bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The impact of globalization on the decoupling of water consumption and economic growth in BRICS and N11 countries—Linear and nonlinear approaches
Authors: Wang Qiang , Wang Xiaowei , Li Rongrong
Published: August 2023

In the context of globalization, the 2030 sustainable development goals pose a huge challenge to the coordinated development of economy and environment in emerging economies. The purpose of this article is to investigate whether globalization contributes to balance water consumption and economic growth in emerging economies. China is the largest developing country and the largest trader of goods in the world. From holistic and representative perspectives, this article analyzes the mechanisms affecting economic growth and water consumption in BRICS countries, Next Eleven (N11) countries and China. Combining decoupling model and econometric models, fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) linear model and threshold panel nonlinear model are constructed. Both linear and nonlinear effects of trade and foreign investment on economic growth and water consumption are considered. The results show that, from a holistic perspective, globalization helps balance economic growth and water consumption in emerging economies. The impact of trade on water consumption in BRICS countries is negative. And with the increase of trade, its positive coefficient on water consumption in N11 countries gradually decreases. Foreign direct investment (FDI) plays a positive role in the coordinated development of economic growth and water environment in BRICS and N11 countries. Taking China as a representative country, there is a decoupling phenomenon between economic growth and water use during the study period. With the trade crossing the threshold successively, the promoting effect on economy increases first and then decreases, and the inhibiting effect on water consumption weakens. With the increase of foreign investment, its positive effect on GDP increases, and its positive coefficient on water consumption decreases. The conclusions from representative country and holistic perspective are consistent. Finally, some policy recommendations are put forward.
Extremely Large Response of Phonon Coherence in Twisted Penta‐NiN2 Bilayer
Authors: Zhang Chenxin , Sun Jie , Shen Yiheng , Zhang Cunzhi , Wang Qian , Yoshikawa Akira , Kawazoe Yoshiyuki , Jena Puru
Published: August 2023

Twisting has recently been demonstrated as an effective strategy for tuning the interactions between particles or quasi‐particles in layered materials. Motivated by the recent experimental synthesis of pentagonal NiN2 sheet [ACS Nano 2021, 15, 13539], for the first time, the response of phonon coherence to twisting in bilayer penta‐NiN2, going beyond the particle‐like phonon transport is studied. By using the unified theory of phonon transport and high order lattice anharmonicity, together with the self‐consistent phonon theory, it is found that the lattice thermal conductivity is reduced by 80.6% from 33.35 to 6.47 W m−1 K−1 at 300 K when the layers are twisted. In particular, the contribution of phonon coherence is increased sharply by an order of magnitude, from 0.21 to 2.40 W m−1 K−1 , due to the reduced differences between the phonon frequencies and enhanced anharmonicity after the introduction of twist. The work provides a fundamental understanding of the phonon interaction in twisted pentagonal sheets.
Repeating the Listening Text: Effects on Listener Performance, Metacognitive Strategy Use, and Anxiety
Authors: Holzknecht Franz , Harding Luke
Published: August 2023

In second language listening assessment and pedagogy, practitioners hold different views on whether to repeat a listening text in contexts where inferences about listening ability are to be drawn from task performance. To address this issue, we investigated the effects of repeating the listening text (double play) on listener performance, listening strategies, test‐taking strategies, test‐taking anxiety, and listening anxiety. Three hundred six Austrian secondary school students responded to four listening tasks drawn from the Austrian Matura exam and completed questionnaires measuring strategic behavior and anxiety in a counter‐balanced research design. Data were analyzed using many‐facet Rasch measurement (MFRM), factor analysis, and inferential statistics. Findings confirmed that double play led to higher levels of listener performance across two task types (multiple‐choice items and note completion), however, scores were higher in the single play condition compared to the first play of double play. Students also reported lower levels of anxiety, and the use of more listening strategies and fewer test‐taking strategies in double play compared to single play with small effect sizes. We discuss the importance of balancing an empirically derived understanding of the effects of repeating the listening text with considerations of the purpose of an assessment, and the characteristics of the target language use domain.
Water security, participatory governance, and dialogue spaces for change in Northern Sri Lanka
Authors: Sriskandarajah Nadarajah , Sivapalan Murugesu
Published: August 2023

Water Security through Participatory Action Research in the Northern Province (WASPAR) is a project driven by the University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka, since March 2020. The project itself and some of the significant outcomes over the 3‐year first phase of research are outlined here. WASPAR took inspiration from two emerging fields of study: Sociohydrology and Environmental Communication. Socio‐hydrology is envisaged as a science underpinning water governance, which engages with changes in both hydrology and society, not one or the other. Environmental Communication applied here works on the premise that how well we communicated with each other about water determined how well we addressed the ecological crisis. Communicating is synonymous to learning across multiple perspectives held by the many actors, often actors with competing interests and conflicting values. WASPAR acknowledged the limitations of existing institutional and social structures and their fragmented ways of water management. Instead, it put forward the search for a holistic, trans‐disciplinary, and multistakeholder approach for water security. Work to date on the project presented here reflect quantitative data gathered through empirical research within the project and in the field. Reflective analysis of qualitative data obtained from the participatory research processes are to be published later. Altogether, WASPAR project has made preliminary but promising steps in progressing towards informing, influencing and educating stakeholders, domain experts and decision‐makers on the need for and merits of participatory decision‐making, generating a sense of community, and the development of institutional infrastructure. Continuation of these efforts with increased participation of the research community in the universities during the next phase of this project needs to foster the governance approach and ensure the legitimacy and influence of the Northern Water Dialogue Forum in place for planning a water secure future for the Province.
No benefit of antidepressants in inpatient treatment of depression. A longitudinal, quasi-experimental field study
Authors: Maß Reinhard , Backhaus Kerstin , Lohrer Katharina , Szelies Michael , Unkelbach Bodo K.
Published: August 2023

