bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How do children with severe underweight and wasting respond to treatment? A pooled secondary data analysis to inform future intervention studies
Authors: Odei Obeng‐Amoako Gloria A. , Stobaugh Heather , Wrottesley Stephanie V. , Khara Tanya , Binns Paul , Trehan Indi , Black Robert E. , Webb Patrick , Mwangome Martha , Bailey Jeanette , Bahwere Paluku , Dolan Carmel , Boyd Erin , Briend André , Myatt Mark A. , Lelijveld Natasha
Published: October 2022

Children with weight‐for‐age z‐score (WAZ) <−3 have a high risk of death, yet this indicator is not widely used in nutrition treatment programming. This pooled secondary data analysis of children aged 6–59 months aimed to examine the prevalence, treatment outcomes, and growth trajectories of children with WAZ <−3 versus children with WAZ ≥−3 receiving outpatient treatment for wasting and/or nutritional oedema, to inform future protocols. Binary treatment outcomes between WAZ <−3 and WAZ ≥−3 admissions were compared using logistic regression. Recovery was defined as attaining mid‐upper‐arm circumference ≥12.5 cm and weight‐for‐height z‐score ≥−2, without oedema, within a period of 17 weeks of admission. Data from 24,829 children from 9 countries drawn from 13 datasets were included. 55% of wasted children had WAZ <−3. Children admitted with WAZ <−3 compared to those with WAZ ≥−3 had lower recovery rates (28.3% vs. 48.7%), higher risk of death (1.8% vs. 0.7%), and higher risk of transfer to inpatient care (6.2% vs. 3.8%). Growth trajectories showed that children with WAZ <−3 had markedly lower anthropometry at the start and end of care, however, their patterns of anthropometric gains were very similar to those with WAZ ≥−3. If moderately wasted children with WAZ <−3 were treated in therapeutic programmes alongside severely wasted children, we estimate caseloads would increase by 32%. Our findings suggest that wasted children with WAZ <−3 are an especially vulnerable group and those with moderate wasting and WAZ <−3 likely require a higher intensity of nutritional support than is currently recommended. Longer or improved treatment may be necessary, and the timeline and definition of recovery likely need review.
The rational role of the perceptual sense of reality
Authors: Gładziejewski Paweł
Published: October 2022

Perceptual experience usually comes with “phenomenal force”, a strong sense that it reflects reality as it is. Some philosophers have argued that it is in virtue of possessing phenomenal force that perceptual experiences are able to non‐inferentially justify beliefs. In this article, I introduce an alternative, inferentialist take on the epistemic role of phenomenal force. Drawing on Bayesian modeling in cognitive science, I argue that the sense of reality that accompanies conscious vision can be viewed as epistemically appraisable in light of its rational etiology.
Demographic and environmental factors associated with the distribution of Aedes albopictus in Cameroon
Authors: Canelas Tiago , Thomsen Edward , Kamgang Basile , Kelly‐Hope Louise A.
Published: October 2022

Aedes‐transmitted arboviruses have spread globally due to the spread of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. Its distribution is associated with human and physical geography. However, these factors have not been quantified in Cameroon. Therefore, the aim was to develop an Ae. albopictus geo‐referenced database to examine the risk factors associated with the vector distribution in Cameroon. Data on the Ae. albopictus presence and absence were collated and mapped from studies in published scientific literature between 2000 and 2020. Publicly available earth observation data were used to assess human geography, land use and climate risk factors related to the vector distribution. A logistic binomial regression was conducted to identify the significant risk factors associated with Ae. albopictus distribution. In total, 111 data points were collated (presence = 87; absence = 24). Different data collection methods and sites hindered the spatiotemporal analysis. An increase of one wet month in a year increased the odds of Ae. albopictus presence by 5.6 times. One unit of peri‐urban area increased the odds by 1.3 times. Using publicly available demographic and environmental data to better understand the key determinants of mosquito distributions may facilitate appropriately targeted public health messages and vector control strategies.
Self‐incompatibility and the genetic architecture of inbreeding depression
Authors: Schoen Daniel J. , Baldwin Sarah J.
Published: October 2022

Inbreeding depression plays a fundamental role in evolution. To help detect and characterize the loci that underlie inbreeding depression, we used bud pollination and salt treatments to circumvent self‐incompatibility (SI) in plants from populations of Leavenworthia alabamica and produced families of progeny that were then genotyped at genetically mapped single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci.

Using Bayesian inference, the segregation patterns for each SNP were used to explore support for different dominance and selection coefficients at linked viability loci in different genomic regions.

There was support for several partially recessive viability loci in one of the populations, and one such locus mapped to the genomic region of the novel SI locus in L. alabamica.

These results are consistent with earlier findings that showed purging of inbreeding depression for germination rate in L. alabamica. They are also consistent with expectations from evolutionary genetic theory that recessive, deleterious alleles linked to loci under balancing selection can be sheltered from selection.
THERMOSENSITIVE BARREN PANICLE (TAP) is required for rice panicle and spikelet development at high ambient temperature
Authors: Zhang Peng , Zhu Wanwan , He Yi , Fan Junyi , Shi Jin , Fu Ruifeng , Hu Jianping , Li Li , Zhang Dabing , Liang Wanqi
Published: October 2022

In cereal plants, the size of the panicle (inflorescence) is a critical factor for yield. Panicle size is determined by a complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors, but the mechanisms underlying adaptations to temperature stress during panicle development remain largely unknown.

