bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Allometric relations between DBH and sapwood area for predicting stand transpiration: lessons learned from the Quercus genus
Authors: Schoppach R. , Chun K. P. , Klaus J.
Published: March 2023

Catchment-scale transpiration is commonly determined by the use of sap-flow sensors, and its quantification, which is critical for water and forest management, relies crucially on the total catchment’s sapwood area (As). Species-specific allometric relationships between the trees As and the trees diameter at breast height (DBH) are widely used for determining stand or catchment As. However, substantial differences between studies challenge the robustness of these relationships between sites displaying various topographical and environmental characteristics. Our objectives for this study are to compare the parameters of these relationships between species of the Quercus genus from different sites across the globe and to test the role of topographical factors on the As-DBH relationship in Quercus petraea. Using 145 trees sampled within a 0.455 km2 catchment, we found that topography (slope, flow accumulation, aspect, curvature, and topographic wetness index) does not modulate the As-DBH relationship in Q. petraea, within our catchment. We compared our curve parameters with those from 16 studies on oak trees and found that the As-DBH relationship is not only species-specific, but depends on the site’s conditions. The use of species-specific parameters from other sites may lead to more than 100% difference in the calculation of As, and therefore in forest transpiration. In the light of these results, we recommend building site- and species-specific As-DBH relationships for determining stand or catchment transpiration, using a minimum of nine, randomly sampled trees, and different methods and azimuthal directions for determining sapwood depth.
Health promotion for families with parental alcohol addiction: a systematic review
Authors: Kuschick Doreen , Kuck Joachim , Pachanov Alexander , Geene Raimund
Published: March 2023

Aim

Alcohol-related illnesses represent a major burden and challenge to families and pose health risks for all involved. Therefore, health promotion attempts need to focus on these vulnerable families and identify effective interventions. A systematic review was conducted of approaches to health promotion and prevention and their effectiveness for families with addiction concerns. The review focused on parental alcohol dependency.

Subject and methods

A systematic search of relevant databases was conducted, followed by a multistep screening process and a narrative synthesis of results.

Results

A total of 20 studies were included that evaluated 14 intervention programmes. The main target group was children with any form of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and their caregivers. The study sample was dominated by behavioural approaches. The evidence base was heterogeneous. There was limited evidence of the effectiveness of combined counselling and coaching interventions that aimed to strengthen psychosocial resources.

Conclusion

The robustness of the results is limited by the moderate methodological quality of the studies. Because of the search strategy, which focused on studies with outcomes for parents with alcohol dependence, and the systematic review methodology, almost all studies reviewed featured behavioural prevention interventions. Very few studies provided specific information on the effectiveness of interventions for alcohol-dependent parents with a focus on environmental changes. The selected approach provided a limited mapping of the field of interest. However, these review findings provide the foundation for an evidence-based approach to health promotion for families with parental alcohol dependence.
Effects of surrounding landscape on the performance of Solidago canadensis L. and plant functional diversity on heavily invaded post-agricultural wastelands
Authors: Czortek Patryk , Królak Elżbieta , Borkowska Lidia , Bielecka Aleksandra
Published: March 2023

High invasiveness and well-documented negative impact on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning makeSolidago canadensisL. a species of global concern. Despite a good understanding of the driving factors of its invasions, it remains unclear how the surrounding landscape may shape invasion success of this species in human-transformed ecosystems. In our study, we investigated the impacts of different landscape features in the proximity of early successional wastelands onS. canadensisbiomass allocation patterns. Further, we examined the relationships between the surrounding landscape,S. canadensiscover, and plant functional diversity, used as a supportive approach for the explanation of mechanisms underlying successfulS. canadensisinvasion. We found that increasing river net length had positive impacts onS. canadensisrhizome, stem, and total above ground biomass, but negative effects on leaf biomass, indicating that vegetative spread may perform the dominant role in shaping the competitiveness of this invader in riverine landscapes. A higher proportion of arable lands positively influencedS. canadensisabove ground and flower biomass; thus promotingS. canadensisinvasion in agricultural landscapes with the prominent role of habitat filtering in shaping vegetation structure. Concerning an increasing proportion of settlements, flower biomass was higher and leaf biomass was lower, thereby influencingS. canadensisreproductive potential, maximizing the odds for survival, and indicating high adaptability to exist in an urban landscape. We demonstrated high context-dependency of relationships between functional diversity components and surrounding landscape, strongly influenced byS. canadensiscover, while the effects of surrounding landscape composition per se were of lower importance. Investigating the relationships between the surrounding landscape, invasive species performance, and plant functional diversity, may constitute a powerful tool for the monitoring, controlling, and predicting of invasion progress, as well as the assessment of ecosystem invasibility.
Upper bounds for the product of element orders of finite groups
Authors: Di Domenico Elena , Monetta Carmine , Noce Marialaura
Published: March 2023

Let G be a finite group of order n, and denote by $$\rho (G)$$

ρ
(
G
)

the product of element orders of G. The aim of this work is to provide some upper bounds for $$\rho (G)$$