Rationale

Antidepressants (AD) are mostly considered indispensable for the treatment of major depression. The vast majority of depressive inpatients are treated with AD. However, there is a growing body of studies indicating that the effectiveness of AD is greatly overestimated due to methodological issues with the AD efficacy studies (e.g., publication bias, unintentional unblinding, confusion between withdrawal symptoms and relapse).

Objectives

The benefit of the additional use of AD in the inpatient treatment of depression with intensive cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has been investigated in a naturalistic design.

Methods

Depressiveness was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) during a preliminary interview (T0), at admission (T1), at discharge (T2), and at a 6-month follow-up (T3). Two study phases were compared: During Phase A, AD were recommended in accordance with the German guideline. In Phase B, AD were no longer recommended, and they were only prescribed upon explicit request from patients. In phase A (N = 574), 60.3% of all patients were taking AD at discharge. In Phase B (N = 424), 27.9% of patients were on AD at discharge. Apart from the difference in AD usage, the two treatment conditions were similar, and the samples did not significantly differ in terms of age, sex, diagnoses, history of suicide attempts, comorbid anxiety disorders, and unemployment.

Results

In both study phases, BDI-II scores were strongly decreased at T2 and T3, respectively, compared with T1. The BDI-II scores of the two phases did not differ at any of the measurement time points. Depression changes were similar in both phases. In sequential multiple regression analyses with the total sample, AD were no significant predictors for the reduction of depression at either T2 or T3.

Conclusions

The inpatient CBT was effective in depression. The effectiveness of CBT is not improved by the additional use of AD. The current prescribing practices of AD should be questioned.
A cross-sectional study on Chinese oncology nurses’ knowledge of bone health among cancer patients
Authors: Shan Jing , Lv Sumei , Chen Lu , Li Tianhua , Li Jingwen , Wang Shuangyan , Zhang Congcong
Published: August 2023

Objective

To understand the knowledge status, obstacle factors, and management confidence of oncology nurses on the bone health of cancer patients, and in addition to provide reference for establishing bone health knowledge training system for oncology nurses and guiding them to manage bone health of cancer patients.

Methods

A total of 602 nurses engaged in oncology nursing in 6 hospitals in Hebei Province were selected by cluster sampling, and an online anonymous survey was conducted by sending questionnaires to oncology nurses from the Hebei Cancer Prevention and Control Association. The questionnaire was developed by the study team. There are 4 parts, namely general information, nurses’ role and job responsibilities, knowledge of skeletal-related events (SREs) and cancer treatment–induced bone loss (CTIBL), and understanding and confidence in bone health management, for a total of 33 questions.

Results

Thirty-seven percent of oncology nurses received training on bone health and other related contents; 40.48% of oncology nurses used domestic and foreign guidelines when managing patients with bone metastases or CTIBL. Only approximately one-third of oncology nurses had confidence in managing the side effects of bone metastases and bone modification drugs and identifying patients at risk of CTIBL and fracture; only 33.04% of oncology nurses believed that weight-bearing exercise can prevent bone loss; less than 50% of oncology nurses believed that aromatase inhibitor therapy, ovarian suppression therapy, androgen deprivation therapy, and low body weight were risk factors for pathological fractures. The reasons that hindered oncology nurses from optimizing the management of patients with bone metastases and understanding the preventive measures and risk factors for bone loss mainly included lack of relevant knowledge training, lack of understanding of effective intervention measures, and lack of training and professionalism of specialized nurses, including insufficient development time and guidelines for clinical nursing practice.

