bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evidenzbasiertes Feldhasenmanagement
Authors: Hackländer Klaus
Published: January 2023

Feldhasen sind auf reich strukturierte Offenlandflächen angewiesen, die ganzjährige Deckung und Äsung bieten. In derartigen Lebensräumen wird die Zuwachsrate der Population durch negative Effekte der Prädation, der ungünstigen Witterung oder von Krankheiten weniger stark beeinflusst. Zur Erhöhung der Feldhasendichte ist daher vor allem die Erhaltung bzw. Verbesserung des Lebensraums durch Anlegen von Brachen, Blühstreifen, Hecken und Feldrainen anzustreben. Prädatorenbejagung erhöht die Junghasenüberlebensrate zusätzlich, ist aber ohne begleitende Lebensraumverbesserungsmaßnahmen nur von kurzem Erfolg gekrönt. Nicht zuletzt sollte eine mögliche Bejagung der Feldhasen den Prinzipien der nachhaltigen Jagd folgen, die sich insbesondere am Zuwachs des Feldhasenbestandes orientiert. Das Monitoring der Feldhasenpopulation und der diese beeinflussenden Faktoren stellt die Grundlage für ein adaptives Management dar.

Abstract

European hares depend on richly structured open areas that provide year-round cover and food. In such habitats, the rate of population increase is less affected by negative effects of predation, adverse weather or diseases. Therefore, to increase the density of European hares, the main goal is to maintain or improve the habitat by creating set-asides, flower strips, hedges and field margins. Predator hunting additionally increases the survival rate of young hares, but without accompanying habitat improvement measures it is only crowned with short success. Last but not least, possible hunting of European hares should follow the principles of sustainable hunting, which is especially based on the recruitment of the hare population. Monitoring of European hare population and the factors affecting it provides the basis for adaptive management.
Stability of the cascading gauge theory de Sitter DFPs
Authors: Buchel Alex
Published: January 2023

Abstract

We study stability of the Dynamical Fixed Points (DFPs) of the cascading gauge theory at strong coupling in de Sitter space-time. We compute the spectra of the perturbative fluctuations and identify stable/unstable DFPs, characterized by the ratio of the strong coupling scale Λ of the gauge theory and the Hubble constant H of the background space-time. We discover a new phenomenon in the spectrum of gravitational fluctuations of a non-conformal holographic model: distinct branches of the fluctuations for H ≫ Λ coalesce for sufficiently low $$ \frac{H}{\Lambda} $$

H
Λ

, leading to the removal of some excited modes from the spectrum. We establish that, at least in a dual supergravity approximation, the cascading gauge theory does not have a stable DFP for some H ~ Λ. Initial states of the theory for H ≫ Λ evolve to a stable DFP with unbroken chiral symmetry; while for H ≪ Λ the states evolve to a de Sitter vacuum with spontaneously broken chiral symmetry.
Establishment and initial implementation of the Australasian Pelvic Floor Procedure Registry
Authors: Jayasinghe Randi T. , Ruseckaite Rasa , Dean Joanne , Kartik Aruna , Wickremasinghe Anagi C. , Daly Oliver , O’Connell Helen E. , Craig Amanda , Duggan Anne , Vasiliadis Dora , Karantanis Emmanuel , Gallagher Elizabeth , Holme Gwili , Keck James , Williams Jarrod , King Jennifer , Yin Jessica , Short John , Sketcher-Baker Kirstine , Brennan Pip , Rayner Sally , Ahern Susannah
Published: January 2023

Introduction and hypothesis

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and pelvic organ prolapse (POP) are common pelvic floor disorders (PFDs). Owing to significant adverse events associated with mesh-related pelvic floor procedures (PFPs) in a proportion of the surgically treated population, and deficits in collection and reporting of these events, the Australian Government identified an urgent need for a tracking mechanism to improve safety and quality of care. The Australasian Pelvic Floor Procedure Registry (APFPR) was recently established following the 2018 Senate Committee Inquiry with the aim of tracking outcomes of PFP involving the use of devices and/or prostheses, with the objective of improving the health outcomes of women who undergo these procedures. This paper will describe the APFPR’s aims, development, implementation and possible challenges on the way to its establishment.

Methods

The APFPR has been developed and implemented in accordance with the national operating principles of clinical quality registries (CQRs). The minimum datasets (MDS) for the registry’s database have been developed using a modified Delphi process, and data are primarily being collected from participating surgeons. Patient recruitment is based on an opt-out approach or a waiver of consent. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) providing additional health and outcome information will be obtained from participating women to support safety monitoring of mesh-related adverse events.

Results

Currently in the Australasian Pelvic Floor Procedure Registry (APFPR) there are 32 sites from various jurisdictions across Australia, that have obtained relevant ethics and governance approvals to start patient recruitment and data collection as of January 2023. Additionally, there are two sites that are awaiting governance review and five sites that are having documentation compiled for submission. Seventeen sites have commenced patient registration and have entered data into the database. Thus far, we have 308 patients registered in the APFPR database. The registry also published its first status report and a consumer-friendly public report in 2022.