We identify the rice THERMOSENSITIVE BARREN PANICLE (TAP) gene, which encodes a transposase‐derived FAR1‐RELATED SEQUENCE (FRS) protein and is responsible for regulating panicle and spikelet development at high ambient temperature. The tap mutants display high temperature‐dependent reproductive abnormalities, including compromised secondary branch and spikelet initiation and pleiotropic floral organ defects. Consistent with its thermosensitive phenotype, TAP expression is induced by high temperature.

TAP directly promotes the expression of OsYABBY3 (OsYAB3), OsYAB4, and OsYAB5, which encode key transcriptional regulators in panicle and spikelet development. In addition, TAP physically interacts with OsYAB4 and OsYAB5 proteins; phenotypic analysis of osyab4 tap‐1 and osyab5 tap‐1 double mutants indicates that TAP–OsYAB4/OsYAB5 complexes act to maintain normal panicle and spikelet development.

Taken together, our study reveals the novel role of a TE‐derived transcription factor in controlling rice panicle development under high ambient temperatures, shedding light on the molecular mechanism underlying the adaptation of cereal crops to increasing environmental temperatures.
Acetaminophen pharmacokinetics in infants and children with congenital heart disease
Authors: Holladay Jay , Winch Peter , Morse James , Anderson Brian J. , McKee Christopher T. , Rice‐Weimer Julie , Tobias Joseph D.
Published: October 2022

Background

Acetaminophen is routinely used for perioperative analgesia in children undergoing major surgical procedures. There are few estimates of acetaminophen pharmacokinetic parameters in children with congenital heart disease, especially those with cyanotic heart disease.

Aims

The current study prospectively investigated differences in acetaminophen pharmacokinetics following surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass in children with cyanotic and acyanotic congenital heart disease.

Methods

Children (2–6 years, 9–23 kg) presenting for median sternotomy for Fontan palliation (cyanotic patients) or two ventricle surgical repair (acyanotic patients) were eligible for inclusion. A single intravenous dose of acetaminophen (15 mg/kg) was administered at the start of sternal closure after separation from cardiopulmonary bypass. The time‐course of acetaminophen concentrations were described using non‐linear mixed effects models. One and two‐compartment disposition models with first‐order elimination were tested. Pharmacokinetic parameter estimates were scaled using allometry and standardized to a 70 kg person.

Results

There were 208 acetaminophen concentrations assayed from 30 children, 15 with cyanotic, and 15 with acyanotic heart disease. A 2‐compartment model best described acetaminophen PK. Parameter estimates (population parameter variability, PPV%; 95% confidence interval, CI) were clearance CL 15.3 L.h‐1.70 kg‐1 (22.2%; 13.8–16.7), intercompartment clearance Q 45.4 L.h‐1.70 kg‐1 (22.4%; 25.2–61.9), central volume of distribution V1 33.5 L.70 kg‐1 (23.2%; 25.9–38.8), peripheral volume of distribution V2 32.1 L.70 kg−1 (21.7%; 25.9–38.8). Neither clearance nor volume parameters differed between cyanotic and acyanotic patients.

Conclusions

Acetaminophen pharmacokinetics were characterized using a 2‐compartment model with first‐order elimination following cardiac bypass surgery in children. Population pharmacokinetic parameter estimates were similar to other studies in children. No differences were detected between patients with cyanotic and acyanotic heart disease.
Ferulic acid is a putative surrender signal to stimulate programmed cell death in grapevines after infection with Neofusicoccum parvum
Authors: Khattab Islam M. , Fischer Jochen , Kaźmierczak Andrzej , Thines Eckhard , Nick Peter
Published: October 2022

An apoplectic breakdown from grapevine trunk diseases (GTDs) has become a serious challenge to viticulture as a consequence of drought stress. We hypothesize that fungal aggressiveness is controlled by a chemical communication between the host and colonizing fungus. We introduce the new concept of a ‘plant surrender signal’ accumulating in host plants under stress and facilitating the aggressive behaviour of the strain Neofusicoccum parvum (Bt‐67) causing Botryosphaeriaceae‐related dieback in grapevines. Using a cell‐based experimental system (Vitis cells) and bioactivity‐guided fractionation, we identify trans‐ferulic acid, a monolignol precursor, as a ‘surrender signal’. We show that this signal specifically activates the secretion of the fungal phytotoxin fusicoccin A aglycone. We show further that this phytotoxin, mediated by 14‐3‐3 proteins, activates programmed cell death in Vitis cells. We arrive at a model showing a chemical communication facilitating fusicoccin A secretion that drives necrotrophic behaviour during Botryosphaeriaceae–Vitis interaction through trans‐ferulic acid. We thus hypothesize that channelling the phenylpropanoid pathway from this lignin precursor to the trans‐resveratrol phytoalexin could be a target for future therapy.
Etiology, management, and outcomes of pediatric telogen effluvium: A single‐center study in the United States
Authors: Chen Vivien , Strazzulla Lauren , Asbeck Sara M. , Bellodi Schmidt Fernanda
Published: October 2022

Background/Objectives

Telogen effluvium (TE) is a diffuse, rapidly occurring non‐scarring alopecia that can be a significant source of distress for patients and caregivers. To date, the disorder has not been extensively studied in a US pediatric patient population. This study aims to characterize the epidemiology, management, and disease course of pediatric TE.