Conclusion

Managers must continuously improve the training system of oncology nurses, enrich the content of training pertaining to bone health for cancer patients, formulate clinical nursing practice guidelines, and give oncology nurses more time for professional development.
Statistical modeling of three-dimensional redox architecture from non-colocated redox borehole and transient electromagnetic data
Authors: Wang Lijing , Kim Hyojin , Hansen Birgitte , Christiansen Anders V. , Vilhelmsen Troels N. , Caers Jef
Published: August 2023

Agricultural nitrate pollutants infiltrate into the subsurface and contaminate groundwater. The redox environment in the subsurface is important for the natural removal of nitrate by denitrification. Detailed knowledge of the redox conditions is needed in order to make better-targeted nitrogen regulations for farmers. However, unveiling three-dimensional (3D) redox architectures is challenging because one only observes redox conditions in boreholes. Therefore, this work proposes a combination of towed transient electromagnetic resistivity (tTEM) geophysical surveys and redox boreholes to model 3D redox architecture stochastically. The tTEM survey reveals the geological structure in high resolution. However, the tTEM survey and redox boreholes are often non-colocated. To address this issue, geostatistical simulations are performed to generate multiple resistivity data colocated with redox boreholes. Then, a statistical learning method, namely multinomial logistic regression, is leveraged to predict multiple 3D redox architectures given the uncertain surrounding resistivity structures. In this way, the aggregated prediction of multiple redox architectures has a higher prediction accuracy than a redox prediction model with interpolated resistivity. The trained statistical model can also identify significant resistivity structures for redox predictions. An inverse problem has also been formulated to better match the redox borehole data. In summary, the proposed workflow models 3D resistivity and redox architecture jointly, aggregates to a highly accurate redox architecture, and provides important resistivity structures for domain experts. The highly accurate redox architecture supports a better agricultural regulation decision.
Probabilistic reconstruction via machine-learning of the Po watershed aquifer system (Italy)
Authors: Manzoni Andrea , Porta Giovanni Michele , Guadagnini Laura , Guadagnini Alberto , Riva Monica
Published: August 2023

A machine-learning-based methodology is proposed to delineate the spatial distribution of geomaterials across a large-scale three-dimensional subsurface system. The study area spans the entire Po River Basin in northern Italy. As uncertainty quantification is critical for subsurface characterization, the methodology is specifically designed to provide a quantitative evaluation of prediction uncertainty at each location of the reconstructed domain. The analysis is grounded on a unique dataset that encompasses lithostratigraphic data obtained from diverse sources of information. A hyperparameter selection technique based on a stratified cross-validation procedure is employed to improve model prediction performance. The quality of the results is assessed through validation against pointwise information and available hydrogeological cross-sections. The large-scale patterns identified are in line with the main features highlighted by typical hydrogeological surveys. Reconstruction of prediction uncertainty is consistent with the spatial distribution of available data and model accuracy estimates. It enables one to identify regions where availability of new information could assist in the constraining of uncertainty. The comprehensive dataset provided in this study, complemented by the model-based reconstruction of the subsurface system and the assessment of the associated uncertainty, is relevant from a water resources management and protection perspective. As such, it can be readily employed in the context of groundwater availability and quality studies aimed at identifying the main dynamics and patterns associated with the action of climate drivers in large-scale aquifer systems of the kind here analyzed, while fully embedding model and parametric uncertainties that are tied to the scale of investigation.
Kinetic Energy Budget in Turbulent Flows of Dilute Polymer Solutions
Authors: Serafini Francesco , Battista Francesco , Gualtieri Paolo , Casciola Carlo Massimo
Published: August 2023

Direct numerical simulation of a turbulent pipe flow of a realistic solution of $$10^8$$

10
8

polymers, modelled as finitely extensible nonlinear elastic (FENE) dumbbells, and directly momentum coupled with the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations, are performed by means of an Eulerian-Lagrangian approach. Besides the drag reduction, the polymers significantly modify mean and turbulent kinetic energy budgets. The polymer backreaction to the solvent reduces the Reynolds stress and thus decreases the turbulent production and, at large Weissenberg number, the polymers act as a source of turbulent kinetic energy for $$y^+> 40$$

y
+

>
40

, leading to an increase in the dissipation. This effect is peculiar to large Weissenberg polymers and it is particularly apparent at a small Reynolds number. At a smaller Weissenberg number, the effect of the polymers remains confined in the buffer layer, with the kinetic energy budget not significantly altered elsewhere.
What is meant by scientific literacy in the curriculum? A comparative analysis between Bolivia and Chile
Authors: Norambuena-Meléndez Mariela , Guerrero Gonzalo R. , González-Weil Corina
Published: August 2023

Scientific literacy is still being identified and recognised as one of the main goals of science education. However, this concept has multiple interpretations and its definition changes continuously depending on its social, cultural, and political contexts. In this paper, scientific literacy is conceptualised through visions I, II and III. The first one is focused on the content and scientific processes for its subsequent application; the second, with a focus on understanding the usefulness of scientific knowledge in life and society; and the third one seeks to move towards a politicised scientific education to dialogic emancipation, attending social and eco-justice dimensions. The latter is also called critical scientific literacy. The research aimed at analysing how scientific literacy and these three visions are expressed in school curricula of Bolivia and Chile. Using a qualitative approach and thematic analysis, it is established that the Bolivian curriculum presents mainly a critical scientific literacy approach and the Chilean science curriculum presents mainly a vision II of scientific literacy. Findings of contrasting both school curricula show science education as non-neutral and profoundly political field, and therefore, we can see relevant opportunities for transformation and emancipation, understanding science curriculum as a social practice.
Subjective Well-being of Children Left Behind by Migrant Parents in Six European Countries
Authors: Bălțătescu Sergiu , Strózik Tomasz , Soo Kadri , Kutsar Dagmar , Strózik Dorota , Bacter Claudia
Published: August 2023

