bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diabetes mellitus und Straßenverkehr – ein Positionspapier der Österreichischen Diabetesgesellschaft (Update 2023)
Authors: Abrahamian Heidemarie , Salamon Birgit , Lahnsteiner Angelika , Schelkshorn Christian , Bräuer Alexander , Stechemesser Lars , Köhler Gerd , Clodi Martin
Published: April 2023

Bei der Beurteilung der gesundheitlichen Eignung zum Lenken eines Kraftfahrzeuges ist die öffentliche Sicherheit (Unfallprävention) das vorrangige Ziel. Der generelle Zugang zu Mobilität sollte jedoch nicht eingeschränkt werden, wenn kein besonderes Risiko für die öffentliche Sicherheit besteht. Für Menschen mit Diabetes mellitus sind im Führerscheingesetz (FSG) und in der Führerscheingesetz-Gesundheitsversorgung (FSG-GV) wichtige Aspekte zur Fahrsicherheit in Zusammenhang mit akuten und chronischen Komplikationen der Erkrankung geregelt. Zu den kritischen Komplikationen, die für die Verkehrssicherheit relevant sind, gehören schwere Hypoglykämie, ausgeprägte Hyperglykämie und Hypoglykämiewahrnehmungsstörung, sowie schwere Retinopathie und Neuropathie, weiters fortgeschrittene Nierenerkrankung und bestimmte kardiovaskuläre Manifestationen. Bei Verdacht auf Präsenz einer dieser Akutkomplikationen oder Folgeschäden ist eine genaue Evaluierung erforderlich.

Darüber hinaus ist die individuelle antihyperglykämische Medikation auf vorhandenes Potenzial für Hypoglykämien zu überprüfen. Sulfonylharnstoffe, Glinide und Insulin gehören in diese Gruppe und sind daher automatisch mit der Auflage einer 5‑jährigen Befristung des Führerscheines assoziiert. Metformin, DPP-4-Hemmer (Dipeptidyl-Peptidase-4-Hemmer, Gliptine), SGLT2-Hemmer (Sodium-dependent-glucose-transporter‑2 inhibitors, Gliflozine), Glitazone und die zu injizierenden GLP-1 Analoga (GLP‑1 Rezeptor Agonisten) weisen kein Hypoglykämiepotential auf und sind daher nicht mit einer Befristung verbunden.

Die FSG-GV gibt Spielraum für Interpretation, sodass im Folgenden spezifische Themen zur Fahrsicherheit für Menschen mit Diabetes mellitus aus fachärztlicher und verkehrsrelevanter Sicht aufgearbeitet wurden. Dieses Positionspapier dient zur Unterstützung von Personen, die mit dieser herausfordernden Materie befasst sind.
Geochemical fingerprint—inter-basin chemostratigraphic correlation allowed for a more detailed stratigraphic subdivision of the Pliensbachian–Bathonian strata from the Carpathian Foredeep basement (Ukraine)
Authors: Zakrzewski Adam , Krajewski Marcin , Kosakowski Paweł
Published: April 2023

In this study, we combined the geochemical characteristics based on Rock-Eval pyrolysis and gas chromatography – mass spectrometry (GC–MS) results with the facies analysis. These surveys were conducted within grey to black claystones/mudstones intervals of the Podil’tsi and Kokhanivka formations, related to the Pliensbachian and Toarcian–Bathonian ages, respectively. The geochemical results revealed that the Podil’tsi Formation contains mixed marine/terrigenous, early-mature to mature organic matter. The deposition of this formation took place in dysoxic redox conditions of a sulphate-poor marine palaeoenvironment, with oxygen scarcity within the photic zone, as documented by green- and brown-pigmented Chlorobiaceae. Oleanane is present within the samples from the Podil’tsi Formation, which is uncommon within Lower Jurassic sedimentary rocks. The Kokhanivka Formation contains mostly early-mature, terrestrial organic matter, deposited in suboxic conditions of a sulphate-poor, fluvial–deltaic palaeoenvironment. The absence of aliphatic diterpenoids within the Middle Jurassic strata points to the low significance of conifers in the sediment supply area at this time. All of the Podil’tsi and most of the Kokhanivka formations are characterised by poor hydrocarbon potential. Only the middle part of the Kokhanivka Formation, built by brown, organic-rich claystones, shows fair-to-good hydrocarbon potential. Based on our results, a chemostratigraphic correlation of the Toarcian–Bathonian strata from the Carpathian Foredeep with the same strata from the neighbouring Polish Basin was performed. The juxtaposition of the geochemical and facies results suggests that the interval of brown organic-rich claystones, from the middle part of the Kokhanivka Formation can be related to the Middle–Upper Aalenian Age.
Genetic and Environmental Contributions to Subcortical Gray Matter Microstructure and Volume in the Developing Brain
Authors: Watts Richard , Rader Lydia , Grant Justin , Filippi Christopher G.
Published: April 2023