Methods

A retrospective single‐center analysis was conducted at the University of Miami including pediatric medical records from 2009 to 2021 with at least one clinic visit coded with the diagnosis of TE.

Results

76 patients presented with a wide range of age at onset and hair loss duration. 67% of patients (n = 51) had an identified trigger, the most common being emotional stress and acute febrile illness, followed by nutritional deficiencies (specifically iron, ferritin, and vitamin D). Observation was the most common therapeutic approach. Of patients who had a follow‐up evaluation (39%), different treatments resulted in similar rates of improvement.

Conclusions

The results of this study demonstrate the variability in potential TE triggers, physical exam findings, and management in children, similar to what is currently observed and practiced in adult patients. Appropriate work‐up for common triggers should be included during the initial visit. Greater evidence‐based treatment approaches are needed for pediatric TE.
Does appealability foster more citizen‐friendly decisions at the street level?
Authors: Gershgoren Sagi , Cohen Nissim
Published: October 2022

Unbiased conduct is an essential part of the social contract between the state and its citizens. Yet, when tasked with settling disputes between citizens and other state officials, are public administrators truly impartial in their resolutions? Such a question is vital for street‐level bureaucrats whom the public perceives as the face of governance. This study investigates the relations between the pro‐citizen tendencies in street‐level bureaucrats' resolutions, their internal appealability, and the discretionary space under which they are made. Using quantitative analysis of real‐world lower‐court rulings in Israeli tax disputes between 1980 and 2021, the research findings indicate that unregulated expansion of street‐level bureaucrats' discretionary space relates to favoring the state's arguments in their resolutions and may impair procedural fairness. The findings also imply that regulation promoting citizens' right to appeal such resolutions within their agency, can increase street‐level bureaucrats' pro‐citizen tendencies and potentially counteract such outcomes.
Creatively interpreting policy to move science forward: Implementing participatory technology assessment at NASA
Authors: Torres Christopher , Fowler Luke
Published: October 2022

Entrepreneurial strategies and tactics are often subtle and indiscrete, adding to the mystery of how one goes about being an entrepreneur, particularly within bureaucratic agencies that are often set up to constrain such behaviors. The authors use a case study of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)'s public engagement practices to examine how entrepreneurs shift policy interpretations with administrative agencies. Findings describe three entrepreneurial strategies and tactics: (1) using one‐on‐one or small group meetings to connect to different audiences across organizations; (2) tying new policy interpretations to existing ones, so changes seem less radical; and, (3) positioning oneself in the middle of the action to control both narrative and progress. Conclusions discuss both practical mechanisms for shifting away from the status quo, and the theoretical contributions to a growing body of literature on strategic and tactical approaches of bureaucratic entrepreneurs in democratic systems.
Large Eddy Simulation of a Pistonless Constant Volume Combustor: A New Concept of Pressure Gain Combustion
Authors: Detomaso Nicola , Laera Davide , Pouech Paul , Duchaine Florent , Poinsot Thierry
Published: October 2022

Classical gas turbine thermodynamic cycle has undergone no change over the last decades. The most important efficiency improvements have been obtained by reducing thermal losses and raising the overall pressure ratio and peak temperature. Pressure gain combustion (PGC) represents an increasingly interesting solution to break out current technological limits. Indeed cycle models show that a pressure raise across the combustion process would reduce fuel consumption, increasing efficiency. Providing an efficiency close to the corresponding detonative technological concepts, constant volume combustion (CVC) represents a viable solution that still needs to be studied. In this work, the CV2 (constant-volume combustion vessel) installed at the Pprime laboratory (France) is numerically investigated using the high-fidelity compressible large eddy simulation (LES) solver AVBP. All the successive phases of the CVC cycle, i.e., air intake, fuel injection, spark-ignited combustion, and exhaust, are considered in the LES. Intake and exhaust valves are properly represented by novel boundary conditions able to mimic the valves impact on the flow without the need to directly consider their presence and dynamics during the simulation, reducing the computational costs. The spark ignition is modeled as an energy deposition term added to the energy equation. The combustion phase is treated by the dynamic version of the thickened flame model (DTFLES) extended to deal with nonconstant pressure combustion. Time-resolved particle imaging velocimetry (PIV) and pressure measurement inside the chamber reveal that cold and reactive turbulent flow are well captured in all the phases, showing the reliability of the approach and the models used.
Combined Cycle, Heat Pump, and Thermal Storage Integration: Techno-Economic Sensitivity to Market and Climatic Conditions Based on a European and United States Assessment
Authors: Vannoni Alberto , Garcia Jose Angel , Guedez Rafael , Sorce Alessandro , Massardo Aristide Fausto
Published: October 2022

