bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Perspectives of the Fritz‐Scheffer Awardee 2021: Profile‐ to ecosystem‐scale perspectives on soil organic matter formation as demonstrated by woody debris in forest dynamics
Authors: Stutz Kenton P.
Published: April 2023

Soil organic matter (SOM) forms along a continuum from individual particles, pores, and aggregates to litter–soil profiles and larger ecosystems such as forests. However, forest management of SOM stocks and the carbon therein requires knowledge on which processes and factors at which scales determine SOM formation from forest biomass. As evident from woody debris at the profile scale, SOM forms through additions, transformations, translocations, and removals of litter by soil organisms and environmental components. Yet SOM stocks only increase if litter additions‐to‐removals are out of steady state or enter a new steady state that ignores older litter. Both happen through disturbance and self‐selecting feedback processes in ecosystems consisting of autotrophs, heterotrophs, and their physical environment. One such positive feedback process is litter‐SOM transformation by heterotrophs that releases nutrients that promote plant productivity and thus litter input. Stocks of litter‐SOM, heterotrophs, nutrients, and plants thus exhibit Lotka–Volterra dynamics (i.e., predator–prey interactions) and only increase when attractor states (i.e., steady series or sets of states) change due to disturbance. Evidence of evolving feedback processes and disturbance in SOM would help identify limits, potentials, and precariousness of ecosystems in light of global change, but remains to be found.
A prospective study evaluating perioperative quality metrics of cancer surgery: Experience from a tertiary care cancer centre in India
Authors: Gupta Prashant , Deo Suryanarayana , Ray Mukur Dipi , Kumar Sunil , Khan Mahroof Ahmed , Bhatnagar Sushma , Mishra Seema
Published: April 2023

Background

Well‐defined quality metrics were studied at this high‐volume tertiary care academic oncology centre to evaluate surgical quality and outcomes.

Methods

A prospective cohort of 691 patients undergoing major surgeries for all cancers was observed between 1 September 2018 and 30 August 2019 and predefined quality indicators in three categories: namely, optimal hospital resource utilisation, quality of surgery and perioperative outcomes were recorded during their admission period. Surgical procedures were divided into group I versus group II involving simple/moderate complexity versus high complexity procedures for analysis done using appropriate tests in STATA v14.0.

Findings

There were 373 versus 318 patients in group I versus group II with a mean of 48 years of age and 459 (66.43%) being females. Mean BMI was 24.58 kg/m2, haemoglobin 12.12 g/dL and mean serum albumin of 4.25 g (SD ± 0.6). A total of 667(96.53%) patients had an Eastern Co‐Operative Oncology Group performance score of 1 with 271 (39.22%) having comorbidities and 195 (28.22%) having tobacco/alcohol addictions. A total of 393 (56.87%) patients underwent prehabilitation. 83% of patients belonged to lower‐middle socioeconomic status and 32% of patients had some prior surgical intervention. Neoadjuvant therapy was administered in 44.5% versus 37.42%, mean preoperative hospital stay was 3.65 versus 6.16 days whereas postoperative was 2.6 versus 6.09 days with total stay being 6.27 versus 12.21 days, mean surgical duration was 132 versus 268 min with mean blood loss of 100 versus 245 mL (group I vs. group II, respectively). Intraoperative events, namely, unexpected bleeding and hypotension occurred in 144 (20.84%) patients while packed red blood cells and/or fresh frozen plasma transfusion was required in 56 (8.1%) patients. 40% of patients needed intensive care unit care postoperatively with 45 (6.51%) patients having some event (hypotension, sepsis, acute kidney injury, etc.). A total of 29 (<4%) patients had ≥grade 3 surgical complications while ≥grade 2 medical complications occurred in 6.43% versus 12.58% of patients (group I vs. group II). A total of 90 (13.02%) patients were readmitted, 15 (2.17%) re‐explored and 5 (0.72%) patients died.

Conclusion

Optimal surgical outcomes in this study compared to international standards underpin the need for well‐defined multidisciplinary perioperative pathways to be followed for each organ system and this framework can be adopted by other cancer centres in LMIC to achieve good surgical outcomes.
Electro‐Optic Frequency Combs: Theory, Characteristics, and Applications
Authors: Zhuang Rongjin , Ni Kai , Wu Guanhao , Hao Ting , Lu Longzhao , Li Yang , Zhou Qian
Published: April 2023

Optical frequency combs (OFCs) are a unique kind of light source, which are represented as a series of equally spaced coherent spectral lines in the frequency domain. OFCs can mainly be divided into mode‐locked lasers, Kerr frequency combs, and electro‐optic frequency combs (E‐O combs), which have broad applications in optical communications, frequency metrology, atomic clocks, distance ranging, spectroscopy, and arbitrary waveform generation. Among them, E‐O combs feature some unique advantages, such as fast tunable repetition rate, high sidebands power, and reconfigurability of the comb spectrum. Especially in recent years, with the development of micro–nano processing technology, on‐chip E‐O combs have become a dynamic research topic with many fundamental scientific problems as well as engineering applications for further exploration. To summarize the past development and envision the prosperous future of E‐O combs, the area of E‐O combs is reviewed from the following aspects: development of E‐O combs; theory including the generation process of E‐O combs and the electro‐optic modulation models; important techniques including flattening, broadening, noise, and stability controlling; applications including communications, ranging, spectroscopy, wavelength calibration of astronomical spectrographs, and microwave generation; and pros and cons when compared with other OFCs.
Targeting SMYD2 inhibits prostate cancer cell growth by regulating c‐Myc signaling
Authors: Li Junhong , Wan Fangning , Zhang Junyu , Zheng Shengfeng , Yang Yunjie , Hong Zhe , Dai Bo
Published: April 2023