This paper presents a cross-national comparison of the influence of parental migration on children’s subjective well-being (SWB). While studies often focus on the economic implications of adult migration, research on its effects on children’s well-being is scarce, particularly in Europe. Data from surveys of over 13,500 school children in six European countries with a communist legacy were analysed. These were collected as part of Children’s Worlds - The International Study of Children’s Well-being (ISCWeB). The findings reveal that left-behind children generally have lower levels of SWB than non-left-behind children, with girls being more affected, and the gap in well-being increases with age. Left-behind status was also associated with lower family and school satisfaction. A hierarchical logistic regression model was used to explore the role of parental migration and family and school life satisfaction in predicting high SWB of children. While including family and school life satisfaction in the model weakened the association between parental migration and child SWB, the models’ explanatory power improved. This study emphasizes the need for further research in this area to better understand the complex dynamics between parental migration, children’s subjective well-being, and other factors. These insights are essential for developing targeted interventions and policies to support the well-being of left-behind children in migrant sending countries.
Is There Still a Policy Agenda for EU Copyright Law?
Authors: Sganga Caterina
Published: August 2023

Almost two decades after the last landmark act of EU copyright harmonization (InfoSoc Directive, 2001/29/EC), and after a number of narrow, targeted interventions on specific topics, the EU legislator has issued another historical directive touching key pillars of copyright law (2019/790/EU, CDSMD). It is still too early to evaluate the impact this act will have on the digital single market of protected works and the balance between conflicting interests at stake. However, commentators have already highlighted its strengths and flaws, underlined challenges and problems still affecting the system, and advanced specific reform proposals and, more generally, EU copyright law that have still remained unaddressed. This revived debate, also triggered by the interplay between EU copyright and the new regulatory interventions on platform regulation and the data economy, stand in stark contrast with the disappearance of copyright from the Union’s legislative agenda, which will likely be the case for some years to come. Building on the current state of the harmonization in the field, this Opinion maintains that a pressing EU copyright policy agenda still exists, and proposes a number of recommendations for future regulatory actions.
An Opportunity to See the Heart Defect Physically: Medical Student Experiences of Technology-Enhanced Learning with 3D Printed Models of Congenital Heart Disease
Authors: Luxford Jack C. , Cheng Tegan L. , Mervis Jonathan , Anderson Jennifer , Clarke Jillian , Croker Sarah , Nusem Erez , Bray Liam , Gunasekera Hasantha , Scott Karen M.
Published: August 2023

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is increasingly used in medical education and paediatric cardiology. A technology-enhanced learning (TEL) module was designed to accompany 3D printed models of congenital heart disease (CHD) to aid in the teaching of medical students. There are few studies evaluating the attitudes and perceptions of medical students regarding their experience of learning about CHD using 3D printing. This study aimed to explore senior medical students’ experiences in learning about paediatric cardiology through a workshop involving 3D printed models of CHD supported by TEL in the form of online case-based learning. A mixed-methods evaluation was undertaken involving a post-workshop questionnaire (n = 94 students), and focus groups (n = 16 students). Focus group and free-text questionnaire responses underwent thematic analysis. Questionnaire responses demonstrated widespread user satisfaction; 91 (97%) students agreed that the workshop was a valuable experience. The highest-level satisfaction was for the physical 3D printed models, the clinical case-based learning, and opportunity for peer collaboration. Thematic analysis identified five key themes: a variable experience of prior learning, interplay between physical and online models, flexible and novel workshop structure, workshop supported the learning outcomes, and future opportunities for learning using 3D printing. A key novel finding was that students indicated the module increased their confidence to teach others about CHD and recommended expansion to other parts of the curriculum. 3D printed models of CHD are a valuable learning resource and contribute to the richness and enjoyment of medical student learning, with widespread satisfaction.
Rotation-equivariant transformer for oriented person detection of overhead fisheye images
Authors: Zhou You , Bai Yong , Chen Yongqing
Published: August 2023

Overhead fisheye images can be used for person detection in intelligent monitoring systems. Unlike horizontal images, people in fisheye cameras are generally distributed in any orientation. When the object is rotated, the feature maps from convolutional neural networks have nonlinear variations and lose many orientation features. Transformer can learn the orientation relationship between features. However, a transformer cannot directly extract orientation features and the effectiveness of detecting small objects needs to be improved. In this paper, We propose a novel rotation-equivariant transformer backbone network, which combines group-equivariant convolution with swin transformer to solve these problems. In our proposed model, the rotation-equivariant feature map extracted by group-equivariant convolution contains a large number of orientation features in multiple directions. Aggregates feature in different directions to enhance the communication of orientation features before computing window self-attention. We propose the equivariant-group relation module for evaluating the similarity of the equivariant-group and calculating the aggregation weights. Our network architecture for multi-level receptive field structure can expand the local receptive field to enhance the detection of small objects. The experiments validate that our model achieves state-of-the-art performance on fisheye image datasets MW-R, HABBOF, and CEPDOF. Compared with the swin transformer, the accuracy of our model is improved by 0.3$$\%$$
%
, 0.5$$\%$$
%
, and 1.3$$\%$$
%
, and the accuracy of small object detection in the CEPDOF dataset is improved by 0.73$$\%$$
%
.
Diagonals Separating the Square of a Continuum
Authors: Illanes Alejandro , Martínez-de-la-Vega Verónica , Martínez-Montejano Jorge M. , Michalik Daria
Published: August 2023

