bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Carica Papaya leaf-infused metal oxide nanocomposite: a green approach towards water treatment and antibacterial applications
Authors: Aswini Rangayasami , Jothimani Kannupaiyan , Kannan Karthik , Pothu Ramyakrishna , Shanmugam Paramasivam , Boddula Rajender , Radwan Ahmed Bahgat , Periyasami Govindasami , Karthikeyan Perumal , Al-Qahtani Noora
Published: July 2024

This study successfully synthesized ZnO–CuO nanocomposite using the hydrothermal method with Carica papaya leaf extract. The incorporation of the leaf extract significantly enhanced the nanocomposite properties, a novel approach in scientific research. Characterization techniques, including X-ray diffraction, Fourier Transmission Infrared spectroscopy, and Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis, confirmed a cubic crystal structure with an average size of 22.37 nm. The Fourier Transmission Infrared spectrum revealed distinctive vibrations at 627, 661, and 751 cm−1 corresponding to ZnO–CuO nanocomposite corresponding to stretching and vibration modes. SEM images confirmed a cubic-like and irregular structure. The nanocomposite exhibited outstanding photocatalytic activity, degrading methylene blue dye by 96.73% within 120 min under visible light. Additionally, they showed significant antimicrobial activity, inhibiting Staphylococcus aureus (20 mm) and Klebsiella pneumonia (17 mm). The results highlight the efficiency of Carica papaya leaf-derived ZnO–CuO nanocomposite for environmental and health challenges.

Graphical abstract
App review driven collaborative bug finding
Authors: Tang Xunzhu , Tian Haoye , Kong Pingfan , Ezzini Saad , Liu Kui , Xia Xin , Klein Jacques , Bissyandé Tegawendé F.
Published: July 2024

Software development teams generally welcome any effort to expose bugs in their code base. In this work, we build on the hypothesis that mobile apps from the same category (e.g., two web browser apps) may be affected by similar bugs in their evolution process. It is therefore possible to transfer the experience of one historical app to quickly find bugs in its new counterparts. This has been referred to as collaborative bug finding in the literature. Our novelty is that we guide the bug finding process by considering that existing bugs have been hinted within app reviews. Concretely, we design the BugRMSys approach to recommend bug reports for a target app by matching historical bug reports from apps in the same category with user app reviews of the target app. We experimentally show that this approach enables us to quickly expose and report dozens of bugs for targeted apps such as Brave (web browser app). BugRMSys ’s implementation relies on DistilBERT to produce natural language text embeddings. Our pipeline considers similarities between bug reports and app reviews to identify relevant bugs. We then focus on the app review as well as potential reproduction steps in the historical bug report (from a same-category app) to reproduce the bugs. Overall, after applying BugRMSys to six popular apps, we were able to identify, reproduce and report 20 new bugs: among these, 9 reports have been already triaged, 6 were confirmed, and 4 have been fixed by official development teams.
Stress echocardiography in heart failure patients: additive value and caveats
Authors: Pastore Maria Concetta , Campora Alessandro , Mandoli Giulia Elena , Lisi Matteo , Benfari Giovanni , Ilardi Federica , Malagoli Alessandro , Sperlongano Simona , Henein Michael Y. , Cameli Matteo , D’Andrea Antonello ,   on behalf of the Echocardiography Working Group of the Italian Society of Cardiology (SIC)
Published: July 2024

Heart failure (HF) is a clinical syndrome characterized by well-defined signs and symptoms due to structural and/or myocardial functional impairment, resulting in raised intracardiac pressures and/or inadequate cardiac stroke volume at rest or during exercise. This could derive from direct ischemic myocardial injury or other chronic pathological conditions, including valvular heart disease (VHD) and primary myocardial disease. Early identification of HF etiology is essential for accurate diagnosis and initiation of early and appropriate treatment. Thus, the presence of accurate means for early diagnosis of HF symptoms or subclinical phases is fundamental, among which echocardiography being the first line diagnostic investigation. Echocardiography could be performed at rest, to identify overt structural and functional abnormalities or during physical or pharmacological stress, in order to elicit subclinical myocardial function impairment e.g. wall motion abnormalities and raised ventricular filling pressures. Beyond diagnosis of ischemic heart disease, stress echocardiography (SE) has recently shown its unique value for the evaluation of diastolic heart failure, VHD, non-ischemic cardiomyopathies and pulmonary hypertension, with recommendations from international societies in several clinical settings. All these features make SE an important additional tool, not only for diagnostic assessment, but also for prognostic stratification and therapeutic management of patients with HF. In this review, the unique value of SE in the evaluation of HF patients will be described, with the objective to provide an overview of the validated methods for each setting, particularly for HF management.
The host behaviour of 9-phenyl-9 H-xanthene derivatives in mixtures of cyclohexanone and the methylcyclohexanone isomers
Authors: Barnardo Brandon , Barton Benita , Hosten Eric C
Published: July 2024

