of particles in the system, especially the possibility to segregate from the convective bulk. We provide a quantification of the partition of the mass of particles in the different potential reservoirs (bulk suspension, floating lid, settled cumulate) through reconciling the suspension stability framework with the Shields formalism. We illustrate the geophysical implications of the model by revisiting the problem of the stability of flotation crusts on solidifying rocky bodies.
Effect of wall temperature on the kinetic energy transfer in a hypersonic turbulent boundary layer
Authors: Xu Dehao , Wang Jianchun , Wan Minping , Yu Changping , Li Xinliang , Chen Shiyi
Published: October 2021

The effect of wall temperature on the transfer of kinetic energy in a hypersonic turbulent boundary layer for different Mach numbers and wall temperature ratios is studied by direct numerical simulation. A cold wall temperature can enhance the compressibility effect in the near-wall region through increasing the temperature gradient and wall heat flux. It is shown that the cold wall temperature enhances the local reverse transfer of kinetic energy from small scales to large scales, and suppresses the local direct transfer of kinetic energy from large scales to small scales. The average filtered spatial convection and average filtered viscous dissipation are dominant in the near-wall region, while the average subgrid-scale flux of kinetic energy achieves its peak value in the buffer layer. It is found that the wall can suppress the inter-scale transfer of kinetic energy, especially for the situation of a cold wall. A strong local reverse transfer of fluctuating kinetic energy is identified in the buffer layer in the inertial range. Helmholtz decomposition is applied to analyse the compressibility effect on the subgrid-scale flux of kinetic energy. A strong transfer of the solenoidal component of fluctuating kinetic energy is identified in the buffer layer, while a significant transfer of the dilatational component of fluctuating kinetic energy is observed in the near-wall region. It is also shown that compression motions have a major contribution to the direct transfer of fluctuating kinetic energy, while expansion motions play a marked role in the reverse transfer of fluctuating kinetic energy.
Mechanism of reduction of aeroacoustic sound by porous material: comparative study of microscopic and macroscopic models
Authors: Sato Yasunori , Hattori Yuji
Published: October 2021

The effects of porous material on the aeroacoustic sound generated in a two-dimensional low-Reynolds-number flow (

$Re=150$

) past a circular cylinder are studied by direct numerical simulation in which the acoustic waves of small amplitudes are obtained directly as a solution to the compressible Navier–Stokes equations. Two models are introduced for the porous material: the microscopic model, in which the porous material is a collection of small cylinders, and the macroscopic model, in which the porous material is continuum characterized by permeability. The corrected volume penalization method is used to deal with the core cylinder, the small cylinders and the porous material. In the microscopic model, significant reduction of the aeroacoustic sound is found depending on the parameters; the maximum reduction of

$24.4$

dB from the case of a bare cylinder is obtained. The results obtained for the modified macroscopic model are in good agreement with those obtained for the microscopic model converted by the theory of homogenization, which establishes that the microscopic and macroscopic models are consistent and valid. The detailed mechanism of sound reduction is elucidated. The presence of a fluid region between the porous material and the core cylinder is important for sound reduction. When the sound is strongly reduced, the pressure field behind the cylinder becomes nearly uniform with a high value to stabilize the shear layer in the wake; as a result, the vortex shedding behind the cylinder is delayed to the far wake to suppress the unsteady vortex motion near the cylinder, which is responsible for the aeroacoustic sound.
The Organization of Obsidian Exchange at Middle Postclassic Sauce and Its Hinterland in Veracruz, Mexico
Authors: Ossa Alanna
Published: October 2021