A metric continuum X is indecomposable if it cannot be put as the union of two of its proper subcontinua. A subset R of X is said to be continuumwise connected provided that for each pair of points $$p,q\in R$$

p
,
q
∈
R

, there exists a subcontinuum M of X such that $$\{p,q\}\subset M\subset R$$

{
p
,
q
}
⊂
M
⊂
R

. Let $$X^{2}$$

X
2

denote the Cartesian square of X and $$\Delta $$
Δ
the diagonal of $$X^{2}$$

X
2

. Recently, H. Katsuura asked if for a continuum X, distinct from the arc, $$X^{2}\setminus \Delta $$

X
2

\
Δ

is continuumwise connected if and only if X is decomposable. In this paper, we show that no implication in this question holds. For the proof of the non-necessity, we use the dynamical properties of a suitable homeomorphism of the Cantor set onto itself to construct an appropriate indecomposable continuum X.
Some Conditions Concerning the Shape Operator of a Real Hypersurface in Complex Projective Space
Authors: Pérez Juan de Dios , Pérez-López David
Published: August 2023

Let M be a real hypersurface of a complex projective space. For any operator B on M and any nonnull real number k, we can define two tensor fields of type (1,2) on M, $$B_F^{(k)}$$

B
F

(
k
)

and $$B_T^{(k)}$$

B
T

(
k
)

. We will classify real hypersurfaces in complex projective space for which $$B_F^{(k)}$$

B
F

(
k
)

and $$B_T^{(k)}$$

B
T

(
k
)

either take values in the maximal holomorphic distribution $$\mathbb {D}$$
D
or are parallel to the structure vector field $$\xi $$
ξ
, in the particular case of $$B=A$$

B
=
A

, where A denotes the shape operator of M. We also introduce the concept of $$A_F^{(k)}$$

A
F

(
k
)

and $$A_T^{(k)}$$

A
T

(
k
)

being $$\mathbb {D}$$
D
-recurrent and classify real hypersurfaces such that either $$A_F^{(k)}$$

A
F

(
k
)

or $$A_T^{(k)}$$

A
T

(
k
)

are $$\mathbb {D}$$
D
-recurrent.
Approach to provide interpretability in machine learning models for image classification
Authors: Stadlhofer Anja , Mezhuyev Vitaliy
Published: August 2023

One of the main reasons why machine learning (ML) methods are not yet widely used in productive business processes is the lack of confidence in the results of an ML model. To improve the situation, interpretability methods may be used, which provide insight into the internal structure of an ML model, and criteria, based on which the model makes a certain prediction. This paper aims to consider the state of the art in interpretability methods and apply the selected methods to an industrial use case. Two methods, called LIME and SHAP, were selected from the literature and next implemented in the use case for image classification using a convolutional neural network. The research methodology consists of three parts, the first is the literature analysis, followed by the practical implementation of an ML model for image classification and the subsequent application of the interpretability methods, and the third part is a multi-criteria comparison of selected LIME and SHAP methods. This work enables companies to select the most effective interpretability method according to their use case and also to increase companies’ motivation for using ML.
Photonitration of pyrene adsorbed on silica gel with NO2
Authors: Hasegawa Kiyoshi , Mabuchi Reona , Kagaya Shigehiro
Published: August 2023

To examine the heterogeneous photonitration of pyrene with NO2 (approximately 0.2 ppm) on a heavy-traffic road, we studied the photonitration of pyrene adsorbed (pyreneads) on silica gel, which was used as SiO2 in particulate matter (PM), with NO2 (10.2, 2.0, and 0.20 ppm) under the atmospheric concentration ratio of pyreneads to NO2 and compared the results with those obtained in the dark. The effects of irradiation, wavelength, and oxygen concentration in a NO2 diluent on the photonitration were examined using a fluidized-bed column irradiated with simulated or real sunlight. Under the UV-light absorption of pyrene, the concentration of pyrene decreased exponentially in accordance with a pseudo-first-order reaction, while in the dark, it decreased sigmoidally in accordance with a H+-autocatalyzed reaction. The distribution and the yields of formed nitration products and their photooxidation products were affected by the light intensity, concentrations of NO2, and oxygen in the NO2 diluent. In the photonitration experiments using a high-pressure mercury lamp, formed 1-nitropyrene and minor dinitropyrenes were decreased by the transformation into their photooxidation products. Under 8-h exposure of pyrene to 10.2-ppm NO2, the yield of 1-nitropyrene was 42% in N2 and 28% in air. The oxygen inhibitory effect can be explained by the energy transfer from 1pyrene* to oxygen. Radical cation intermediate (pyrene•+-NO2−) was proposed for 1-nitropyrene formation. Under 24-h exposure of pyrene to 2.0-ppm NO2, the yields of 1-nitropyrene and the photooxidation products were 21.6% and 8.0%, respectively, in N2 and 4.9% and 3.8%, respectively, in air. Under 24-h exposure of pyrene to 0.20-ppm NO2, which is two times the 1-h NO2 standard in the USA and China, the yields of 1-nitropyrene and the photooxidation products were 2.3% and 3.4%, respectively, in N2 and 2.1% and 0.9%, respectively, in air. The significant decrease in the yields of 1-nitropyrene and the photooxidation products under the concentration of 0.20-ppm NO2 can be explained by their easy photodecomposition with the increase in the photolysis of pyrene. Under the concentration of 0.20-ppm NO2 in air, which is approximately the concentration on heavy-traffic roads, the decay rate of pyrene by the photonitration was increased by own photolysis, although the photonitration was inhibited by oxygen in air.
‘Pearls’ of the nineteenth-century: from therapeutic actors to global commodities medicinal leeches in the Ottoman Empire
Authors: Arabacı Büşra
Published: August 2023