Using baseline (ages 9–10) and two-year follow-up (ages 11–12) data from monozygotic and dizygotic twins enrolled in the longitudinal Adolescent Brain Cognitive DevelopmentSM Study, we investigated the genetic and environmental contributions to microstructure and volume of nine subcortical gray matter regions. Microstructure was assessed using diffusion MRI data analyzed using restriction spectrum imaging (RSI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) models. The highest heritability estimates (estimate [95% confidence interval]) for microstructure were found using the RSI model in the pallidum (baseline: 0.859 [0.818, 0.889], follow-up: 0.835 [0.787, 0.871]), putamen (baseline: 0.859 [0.819, 0.889], follow-up: 0.874 [0.838, 0.902]), and thalamus (baseline: 0.855 [0.814, 0.887], follow-up: 0.819 [0.769, 0.857]). For volumes the corresponding regions were the caudate (baseline: 0.831 [0.688, 0.992], follow-up: 0.848 [0.701, 1.011]) and putamen (baseline: 0.906 [0.875, 0.914], follow-up: 0.906 [0.885, 0.923]). The subcortical regions displayed high genetic stability (rA = 0.743–1.000) across time and exhibited unique environmental correlations (rE = 0.194–0.610). Individual differences in both gray matter microstructure and volumes can be largely explained by additive genetic effects in this sample.
The Cortico-Limbo-Thalamo-Cortical Circuits: An Update to the Original Papez Circuit of the Human Limbic System
Authors: Kamali Arash , Milosavljevic Sofia , Gandhi Anusha , Lano Kinsey R. , Shobeiri Parnian , Sherbaf Farzaneh Ghazi , Sair Haris I. , Riascos Roy F. , Hasan Khader M.
Published: April 2023

The Papez circuit, first proposed by James Papez in 1937, is a circuit believed to control memory and emotions, composed of the cingulate cortex, entorhinal cortex, parahippocampal gyrus, hippocampus, hypothalamus, and thalamus. Pursuant to James Papez, Paul Yakovlev and Paul MacLean incorporated the prefrontal/orbitofrontal cortex, septum, amygdalae, and anterior temporal lobes into the limbic system. Over the past few years, diffusion-weighted tractography techniques revealed additional limbic fiber connectivity, which incorporates multiple circuits to the already known complex limbic network. In the current review, we aimed to comprehensively summarize the anatomy of the limbic system and elaborate on the anatomical connectivity of the limbic circuits based on the published literature as an update to the original Papez circuit.
Individual variation within wild populations of an arid-zone lizard dictates oxidative stress levels despite exposure to sublethal pesticides
Authors: Contador-Kelsall Isabella , Maute Kimberly , de Beer Maxwell , French Kristine
Published: April 2023

The relationship between sublethal pesticide exposure and oxidative stress in an ecologically relevant field setting is relatively unknown for reptiles. Oxidative stress is a multi-faceted concept that dictates key survival and fitness parameters in any organism. Fipronil and fenitrothion are two pesticides widely used globally for agricultural pest management. Using a field-based, BACI designed experiment we investigated the impact of sublethal pesticide exposure on oxidative stress biomarkers protein carbonyl and DNA damage (8-OHdG), in an arid-zone lizard species, Pogona vitticeps. A single ecologically relevant dose of pesticide was applied via oral gavage to treatment animals. Lizard condition, activity measures, and blood biomarkers were measured at relevant sampling intervals. Cholinesterase (ChE) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzymatic biomarkers were measured in response to fenitrothion, and fipronil blood residues were measured for fipronil-treated lizards. Results suggested no significant treatment effect of either pesticide on parameters measured, however, 8-OHdG levels decreased by ≥ 45% for both pesticide treatment groups and not controls. Protein carbonyl levels showed a high degree of individual variation that proved more influential than pesticide exposure. Building our understanding of the macromolecular impacts of sublethal pesticide exposure on wild lizard populations is an integral step in addressing the current gap in literature and management practices. Our study has also highlighted the complex nature of studying oxidative stress in the field and the sheer necessity of future study.
Damage as a Material Phase Transition
Authors: Bucchi Andrea , De Tommasi Domenico , Puglisi Giuseppe , Saccomandi Giuseppe
Published: April 2023

We propose paradigmatic examples to show how material damage phenomena can be efficiently described as a solid-solid phase transition. Starting from the pioneering work of J.L. Ericksen (J. Elast. 5(3):191–201, 1975) and the extensions of R.L. Fosdick and other authors to three-dimensional non linear elasticity, we describe the insurgence of damage as a hard → soft transition between two material states (damage and undamaged) characterized by two different energy wells. We consider the two separate constitutive assumptions of a simple Neo-Hookean type damageable material and a more complex microstructure inspired damageable Gent type material with variable limit threshold of the first invariant. In both cases we study two different deformation shear classes, one homogeneous and the other one inhomogeneous and obtain fully analytic description of the system damage response under cyclic loading. The considered constitutive assumptions and deformation classes are aimed at attaining fully analytic descriptions. On the other hand, we remark that the proposed, Griffith type, variational approach of damage, based on two different energy density functions for the damaged and undamaged material phases, and a resulting non (rank-one) convex energy, can be extended to systems with more complex energy functions, possibly with a larger number of wells representing an increasing degree of damage.
Machine learning-based test selection for simulation-based testing of self-driving cars software
Authors: Birchler Christian , Khatiri Sajad , Bosshard Bill , Gambi Alessio , Panichella Sebastiano
Published: April 2023