SMYD2 is a lysine histone methyl transferase involved in various cancers epigenetically via methylating histone H3K4, and H3K36. c‐Myc is one of the major drivers of prostate cancer (PCa) initiation and progression. The roles of SMYD2 in PCa and the regulators of c‐Myc activity in PCa are still under‐researched. SMYD2 expression and survival outcomes in PCa cohorts were analyzed by bioinformatics analysis. SMYD2 protein levels were detected in PCa tissues by immunohistochemistry. SMYD2 knockdown cells were established to identify the effects of SMYD2 on cell growth in vitro and in vivo. GSEA and RNA sequencing were adopted to reconnoiter the signaling regulated by SMYD2 in PCa. The relationship between SMYD2 and c‐Myc was examined by western blot analysis, qPCR, and immunohistochemistry. SMYD2 specific inhibitor‐AZ505 was used to pharmacologically inhibit SMYD2 function in vitro and in vivo. SMYD2 expression increased in PCa tissues compared with benign prostate tissues and higher SMYD2 expression was associated with a higher risk of biochemical relapse after radical prostatectomy. SMYD2 knockdown inhibited the growth of PCa cells both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, high SMYD2 levels conduced to activated c‐Myc signaling in PCa cells. Importantly, the pharmacological intervention of SMYD2 by AZ505 significantly repressed PCa cell growth both in vitro and in vivo. Our findings indicate that SMYD2 inhibition restrains PCa cell proliferation by regulating c‐Myc signaling and provide evidence for the potential practice of SMYD2 targeting in the treatment of PCa.
Predictive significance of PRR11 in prognosis and immune infiltration of glioma patients
Authors: Han Wei , Chen Liang
Published: April 2023

Glioma, characterized by invasive growth and high recurrence, is the main cause of brain‐tumor‐related deaths. Currently, proline rich 11 (PRR11) has served as a reliable predictor in diagnosis, prognosis, and immunotherapeutic response of several human cancers. However, the predictive significance of PRR11 in prognosis and immune infiltration of glioma patients is still uncertain. Therefore, glioma‐related information from multiple data sets and single‐cell sequencing (scRNA‐seq), including CGGA, TCGA_GTEx, GEO, 10x Genomics, and Smart‐seq, was included in this study. Then, clinical correlation analysis, univariate and multivariate Cox analysis, Kaplan−Meier survival analysis, and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis were utilized to explore diagnostic and prognostic value of PRR11 in glioma. Besides, functional mechanisms of PRR11 in glioma were also carried out via Spearman's correlation, immune infiltration, scRNA‐seq, gene ontology enrichment, and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes analysis. Finally, we selected two glioma cell lines, U251 and LN229, for validation of oncogenic role of PRR11 in glioma. As a result, PRR11 is a promising and reliable predictor in diagnosis and prognosis of glioma patients, positively correlates with clinical malignancy, World Health Organization grades, IDH mutation status, 1p19q codeletion status, histology, and poor survival time. Mechanically, PRR11 is specifically overexpressed in Mano/Macro_C21 and CD8Tex cells and interferes with cell‐cycle, transcription factors, immune infiltration, MYC targets, and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling. Further exploration of biological mechanisms of PRR11 in glioma patients reveals that PRR11 might exert its oncogenic effects via involvement with chromosome segregation, coenzyme binding, cell cycle, and pyruvate metabolism. Moreover, PRR11 knockdown suppressed cell viability, migration, cell‐cycle progression, and induced apoptosis and autophagy in glioma cells. In summary, our results suggest that PRR11 might be a novel and reliable diagnostic and prognostic predictor in glioma patients, providing a promising clinical therapeutic target for glioma.
Behavioral and functional assessment of mice inner ear after chronic exposure to an ultrahigh B0 field of 11.7 T or 17.2 T
Authors: Le Ster Caroline , Selingue Erwan , Poirier Rosline , Edeline Jean‐Marc , Mériaux Sébastien , Boulant Nicolas
Published: April 2023

Purpose

Assess short‐term and long‐term effects of chronic exposure to an ultrahigh static magnetic (B0) field on mice inner ear in the context of MR safety of human scanning at 11.7 T.

Methods

Mice were chronically exposed to a B0 field of 11.7 T or 17.2 T during ten 2‐h exposure sessions evenly distributed over a period of 5 weeks, resulting in a total of 20 h of exposure per mouse. During exposure sessions, mice were anesthetized and positioned either parallel or antiparallel to B0. Before, during, and 2 weeks after the magnetic‐field exposure period, mice performed behavioral tests (balance beam, rotarod, and swim tests) to evaluate their short‐term and long‐term motor coordination and balance. An auditory brainstem response (ABR) test was finally performed to assess the functional integrity of mice cochlea, 2 weeks after the last exposure.

Results

After awaking from anesthesia following B0 exposures at 11.7 Tor 17.2 T, mice displayed a transient (<5 min) rotating behavior. The behavioral tests did not show any difference between the exposed and the control mice at any time point. Determination of ABR thresholds did not reveal an impairment of cochlea hair cells resulting from chronic B0 exposure.