Nineteenth-century physicians increasingly favoured leeching – the placing of a live leech onto a patient’s skin to stimulate or limit blood flow – as a cure for numerous ailments. As conviction in their therapeutic properties spread, leech therapy dominated European medicine; France imported over fifty million leeches in one year. Demand soon outpaced supply, spawning a lucrative global trade. Over-collection and farming eventually destroyed leech habitats, wreaked environmental havoc and forced European merchants to seek new supply sources. Vast colonies of leeches were found to inhabit the immense wetlands of the Ottoman Empire, which soon became a major exporter of medicinal leeches. Following the Treaty of Balta Liman (1838), the Ottoman state moved to exert control over the lucrative trade, imposing a tax on leech gathering and contracting with tax-farmers (mültezim) to collect the taxes. British diplomats, merchants and other stakeholders protested the imposition of the tax, as had previously happened with the commodification of wildlife; their pursuit of profit led collectors and farmers to over-gather leeches, with catastrophic consequences. By the end of the century, so great had their worth climbed that the leech population faced extinction. This paper situates medicinal leeches as therapeutic actors of history and adopts an interscale approach in formulating the human-leech interaction. It offers a substantive contribution to the history of medicine, in revealing the centrality of leeches to the rise of modern medicine and global trade, but also by making visible their role in shaping imperial diplomacy and worldwide economic markets.
Participating in eradication: how Guinea worm redefined eradication, and eradication redefined Guinea worm, 1985–2022
Authors: Roberts Jonathan David
Published: August 2023

Guinea worm disease (dracunculiasis) is a debilitating waterborne disease. Once widespread, it is now on the brink of eradication. However, the Guinea Worm Eradication Programme (GWEP), like guinea worm itself, has been under-studied by historians. The GWEP demonstrates an unusual model of eradication, one focused on primary healthcare (PHC), community participation, health education and behavioural change (safe drinking). The PHC movement collided with a waterborne disease, which required rapid but straightforward treatment to prevent transmission, creating a historical space for the emergence of village-based volunteer health workers, as local actors realigned global health policy on a local level. These Village Volunteers placed eradication in the hands of residents of endemic areas, epitomising the participation-focused nature of the GWEP. This participatory mode of eradication highlights the agency of those in endemic areas, who, through volunteering, safe drinking and community self-help, have been the driving force behind dracunculiasis eradication. In the twenty-first century, guinea worm has become firstly a problem of human mobility, as global health has struggled to contain cases in refugees and nomads, and latterly a zoonotic disease, as guinea worm has shifted hosts to become primarily a parasite of dogs. This demonstrates both the potential of One Health approaches and the need for One Health to adopt from PHC and the GWEP a focus on the health of humans and animals in isolated and impoverished areas. Guinea worm demonstrates how the biological and the historical interact, with the GWEP and guinea worm shaping each other over the course of the eradication programme.
Age, growth and otolith morphometrics of Serranus hepatus (L., 1758) in two areas of the Eastern Mediterranean
Authors: Nikiforidou Vasiliki , Gkikas Emmanouil , Mytilineou Chryssi , Haralabous John , Koutsoubas Drosos , Anastasopoulou Aikaterini
Published: August 2023

Serranus hepatus is a bycatch species in the Mediterranean trawl fishery for which knowledge on biological features such as otolith morphology is generally poor in the Mediterranean Sea. In the present study, the weight–length relationship, age, growth and ten otolith morphometric variables of this species were investigated in two distant areas, the Eastern Ionian and southwestern Aegean Seas. Isometric growth in weight was defined in both areas. Growth parameters also did not differ between the two study areas. Six of the otolith variables (radius, otolith length, otolith width, otolith area, perimeter and ellipticity) showed a significant relationship with size without significant differences between the two areas. Significant differences between the two areas were only defined for five of the morphometric variables (otolith length, width and area being the most important). Further studies to discriminate between potential stocks of S. hepatus seem to be necessary, information that is needed for stock identification, stock assessment and fisheries management.
Compass adjustment by GPS (or any other GNSS receiver) and a single visual reference
Authors: Moncunill Marimón Jorge , Martínez de Osés Francisco Javier , Cabal Álvarez Rafael
Published: August 2023