The integration of a heat pump (HP) with a combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) to control the inlet air temperature is a promising technology to meet the requirements imposed by the current electricity systems in terms of efficiency and flexibility. If the HP is coupled with a thermal energy storage (TES) in an inlet conditioning unit (ICU), it can be exploited in different modes to enhance the off-design CCGT's efficiency or to boost the power output at full load. Furthermore, fuel-saving would be reflected in avoided emissions. The optimal sizing of the ICU, as well as an accurate estimation of the benefits, is a complex problem influenced by several factors such as the local climate and electricity market prices. This paper aims to systematically investigate, utilizing a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model for optimal dispatch, the feasibility of an ICU integration in different scenarios (EU and US). Different electricity markets have been analyzed and classified according to the parameters describing the average and variability of prices, the interdependency with the gas market, the ambient temperature, or the local carbon pricing policy. The most favorable conditions are identified and the dependency of the optimal ICU sizing on the climate and the electricity market is highlighted. This paper provides information for a first viability assessment: the concept appears to be highly profitable in hot regions with high price variability. Additionally, even in less profitable conditions (i.e., stable low prices in a cold climate), the system increases operating hours and reduces economic losses.
Thermodynamic Analysis and Modeling of a Novel Solar Absorption Cogeneration System With an Adjustable Cooling-to-Power Ratio
Authors: Alghamdi Abdulmajeed , Sherif S. A.
Published: October 2022

In this work, a novel solar double-effect absorption combined cooling and power (DECCP) system with an adjustable cooling-to-power ratio is proposed. This cogeneration system uses water–LiBr as the working fluid. The novel cycle upon which this system is based has been mathematically modeled, simulated, and parametrically analyzed to generate the system’s performance characteristics for several scenarios. The performance has been compared with those of other similar combined cogeneration cycles. It was found that the proposed cycle outperforms the other cycles from the vantage point of the power produced and the cycle’s ability to produce cooling. For specific operating parameters, the DECCP cycle achieves an exergetic efficiency that varies between 36.55% and 59.13% based on the refrigerant split ratio used. An effective operating strategy is proposed for the cycle when it is powered by solar energy.
Characterization of Magnetorheological Brake in Shear Mode Using High-Strength MWCNTs and Fumed Silica-Based Magnetorheological Fluids at Low Magnetic Fields
Authors: Singh Rakesh Kumar , Sarkar Chiranjit
Published: October 2022

The performance of magnetorheological (MR) brakes is dependent on the MR characteristics of the braking fluid, working parameters, and magnetic fields. Due to the size limitations, it is quite difficult to use large-sized electromagnet for a high magnetic field inside an MR brake and thus working parameters indirectly affect the MR properties of MR fluid. Again, MR fluids show thermal thinning with working temperature. Therefore, in the present study, MR fluids that have stable MR properties at high temperatures and can provide better braking torque at low magnetic fields are prepared. To improve the MR properties at high temperature, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) which have high thermal conductivity are used as additives, and initially, three MR fluids are synthesized by varying MWCNT fractions. The MR properties of these fluids are examined and plotted using magnetorheometer. The effective fraction of MWCNTs at which MR fluid has stable MR properties with temperature is identified. It is found that MR fluid which consists of 0.25% fractions of MWCNTs has large yield strength but only at high magnetic fields. To improve its MR properties at a lower magnetic field, 0.5% fraction of fumed silica is mixed with 0.25% fractions of MWCNTs. Then, a fabricated MR disc brake is characterized using those prepared magnetorheological fluids (MRFs). The braking torque of MRFs at different speeds is presented and compared. It is found that approximately 26% more braking torque is offered by fumed silica + MWCNTs-based MR fluid in comparison to other MRFs at 1200 RPM.
Disease outbreaks select for mate choice and coat color in wolves
Authors: Cubaynes Sarah , Brandell Ellen E. , Stahler Daniel R. , Smith Douglas W. , Almberg Emily S. , Schindler Susanne , Wayne Robert K. , Dobson Andrew P. , vonHoldt Bridgett M. , MacNulty Daniel R. , Cross Paul C. , Hudson Peter J. , Coulson Tim
Published: October 2022

We know much about pathogen evolution and the emergence of new disease strains, but less about host resistance and how it is signaled to other individuals and subsequently maintained. The cline in frequency of black-coated wolves (
Canis lupus
) across North America is hypothesized to result from a relationship with canine distemper virus (CDV) outbreaks. We tested this hypothesis using cross-sectional data from wolf populations across North America that vary in the prevalence of CDV and the allele that makes coats black, longitudinal data from Yellowstone National Park, and modeling. We found that the frequency of CDV outbreaks generates fluctuating selection that results in heterozygote advantage that in turn affects the frequency of the black allele, optimal mating behavior, and black wolf cline across the continent.
Science, misinformation, and the role of education
Authors: Osborne Jonathan , Pimentel Daniel
Published: October 2022

