bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Retracted: Dissipative‐based synchronization of Markovian jumping complex dynamical networks with additive time‐varying delays, reaction‐diffusion terms, uncertainties, and sampled‐data control
Authors: Thakur Ganesh Kumar , Usha M. , Ali M. Syed , Priya Bandana , Kauser Syeda Asma
Published: November 2021

Retraction: Thakur, GK, Usha, M, Ali, MS, Priya, B, Kauser, SA. Dissipative‐based synchronization of Markovian jumping complex dynamical networks with additive time‐varying delays, reaction‐diffusion terms, uncertainties, and sampled‐data control. Math Meth Appl Sci. 2021; 1‐20. doi:10.1002/mma.7880.

The above article from Mathematical Methods in the Applied Sciences, published online on 16 November 2021 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com), has been retracted by agreement between the authors, the journal Editor in Chief, Wolfgang Sprößig, and John Wiley and Sons Ltd. The retraction has been agreed due to a compromised peer review process. The paper was accepted solely based on recommendations from reviewers with unambiguous conflicts of interest.
Boundary layer study of a nonlinear parabolic equation with a small parameter
Authors: Qin Xulong , Zhao Xu , Zhou Wenshu
Published: November 2021

This paper is concerned with the initial boundary value problem for a nonlinear parabolic equation with a small parameter. The existence of a boundary layer as the parameter goes to zero is obtained together with the estimation on the thickness of the boundary layer. The main result extends an earlier work of Frid and Shelukhin (1999).
Low‐profile wideband dual‐polarized microstrip antenna element for 5G communication
Authors: An Wenxing , Wang Shuangshuang , Luo Yu
Published: November 2021

A low‐profile wideband dual‐polarized microstrip antenna is presented for 5G communication. Using a periodical diamond structure, both low profile and wideband performance have been achieved with high port isolation. Relative bandwidths of 53.4% and 54.0% are obtained for two polarizations with a low profile of 0.047λ0, where λ0 is the free space wavelength at the center frequency of 4.18 GHz. The dual aperture coupling method is adopted for each polarization direction and high‐order modes are stimulated across the passband. The measured port isolation of more than 30 dB is obtained. Unidirectional radiation patterns have been achieved with low cross‐polarization levels. The proposed dual‐polarized microstrip antenna can offer a low‐profile structure and wideband performance, which can be another potential candidate for the 5G communication.
Bioarchaeological insights into disability: Skeletal dysplasia from the Iron Age northern China
Authors: Zhou Yawei , Lu Yiping , He Jianing , Li Ziyi , Zhang Xiangyu , Zhang Qun , Yeh Hui‐yuan
Published: November 2021

Skeletal dysplasia is mainly caused by genetic mutations or endocrine abnormality. In this study, a case of disproportionate dwarfism from the Iron Age Beishenjiaqiao cemetery in Xi'an, China is analyzed from the perspective of bioarchaeology. The individual shows disproportionately short stature, with reduced long‐bone diaphyseal length especially of both humeri, unfused proximal humerus epiphyses, abnormal development of the shoulder and hip joints, left femoral head necrosis, and unusually gracile left femur and tibia shaft, demonstrating limited mobility and labor capacity. Hypothyroidism, pseudoachondroplasia, and multiple epiphyseal dysplasia are the most likely possible diagnoses although there are other possibilities. By combining the archaeological evidences and historical records, it is speculated that this individual lived a normal life and was well treated during her lifetime. Overall, this rare case concerning dwarfism not only enriches our knowledge of skeletal dysplasia among ancient Chinese in northern China but also demonstrates the humanitarian attitude of ancient society toward the disability.
EU microbial pest control: A revolution in waiting
Authors: Helepciuc Florența‐Elena , Todor Arpad
Published: November 2021

Recent evaluations of the microbial biological control sector indicate that implementing microbial control of pests is still slow in the EU. The top causal factors are the lengthy, expensive, and cumbersome two‐stage procedure for approval of biological agents as active substances at the EU level and authorization of formulated products at the national level, limited funding, lack of EU level integrated approaches, and slow implementation of integrated pest management. This article contributes to a better understanding of the factors that limit microbial control of pests in EU agriculture by providing the first evaluation of the evolution of microbial biological control agent (MBCA) EU‐level approval combined with that of microbial biological control product (MBCP) national‐level authorization, discusses recent trends in research and offers some policy recommendations. By 2020, the EU had caught up with the USA regarding research output, approved MBCAs, and MBCA approval procedures (first stage). Despite improvements from 2014 to 2019, the number of authorized MBCPs (second stage) has progressed slowly and unevenly across the EU. Significant progress is concentrated in countries with more extensive agricultural land and higher research intensity. The EUʼs focus on promoting more sustainable agriculture by increasing the availability of low‐risk pesticides of biological origin as alternatives to conventional chemical pesticides has gained traction in recent years. Nevertheless, more efforts to improve the capacity and expertise of laggard EU Member States to contribute to the approval of MBCA, authorization of MBCP, and stimulating market availability are needed. Furthermore, we recommend introducing more concrete measures to promote the adoption of the microbial control of pests in the National Action Plans for the sustainable use of pesticides. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.
Influence of sample volume on nitrate N and O isotope ratio analyses with the denitrifier method
Authors: Zhou Mengyang , Granger Julie , Chang Bonnie X.
Published: November 2021

Rationale

Analyses of the isotope ratios of nitrogen (15N/14N) and oxygen (18O/16O) in nitrate (NO3−) with the denitrifier method require relatively high sample volumes at low concentrations (≤1 μM) to afford sufficient analyte for mass spectrometry, resulting in isotopic offsets compared to more concentrated samples of the same isotopic composition.