Conclusion

Despite the transient disturbance of mice vestibular system observed immediately after B0 exposure, no short‐term nor long‐term alteration was detected with behavioral and ABR tests.
Identifying patterns of neurocognitive dysfunction through direct comparison of children with leukemia, central nervous system tumors, and sickle cell disease
Authors: Fraley Claire E. , Neiman Jamie S. , Feddersen Charlotte R. , James Claire , Jones Taylor G. , Mikkelsen Margit , Nuss Rachelle , Schlenz Alyssa M. , Winters Amanda C. , Green Adam L. , Compas Bruce E.
Published: April 2023

Purpose

To quantify and compare the magnitude and type of neurocognitive dysfunction in at‐risk children with central nervous system (CNS) tumors, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and sickle cell disease (SCD) using a common instrument and metric to directly compare these groups with each other.

Methods

Fifty‐three participants between the ages of 7 and 12 years (n = 27 ALL, n = 11 CNS tumor, n = 15 SCD) were enrolled and assessed using the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery (NIHTCB). Participants with ALL or CNS tumor were 0–18 months posttherapy, while participants with SCD possessed the SS or Sβ0 genotype, took hydroxyurea, and had no known history of stroke.

Results

Independent sample t‐tests showed that participants with ALL and CNS tumor experienced greatest deficits in processing speed (ALL d = −0.96; CNS tumor d = −1.2) and inhibitory control and attention (ALL d = −0.53; CNS tumor d = −0.97) when compared with NIHTCB normative data. Participants with SCD experienced deficits in cognitive flexibility only (d = −0.53). Episodic memory was relatively spared in all groups (d = −0.03 to −0.32). There were no significant differences in function when groups were compared directly with each other by analysis of variance.

Conclusions

Use of a common metric to quantify the magnitude and type of neurocognitive dysfunction across at‐risk groups of participants by disease shows that participants perform below age‐expected norms in multiple domains and experience dysfunction differently than one another. This approach highlights patterns of dysfunction that can inform disease‐ and domain‐specific interventions.
Revaccination of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia following completion of chemotherapy
Authors: Anafy Adi , Gilad Gil , Michaan Nadav , Elhasid Ronit , Rosenfeld‐Kaidar Hila , Arad‐Cohen Nira , Cohen Moran Szwarcwort , Shachor‐Meyouhas Yael , Grisaru‐Soen Galia
Published: April 2023

Background

Intensive chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) may affect the immune system and potentially the immune memory causing antibodies provided by vaccination to disappear. There are disagreements regarding the guidelines for posttreatment immunization strategy.

Methods

Ninety‐six children (aged 1–18 years at diagnosis) who completed chemotherapy for ALL were recruited. Antibody levels in the patient's serum against measles, varicella, polio, pertussis, hepatitis A, and hepatitis B were tested after completion of chemotherapy in patients who were fully vaccinated against these agents. Children who did not have positive serology to specific agents were revaccinated with a single dose accordingly. Antibody concentrations were measured again at least 4 weeks after revaccination.

Results

Positive antibody levels varied between the different agents. The highest percentage of positive serology was against polio (87%) and the lowest against pertussis (4%) (p < .001). There were significant differences between patients with high risk (HR) and non‐HR ALL regarding serology status for some vaccines. After revaccination, the levels of response to each booster dose were significantly different: 100% after booster dose for varicella and polio, and only 34% after pertussis booster.

Conclusions

Loss of humoral protection for vaccine preventable diseases is a common finding among patients with ALL. Revaccination with one dose of vaccine after completion of chemotherapy achieved seroconversion in 34–100% of the patients depending on the type of vaccine. We recommend this revaccination schedule to all children who completed ALL therapy and were previously fully vaccinated.
In situ resin‐injection approach for repairing barely visible impact damaged carbon‐fiber reinforced epoxy laminates: Optimizing the repair parameters using Taguchi method
Authors: Lai W. L. , Saeedipour H. , Wong W. L. E. , Goh K. L.
Published: April 2023

A new portable resin injection device has been developed to repair barely visible impact damage (BVID) in carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates. Repair was conducted on damaged 16‐ and 24‐ply laminates at two different ambient pressures, that is, atmospheric pressure and vacuum, using three different adhesive types, that is, neat epoxy, epoxy blended with respective halloysite nanotubes (E1HNT) and carbon nanotubes (NF100). The repair effectiveness was assessed by infrared thermography and in‐plane compression testing. All damaged laminates suffered significant degradation in fracture properties as compared to pristine laminates. According to Taguchi method, the main factor affecting the repair efficiency is the laminate ply number. The findings revealed that the optimal repair parameters corresponds to using neat epoxy or E1HNT in vacuum could restore the elastic properties and using E1HNT adhesive at atmospheric pressure could restore the fracture properties of damaged 16‐ply laminate after repair. Regardless of repair parameters, the repair efficiency for the mechanical properties of 24‐ply laminates revealed minimal restoration to the laminate pristine conditions after repairing the damaged laminates due to the complexity of BVID for allowing the adhesive to infiltrate and filled the crack structures. The choice of repair parameters was discussed based on the effectiveness of restoring elastic and fracture properties.
Quasi‐static compression behavior and crashworthiness of GLARE laminate conical frustum with progressive circular and square cut‐outs
Authors: Logesh K. , Hariharasakthisudhan P. , Bright Renjin J. , Kannan Sathish , Khalkar V. , Sundaraiah N.
Published: April 2023