“Competent outsiders” must be able to evaluate the credibility of science-based arguments
Multiple lineages of monkeypox virus detected in the United States, 2021–2022
Authors: Gigante Crystal M. , Korber Bette , Seabolt Matthew H. , Wilkins Kimberly , Davidson Whitni , Rao Agam K. , Zhao Hui , Smith Todd G. , Hughes Christine M. , Minhaj Faisal , Waltenburg Michelle A. , Theiler James , Smole Sandra , Gallagher Glen R. , Blythe David , Myers Robert , Schulte Joann , Stringer Joey , Lee Philip , Mendoza Rafael M. , Griffin-Thomas LaToya A. , Crain Jenny , Murray Jade , Atkinson Annette , Gonzalez Anthony H. , Nash June , Batra Dhwani , Damon Inger , McQuiston Jennifer , Hutson Christina L. , McCollum Andrea M. , Li Yu
Published: October 2022

Monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease endemic in Central and West Africa. In May 2022, dozens of non-endemic countries reported hundreds of monkeypox cases, most with no epidemiological link to Africa. We identified two lineages of monkeypox virus (MPXV) among two 2021 and seven 2022 US monkeypox cases: the major 2022 outbreak variant called B.1 and a minor contemporaneously sampled variant called A.2. Analyses of mutations among these two variants revealed an extreme preference for GA-to-AA mutations indicative of human APOBEC3 cytosine deaminase activity among Clade IIb MPXV (previously West African, Nigeria) sampled since 2017. Such mutations were not enriched within other MPXV clades. These findings suggest that APOBEC3 editing may be a recurrent and a dominant driver of MPXV evolution within the current outbreak.
Brazil’s election is a cliffhanger for scientists
Authors: Moutinho Sofia
Published: October 2022

Second Bolsonaro term could be “final nail” for science and environment
Has a new dawn arrived for space-based solar power?
Authors: Clery Daniel
Published: October 2022

Better technology and falling launch costs revive interest in a science-fiction technology
Raman thermometry and (U-Th)/He thermochronometry reveal Neogene transpressional exhumation in the Nacimiento block of central California, USA
Authors: Lacroix B. , Lahfid A. , Ward C. , Niemi N.A. , Chapman A.D. , Jarvis W. , Kempton P.D.
Published: October 2022

We present a novel approach for mapping vertical uplifts in exhumed metasedimentary rocks by coupling Raman spectroscopy of carbonaceous material with (U-Th)/He thermochronometry on apatite and zircon. We apply this approach to carbonaceous metasedimentary rocks of the Franciscan subduction complex, exposed in the Nacimiento block of central California, USA, an area that records high-pressure–low-temperature metamorphism prior to entrainment within the present-day transform plate boundary. We reveal the extent and magnitude of previously unrecognized exhumation gradients, which, combined with regional structural observations, can be used to quantify vertical crustal motion associated with localized transpression. We propose that the Nacimiento block was affected by a kilometer-scale, post-subduction thermal anomaly linked to a localized transpressive regime since ca. 25 Ma, with an uplift rate of ∼0.3 mm/yr.
Supplemental Material: Local rapid exhumation during the long-lived Grenville orogeny
Authors: Fan Xuefei , Chu Xu , al. et
Published: October 2022

Extra backscattered electron images of mineral textures, garnet compositional maps, and garnet profiles with diffusion modeling 
Prospects for the Use of Marine Sulfated Fucose-Rich Polysaccharides in Treatment and Prevention of COVID-19 and Post-COVID-19 Syndrome
Authors: Kiselevskiy M. V. , Anisimova N. Yu. , Bilan M. I. , Usov A. I. , Ustyuzhanina N. E. , Petkevich A. A. , Shubina I. Zh. , Morozevich G. E. , Nifantiev N. E.
Published: October 2022

Symptoms of the new coronavirus infection that appeared in 2019 (COVID-19) range from low fever and fatigue to acute pneumonia and multiple organ failure. The clinical picture of COVID-19 is heterogeneous and involves most physiological systems; therefore, drugs with a wide spectrum of mechanism of action are required. The choice of the treatment strategy for post-COVID-19 syndrome is still a challenge to be resolved. Polysaccharides with a high fucose content derived from seaweed and marine animals can form the basis for the subsequent development of promising agents for the treatment of COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 syndrome. This class of biopolymers is characterized by a variety of biological activities, including antiviral, antithrombotic, anticoagulant, hemo-stimulating, anti-inflammatory and immune-regulatory. Low molecular weight derivatives of these polysaccharides, as well as synthetic oligosaccharides with a sufficient amount and sulfation type may be considered as the most promising compounds due to their better bioavailability, which undoubtedly increases their therapeutic potential.
Ultimate strength analysis of pitted plates with transverse cracks
Authors: Ranji Ahmad Rahbar , Ahmadi Farzaneh , Alirezaee Shahpour
Published: October 2022

Numerical analysis using computer code ANSYS was employed to analyze the ultimate strength of pitted plates with transverse cracks under uniaxial compression. It was found that pitting was more critical in the thick plate and cracking in the thin plate, and the plate with a center crack had the lowest effect on the reduction of the ultimate strength, regardless of the crack length and thickness of the plate. For small cracks, plates with two edge cracks had a lower reduction factor than plates with a single edge crack, while for long cracks it was vice versa. The maximum reduction factor of the ultimate strength of the cracked plate occurred in thin plates with two edge cracks. The results showed that the combined effect of cracking and pitting reduced the ultimate strength of the plate by up to 400% and 50% with respect to cracking and pitting alone, respectively. Thus, it can be concluded that cracking of plates prior to pitting is more detrimental, since sharp decreases of the ultimate strength.
Instability of the charged massive scalar field on the Kerr–Newman black hole spacetime
Authors: Vieira H. S. , Bezerra V. B. , Muniz C. R.
Published: October 2022