Methods

To uncover the origins of isotopic offsets, we analyzed the N and O isotope ratios of NO3− reference materials spanning concentrations of 0.5–20 μM. We substantiated the incidence of volume‐dependent isotopic offsets, then investigated whether they resulted from (a) incomplete sample recovery during N2O sparging, (b) blanks – bacterial, atmospheric, or in reference material solutions – and (c) oxygen atom exchange with water during the bacterial conversion of NO3− to N2O.

Results

Larger sample volumes resulted in modest offsets in δ15N, but substantial offsets in δ18O. N2O recovery from sparging was less complete at higher volumes, resulting in decreases in δ15N and δ18O due to associated isotope fractionation. Blanks increased detectably with volume, whereas oxygen atom exchange with water remained constant within batch analyses, being sensitive to neither sample volume nor salinity. The sizeable offsets in δ18O with volume are only partially explained by the factors considered in our analysis.

Conclusions

Our observations argue for bracketing of NO3− samples with reference materials that emulate sample volumes (concentrations) to achieve improved measurement accuracy and foster inter‐comparability.
Development of a mobile robot for safe mechanical evacuation of hazardous bulk materials in industrial confined spaces
Authors: Shafaei Seyed Mojtaba , Mousazadeh Hossein
Published: November 2021

Safe mechanical evacuation of hazardous bulk materials in industrial confined spaces with improper conditions (poor light for vision, dust or vapor, high temperature, and toxic fume) and potential of combustion and explosion is high‐risk mission for human. This study deals with development and performance assessments of a robot for this purpose. The robot comprised four major units including control, electro‐hydraulic actuator, communication, and monitoring unit. Detailed descriptions of the units and their main components are beyond the scope of current report. Meanwhile, the robot has movable and stationary parts. The movable part is a wheeled mobile robot which guides suction tube in the confined space. Robotic evacuation operations are accomplished by supervisory remote control at base station with feedback from camera video of the mobile robot. Simulation results showed accurate performance of defined objectives for the units and their main components through designed hydraulic and electronic circuits. Stationary assessments for forward speed (0–30 m/min) and drawbar pull (‐0‐755.6 N) of the mobile robot yielded acceptable results in case of robot mobility. Operational assessments of the robot in two chemical reactors comprised depreciated catalyst and ceramic balls practically approved efficient, safe, feasible, and easily implementable of robotic evacuation operations. Overall, the robot proposed in this study eliminates employment of a human in highly risky conditions of industrial confined spaces.
Highly Reliable Implementation of Optimized Multicomponent Oxide Systems Enabled by Machine Learning‐Based Synthetic Protocol
Authors: Park Boyeon , Kim Minho , Kang Youngjin , Park Hun‐Bum , Kim Myung‐Gil , Park Sung Kyu , Kim Yong‐Hoon
Published: November 2021

Multicomponent oxide systems are one of the essential building blocks in a broad range of electronic devices. However, due to the complex physical correlation between the cation components and their relations with the system, finding an optimal combination for desired physical and/or chemical properties requires an exhaustive experimental procedure. Here, a machine learning (ML)‐based synthetic approach is proposed to explore the optimal combination conditions in a ternary cationic compound indium‐zinc‐tin oxide (IZTO) semiconductor exhibiting high carrier mobility. In particular, by using support vector regression algorithm with radial basis function kernel, highly accurate mobility prediction can be achieved for multicomponent IZTO semiconductor with a sufficiently small number of train datasets (15–20 data points). With a synergetic combination of solution‐based synthetic route for IZTO fabrication enabling a facile control of the composition ratio and tailored ML process for multicomponent system, the prediction of high‐performance IZTO thin‐film transistors is possible with expected field‐effect mobility as high as 13.06 cm2 V−1 s−1 at the In:Zn:Sn ratio of 63:27:10. The ML prediction is successfully translated into the empirical analysis with high accuracy, validating the protocol is reliable and a promising approach to accelerate the optimization process for multicomponent oxide systems.
Brane current algebras and generalised geometry from QP manifolds. Or, “when they go high, we go low”
Authors: Arvanitakis Alex S.
Published: November 2021