The design of structures using advanced composite materials such as fiber metal laminate requires an in‐depth understanding of their deformation behavior and response to the discontinuities in the structures. In the present study, a GLARE kind of fiber metal laminate in 2/1 configuration was fabricated in the form of conical frustum. Three cut‐outs of two different shapes such as circular and square were intentionally made at the center of the frustum at an angular distance of 120°. The quasi‐static compression test was conducted to determine the crashworthiness characteristics of laminate frustums with cut‐out and the results were compared with perfect frustum. The study showed that the laminate with cut‐out undergone for inward buckling near the discontinuities. Apart from that, the delamination and outward buckling were noted in the edges of the cut‐outs. The energy absorption of laminate frustum with circular cut‐outs was observed to be better than square cut‐outs. The performance of laminate frustums with cut‐outs was ranked using Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution technique. A finite element analysis was carried out to simulate the deformation behavior of laminate frustum with cut‐outs and the numerical results of deformation mode closely represented the experimental results.
Review: Syntheses of poly(lactic acid)s and their block copolymers for drug delivery applications
Authors: Oktavia Linda W. , Bégué Didier , Campana Patricia Targon , Hiorns Roger C.
Published: April 2023

Since the advent of supporting matrices for biological applications, many types of drugs have been administered via various forms of conventional drug delivery preparations, such as pills, solutions, creams, suppositories, injected gels and so on. Key parameters to all these systems for effective drug delivery are controlled release for sustained periods, targeted delivery, and enhancements of drug stability and efficacy, all of which can be manipulated by using polymers. Given the important impact of the structures of the polymers on these parameters, this mini‐review gives a simple introduction to the requirements of drug delivery systems and surveys the synthetic pathways to a key polymer in this field, namely poly(lactic acid). We also review the preparation of block copolymers that incorporate poly(lactic acid), to expand and further develop its properties for drug delivery systems. It is hoped that this short teacherly and introductory review will provide a basic stepping‐stone to more in‐depth reviews and papers and enable an easy access to this fast growing field. © 2023 Society of Industrial Chemistry.
Physical fitness trajectories from childhood to adolescence in extremely preterm children: A longitudinal cohort study
Authors: Praprotnik Marina , Stucin Gantar Irena , Krivec Uros , Lucovnik Miha , Rodman Berlot Jasna , Starc Gregor
Published: April 2023

Objective

Cohort studies on physical fitness (PF) in former extremely preterm children are scarce and yield conflicting results. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the effect of extremely preterm birth on PF in school‐age with a focus on bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).

Methods

Eighty school‐aged children were enrolled in the longitudinal cohort study. Fifty were born extremely preterm (<completed 28 weeks of gestation): 19 had BPD, and 31 did not; 30 term‐born healthy children were included as controls. They were monitored annually throughout primary school (ages 7–14 years) with eight annual fitness testings within the Slovenian national surveillance system of children's somatic and motor development (SLOfit). The physical fitness index (PFI), calculated as the mean of percentiles of eight fitness tests, was used as an indicator of overall PF. Generalised estimating equations were used to compare changes in PFI between ages 7 and 14 in the three cohort groups: preterm children with BPD, preterm children without BPD and term controls.

Results

Preterm children with BPD had significantly and persistently lower PFI than preterm children without BPD and term‐born children throughout primary school age. Their PFI was less than half that of national median values (15.1st–19.7th percentile). Preterm children without BPD experienced progressive improvement in PFI during their school age (from 32.6th to 44.7th percentile of national median PFI values), while the ones with BPD did not.

Conclusion

Extreme prematurity per se is not a risk factor for lower PF at school age. However, if complicated by BPD, PF is significantly and sustainably reduced.
Target identification and acaricidal activity difference of amitraz and its metabolite DPMF in Tetranychus cinnabarinus (Boisduval)
Authors: Cai Ping , Zhang Yuanyuan , Yang Mu , Zhang Chenghao , Li Mingxia , Xiao Wei , Xu Zhifeng , Zhang Yongqiang
Published: April 2023

BACKGROUND

Amitraz is a broad‐spectrum formamidine acaricide proven to be effective against mites in all development stages. Under acidic conditions, amitraz is hydrolyzed to N2‐(2,4‐dimethylphenyl)‐N1‐methyformamidine (DPMF), an active metabolite for mite control. Octopamine and tyramine receptors are well known targets of amitraz. Until now, no research has been conducted about the amitraz target in Tetranychus cinnabarinus. This study aimed to identify the target genes of amitraz in T. cinnabarinus and reveal the mechanisms behind the differential acaricidal activities of amitraz and DPMF.

RESULTS

Analysis of the toxicity, stress expression, target sensitivity and binding site of amitraz against T. cinnabarinus showed that TcOctβ2R was the main target gene of amitraz. DPMF had more potent acaricidal activity against T. cinnabarinus and was more effective at activating TcOctβ2R than amitraz. Furthermore, the three synergists had no significant effect on amitraz and DPMF, indicating that the detoxification metabolism was not related to the difference in acaricidal activity.