ρ
(
G
)

depending only on n and on its least prime divisor, when G belongs to some classes of non-cyclic groups.
What Are You Worried About? Content and Extent of Worry in Autistic Adults
Authors: Black Melissa H. , Greenwood Dana L. , Hwa Jerome Choo Chen , Pivac Jacqueline , Tang Jessica , Clarke Patrick J. F.
Published: March 2023

Autistic adults commonly experience anxiety and worry, although knowledge on how worry presents and the content, extent, and experiences among autistic adults is limited. A convergent parallel mixed-methods approach was used to explore the presentation and experiences of worry in autistic and non-autistic adults. Quantitative surveys were used to compare the content and extent of worry in autistic adults to non-autistic adults, with semi-structured interviews also conducted with autistic adults to gain a deeper understanding of the experiences, impacts and content of worry in autistic adults. Findings indicated that autistic adults demonstrated clinically significant levels of worry which were substantially higher than non-autistic adults. Autistic adults described worry as a cycle of negative thoughts impacting their daily life. Findings indicate that autistic adults may worry more than non-autistic adults, impacting on participation in activities of daily living, sleep, and mental health.
Synthesis and characterization of InP quantum dots for photovoltaics applications
Authors: Lasheen Dina , Fathy Marwa , Othman Hossam Awad , Elkholy Meawad Mohamed , Kashyout Abd El Hady B.
Published: March 2023

In this article, InP quantum dots (QDs) are synthesized with a green methodology. The preparation of the InP QDs is demonstrated by varying the ratios of the precursors used such as InCl3 and trioctylphosphine (TOP). These QDs are fabricated through the application of TOP (as phosphorous source and reducing agent for the In salt) for forming indium and to develop the targeted InP QDs, which are characterized using HRTEM, XRD, PL, FTIR, UV–Vis, and time resolved spectroscopy. A rapid reaction time (~ 30 min) procedure in a single pot at a temperature of ~ 310 °C is developed. InP QDs with particle sizes varying from 4 to 6 nm have been measured with different concentrations of InCl3 and TOP. InP QDs yield reached 23%. Zincblende crystal structure is recognized for InP with high orientation plane of (220) as confirmed with XRD and confirmed with SAED. Solar cell devices are built by anchoring the InP QDs onto a TiO2 layer and measure the photovoltaic performance and spectral response of the device built on FTO/glass substrate. TiO2/InP QDs solar cell devices are fabricated with high fill factor of 0.86 and open circuit voltage value of 501 mV and overall efficiency of 0.48%.
The X-ray Structures of 2- and 3-Sulfolene and Two Halogenated Derivatives
Authors: Aitken R. Alan , Slawin Alexandra M. Z. , Sonecha Dheirya K.
Published: March 2023

The structures of the isomeric 2,5-dihydrothiophene 1,1-dioxide [orthorhombic, a = 11.340(2), b = 7.0887(15), c = 6.2811(13) Å, space group Pnma] and 2,3-dihydrothiophene 1,1-dioxide [orthorhombic, a = 6.3903(13), b = 7.2783(16), c = 11.075(2) Å, space group Pnma] have been determined and show perfectly planar rings with the expected bond lengths and angles. In contrast, the halogenated derivatives 3,3,4,4-tetrachlorotetrahydrothiophene 1,1-dioxide [monoclinic, a = 11.8716(8), b = 6.5579(4), c = 11.4802(8) Å, β = 97.705(17), space group P21/c] and 2,3-dibromotetrahydrothiophene 1,1-dioxide [orthorhombic, a = 5.2502(3), b = 11.3561(6), c = 24.9802(17) Å, space group Pbca] both show twisted conformations. The degree of planarity is compared with that in the structures of comparable 5-membered ring cyclic sulfones and C–H…O hydrogen bonding patterns are discussed for all four structures.

Graphical Abstract

The two isomeric sulfolenes are perfectly planar while tetrachloro- and dibromo-derivatives adopt twisted structures.
Traveling with TARDIS. Parameterization and transferability in molecular modeling and simulation
Authors: Lenhard Johannes , Hasse Hans
Published: March 2023

The English language has adopted the word Tardis for something that looks simple from the outside but is much more complicated when inspected from the inside. The word comes from a BBC science fiction series, in which the Tardis is a machine for traveling in time and space, that looks like a phone booth from the outside. This paper claims that simulation models are a Tardis in a way that calls into question their transferability. The argument is developed taking Molecular Modeling and Simulation as an example. There, simulation models are force fields that describe the molecular interactions and that look like simple and highly modular mathematical expressions. To make them work, they contain parameters that are adjusted to match certain data. The role of these parameters and the way they are obtained is seriously under-appreciated. It is constitutive for the model and central for its applicability and performance. Hence, the model is more than it seems so that working with adjustable parameters deeply affects the ontology of simulation models. This is particularly crucial for the transferability of the models: the information on how a model was trained is like luggage the model must carry on its voyage.
Incorporating Functional Response Time Effects into a Signal Detection Theory Model
Authors: Cho Sun-Joo , Brown-Schmidt Sarah , Paul De Boeck , Naveiras Matthew , Yoon Si On , Benjamin Aaron
Published: March 2023