Conclusions

The registry will act as a systematic tracking mechanism by collecting outcomes on PFP, especially those involving devices and/or prostheses to improve safety and quality of care.
On the dynamics of vortices in viscous 2D flows
Authors: Ceci Stefano , Seis Christian
Published: January 2023

We study the 2D Navier–Stokes solution starting from an initial vorticity mildly concentrated near N distinct points in the plane. We prove quantitative estimates on the propagation of concentration near a system of interacting point vortices introduced by Helmholtz and Kirchhoff. Our work extends the previous results in the literature in three ways: The initial vorticity is concentrated in a weak (Wasserstein) sense, it is merely $$L^p$$

L
p

integrable for some $$p>2$$

p
>
2

, and the estimates we derive are uniform with respect to the viscosity.
Buzzword ISOBUS
Authors: Brodie Samuel , Oksanen Timo , Auernhammer Hermann
Published: January 2023

Farmers will often have a single tractor which they use for many different types of farmwork. A tractor alone does not do any work, it is essentially always paired with, powering, and/or moving something else, an implement mounted on its front or rear. It is particularly common in Europe, where there are many small regional manufacturers, that a farm contains tractors and implements from many different companies. The basic purpose of ISOBUS is to enable electronic communication between the tractor and the implement(s) attached to it. The two main aspects are that it must be possible to connect devices from different manufacturers, and that it must be a plug-and-play system that works without requiring any configuration by the end user (the farmer).
Decellularized cryopreserved human pericardium: a validation study towards tissue bank practice
Authors: Montagner Giulia , Barbazza Antonia , Lugas Andrea Tancredi , Terzini Mara , Serino Gianpaolo , Bignardi Cristina , Cacciatore Matilde , Vida Vladimiro L. , Padalino Massimo A. , Trojan Diletta
Published: January 2023

Pericardial patches are currently used as reconstructive material in cardiac surgery for surgical treatment of cardiac septal defects. Autologous pericardial patches, either treated with glutaraldehyde or not, can be used as an alternative to synthetic materials or xenograft in congenital septal defects repair. The availability of an allogenic decellularized pericardium could reduce complication during and after surgery and could be a valid alternative. Decellularization of allogenic tissues aims at reducing the immunogenic reaction that might trigger inflammation and tissue calcification over time. The ideal graft for congenital heart disease repair should be biocompatible, mechanically resistant, non-immunogenic, and should have the ability to growth with the patients. The aim of the present study is the evaluation of the efficacy of a new decellularization protocol of homologous pericardium, even after cryopreservation. The technique has proven to be suitable as a tissue bank procedure and highly successful in the removal of cells and nucleic acids content, but also in the preservation of collagen and biomechanical properties of the human pericardium.
The Role of Space-Based Observations for Groundwater Resource Monitoring over Africa
Authors: Springer Anne , Lopez Teodolina , Owor Michael , Frappart Frédéric , Stieglitz Thomas
Published: January 2023

Africa is particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts, which threatens food security, ecosystem protection and restoration initiatives, and fresh water resources availability and quality. Groundwater largely contributes to the mitigation of climate change effects by offering short- to long-term transient water storage. However, groundwater storage remains extremely difficult to monitor. In this paper, we review the strengths and weaknesses of satellite remote sensing techniques for addressing groundwater quantity issues with a focus on GRACE space gravimetry, as well as concepts to combine satellite observations with numerical models and ground observations. One particular focus is the quantification of changes in groundwater resources in the different climatic regions of Africa and the discussion of possible climatic and anthropogenic drivers. We include a thorough literature review on studies that use satellite observations for groundwater research in Africa. Finally, we identify gaps in research and possible future directions for employing satellite remote sensing to groundwater monitoring and management on the African continent.

Article Highlights

Overview on the distribution and characteristics of African groundwater resources including future projections

Combination of satellite and in situ observations with numerical models allows us to obtain a synoptic view of groundwater-related processes

Summary of current concepts and achievements of satellite remote sensing-based groundwater monitoring and decision making over Africa
Effect of polymeric dye network bonding on fluorescence thermometry for optical fiber temperature sensor
Authors: Mahmoud Taghreed M. , Negm Nabel A. , Abou Kana Maram T. H. , Fattah Gamal Abdel
Published: January 2023