CONCLUSION

In this study, TcOctβ2R was identified as the main target gene of amitraz against T. cinnabarinus. The divergence of target binding was responsible for the difference in acaricidal activity between amitraz and DPMF. The results also revealed the physiological and pharmacological functions of octopamine receptors (OARs) in T. cinnabarinus and could provide a basis for the design of new acaricides, with OARs as a special target. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
Cognitive protection of sinomenine in type 2 diabetes mellitus through regulating the EGF/Nrf2/HO‐1 signaling, the microbiota‐gut‐brain axis, and hippocampal neuron ferroptosis
Authors: Chen Ji , Guo Peng , Han Mingming , Chen Kemin , Qin Jie , Yang Fengrui
Published: April 2023

Recent years have witnessed a growing research interest in traditional Chinese medicine as a neuroprotective nutrient in the management of diabetic cognitive dysfunction. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of sinomenine in mediating ferroptosis of hippocampal neurons have been poorly understood. This study sought to decipher the potential effect and molecular mechanism of sinomenine in the cognitive dysfunction following type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Multi‐omics analysis was conducted to identify the microbiota‐gut‐brain axis in T2DM patient samples obtained from the publicly available database. In HT‐22 cells, erastin was utilized to create a ferroptosis model, and streptozotocin was injected intraperitoneally to create a rat model of DM. It was noted that intestinal flora imbalance occurred in patients with T2DM‐associated cognitive dysfunction. Sinomenine could reduce Erastin‐induced hippocampus neuronal ferroptosis by increasing EGF expression. EGF protected hippocampal neurons against ferroptosis by activating the Nrf2/HO‐1 signaling pathway. Furthermore, in vivo results confirmed that sinomenine blocked ferroptosis of hippocampal neurons and alleviated cognitive dysfunction in T2DM rats. Collectively, these results suggest that sinomenine confers neuroprotective effects by curtailing hippocampal neuron ferroptosis via the EGF/Nrf2/HO‐1 signaling and microbiota‐gut‐brain axis. It may be a candidate for the treatment of diabetic cognitive dysfunction.
Severe heart failure due to peripartum cardiomyopathy
Authors: Michimata Haruhiko , Sumi Toshiyuki , Nagayama Daiki , Koshino Yuta , Watanabe Hiroki , Yamada Yuichi , Chiba Hirofumi
Published: April 2023

Key message

Perinatal cardiomyopathy presents similarly to dilated cardiomyopathy and should be suspected in perinatal women presenting with dyspnoea, even with no previous history of heart disease.
Enhanced Interfacial Magnetization is Responsible for the Negative Capacity Fading of Cobalt Ditelluride Anodes for Lithium Storage
Authors: Fan Huilin , Zhou Guangyu , Li Jinliang , Zhao Yanyan , Bai Lu , Chang Huaiqiu , Zheng Runguo , Wang Zhiyuan , Liu Yanguo , Sun Hongyu
Published: April 2023

In lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs), the stabilized capacities of transition metal compound anodes usually exhibit higher values than their theoretical values due to the interfacial charge storage, the formation of reversible electrolyte‐derived surface layer, or interfacial magnetization. But the effectively utilizing the mechanisms to achieve novel anodes is rarely explored. Herein, a novel nanosized cobalt ditelluride (CoTe2) anodes with ultra‐high capacity and long term stability is reported. Electrochemical tests show that the lithium storage capacity of the best sample reaches 1194.7 mA h g−1 after 150 cycles at 0.12 A g−1, which increases by 57.8% compared to that after 20 cycles. In addition, the sample offers capacities of 546.6 and 492.1 mA h g−1 at 0.6 and 1.8 A g−1, respectively. During cycles, CoTe2 particles (average size 20 nm) are gradually pulverized into the smaller nanoparticles (<3 nm), making the magnetization more fully due to the larger contact area of Co/Li2Te interface, yielding an increased capacity. The negative capacity fading is observed, and verified by ex situ structural characterizations and in situ electrochemical measurements. The proposed strategy can be further extended to obtain other high‐performance ferromagnetic metal based electrodes for energy storage applications.
Analysis of the flexural response of hybrid reinforced concrete beams with localized reinforcement corrosion
Authors: Berrocal Carlos G. , Chen E , Löfgren Ingemar , Lundgren Karin
Published: April 2023

This paper presents a modeling approach to analyze the flexural response of hybrid reinforced concrete beams with localized corrosion. A new mechanical model based on extensive uniaxial testing is proposed to describe the stress–strain relationship of corroded bars with a single pit. The proposed mechanical model is then incorporated into a sectional analysis to determine the moment curvature relationship of hybrid reinforced concrete sections with pitting corrosion. The actual crack pattern is used to divide a beam into discrete hinge elements which are then combined to compute the load–deflection response of statically determinate beams. The modeling approach is evaluated with available experimental data showing good predictive capabilities. A parametric study revealed the importance of the interaction between the tensile reinforcement ratio and the concrete postcracking residual stress. Furthermore, the deformation capacity of reinforcement bars with pitting corrosion levels beyond 0.25 was shown to have a dominant effect on the ultimate deflection of hybrid reinforced concrete beams.
Technical debt in systems engineering—A systematic literature review
Authors: Kleinwaks Howard , Batchelor Ann , Bradley Thomas H.
Published: April 2023