Signal detection theory (SDT; Tanner & Swets in Psychological Review 61:401–409, 1954) is a dominant modeling framework used for evaluating the accuracy of diagnostic systems that seek to distinguish signal from noise in psychology. Although the use of response time data in psychometric models has increased in recent years, the incorporation of response time data into SDT models remains a relatively underexplored approach to distinguishing signal from noise. Functional response time effects are hypothesized in SDT models, based on findings from other related psychometric models with response time data. In this study, an SDT model is extended to incorporate functional response time effects using smooth functions and to include all sources of variability in SDT model parameters across trials, participants, and items in the experimental data. The extended SDT model with smooth functions is formulated as a generalized linear mixed-effects model and implemented in the gamm4R package. The extended model is illustrated using recognition memory data to understand how conversational language is remembered. Accuracy of parameter estimates and the importance of modeling variability in detecting the experimental condition effects and functional response time effects are shown in conditions similar to the empirical data set via a simulation study. In addition, the type 1 error rate of the test for a smooth function of response time is evaluated.
The potential effect of Moringa oleifera ethanolic leaf extract against oxidative stress, immune response disruption induced by abamectin exposure in Oreochromis niloticus
Authors: Reda Rasha M. , Helmy Rania M. A. , Osman Ali , Ahmed Farag A. Gh. , Kotb Gamila A. M. , El-Fattah Amir H. Abd
Published: March 2023

Abamectin (ABM), a naturally fermented product of Streptomyces avermitilis, is applied to pest control in livestock and agriculture fields. The aim of the current study is to evaluate the protective effects of Moringa oleifera leaf ethanolic extract (MOE) on biochemical changes including oxidative stress indices, immune response marker, lipid profiles as well as mRNA expression of immune related genes, and abamectin (ABM, 5% EC) residue levels in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) exposed to a sub-lethal concentration (0.5 µg/l) for 28 days. Disturbance in liver and kidney biomarkers was markedly increased in ABM-exposed fish compared to the control group. Malondialdehyde levels in the liver and brain tissues, as well as the activities of glutathione-s-transferase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxides, all increased significantly in ABM group. Additionally, ABM exposure increased the levels of interleukin 10 beta and growth factor gene expression. On the other hand, fish exposed to ABM had significantly lower serum alkaline phosphatase, creatinine, high-density lipoprotein, glutathione peroxides in brain, glutathione in liver and brain tissues, lysozyme activity, nitric oxide, immunoglobulin M, tumor necrosis factor, and interleukin 1 beta as compared to the control group. The recorded detrimental effects of ABM on tilapia have been overcome by the addition of MOE to the diet (1%) and ameliorating hepato-renal damage and enhancing antioxidant activity, innate immune responses, and upregulating the anti-inflammatory gene expression. Therefore, it could be concluded that MOE dietary supplementation at 1% could be used to counteract the oxidative stress, immune response disruption induced by abamectin exposure in Oreochromis niloticus, and reduce its accumulation in fish tissues.
Financial strain, neighborhood cohesion, and health-related quality of life among rural and urban Spanish-speaking Latina breast cancer survivors
Authors: Santoyo-Olsson Jasmine , Stewart Anita L. , Nápoles Anna María
Published: March 2023

Purpose

Among Latina breast cancer survivors, explore
associations between rural/urban residence and health-related quality of life (HRQL), and whether associations are moderated by financial strain and low neighborhood cohesion.

Methods

We combined baseline data from two randomized controlled trials of a stress management intervention conducted among 151 urban and 153 rural dwelling Latinas with nonmetastatic breast cancer. Generalized linear models estimated associations between rural/urban status and HRQL (overall, emotional, social-family, physical, and functional well-being), and we examined moderation effects of financial strain and low neighborhood cohesion, controlling for age, marital status, and breast cancer characteristics.

Results

Rural women reported better emotional (β = 1.85; 95% CI = 0.37, 3.33), functional (β = 2.23; 95% CI = 0.69, 3.77), and overall (β = 5.68; 95% CI = 1.12, 10.25) well-being than urban women, regardless of degree of financial strain or neighborhood cohesion; moderation effects were not statistically significant. Financial strain was inversely associated with emotional (β = -2.34; 95% CI = 3.63, -1.05), physical (β = -2.56; 95% CI = -4.12, -1.01), functional (β = -1.61; 95% CI = -2.96, -0.26), and overall (β = -6.67; 95% CI = -10.96, -2.98) well-being. Low neighborhood cohesion was inversely associated with emotional (β = -1.27; 95% CI = -2.50, -0.04), social-family (β = -1.72; 95% CI = -3.02, -0.42), functional (β = -1.63; 95% CI = -2.92, -0.34), and overall (β = -5.95; 95% CI = 9.76, -2.14) well-being.

Conclusions

Rural Latina breast cancer survivors reported better emotional, functional and overall well-being than their urban counterparts. Greater financial strain and less neighborhood cohesion were associated with worse HRQL on most domains regardless of rural/urban context.