Simulation platforms facilitate the development of emerging Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) like self-driving cars (SDC) because they are more efficient and less dangerous than field operational test cases. Despite this, thoroughly testing SDCs in simulated environments remains challenging because SDCs must be tested in a sheer amount of long-running test cases. Past results on software testing optimization have shown that not all the test cases contribute equally to establishing confidence in test subjects’ quality and reliability, and the execution of “safe and uninformative” test cases can be skipped to reduce testing effort. However, this problem is only partially addressed in the context of SDC simulation platforms. In this paper, we investigate test selection strategies to increase the cost-effectiveness of simulation-based testing in the context of SDCs. We propose an approach called SDC-Scissor (SDC coS t-effeC tI ve teS t S electOR) that leverages Machine Learning (ML) strategies to identify and skip test cases that are unlikely to detect faults in SDCs before executing them. Our evaluation shows that SDC-Scissor outperforms the baselines. With the Logistic model, we achieve an accuracy of 70%, a precision of 65%, and a recall of 80% in selecting tests leading to a fault and improved testing cost-effectiveness. Specifically, SDC-Scissor avoided the execution of 50% of unnecessary tests as well as outperformed two baseline strategies. Complementary to existing work, we also integrated SDC-Scissor into the context of an industrial organization in the automotive domain to demonstrate how it can be used in industrial settings.
The seven troubles with norm-compliant robots
Authors: Coggins Tom N. , Steinert Steffen
Published: April 2023

Many researchers from robotics, machine ethics, and adjacent fields seem to assume that norms represent good behavior that social robots should learn to benefit their users and society. We would like to complicate this view and present seven key troubles with norm-compliant robots: (1) norm biases, (2) paternalism (3) tyrannies of the majority, (4) pluralistic ignorance, (5) paths of least resistance, (6) outdated norms, and (7) technologically-induced norm change. Because discussions of why norm-compliant robots can be problematic are noticeably absent from the robot and machine ethics literature, this paper fills an important research gap. We argue that it is critical for researchers to take these issues into account if they wish to make norm-compliant robots.
Codazzi tensors and their space-times and Cotton gravity
Authors: Mantica Carlo Alberto , Molinari Luca Guido
Published: April 2023

We study the geometric properties of certain Codazzi tensors for their own sake, and for their appearance in the recent theory of Cotton gravity. We prove that a perfect-fluid tensor is Codazzi if and only if the metric is a generalized Stephani universe. A trace condition restricts it to a warped space-time, as proven by Merton and Derdziński. We also give necessary and sufficient conditions for a space-time to host a current-flow Codazzi tensor. In particular, we study the static and spherically symmetric cases, which include the Nariai and Bertotti-Robinson metrics. The latter are a special case of Yang Pure space-times, together with spatially flat FRW space-times with constant curvature scalar. We apply these results to the recent Cotton gravity by Harada. We show that the equation of Cotton gravity is Einstein’s equation modified by the presence of a Codazzi tensor, which can be chosen freely and constrains the space-time where the theory is staged. In doing so, the tensor (chosen in forms appropriate for physics) implies the form of the Ricci tensor. The two tensors specify the energy-momentum tensor, which is the source in the equation of Cotton gravity for the metric implied by the Codazzi tensor. For example, we show that the Stephani, Nariai and Bertotti-Robinson space-times are characterized by a “current flow” Codazzi tensor. Because of it, they solve Cotton gravity with physically sensible energy-momentum tensors. Finally, we discuss Cotton gravity in constant curvature space-times.
Diatom community response to inland water salinization: a review
Authors: Stenger-Kovács C. , Béres V. B. , Buczkó K. , Tapolczai K. , Padisák J. , Selmeczy G. B. , Lengyel E.
Published: April 2023

Both natural and anthropogenic processes can lead to the increasing salinity of surface waters. The knowledge about the ecological consequences of salinization on the biota is limited especially in case of microbiota, like diatoms. We collected the existing knowledge about the relationship between salinity and diatoms in fresh and saline waters. Based on the available papers, conductivity and ion composition are the most important variables shaping diatom communities. Secondary salinization can mask regional differences in diatom assemblages. Trait-based analyses highlight the competitive advantages of motile guild and the extreme trait categories in these environments. The increasing conductivity along a wide conductivity scale decreases the alpha-diversity. Salinization induces the spread and invasion of marine and brackish species into inland freshwaters as well as that of freshwater species tolerating elevated conductivity and/or need specific ions. Concerning food webs, salinity can directly change diatom communities and the subsequent upper trophic levels but most likely this effect manifests as a top-down regulation. Applicable diatom indices are available to assess the level of salinization. Furthermore, diatom-inferred salinity reconstructions are widely applied to assess the past changes of salinity. However, future models predicting ecological consequences of salinization are scarce and sometimes contradictory.
Seasonal 222Rn activity in spring water close to rare earth element and uranium mines in North Vietnam
Authors: Duong Van-Hao , Vu Hong-Duong , Nguyen Dong Thanh , Pham Luan Thanh , Tóth Gergely , Hegedűs Miklós , Kovacs Tibor
Published: April 2023

222Rn is among the most important issues for radiation exposure in/near high background radiation areas such as near rare-earth-element (REE) and uranium mines in North Vietnam. Seasonal 222Rn activity concentration in spring water was determined by RAD-7, with average ranges of 1270 ± 60–66,400 ± 2630 Bq m−3, therein the highest value was a REE, and the lowest a uranium mine. The 222Rn activity concentration was higher in the dry season, which could be attributed to 222Rn leaching to spring waters from nearby mines, and lower in the rainy season due to dilution by rain water. The 222Rn annual effective doses were within permissible limits.
Connecting teachers’ language knowledge, perceived ability and instructional practices to Grade 1 students’ literacy outcomes
Authors: Parrila Rauno , Inoue Tomohiro , Dunn Kristy , Savage Robert , Georgiou George
Published: April 2023

