bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Thermal-noise-limited ultra-stable laser operated at 698 nm
Authors: Zhang Lin-Bo , Chen Long , Dong Rui-Fang , Liu Tao , Zhang Shou-Gang
Published: May 2024

Ultra-stable lasers are indispensable in high precision measurements. Here we demonstrate an ultra-stable laser system that reaches the thermal noise limit of the optical cavity for the 698 nm clock transition laser of strontium atomic optical clock. This is achieved by locking the frequency of the external-cavity diode laser (ECDL) to a full ULE optical cavity with a length of 10 cm. By suppressing noise such as temperature disturbance, vibration, residual amplitude modulation (RAM), and fiber phase noise, the measured laser linewidth is less than 0.9 Hz. After subtracting the linear drift of 60 mHz/s, the frequency instability of the beat signal reaches 1.2 × 10−15 at 1 s averaging time, which is close to the thermal noise limit of the optical cavity.
Thermoelectric transport properties of surface states in three-dimensional topological insulator film
Authors: Wang Kai-Tong , Wang Hui , Liu Shijie , Lv Zhen-Long , Wei Miaomiao
Published: May 2024

We study the thermoelectric properties of surface states in three-dimensional topological insulator film. The typical Seebeck and Nernst effects are numerically investigated. As the surface states lie in the quantum spin Hall phase, the Seebeck coefficient Sc is an odd function of Fermi energy while the Nernst coefficient Nc is an even function. Sc and Nc show peaks when the Fermi energy crosses different propagating modes. Under the magnetic field, some abnormal peaks appear in Sc due to the exotic hump-shape energy band. By magnetically doping the film, the quantum anomalous Hall states dominate the system transport, the Seebeck coefficient remains an odd function at zero magnetic field. However, when a magnetic field is applied, it breaks the electron-hole symmetry, the parity of Seebeck and Nernst coefficients is disrupted. With the emergence of the quantum pseudospin Hall phase, two huge peaks generate in the Seebeck and Nernst coefficients. Furthermore, it is found that a strong magnetic field can open the band gap, which can distinguish the contributions of electrons and holes to the Seebeck and Nernst effects.
The role of interface energetics in Sb2Se3 thin film solar cells
Authors: Gokula Krishnan B , T M Amirthalakahmi , Thandaiah Prabu R , Kumar Atul
Published: May 2024

We comprehensively simulated the interface energetics at the Sb2Se3/CdS interfaces and showed its impact on device performance. The interface discontinuity, band bending at interface and energy level alignment generates interfaces issues and must be optimized for an optimal device performance. The design parameters for controlling interface. Metal contact work function preferably higher than electron affinity (EA) and Fermi level (EF) combined (EA + EF), should result in near Ohmic behaviour of contact. Secondly electron affinity of buffer could be tuned to achieve small positive conduction bandoffset (spike barrier) at absorber/buffer interface which lowers the chances of recombination through interface states. A pn
+ configuration with highly doped buffer layer, as compared to p-absorber, is favourable as it will extend depletion in absorber, providing additional drift to photo-generated carriers. Lastly, acceptor defect at Sb2Se3-CdS interface generate surface inversion and detrimental to performance. Donor defects occupying interface states are preferred condition for optimal device performance. We have compiled the optimal ranges for these controlling parameters, to achieve theoretically ideal values of energy level alignment and energetics, leading to optimal performance.
The role of local structure and preferential site occupancy on the saturation magnetization of the Y2.97Gd0.03Fe5O12 ferrite
Authors: Matilla-Arias J , Guerrero F , Gonçalves M , Viana Bartolomeu C , Guerra Y , Mariño-Castellanos P A , Govea-Alcaide E , Peña-Garcia Ramón R
Published: May 2024

Herein, we present a comprehensive crystallographic and magnetic study of the Gd0.03Y2.97Fe5O12 ferrite, synthesized via the sol–gel method. Rietveld refinement and Raman spectrum confirmed the single-phase cubic structure formation. Furthermore, the atomic positions, the local structure distortion, lattice parameters (12.398(1) Å), volume (1905.6(4) Å3), and the average crystallite size (68.3(9) nm) were also determined. Using a phenomenological model was confirmed that the Gd3+ ions prefer to occupy the dodecahedral sites. The micrographic images obtained by scanning electron and transmission microscopies corroborated the agglomerated coral style of the particles. From the magnetic study, it was verified that the Gd3+ ions induce a negative contribution to the net magnetic moment in the Gd0.03Y2.97Fe5O12 ferrite. In addition, was demonstrated that the a-d super-exchange interaction weakening is not the main mechanism that determines the saturation magnetization for the studied compound. Instead, the negative contribution of the Gd3+ ion’s magnetic moment in dodecahedral sites is the determining physical mechanism of saturation magnetization.
Anisotropic stellar evolution and exotic matter
Authors: Mumtaz Saadia , Manzoor Rubab , Zulfiqar Aneesa , Iftikhar Sehrish
Published: May 2024