This paper proposes a proper compass adjustment method using only a GPS (or any other GNSS receiver) and a single visual reference to enhance the efficiency of compass adjustment. During compass adjustment, the ship proceeds on magnetic courses using a gyroscopic or satellite compass and considering magnetic declination. However, non-magnetic compasses are only compulsory for ships of 500 gross tonnage or upwards (SOLAS V/19.2.5.1). Many ships of less than 500 gross tonnage have only a magnetic compass to indicate heading. In these cases, a minimum of five leading lines or a minimum of five bearings of conspicuous and distant points or sun azimuths are necessary to adjust the compass. This makes compass adjustment more laborious and time consuming. To expedite this process, a reliable and practical method was developed to use the courses over ground given by a GNSS receiver and a single visual reference instead of the headings provided by a gyroscopic or satellite compass. The method is valid for all ships, but is primarily intended for those equipped with only a magnetic compass to indicate heading.
Prevalence and shared risk factors of HIV in three key populations in Vietnam: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Lee Patricia , Docrat Ashraf
Published: August 2023

This study aims to estimate the prevalence of HIV among each of the three key populations in Vietnam: people who inject drugs (PWID), female sex workers (FSW), and men who have sex with men (MSM) and quantify their shared risk factors for HIV infection through a systematic review and meta-analysis of recent literature (published in 2001–2017) in the relevant topics. A total of 17 studies consisting of 16,304 participants were selected in this review. The meta-analysis results revealed that the pooled prevalence estimates with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) among PWID, FSW, and MSM were: 0.293 (0.164, 0.421), 0.075 (0.060, 0.089), and 0.085 (0.044, 0.126), respectively. The findings also indicated that injecting drug use (OR: 9.88, 95%CI: 4.47–15.28), multiperson use of injecting equipment (OR: 2.91, 95%CI: 1.69, 4.17), and inconsistent condom use (OR: 2.11, 95%CI: 1.33, 2.90) were the shared risk factors for HIV infection among these population groups. The findings highlighted the importance of HIV prevention approaches to addressing the shared sexual and drug-related practices among the key populations in consideration of their overlapping social networks.
Mud Could Have Made Meandering Rivers Long Before Plants Arrived
Authors: Dzombak Rebecca
Published: August 2023

New evidence from 1.2-billion-year-old rocks suggests that single, sinuous channels could have formed in muddy floodplain sediments without the stabilizing help of vegetation.
Interannual Migration of the Summertime Eastward Jet in the South China Sea Associated With the Upper Layer Thickness Distribution
Authors: Sun Yan , Lan Jian
Published: August 2023

The summertime eastward jet (SEJ) in the South China Sea (SCS) can be regarded as the boundary between the southern and northern upper circulation of the SCS in climatology. The dynamic process of SEJ migration in response to the variation of SCS summer monsoon (SCSSM) strength on the interannual scale is investigated, based on the Simple Ocean Data Assimilation (SODA) dataset and by a 1.5‐layer reduced gravity model. Analysis shows that SEJ position is closely related to SCSSM strength, with southward/northward migration of SEJ coinciding with stronger/weaker SCSSM. Besides migration of wind stress curl (WSC) zero‐line and north‐south difference of WSC variation, the north‐south difference of the SCS upper layer thickness (ULT) in summer, that is, thick in the southern SCS and thin in the northern SCS, also plays a significant role in the dynamic process of SEJ migration. It is the joint effect of wind strength and ULT distribution. With the variation of SCSSM strength, the thinner ULT in the northern SCS corresponds to the larger magnitude of potential vorticity (PV) variation inputted by wind stress, which leads to more pronounced strengthening/weakening of the western boundary current (WBC) in the northern SCS than that in the southern SCS. Then, the north and south WBCs compete with each other until the upper layer circulation reaches a new equilibrium state, and SEJ migrates southward/northward accordingly.
Localization of Deformation in a Non‐Collisional Subduction Orogen: The Roles of Dip Geometry and Plate Strength on the Evolution of the Broken Andean Foreland, Sierras Pampeanas, Argentina
Authors: Pons Michaël , Rodriguez Piceda Constanza , Sobolev Stephan V. , Scheck‐Wenderoth Magdalena , Strecker Manfred R.
Published: August 2023