We examined the associations between teachers’ knowledge of language and literacy constructs, perceived ability to teach early literacy skills, instructional practice, and students’ early reading outcomes. The results showed that teacher knowledge predicted quality of instruction, but neither quality of instruction nor teacher knowledge were associated with stronger decoding or word reading outcomes once earlier decoding skills were controlled. Differentiation of instruction was observed more in classrooms with lower initial decoding skills, and it contributed to better decoding at Time 2. Finally, perceived ability predicted decoding and years of experience predicted word reading at Time 2.
Variable selection and regularization via arbitrary rectangle-range generalized elastic net
Authors: Ding Yujia , Peng Qidi , Song Zhengming , Chen Hansen
Published: April 2023

We introduce the arbitrary rectangle-range generalized elastic net penalty method, abbreviated to ARGEN, for performing constrained variable selection and regularization in high-dimensional sparse linear models. As a natural extension of the nonnegative elastic net penalty method, ARGEN is proved to have both variable selection consistency and estimation consistency under some conditions. The asymptotic behavior in distribution of the ARGEN estimators have been studied in this framework. We also propose an algorithm called MU-QP-RR-W-$$l_1$$l1to efficiently solve the ARGEN problem. By conducting simulation study we show that ARGEN outperforms the elastic net in a number of settings. Finally an application of S &P 500 index tracking with constraints on the stock allocations is performed to provide general guidance for adapting ARGEN to solve real-world problems.
Connexivity in the Logic of Reasons
Authors: Iacona Andrea
Published: April 2023

This paper discusses some key connexive principles construed as principles about reasons, that is, as principles that express logical properties of sentences of the form ‘p is a reason for q’. Its main goal is to show how the theory of reasons outlined by Crupi and Iacona, which is based on their evidential account of conditionals, yields a formal treatment of such sentences that validates a restricted version of the principles discussed, overcoming some limitations that affect most extant accounts of conditionals.
Modeling and optimization of chemical-treated torrefaction of wheat straw to improve energy density by response surface methodology
Authors: Majamo Samuel Latebo , Amibo Temesgen Abeto
Published: April 2023

Today, torrefaction is important technique for extending the potential of biomass for improvement of energy density. The independent variables investigated for torrefaction study were temperature, retention time, acid concentration, and particle size. The experiment was designed by central composite design (CCD) method using design expert (version 11). The three dependent variables were higher heating value (HHV), energy enhancement factor (EEF), and mass yield (MY) were carried out. Numerical optimization using response surface method (RSM) to maximize the HHV and EEF with lowest MY was carried out. The maximum HHV of 25.05MJ/kg, lowest MY of 60.15%wt and highest EEF of 1.593 were obtained at 299.99°C, 31.89min of retention time, 0.75g/l of acid concentration and 0.20mm of particle size. Proximate analysis, bulk density, hydrophobicity, energy density, and ultimate analysis of raw and torrefied biomass were determined to analyze the physiochemical properties of the fuel. In addition, thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray diffractometer (XRD) were done to distinguish the behavior of raw and torrefied wheat straw. The results implied that energy density of torrefied biomass was well improved when compared with raw biomass. All in all, energy density of torrefied biomass was improved, which can be used as an alternative energy.
SYVN1 ubiquitinates FoxO1 to induce β-catenin nuclear translocation, PD-L1-mediated metastasis, and immune evasion of hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Xie Wei , Shi Lei , Quan Hu , Xiao Hua , Chen Jie , Liu Jia , de Dieu Habimana Jean , Huang Rongqi , Luo Jia , Chen Pan , Li Zhiyuan
Published: April 2023

Background

A high incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most frequently diagnosed form of liver cancer, is observed in Africa and Asia. SYVN1 is upregulated in HCC; however, the biological roles of SYVN1 in immune evasion remain unclear.

Methods

RT-qPCR and western blot were employed to detect the expression levels of SYVN1 and the key molecules in HCC cells and tissues. Flow cytometry was used to determine the proportion of T cells, and an ELISA assay was used to determine the amount of IFN-γ secreted. Cell viability was monitored by CCK-8 and colony formation assays. The metastatic properties of HCC cells were detected by Transwell assays. Bioinformatics analysis, ChIP, and luciferase assays were used to study the transcriptional regulation of PD-L1. Co-IP was used to detect direct interaction between SYVN1 and FoxO1, as well as the ubiquitination of FoxO1. The in vitro findings were validated in xenograft and lung metastasis models.

Results

In HCC cells and tissues, SYVN1 was upregulated while FoxO1 was downregulated. SYVN1 knockdown or FoxO1 overexpression reduced PD-L1 expression, and inhibited immune evasion, cell growth, and metastasis in HCC cells. Mechanistically, FoxO1 regulated PD-L1 transcription in a β-catenin-independent or -dependent manner. Functional studies further showed that SYVN1 promoted immune evasion, cell proliferation, migration and invasion via facilitating ubiquitin-proteasome-dependent degradation of FoxO1. In vivo investigations showed that silencing of SYVN1 inhibited immune evasion and metastasis of HCC cells, possible via the FoxO1/PD-L1 axis.