We investigate the quasibound states of charged massive scalar fields in the Kerr–Newman black hole spacetime by using a new approach recently developed, which uses the polynomial conditions of the Heun functions. We calculate the resonant frequencies related to the spectrum of quasibound states, as well as its corresponding angular and radial wave eigenfunctions. We also analyze the instability of the system. These results are particularized to the cases of Schwarzschild and Kerr black holes. Additionally, we compare our analytical results with the numerical ones known in the literature. Finally, we apply the obtained results to compute the characteristic times of growth and decay of bosonic particles around a supermassive black hole situated at the center of the M87 galaxy.
On dynamical stability and information loss of a collapsing string fluid in rainbow gravity
Authors: Sheikh Umber , Yousaf Z. , Ramzan Nida
Published: October 2022

This work analyzes the dynamical variables and information transfer of a collapsing string fluid in the theory of Rainbow gravity (RG). Modifications are made to the field equations for the anisotropic string fluid in spherical geometry with the necessary rainbow functions. We have calculated the radius and time when effective horizons formed. This calculation helps to estimate the time of the observer reaching the apparent horizon. Moreover, we have computed the dynamical variables concerning the string fluid including mass density, pressure and the string tension. The behavior of the dynamical quantities is presented graphically. It is found that the rainbow parameter [Formula: see text] affects the dynamical variables. The results enable us to understand the physics of a collapsing fluid and the information transfer in the collapsing scenario.
Global dynamics in a model for anthrax transmission in animal populations
Authors: Liu Junli , Han Mengjie , Zhang Tailei
Published: October 2022

In this paper, we propose a deterministic model to study the transmission dynamics of anthrax disease, which includes live animals, carcasses, spores in the environment and vectors. We derive three biologically plausible and insightful quantities (reproduction numbers) that determine the stability of the equilibria. We carry out rigorous mathematical analysis on the model dynamics, the global stability of the disease-free and vector-free equilibrium, the disease-free equilibrium and the vector-free disease equilibrium is proved. The global stability of the endemic equilibrium as the basic reproduction number is greater than one is derived in the special case in which the disease-related death rate is zero. The possibility of backward bifurcation is briefly discussed. Numerical analyses are carried out to understand the transmission dynamics of anthrax and investigate effective control strategies for the outbreaks of the disease. Our studies suggest that the larval vector control measure should be taken as early as possible to control the vector population size, a vaccination policy and an animal carcass removal policy are useful methods to control the prevalence of the diseases in infected animal populations, the adult vector control measure is also necessary to prevent the transmission of anthrax.
Quasilinearization-based Legendre collocation method for solving a class of functional Volterra integral equations
Authors: Zare Farideh , Heydari Mohammad , Loghmani Ghasem Barid
Published: October 2022

In this paper, a combination of the quasilinearization and the Legendre spectral collocation methods is introduced to approximate the solution of the nonlinear functional Volterra integral equations. Throughout this process, the quasilinearization method converts the nonlinear functional Volterra integral equation to a sequence of linear integral equations. Then, in each iteration, the obtained linear integral equation is solved using the Legendre spectral collocation method. After that, a convergence analysis is discussed in detail. Finally, several numerical examples are included to demonstrate the capability and validity of the proposed method.
Slant curves and Legendre curves in three-dimensional Walker manifolds
Authors: Derkaoui Khadidja , Hathout Fouzi , Dida Hamou Mohammed
Published: October 2022

In this paper, we study slant curves and Legendre curves in three-dimensional Walker manifolds. We give a classification of these curves and we present a necessary and sufficient condition for a slant curve to admit a proper mean curvature vector field. We close the study by examples.
The number of spanning trees and maximum matchings of Fibonacci graphs
Authors: Akyar Emrah , Akyar Handan
Published: October 2022

In this paper, we study the enumeration of spanning trees and maximum matchings of the Fibonacci graphs. It is proved that the number of all spanning trees of a Fibonacci graph with [Formula: see text] vertices is [Formula: see text]th Fibonacci number. We also obtained a formula for the number of maximum matchings of Fibonacci graphs in terms of Fibonacci numbers.
A baptism by fire: fossil charcoal from eastern Euramerica reveals the earliest (Homerian) terrestrial biota evolved in a flammable world
Authors: Glasspool Ian J. , Gastaldo Robert A.
Published: October 2022

Charred fossils from the Wenlock (Wales) and Ludlow (Poland) are evidence of the earliest wildfires to date, showing that this phenomenon was contemporaneous with the earliest records of land plant macrofossils. These data indicate that fires began to influence Earth system processes alongside those wrought by the advent of an embryophytic terrestrial flora. By the mid-Silurian, fires affected atmospheric composition, sedimentary systems, carbon and nutrient cycling, landscape diversity, community composition and species interactions. As global heating alters wildfire regimes, greater recognition is being given to fires and their ecosystem impacts, a relationship we now know extends back >430 myr. Here we document the taxonomic composition of charred phytoclasts, evidence of wildfire activity, from two discrete Silurian localities: the Pen-y-lan Mudstone, Rumney, Wales, and the Winnica Formation, Holy Cross Mountains, Poland. Nematophytes dominate each mesofossil assemblage and quantitative reflectance data indicate generally low-temperature fires at both sites, but with locally intense conditions. These and other Silurian assemblages, herein documented as bearing charcoal, are used to evaluate the systematics, fuel load and burn temperatures of these earliest wildfires. We propose a diagrammatic reconstruction to explain the seeming disparity between the diminutive size of the embryophytic biota and the highest temperatures (>700°C) recorded in these charcoals.