Here we report on the host behaviour of compounds N, N’-bis(9-phenyl-9-xanthenyl)propane-1,3-diamine (H1) and N, N’-bis(9-phenyl-9-xanthenyl)butane-1,4-diamine (H2) in the presence of potential guest species cyclohexanone (CYC) and 2-, 3- and 4-methylcyclohexanone (2MeCYC, 3MeCYC and 4MeCYC). H1 only formed a complex with CYC, whilst all four guest solvents were enclathrated by H2. Thermal analyses in conjunction with SCXRD experiments revealed that more energy was required to remove guest species from the crystals of their complexes when they were housed in discrete cavities compared with guest molecules retained in channels. Only in H1·CYC was identified an intramolecular (host)N‒H···N(host) hydrogen bond, while complexes H2·2(CYC), H2·2(3MeCYC) and H2·4MeCYC all experienced strong (host)N‒H···O(guest) hydrogen bonds which assisted in retention of the guests in the complexes; this interaction type was absent in both H1·CYC and H2·2(2MeCYC). Hirshfeld surface analyses demonstrated that the amounts of (guest)O···H(host) interatomic interactions were comparable and ranged between 11.1 and 13.9%. Guest competition experiments showed that H2 possessed an affinity for, more usually, 3MeCYC, despite the complex H2·2(3MeCYC) being the least thermally stable one. Finally, it was established that H1 and H2 would not be appropriate host compounds for separations of mixed cyclohexanones through supramolecular chemistry strategies.
CEO partisan bias and management earnings forecast bias
Authors: Stuart Michael D. , Wang Jing , Willis Richard H.
Published: July 2024

Research concludes that managers’ political orientation influences their decision-making and offers the political connections and risk tolerance hypotheses as explanations. We investigate partisan bias as an additional way political orientation may influence managers’ decisions. Partisan bias results in individuals whose partisan orientation aligns with that of the US president expressing more optimistic economic expectations. We examine whether partisan bias is present in managers’ annual earnings forecasts. We find that firms with CEOs whose partisanship aligns with that of the US president issue more optimistically biased annual earnings forecasts than firms with other CEOs. Higher-ability CEOs, however, are less susceptible to partisan bias. Additionally, we find that overestimating customer demand contributes to the forecast over-optimism of partisan-aligned CEOs and results in greater firm overinvestment. Furthermore, investors fail to discount the news in forecasts of partisan-aligned CEOs, and their firms’ post-forecast abnormal returns are lower.
More than just principles: revisiting epistemic systems
Authors: Veigl Sophie Juliane
Published: July 2024

Epistemic relativism rests on the existence of a plurality of epistemic systems. There is, however, no consensus on what epistemic systems actually are. Critics argue that epistemic relativism fails because its proponents cannot convincingly show the possibility of two mutually exclusive epistemic systems. Their accounts of epistemic systems are, however, highly idealized, conceptualizing them as sets of epistemic principles exclusively. But epistemic systems are necessarily inhabited by epistemic agents who negotiate these principles. Focusing on epistemic principles exclusively thus might abstract away too much from the actual dynamics within epistemic systems. Drawing from the sociology of scientific knowledge and the distinction between sociolect and idiolect in the philosophy of language, I aim to provide a richer account of epistemic systems and show that current arguments against epistemic relativism fail because they rest on an unrealistic conceptualization of epistemic systems.
In-Situ Observation of Ice-Adhesion Interface Under Tangential Loading: Anti-Icing Mechanism of Hydrophilic PPEGMA Polymer Brush
Authors: Okubo Hikaru , Hase Kento , Tamamoto Ken , Tsujii Yoshinobu , Nakano Ken
Published: July 2024

Techniques preventing icing and ice accumulation on surfaces are required to solve snow- and ice-induced accidents and disasters. Recently, hydrophilic polymers have attracted attention as a passive anti-icing method. This study examined the ice-adhesion properties of the hydrophilic poly[poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate] (PPEGMA) concentrated polymer brush (CPB). A custom-built apparatus was developed to obtain the ice-adhesion strength and visualize the dynamics of the ice-adhesion interface under tangential loading. The ice-adhesion interface for a PPEGMA-CPB-coated glass substrate was investigated by comparing it with the bare glass substrate. As a result, the CPB exhibited a low ice-adhesion strength of less than 100 kPa, the dependencies of which on the drive speed and temperature indicate a high-viscous liquid-like layer at the interface, even below the melting point of water, leading to the smooth onset of sliding due to its self-lubricity without any rupture events (including precursory events) observed for the bare glass.
Caballero–Engel meet Lasry–Lions: A uniqueness result
Authors: Alvarez Fernando , Lippi Francesco , Souganidis Panagiotis
Published: July 2024

In a Mean Field Game (MFG) each decision maker cares about the cross sectional distribution of the state and the dynamics of the distribution is generated by the agents’ optimal decisions. We prove the uniqueness of the equilibrium in a class of MFG where the decision maker controls the state at optimally chosen times. This setup accommodates several problems featuring non-convex adjustment costs, and complements the well known drift-control case studied by Lasry–Lions. Examples of such problems are described by Caballero and Engel in several papers, which introduce the concept of the generalized hazard function of adjustment. We extend the analysis to a general “impulse control problem” by introducing the concept of the “Impulse Hamiltonian”. Under the monotonicity assumption (a form of strategic substitutability), we establish the uniqueness of equilibrium. In this context, the Impulse Hamiltonian and its derivative play a similar role to the classical Hamiltonian that arises in the drift-control case.
Unveiling the impact of temperature inversions on air quality: a comprehensive analysis of polluted and severe polluted days in Istanbul
Authors: Yavuz Veli
Published: July 2024