Conclusion

SYVN1 regulates FoxO1 ubiquitination to stimulate β-catenin nuclear translocation and promotes PD-L1-mediated metastasis and immune evasion in HCC.
Comprehensive modeling strategy for thermomechanical tribological behavior analysis of railway vehicle disc brake system
Authors: Yin Jiabao , Lu Chun , Mo Jiliang
Published: April 2023

A comprehensive modeling strategy for studying the thermomechanical tribological behaviors is proposed in this work. The wear degradation considering the influence of temperature (T) is predicted by Archard wear model with the help of the UMESHMOTION subroutine and arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE) remeshing technique. Adopting the proposed method, the thermomechanical tribological behaviors of railway vehicle disc brake system composed of forged steel brake disc and Cu-based powder metallurgy (PM) friction block are studied systematically. The effectiveness of the proposed methodology is validated by experimental test on a self-designed scaled brake test bench from the perspectives of interface temperature, wear degradation, friction noise and vibration, and contact status evolution. This work can provide an effective way for the investigation of thermomechanical tribological behaviors in the engineering field.
A Survey of Advanced Information Fusion System: from Model-Driven to Knowledge-Enabled
Authors: Zhu Di , Yin Hailian , Xu Yidan , Wu Jiaqi , Zhang Bowen , Cheng Yaqi , Yin Zhanzuo , Yu Ziqiang , Wen Hao , Li Bohan
Published: April 2023

Advanced knowledge engineering (KE), represented by knowledge graph (KG), drives the development of various fields and engineering technologies and provides various knowledge fusion and knowledge empowerment interfaces. At the same time, advanced system engineering (SE) takes model-based system engineering (MBSE) as the core to realize formal modeling and process analysis of the whole system. The two complement each other and are the key technologies for the transition from 2.0 to 3.0 in the era of artificial intelligence and the transition from perceptual intelligence to cognitive intelligence. This survey summarizes an advanced information fusion system, from model-driven to knowledge-enabled. Firstly, the concept, representative methods, key technologies and application fields of model-driven system engineering are introduced. Then, it introduces the concept of knowledge-driven knowledge engineering, summarizes the architecture and construction methods of advanced knowledge engineering and summarizes the application fields. Finally, the combination of advanced information fusion systems, development opportunities and challenges are discussed.
“Evaluation of an electromagnetically actuated drum brake concept”
Authors: Guckes Lennart , Hoffmann Jens , Schrimpf Malte , Winner Hermann
Published: April 2023

In publications and conferences on the subject of wheel brakes, different concepts of electromechanically actuated wheel brakes can be found, as well as investigations into their suitability for the use in passenger cars. The vast majority of these brakes are disc or drum brakes, which are actuated by an electric motor. In the present publication, a brake concept is considered, that combines an electromagnetically actuated full-pad disc brake with a 10″ duo-duplex drum brake. The brake concept is researched in a project regarding brakes for autonomous shuttles and thus dimensioned using vehicle data of an example shuttle. The electromagnet was designed using finite element methods and the overall brake prototypically realized. The validation of the system design is carried out in component and system tests. The results show the suitability of the concept for the selected vehicle in terms of dynamics, installation space and energy requirements. However, there is a strong dependence of the braking torque output on the frictional sliding speed. Using hypothesis-based testing, electromagnetic effects like eddy currents are ruled out as a possible cause and the friction coefficient within the full-pad disc brake is identified as the main cause for the loss in torque. Consequently, the associated development conflict is identified and lies in the double function of the flux-carrying material in the electromagnet, which also acts as a friction partner for the braking disc.
A geo-spatial assessment of drought impacts on forest cover in yabello forest, in the semi-arid region of Ethiopia
Authors: Wolteji Bayisa Negasa , Garbaba Fayera Gizawu
Published: April 2023

Drought is a key challenge for third-world countries whose economies are based on agriculture. Also, lack of rainfall plays a major role in accelerating climate change. Drought is resulting in a decline in vegetation greenness and plant mortality specifically in the semi-arid region. In this study, satellite-based drought assessment was used to characterize drought and its impact on forests in the semi-arid regions of Ethiopia. Drought severity and forest cover change were detected over the period between 2014 and 2022 Using geographic information systems and remote sensing techniques. Vegetation condition index (VCI) and Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) were used to detect drought severity in the present study. Results of this study showed that 2017, 2015, 2022 and 2019 were the most drought years. The forest resource is significantly decreased during severe drought years. The Minimum dense forest was observed in 2017 and 2015 over a spatial extent of 193 ha and 217 ha respectively during drought years. To evaluate how precipitation deficit affects forest function, simple linear regression is performed. Results of this linear regression “R2 = 0.49 and P = 0.05” indicated that nearly 50% of forest greenness is influenced by precipitation deficit. This study suggested that remote sensing indices are very crucial to characterize drought patterns at a small “scale”, particularly in the assessment of drought impact on forest resources.

Article Highlights

Satellite indices like NDVI and VCI help to monitor the drought impact on forest cover.

When severe drought is occurred along with precipitation deficit, the forest cover is decreased.