Abstract

We construct a Poisson algebra of brane currents from a QP-manifold, and show their Poisson brackets take a universal geometric form. This generalises a result of Alekseev and Strobl on string currents and generalised geometry to include branes with worldvolume gauge fields, such as the D3 and M5. Our result yields a universal expression for the ’t Hooft anomaly that afflicts isometries in the presence of fluxes. We determine the current algebra in terms of (exceptional) generalised geometry, and show that the tensor hierarchy gives rise to a brane current hierarchy. Exceptional complex structures produce pairs of anomaly-free current subalgebras on the M5-brane worldvolume.
Twistor constructions for higher-spin extensions of (self-dual) Yang-Mills
Authors: Tran Tung
Published: November 2021

Abstract

We present the inverse Penrose transform (the map from spacetime to twistor space) for self-dual Yang-Mills (SDYM) and its higher-spin extensions on a flat background. The twistor action for the higher-spin extension of SDYM (HS-SDYM) is of $$ \mathcal{BF} $$
BF
-type. By considering a deformation away from the self-dual sector of HS-SDYM, we discover a new action that describes a higher-spin extension of Yang-Mills theory (HS-YM). The twistor action for HS-YM is a straightforward generalization of the Yang-Mills one.
Safety of intermittent Pringle maneuver during minimally invasive liver resection in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma with and without cirrhosis
Authors: Ortiz Galindo Santiago A. , Haber Philipp K. , Benzing Christian , Krenzien Felix , Riddermann Anna , Frisch Oliver , Schöning Wenzel , Schmelzle Moritz , Pratschke Johann , Feldbrügge Linda
Published: November 2021

Purpose

The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of minimally invasive intermittent Pringle maneuver (IPM) on postoperative outcomes in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and liver cirrhosis.

Methods

In this retrospective cohort study, we evaluated the safety of IPM in patients with HCC who underwent minimally invasive liver resection during five years at our center. Factors influencing the use of IPM were examined in univariate and multivariate regression analysis. Cases with use of IPM (IPM) and those without use of IPM (no IPM) were then compared regarding intraoperative and postoperative outcomes after propensity score matching (PSM) for surgical difficulty.

Results

One hundred fifty-one patients underwent liver resection for HCC at our center and met inclusion criteria. Of these, 73 patients (48%) received IPM with a median duration of 18 min (5–78). One hundred patients (66%) had confirmed liver cirrhosis. In multivariate analysis, patients with large tumors (≥ 3 cm) and difficult tumor locations (segments VII or VIII) were more likely to undergo IPM (OR 1.176, p = 0.043, and OR 3.243, p = 0.001, respectively). After PSM, there were no differences in intraoperative blood transfusion or postoperative complication rates between the IPM and no IPM groups. Neither did we observe any differences in the subgroup analysis for cirrhotic patients. Postoperative serum liver function tests were not affected by the use of IPM.

Conclusions

Based on our findings, we conclude that the use of IPM in minimally invasive liver resection is safe and feasible for patients with HCC, including those with compensated liver cirrhosis.
Self-Perceived Problematic Use of Online Pornography Is Linked to Clinically Relevant Levels of Psychological Distress and Psychopathological Symptoms
Authors: Mennig Manuel , Tennie Sophia , Barke Antonia
Published: November 2021

Online pornography is a widespread Internet application. As with other Internet applications, in some cases its use can become problematic. First indications point to a link between problematic use of online pornography and psychological distress and general functional impairment. However, to date, there are no standardized criteria for assessing problematic use of online pornography. In this study, we used the Online Pornography Disorder Questionnaire (OPDQ)—an instrument which adapted the official criteria for Internet Gaming Disorder to online pornography—to measure problematic use and investigated to what extent consumers with a self-perceived problematic use of online pornography differed from casual users with regard to their psychological distress. An online sample of German adult visitors to a popular casual dating site completed the OPDQ, the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), and provided information on their online pornography use (n = 1539; 72.6% male; 31.43 ± 11.96 years). T-scores for the BSI were calculated and independent t-tests were conducted to compare casual users with consumers with a self-perceived problematic use of online pornography. Of the users, 5.9% fulfilled the criteria for problematic use. This group consumed online pornography for longer amounts of time and showed higher levels of psychological distress (Hedges’ g from 0.75 to 1.21). The T-scores of users with self-perceived problematic online pornography use reached clinically relevant levels on all subscales. Overall, the results of the study indicate that self-perceived problematic use of online pornography seems to be linked to severe psychological distress that may warrant clinical attention.
The perceptions of female breadwinner parents regarding their children’s distance learning during the Covid-19 pandemic
Authors: Aladsani Hibah Khalid
Published: November 2021