To describe the structure of production and the organization of exchange of obsidian chipped stone during the Middle Postclassic period (AD 1200–1350) in south-central Veracruz, Mexico, I analyzed 65 residential inventories from the center of Sauce and its hinterland. Previous research on obsidian production found a spatial association with Sauce, which could support the political administration of exchange, or alternatively, identify market exchange nearby. I argue that reliance on spatially based models alone for identifying exchange mechanisms is not advisable because of potential equifinality, in which different forms of exchange appear alike. Local obsidian artifacts have additional interpretive complications: they come from a single geological source, there was universal access to them, and they were employed in potentially specialized activities. I used the articulation of production combined with spatial distribution and residential contextual information to distinguish between redistribution and market exchange. Results indicate that market exchange is the main mechanism. The largest concentrations of primary production indicators and the highest quantities of blade segments were found near the Sauce center, which suggest that political elites at Sauce encouraged market exchange, although they did not direct it to the extent that they were controlling significant amounts of obsidian.
Investigation of secondary metabolites in bean cultivars and their impact on the nutritional performance ofSpodoptera littoralis(Lep.: Noctuidae)
Authors: Shishehbor Parviz , Hemmati Seyed Ali
Published: October 2021

Spodoptera littoralis(Boisd) is globally recognized as a destructive polyphagous insect pest of various crops in the world. It is commonly managed by chemical pesticides, which can cause deleterious effects such as environmental pollution, toxicity to non-target organisms and the emergence of secondary pests. Hence, investigations into alternative pest control strategies such as the use of resistant host plant cultivar againstS. littoralisis important. This study aimed to explore the nutritional performance ofS. littoralislarvae in dependence on total anthocyanin, flavonoid, and phenol levels across 11 bean cultivars (PhaseolusandVignaspp.) under laboratory conditions. The results revealed that the Mashhad cultivar accumulated the highest amount of total phenols (13.59 mg ml−1), whereas Yaghout and Arabi cultivars posed the lowest total phenols contents (1.80 and 1.90 mg ml−1, respectively). Across larval instars (third to sixth), the highest consumption index and relative consumption rate were recorded on the Mashhad cultivar. The lowest values of efficiency of conversion of ingested food and the efficiency of conversion of digested food of total larval instars were detected in the larvae which were reared on the Mashhad cultivar. Likewise, the lowest value of the index of plant quality (IPQ) was obtained in the Mashhad cultivar; however, IPQ was figured out at the highest level in the Arabi cultivar. Our findings show that the differential accumulation of secondary metabolites would change the nutritional quality of plants forS. littoralis. Based on the findings, the Mashhad cultivar may serve as a candidate for either integrated pest management or breeding programs aiming at controlling this pest.
Intranasal corticosteroid and oxymetazoline for chronic rhinitis: a systematic review
Authors: Neighbors C L , Salvador C Fernandez , Zhu B , Camacho M , Tsai P
Published: October 2021

Objective

This study aimed to summarise the evidence for efficacy of combination treatment of intranasal corticosteroid spray with oxymetazoline hydrochloride nasal spray for chronic rhinitis.

Method

Nine databases were systematically searched from study inception in September 2016 to 1 June 2020. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement was followed.

Results

A total of 130 studies were screened, and 4 randomised controlled trials comprising 838 patients met inclusion criteria. The study found superior improvement of nasal congestion from onset of treatment to completion in intranasal corticosteroid spray and oxymetazoline hydrochloride groups compared with control groups. Intranasal corticosteroid spray and oxymetazoline hydrochloride use resulted in higher nasal volume (standard error of mean 1, 15.8 + 1.1 ml; p < .03) compared with either placebo (12.1 + 0.9 ml) or oxymetazoline hydrochloride (12.4 + 0.8 ml) alone (p = 0.003).

Conclusion

Intranasal corticosteroid spray and oxymetazoline hydrochloride combination treatment may be superior in reducing rhinitis symptoms compared with either intranasal corticosteroid spray or oxymetazoline hydrochloride alone, without inducing rhinitis medicamentosa.
Paternal periconception metabolic health and offspring programming
Authors: Eid Nader , Morgan Hannah L. , Watkins Adam J.
Published: October 2021