In this paper, we discuss the stability of isotropic pressure conditions for a spherically symmetric dissipative fluid distribution in the framework of

f
(
G
,
T
)

gravity. We consider the fluid to be composed of seen and exotic matter particles. The Gauss Bonnet terms represent exotic matter particles. For the physical significance of the pressure isotropy conditions, we transform the system into the hydrostatic equilibrium approximation. We observe the presence of shear, dissipative fluxes, energy density inhomogeneities, and prominently, the exotic matter tends to abandon isotropy leading to pressure anisotropy. It is found that exotic matter and dissipation are major factors that induce matter anisotropy in the evolving stellar system. In order to discuss the physical significance of the stellar model in

f
(
G
,
T
)

gravity, the behaviour of stellar structure is explored according to the observational data of a compact star 4U1820 − 30. It is found that

f
(
G
,
T
)

terms indicating the exotic material in the stellar model plays a vital role in governing the dynamics of the evolution. To strengthen the results, we also incorporate some arguments by choosing an axially symmetric case.
Effects of stimulated emission and superradiant growth of non-spherical axion cluster
Authors: Chen Liang , Huang Da , Geng Chao-Qiang
Published: May 2024

We explore the stimulated emission of photons in non-spherical axion clusters with or without the axion source from the superradiance of a rotating black hole (BH). In particular, we focus on the cluster with the initial axion distribution in the (l,m)=(1,1) mode which mimics the shape of an axion cloud induced by the BH superradiance. After establishing the hierarchy of Boltzmann equations governing a general non-spherical axion-photon system, we examine the evolution of photon and axion distributions in the cluster and possible stimulated emission signals. In the case without the axion source, the resultant signal would be a single photon pulse. As for the system with the BH superradiance as the axion source, multiple pulses are predicted. We also show that, for the latter case, the combined effects of stimulated emissions and the axion production from the BH superradiance could reach a balance where the axion cluster becomes uniformly and spherically distributed.
Due to the energy and temporal characteristics of the obtained pulses, we demonstrate that the stimulated emissions from the axion cluster with axions sourced by the BH superradiance provide a candidate explanation to the observed fast radio bursts.
Evolutionary dynamics of tax-based strong altruistic reward and punishment in a public goods game
Authors: Yang 杨 Zhi-Hao 智昊 , Yang 杨 Yan-Long 彦龙
Published: May 2024

In public goods games, punishments and rewards have been shown to be effective mechanisms for maintaining individual cooperation. However, punishments and rewards are costly to incentivize cooperation. Therefore, the generation of costly penalties and rewards has been a complex problem in promoting the development of cooperation. In real society, specialized institutions exist to punish evil people or reward good people by collecting taxes. We propose a strong altruistic punishment or reward strategy in the public goods game through this phenomenon. Through theoretical analysis and numerical calculation, we can get that tax-based strong altruistic punishment (reward) has more evolutionary advantages than traditional strong altruistic punishment (reward) in maintaining cooperation and tax-based strong altruistic reward leads to a higher level of cooperation than tax-based strong altruistic punishment.
Using tensile and compressive stress superposition during incremental forming to manipulate martensitic transformation in SS304
Authors: Mamros E M , Maaβ F , Tekkaya A E , Kinsey B L , Ha J
Published: May 2024

Single point incremental forming (SPIF) is a flexible manufacturing process that has applications in industries ranging from biomedical to automotive. In addition to rapid prototyping, which requires easy adaptations in geometry or material for design changes, control of the final part properties is desired. One strategy that can be implemented is stress superposition, which is the application of additional stresses during an existing manufacturing process. Tensile and compressive stresses applied during SPIF showed significant effects on the resulting microstructure in stainless steel 304 truncated square pyramids. Specifically, the amount of martensitic transformation was increased through stress superposed incremental forming. Finite element analyses with advanced material modeling supported that the stress triaxiality had a larger effect than the Lode angle parameter on the phase transformation that occurred during deformation. By controlling the amount of tensile and compressive stresses superposed during incremental forming, the microstructure of the final component can be manipulated based on the intended application and desired final part properties.
Research on Damage Evolution in Ultra-thin Sheet Material under Deep Drawing and Ironing Process
Authors: Gu Nan , Zhang Jiuchang , Zhang Wen , Zhuang Xincun , Zhao Zhen
Published: May 2024

In this paper, the effect of damage induced in deep drawing and ironing processes on the subsequent service performance of deep drawn cups was investigated. To obtain the cups with different amount of deformation damage, three kinds of drawing tests including one-stage deep drawing, two-stage deep drawing, and two-stage deep drawing and ironing were conducted using a 0.3 mm interstitial-free steel sheet. With help of the DF2015 ductile fracture model, the damage evolution of the drawn cups was calculated. Moreover, ring specimens cut from the side walls of the drawn cups were tested in a specially designed tension platform. The load F
max and displacement x corresponding to the maximum load point, and the difference in displacement dx from the maximum load point to the fracture initiation point of ring tensile specimens were used as indicators to evaluate the effect of accumulated damage on the subsequent service performance of the parts.
Experimental investigation on process parameters of laser-assisted robotic roller bending of a thin-walled structure
Authors: Qiu Junpeng , Xu Chenyang , Liu Yi , Han Fei , Min Junying
Published: May 2024