Remote sensing data provide clear information for decision-making regarding drought's impact on the forest.
Compressibility Behavior of Bentonites by Stern Theory based on Constant Surface Charge Conditions
Authors: Das Dhanesh Sing , Tadikonda Bharat Venkata , Raja Suresh , Tripathy Snehasis
Published: April 2023

The compressibility behavior of clays is governed by the electrical double layer formed around the clay particles. The Gouy-Chapman diffuse double layer theory is often utilized to predict the compressibility behavior of clay minerals. The theory does not consider the effect of the size of the cations, however, and thus predicts unrealistically small void ratios for compacted bentonites under large mechanical pressures expected in high-level nuclear waste-repository applications. In this study, the Stern layer was introduced to incorporate the cation size effect in the prediction of the compressibility behavior of bentonites. The overall diffuse double-layer thickness at large pressures was much smaller than the initially assumed Stern layer thickness based on the exchangeable cation size for all the bentonites studied. A compressible Stern layer was, therefore, considered for the first time in the prediction of the compressibility behavior of bentonites. The compression behavior of the Stern layer under the applied loading is influenced by the ratio of the mid-plane to the Stern potential, which is dependent on the type and composition of the exchangeable cations on the clay surface. Stern layer compression was initiated when the potential ratio was in the range 0.65–0.75 for bentonites with various surface cation characteristics. The incorporation of cation size and a compressible Stern layer provided significant improvements over the existing models in predicting the compressibility behavior of bentonites over a wide pressure range. The compressibility data predicted by the proposed model showed very good agreement with the data measured for five bentonites from the literature in the pressure range 0.1–42 MPa.
Unraveling the role of natural and pyrogenic dissolved organic matter in photodegradation of biodegradable microplastics in freshwater
Authors: He Jiehong , Ma Weiwei , Han Lanfang , Chen Liying , Xu Elvis Genbo , Xing Baoshan , Yang Zhifeng
Published: April 2023

Biodegradable plastic is often perceived as a possible solution for microplastic (MP) pollution. Photodegradation is an important transformation pathway of biodegradable MPs in aquatic environments. However, the influence mechanisms of dissolved organic matter (DOM) from different sources on photodegradation of biodegradable MPs are poorly understood. This study explored the role of naturally and pyrogenically sourced DOM in the photodegradation of polylactic acid (PLA) MPs. The aromatics of natural DOM (NDOM) were higher than those of biochar-sourced DOM (BDOM) and showed a stronger improvement in PLA-MPs degradation, as evidenced by particle size reduction, crystallinity increase and polymerization decrease, breakage of surface morphology, and increase in oxygen-containing functional groups on MPs’ surface (O/C increase: 65.1% for NDOM; 34.9% for BDOM). Reactive oxygen species analysis showed that the excited triplet states of DOM (3DOM*) generated by NDOM produced more •OH and 1O2 than that of BDOM, accelerating PLA-MPs photodegradation. Such photodegradation processes were further enhanced through the sorption of DOM by PLA-MPs, in which non-aromatic components were preferentially sorbed, causing the enrichment of aromatics in the solution, leading to more 3DOM* formation. This study improves the understanding of the migration and transformation of biodegradable MPs with the presence of DOM.

Graphical Abstract
Hegel's Logic and Metaphysics
Authors: McNulty Jacob
Published: April 2023

Kant said that logic had not had to take a single step forward since Aristotle, but German Idealists in the following generation made concerted efforts to re-think the logical foundations of philosophy. In this book, Jacob McNulty offers a new interpretation of Hegel's Logic, the key work of his philosophical system. McNulty shows that Hegel is responding to a perennial problem in the history and philosophy of logic: the logocentric predicament. In Hegel, we find an answer to a question so basic that it cannot be posed without risking incoherence: what is the justification for logic? How can one justify logic without already relying upon it? The answer takes the form of re-thinking the role of metaphysics in philosophy, so that logic assumes a new position as derivative rather than primary. This important book will appeal to a wide range of readers in Hegel studies and beyond.
Fixed-time cooperative trajectory optimisation strategy for multiple hypersonic gliding vehicles based on neural network and ABC algorithm
Authors: Zhang X. , Liu S. , Yan J. , Liu S. , Yan B.
Published: April 2023

Collaborative planning for multiple hypersonic vehicles can effectively improve operational effectiveness. Time coordination is one of the main forms of cooperation among multi-hypersonic glide vehicles, and time cooperation trajectory optimisation is a key technology that can significantly increase the success rate of flight missions. However, it is difficult to obtain satisfactory time as a constraint condition during trajectory optimisation. To solve this problem, a multilayer Perceptrona is trained and adopted in a time-decision module, whose input is a four-dimensional vector selected according to the trajectory characteristics. Additionally, the MLP will be capable of determining the optimal initial heading angle of each aircraft to reduce unnecessary manoeuvering performance consumption in the flight mission. Subsequently, to improve the cooperative flight performance of hypersonic glide vehicles, the speed-dependent angle-of-attack and bank command were designed and optimised using the Artificial Bee Colony algorithm. The final simulation results show that the novel strategy proposed in this study can satisfy terminal space constraints and collaborative time constraints simultaneously. Meanwhile, each aircraft saves an average of 13.08% flight range, and the terminal speed is increased by 315.6m/s compared to the optimisation results of general purpose optimal control software (GPOPS) tools.
L’invention du social ?
Authors: Gray Benjamin
Published: April 2023