Fluorescein and two of its derivatives (allyl Fluorescein and diallyl Fluorescein) are solidified in glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) polymer matrix for the development of fluorescence-based fiber optically temperature sensor. These two Fluorescein derivatives were investigated in order to study the influence of degree of covalent bonds to GMA polymer backbone on Fluorescein dye sensitivity for temperature changes. The dye-polymer discs have been investigated separately in order to determine their sensitivities in the temperature ranges from 10 to 300 K and from 297 to 370 K. The dye-polymer discs are excited by Argon ion laser (488 nm, 50 mW) and the fluorescence intensity is measured using lock-in technique. Below room-temperature Fluorescein dye in (GMA) polymer shows very weak sensitivity toward temperature changes in the range from 10 up to 297 K. The fluorescence intensity peaks of allyl Fluorescein dye in (GMA) polymer exhibit tendency for decreasing slightly, while the dye is warmed up from 40 to 245 K. Also, the fluorescence intensity peaks of diallyl Fluorescein dye in (GMA) are reported in the temperature range from 49 to 300 K. The intensity peak values decrease gradually, whereas at the temperature 171 and 229 K the peaks show hazard change. Above room temperature, the fluorescence intensity peaks decrease with increasing temperature in the temperature range from 302 to 370 K.
Environmental pollution in North-Eastern Italy and its influence on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: time series modelling and analysis using visibility graphs
Authors: Aranburu-Imatz Alejandra , Jiménez-Hornero Jorge E. , Morales-Cané Ignacio , López-Soto Pablo Jesús
Published: January 2023

The impact on human health from environmental pollution is receiving increasing attention. In the case of respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the relationship is now well documented. However, few studies have been carried out in areas with low population density and low industrial production, such as the province of Belluno (North-Eastern Italy). The aim of the study was to analyze the effect of exposure to certain pollutants on the temporal dynamics of hospital admissions for COPD in the province of Belluno. Daily air pollution concentration, humidity, precipitations, and temperature were collected from the air monitoring stations in Belluno. Generalized additive mixed models (GAMM) and visibility graphs were used to determine the effects of the short-term exposure to environmental agents on hospital admissions associated to COPD. In the case of the city of Belluno, the GAMM showed that hospital admissions were associated with NO2, PM10, date, and temperature, while for the city of Feltre, GAMM produced no associated variables. Several visibility graph indices (average edge overlap and interlayer mutual information) showed a significant overlap between environmental agents and hospital admission for both cities. Our study has shown that visibility graphs can be useful in establishing associations between environmental agents and COPD hospitalization in sparsely populated areas.
The Microbiome’s Influence on Head and Neck Cancers
Authors: Dorobisz Karolina , Dorobisz Tadeusz , Zatoński Tomasz
Published: January 2023

Purpose of Review

Head and neck tumors (HNC) rank sixth among cancers worldwide. Due to their late diagnosis and poor prognosis, they are a clinical challenge. However, recent years have seen a dynamic development of science on the microbiome. The aim of the study is to discuss the role of the microbiome in HNC, the impact of the microbiome on oncogenesis, the course of the disease, as well as on treatment, and its toxicity.

Recent Findings

The microbiome’s influence on oncogenesis, the course of the disease, and the effectiveness of oncological treatment have been confirmed in cancers of the colon, pancreas, lungs, and prostate. There is no solid literature on HNC. Many studies indicate disruption of the oral microbiome and periodontal disease as potential cancer risk factors. Disruption of the microbiome increases radiotherapy’s toxicity, intensifying radiation reactions.

The microbiome plays an important role in cancer. It is a new target in research into new therapies. It may also be a prognostic marker of cancer development. Changes in the composition of the microbiome modulate the effectiveness of oncological treatment. More research is needed on the microbiome and its effects on HNC.
The Effects of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Telomere Length and Telomerase Activity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Bossert Lukas , Arzberger Karla , Dorok Fabian , Kern Julia , Stickler Charlotte , Wunderlich Maximilian , Tran Ulrich S.
Published: January 2023

Objectives

Previous meta-analyses suggested that mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) may have beneficial effects on telomere length (TL) and telomerase activity (TA), two biological markers of cellular aging and cell stress. The present review aimed to provide the most comprehensive synthesis of the available evidence to date and tested a number of important effect moderators.

Method

Twenty-five studies (18 RCTs, 1 RCT and cohort study, 6 non-randomized studies) with 2099 participants in total were obtained with a systematic literature search, 10 studies had not been included in any previous meta-analysis. Effect sizes were aggregated with random-effects models, the risk of bias was evaluated with standardized checklists, and the most influential moderators were identified with a machine-learning approach.

Results

On average, MBIs had small-to-medium effects on TL (g = 0.23, 95% CI = [0.07, 0.39], p = 0.006) and TA (g = 0.37 [0.01, 0.73], p = 0.046), which, however, were driven by retrospective case–control studies with experienced meditators (TL) and by studies without control interventions and studies from Asia (TA). Most studies had an unclear risk of bias and low analytic power, and there was an indication of publication bias among the TL studies.