Covid-19 has affected the everyday educational lives of students, teachers, administrators, and parents. Parents who are living in low-income and disadvantaged communities are probably more likely than others to have been affected by the pandemic in relation to their children’s distance learning. This study focused on the perceptions, predictions, and suggestions of female breadwinner parents from low-income families regarding their children’s distance learning. Data were collected from 12 mothers who participated in a three-stage focus group study. The data from the focus group discussions were thematically analyzed into three categories: (1) financial issues, (2) social and cultural issues, and (3) educational issues. Additionally, the findings presented the breadwinners’ general and technological reasons for their predictions for enhancing education in the future if schools return to face-to-face learning or pursue a blended learning approach. The breadwinners suggested three approaches to teaching and learning for the following academic year. The findings of this study may be useful in the development of educational policies and training programs to provide essential social and technological support to low-income families to address their needs in the online learning environment and to improve digital equity for low-income families who are likely to be educationally disadvantaged.
Difficulties in semantically congruent translation of verbally and symbolically represented algebraic statements
Authors: Castro Encarnación , Cañadas María C. , Molina Marta , Rodríguez-Domingo Susana
Published: November 2021

This paper describes the difficulties faced by a group of middle school students (13- to 15-year-olds) attempting to translate algebraic statements written in verbal language into symbolic language and vice versa. The data used were drawn from their replies to a written quiz and semi-structured interviews. In the former, students were confronted with a series of algebraic statements and asked to choose the sole translation, of four proposed for each, that was semantically congruent with the original. The results show that most of the errors detected were due to arithmetic issues, especially around the distinction between product and exponent or sum and product in connection with the notions of perimeter and area. As a rule, the error distribution by type varied depending on the type of task involved.
Transformative Contextual Realism
Authors: Westphal Manon
Published: November 2021

Realist political theory is often confronted with the objection that it is biased towards the status quo. Although this criticism overlooks the fact that realist political theories contain various resources for critique, a realist approach that is strong in status quo critique and contributes, constructively, to the theorising of alternatives to the status quo is a desideratum. The article argues that contextual realism, which sources its normativity from particular contexts, harbours an underexploited potential to establish such a form of political theorising. By drawing on ideas and principles that have guided critical engagements with social and political forms in a particular context, and on widely shared views of need for reform, realists can identify deficits of the status quo and contribute to a debate on how these deficits might be addressed. This article describes and illustrates the idea of a transformative contextual realism, and defends it against some potential objections.
Experimental philosophical bioethics and normative inference
Authors: Earp Brian D. , Lewis Jonathan , Dranseika Vilius , Hannikainen Ivar R.
Published: November 2021

This paper explores an emerging sub-field of both empirical bioethics and experimental philosophy, which has been called “experimental philosophical bioethics” (bioxphi). As an empirical discipline, bioxphi adopts the methods of experimental moral psychology and cognitive science; it does so to make sense of the eliciting factors and underlying cognitive processes that shape people’s moral judgments, particularly about real-world matters of bioethical concern. Yet, as a normative discipline situated within the broader field of bioethics, it also aims to contribute to substantive ethical questions about what should be done in a given context. What are some of the ways in which this aim has been pursued? In this paper, we employ a case study approach to examine and critically evaluate four strategies from the recent literature by which scholars in bioxphi have leveraged empirical data in the service of normative arguments.
The legitimacy of corporate entrepreneurship: a structured literature review
Authors: Göcke Lutz , Hülsebusch Kristina , Menter Matthias
Published: November 2021

Corporate entrepreneurship (CE) is essential for today’s firms and currently a topic of considerable interest within the business community. Although the magnitude of related studies has increased over the last years, research on CE is missing an integrated concept and a research agenda for understanding the dynamics of resource deployment and withdrawal, resulting from legitimacy within the organization. The objective of this study is to examine the determinants influencing the provision and withdrawal of resources in the context of corporate entrepreneurship and identify the underlying strategies for gaining legitimacy. Analyzing more than 30 years of research, we provide a multidimensional framework synthesizing the state-of-the-art of resource allocation and withdrawal in CE. Our findings suggest that CE entities undertaking legitimation efforts, to be perceived as a meaningful and trustworthy organizational element and receive active and passive support, is very important. Based on the structured literature review, we propose a legitimacy perspective on the resource dynamics in CE settings, to further advance our understanding of resource deployment and withdrawal within organizations.
What to do after a data breach? Examining apology and compensation as response strategies for health service providers
Authors: Masuch Kristin , Greve Maike , Trang Simon
Published: November 2021

Innovative IT-enabled health services promise tremendous benefits for customers and service providers alike. Simultaneously, health services by nature process sensitive customer information, and data breaches have become an everyday phenomenon. The challenge that health service providers face is to find effective recovery strategies after data breaches to retain customer trust and loyalty. We theorize and investigate how two widely applied recovery actions (namely apology and compensation) affect customer reactions after a data breach in the specific context of fitness trackers. Drawing on expectation confirmation theory, we argue that the recovery actions derived from practice, apology, and compensation address the assimilation-contrast model’s tolerance range and, thus, always lead to satisfaction with the recovery strategy, which positively influences customers’ behavior. We employ an experimental investigation and collect data from fitness tracker users during a running event. In the end, we found substantial support for our research model. Health service providers should determine specific customer expectations and align their data breach recovery strategies accordingly.
An Empirical Note on the Long-Run Effects of Public and Private R&D on TFP
Authors: Herzer Dierk
Published: November 2021