The association between maternal metabolic status at the time of conception and subsequent embryogenesis and offspring development has been studied in detail. However, less attention has been given to the significance of paternal nutrition and metabolism in directing offspring health. Despite this disparity, emerging evidence has begun to highlight an important connection between paternal metabolic well-being, semen quality, embryonic development and ultimately adult offspring health. This has established a new component within the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease hypothesis. Building on the decades of understanding and insight derived from the numerous models of maternal programming, attention is now becoming focused on defining the mechanisms underlying the links between paternal well-being, post-fertilisation development and offspring health. Understanding how the health and fitness of the father impact on semen quality is of fundamental importance for providing better information to intending fathers. Furthermore, assisted reproductive practices such as in vitro fertilisation rely on our ability to select the best quality sperm from a diverse and heterogeneous population. With considerable advances in sequencing capabilities, our understanding of the molecular and epigenetic composition of the sperm and seminal plasma, and their association with male metabolic health, has developed dramatically over recent years. This review will summarise our current understanding of how a father's metabolic status at the time of conception can affect sperm quality, post-fertilisation embryonic and fetal development and offspring health.
Relapse risk revealed by degree centrality and cluster analysis in heroin addicts undergoing methadone maintenance treatment
Authors: Wang Lei , Hu Feng , Li Wei , Li Qiang , Li Yongbin , Zhu Jia , Wei Xuan , Yang Jian , Guo Jianxin , Qin Yue , Shi Hong , Wang Wei , Wang Yarong
Published: October 2021

Background

Based on hubs of neural circuits associated with addiction and their degree centrality (DC), this study aimed to construct the addiction-related brain networks for patients diagnosed with heroin dependence undertaking stable methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) and further prospectively identify the ones at high risk for relapse with cluster analysis.

Methods

Sixty-two male MMT patients and 30 matched healthy controls (HC) underwent brain resting-state functional MRI data acquisition. The patients received 26-month follow-up for the monthly illegal-drug-use information. Ten addiction-related hubs were chosen to construct a user-defined network for the patients. Then the networks were discriminated with K-means-clustering-algorithm into different groups and followed by comparative analysis to the groups and HC. Regression analysis was used to investigate the brain regions significantly contributed to relapse.

Results

Sixty MMT patients were classified into two groups according to their brain-network patterns calculated by the best clustering-number-K. The two groups had no difference in the demographic, psychological indicators and clinical information except relapse rate and total heroin consumption. The group with high-relapse had a wider range of DC changes in the cortical−striatal−thalamic circuit relative to HC and a reduced DC in the mesocorticolimbic circuit relative to the low-relapse group. DC activity in NAc, vACC, hippocampus and amygdala were closely related with relapse.

Conclusion

MMT patients can be identified and classified into two subgroups with significantly different relapse rates by defining distinct brain-network patterns even if we are blind to their relapse outcomes in advance. This may provide a new strategy to optimize MMT.
Vertical zonation of benthic invertebrates in the intertidal zone of Antarctica (Admiralty Bay, King George Island)
Authors: Chelchowski Maciej , Balazy Piotr , Grzelak Katarzyna , Grzelak Lukasz , Kędra Monika , Legezynska Joanna , Kuklinski Piotr
Published: October 2021

The Antarctic Peninsula is undergoing rapid change due to global warming, including air and water temperature increases. Fauna inhabiting the intertidal zone are particularly exposed to warming impacts, as they are subjected to high variations in both terrestrial and marine environmental settings. This study aimed to assess intertidal macrofaunal and meiofaunal biodiversity, tidal height-related assemblage structural patterns and their responses to variability in environmental parameters on King George Island. A total of 39 macrofaunal taxa were identified, with polychaetes and amphipods being the most diverse groups and gastropods, amphipods and bivalves being the most abundant. In the case of meiofauna, 16 taxa were found, mainly nematodes, copepod nauplii and harpacticoids. There was a significant decrease in the number of species, abundance and biomass for both macrofauna and meiofauna with increasing tidal height. Our investigation documented highly diverse and abundant fauna in the Antarctic intertidal zone. With its thriving life, it could serve as a perfect model system for detecting climate change impacts on local biodiversity. Therefore, we propose the Antarctic intertidal zone as a suitable habitat for monitoring these changes.
Cogent: uniqueness types and certifying compilation
Authors: O’CONNOR LIAM , CHEN ZILIN , RIZKALLAH CHRISTINE , JACKSON VINCENT , AMANI SIDNEY , KLEIN GERWIN , MURRAY TOBY , SEWELL THOMAS , KELLER GABRIELE
Published: October 2021