Conclusions

TL may not be a useful outcome to assess the efficacy of common MBIs. Effects on TA were smaller than previously assumed and may not be specific for MBIs; TA likely is increased by other active interventions as well. More high-quality and high-powered studies, which also apply open-science practices, are needed to move the field forward.
Sustainable development goals for industry, innovation, and infrastructure: demolition waste incorporated with nanoplastic waste enhanced the physicomechanical properties of white cement paste composites
Authors: Abdelzaher M. A.
Published: January 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacts the increase in plastic waste from food packaging, masks, gloves, and personal protective equipment (PPE), resulting in an environmental disaster, if collected, processed, transported, or disposed inappropriately. Plastic waste has a very long deterioration time in the environment (soil and water), cheap, and plentiful. Additionally, construction waste disposal is a process that transfers debris to a state that does lead to any sustainable or environmental problems. The core objective of this current research work is to provide safety and efficacy by partial substitution of both ultrafine demolition waste (UDW), incorporated with nanoplastic waste (NPW), for eco-white cement (E-WC) composition. E-WC is designed by partially substituted WC with UDW (1.0, 5.0, 10.0, 15.0, and 20.0 wt.%); incorporated with NPW (1.0 and 3.0 wt.%); to adequately protect people and the environment over long periods. The context examines the high performance, physicomechanical properties and high durability of blends as presences of silica in UDW proposed a hydraulic filler material, plus; high surface area of NPW. The microstructure and workability are characterized by X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), and Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) measurements. The record results show greatly enhanced in the mechanical strength due to the combination of NPW and UDW (active silica). With the presence of NPW and UDW in WC matrix, the highest level of crystallization formed consequently a decrease in whiteness reflection (Ry) and total porosity. In summary, WC blend with NPW and UDW reflects better workability and energy saving qualities, which are economical and environmentally beneficial and may result in decreased construction budget and improve a long-term raw material sustainability.
Curvature locus of a 3-manifold having a normal bundle with some flat direction
Authors: Monterde J.
Published: January 2023

A well known result states that the curvature of the normal bundle of ann-manifold immersed in the Euclidean space,$${\mathbb {R}}^{n+k}$$Rn+k, vanishes if and only if the curvature locus at any point is a convex polytope. In the case of 3-manifolds, the curvature locus is, generically, a triangle. In this paper we determine, among all the possible curvature locii of 3-manifolds immersed in$${\mathbb {R}}^{3+3}$$R3+3, which ones can be projected on a triangle and we relate them with the curvature of the normal bundle.
Human Rights–Based Social Work and the Natural Environment: Time for New Perspectives
Authors: Stamm Ingo
Published: January 2023

The natural environment and sustainability play an increasingly important role in social work as a discipline and profession. This is often described as the ecosocial paradigm. Even though the paradigm shares important ethical foundations with human rights–based social work, the connection between both is rarely examined in social work scholarship. This article addresses the gap by asking the following questions: How is the ecosocial paradigm linked to the human rights discourse in social work? What is the environmental dimension of human rights, and what implications does it have for social work? How can a human rights–based social work encompass the environmental dimension? In response, the article argues for the integration of new environmental perspectives into human rights–based social work. First, it shows that social work needs to refocus on collective human rights, such as the right to a healthy environment, recently recognized by the United Nations. Regarding the rights of children and youth, good examples of social work advocacy can already be found. Second, research knowledge and practice within the ecosocial paradigm are valuable resources for human rights–based social work, mainly regarding environmental justice and the principle of sustainability. Ultimately, it is only possible to strive for the realization of human rights, social change, and an inclusive and sustainable future if the natural environment is integrated as a social work concern.
Characterization from Diesel and Renewable Fuel Engine Exhaust: Particulate Size/Mass Distributions and Optical Properties
Authors: Sharma Nikhil , Mitra Kalyan , Pezer Jelena , Pathak Ravikant , Sjöblom Jonas
Published: January 2023

Combustion of fossil fuel produces emissions and is one of the major environmental problems leading to climate change. Diesel engines are highly efficient but produce particulate emissions. These particulate emissions are considered dangerous to human health because inhaling particulates may cause respiratory and heart disease. Substituting fossil diesel fuel with renewable diesel fuel and using diesel particulate filters is one possibility to meet stringent legislative requirements. With this motivation, the present experimental investigation aimed to evaluate the particle size distribution (PSD), optical properties of particulate matter (PM) emitted, and the outcome of using an after-treatment system comprising of a diesel particle filter (DPF). This investigation aimed to make a comparative analysis of particulate emission upstream and downstream of the DPF with and without ultraviolet (UV) light (405 nm and 781 nm wavelength) turned on/off. Experiments were performed at (a) engine idle with a torque of 6 Nm at 750 rpm, IMEP of 1.35 bar and power of 0.5 kW, (b) engine at part load with a torque of 32 Nm at 1200 rpm, IMEP of 8.5 bar and power of 4.5 kW. Diesel engine was operated on two fuels (a) Diesel and (b) EHR7. Results showed that as and when UV light was turned on, a distinct nucleation mode that dominated the number concentration for both test fuels were observed. Downstream of the filter had relatively higher AAE values which show the contribution to climate change. Present experimental research is important for renewable fuel industries, industrial innovation's future, and the exhaust gas after-treatment system (EATS) community. The results contribute to knowledge for occupational exposure, human health, and the environment.
What would qualify an artificial intelligence for moral standing?
Authors: Ladak Ali
Published: January 2023