Implications for Cancer Survivors

Interventions that focus on increasing perceived neighborhood cohesion and reducing or better managing financial strain, could help improve Latina cancer survivors’ well-being.
Human Cytomegalovirus IE2 Disrupts Neural Progenitor Development and Induces Microcephaly in Transgenic Mouse
Authors: Niu Delei , Zhang Xianjuan , Zhang Shuyun , Fan Tianyu , Zhou Xiaoqiong , Wang Hui , Zhang Xueming , Nan Fulong , Jiang Shasha , Liu Fengjun , Wang Yunyang , Wang Bin
Published: March 2023

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a significant contributor to congenital birth defects. Limited by the lack of animal models, the pathogenesis of neurological damage in vivo caused by HCMV infection and the role of individual viral genes remain to be elucidated. Immediate early (IE2) protein may play a function in neurodevelopmental problems caused by HCMV infection. Here, this study intended to investigate IE2’s long-term effects on development of the brain in IE2-expressing transgenic mice (Rosa26-LSL-IE2+/−, Camk2α-Cre) aimed to observe the phenotype of postnatal mice. The expression of IE2 in transgenic mice was confirmed by PCR and Western blot technology. We collected mouse brain tissue at 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 days postpartum to analyze the developmental process of neural stem cells by immunofluorescence. We discovered that transgenic mice (Rosa26-LSL-IE2+/−, Camk2α-Cre) can reliably produce IE2 in the brain at various postpartum phases. Furthermore, we also observed the symptoms of microcephaly in postnatal transgenic mice, and IE2 can damage the amount of neural stem cells, prevent them from proliferating and differentiating, and activate microglia and astrocytes, creating an unbalanced environment in the brain’s neurons. In conclusion, we demonstrate that long-term expression of HCMV-IE2 can cause microcephaly through molecular mechanisms affecting the differentiation and development of neural stem cells in vivo. This work establishes a theoretical and experimental foundation for elucidating the molecular mechanism of fetal microcephaly brought by HCMV infection in throughout the period of neural development of pregnancy.

Graphical Abstract
Is Another kind of Biologization Possible? On Biology and the psy Sciences
Authors: Brinkmann Svend , Birk Rasmus , Lund Peter Clement
Published: March 2023

The relationship between biology and the psy disciplines (psychology, psychiatry, and psychotherapy) is a complex one. Many scholars have criticized how these disciplines have been biologized in the 20th century, especially since the emergence of psychopharmacology, neuroscience, and genetic research. However, biology is not just a laboratory-based science of chemical compounds, scanners, and DNA sequencing, but also a field science based on observations of organisms in their milieus. In this paper, we draw a contrast between laboratory-based biology with a focus on brains and genes, and an ecology-based biology with a focus on lives and niches. Our argument is philosophical in nature – building partly on Wittgenstein as a “philosopher of life” – to the effect that the psy sciences need not just less biologization of the former kind, but also more biologization of the latter kind to avoid a prevalent mentalism. Not least when it comes to an understanding of psychological distress, which can favorably be viewed situationally and coupled to human lives in ecological niches.
Development of SLO KARST Near Fault Observatory site in SW Slovenia
Authors: Šebela Stanka , Tasič Izidor , Pahor Jurij , Mali Marko , Novak Uroš , Năpăruş-Aljančič Magdalena
Published: March 2023

The project RI-SI-EPOS (Research Infrastructure-Slovenia-European Plate Observing System) provided new scientific equipment for solid Earth science related to geology, seismology, geodesy and karstology. Karst research infrastructure is primarily used at the SLO KARST NFO (Near Fault Observatory) developing site. The area covers ~ 2600 km2 and is one of the most seismically active areas in SW Slovenia. It consists mostly of karstified Mesozoic carbonate rocks and partly of non-karstified Eocene flysch. The landscape has numerous karst features including caves, poljes, dolines, uvalas, karst springs, ponors and periodic karst lakes, with typical karst underground water drainage. Site development commenced with the installation of seven temporary seismic stations in the area, along with other geoscience equipment (gravimeter, 3D laser terrestrial scanner, GNSS antenna, TM72 extensometers, spectrometer for methane and drone), deployed in 2020. With the new dense seismic network, locations and other seismic parameters are already determined more reliably than in the past, contributing to a better understanding of active tectonic deformations at the junction between the seismically active Friuli region (Italy) and the Zagreb–Petrinja area (Croatia). The new solid Earth Geoscience research infrastructure is already collecting a big amount of data following the FAIR principles (making data Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable) aiming to be included in the national and international research databases. Here, the first results from the newly operating SLO KARST NFO temporary seismic network (May 2020–June 2021) are discussed.
High-resolution entry and exit surface dosimetry in a 1.5 T MR-linac
Authors: Patterson E. , Stokes P. , Cutajar D. , Rosenfeld A. , Baines J. , Metcalfe P. , Powers M.
Published: March 2023