Laser-assisted robotic roller forming (LRRF) combines the process capabilities of robot-based manufacturing and laser-assisted forming. In this work, the LRRF process was applied to bending DP1180 steel sheets to thin-walled structures designed for seat trails. Comprehensive experimental investigations were conducted to explore the influences of laser power, forming passes and scanning speed on the forming forces, springback and bending radii of final parts. Experimental results show that the effects of process parameters on the springback and bending radii are similar to those on the forming forces, while forming passes make an insignificant difference to the springback. The optimized process window was subsequently determined out of the balance between geometrical accuracy and experimental efficiency. By applying the optimized process parameters (laser power of 750 W, 6 forming passes, scanning speed of 5 mm/s), the peak force during LRRF was reduced to ∼2.1kN. Meanwhile, a thin-walled profile with higher precision was achieved. Specifically, the springback angle was reduced to ∼4.1° and a compact profile with a radius-to-thickness ratio of ∼1.0 was obtained.
Multiscale design based on non-penalization smooth-edged material distribution for optimizing topology (SEMDOT)
Authors: Zhou Jiye , Wang Yanan , Chiu Louis N.S. , Ghabraie Kazem
Published: May 2024

This paper presents a concurrent topology optimization method for macro and micro phases based on non-penalization smooth-edged material distribution for optimization topology (SEMDOT) method. Although there is existing research on the multiscale design method, grayscale elements are always emerged especially for penalization method for example the solid isotropic material penalization (SIMP) method, also high computational cost are required when large scale of elements are utilized for obtaining high resolution structures. The methodology proposed here aims to apply a new tech called non-penalization SEMDOT method to find the optimum layout on both scales of elements, it is assumed that the macro structure is composed of periodic materials and both element scales are optimized through their linearly interpolated grid points. The effective macroscopic properties are evaluated by the homogenization method. The approach could provide smooth and clear boundaries for multiscale system without grayscale elements or high computational cost. A series of numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness and the efficiency of the proposed method.
Integrating Simulation and Experimentation for Optimized Compaction Powder Forming: A Study on RVE Size, Friction, and Particle Size Distribution
Authors: Ghorbani-Menghari Hossein , Kim Hwi-Jun , Choi Hyunjoo , Cha Pil-Ryung , Kim Ji Hoon
Published: May 2024

This work comprehensively represents multi-particle finite element simulations for powder compaction, including examining representative volume element (RVE) size, friction effects, and particle distribution. The analysis provides valuable insights into the correlation between RVE size and relative density, facilitating a comprehensive understanding of the sensitivity of process parameters to relative density. Furthermore, the research investigates the impact of particle size distribution. Moreover, the study investigates the influence of friction between powder particles and the die wall. Results demonstrate that increased friction leads to a significant reduction in relative density.
Investigation on the limp properties of formed foils for hydrogen applications
Authors: Wituschek S , Römisch D , Lechner M , Merklein M
Published: May 2024

The mass production of bipolar plates for electrolyzers and fuel cells is a central step towards the realization of efficient and cost-effective energy systems of the future. However, current production processes are reaching their limits and can hardly realize the quantities that will soon be demanded, nor can they scale up to the required volumes. Particularly for the handling of half-plates and bipolar plates, major challenges are to be expected, especially with regard to production rates. Existing handling systems have restricted scalability and precision. Therefore, new stacking technologies are necessary, which have to be adaptable to the mechanical properties of the components and maintain tight tolerances during stacking to ensure hydrogen sealing for safety and efficiency. An important property in the handling of the plates is their limpness, which is distinguished by instability of the components as well as plastic deformation at low forces and moments. Therefore, the limp behavior of the components must be analyzed. To investigate the limpness of foil components, a flowfield is first formed using a 1.4404 stainless steel foil with a sheet thickness of 0.075 mm. Subsequently, the workpieces are analyzed in terms of their limp properties by means of a 3-point bending test.
Quenching optimization of a hot stamping line for aluminum automotive components
Authors: Ibarretxe U , Garmendia S , Otegi N , Argarate U , Aranburu A , Ormaetxea A , Carranza M , Galdos L
Published: May 2024

The rising cost of fuel and harder environmental regulations driving the need for more eco-friendly vehicles have compelled automotive manufacturers to search for innovative lightweight solutions. Consequently, hot stamped aluminum alloys are gaining prominence due to their exceptional specific strength and improved formability compared to cold formed components. Unfortunately, the current state of knowledge in the field lacks the necessary depth to establish a reliable, fast and optimized process for aluminum hot forming. To address this gap, a collaborative effort between Mondragon Unibertsitatea (knowledge provider), Fagor Arrasate (hot stamping line supplier), and Batz (tool manufacturer) has been initiated. The collaborative endeavour aims to conduct semi-industrial trials involving the hot stamping of an authentic automobile bumper employing high-strength 6xxx and 7xxx aluminum alloys. The hot stamping trials have been performed under different in-die quenching times and mechanical properties of the stamped bumpers have been empirically tested. These results have helped to define the optimal quenching time. With that aim, first, a thermophysical and rheological characterization of the aluminum has been performed, followed by the development of a model to predict mechanical properties of aluminum alloys. This predictive model, together with the aluminum material data, has been then integrated into the simulation framework to enable accurate forecasting of mechanical properties and, consequently, the identification of the optimal quenching duration. The results revealed that quenching times as brief as 1 second could be employed while maintaining acceptable mechanical properties in a rapid cycle hot stamping process. These expedited quenching times have the potential to boost production by an impressive 70 % when compared to the conventional hot stamping process applied to the equivalent steel bumper.
A theoretical study on deep ultraviolet supercontinuum generation in subwavelength optical fiber
Authors: Shi Weihua , Gu Yuying , Zhang Tiantian
Published: May 2024