The main reason that deteriorates air quality in mega cities is the increase in concentrations of air pollutant parameters. Meteorological parameters and atmospheric conditions play an important role in the increase of pollutant concentrations. This study provides insights into temperature inversions (TIs) during polluted days (PDs) and severe polluted days (SPDs) in Istanbul. Key findings include higher inversion frequencies during SPDs, particularly at 0000 UTC, along with a positive relationship between inversion frequencies and pollutant concentrations, notably with a 99% occurrence of inversions at 0000 UTC along SPDs. Analysis of inversion subgroups reveals surface-based inversions (SBIs) dominating at 0000 UTC, while elevated (EIs) and lower-troposphere inversions (LTIs) prevail at 1200 UTC. Winter months exhibit increased frequency and intensity of SBIs, aligning with expectations of subsidence motion under high-pressure systems. Inversion strengths and depths are higher during SPDs, with the highest strengths observed in winter at 0000 UTC and the deepest inversions occurring in winter for SPDs. Generally, the highest inversion strengths and shallowest inversion depths were observed in SBIs. EIs had the lowest frequency during the winter months, while LTIs occurred more often in the spring months. These findings underscore the importance of understanding TI patterns for effective air quality management in Istanbul.
Sufficiency policy: a definition, conceptual framework, and application to municipalities
Authors: Iten Tonja , Seidl Irmi , Pütz Marco
Published: July 2024

Compared to the prevailing sustainability strategies of efficiency and consistency, sufficiency is poorly represented both in scientific literature and in political debate but has increasingly gained attention in recent years. However, the discussion lacks a uniform understanding on sufficiency policy and how to conceptualize it. Furthermore, the sufficiency scholarship neglects the role of municipalities in realizing sufficiency policies. This article, thus, examines three questions: how is sufficiency policy understood in the literature? How can sufficiency policy be conceptualized? And what does sufficiency policy mean at the municipal level? In the course of a systematic literature review, we determine a sample of 111 publications on sufficiency policy and identify an ecological, social, and action-oriented dimension of sufficiency understanding. After discussing sufficiency as policy, we synthesize our findings with a definition and conceptual framework of sufficiency policy. Last, we apply the framework at the municipal level and compile a total of 198 municipal sufficiency policy measures. We find that municipalities have numerous levers to pursue sufficiency policy, both in terms of instruments and sectors. The article presents—to our knowledge—the first systematic literature review on sufficiency policy. It advances our understanding of sufficiency as policy in general and at municipal level in particular. The conceptual framework offers a departure point for further empirical research on (municipal) sufficiency policy.
Consideration of Sustainability When Approving Human Medical Research—A Scoping Review
Authors: Skapetis Tony , Nicholl Bernadette , Hansen Kellie
Published: July 2024

This article attempts to highlight the importance of including research sustainability as imperative when assessing human medical research in terms of ethical principles. Using a scoping review of recent literature, the complexity of research sustainability is highlighted with key themes and concepts surrounding this important topic being recognized and discussed. An overall paucity of guidance documents was identified and recommendations have been made to practically address this deficiency. An example of a research sustainability evaluation tool which is currently being piloted has been provided for possible adaptation and use by Ethics Committees and Institutional Review Boards to bolster the concept and inclusion of sustainability during the research approval process.
Center Conditions for Nilpotent Singularities in the Plane Using Invariant Solutions
Authors: Giné Jaume
Published: July 2024

Recalling that at any regular point we always have a unique particular solution curve passing through it. In this work it is constructed such particular solution curve not passing through the nilpotent singularity but as close as we want to the singularity. By product the existence of such particular curve allows to use it to determine necessary conditions to have a center for nilpotent singularities in the plane. Several involve methods to solve the center problem are known all based in the existence of a change of variables and a scaling transformation of time bringing any differential system with a nilpotent center into a time-reversible system. Here we present a new algebraic method based on the existence of such particular solution curve not passing through the singular point and the involution associated to the nilpotent system with a center. The algebraic method needs the computation of this particular curve up to certain order, which can be done with the help of an algebraic manipulator. Finally a new algebraic method is derived computing the vanishing of a unique function which really gives a scalar method for computing the necessary conditions.
Nurse-led medication management as a critical component of transitional care for preventing drug-related problems
Authors: Han Yingting , Chen Jia , Xu Yulei , Huang Peihua , Hou Lili
Published: July 2024