The magnetic field of a transverse MR-linac alters electron trajectories as the photon beam transits through materials, causing lower doses at flat entry surfaces and increased doses at flat beam-exiting surfaces. This study investigated the response of a MOSFET detector, known as the MOSkin™, for high-resolution surface and near-surface percentage depth dose measurements on an Elekta Unity. Simulations with Geant4 and the Monaco treatment planning system (TPS), and EBT-3 film measurements, were also performed for comparison. Measured MOSkin™ entry surface doses, relative to Dmax, were (9.9 ± 0.2)%, (10.1 ± 0.3)%, (11.3 ± 0.6)%, (12.9 ± 1.0)%, and (13.4 ± 1.0)% for 1 × 1 cm2, 3 × 3 cm2, 5 × 5 cm2, 10 × 10 cm2, and 22 × 22 cm2 fields, respectively. For the investigated fields, the maximum percent differences of Geant4, TPS, and film doses extrapolated and interpolated to a depth suitable for skin dose assessment at the beam entry, relative to MOSkin™ measurements at an equivalent depth were 1.0%, 2.8%, and 14.3%, respectively, and at a WED of 199.67 mm at the beam exit, 3.2%, 3.7% and 5.7%, respectively. The largest measured increase in exit dose, due to the electron return effect, was 15.4% for the 10 × 10 cm2 field size using the MOSkin™ and 17.9% for the 22 × 22 cm2 field size, using Geant4 calculations. The results presented in the study validate the suitability of the MOSkin™ detector for transverse MR-linac surface dosimetry.
Global change effects on biogeochemical mercury cycling
Authors: Sonke Jeroen E. , Angot Hélène , Zhang Yanxu , Poulain Alexandre , Björn Erik , Schartup Amina
Published: March 2023

Past and present anthropogenic mercury (Hg) release to ecosystems causes neurotoxicity and cardiovascular disease in humans with an estimated economic cost of $117 billion USD annually. Humans are primarily exposed to Hg via the consumption of contaminated freshwater and marine fish. The UNEP Minamata Convention on Hg aims to curb Hg release to the environment and is accompanied by global Hg monitoring efforts to track its success. The biogeochemical Hg cycle is a complex cascade of release, dispersal, transformation and bio-uptake processes that link Hg sources to Hg exposure. Global change interacts with the Hg cycle by impacting the physical, biogeochemical and ecological factors that control these processes. In this review we examine how global change such as biome shifts, deforestation, permafrost thaw or ocean stratification will alter Hg cycling and exposure. Based on past declines in Hg release and environmental levels, we expect that future policy impacts should be distinguishable from global change effects at the regional and global scales.
4D printing parameters optimisation for bi-stable soft robotic gripper design
Authors: Zolfagharian Ali , Lakhi Mohammad , Ranjbar Sadegh , Sayah Irani Morteza , Nafea Marwan , Bodaghi Mahdi
Published: March 2023

Four-dimensional (4D) printing is an emerging additive manufacturing (AM) technology that adds a time-dependent reconfiguration dimension to three-dimensional (3D) printed products. It enables the creation of on-demand, dynamically controllable shapes, or properties in response to external stimuli such as temperature, magnetic field, and light. Thermally responsive structures are among the most popular types of currently available 4D-printed structures due to their convenience. However, applications like soft robots are hindered by the temperature-sensitive structures' stagnating actuation. This research was driven by a requirement for a rapid and effective design and optimisation strategy for 4D-printed bi-stable thermally responsive structures for use in soft robotics. In this study, the response surface method (RSM) optimization with the aid of numerical solutions was used to investigate effective parameters in the design of a bi-stable, 4D-printed soft robotic gripper. This approach is proposed to accelerate the actuation of thermally responsive shape-morphing structures that can be controlled by the in situ strains and post-manufacturing heat stimuli as variable parameters. By using RSM solution the individual effects as well as the coupling effects of variable parameters on the output responses, including the maximum strain energy and the average distance between the clamps of the structure, are evaluated. The obtained results can be employed to develop the designation and improve the acceleration of soft robotic grippers such as fast buckling and bending, which is desirable for soft robotic applications.

Graphical abstract
A distribution information sharing federated learning approach for medical image data
Authors: Zhao Leiyang , Huang Jianjun
Published: March 2023

In recent years, federated learning has been believed to play a considerable role in cross-silo scenarios (e.g., medical institutions) due to its privacy-preserving properties. However, the non-IID problem in federated learning between medical institutions is common, which degrades the performance of traditional federated learning algorithms. To overcome the performance degradation problem, a novelty distribution information sharing federated learning approach (FedDIS) to medical image classification is proposed that reduce non-IIDness across clients by generating data locally at each client with shared medical image data distribution from others while protecting patient privacy. First, a variational autoencoder (VAE) is federally trained, of which the encoder is uesd to map the local original medical images into a hidden space, and the distribution information of the mapped data in the hidden space is estimated and then shared among the clients. Second, the clients augment a new set of image data based on the received distribution information with the decoder of VAE. Finally, the clients use the local dataset along with the augmented dataset to train the final classification model in a federated learning manner. Experiments on the diagnosis task of Alzheimer’s disease MRI dataset and the MNIST data classification task show that the proposed method can significantly improve the performance of federated learning under non-IID cases.
Effect of reprocessing on neutrons of a molten chloride salt fast reactor
Authors: He Liao-Yuan , Cui Yong , Chen Liang , Xia Shao-Peng , Hu Lin-Yi , Zou Yang , Yan Rui
Published: March 2023