In order to obtain supercontinuum (SC) spectra in the deep ultraviolet (UV) region, a generation method of UV SC is proposed based on subwavelength fiber (SWF) composed of background material MgF2. The nonlinear Schrödinger equation is solved by the split-step Fourier method, the optical fiber transmission characteristics are analyzed by the full-vector finite element, and the evolution of the pumping light into SC is numerically simulated in detail. The results of the numerical analysis show that the SC spectra have a spectral width extending from 229.11 nm to 2366.68 nm when 350 fs input pulses of 6 kW peak power, centered about λ0
= 400 nm, are launched into a 4 cm long MgF2 SWF. Such a deep UV SC spectrum has many applications, especially in telecommunication and military fields.
Comparison study of the in-plane crushing failure behavior of traditional and arc-curved hexagonal honeycomb
Authors: Yuan Wei , Meng Zhaokang , Kou Yanqing
Published: May 2024

The honeycomb structures have been widely adopted as the aerospace engineering for the impact dynamic performance. To reveal the in-plane crushing behavior and improve the energy absorption ability, the influence of typical honeycomb structure is studied under different impact velocity and wall thickness. The deformation behavior of arc-curved hexagonal honeycomb with in-plane impact is researched. Results show that three typical deformation model including I, V and X shape are exhibited for traditional and arc-curved types. The deformation model would transfer from X to I shape with the increasing of impact velocity, and the impact load would be more unstable. With the increasing of central angle of arc-curved hexagonal honeycomb, the global deformation occurs instead of local deformation including X and V model, and stronger energy absorption ability is exhibited for the larger angle.
Casting and comprehensive analysis of nitinol-based self-healing metal matrix composite of A356 alloy prepared via clamp technique
Authors: Sharma Sumit , Nandan Gopal
Published: May 2024

The present research explores the development and casting of a self-healing metal matrix composite using A356 alloy reinforced with Nitinol wire through the Clamp technique. The matrix provided a high-strength base, while Nitinol wire acted as a shape memory alloy reinforcement. The clamp technique ensured proper integration and alignment between the matrix and the reinforcement. Semi-solid metal processing enhances the mechanical properties of the base alloy and the wire integration as reinforcement. Mechanical properties of the composite including tensile strength and impact resistance were evaluated. The self-healing capability of the composite was evident through its significant recovery i.e. 61.53% of the deformed surface after thermal loading cycles. Additionally, the self-healing behavior of the composite was examined through cyclic thermal loading. This could provide valuable insight into the design and fabrication of self-healing metal matrix composite.
Association of ambient air pollution and pesticide mixtures on respiratory inflammatory markers in agricultural communities
Authors: Hughes Matthew L , Kuiper Grace , Hoskovec Lauren , WeMott Sherry , Young Bonnie N , Benka-Coker Wande , Quinn Casey , Erlandson Grant , Martinez Nayamin , Mendoza Jesus , Dooley Greg , Magzamen Sheryl
Published: May 2024

Air pollution exposure is associated with adverse respiratory health outcomes. Evidence from occupational and community-based studies also suggests agricultural pesticides have negative health impacts on respiratory health. Although populations are exposed to multiple inhalation hazards simultaneously, multidomain mixtures (e.g. environmental and chemical pollutants of different classes) are rarely studied. We investigated the association of ambient air pollution-pesticide exposure mixtures with urinary leukotriene E4 (LTE4), a respiratory inflammation biomarker, for 75 participants in four Central California communities over two seasons. Exposures included three criteria air pollutants estimated via the Community Multiscale Air Quality model (fine particulate matter, ozone, and nitrogen dioxide) and urinary metabolites of organophosphate (OP) pesticides (total dialkyl phosphates (DAPs), total diethyl phosphates (DE), and total dimethyl phosphates (DM)). We implemented multiple linear regression models to examine associations in single pollutant models adjusted for age, sex, asthma status, occupational status, household member occupational status, temperature, and relative humidity, and evaluated whether associations changed seasonally. We then implemented Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) to analyse these criteria air pollutants, DE, and DM as a mixture. Our multiple linear regression models indicated an interquartile range (IQR) increase in total DAPs was associated with an increase in urinary LTE4 in winter (β: 0.04, 95% CI: [0.01, 0.07]). Similarly, an IQR increase in total DM was associated with an increase in urinary LTE4 in winter (β:0.03, 95% CI: [0.004, 0.06]). Confidence intervals for all criteria air pollutant effect estimates included the null value. BKMR analysis revealed potential non-linear interactions between exposures in our air pollution-pesticide mixture, but all confidence intervals contained the null value. Our analysis demonstrated a positive association between OP pesticide metabolites and urinary LTE4 in a low asthma prevalence population and adds to the limited research on the joint effects of ambient air pollution and pesticides mixtures on respiratory health.
Curious Travellers
Authors: Constantine Mary-Ann
Published: May 2024