Drug-related problems (DRPs) are critical medical issues during transition from hospital to home with high prevalence. The application of a variety of interventional strategies as part of the transitional care has been studied for preventing DRPs. However, it remains challenging for minimizing DRPs in patients, especially in older adults and those with high risk of medication discrepancies after hospital discharge. In this narrative review, we demonstrated that age, specific medications and polypharmacy, as well as some patient-related and system-related factors all contribute to a higher prevalence of transitional DPRs, most of which could be largely prevented by enhancing nurse-led multidisciplinary medication reconciliation. Nurses’ contributions during transitional period for preventing DRPs include information collection and evaluation, communication and education, enhancement of medication adherence, as well as coordination among healthcare professionals. We concluded that nurse-led strategies for medication management can be implemented to prevent or solve DRPs during the high-risk transitional period, and subsequently improve patients’ satisfaction and health-related outcomes, prevent the unnecessary loss and waste of medical expenditure and resources, and increase the efficiency of the multidisciplinary teamwork during transitional care.
Projective span of Wall manifolds
Authors: Grant Mark , Schutte Baylee
Published: July 2024

The projective span of a smooth manifold is defined to be the maximal number of linearly independent tangent line fields. We initiate a study of projective span, highlighting its relationship with the span, a more classical invariant. We calculate the projective span for all Wall manifolds, which are certain mapping tori of Dold manifolds.
Assisted dying in Swedish healthcare: a qualitative analysis of physicians’ reasoning about physician-assisted suicide
Authors: Lindblad Anna , Juth Niklas , Engström Ingemar , Sandlund Mikael , Lynøe Niels
Published: July 2024

To explore Swedish physicians’ arguments and values for and against physician-assisted suicide (PAS) extracted from the free-text comments in a postal survey. A random selection of approximately 240 physicians from each of the following specialties: general practice, geriatrics, internal medicine, oncology, surgery and psychiatry. All 123 palliative care physicians in Sweden. A qualitative content analysis of free-text comments in a postal questionnaire commissioned by the Swedish Medical Society in collaboration with the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. The total response rate was 59.2%. Of the 933 respondents, 1107 comments were provided. The free-text comments entailed both normative and factual arguments for and against PAS. The analysis resulted in two main categories: (1) “Safe implementation of PAS is unachievable” (with subcategories “Criteria of PAS difficult to fulfil” and “PAS puts societal norms and values at risk”) and (2) “The role of PAS in healthcare” (with subcategories “No medical need for PAS”, “PAS is not a task for physicians”, “No ethical difference to other end-of-life decisions” and “PAS is in the patient’s best interest”). The respondents brought up well-known arguments from academic and public debate on the subject. Comments from physicians against PAS were more often emotionally charged and used devices like dysphemisms and slippery-slope arguments.
Cooperative Image Orientation with Dynamic Objects
Authors: Trusheim Philipp , Mehltretter Max , Rottensteiner Franz , Heipke Christian
Published: July 2024

Using images to supplement classical navigation solutions purely based on global navigation satellite systems (GNSSs) has the potential to overcome problems in densely built-up areas. These approaches usually assume a static environment; however, this assumption is not necessarily valid in urban areas. Therefore, many approaches delete information stemming from moving objects in a first processing step, but this results in information being lost. In this paper, we present an approach that detects and models so-called dynamic objects based on image sequences and includes these object models into a bundle adjustment. We distinguish dynamic objects that provide information about their position to others (cooperating objects) and those that do not (non-cooperating objects). Dynamic objects that observe the environment with the help of sensors in order to determine their position are called observing objects. In the experiments discussed here, the observing object is equipped with a stereo camera and a GNSS receiver. We show that cooperating objects can have a positive effect on the exterior orientation of the observing object after the bundle adjustment, both in terms of precision and accuracy. However, we found that introducing non-cooperating objects did not result in further improvements, probably because in our case the photogrammetric block was already stable without them due to the large number and good distribution of static tie points.
Semantic Tree Based PPDP Technique for Multiple Sensitive Attributes in Inter Cloud
Authors: Gadad Veena , Sowmyarani C. N. , Dayananda P.
Published: July 2024

Digital devices and information systems have made data privacy essential. The collected data contains sensitive attributes such as salary, marital status and health history that need to be protected. Such data is exchanged or published to a third party using cloud infrastructure to perform various analyses, conduct research, and make critical decisions. Unauthorized users of the published data may violate privacy, notwithstanding the benefits. Data anonymization is one of the technique for achieving data privacy. Existing techniques consider single sensitive attribute and data is anonymized using generalization or suppression approaches. On observation, it is found that these techniques are less efficient since the collected data contains multiple sensitive attributes when anonymized using the same approaches leads to higher information loss and residue records. In this paper, multiple sensitive attributes are considered and the dataset is anonymized by constructing a semantic hierarchical tree it is further partitioned using the anatomy approach. Later, the partitions are stored in interclouds to achieve better privacy protection. Experiments are conducted to observe and analyze the computational performance, residue records and diversity percentage. The results obtained prove that the proposed technique is efficient when compared to the existing ones.
Hybrid RNN Based Text Classification Model for Unstructured Data
Authors: Sunagar Pramod , Sowmya B. J. , Pruthviraja Dayananda , Supreeth S , Mathew Jimpson , Rohith S , Shruthi G
Published: July 2024