Due to their unique features, such as the inherent safety, simplified fuel cycle, and continuous on-line reprocessing, molten salt reactors (MSRs) are regarded as one of the six reference reactors in the Generation IV International Forum (GEN-IV). Molten chloride salt fast reactors (MCFRs) are a type of MSR. Compared to molten fluoride salt reactors (MFSRs), MCFRs have a higher solubility of heavy metal atoms, a harder neutron spectrum, lower accumulation of fission products (FPs), and better breeding and transmutation performance. Thus, MCFRs have been recognized as a type of MSR with great prospects for future development. However, as the most important feature for MSRs, the effect of different reprocessing modes on MCFRs must be researched in depth. As such, this study investigated the effect of different isotopes, especially FPs, on the neutronic performance of an MCFR, such as its breeding performance. Furthermore, the characteristics of the different reprocessing modes and MCFR rates were analyzed in terms of safety, radioactivity level, neutron economy, and breeding capacity. In the end, a reprocessing method suitable for MCFRs was determined through calculation and analysis, which provides a reference for the further research of MCFRs.
Investigating key principles for the design of virtual interactions for children that can support the development of oral language through play
Authors: Turner Emma , Mantei Jessica , Kervin Lisa
Published: March 2023

It is well established in Australian research and policy literature that children attending schools in regional, rural, and remote locations will benefit from access not only to experiences and interactions offered in their own communities but also to the sorts of experiences available to those in more populated areas of Australia as well. Virtual interactions afforded by technology are an obvious solution to achieving this access by enabling Australian classrooms to be increasingly connected. However, with the plethora on offer and little oversight of their quality, literacy educators are left to sift and sort through volumes of virtual interactions and to make decisions regarding their capacity to promote the development of oral language through play. Using a design-based research approach, this study aimed to identify in research literature key principles for the design of virtual interactions for children that can support the development of oral language through play and test them against those currently on offer. The study confirmed the value of virtual interactions as rich sources for learning that offered shared experiences built on language interactions between creators and users and giving access to new information where learning is scaffolded and understandings can be transferred from virtual to real contexts. The study also identified personal advantages that access to new physical geographies within virtual interactions can offer to those in regional, rural, and remote communities.
Reflections on the Data Governance Act
Authors: Ruohonen Jukka , Mickelsson Sini
Published: March 2023

The European Union (EU) has been pursuing a new strategy under the umbrella label of digital sovereignty. Data is an important element in this strategy. To this end, a specific Data Governance Act was enacted in 2022. This new regulation builds upon two ideas: reuse of data held by public sector bodies and voluntary sharing of data under the label of data altruism. This short commentary reviews the main content of the new regulation. Based on the review, a few points are also raised about potential challenges.
Fertilizing the soil: FinTech development and corporate digital transformation
Authors: Chen Shiyi , Li Shihan , Liu Qingfu , Wang Chuanjie
Published: March 2023

The FinTech development is expected to provide fertile soil for corporate digital transformation. Using the corporate digital transformation index creatively constructed in this paper, we verify that the development of regional financial technology can significantly promote corporate digital transformation, including digital technology and digital application. We find that the mechanisms mainly include easing financing constraints, improving the number and proportion of high-tech talents, and promoting enterprises to carry out more R&D activities. Further analysis shows that, the positive effect is more pronounced in private enterprises with better performance and lower capital expenditure. Our results provide evidence for the relationship between the financial sector and digital transformation.
Extraction and applications of Rayleigh wave ellipticity in polar regions
Authors: Jones Glenn A. , Kulessa Bernd , Ferreira Ana M. G. , Schimmel Martin , Berbellini Andrea , Morelli Andrea
Published: March 2023

Seismic Rayleigh wave ellipticity measurements are the horizontal-to-vertical ratio of the Rayleigh wave particle motion, and are sensitive to the subsurface structure beneath a seismic station. H/V ratios measured from the ambient vibrations of the Earth are being increasingly used in glaciological applications to determine glacier and ice sheet thickness, seismic velocities and firn properties. Using the newly developed degree-of-polarisation (DOP-E) method which exploits the polarisation properties of seismic noise, we identify and extract Rayleigh waves from seismic stations in Greenland, and relate them to sea ice processes and the geology of the upper crust. Finally, we provide some suggestions for future applications of DOP-E method to gain greater insight into seasonal and long-term variability of sea ice formation and breakup as well as the monitoring of ice sheet thickness, subglacial environment and firn layers in the poles.
Filial Piety across Legal Systems: Analysing the Influence of Traditional Chinese Legal Culture of Property in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China
Authors: Hung Alvin Hoi-Chun
Published: March 2023

This article explores and compares the influence of traditional Chinese legal culture of property on contemporary Chinese societies of Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China, who share the same legal cultural heritage but have developed different legal systems under different socio-political environment. These three jurisdictions now proclaim adherence to Westernised legal principles of private property and individual ownership. But in Confucian-dominated traditional China where family was the core societal unit, property was recognised for their collective value, and ownership was structured in network ties of relationships to preserve filial-piety-based sociomoral order. Such property practices and norms form an integral part of traditional Chinese legal culture. By examining the approaches in which customary property-holding practices have been codified, and the reasoning made by courts in parent-child property disputes, this article unveils the interpretive and adaptive ingenuity in which the three Chinese societies embrace Confucian ethos and traditional Chinese legal culture. The article suggests that the differences with the ways divergence between state-imposed systems and social norms are handled may be explained by the nature of legal systems, and that the courts of the three jurisdictions, as they apply Westernised prescripts, display similar tendency to treat belonging and kinship as central components of property.
Remedy and Accountability a Decade after the Marikana Massacre
Authors: Vives-Gabriel Jordi , van der Merwe Hugo
Published: March 2023