Several studies have examined the long-run effects of public and private R&D on TFP with mixed results. A common feature of these studies is that they measure public and private R&D activity using perpetual inventory stocks of public and private R&D capital, constructed under the assumption that the prices of GDP, public R&D, and private R&D move identically. This note argues that the results of these studies may be biased if the assumption of identical price movements is violated. The purpose and main contribution of this note is to estimate the long-run elasticities of TFP with respect to public and private R&D using both the stock of public/private R&D capital and an alternative measure of public/private R&D activity: the number of public/private sector researchers. In addition, this study contributes to the literature by developing a simple theoretical model that formalizes the intuition of how public and private R&D affect TFP, and by using both traditional and more recent panel methods. Contrary to previous studies, it is found—using numbers of researchers in the public and private sector—that there is strong evidence both of a significant positive long-run effect of both public and private R&D on TFP and of a greater effect of public R&D than private R&D. Consistent with the mixed evidence reported in the literature, it is also found that the use of public and private R&D stocks yields mixed results regarding the long-run effects of public and private R&D on TFP.
Effects of groove-textured surfaces filled with Sn-Ag-Cu and MXene-Ti3C2 composite lubricants on tribological properties of CSS-42L bearing steel
Authors: Xue Yawen , Wu Chaohua , Shi Xiaoliang , Huang Qipeng , Ibrahim Ahmed Mohamed Mahmoud
Published: November 2021

To improve the tribological performance of CSS-42L bearing steel, smooth surfaces (SSs), groove-textured surfaces (GSs), GSs with Sn-Ag-Cu (GSs-SAC), and GSs with Sn-Ag-Cu-Ti3C2 (GSs-SACT) were prepared on CSS-42L. In addition, experimental studies were conducted on tribological properties. The obtained results indicated that GSs-SACT exhibited the best anti-friction and noise reduction performances. These remarkable tribological performances were attributed to the synergistic effects of grooves, Sn-Ag-Cu, and MXene-Ti3C2. The inconsistent rules of frictional forces were improved by the grooves and SACT, which inhibit the friction-induced noise. The micro-nano size-effects of MXene-Ti3C2 enhanced the repairing effect and anti-friction property of composite lubricants, which improved the profile characteristics of GSs-SACT.
The Regional Distribution of Psychiatric Residency Positions Funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs and Its Relationship to Rural Veteran Populations
Authors: Vincenti Matthew , Albanese Anthony , Bope Edward , Watts Bradley V.
Published: November 2021

Objective

The authors evaluated the distribution of psychiatry residency positions funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs between 2014 and 2020 with respect to geographic location and hospital patient population rurality.

Methods

The authors collected data on psychiatry residency positions from the Veterans Affairs’ Office of Academic Affiliations Support Center and data on hospital-level patient rurality from the Veterans Health Administration Support Service Center. They examined the chronological and geospatial relationships between the number of residency positions deployed and the size of the rural patient populations served.

Results

Between 2014 and 2020, the Department of Veterans Affairs has substantially increased the number of rural hospitals hosting psychiatry residency programs, as well as the number of residency positions at those hospitals. However, several geographic regions serve high numbers of rural veterans with few or no psychiatry resident positions.

Conclusions

While the VA efforts to increase psychiatry residency positions in rural areas have been partially successful, additional progress can be made increasing support for psychiatry trainees at Veterans Affairs hospitals and community-based outpatient clinics that serve large portions of the rural veteran population.
Emergence of Third-Order Conditional Discriminations from Learning Discriminations with Unrelated Stimuli
Authors: Pérez-González Luis Antonio , Martínez Héctor
Published: November 2021

This study explored learning and generalization of a third-order conditional discrimination. Two 8-year-old children learned two auditory–visual conditional discriminations in which they selected visual Japanese syllabic symbols in response to syllables spoken by the experimenter. Then, they learned a third-order conditional discrimination in which they selected between two visual symbols after being exposed to two spoken syllables and one visual symbol. Thereafter, we probed generalization with novel symbols and names by teaching two additional conditional discriminations with Nahuatl symbols and spoken words and probing without reinforcement a new third-order conditional discrimination in which they had to select between two visual Nahuatl symbols after being exposed to two spoken Nahuatl words and one visual Nahuatl symbol. The two children responded in a predicted way to the novel third-order conditional discrimination. The emergent performance was possible because the set of relations established among the stimuli of the third-order conditional discrimination with Japanese syllables was analogous to the set of relations established among the stimuli of the third-order conditional discriminations with Nahuatl words. These results demonstrated a novel type of emergent responding in third-order conditional discrimination with arbitrary relations.
Survey Results and Recommendations from Japanese Stakeholders for Good Clinical Practice Renovation
Authors: Nakamura Kenichi , Ozawa Hitoshi , Shibata Taro , Ushirozawa Nobuko , Hata Tomomi , Okita Natsuko , Fuse Nozomu , Sato Norihiro , Ikeda Koji , Hanaoka Hideki , Maruyama Tatsuya , Wada Michihiko , Shimizu Shinobu , Kasai Hiroi , Yamamoto Yoichi , Sakurai Jun , Todaka Koji , Tashiro Shimon , Yamamoto Haruko
Published: November 2021

Background

The International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) is undertaking a major revision of ICH E6 Good Clinical Practice (GCP) decided to involve external stakeholders in ICH-GCP renovation. Activities such as surveys and public conferences have taken place in the United States, European Union, and Japan. For stakeholder engagement in Japan, a designated research group conducted a survey of academic stakeholders.