The volume of social media posts is on the rise as the number of social media users expands. It is imperative that these data be analyzed using cutting-edge algorithms. This goal is handled by the many techniques used in text categorization. There are a variety of text categorization techniques available, ranging from machine learning to deep learning. Numerical crunching has become easier with less processing time since the emergence of high-end computer facilities. This has led to the development of sophisticated network architectures that can be trained to achieve higher precision and recall. The performance of neural network models which was evaluated by the F1 score is affected by cumulative performance in precision and recall. The current study intends to analyze and compare the performance of the neural network proposed, A Hybrid RNN model that has two layers of BiLSTM and two layers of GRU to that of previous hybrid models. GloVE dataset is used to train the models and their accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score are used to assess performance. Except for the RNN + GRU model, the RNN + BILSTM + GRU model has a precision of 0.767, a recall of 0.759, and an F1-score of 0.7585. This hybrid model outperforms the others.
Evolution of international sentiment towards climate change on Twitter
Authors: Rivera Alejandro Guzmán , Jemielniak Dariusz
Published: July 2024

The objective of the study was to examine a vast dataset of over 11 million English-language tweets concerning climate change gathered over an eleven-year period. The overarching aim was to illuminate the trajectory and geographical variations in sentiment throughout this timeframe. The authors conducted an exhaustive study of tweets adorned with hashtags related to climate change, using the Valence Aware Dictionary and Sentiment Reasoner (VADER) as a tool to assign sentiment scores and determine the polarity of tweets. Concurrently, it was traced the geographical dispersion of these tweets and their evolution over the duration of the study. The findings unveiled noticeable shifts in sentiment aligning with major global events. For instance, the United Nations' endorsement of the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015 stimulated a rise in positive sentiment toward climate discourse, while the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic from 2019 to 2021 triggered a significant fall in sentiment scores. The study also detected an ascending trend of positive discourse in the United States and Europe, with Central Africa sustaining the highest average annual sentiment score. On the other hand, the sentiment in New Zealand and India was extraordinarily volatile, exhibiting dramatic changes from one year to the next. In contrast, Australia and New Zealand consistently registered the lowest sentiment averages. Overall, our findings highlight a complex mosaic of sentiment pertaining to climate change discourse across diverse global regions.
Does energy innovation heterogeneously affect renewable energy production?
Authors: Esmaeilpour Moghadam Hadi , Karami Arezou
Published: July 2024

Achieving long-term sustainable development is a critical global imperative, and the adoption of renewable energy sources plays a pivotal role in this endeavor, aided by the advancements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. As a result, energy innovation has emerged as a crucial factor in realizing sustainable development goals. This study utilizes panel quantile regression analysis to investigate the relationship between energy innovation and renewable energy production in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region from 1985 to 2019. The findings suggest that energy innovation can effectively enhance renewable energy production, particularly in countries with higher proportions of renewable energy generation, such as Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia. However, countries like Saudi Arabia, which have lower ratios of renewable energy production, may not experience a significant impact from energy innovation. Consequently, the study recommends implementing systematic and integrated measures that focus on raising awareness and improving conditions for the adoption of renewable energy. These measures can drive the transition towards a more sustainable energy landscape in the MENA region. Policymakers should prioritize research and development investment and incentives in countries with higher levels of renewable energy generation, while simultaneously addressing barriers and fostering knowledge sharing between countries with differing levels of renewable energy production.
Structural design and molecular beam epitaxy growth of GaAs and InAs heterostructures for high mobility two-dimensional electron gas
Authors: Wang Tiantian , Song Huading , He Ke
Published: July 2024

This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the development and current understanding of GaAs and InAs heterostructures, with a special emphasis on achieving high material quality and high-mobility two-dimensional electron gases (2DEGs). The review discusses the evolution of structural designs that have significantly contributed to the enhancement of electron mobility, highlighting the critical considerations of scattering mechanisms of the 2DEGs. In addition, this review examines the substantial contributions of Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) to these developments, particularly through advancements in vacuum technology, source material purification, and precision control of growth conditions. The intent of this review is to serve as a useful reference for researchers and practitioners in the field, offering insights into the historical progression and technical details of these semiconductor systems.
Farmers’ motivational factors for medicinal plant production in the southwestern region of Bangladesh
Authors: Hossain Mohammad Ismail , Saiyem Md. Abu , Begum Mst. Fatema , Begum Mst. Esmat Ara
Published: July 2024

Medicinal plants (MPs) generate cash income and save millions of people in Bangladesh. The aim of this study is to identify farmers’ motivational factors to cultivate MPs. This study is based on primary data collected from 196 sample households from two MP-growing districts of Bangladesh. Three MPs, namely, Aloe vera, Bombax ceiba, and Withania somnifera, were considered for this study. Principal component analysis (PCA), the z test, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and factor analysis (FA) were used in this study. The results showed that household size and male-headed household status are driving socioeconomic factors. Ownership of water pumps, number of rooms in the house, access to contract marketing, and off-farm income are significant economic factors encouraging households to cultivate MPs. Farming experience, scientific knowledge, access to high land and access to loamy land are significant biophysical factors motivating farmers to cultivate MPs. More technical support and institutionalized contract marketing systems should be continued and established for the sustainability of MP cultivation.
Critical evaluation of borehole ovalization analysis against hydrofracturing profiles in argillaceous formations
Authors: Galera Jose Miguel , Alonso-Jiménez Antonio , Suarez-Fino Jose Francisco
Published: July 2024