What criteria must an artificial intelligence (AI) satisfy to qualify for moral standing? My starting point is that sentient AIs should qualify for moral standing. But future AIs may have unusual combinations of cognitive capacities, such as a high level of cognitive sophistication without sentience. This raises the question of whether sentience is a necessary criterion for moral standing, or merely sufficient. After reviewing nine criteria that have been proposed in the literature, I suggest that there is a strong case for thinking that some non-sentient AIs, such as those that are conscious and have non-valenced preferences and goals, and those that are non-conscious and have sufficiently cognitively complex preferences and goals, should qualify for moral standing. After responding to some challenges, I tentatively argue that taking into account uncertainty about which criteria an entity must satisfy to qualify for moral standing, and strategic considerations such as how such decisions will affect humans and other sentient entities, further supports granting moral standing to some non-sentient AIs. I highlight three implications: that the issue of AI moral standing may be more important, in terms of scale and urgency, than if either sentience or consciousness is necessary; that researchers working on policies designed to be inclusive of sentient AIs should broaden their scope to include all AIs with morally relevant interests; and even those who think AIs cannot be sentient or conscious should take the issue seriously. However, much uncertainty about these considerations remains, making this an important topic for future research.
Effect of U-shape external wall on heat transfer coefficients and building performances
Authors: Srhayri Imane , Hafs Hajar , Bah Abdellah
Published: January 2023

We keep the focus in this paper on the heat transfer coefficients affecting the performance of building for different climatic zones of Morocco. In this respect, the building model is developed using COMSOL Multiphysics based on the convective and radiative equations. Furthermore, the U-shape of the south external wall of the building is modified and tested according to three scenarios (A 0.25 m, B 0.75 m, and C 1.25 m). The results showed a significant increase of radiative heat transfer coefficient (HTC) by 33% and 64.62% by increasing the U-shape from 0.25 to 0.75 m and from 0.75 m to 1.25 m respectively. In fact, the convective coefficient decreases progressively in the U-shape wall. Hence, a maximum reduction of total energy consumption is observed as well as the HTC decreases.
Using electron fluid models to analyze plasma thruster discharges
Authors: Ahedo Eduardo
Published: January 2023

Fluid models of the slow-dynamics of magnetized, weakly-collisional electrons lead to build computationally-affordable, long-time simulations of plasma discharges in Hall-effect and electrodeless plasma thrusters. This paper discusses the main assumptions and techniques used in 1D to 3D electron fluid models, and some examples illustrate their capabilities. Critical aspects of these fluid models are the expressions for the pressure tensor, the heat flux vector, the plasma-wall fluxes, and the high-frequency-averaged electron transport and heating caused by plasma waves, generated either by turbulence or external irradiation. The different orders of magnitude of the three scalar momentum equations characterize the electron anisotropic transport. Central points of the discussion are: the role of electron inertia, magnetically-aligned meshes versus Cartesian-type ones, the use of a thermalized potential and the infinite mobility limit, the existence of convective-type heat fluxes, and the modeling of the Debye sheath, and wall fluxes. Plasma plume models present their own peculiarities, related to anomalous parallel cooling and heat flux closures, the matching of finite plume domains with quiescent infinity, and solving fully collisionless expansions. Solutions of two 1D electron kinetic models are used to derive kinetically-consistent fluid models and compare them with more conventional ones.
Road Network Detection from Aerial Imagery of Urban Areas Using Deep ResUNet in Combination with the B-snake Algorithm
Authors: Munawar Hafiz Suliman , Hammad Ahmed W. A. , Waller S. Travis , Shahzad Danish , Islam Md. Rafiqul
Published: January 2023

Road network detection is critical to enhance disaster response and detecting a safe evacuation route. Due to expanding computational capacity, road extraction from aerial imagery has been investigated extensively in the literature, specifically in the last decade. Previous studies have mainly proposed methods based on pixel classification or image segmentation as road/non-road images, such as thresholding, edge-based segmentation, k-means clustering, histogram-based segmentation, etc. However, these methods have limitations of over-segmentation, sensitivity to noise, and distortion in images. This study considers the case study of Hawkesbury Nepean valley, NSW, Australia, which is prone to flood and has been selected for road network extraction. For road area extraction, the application of semantic segmentation along with residual learning and U-Net is suggested. Public road datasets were used for training and testing purposes. The study suggested a framework to train and test datasets with the application of the deep ResUnet architecture. Based on maximal similarity, the regions were merged, and the road network was extracted with the B-snake algorithm application. The proposed framework (baseline + region merging + B-snake) improved performance when evaluated on the synthetically modified dataset. It was evident that in comparison with the baseline, region merging and addition of the B-snake algorithm improved significantly, achieving a value of 0.92 for precision and 0.897 for recall.
On low-frequency unsteadiness in swept shock wave–boundary layer interactions
Authors: Ceci Alessandro , Palumbo Andrea , Larsson Johan , Pirozzoli Sergio
Published: January 2023