Methods

A total of 105 academic stakeholders from 18 institutions responded to the survey. The research group developed recommendations reflecting the survey results and the opinions from patients and the public.

Results

The survey showed the top four principles needing renovation were (i) informed consent (Chapter 2.9, 12.4% of respondents believed it needed renovation), (ii) systems for quality assurance (Chapter 2.13, 9.5%), (iii) information on an investigational product (Chapter 2.4, 5.7%), and (iv) procedures on clinical trial information (Chapter 2.10, 5.7%). The top three sections identified as needing renovation were: (i) informed consent (Chapter 4.8, 27.6%), (ii) monitoring (Chapter 5.18, 22.9%), and (iii) composition, functions, and operations of the ethics committee (Chapter 3.2, 14.3%). Recommendations included clarification of ICH-GCP’s scope, proportionality in various aspects of clinical trials, diversity and liquidity of ethics committee members, modernization of informed consent procedures, variations in monitoring, and regulatory grade when using real-world data.

Conclusion

The recommendations from Japanese investigators and patients have been submitted to the ICH E6 Expert Working Group, which will strengthen the robustness of the GCP renovation.
Price Determinants for Feeder Cattle in Tennessee
Authors: Martinez Charles C. , Boyer Christopher N. , Burdine Kenneth H.
Published: November 2021

A hedonic model was employed to examine factors impacting feeder cattle prices at a monthly video auction in Tennessee. Home-raised cattle were estimated to have a $2 per cwt. premium and cattle that have been tested for PI-BVDV (persistent infections with bovine viral diarrhea virus) sold for a premium of $1.19 per cwt. We also show how price varies across sale months for steers and heifers, suggesting opportune times to market gender-specific lots. Corn price was interacted with an average weight per head of the lot to show that lighter cattle were negatively affected, while heavier cattle prices were positively affected by increasing corn prices.
Energetics and mixing of thermally driven flows in Hele-Shaw cells
Authors: Ulloa Hugo N. , Letelier Juvenal A.
Published: November 2021

Thermally driven flows in fractures play a key role in enhancing the heat transfer and fluid mixing across the Earth's lithosphere. Yet the energy pathways in such confined environments have not been characterised. Building on Letelier et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 864, 2019, pp. 746–767), we introduce novel expressions for energy transfer rates – energetics – of geometrically constrained Rayleigh–Bénard convection in Hele-Shaw cells (HS-RBC) based on two different conceptual frameworks. First, we derived the energetics following the well-established framework introduced by Winters et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 289, 1995, pp. 115–128), in which the gravitational potential energy,

$E_{\textit {p}}$

, is decomposed into its available,

$E_{\textit {ap}}$

, and background,

$E_{\textit {bp}}$

, components. Secondly, we derived the energetics considering a new decomposition for

$E_{\textit {p}}$

, named dynamic,

$E_{\textit {dp}}$

, and reference,

$E_{\textit {rp}}$

, potential energies;

$E_{\textit {dp}}$

is defined as the departure of the system's potential energy from the reference state

$E_{\textit {rp}}$

, determined by the ‘energy’ of the scalar fluctuations. For HS-RBC, both frameworks lead to the same energy transfer rates at a steady state, satisfying the relationship

$\langle E_{\textit {ap}} \rangle _{\tau } = \langle E_{\textit {dp}} \rangle _{\tau } + 1/6$

. Consistent with the work by Hughes et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 729, 2013) on three-dimensional Rayleigh–Bénard convection, we report analytical expressions for the energetics and efficiencies of HS-RBC in terms of the Rayleigh number and the global Nusselt number. Additionally, we performed numerical experiments to illustrate the application of the energetics for the analysis of HS-RBC. Finally, we discuss the impact of the thermal forcing and the geometrical control exerted by Hele-Shaw cells on the development of boundary layers, protoplumes and the self-organisation of large-scale flows.
The Authorized Version: The Recent Installment in the History of the Bank of England
Authors: Michie Ranald
Published: November 2021