Supplementary material
: Raw mean random reflectance (
R
o
%) data from Rumney Borehole, Winnica, Ludford Lane and North Brown Clee Hill, sorted by both locality and morphotype, are available at
https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.6179309
3D numerical modelling and simulation of the impact of fault zones on fluid flow in sandstones of the Rio do Peixe Basin, NE Brazil
Authors: Stohler Rômulo C. , Nogueira Francisco C. C. , Mello Claudio L. , Souza Jorge A. B.
Published: October 2022

Deformation bands are usually responsible for a reduction in permeability perpendicular to the structure planes of up to three orders of magnitude, while the fault core represent a reduction of up to seven orders of magnitude in cross-fault permeability, imposing large anisotropies to fluid flow. As deformation bands occur distributed along the damage zone, they impact not only the across-fault flow but also the along-fault flow. The fault core is usually represented using fault-transmissibility multipliers (TMs) along the fault planes, using well-established workflows. However, there is a lack of methods to represent fault damage zones in any direction and grid-cell sizes. In this context, we proposed new methods to: (1) estimate the deformation intensity in damage zones; (2) calculate their most representative value within the cell domain; and (3) calculate the equivalent permeability of a cell containing oblique deformation bands. The workflow is applied to a 3D numerical model for the Santa Helena High in the Rio do Peixe Basin, NE Brazil. We performed streamline simulations in four models to evaluate the impact of fault damage zones and the fault core in fluid flow. Our models show that the fault core and damage zone negatively affected the performance of the reservoir.

Supplementary material
:
A description of the method developed to estimate the deformation intensity in damage zones and of the method developed to calculate the equivalent permeability are available at
https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.6251469
The Ordovician of the Middle East (Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan)
Authors: Ghobadi Pour Mansoureh , Popov Leonid E.
Published: October 2022

Ordovician studies in Iran have shown significant progress since the beginning of the century. A number of individual faunas have been documented and a biostratigraphical framework based on conodonts, chitinozoans, acritarchs and trilobites developed. Correlation of Ordovician successions with the International Chronostratigraphic Chart has been significantly improved, and the position of the series and stage boundaries can be recognized with greater precision. While geographical proximity to temperate latitude Gondwana is apparent for most Iranian terranes, biogeographical links of Alborz and Kopet-Dagh with South China prevailed through the Early–Middle Ordovician. In Pakistan, Ordovician deposits have a restricted distribution in the Karakorum block (Chitral). Here they are represented by the Yarkhun and Vidiakot formations with Floian–Darriwilian acritarchs, chitinozoans and early Darriwilian conodonts. In Peshawar District of the North-West Frontier Province, an Early–Middle Ordovician age is likely for the Misri Banda Quartzite with
Cruziana rugosa
trace fossils. It is overlain conformably by carbonates of the Panjpir Formation, which has an inferred Middle Ordovician–Silurian age. Presently available information on the Ordovician of Afghanistan is mostly based on reconnaissance studies performed almost half a century ago, and a few monographed Early and Late Ordovician faunas.
The Ordovician of the Korean Peninsula: a synthesis
Authors: Lee Jeong-Hyun , Hyun Cho Se , Choh Suk-Joo , Hong Jongsun , Lee Byung-Su , Lee Dong-Chan , Lee Dong-Jin , Lee Seung-Bae , Park Jino , Woo Jusun
Published: October 2022

The Ordovician succession of the Korean Peninsula is part of the Cambro-Ordovician Joseon Supergroup exposed in the Taebaeksan Basin of South Korea and the Pyeongnam Basin of North Korea. This review summarizes the advances made on these successions over the past two decades, focusing on the Taebaeksan Basin. The Ordovician succession in the Taebaeksan Basin comprises the Taebaek, Yeongwol, Yongtan, Pyeongchang and Mungyeong groups, of which the Taebaek and Yeongwol groups have been studied in detail. These strata are mixed carbonate–siliciclastic deposits formed in peritidal to deep-subtidal environments. Sedimentological and palaeontological studies show that the Korean Ordovician succession represents local variations of the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event, exemplified by reef evolution, changes in sedimentary systems and changes in invertebrate fossil assemblages. Recent studies of the Yongtan, Pyeongchang and Mungyeong groups have demonstrated that these units are important for understanding the tectonic evolution of the Taebaeksan Basin. The Ordovician strata in the Taebaek Group are generally similar to those of the Pyeongnam Basin and North China; however, the Upper Ordovician–Devonian strata between the two Korean basins show palaeontological affinities to those of South China, perhaps recording the Permo-Triassic collision between the Sino-Korean (North China) and South China blocks.
The Ordovician System in the Levant region (Middle East) and southern Turkey: review of depositional facies, fauna and stratigraphy
Authors: Elicki Olaf , Meischner Tim , Gürsu Semih , Ghienne Jean-François , Masri Ahmad , Moumani Khaled Ali , Demircan Huriye
Published: October 2022

This contribution addresses the current state of knowledge of the mainly siliciclastic Ordovician rocks in Jordan, Syria and southern Turkey, including advances in palaeontology, stratigraphy, depositional facies analysis and supra-regional correlation.