Curious Travellers is the first full-length study of British tours of Wales in the Romantic period (c.1760–1820). It examines writers’ responses to Welsh landscapes and communities at a time of drastic economic, environmental, and political change. Beginning with an overview of the genre up to the early 1700s, it shows how the intensely intertextual nature of the genre saturated particular sites with meaning. The study then draws on a range of manuscript and published sources to trace its own circular tour of the country, unpicking moments of cultural entanglement and revealing how travel writing shaped understanding of Wales and Welshness within the wider British polity. The country became a popular destination for visitors following the publication of Thomas Pennant’s Tours in Wales in the late 1770s: hundreds of travel accounts are extant, yet few (particularly those by women) have been studied in depth. Wales proves, in these narratives, as much a place of disturbance as a picturesque haven, a potent mixture of medieval past and industrial present, exposed down its west coast to the threat of invasion during the Napoleonic wars. From castles to copper mines, Curious Travellers explores the potential of tour writing as an idiosyncratic genre at the interface of literature and history, and argues for its importance to broader cultural and environmental studies.
Travel Writing in Wales, 1188–1700
Authors: Constantine Mary-Ann
Published: May 2024

This chapter looks at writing about Wales before the middle of the eighteenth century, beginning with the ‘Itinerary’ of Gerald of Wales, on a mission to raise troops for the Third Crusade in 1188. Building on work by John Cramsie and Daniel Woolf, it discusses works by John Leland, William Camden, Edward Lhuyd, and other early antiquarians to demonstrate the intensely intertextual nature of tour writing from Gerald’s work onwards. Borrowings, citations, and critiques of previous writers are a distinctive feature of the genre, and this has implications for what Woolf has called the ‘social circulation of the past’. Information and ideas seed and re-seed themselves with each new iteration of a journey, forming a body of ‘general knowledge’ in later tourist encounters with key sites. The chapter ends with a discussion of satirical ‘Welsh Tours’ and the accounts of early Methodist itinerants.
‘That Strange Bridge’
Authors: Constantine Mary-Ann
Published: May 2024

This chapter brings in a number of different voices to explore one of the key sites of British Romanticism, the Wye Valley. It revisits William Gilpin’s classic account of the picturesque Observations on the River Wye (1782), developing work by Damian Walford Davies and others, which framed the region as a border space of contested identities. Accounts from the early 1800s are discussed in terms of the ongoing Revolutionary Wars. Largely avoiding the tourist-saturated and much-studied site of Tintern Abbey, the chapter focuses instead on the ‘strange bridge’ which connected England and Wales at Chepstow, seeing in its journey from precarious wooden platform to solid cast-iron structure an emblem of the picturesque’s own power to homogenize and connect the disparate regions and countries of the British Isles.
Capturing the Castle
Authors: Constantine Mary-Ann
Published: May 2024

This chapter takes a standard feature of the home tour, the castle, and examines it from two different perspectives. Several of the most imposing medieval castles in Wales (Harlech, Caernarfon, Conwy) are situated on the west coast, a space which became especially vulnerable during the late 1790s when French troops landed briefly in Fishguard in 1797, and the following year supported the Rebellion in Ireland. In the unsettled context of the 1790s, these sites of invasion and defence take on new meanings for those travelling for pleasure and instruction. Focusing primarily on narratives by Catherine Hutton and Elizabeth Smith, the chapter explores female experiences of travel at a period of international conflict. It notes the frequent intersection of military and tourist routes, particularly on the ‘Irish Road’ to Holyhead where Sarah Ponsonby and Eleanor Butler, ‘The Ladies of Llangollen’, welcomed many travellers whose lives were affected by different aspects of the war.
‘In this state of darkness and illusion’
Authors: Constantine Mary-Ann
Published: May 2024

This final place-based chapter brings the narrative up round the north-west coast of Wales back to Thomas Pennant’s Flintshire home in Holywell. It focuses mainly on the unusual tour of Richard Ayton and William Daniell, whose multivolume Voyage round the Coast of Great Britain was the result of an ambitious series of coastal journeys. The chapter is partly underpinned by materialist theory, drawing on Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing’s description of the ‘assemblage’ as ‘an open-ended entanglement of ways of being’. It begins in Aberystwyth with Ayton and Daniell’s image of the wreck of a ship carrying cotton. It then traces connective threads from mid-Wales to Parys Mountain copper mines on Anglesey, to copper-rolling factories and cotton mills in Greenfield Valley near Holywell, and out across the Atlantic, demonstrating the extent to which Welsh sites of industry, much visited by tourists, were implicated in the trade in enslaved Africans.
From Charity to Subversion
Authors: Finkel Stuart
Published: May 2024