The metaphor of “technical debt” is used in software engineering to describe technical solutions that may be pragmatic in the near‐term but may have a negative long‐term impact. Similar decisions and similar dynamics are present in the field of systems engineering. This work investigates the current body of knowledge to identify if, and how, the technical debt metaphor is used within the systems engineering field and which systems engineering lifecycle stages are most susceptible to technical debt. A systematic literature review was conducted on 354 papers in February 2022, of which 18 were deemed relevant for inclusion in the study. The results of the systematic literature review show that the technical debt metaphor is not prevalent within systems engineering research and that existing research is limited to specific fields and theoretical discussions. This paper concludes with recommendations for future work to establish a research agenda on the identification and management of technical debt within systems engineering.
The Coexistent Temporalities: Multilayered Ethics in Birth Cohort Studies
Authors: Parhi Katariina
Published: April 2023

The chapter analyzes how the ethical guidelines and prescriptions guiding cohort studies have changed from the mid-1960s to the present and asks how a cohort research community has adjusted to these changes. Birth cohort studies, due to their extensive use of human subjects and their usually extended length, are particularly well suited for investigating the issue. The case through which the issue is tackled is the Northern Finland Birth Cohorts 1966 and 1986 (NFBC). Launched in 1965, the NFBC initially comprised 12,231 children and their mothers. The second birth cohort was started in 1985. It consisted of 9,479 children and their mothers. The main finding of the chapter is that the NFBC scientists share a similar understanding of research ethics, an understanding that acknowledges past circumstances in epidemiological knowledge-production but also constantly seeks to adjust to changes in research ethics. Their understanding of ethical research is thus temporally multi-layered. The history of research ethics in birth cohort studies offers a way to examine how epidemiological knowledge-production has been governed and affected by temporality.
Probabilistic Tsunami Risk Assessment from Incomplete and Uncertain Historical Impact Records: Mediterranean and Connected Seas
Authors: Triantafyllou Ι. , Papadopoulos G. A. , Kijko A.
Published: April 2023

Tsunami risk is considered as the probability of a particular coastline being struck by a tsunami that may cause a certain level of impact (destructiveness). The impact metric of a tsunami is expressed in terms of tsunami intensity values, K, assigned on a 12-degree scale. To calculate tsunami risk we are based on the tsunami history of the region codified in tsunami catalogues. The probabilistic model adopted was used successfully for hazard assessment of earthquakes (Kijko et al. in Bull Seismol Soc Am 79:645–654, 2016) and of tsunamis (Smit et al. in Environmetrics 30:e2566, 2019) by considering seismic magnitude and tsunami height as metrics of the respective hazards. In this model, instead of hazard metrics we inserted risk metric, i.e. wave impact in terms of intensity values. The procedure allows utilization of the entire data set consisting not only from the complete (recent) part of tsunami catalogue but also from the highly incomplete and uncertain historical part of the catalogue. Risk is assessed in terms of probabilities of exceedance and return periods of certain intensity values in specific time frames. We applied the model using catalogues for the Mediterranean and connected seas. Sensitivity analysis showed that using complete data sets generally provided more realistic results than using entire data sets. Results indicated that the risk level depends on the seismicity level and not on the size of individual ocean basin. The highest tsunami risk level was found in the eastern Mediterranean (EM), with a significantly lower risk in the western Mediterranean (WM). In the Marmara Sea (MS), the tsunami risk was low, and the lowest was in the Black Sea (BS). The risk in the small Corinth Gulf (CG, Central Greece) was comparable to that of WM. The return period of damaging tsunamis (i.e. K ≥ 7) was 22 years in the entire Mediterranean basin and 31, 118, 135, 424, and 1660 years in the EM, WM, CG, MS, and BS basins, respectively.
Climate transition risk in determining credit risk: evidence from firms listed on the STOXX Europe 600 index
Authors: Ramos-García Daniel , López-Martín Carmen , Arguedas-Sanz Raquel
Published: April 2023

This paper assesses whether a climate factor is relevant to measure default risk in a sample of main companies listed on the STOXX Europe 600 exchange from 2010 to 2020. The starting point is a factorial panel data model which is subsequently modified to capture the climate impact through different functional forms. We find that relevant differences in default risk exist before and after the Paris Agreement. Our analysis also indicates that this difference cannot be explained by means of traditional financial factors. Finally, we further show that a climate change risk and opportunities label is a significant factor in evaluating credit risk, both prior to and post-Paris agreement. These results are important to the extent that they suggest that companies' market performance itself allows to measure differences in credit risk between companies and to link them with climate risk factors. This approach may be useful as a complement or in combination with the traditional use of exogenous climate factors that have been widely used in the literature in this field.
Free decay and excitation of the chandler wobble: self-consistent estimates of the period and quality factor
Authors: Chen Wei , Chen Yifei , Ray Jim , Luo Jiesi , Li Jian Cheng
Published: April 2023