This paper introduces and evaluates the effectiveness of borehole ovalization analysis, a methodology designed to predict the natural stress field by examining deformations in vertical boreholes. The reliability of this approach has undergone rigorous testing across multiple boreholes within soft argillaceous formations, revealing several key observations. First, the results obtained demonstrate a notable correlation with hydrofracturing measurements, enhancing the overall credibility of the methodology. Second, the ratio of horizontal to vertical stress (σH/σh) is found to be contingent on the selected value of the breakout angle (θ), introducing a nuanced variable into the predictive framework. This insight emphasizes the importance of considering breakout angle variability in stress field predictions. Finally, the cohesion of the rock mass emerges as a pivotal factor that significantly influences the estimation of the horizontal stress magnitude (σH). This finding underscores the necessity of accounting for rock mass cohesion when applying borehole ovalization analysis for stress field predictions. Additionally, this paper conducts a meticulous comparative analysis by contrasting its results with findings from three hydrofracturing profiles conducted in distinct boreholes. Through this comparative approach, a more comprehensive understanding of the methodology's strengths and limitations is unveiled, contributing to the ongoing discourse on accurate stress field predictions in subsurface geomechanics.
Training Warm‐Rain Bulk Microphysics Schemes Using Super‐Droplet Simulations
Authors: Azimi Sajjad , Jaruga Anna , de Jong Emily , Arabas Sylwester , Schneider Tapio
Published: July 2024

Cloud microphysics is a critical aspect of the Earth's climate system, which involves processes at the nano‐ and micrometer scales of droplets and ice particles. In climate modeling, cloud microphysics is commonly represented by bulk models, which contain simplified process rates that require calibration. This study presents a framework for calibrating warm‐rain bulk schemes using high‐fidelity super‐droplet simulations that provide a more accurate and physically based representation of cloud and precipitation processes. The calibration framework employs ensemble Kalman methods including Ensemble Kalman Inversion and Unscented Kalman Inversion to calibrate bulk microphysics schemes with probabilistic super‐droplet simulations. We demonstrate the framework's effectiveness by calibrating a single‐moment bulk scheme, resulting in a reduction of data‐model mismatch by more than 75% compared to the model with initial parameters. Thus, this study demonstrates a powerful tool for enhancing the accuracy of bulk microphysics schemes in atmospheric models and improving climate modeling.
Data Imbalance, Uncertainty Quantification, and Transfer Learning in Data‐Driven Parameterizations: Lessons From the Emulation of Gravity Wave Momentum Transport in WACCM
Authors: Sun Y. Qiang , Pahlavan Hamid A. , Chattopadhyay Ashesh , Hassanzadeh Pedram , Lubis Sandro W. , Alexander M. Joan , Gerber Edwin P. , Sheshadri Aditi , Guan Yifei
Published: July 2024

Neural networks (NNs) are increasingly used for data‐driven subgrid‐scale parameterizations in weather and climate models. While NNs are powerful tools for learning complex non‐linear relationships from data, there are several challenges in using them for parameterizations. Three of these challenges are (a) data imbalance related to learning rare, often large‐amplitude, samples; (b) uncertainty quantification (UQ) of the predictions to provide an accuracy indicator; and (c) generalization to other climates, for example, those with different radiative forcings. Here, we examine the performance of methods for addressing these challenges using NN‐based emulators of the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM) physics‐based gravity wave (GW) parameterizations as a test case. WACCM has complex, state‐of‐the‐art parameterizations for orography‐, convection‐, and front‐driven GWs. Convection‐ and orography‐driven GWs have significant data imbalance due to the absence of convection or orography in most grid points. We address data imbalance using resampling and/or weighted loss functions, enabling the successful emulation of parameterizations for all three sources. We demonstrate that three UQ methods (Bayesian NNs, variational auto‐encoders, and dropouts) provide ensemble spreads that correspond to accuracy during testing, offering criteria for identifying when an NN gives inaccurate predictions. Finally, we show that the accuracy of these NNs decreases for a warmer climate (4 × CO2). However, their performance is significantly improved by applying transfer learning, for example, re‐training only one layer using ∼1% new data from the warmer climate. The findings of this study offer insights for developing reliable and generalizable data‐driven parameterizations for various processes, including (but not limited to) GWs.
Alexander Farnsworth: Finding Fact in Climate Fiction
Authors: Owen Rebecca
Published: July 2024

A paleoclimatologist uses his modeling skills for both science and sci-fi.
Brandon Whitehead: Unifying Data to Streamline Discovery
Authors: Sidik Saima
Published: July 2024