This paper presents a framework aimed at significantly reducing the cost of proving functional correctness for low-level operating systems components. The framework is designed around a new functional programming language, Cogent. A central aspect of the language is its uniqueness type system, which eliminates the need for a trusted runtime or garbage collector while still guaranteeing memory safety, a crucial property for safety and security. Moreover, it allows us to assign two semantics to the language: The first semantics is imperative, suitable for efficient C code generation, and the second is purely functional, providing a user-friendly interface for equational reasoning and verification of higher-level correctness properties. The refinement theorem connecting the two semantics allows the compiler to produce a proof via translation validation certifying the correctness of the generated C code with respect to the semantics of the Cogent source program. We have demonstrated the effectiveness of our framework for implementation and for verification through two file system implementations.
Trading Vulnerabilities: Living with Parkinson’s Disease before and after Deep Brain Stimulation
Authors: Goering Sara , Wexler Anna , Klein Eran
Published: October 2021

Implanted medical devices—for example, cardiac defibrillators, deep brain stimulators, and insulin pumps—offer users the possibility of regaining some control over an increasingly unruly body, the opportunity to become part “cyborg” in service of addressing pressing health needs. We recognize the value and effectiveness of such devices, but call attention to what may be less clear to potential users—that their vulnerabilities may not entirely disappear but instead shift. We explore the kinds of shifting vulnerabilities experienced by people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) who receive therapeutic deep brain stimulators to help control their tremors and other symptoms of PD.
Limitations Using Neuroimaging to Reconstruct Mental State After a Crime
Authors: Vitacco Michael J. , Randolph Alynda M. , Nelson Aguiar Rebecca J. , Porter Staats Megan L.
Published: October 2021

Neuroimaging offers great potential to clinicians and researchers for a host of mental and physical conditions. The use of imaging has been trumpeted for forensic psychiatric and psychological evaluations to allow greater insight into the relationship between the brain and behavior. The results of imaging certainly can be used to inform clinical diagnoses; however, there continue to be limitations in using neuroimaging for insanity cases due to limited scientific backing for how neuroimaging can inform retrospective evaluations of mental state. In making this case, this paper reviews the history of the insanity defense and explains how the use of neuroimaging is not an effective way of improving the reliability of insanity defense evaluations.
Nutrition education strategies to promote vegetable consumption in preschool children: the Veggies4myHeart project
Authors: Braga-Pontes Cátia , Simões-Dias Sara , Lages Marlene , Guarino Maria P , Graça Pedro
Published: October 2021

Objective:

To test the efficacy of three nutrition education strategies on the intake of different vegetables in preschool children.

Design:

This is an experimental study conducted in four Portuguese preschools. The intervention consisted of 20-min educational sessions, once a week, for 5 weeks, with one of the following randomised educational strategies: Portuguese Food Wheel Guide (control), digital game, storybook, storybook and reward (stickers). All groups had repeated exposure to vegetables in all sessions. A pre- and post-test were conducted to determine vegetable intake, and a 6-month follow-up was realised.

Setting:

Preschools of Leiria district, Portugal.

Participants:

A sample of 162 children aged 3 to 6 years. All eligible children attending the preschools were invited to participate.

Results:

All interventions tested were effective in increasing vegetable consumption both in the short and medium term, without statistically significant differences, compared to the control group. Stickers were more effective in the short term than in the medium term.

Conclusions:

The nutritional education strategies associated with repeated exposure tested in this study were effective in promoting vegetable consumption in preschool children. The use of stickers may be a valid strategy to promote the consumption of vegetables less recognised by children.