The period TCW and quality factor QCW of the Chandler wobble (CW) as well as polar motion (PM) transfer functions are all determined by the Earth’s layered structure, mass distribution, elasticity, rheology and energy dissipation, via the Earth’s dynamic figure parameters and complex degree-2 Love numbers. However, most previous studies used geophysical excitations derived from real-valued PM transfer functions to invert for TCW and QCW, thus leading to results that are not self-consistent. By separating the observed PM into the freely decaying CW and the excited PM, a traverse-based method is proposed to search values of TCW and QCW that can fit both sides simultaneously, yielding the self-consistent estimates of TCW = 430.4 mean solar days and QCW = 130. This implies the degree-2 tidal Love number k = 0.35011 − 0.00226i and load Love number k' =  − 0.36090 + 0.00233i, and the PM transfer functions TNL = 1.80001 − 0.00692i (non-loading) and TL = 1.15040 − 0.00023i (loading) valid at the Chandler period.
DA_2DCHROM — a data alignment tool for applications on real GC × GC–TOF samples
Authors: Ladislavová Nikola , Pojmanová Petra , Urban Štěpán
Published: April 2023

Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC × GC–MS) has great potential for analyses of complicated mixtures and sample matrices, due to its separation power and possible high resolution. The second component of the measurement results, the mass spectra, is reproducible. However, the reproducibility of two-dimensional chromatography is affected by many factors and makes the evaluation of long-term experiments or cross-laboratory collaborations complicated. This paper presents a new open-source data alignment tool to tackle the problem of retention time shifts — with 5 different algorithms implemented: BiPACE 2D, DISCO, MSort, PAM, and TNT-DA, along with Pearson’s correlation and dot product as optional methods for mass spectra comparison. The implemented data alignment algorithms and their variations were tested on real samples to demonstrate the functionality of the presented tool. The suitability of each implemented algorithm for significantly/non-significantly shifted data was discussed on the basis of the results obtained. For the evaluation of the “goodness” of the alignment, Kolmogorov–Smirnov test values were calculated, and comparison graphs were generated. The DA_2DChrom is available online with its documentation, fully open-sourced, and the user can use the tool without the need of uploading their data to external third-party servers.

Graphical Abstract
Dynamic Programming Principle for Classical and Singular Stochastic Control with Discretionary Stopping
Authors: De Angelis Tiziano , Milazzo Alessandro
Published: April 2023

We prove the dynamic programming principle (DPP) in a class of problems where an agent controls a d-dimensional diffusive dynamics via both classical and singular controls and, moreover, is able to terminate the optimisation at a time of her choosing, prior to a given maturity. The time-horizon of the problem is random and it is the smallest between a fixed terminal time and the first exit time of the state dynamics from a Borel set. We consider both the cases in which the total available fuel for the singular control is either bounded or unbounded. We build upon existing proofs of DPP and extend results available in the traditional literature on singular control (Haussmann and Suo in SIAM J Control Optim 33(3):916–936, 1995; SIAM J Control Optim 33(3):937–959, 1995) by relaxing some key assumptions and including the discretionary stopping feature. We also connect with more general versions of the DPP (e.g., Bouchard and Touzi in SIAM J Control Optim 49(3):948–962, 2011) by showing in detail how our class of problems meets the abstract requirements therein.
$$L_p$$–$$L_q$$-Theory for a Quasilinear Non-isothermal Westervelt Equation
Authors: Wilke Mathias
Published: April 2023

We investigate a quasilinear system consisting of the Westervelt equation from nonlinear acoustics and Pennes bioheat equation, subject to Dirichlet or Neumann boundary conditions. The concept of maximal regularity of type $$L_p$$

L
p

–$$L_q$$

L
q

is applied to prove local and global well-posedness. Moreover, we show by a parameter trick that the solutions regularize instantaneously. Finally, we compute the equilibria of the system and investigate the long-time behaviour of solutions starting close to equilibria.
Effect of hard magnetic ferrite (Ba0.5Sr0.5Fe12O19) nanoparticles on the mechanical properties of the (Bi, Pb)-2223 phase
Authors: Hassan M. S. , Mohamed I. E. , Matar M. , Abou-Aly A. I. , Awad R. , Anas M.
Published: April 2023

To manifest the effect of hard magnetic Ba0.5Sr0.5Fe12O19 nanoparticles on the mechanical performance of the (Bi,Pb)-2223 superconducting phase, nano-(Ba0.5Sr0.5Fe12O19)x/Bi1.8Pb0.4Sr2Ca2Cu3.2O10+δ, with x = 0.00, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, 0.05, 0.10, and 0.20 wt%, were synthesized using a conventional solid-state reaction method. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) data revealed that adding nano-(Ba0.5Sr0.5Fe12O19) to the host (Bi,Pb)-2223 phase preserved the orthorhombic structure. The porosity (P%) calculations revealed a decrease until x = 0.04 wt%, which suggests that the addition of nano-(Ba0.5Sr0.5Fe12O19)x reduces the number of voids and improves inter-grain connections, as confirmed by SEM micrographs. The superconducting transition temperature (Tc) increased to 112 K with the inclusion of nano-(Ba0.5Sr0.5Fe12O19) up to x = 0.04 wt%. Vickers microhardness (HV) measurements were conducted at various applied loads (0.245–9.800 N) and a duration time of 45 s. The HV number increased with the addition of x up to x = 0.04 wt% but then decreased with further addition. Various models were employed for analysis and modelling of Vickers hardness (HV) versus test load (F), including Meyer’s law, Hays–Kendall (H–K) model, the elastic/plastic deformation (EPD) model, the proportional sample resistance (PSR) model, the modified proportional sample resistance (MPSR), and indentation-induced cracking (IIC) model. It was found that the PSR model was the most appropriate theoretical model for describing the microhardness of nano-(Ba0.5Sr0.5Fe12O19)x/(Bi,Pb)-2223 composites. Moreover, the elastic modulus (E), yield strength (Y), fracture toughness (K), brittleness index (B), and elastic stiffness coefficient (C11) were estimated as a function of the inclusion of nano-(Ba0.5Sr0.5Fe12O19)x. Furthermore, the indentation creep test (time-dependent Vickers microhardness) revealed that the dislocation creep mechanism exists in composite samples with low concentrations (x < 0.05 wt%), whereas the dislocation climbs creep mechanism was observed for x ≥ 0.05 wt%.
Role of Gd3+ and Ho3+ doping on the structure, physical properties and applications of ZnO
Authors: Arman M. M. , Gamal Alaa AL-Rahman
Published: April 2023