A data scientist coheres disparate data sets so that Earth scientists can get the most out of infor-mation.
Shear Behaviors of Confined Flow: Insights for Understanding the Influences of Fractal Particle Size Distribution on High Mobility of Granular Flows
Authors: Ding Zhaowei , Hu Wei , Chang Chingshung , Li Yan , Wang Gonghui
Published: July 2024

Granular flows, such as rockslide debris flows, can reach high velocities and travel vast distances, but mechanisms behind this high mobility remain elusive. Using the Discrete Element Method, we implement confined shear flow with fractal particle size distribution to study the physical mechanisms inside the highly localized basal zones. Our results show that the shear strength of confined flow decreases at large fractal dimensions, and a notable transition in shear behavior also occurs with increasing fractal dimension: large particles exhibit low granular temperature and act as solid phase within a semi‐diluted suspension, and small particles enter the rolling regime. The small particles behave as interstitial fluids and reduce the shear strength of confined flow. We suggest that the reduction of shear strength stemming from the fractal particle size distribution may provide insights into the mechanisms within the highly localized basal zones, ultimately contributing to the high mobility of granular flows.
First Assessment of Cloud‐Land Coupling in LASSO Large‐Eddy Simulations
Authors: Zhang Haipeng , Su Tianning , Zheng Youtong , Li Zhanqing
Published: July 2024

To enhance our understanding of cloud simulations over land, this study provides the first assessment of coupling between cloud and land surface in the Large‐Eddy Simulation (LES) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Symbiotic Simulation and Observation (LASSO) activity for the shallow convection scenario. The analysis of observation data reveals a diurnal cycle of cloud‐land coupling, which co‐varies with surface fluxes. However, coupled (or decoupled) cumulus clouds are inadequately simulated, manifesting as a too‐high (or low) occurrence frequency during the afternoon. This discrepancy is mirrored by the overestimated cloud liquid water path and cloud‐top height. These overestimations are linked to the overpredicted boundary‐layer development and the easier trigger of shallow convection misrepresented in LES runs. Our study underscores the need to improve the representations of boundary‐layer processes and cloud‐land interactions within LES to better simulate shallow clouds in the future.
The Culprit of Bias for Paleointensity Estimation in the Shaw‐Type Protocol and an Innovative Calculation Method
Authors: Qi Kaixian , Cai Shuhui , Qin Huafeng , Yamamoto Yuhji , Deng Chenglong , Pan Yongxin , Cheng Xin , Wu Hanning , Zhu Rixiang
Published: July 2024

Paleointensity records are vital for understanding the Earth's evolution, but obtaining accurate paleointensity is a challenging task. The Shaw‐type method, a widely‐used paleointensity protocol, produces biased results occasionally despite strict selection criteria. By examining the relationships between paleointensities and rock magnetic parameters from a pseudo‐Tsunakawa‐Shaw experiment, we ascertain that changes in the ratio of thermal to anhysteretic remanent magnetization (R) are proportional to bias in paleointensity, especially prominent in samples with hundred‐nanometer‐scale magnetic grains, and thus proved to be the culprit for the bias. Furthermore, we develop a method exploiting the Linear regression of R with Diverse cut‐off coercivity intervals for estimating Shaw‐type paleointensities (LoRD‐Shaw). Combined with a curve fit technique for samples with “folding" phenomenon, the LoRD‐Shaw method yields high‐accuracy results in all tested samples, demonstrating its efficiency in mitigating paleointensity bias from thermal alteration. The new method will enhance acquisition of high‐precision paleointensities for constraining the geodynamo evolution.
Patient and healthcare practitioner evaluation of patient-reported outcomes in bariatric surgery – a modified Delphi study
Authors: Budin Alyssa J. , Sumithran Priya , MacCormick Andrew D. , Caterson Ian D. , Brown Wendy A.
Published: July 2024

Background

Patient-reported outcomes are an important emerging metric increasingly utilised in clinical, research and registry settings. These outcomes, while vital, are underutilised and require refinement for the specific patient population of those undergoing bariatric surgery. This study aimed to investigate and compare how pre-surgical patients, post-surgical patients, and healthcare practitioners evaluate patient-reported outcomes of bariatric surgery to identify outcomes that are considered most important.

Methods

A modified Delphi survey was distributed to patients pre- and post-surgery, and to a variety of healthcare practitioners involved in bariatric care. Across two rounds, participants were asked to rate a variety of physical and psychosocial outcomes of bariatric surgery from 0 (Not Important) to 10 (Extremely Important). Outcomes rated 8–10 by at least 70% of participants were considered highly important (prioritised). The highest-rated outcomes were compared between the three groups as well as between medical and allied health practitioner subgroups.

Results

20 pre-surgical patients, 95 post-surgical patients, and 28 healthcare practitioners completed both rounds of the questionnaire. There were 58 outcomes prioritised, with 21 outcomes (out of 90, 23.3%) prioritised by all three groups, 13 (14.4%) by two groups, and 24 (26.7%) prioritised by a single group or subgroup. Unanimously prioritised outcomes included ‘Co-morbidities’, ‘General Physical Health’, ‘Overall Quality of Life’ and ‘Overall Mental Health’. Discordant outcomes included ‘Fear of Weight Regain’, ‘Suicidal Thoughts’, ‘Addictive Behaviours’, and ‘Experience of Stigma or Discrimination’.