Cet article applique à la Grèce antique une approche développée par Pierre Rosanvallon : l’intégration des textes philosophiques aux documents du quotidien pour mieux saisir la compréhension qu’une société a de sa vie politique. Ici, cela nécessite de se concentrer sur les sources plus pragmatiques que sont les inscriptions des villes, notamment celles portant sur les décisions civiques. Nous nous penchons sur l’évolution des idées sur la nature de la vie politique et privée, et surtout sur l’espace qui les sépare. Avec une influence considérable, les démocrates et les philosophes de l’Athènes classique ont eu tendance à insister sur une distinction binaire nette entre vie publique/politique et vie privée, laissant peu de place à la notion d’un troisième espace intermédiaire de la vie de la polis, semblable à une « sphère sociale » ou à une « société civile ». Ce modèle est resté dominant pendant les périodes hellénistique et romaine, mais, surtout après 150 av. J.-C. environ, certains citoyens et intellectuels grecs ont développé, principalement dans les inscriptions, une notion beaucoup plus explicite, complexe et subtile de « vie sociale », entre la politique et la vie privée. L’article s’interroge finalement sur ce que les différents concepts antiques discutés peuvent apporter aux débats historiographiques actuels sur la nature de la cité grecque après 150 av. J.-C., en particulier sur la manière de dépasser l’image traditionnelle de la « dépolitisation », et remet également en question le récit orthodoxe du développement des idées du « social » sur plusieurs siècles jusqu’à aujourd’hui.
The Richmonds, Palestine and the Catholic Press, 1967-80
Authors: Downs James
Published: April 2023

After retiring from a successful diplomatic career in 1966, Sir John Richmond (1909-90) and his wife Diana (1914-97) settled in Durham, where he had accepted a lectureship in Modern Near East History at the University’s School of Oriental Studies. Following the Six-Day War in June 1967, the Richmonds became increasingly concerned at the suffering of Palestinians living in the occupied territories and the strong media bias prevalent at that time. They were instrumental in founding the Council for the Advancement of Arab-British Understanding (CAABU) and over the next few years devoted themselves to campaigning on behalf of Palestinians. In addition to monitoring and criticising the secular newspapers, the Richmonds—who were both converts to Catholicism—took a close interest in the leading Catholic papers: The Tablet, The Catholic Herald and The Universe. They engaged in extensive correspondence with their editors—both on the newspaper pages and in private—as well as involving a wider circle of influential Catholic writers and clergy. This article, drawing heavily from the Richmond Papers held at Exeter University’s Special Collections, examines the motives and methods of the Richmonds’ campaign, and attempts to assess whether or not their efforts achieved their aim of changing attitudes.
Reader Response to Dockside Reading
Authors: Hofmeyr Isabel
Published: April 2023

This piece responds to the three pieces on Dockside Reading. It provides background on the making of the book, its experimental nature, and discusses the ways in which the three responses extend the book’s reach and implications. The piece concludes with a description of the author’s new project, Elemental Reading.
Stories of the Port: Response to Isabel Hofmeyr, Dockside Reading: Hydrocolonialism and the Custom House
Authors: Srivastava Neelam
Published: April 2023

Isabel Hofmeyr’s latest book begins with stories around and about the colonial port, though the initial spotlight is on decidedly nonnarrative texts such as classification lists of cargo items, customs handbooks, and what she intriguingly calls the “book-as-form,” namely diaries and registers. These, she says, “offered one unwitting model of colonial writing in which a template from the metropolis was filled with local scribblings” (12). The port is, by definition, a liminal, watery, zone, with uncertain borders between land and sea, but which often acts as the site of border policing that regulates entry into and out of the colony and nation-state. It is a powerfully evocative place around which to set Hofmeyr’s ambitious and wide-ranging book, and the port’s polysemous implications allow her to intervene across a series of disparate fields: climate humanities, postcolonial studies, object-oriented ontology, South African literary histories, and studies of custom and copyright. It is a masterly and original revisioning of what it means to do book history, offering a radically new method of reading. Even more importantly, it proposes a new definition of the book as object: as customs cargo, as charismatic “thing” that creates literary canonicity far from the metropole, and as an epidemiological vector of “contamination” in the mind of the colonial customs official on the alert for seditious or obscene texts, among other suggestive meanings.
Independent Publishing in Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, and Guinea-Bissau
Authors: Stella Marcello G. P.
Published: April 2023

Focusing on the work of independent publishers in Lusophone Africa, this article investigates the strategies undertaken by the publishers to develop their catalog and run a publishing house in challenging environments. My examples will be drawn from ongoing initiatives by Filinto Elísio and Márcia Souto (Rosa de Porcelana, Cape Verde), Miguel de Barros and Tony Tcheca (Corubal, Guinea-Bissau), Abdulai Sila (Kusimon, Guinea-Bissau), Luiz Vicente (Nimba Edições, Guinea-Bissau/Portugal), Ondjaki (Kacimbo, Angola), Mbate Pedro, Jessemusse Cacinda, Sandra Tamele, and Dany Wambire (Cavalo do Mar, Ethale Books, Trinta Zero Nove, and Fundza, respectively, Mozambique). Although most scholarship on Luso-African writing has been devoted to the form and content of these literatures, there has been scant attention to the socio-history of publishers.
The Luso-African Literary World: Introduction
Authors: Helgesson Stefan , Stella Marcello G. P.
Published: April 2023