This book is a worthy successor to those commissioned by the Bank of England that cover its history from its foundation in 1694. It is written by an expert, is thoroughly researched, and provides a wealth of evidence to support the judicious conclusions that are drawn. The discussion ranges from the highly technical to the narrative, indicating the command that Harold James has over his subject. For the period it covers it will become the authorized version of what the Bank of England did and why, covering the details of how it operated as a complex organization and the decisions it made that affected both the domestic and international financial systems. What emerges is how difficult decision making was after the 1970s, following the breakdown of the postwar certainties of the 1950s and 1960s. Though the title suggests that the coverage of the book extends to 2003, it largely ends in 1997. The years that followed are treated with much less depth. That is understandable, as the elephant in the room for any recent history of the Bank of England is the banking crisis of 2007–2008. As it is, the dates chosen are those between which Eddie George, governor of the Bank of England between 1993 and 2003, exerted his greatest influence, having joined in 1962. Increasingly after 1997 Mervyn King took a leading role, becoming deputy governor in 1998 and then governor in 2003. We will have to wait for another commissioned history to discover what part the Bank of England played in the first major banking crisis to hit Britain since that of Overend and Gurney in 1866. Judging from a comment made in this book (p. 432) it is possible that a full understanding of those years will never emerge. When the Monetary Policy Committee, located in the Bank of England, was set up in 1997 it was agreed that the meetings would be recorded and a full transcript of the discussion made. Subsequently, it was decided to delete the recording and destroy the transcript, leaving only the published official record of what took place. This mirrors the Bank of England's destruction of the papers relating to its role in the secondary banking crisis of 1974.
Palm functional trait responses to local environmental factors in the Colombian Amazon
Authors: Trujillo William , Rivera-Rondón Carlos A. , Jácome Jorge , García Néstor , Eiserhardt Wolf L. , Balslev Henrik
Published: November 2021

Functional traits play a key role in driving plant community effects on ecosystem function. We examined nine functional traits in various palm (Arecaceae) species and their relationships with moisture, tree-fall gaps, slope, and forest type at 29 transects (500×5 m) in the northeastern region of the Colombian Amazon. Redundancy analysis of mean trait values of species within a plot weighted by their abundance and Pearson correlations were used to evaluate the relationships between traits and environmental factors. The community trait composition was correlated with local environmental factors, which explained 23% of the trait variance. We detected functional dominance of the tallest palms in soils with high moisture and in floodplain forests (p ≤0.05). Palms with relatively long leaves were dominant in the flooded forests. Acaulescent and small palms were dominant on high slopes, and interra firmeforests, long-petioled palms were dominant in forest gaps. The number of seeds per fruit was not correlated with any environmental variable. Thus, hydrology is one of the main drivers of the functional composition of neotropical palm communities at the local scale, segregating tall palms with competitive and evasive strategies from small understory palms, which are mainly stress tolerant.
The Multi‐Scale Dynamics of Groundwater Depletion
Authors: Sahu Reetik Kumar , McLaughlin Dennis B.
Published: November 2021

Unsustainable depletion of aquifer storage and diversion of groundwater from downstream users continue to be serious problems, even though their adverse effects are widely recognized. Groundwater depletion involves interactions between economically motivated pumping decisions and physical constraints. Here, we investigate these interactions by using optimal control techniques to describe the pumping decisions of economic agents who share an aquifer. Our approach relies on a multi‐scale description of unconfined groundwater flow, applied to a computational experiment that illustrates some important impacts of aquifer development. We show that cooperative groundwater management can provide higher economic benefits, with less storage depletion, than an uncooperative alternative. However, demand for water still drives pumping decisions, even when users cooperate. In many aquifers the benefits of pumping are necessarily accompanied by a reduction in aquifer outflow and by depletion of the groundwater reserve, for both cooperative and uncooperative management. These benefits decrease significantly when pumping is limited by well yield constraints or when the diversion of aquifer outflow is restricted. Our overall analysis emphasizes the importance of viewing aquifer management as part of a larger resource allocation problem that considers the conflicting needs of well operators, downstream users, and future consumers of the resource.
Surface Transient Storage Under Low‐Flow Conditions in Streams With Rough Bathymetry
Authors: Wang Ping , Cirpka Olaf A.
Published: November 2021

In natural and restored rivers, protruding river‐bed elements can cause complex flow patterns. We hypothesize that, particularly at very low flows, solute spreading in such streams is controlled by different mechanisms than at high flows, questioning existing parameterizations. We investigate two‐dimensional flow and transport in a synthetic channel with rough bathymetry under low‐flow conditions with a numerical model solving the full shallow‐water equations. Recirculation cells form behind protruding bed elements and trap water, macroscopically acting as transient‐storage domain. We fit the one‐dimensional mobile‐immobile transport model to the concentration breakthrough curves of the two‐dimensional model and relate the fitted parameters to easy‐to‐measure properties of the stream. The velocity in the mobile domain undergoes a power‐law relation with the discharge and the channel slope, differing from the relationship expected for normal flow in streams with large water depths. Both the fitted dispersion coefficient and the mass‐transfer coefficient between the mobile and immobile domains scale linearly with the velocity in the mobile domain. The ratio of immobile to mobile storage volumes β first increases then decreases with increasing discharge. We suggest measuring the surface area of bed elements protruding the water surface and that of the open water. The product of the corresponding area ratio with the velocity exerts a power‐law control on β. Altogether, we can relate the coefficients of the mobile‐immobile transport model to a few easy‐to‐measure properties of the stream. The findings of the present work contribute to the understanding of surface transient storage in natural and restored streams.
Monocytes secrete CXCL7 to promote breast cancer progression
Authors: Wang Yi-Hsiang , Shen Chia-Yi , Lin Sheng-Chieh , Kuo Wen-Hung , Kuo Yuan-Ting , Hsu Yu-Ling , Wang Wen-Ching , Lin Kai-Ti , Wang Lu-Hai
Published: November 2021