The extensive and excellent exposures of the sedimentary succession in southern Jordan represent the regional reference for the Ordovician System in the southern Levant. We discuss the sedimentological and faunal characteristics as well as the stratigraphy and correlation of the succession. For the northern Levant (especially southeastern Turkey) and the western and eastern Taurides, the Ordovician succession and an updated sedimentary architecture is explained, and a comprehensive correlation for the region is presented. Increased knowledge on the fossil content from these regions enables correlation across the southern parts of the Arabian Plate to southern Turkey, and with the greater Gondwanan regions, far field as southwestern Europe and northern Africa. The depositional environments in the southern and northern Levant and southern Turkey encompass non-marine to shallow-marine areas in the lower part of the Ordovician that are followed upsection by shelf deposits of variable proximity up to the glacial episode in the Late Ordovician that is traceable in each of the areas. Characteristic signals in the Ordovician succession are represented by the trans-regional early Darriwilian unconformity and by the base of the Hirnantian glacial-related deposits followed by lower Silurian strata, visible across the entire region. New data from zircon-based provenance analysis clearly implicate the Arabian Shield as the main source of a huge amount of the clastic detritus within the Ordovician succession. In the course of the entire Cambrian–Ordovician interval, progressive deeper erosion of the Arabian Shield occurred. Sediment sources from regions farther away indicate long time of exposure and resedimentation, and some long-distance transportation, but their sedimentary influence was only of minor extent. The excellent outcrops mainly in southern Jordan, in southeastern Turkey and in the Taurides represent potential regions for further research.
Intelligent futures in task assistance
Authors: White Ryen W.
Published: October 2022

Applying lessons learned developing and deploying task management software.
Hummingbird
Authors: Narayana Sujay , Prasad R. Venkatesha , Rao Vijay S. , Mottola Luca , Prabhakar T. V.
Published: October 2022

Global positioning system (GPS) is the most widely adopted localization technique for satellites in low earth orbits (LEOs). To enable many state-of-the-art applications on satellites, the exact position of the satellites is necessary. With the increasing demand for small satellites, the need for a low-power GPS for satellites is also increasing. However, building low-power GPS receivers for small satellites poses significant challenges, mainly due to the high speeds (~7.8 km/s) of satellites and low available energy. While duty cycling the receiver is a possible solution, the high relative Doppler shift among the GPS satellites and the small satellite contributes to an increase in Time to First Fix (TTFF), which negatively impacts energy consumption. Further, if the satellite tumbles, the GPS receiver may not be able to receive signals properly from the GPS satellites, thus leading to an even longer TTFF. In the worst case, the situation may result in no GPS fix due to disorientation of the receiver antenna. In this work, we elucidate the design of a low-cost, low-power GPS receiver for small satellites. We also propose an energy optimization algorithm to improve the TTFF. With the extensive evaluation of our GPS receiver on an operational nanosatellite, we show that up to 96.16% of energy savings can be achieved using our algorithm without significantly compromising (~10 m) the positioning accuracy.
Go backward, save energy
Authors: Edwards Chris
Published: October 2022

Reversible computing principles point a way toward more efficient computers.
Connect API with Blockchain: A Survey on Blockchain Oracle Implementation
Authors: Pasdar Amirmohammad , Lee Young Choon , Dong Zhongli
Published: October 2022

A blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology where transactions as data state changes are permanently recorded securely and transparently without the need for third parties. Besides, introducing smart contracts to the blockchain has added programmability, revolutionizing the software ecosystem toward decentralized applications. Although promising, the usability of smart contracts is primarily limited to on-chain data without access to the external systems (i.e., off-chain) where real-world data and events reside. This
connectability
to off-chain data for smart contracts and blockchain is an open practical problem referred to as the “oracle problem” and is defined as how real-world data can be transferred into/from the blockchain. Hence,
Blockchain oracles
are introduced and implemented in the form of application programming interfaces connecting the real world to the blockchain for mitigating such a limitation. This article studies and analyzes how blockchain oracles provide final feedback (i.e., outcome) to smart contracts and survey blockchain oracle technologies and mechanisms regarding data integrity and correctness. Since the existing solutions are extensive in terms of characteristics and usage, we investigate their structure and principles by classifying the blockchain oracle implementation techniques into two major groups voting-based strategies and reputation-based ones. The former mainly relies on participants’ stakes for outcome finalization, while the latter considers reputation and performance metrics in conjunction with authenticity-proof mechanisms for data correctness and integrity. We present the result of this classification with a thorough discussion of the state of the art and provide the remaining challenges and future research directions in the end.