Conclusion

While there was considerable agreement between stakeholder groups on many outcomes, there remain several outcomes with discordant importance valuations that must be considered. In particular, healthcare practitioners prioritised 20 outcomes that were not prioritised by patients, emphasising the range of priorities across stakeholder groups. Future work will consider these priorities to ensure resulting measures encompass all important outcomes and are beneficial and valid for end users.
Local-distortion-informed exceptional multicomponent transition-metal carbides uncovered by machine learning
Authors: Zhang Jun , He Liu , Xiong Yaoxu , Huang Shasha , Xu Biao , Ma Shihua , Xiang Xuepeng , Fu Haijun , Kai Jijung , Wu Zhenggang , Zhao Shijun
Published: July 2024

Developing high-performance multicomponent ceramics, which are promising in solving challenges posed by emerging technologies, shows grand difficulties because of the immense compositional space and complex local distortions. In this work, an accurate machine learning (ML) model built upon an ab initio database is developed to predict the mechanical properties and structural distortions of multicomponent transition metal carbides (MTMCs). The compositional space of MTMCs is thoroughly explored by the well-trained model. Combined with electronic and geometrical analysis, we show that the elemental adaptability to the rock-salt structure elegantly elucidates the mechanical characteristics of MTMCs, and such adaptability can be quantified by local lattice distortions. We further establish new design principles for high-strength MTMCs, and V–Nb–Ta-based MTMCs are recommended, which are validated by the present experiments. The proposed model and design philosophy pave a broad avenue for the rational design of MTMCs with exceptional properties.
Gender Inequality is negatively associated with academic achievement for both boys and girls
Authors: Zhang Li , Chao Baolige , Gao Yan , Wang Wenjing , Yuan Yingzi , Chen Chuangsheng , Xin Ziqiang
Published: July 2024

To examine the role of inequality in academic achievement, we analyse a cross-national dataset including data from three cycles from 2012 to 2018 from the PISA, an international assessment of 15-year-old students’ math, reading, and science performance. The Gini coefficient and gender inequality index (GII) were used as metrics for a country’s economic inequality and gender inequality, respectively. The results show that gender inequality has a negative association with academic achievement for both boys and girls. Moreover, gender inequality has a stronger association with academic achievement than does economic inequality. We also find that gender inequality in reproductive health may contribute substantially to the association between gender inequality and academic achievement. Despite substantial advances in gender equality worldwide, multisectoral and multilevel approaches from the community to the country level are needed to ensure substantial long-term reductions in economic, gender, and educational inequalities.
A more quiescent deep ocean under global warming
Authors: Wang Shengpeng , Jing Zhao , Wu Lixin , Sun Shantong , Chen Zhaohui , Ma Xiaohui , Gan Bolan
Published: July 2024

The ocean is a magnificent reservoir of kinetic energy possessed by currents at diverse spatio-temporal scales. These currents transport heat and material, regulating the regional and global climate. It is generally thought that large-scale ocean circulations should become more energetic under global warming, especially in the ocean’s upper layer. However, using high-resolution global climate simulations, here we demonstrate that the total ocean kinetic energy is projected to be significantly reduced in a warming climate, despite overall acceleration of large-scale ocean circulations in the upper layer. This reduction is primarily attributed to weakened ocean mesoscale eddies in the deep ocean. Enhanced vertical stratification under global warming reduces the available potential energy stored in large-scale ocean circulations, diminishing its conversion into eddy kinetic energy. Our findings reveal a more quiescent deep ocean under global warming and suggest a crucial role of mesoscale eddies in determining the anthropogenic change of total ocean kinetic energy.
Competition shapes the landscape of X-chromosome-linked genetic diversity
Authors: Buenaventura Teresa , Bagci Hakan , Patrascan Ilinca , Graham Joshua J. , Hipwell Kelsey D. , Oldenkamp Roel , King James W. D. , Urtasun Jesus , Young George , Mouzo Daniel , Gomez-Cabrero David , Rowland Benjamin D. , Panne Daniel , Fisher Amanda G. , Merkenschlager Matthias
Published: July 2024

X chromosome inactivation (XCI) generates clonal heterogeneity within XX individuals. Combined with sequence variation between human X chromosomes, XCI gives rise to intra-individual clonal diversity, whereby two sets of clones express mutually exclusive sequence variants present on one or the other X chromosome. Here we ask whether such clones merely co-exist or potentially interact with each other to modulate the contribution of X-linked diversity to organismal development. Focusing on X-linked coding variation in the human STAG2 gene, we show that Stag2variant clones contribute to most tissues at the expected frequencies but fail to form lymphocytes in Stag2WTStag2variant mouse models. Unexpectedly, the absence of Stag2variant clones from the lymphoid compartment is due not solely to cell-intrinsic defects but requires continuous competition by Stag2WT clones. These findings show that interactions between epigenetically diverse clones can operate in an XX individual to shape the contribution of X-linked genetic diversity in a cell-type-specific manner.