August 16th, 2022 marked the 10th anniversary of the Marikana Massacre in Rustenburg, South Africa. This was the worst incident of mass killing by police since the Sharpeville Massacre in 1960 in the heyday of the Apartheid regime. In the first days of August 2012, workers at Lonmin plc, a platinum group metals mining company, went on a wildcat strike demanding a minimum salary of 12500 Rand, circa 800 USD, per month and protesting against the poor living conditions they and their families where subjected to in the Marikana vicinity, an area 100 km north of Johannesburg where the mine is located. As days passed, tension escalated leading to the killing of ten people, including three non-striking workers, two security guards, three striking workers, and two police officers. Various attempts to facilitate negotiations with striking workers were turned down by Lonmin management. Instead, Lonmin managers actively engaged in communications with senior political leaders, police officers, and state mining officials to frame the situation as one that required strong and decisive police intervention.1
Direct to Angiosuite in Acute Stroke with Mobile Stroke Unit
Authors: Nair Radhika , Rempel Jeremy , Khan Khurshid , Jeerakathil Thomas , Van Dijk Rene , Buck Brian H. , Kate Mahesh P. , Thirunavukkarasu Sibi , Gilbertson Kimberly , Thermalingem Sathvika , Shuaib Ashfaq
Published: March 2023

Background:

Early reperfusion has the best likelihood for a favorable outcome in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) with large vessel occlusion (LVO). Our experience with mobile stroke unit (MSU) for direct to angiosuite (DTAS) transfer in AIS patients with suspected LVO is presented.

Methods:

Retrospective review of prospectively collected data from November 2019 to August 2022, of patients evaluated and transferred by the University of Alberta Hospital MSU and moved to angiosuite for endovascular thrombectomy (EVT).

Result:

A total of 41 cases were included. Nine were chosen for DTAS and 32 were shifted to angiosuite after stopping for computed tomography (CT) angiography of the head and neck (no-DTAS). Stroke severity measured by NIHSS (median with interquartile range (IQR)) was higher in patients of DTAS, 22 (14–24) vs 14.5 (5–25) in no-DTAS (p = 0.001). The non-contrast CT head in MSU showed hyperdense vessels in 8 (88.88%) DTAS vs 11 (34.35%) no-DTAS patients (p = 0.003). The EVT timelines (median with IQR, 90th percentile) including “door to artery puncture time” were 31 (23–50, 49.2) vs 79 (39–264, 112.8) minutes, and “door to recanalization time” was 69 (49–110, 93.2) vs 105.5 (52–178, 159.5) minutes in DTAS vs no-DTAS group, respectively. The workflow times were significantly shorter in the DTAS group (p < 0.001). Eight (88.88%) out of 9 DTAS patients had LVO and underwent thrombectomy.

Conclusions:

MSU for DTAS in patients with high NIHSS scores, cortical signs, and CT showing hyperdense vessel is an effective strategy to reduce the EVT workflow time.
What Do Incels Want? Explaining Incel Violence Using Beauvoirian Otherness
Authors: Melo Lopes Filipa
Published: March 2023

In recent years, online “involuntary celibate” or “incel” communities have been linked to various deadly attacks targeting women. Why do these men react to romantic rejection with not just disappointment, but murderous rage? Feminists have claimed this is because incels desire women as objects or, alternatively, because they feel entitled to women's attention. I argue that both of these explanatory models are insufficient. They fail to account for incels’ distinctive ambivalence toward women—for their oscillation between obsessive desire and violent hatred. I propose instead that what incels want is a Beauvoirian “Other.” For Beauvoir, when men conceive of women as Others, they represent them as simultaneously human subjects and embodiments of the natural world. Women function then as sui generis entities through which men can experience themselves as praiseworthy heroes, regardless of the quality of their actions. I go on to give an illustrative analysis of Elliot Rodger's autobiographical manifesto, “My Twisted World.” I show how this Beauvoirian model sheds light on Rodger's racist and classist attitudes and gives us a better understanding of his ambivalence toward women. It therefore constitutes a powerful and overlooked theoretical alternative to accounts centered on objectification and entitlement.
A qualitative evaluation of frontline clinician perspectives toward antibiotic stewardship programs
Authors: Tjilos Maria , Drainoni Mari-Lynn , Burrowes Shana A. B. , Butler Jorie M. , Damschroder Laura J. , Bidwell Goetz Matthew , Madaras-Kelly Karl , Reardon Caitlin M. , Samore Matthew H. , Shen Jincheng , Stenehjem Edward A. , Zhang Yue , Barlam Tamar F.
Published: March 2023

Objective:

To examine the perspectives of caregivers that are not part of the antibiotic stewardship program (ASP) leadership team (eg, physicians, nurses, and clinical pharmacists), but who interact with ASPs in their role as frontline healthcare workers.

Design:

Qualitative semistructured interviews.

Setting:

The study was conducted in 2 large national healthcare systems including 7 hospitals in the Veterans’ Health Administration and 4 hospitals in Intermountain Healthcare.