This chapter explores the genealogy of aid to political prisoners and exiles as it emerged in the 1870s, tracing several different threads of activity, thought, and social organization back to the beginning of the century. It first describes how benevolent prison guardianship societies emerged in the early 1800s as an arena for noble philanthropic activity, and how, in the 1830s–1840s, Dr. Fëdor Gaaz vigorously intervened on behalf of prisoners and exiles. It also notes that the Decembrists and Polish rebels after 1830 both established practices of mutual aid and assistance among exiles and became the initial objects of the heroic mythology of Siberian political exile. It documents the emergence of student mutual aid funds in the late 1850s as well as early surreptitious assistance to political detainees in the 1860s. Finally, it examines preliminary political aid efforts abroad, beginning with Aleksandr Herzen’s modest “Common Fund,” which helped Russian political refugees in Europe, and then in 1875 the so-called “Assistance Fund for Political Criminals,” one of the first attempts to create a formal political prisoner aid society. While contentious bickering among émigré factions quickly doomed the Assistance Fund, its charter and initial appeals provided a baseline for future efforts.
Russian Émigrés and Western Sympathizers through the 1880s
Authors: Finkel Stuart
Published: May 2024

This chapter demonstrates the unpredictability of émigré efforts to aid Russian political prisoners and exiles, which during the 1880s often seemed moribund only to episodically rise again. Even as Vera Zasulich worried that the efforts of the “Red Cross of the People’s Will” Foreign Branch were petering out in spring 1882, Pëtr Kropotkin and Nikolai Chaikovskii were rousing radical audiences in London. Despite Kropotkin’s initial fears that the group’s link to the terrorist People’s Will would doom efforts there, he found rapt audiences in a summer lecture tour of cities in England and Scotland. But as the chapter shows, results were meager over the next several years, until the foreign branch was dissolved amidst further émigré factional division between the populist-terrorist People’s Will and Plekhanov’s Marxist-inclined “Group for the Emancipation of Labor.” But efforts to sway Western opinion concerning the heroic martyrdom of prisoners and exiles led to unexpected results. A renewed campaign in Italy from late 1884 into 1886 spearheaded by Anna Kuliscioff and Filippo Turati yielded significant contributions which were passed along to Zasulich. Finally, the chapter notes how the seeds that had been planted, in conjunction with George Kennan’s searing expose of Siberian exile, laid the foundation for the “Society of Friends of Russian Freedom” at the end of the decade.
Discussion on “Bayesian meta-analysis of penetrance for cancer risk” by Thanthirige Lakshika M. Ruberu, Danielle Braun, Giovanni Parmigiani, and Swati Biswas
Authors: Ursino Moreno , Zohar Sarah
Published: May 2024

We congratulate the authors for the new meta-analysis model that accounts for different outcomes. We discuss the modeling choice and the Bayesian setting, specifically, we point out the connection between the Bayesian hierarchical model and a mixed-effect model formulation to subsequently discuss possible future method extensions.
The impact of irritant challenge on the skin barrier and myeloid-resident immune cells in women who are postmenopausal is modulated by hormone replacement therapy
Authors: Kiss Orsolya , Bahri Rajia , Watson Rachel E B , Chike Chidera , Langton Abigail K , Newton Victoria L , Bell Mike , Griffiths Christopher E M , Bulfone-Paus Silvia , Pilkington Suzanne M
Published: May 2024

Background

Sex hormone changes during menopausal transition contribute to declining skin health. However, how menopause and its treatment by hormone replacement therapy (HRT) impact the skin barrier and immune system is unclear.

Objectives

To examine how menopause and HRT affect the skin barrier and immune cell composition in postmenopausal women following irritant challenge.

Methods

Two cohorts of postmenopausal women were recruited to the study. The first cohort consisted of 10 untreated women [HRT–; mean (SEM) age 56.5 (1.6) years (range 48–63)] and the second was composed of 8 women receiving HRT [HRT+; mean (SEM) age 54.0 (2.1) years (range 48–63)]. Skin irritation was induced by applying topical sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) 1.25% to occluded buttock skin for 48 h. Clinical assessment was conducted after 24 h, followed by biopsy of both SLS-challenged and unchallenged skin for analysis of skin barrier proteins and immune cell distribution using immunofluorescence.

Results

Clinically, there were no significant differences in skin irritant responses between those taking or not taking HRT (including increased skin redness and blood flow). In response to SLS challenge a significant increase in transepidermal water loss (P < 0.05), filaggrin deposition and cytokeratin 10 (K10)+ cell layers (P < 0.01) was observed in individuals receiving HRT compared with the HRT– group. Following SLS challenge in individuals taking HRT, a significant (P < 0.01) reduction in CD207+ cells in the epidermis was observed, accompanied by an increase of CD207+ cells in the dermis, indicative of migrating Langerhans cells (LCs). Significantly fewer migrating LCs were found in those who were not receiving HRT (P < 0.01). Furthermore, the numbers of dermal dendritic cells (DCs), macrophages, and CD11c+CD206– and CD68+CD206– subsets were found to be significantly (P < 0.05) higher in those taking HRT following SLS challenge.