ZnO, Zn0.97Gd0.03O and Zn0.97Ho0.03O were prepared via a citrate auto-combustion method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) demonstrated that the investigated nanoparticles were prepared in a hexagonal structure, with crystallite sizes averaging between 12 and 60 nm. The morphology of the samples is illustrated by the field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) images. The paramagnetic behavior of the investigated nanoparticles is demonstrated by VSM. The value of the optical band gap (Eg) of Zn0.97Gd0.03O was higher than the Eg of ZnO due to the Moss–Burstein effect. Heavy metal Cd2+ ions from water are effectively adsorbed by rare earth-doped ZnO. At pH = 8, Zn0.97Ho0.03O exhibits a maximum removal efficiency of 91%. The Freundlich isotherm model fits the experimental results well.
First record of allonursing in golden jackal (Canis aureus, L. 1758): a case of double breeding and communal denning within the same social unit
Authors: Pecorella Stefano , De Luca Matteo , Fonda Federica , Viviano Andrea , Candelotto Marco , Candotto Silvano , Mori Emiliano , Banea Ovidiu
Published: April 2023

In the last decade, there has been a remarkable increase in the number of scientific publications on the ecology of the golden jackal Canis aureus, whereas information on its reproductive biology is still scanty, and the basic reproductive parameters of the species are not yet fully understood. In 2021, we began a research project in North-Eastern Italy, where the golden jackal is strictly protected under the National Law, to investigate the species behavioural ecology and reproductive biology at the den site, as a key element for defining conservation measures. Within this project, we documented allosuckling behaviour, possibly related to the breeding of two females within the same social unit, with den sharing and communal nursing of the cubs. Our observations open new scenarios and raise questions on the reproductive biology and social organisation of the golden jackal, stimulating further topics for research.
A simple proof that the hp-FEM does not suffer from the pollution effect for the constant-coefficient full-space Helmholtz equation
Authors: Spence E. A.
Published: April 2023

Inddimensions, accurately approximating an arbitrary function oscillating with frequency$\lesssim k$≲krequires$\sim k^{d}$∼kddegrees of freedom. A numerical method for solving the Helmholtz equation (with wavenumberk) suffers from the pollution effect if, as$k\rightarrow \infty $k→∞, the total number of degrees of freedom needed to maintain accuracy grows faster than this natural threshold. While theh-version of the finite element method (FEM) (where accuracy is increased by decreasing the meshwidthhand keeping the polynomial degreepfixed) suffers from the pollution effect, thehp-FEM (where accuracy is increased by decreasing the meshwidthhand increasing the polynomial degreep) does not suffer from the pollution effect. The heart of the proof of this result is a PDE result splitting the solution of the Helmholtz equation into “high” and “low” frequency components. This result for the constant-coefficient Helmholtz equation in full space (i.e. in$\mathbb {R}^{d}$ℝd) was originally proved in Melenk and Sauter (Math. Comp79(272), 1871–1914, 2010). In this paper, we prove this result usingonlyintegration by parts and elementary properties of the Fourier transform. The proof in this paper is motivated by the recent proof in Lafontaine et al. (Comp. Math. Appl.113, 59–69, 2022) of this splitting for the variable-coefficient Helmholtz equation in full space use the more-sophisticated tools of semiclassical pseudodifferential operators.
Scale-up analysis of a twin-bed PSA pilot plant
Authors: Marcinek A. , Bárcia P. , Guderian J.
Published: April 2023

Small-scale pressure swing adsorption (PSA) plants, also referred to as pilot plants, are commonly exploited for studying separation processes in favour of the development of mathematical models and scale-up strategies. The applicability of a lately presented mathematical model, which was developed based on experimental data acquired from a high-purity twin-bed N2-PSA pilot plant, is verified in this paper for the design of large-scale systems by an analysis of the mass transfer zone development at different PSA cycle times. Effects of the PSA scale-up factor, adsorber aspect ratio, packed-bed density, and flow resistances along the piping system on the process performance are studied numerically. These considerations are particularly relevant for the scale-up of bank-type PSA units as well as for skid-mounted systems fitted to local space limitations, where the standard scale-up concept of keeping the gas velocity constant often cannot be fully realised. It is demonstrated that the sensitivity of the PSA performance to studied factors increases along with the required product purity level. Therefore, recommendations for adequate dimensions of pilot plants depending on the desired gas purity level can be derived. Limitations of the gas velocity through the adsorber shall be observed to generate reliable simulation data. The agreement between experimental results obtained from an industrial-scale system on one hand, and the outcome of a dynamic simulation on the other hand, is confirmed—provided that realistic pressure profiles are generated by a proper adjustment of flow resistances along the piping.