We derive a scaling law for the characteristic frequencies of wall pressure fluctuations in swept shock wave/turbulent boundary layer interactions in the presence of cylindrical symmetry, based on analysis of a direct numerical simulations database. Direct numerical simulations in large domains show evidence of spanwise rippling of the separation line, with typical wavelength proportional to separation bubble size. Pressure disturbances around the separation line are shown to be convected at a phase speed proportional to the cross-flow velocity. This information is leveraged to derive a simple model for low-frequency unsteadiness, which extends previous two-dimensional models (Piponniau et al., J. Fluid Mech., vol. 629, 2009, pp. 87–108), and which correctly predicts growth of the typical frequency with the sweep angle. Inferences regarding the typical frequencies in more general swept shock wave/turbulent boundary layer interactions are also discussed.
Can Focusing on the Ethics of Public Office Address the Challenge of Contemporary Political Corruption? - Emanuela Ceva and Maria Paola Ferretti: Political Corruption: The Internal Enemy of Public Institutions. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2021. Pp. 232.)
Authors: Heywood Paul M.
Published: January 2023

Ceva and Ferretti have written an important book on how we should understand political corruption, which they argue entails a public official acting in their institutional capacity as an officeholder but pursuing an agenda that cannot be justified by the specific mandate of their role. Their definition, in stressing the relational nature of political corruption, underpins their argument that its wrongfulness must be understood as a breach of interactive justice and addressed from within. Only by ensuring that individual public officeholders remain accountable and mutually answerable for their conduct (because institutions are constituted by individuals who have interactive duties to their colleagues) can the threat of political corruption be meaningfully addressed. Office accountability as the core duty of officeholders, to be exercised through the practice of answerability, is crucial to developing a meaningful defense against the risk of corruption within organizations and institutions. The central argument of Ceva and Ferretti's book is both powerful and persuasive and makes a significant contribution to the literature on identifying and tackling political corruption.
Ion Acceleration at the Quasi‐Parallel Shock: The Source Distributions of the Diffuse Ions
Authors: Trattner K. J. , Fuselier S. A. , Schwartz S. J. , Kucharek H. , Burch J. L. , Ergun R. E. , Petrinec S. M. , Madanian H.
Published: January 2023

The terrestrial bow shock is the boundary that slows and diverts the supermagnetosonic solar wind around the terrestrial magnetosphere by converting the kinetic energy of the solar wind into thermal and magnetic energy. Shock fronts are an important acceleration site for ions and electrons in collisionless plasmas, and are responsible for much of the particle acceleration in solar, planetary, and astrophysical regions. One of the fundamental outstanding questions of ion acceleration at shocks for which the upstream magnetic field is nearly aligned with the shock normal (i.e., quasi‐parallel shocks) is which portion of the incoming solar wind ion distribution ultimately becomes the seed population that is subsequently accelerated to high energies. This study discusses distribution functions of protons and alpha particles observed by the HPCA and FPI instruments onboard the MMS satellites during a crossing of the quasi‐parallel bow shock. The bow shock transition from the downstream region into the upstream solar wind shows the occasional presence of reflected ions and a population of 90° pitch angle ions in the shock ramp consistent with shock drift accelerated ions. Both populations contribute to the seed population of the shock accelerated ions known as the diffuse ion population.
An Adaptive Auto‐Reduction Solver for Speeding Up Integration of Chemical Kinetics in Atmospheric Chemistry Models: Implementation and Evaluation in the Kinetic Pre‐Processor (KPP) Version 3.0.0
Authors: Lin Haipeng , Long Michael S. , Sander Rolf , Sandu Adrian , Yantosca Robert M. , Estrada Lucas A. , Shen Lu , Jacob Daniel J.
Published: January 2023

Kinetic integration of large and stiff chemical mechanisms is a computational bottleneck in models of atmospheric chemistry. It requires implicit solution of the coupled system of kinetic differential equations with time‐consuming construction and inversion of the Jacobian matrix. We present here a new version of the Kinetic Pre‐Processor (KPP 3.0.0) for fast integration of chemical kinetics featuring a range of improvements over previous versions in performance, diagnostics, versatility, and community openness. KPP 3.0.0 includes a new adaptive auto‐reduction solver to decrease the size of any mechanism locally and on the fly under conditions where full complexity is not needed, by partitioning species as “fast” or “slow” based on their local production and loss rates. Previous implementations of this adaptive solver suffered from excessive overhead in the repeated construction of the local Jacobian matrix or were hard‐wired to specific mechanisms. Here we retain the general applicability of the method to any mechanism and avoid overhead by using pre‐computed Jacobian matrix terms for the full mechanism and cropping the matrix locally to remove the slow species with no change in memory allocation. We apply this adaptive solver within KPP 3.0.0 to the GEOS‐Chem global 3‐D model of atmospheric chemistry and demonstrate a 32% reduction in solver time while maintaining a mean error lower than 1% for key species in the troposphere.
Characterization of circSCL38A1 as a novel oncogene in bladder cancer via targeting ILF3/TGF-β2 signaling axis
Authors: Li Peilong , Mi Qi , Yan Suzhen , Xie Yan , Cui Zilian , Zhang Shujun , Wang Yifan , Gao Huiru , Wang Yunshan , Li Juan , Du Lutao , Wang Chuanxin
Published: January 2023