Conclusions

Individuals receiving HRT displayed enhanced skin barrier response to SLS challenge with thicker filaggrin and increased K10+ epidermal cell layers. Following challenge, HRT users exhibited elevated LC, inflammatory DC and macrophage counts in the dermis. These may render skin both more prone to inflammation and more capable of resolving it, while also promoting skin repair.
The Invisible Face of Social Work Field Education: Secondary Traumatic Stress Experiences of BSW Students
Authors: Zengin Oguzhan , Saglık Tugrul Gizem Nur
Published: May 2024

This study aims to examine the experiences of secondary traumatic stress of Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) students’ field education process in Turkey. In the scope of the research, nineteen BSW students, eleven of whom were female and eight of whom were male, who performed field education were interviewed. A semi-structured interview form consisting of twenty-three questions was used to collect the data. The obtained data were analysed using the descriptive analysis approach of qualitative research. The findings express the different experiences of BSW students in challenging cases encountered during the field education process and effects of challenging cases after field education and coping. Based on the research findings, it was concluded that BSW students are at risk of experiencing secondary traumatic stress throughout the entire field education process, and some recommendations were developed in this regard.
Verification of reprojected planar images generated from a ring-configured cadmium zinc telluride gamma camera in scintigraphy for diagnosing transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis
Authors: Cerić Andelius Irma , Fridriksdóttir Ragnheidur , Minarik David , Hedeer Fredrik , Stenvall Anna , Trägårdh Elin , Oddstig Jenny
Published: May 2024

Aims

Non-invasive diagnosis of amyloid transthyretin (ATTR) cardiac amyloidosis using planar scintigraphy and single-photon emission computed tomography-computed tomography (SPECT-CT) with [99mTc]Tc-3,3-diphosphono-1,2-propanodicarboxylic acid ([99mTc]Tc-DPD) has high specificity and sensitivity. However, the introduction of ring-configured cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) gamma cameras warrants an update in the acquisition method since these systems are not able to perform planar scintigraphy. We aimed to verify the use of reprojected planar images from SPECT-CT as a replacement for planar scintigraphy in evaluating ATTR-amyloidosis.

Methods and results

The study examined 30 patients referred for clinically indicated [99mTc]Tc-DPD scintigraphy who were scanned with both a conventional gamma camera and a ring-configured CZT gamma camera. Planar scintigraphy from the conventional gamma camera was compared with reprojected planar images from the ring-configured CZT gamma camera. The images were evaluated in regard to image quality and Perugini visual score in a blinded fashion by three nuclear medicine physicians. Heart-to-contralateral (H/CL) ratios were calculated. There were 27 patients who had an identical Perugini score in planar and reprojected planar images, yielding a strong level of agreement and inter-rater reliability among the three readers. The H/CL ratios showed a strong correlation ratio (r = 0.98, P < 0.0001). A shift towards lower image quality was seen for the reprojected images.

Conclusion

Reprojected planar images generated from a ring-configured CZT gamma camera combined with SPECT-CT can be used to score ATTR amyloidosis and extract H/CL ratios in the same way as planar images and SPECT-CT from a conventional gamma camera.
Turbulence, framing, and planning among college daters: testing relational turbulence theory in a dyadic, lab study
Authors: Brisini Kellie St Cyr , Riccardi Rebecca , Wang Ningyang
Published: May 2024

Engaging relational turbulence theory (RTT), this study examined how dating partners’ relationship quality predicted cognitions and communication during planning conversations. In a lab-based study, college dating partners (n = 71 different gender couples) assessed their relational turbulence, participated in two planning activities, and then reported their perceptions of collaborative planning and relational framing for each activity. Outside observers rated the conversations for collaborative planning, dominance, and affiliation behaviors. Following RTT, we hypothesized that relational turbulence would lead to decreases in collaborative planning and engagement in more negative relational frames. Actor–partner interdependence models with repeated measures indicated differing effects on participant perception and outsider observations of the variables. Results provide support for RTT’s relatively untested propositions, suggest potential gender differences among different gender dating partners’ experiences, and reiterate the complexity of relational communication among dating partners.
Intermittent dosing of zoledronic acid based on bone turnover marker assessment reduces vertebral and non-vertebral fractures
Authors: Borgen Tove Tveitan , Lee-Ødegård Sindre , Eriksen Barbara Fink , Eriksen Erik Fink
Published: May 2024

Previous studies have demonstrated that the administration of zoledronic acid (ZOL) once yearly for 3 years or once over 3 years, yields similar antifracture efficacy. Bone turnover markers can predict the antifracture efficacy of antiresorptive agents, with procollagen type 1 N-terminal propeptide (P1NP) being the most useful marker. In this retrospective cohort study, we explored the effects of intravenous dosing of ZOL guided by serum (S)-P1NP assessment on bone mineral density (BMD) and fractures. Consenting patients (N = 202, mean age 68.2 years) with osteoporosis were treated with ZOL for an average of 4.4 (range 2-8) years. S-P1NP and BMD were measured at baseline and every 1-2 years. We assessed the number of subsequent vertebral and nonvertebral fractures in the 2-year time periods. The number of patients assessed was 202, 147, 69, and 29 at years 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, and 7-8, respectively. A new ZOL infusion was given if S-P1NP exhibited values above 35 μg/L. BMD increased by 6.2% (SD 4.0) over the first 2 years and stabilized in years 2-8 (P <.05). Median S-P1NP exhibited an initial reduction from 58.0 to 31.3 μg/L at year 2 and then increased to 39.0 μg/L at years 7-8. Compared with fractures observed in the last 2 years before baseline, fracture rates exhibited consistent reductions, for vertebral fractures odds ratio (OR) [95% confidence interval] = 0.61 [0.47, 0.80], P <.001 and for nonvertebral fractures OR = 0.23 [0.18, 0.31], P <.001. In conclusion, intermittent dosing of intravenous ZOL based on the assessment of S-P1NP with cut-off at 35 μg/L resulted in an initial increase followed by a stable BMD, suppression of S-P1NP, and stable reduction of fractures for 8 years. Only 39% of patients needed more than one infusion. This approach reduces healthcare costs and might also reduce the risk of rare side effects such as osteonecrosis of the jaw and atypical femoral fracture.
Tangled banks, braided rivers, and complex hierarchies: beyond microevolution and macroevolution
Authors: Kearney Maureen , Lieberman Bruce S , Strotz Luke C
Published: May 2024