Participants:

We interviewed 157 participants. The current analysis includes 123 nonsteward clinicians: 47 physicians, 26 pharmacists, 29 nurses, and 21 hospital leaders.

Methods:

Interviewers utilized a semistructured interview guide based on the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), which was tailored to the participant’s role in the hospital as it related to ASPs. Qualitative analysis was conducted using a codebook based on the CFIR.

Results:

We identified 4 primary perspectives regarding ASPs. (1) Non-ASP pharmacists considered antibiotic stewardship activities to be a high priority despite the added burden to work duties: (2) Nurses acknowledged limited understanding of ASP activities or involvement with these programs; (3) Physicians criticized ASPs for their restrictions on clinical autonomy and questioned the ability of antibiotic stewards to make recommendations without the full clinical picture; And (4) hospital leaders expressed support for ASPs and recognized the unique challenges faced by non-ASP clinical staff.

Conclusion:

Further understanding these differing perspectives of ASP implementation will inform possible ways to improve ASP implementation across clinical roles.
Wall-sheared thermal convection: heat transfer enhancement and turbulence relaminarization
Authors: Xu Ao , Xu Ben-Rui , Xi Heng-Dong
Published: March 2023

We studied the flow organization and heat transfer properties in two-dimensional and three-dimensional Rayleigh–Bénard cells that are imposed with different types of wall shear. The external wall shear is added with the motivation of manipulating flow mode to control heat transfer efficiency. We imposed three types of wall shear that may facilitate the single-roll, the horizontally stacked double-roll, and the vertically stacked double-roll flow modes, respectively. Direct numerical simulations are performed for fixed Rayleigh number

$Ra = 10^{8}$

and fixed Prandtl number

$Pr = 5.3$

, while the wall-shear Reynolds number (

$Re_{w}$

) is in the range

$60 \leqslant Re_{w} \leqslant 6000$

. Generally, we found enhanced heat transfer efficiency and global flow strength with the increase of

$Re_{w}$

. However, even with the same magnitude of global flow strength, the heat transfer efficiency varies significantly when the cells are under different types of wall shear. An interesting finding is that by increasing the wall-shear strength, the thermal turbulence is relaminarized, and more surprisingly, the heat transfer efficiency in the laminar state is higher than that in the turbulent state. We found that the enhanced heat transfer efficiency at the laminar regime is due to the formation of more stable and stronger convection channels. We propose that the origin of thermal turbulence laminarization is the reduced amount of thermal plumes. Because plumes are mainly responsible for turbulent kinetic energy production, when the detached plumes are swept away by the wall shear, the reduced number of plumes leads to weaker turbulent kinetic energy production. We also quantify the efficiency of facilitating heat transport via external shearing, and find that for larger

$Re_{w}$

, the enhanced heat transfer efficiency comes at a price of a larger expenditure of mechanical energy.
Crinoid calyx origin from stem radial echinoderms
Authors: Guensburg Thomas E. , Mooi Rich , Mongiardino Koch Nicolás
Published: March 2023

Evidence from the earliest-known crinoids (Tremadocian, Early Ordovician), called protocrinoids, is used to hypothesize initial steps by which elements of the calyx evolved. Protocrinoid calyces are composed of extraxial primary and surrounding secondary plates (both of which have epispires along their sutures) that are unlike those of more crownward fossil and extant crinoids in which equivalent calycinal plating is strongly organized. These reductions inspired several schemes by which to name the plates in these calyces. However, the primary-secondary systems seen in protocrinoids first appeared among Cambrian stem radial echinoderms, with primaries representing centers around which secondaries were sequentially added during ontogeny. Therefore, the protocrinoid calyx represents an intermediate condition between earliest echinoderms and crownward crinoids. Position and ontogeny indicate certain primaries remained as loss of secondaries occurred, resulting in abutting of primaries into the conjoined alternating circlets characteristic of crinoids. This transformative event included suppression of secondary plating and modification or, more commonly, elimination of respiratory structures. These data indicate subradial calyx plate terminology does not correspond with most common usage, but rather, supports an alternative redefinition of these traditional expressions. Extension and adoral growth of fixed rays during calyx ontogeny preceded conjoined primaries in earliest crinoids. Restriction with modification or elimination of calyx respiratory structures also accompanied this modification. Phylogenetic analyses strongly support crinoid origination from early pentaradiate echinoderms, separate from blastozoans. Accordingly, all Tremadocian crinoids express a distinctive aggregate of plesiomorphic and apomorphic commonalities; all branch early within the crinoid clade, separate from traditional subclass-level clades. Nevertheless, each taxon within this assemblage expresses at least one diagnostic apomorphy of camerate, cladid, or disparid clades.
GR as a classical spin-2 theory?
Authors: Linnemann Niels , Smeenk Chris , Baker Mark Robert
Published: March 2023

The self-interaction spin-2 approach to general relativity (GR) has been extremely influential in the particle physics community. Leaving no doubt regarding its heuristic value, we argue that a view of the metric field of GR as nothing but a stand-in for a self-coupling field in flat spacetime runs into a dilemma: either the view is physically incomplete in so far as it requires recourse to GR after all, or it leads to an absurd multiplication of alternative viewpoints on GR rendering any understanding of the metric field as nothing but a spin-2 field in flat spacetime unjustified.