The southern Central Andes (SCA, 27°–40°S) exhibit a complex deformation pattern that is influenced by multiple factors, including the present‐day dip angle of the subducting oceanic Nazca plate and the influence of inherited heterogeneities in the continental South American plate. This study employs a data‐driven geodynamic workflow to assess the role of various forcing factors in determining upper‐plate strain localization, both above the flat slab and the steeper segment to the south. These include the dip angle of the Nazca plate, the mechanically weak sedimentary basins, the thickness and composition of the continental crust, the strength of the subduction interface, and the plate velocities. Our modeling results predict two main deformation modes: (a) pure‐shear shortening in the broken foreland above the flat‐slab segment and eastward propagation of deformation, and (b) simple‐shear shortening restricted to the eastern margin of the Andean fold‐and‐thrust belt above the steep‐slab segment. While the convergence velocity and the frictional strength of the subduction interface primarily control the intensity of the deformation, inherited heterogeneities tend to localize deformation, and weak sediments leads to intensified surface deformation. Thicker crust and surface topography also influences strain localization by transferring stress to the eastern orogenic front. Above the flat‐slab segment deformation migrates eastward, which is facilitated by enhanced interface coupling. The transition between the steep and sub‐horizontal subduction segments is characterized by a diffuse transpressional shear zone, likely controlled by the change in dip geometry of the Nazca plate, and the presence of inherited faults and weak sedimentary basins.
XPO1 inhibition sensitises CLL cells to NK cell mediated cytotoxicity and overcomes HLA-E expression
Authors: Fisher Jack G. , Doyle Amber D. P. , Graham Lara V. , Sonar Shreyanshi , Sale Ben , Henderson Isla , Del Rio Luis , Johnson Peter W. M. , Landesman Yosef , Cragg Mark S. , Forconi Francesco , Walker Christopher J. , Khakoo Salim. I. , Blunt Matthew D.
Published: August 2023

The first-in-class inhibitor of exportin-1 (XPO1) selinexor is currently under clinical investigation in combination with the BTK inhibitor ibrutinib for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) or non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Selinexor induces apoptosis of tumour cells through nuclear retention of tumour suppressor proteins and has also recently been described to modulate natural killer (NK) cell and T cell cytotoxicity against lymphoma cells. Here, we demonstrate that XPO1 inhibition enhances NK cell effector function against primary CLL cells via downregulation of HLA-E and upregulation of TRAIL death receptors DR4 and DR5. Furthermore, selinexor potentiates NK cell activation against CLL cells in combination with several approved treatments; acalabrutinib, rituximab and obinutuzumab. We further demonstrate that lymph node associated signals (IL-4 + CD40L) inhibit NK cell activation against CLL cells via upregulation of HLA-E, and that inhibition of XPO1 can overcome this protective effect. These findings allow for the design of more efficacious combination strategies to harness NK cell effector functions against CLL.
The TRIM37 variants in Mulibrey nanism patients paralyze follicular helper T cell differentiation
Authors: Gu Wangpeng , Zhang Jia , Li Qing , Zhang Yaguang , Lin Xuan , Wu Bingbing , Yin Qi , Sun Jinqiao , Lu Yulan , Sun Xiaoyu , Jia Caiwei , Li Chuanyin , Zhang Yu , Wang Meng , Yin Xidi , Wang Su , Xu Jiefang , Wang Ran , Zhu Songling , Cheng Shipeng , Chen Shuangfeng , Liu Lian , Zhu Lin , Yan Chenghua , Yi Chunyan , Li Xuezhen , Lian Qiaoshi , Lin Guomei , Ling Zhiyang , Ma Liyan , Zhou Min , Xiao Kuanlin , Wei Haiming , Hu Ronggui , Zhou Wenhao , Ye Lilin , Wang Haikun , Li Jinsong , Sun Bing
Published: August 2023

The Mulibrey (Muscle–liver–brain–eye) nanism caused by loss-of-function variants in TRIM37 gene is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by severe growth failure and constrictive pericarditis. These patients also suffer from severe respiratory infections, co-incident with an increased mortality rate. Here, we revealed that TRIM37 variants were associated with recurrent infection. Trim37 FINmajor (a representative variant of Mulibrey nanism patients) and Trim37 knockout mice were susceptible to influenza virus infection. These mice showed defects in follicular helper T (TFH) cell development and antibody production. The effects of Trim37 on TFH cell differentiation relied on its E3 ligase activity catalyzing the K27/29-linked polyubiquitination of Bcl6 and its MATH domain-mediated interactions with Bcl6, thereby protecting Bcl6 from proteasome-mediated degradation. Collectively, these findings highlight the importance of the Trim37-Bcl6 axis in controlling the development of TFH cells and the production of high-affinity antibodies, and further unveil the immunologic mechanism underlying recurrent respiratory infection in Mulibrey nanism.
Mitochonic acid 5 attenuates age-related neuromuscular dysfunction associated with mitochondrial Ca2+ overload in Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Wu XinTong , Seida Miku , Abe Takaaki , Higashitani Atsushi
Published: August 2023

Mitochonic acid-5 ameliorates the pathophysiology of human mitochondrial-disease fibroblasts and Caenorhabditis elegans Duchenne muscular dystrophy and Parkinson’s disease models. Here, we found that 10 μM MA-5 attenuates the age-related decline in motor performance, loss of muscle mitochondria, and degeneration of dopaminergic neurons associated with mitochondrial Ca2+ overload in C. elegans. These findings suggest that MA-5 may act as an anti-aging agent against a wide range of neuromuscular dysfunctions in metazoans.