With reference to the five articles in the special issue, this introduction reflects on the relative absence of Lusophone African literature from the mainstream of African literary studies. Because of the insular and backward nature of Portugal’s colonialism, the protracted wars in Angola and Mozambique, and the sheer magnitude of the postcolony of Brazil as a center for the reception of Lusophone writing, this literature has followed a path of its own. However, although a fair amount of scholarly attention has been paid to the early anticolonial and nationalist generations of writers, this special issue updates the account of the Luso-African literary world by looking also at current developments in publishing (locally and abroad) and reception, especially in Brazil.
Literary Studies Beyond “The Colonial Book”: A Response to Isabel Hofmeyr’s Dockside Reading: Hydrocolonialism and the Custom House
Authors: Highman Kate
Published: April 2023

In her discussion of censorship in Dockside Reading: Hydrocolonialism and the Custom House, Isabel Hofmeyr homes in on a figure of reading invoked by Nadine Gordimer in a letter protesting that the censors treat literature “as a commodity to be boiled down to its components and measured like a bar of soap.”1 Hofmeyr, recognizing that such reading echoes that of the officials of colonial custom houses, asks what we might learn from those “who tried to read a book as a bar of soap”?2
Fathers’ Leave Reduces Sexist Attitudes
Authors: TAVITS MARGIT , SCHLEITER PETRA , HOMOLA JONATHAN , WARD DALSTON
Published: April 2023

Research shows that sexist attitudes are deeply ingrained, with adverse consequences in the socioeconomic and political sphere. We argue that parental leave for fathers—a policy reform that disrupts traditional gender roles and promotes less stereotypical ones—has the power to decrease attitudinal gender bias. Contrasting the attitudes of new parents who were (and were not) directly affected by a real-world policy reform that tripled the amount of fathers’ leave, we provide causal evidence that the reform increased gender-egalitarian views in the socioeconomic and political domains among mothers and fathers, and raised support for pro-female policies that potentially displace men among mothers. In contrast, informational, indirect exposure to the reform among the general public produced no attitudinal change. These results show that direct exposure to progressive social policy can weaken sexist attitudes, providing governments with a practical and effective tool to reduce harmful biases.
Ballot Reform, the Personal Vote, and Political Representation in the United States
Authors: Moskowitz Daniel J. , Rogowski Jon C.
Published: April 2023

Theories of electoral accountability emphasize voters' ability to evaluate individual officeholders, which incentivises officials to demonstrate their quality. Before the Australian ballot was introduced in the US at the turn of the twentieth century, however, most ballot designs constrained voters' ability to distinguish individual candidates. Previous scholarship argues that ballot reform led to the rise of candidate-centred politics and the decline in party influence in the twentieth century. We reassess the evidence for this claim and implement the most comprehensive analysis to date on the secret ballot's effects on outcomes related to distributive politics, legislator effort, and party influence. Using an improved research design, we find scant evidence that ballot reform directly affected legislator behaviour, much less that it transformed political representation. While the Australian ballot may have been a necessary condition for the eventual rise of candidate-centred politics, ballot reform did not by itself reshape American politics.
Awareness and attitude of ENT surgeons towards various dental implants or oral surgery procedures: a cross-sectional survey in the UK
Authors: Mosea A , Bella M H , Thamer M
Published: April 2023

Objective

To assess the level of awareness and attitude of ENT surgeons towards dental implants and oral surgery procedures that involve the maxillary sinus.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a closed-ended questionnaire on 40 UK-based ENT surgeons.

Results

Within the study population, 45 per cent of ENT surgeons were not aware of sinus lift augmentation in implant dentistry. Only 25 per cent of respondents were aware of the two subtypes of sinus lift techniques. Thirty per cent of the respondents were aware of or had heard of benign positional paroxysmal vertigo following dental treatment. Fifty-two per cent of respondents came across a dental foreign body, most commonly a tooth that had been displaced into the maxillary sinus. It was also reported that 82.5 per cent of respondents had liaised with an oral surgeon for an oroantral communication problem or a dental infection.

Conclusion

Dental awareness among ENT surgeons needs to be raised for optimum interdisciplinary communication and patient safety.
First confirmed records of white-coat pups of the Endangered Caspian seal Pusa caspica on the coast of Iran
Authors: Shirazi Amir S. , Qashqaei Ali T. , Faezi Samaneh , Khaleghi Seyedreza , Moghaddamipour Nikta , Ebrahimi Tara , Hassan Shadi Karbalaei , Chilvers B. Louise
Published: April 2023

The endemic Caspian seal Pusa caspica breeds on land-fast ice or stable drift ice in the northern Caspian Sea. Breeding has rarely been reported in the ice-free south-eastern Caspian Sea. Five carcases of white-coat Caspian seal pups were recovered from the southern Caspian Sea, Iran, during 2019–2022. From survey interviews, two white-coat Caspian seal pups were also observed in Amirabad and between Ghorogh and Rudsar. These records represent very late pupping dates compared to normal pupping periods. Coastal Iran should be surveyed annually for Caspian seal pups to determine frequency of breeding and areas of importance identified in the Iran Caspian Seal Action Plan.