The regulatory role of circRNAs in cancer metastasis has become a focused issue in recent years. To date, however, the discovery of novel functional circRNAs and their regulatory mechanisms via binding with RBPs in bladder cancer (BC) are still lacking. Here, we screened out circSLC38A1 based on our sequencing data and followed validation with clinical tissue samples and cell lines. Functional assays showed that circSLC38A1 promoted BC cell invasion in vitro and lung metastasis of mice in vivo. By conducting RNA pull-down, mass spectrum, and RIP assays, circSLC38A1 was found to interact with Interleukin enhancer-binding factor 3 (ILF3), and stabilize ILF3 protein via modulating the ubiquitination process. By integrating our CUT&Tag-seq and RNA-seq data, TGF-β2 was identified as the functional target of the circSLC38A1-ILF3 complex. In addition, m6A methylation was enriched in circSLC38A1 and contributed to its upregulation. Clinically, circSLC38A1 was identified in serum exosomes of BC patients and could distinguish BC patients from healthy individuals with a diagnostic accuracy of 0.878. Thus, our study revealed an essential role and clinical significance of circSLC38A1 in BC via activating the transcription of TGF-β2 in an ILF3-dependent manner, extending the understanding of the importance of circRNA-mediated transcriptional regulation in BC metastasis.
Optogenetic frequency scrambling of hippocampal theta oscillations dissociates working memory retrieval from hippocampal spatiotemporal codes
Authors: Etter Guillaume , van der Veldt Suzanne , Choi Jisoo , Williams Sylvain
Published: January 2023

The precise temporal coordination of activity in the brain is thought to be fundamental for memory function. Inhibitory neurons in the medial septum provide a prominent source of innervation to the hippocampus and play a major role in controlling hippocampal theta (~8 Hz) oscillations. While pharmacological inhibition of medial septal neurons is known to disrupt memory, the exact role of septal inhibitory neurons in regulating hippocampal representations and memory is not fully understood. Here, we dissociate the role of theta rhythms in spatiotemporal coding and memory using an all-optical interrogation and recording approach. We find that optogenetic frequency scrambling stimulations abolish theta oscillations and modulate a portion of neurons in the hippocampus. Such stimulation decreased episodic and working memory retrieval while leaving hippocampal spatiotemporal codes intact. Our study suggests that theta rhythms play an essential role in memory but may not be necessary for hippocampal spatiotemporal codes.
Topological identification and interpretation for single-cell gene regulation elucidation across multiple platforms using scMGCA
Authors: Yu Zhuohan , Su Yanchi , Lu Yifu , Yang Yuning , Wang Fuzhou , Zhang Shixiong , Chang Yi , Wong Ka-Chun , Li Xiangtao
Published: January 2023

Single-cell RNA sequencing provides high-throughput gene expression information to explore cellular heterogeneity at the individual cell level. A major challenge in characterizing high-throughput gene expression data arises from challenges related to dimensionality, and the prevalence of dropout events. To address these concerns, we develop a deep graph learning method, scMGCA, for single-cell data analysis. scMGCA is based on a graph-embedding autoencoder that simultaneously learns cell-cell topology representation and cluster assignments. We show that scMGCA is accurate and effective for cell segregation and batch effect correction, outperforming other state-of-the-art models across multiple platforms. In addition, we perform genomic interpretation on the key compressed transcriptomic space of the graph-embedding autoencoder to demonstrate the underlying gene regulation mechanism. We demonstrate that in a pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma dataset, scMGCA successfully provides annotations on the specific cell types and reveals differential gene expression levels across multiple tumor-associated and cell signalling pathways.
Polyamine metabolism impacts T cell dysfunction in the oral mucosa of people living with HIV
Authors: Mahalingam S. S. , Jayaraman S. , Bhaskaran N. , Schneider E. , Faddoul F. , Paes da Silva A. , Lederman M. M. , Asaad R. , Adkins-Travis K. , Shriver L. P. , Pandiyan P.
Published: January 2023

Metabolic changes in immune cells contribute to both physiological and pathophysiological outcomes of immune reactions. Here, by comparing protein expression, transcriptome, and salivary metabolome profiles of uninfected and HIV+ individuals, we found perturbations of polyamine metabolism in the oral mucosa of HIV+ patients. Mechanistic studies using an in vitro human tonsil organoid infection model revealed that HIV infection of T cells also resulted in increased polyamine synthesis, which was dependent on the activities of caspase-1, IL-1β, and ornithine decarboxylase-1. HIV-1 also led to a heightened expression of polyamine synthesis intermediates including ornithine decarboxylase-1 as well as an elevated dysfunctional regulatory T cell (TregDys)/T helper 17 (Th17) cell ratios. Blockade of caspase-1 and polyamine synthesis intermediates reversed the TregDys phenotype showing the direct role of polyamine pathway in altering T cell functions during HIV-1 infection. Lastly, oral mucosal TregDys/Th17 ratios and CD4 hyperactivation positively correlated with salivary putrescine levels, which were found to be elevated in the saliva of HIV+ patients. Thus, by revealing the role of aberrantly increased polyamine synthesis during HIV infection, our study unveils a mechanism by which chronic viral infections could drive distinct T cell effector programs and Treg dysfunction.
A wearable cardiac ultrasound imager
Authors: Hu Hongjie , Huang Hao , Li Mohan , Gao Xiaoxiang , Yin Lu , Qi Ruixiang , Wu Ray S. , Chen Xiangjun , Ma Yuxiang , Shi Keren , Li Chenghai , Maus Timothy M. , Huang Brady , Lu Chengchangfeng , Lin Muyang , Zhou Sai , Lou Zhiyuan , Gu Yue , Chen Yimu , Lei Yusheng , Wang Xinyu , Wang Ruotao , Yue Wentong , Yang Xinyi , Bian Yizhou , Mu Jing , Park Geonho , Xiang Shu , Cai Shengqiang , Corey Paul W. , Wang Joseph , Xu Sheng
Published: January 2023