Ever since the Modern Synthesis, a debate about the relationship between microevolution and macroevolution has persisted—specifically, whether they are equivalent, distinct, or explain one another. How one answers these questions has become shorthand for a much broader set of theoretical debates in evolutionary biology. Here, we examine microevolution and macroevolution in the context of the vast proliferation of data, knowledge, and theory since the advent of the Modern Synthesis. We suggest that traditional views on microevolution and macroevolution are too binary and reductive given current empirical and theoretical advances in biology. For example, patterns and processes are interconnected at various temporal and spatial scales and among hierarchical entities, rather than defining micro- or macro-domains. Further, biological entities have variably fuzzy boundaries, resulting in complex evolutionary processes that influence macroevolution occuring at both micro- and macro-levels. In addition, conceptual advances in phylodynamics have yet to be fully integrated with contemporary macroevolutionary approaches. Finally, holding microevolution and macroevolution as distinct domains thwarts synthesis and collaboration on important research questions. Instead, we propose that the focal entities and processes considered by evolutionary studies be contextualized within the complexity of the multidimensional, multimodal, multilevel phylogenetic system.
Phosphaturia in HIV-Exposed Uninfected Neonates Associated with Maternal Use of Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate in Late Pregnancy
Authors: Purswani Murli U , Jacobson Denise L , DiMeglio Linda A , Yao Tzy-Jyun , Kopp Jeffrey B , Van Dyke Russell B , Yu Wendy , Siberry George K ,   For the Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study (PHACS), Chadwick Ellen , Sanders Margaret Ann , Malee Kathleen , Pyun Yoonsun , Paul Mary , Buschur Shelley , McMullen-Jackson Chivon , Harris Lynnette , Purswani Murli , Alvarado Marvin , Baig Mahoobullah Mirza , Villegas Alma , Robinson Lisa-Gaye , Blood James , Garvie Patricia , Cooley Dia , Borkowsky William , Deygoo Nagamah Sandra , Lewis Jennifer , Dieudonne Arry , Bettica Linda , Johnson Juliette , Surowiec Karen , Knapp Katherine , Russell-Bell Jamie , Wilkins Megan , Love Stephanie , Rosario Nicolas , Angeli-Nieves Lourdes , Olivera Vivian , Kohlhoff Stephan , Dennie Ava , Kaye Jean , Wallier Jenny , Silio Margarita , Craig Karen , Sirois Patricia , Hutto Cecelia , Hickman Paige , Huldtquist Julie , Marullo Dan , Spector Stephen A , Figueroa Veronica , Loughran Megan , Nichols Sharon , McFarland Elizabeth , Kwon Christine , Chambers Carrie , Rathore Mobeen , Tejan Jamilah , Borestil Beatrice , Routman Staci , Scott Gwendolyn , Gil Gustavo , Fernandez Gabriel , Cuadra Anai , Frederick Toni , Davtyan Mariam , Morales-Avendano Guadalupe , Rodriguez Zoe M , Torres Lizmarie , Scalley Nydia
Published: May 2024

Background

Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) is often used in treating pregnant women living with HIV. Third-trimester TDF exposure is associated with a 12% reduction in bone mineral content in HIV-exposed uninfected (HEU) neonates. The potential mechanisms underlying this observation are unknown.

Methods

The TDF study enrolled newborns of gestational age ≥36 weeks from the Surveillance Monitoring for Antiretroviral Therapy and Toxicities study based on in utero TDF exposure (TDF use ≥8 weeks in the third trimester vs none). Blood and urine samples were collected cross-sectionally within 30 days of birth to assess renal function (serum creatinine, serum phosphate, eGFR, percent tubular reabsorption of phosphate [PTRP]), and bone turnover (serum parathyroid hormone, 25-OH vitamin D [25(OH)D], and urinary cross-linked N-telopeptide of type 1 collagen). For each biomarker, a LOESS plot was fit using values at age at specimen collection; regression lines over age were fit among samples collected from 4 to 30 days, to compare slopes by TDF exposure.

Results

Among 141 neonates, 77 were TDF-exposed and 64 TDF-unexposed. Between age 4 and 30 days, PTRP decreased more rapidly in the TDF-exposed compared to the unexposed group with slopes of −0.58 vs −0.08/day (difference −0.50/day [95% CI −0.88, −0.11]). Slopes for 25(OH)D were similar in both groups, but serum levels were lower in TDF-exposed neonates (median [IQR]: 22 [19, 29] vs 26 [22, 37] ng/mL). No differences were observed for other biomarkers.

Conclusions

Third-trimester in utero exposure to TDF is associated with increased urinary loss of phosphate and lower serum concentrations of 25(OH)D in HEU neonates.