Continuous imaging of cardiac functions is highly desirable for the assessment of long-term cardiovascular health, detection of acute cardiac dysfunction and clinical management of critically ill or surgical patients1–4. However, conventional non-invasive approaches to image the cardiac function cannot provide continuous measurements owing to device bulkiness5–11, and existing wearable cardiac devices can only capture signals on the skin12–16. Here we report a wearable ultrasonic device for continuous, real-time and direct cardiac function assessment. We introduce innovations in device design and material fabrication that improve the mechanical coupling between the device and human skin, allowing the left ventricle to be examined from different views during motion. We also develop a deep learning model that automatically extracts the left ventricular volume from the continuous image recording, yielding waveforms of key cardiac performance indices such as stroke volume, cardiac output and ejection fraction. This technology enables dynamic wearable monitoring of cardiac performance with substantially improved accuracy in various environments.
Mitochondrial complexome reveals quality-control pathways of protein import
Authors: Schulte Uwe , den Brave Fabian , Haupt Alexander , Gupta Arushi , Song Jiyao , Müller Catrin S. , Engelke Jeannine , Mishra Swadha , Mårtensson Christoph , Ellenrieder Lars , Priesnitz Chantal , Straub Sebastian P. , Doan Kim Nguyen , Kulawiak Bogusz , Bildl Wolfgang , Rampelt Heike , Wiedemann Nils , Pfanner Nikolaus , Fakler Bernd , Becker Thomas
Published: January 2023

Mitochondria have crucial roles in cellular energetics, metabolism, signalling and quality control1–4. They contain around 1,000 different proteins that often assemble into complexes and supercomplexes such as respiratory complexes and preprotein translocases1,3–7. The composition of the mitochondrial proteome has been characterized1,3,5,6; however, the organization of mitochondrial proteins into stable and dynamic assemblies is poorly understood for major parts of the proteome1,4,7. Here we report quantitative mapping of mitochondrial protein assemblies using high-resolution complexome profiling of more than 90% of the yeast mitochondrial proteome, termed MitCOM. An analysis of the MitCOM dataset resolves >5,200 protein peaks with an average of six peaks per protein and demonstrates a notable complexity of mitochondrial protein assemblies with distinct appearance for respiration, metabolism, biogenesis, dynamics, regulation and redox processes. We detect interactors of the mitochondrial receptor for cytosolic ribosomes, of prohibitin scaffolds and of respiratory complexes. The identification of quality-control factors operating at the mitochondrial protein entry gate reveals pathways for preprotein ubiquitylation, deubiquitylation and degradation. Interactions between the peptidyl-tRNA hydrolase Pth2 and the entry gate led to the elucidation of a constitutive pathway for the removal of preproteins. The MitCOM dataset—which is accessible through an interactive profile viewer—is a comprehensive resource for the identification, organization and interaction of mitochondrial machineries and pathways.
Heteroleptic Ir(III)-based near-infrared organic light-emitting diodes with high radiance capacity
Authors: Park Yongjin , Lee Gyeong Seok , Lee Woochan , Yoo Seunghyup , Kim Yun-Hi , Choi Kyung-Cheol
Published: January 2023

Near-infrared organic light-emitting diodes (NIR OLEDs) with heavy metals are regularly reported due to the advantages of their various applications in healthcare services, veil authentication, and night vision displays. For commercial applications, it is necessary to look at radiance capacity (RC) instead of radiance because of power consumption. However, recent papers still reported only simple high radiance performance and do not look at device from the point of view of RC. To overcome this hurdle, we designed Ir(III)-based heteroleptic NIR materials with two types of auxiliary ligand. The proposed emitters achieve a highly oriented horizontal dipole ratio (Ir(mCPDTiq)2tmd, complex1: 80%, Ir(mCPDTiq)2acac, complex2: 81%) with a short radiative lifetime (1: 386 ns,2: 323 ns). The device also shows an extremely low turn-on voltage (Von) of 2.2 V and a high RC of 720 mW/sr/m2/V. The results on the Vonand RC of the device is demonstrated an outstanding performance among the Ir(III)-based NIR OLEDs with a similar emission peak.