Certain immune cells and inflammatory cytokines are essential components in the tumor microenvironment to promote breast cancer progression. To identify key immune players in the tumor microenvironment, we applied highly invasive MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines to co-culture with human monocyte THP-1 cells and identified CXCL7 by cytokine array as one of the increasingly secreted cytokines by THP-1 cells. Further investigations indicated that upon co-culturing, breast cancer cells secreted CSF1 to induce expression and release of CXCL7 from monocytes, which in turn acted on cancer cells to promote FAK activation, MMP13 expression, migration, and invasion. In a xenograft mouse model, administration of CXCL7 antibodies significantly reduced abundance of M2 macrophages in tumor microenvironment, as well as decreased tumor growth and distant metastasis. Clinical investigation further suggested that high CXCL7 expression is correlated with breast cancer progression and poor overall survival of patients. Overall, our study unveils an important immune cytokine, CXCL7, which is secreted by tumor infiltrating monocytes, to stimulate cancer cell migration, invasion, and metastasis, contributing to the promotion of breast cancer progression.
TRAIL/DR5 pathway promotes AKT phosphorylation, skeletal muscle differentiation, and glucose uptake
Authors: Toffoli Barbara , Tonon Federica , Tisato Veronica , Zauli Giorgio , Secchiero Paola , Fabris Bruno , Bernardi Stella
Published: November 2021

TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a protein that induces apoptosis in cancer cells but not in normal ones, where its effects remain to be fully understood. Previous studies have shown that in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice, TRAIL treatment reduced body weight gain, insulin resistance, and inflammation. TRAIL was also able to increase skeletal muscle free fatty acid oxidation. The aim of the present work was to evaluate TRAIL actions on skeletal muscle. Our in vitro data on C2C12 cells showed that TRAIL treatment significantly increased myogenin and MyHC and other hallmarks of myogenic differentiation, which were reduced by Dr5 (TRAIL receptor) silencing. In addition, TRAIL treatment significantly increased AKT phosphorylation, which was reduced by Dr5 silencing, as well as glucose uptake (alone and in combination with insulin). Our in vivo data showed that TRAIL increased myofiber size in HFD-fed mice as well as in db/db mice. This was associated with increased myogenin and PCG1α expression. In conclusion, TRAIL/DR5 pathway promotes AKT phosphorylation, skeletal muscle differentiation, and glucose uptake. These data shed light onto a pathway that might hold therapeutic potential not only for the metabolic disturbances but also for the muscle mass loss that are associated with diabetes.
Flexible simultaneous mesoscale two-photon imaging of neural activity at high speeds
Authors: Clough Mitchell , Chen Ichun Anderson , Park Seong-Wook , Ahrens Allison M. , Stirman Jeffrey N. , Smith Spencer L. , Chen Jerry L.
Published: November 2021

Understanding brain function requires monitoring local and global brain dynamics. Two-photon imaging of the brain across mesoscopic scales has presented trade-offs between imaging area and acquisition speed. We describe a flexible cellular resolution two-photon microscope capable of simultaneous video rate acquisition of four independently targetable brain regions spanning an approximate five-millimeter field of view. With this system, we demonstrate the ability to measure calcium activity across mouse sensorimotor cortex at behaviorally relevant timescales.
Strong-field coherent control of isolated attosecond pulse generation
Authors: Yang Yudong , Mainz Roland E. , Rossi Giulio Maria , Scheiba Fabian , Silva-Toledo Miguel A. , Keathley Phillip D. , Cirmi Giovanni , Kärtner Franz X.
Published: November 2021

Attosecond science promises to reveal the most fundamental electronic dynamics occurring in matter and it can develop further by meeting two linked technological goals related to high-order harmonic sources: improved spectral tunability (allowing selectivity in addressing electronic transitions) and higher photon flux (permitting to measure low cross-section processes). New developments come through parametric waveform synthesis, which provides control over the shape of field transients, enabling the creation of highly-tunable isolated attosecond pulses via high-harmonic generation. Here we demonstrate that the first goal is fulfilled since central energy, spectral bandwidth/shape and temporal duration of isolated attosecond pulses can be controlled by shaping the laser waveform via two key parameters: the relative-phase between two halves of the multi-octave spanning spectrum, and the overall carrier-envelope phase. These results not only promise to expand the experimental possibilities in attosecond science, but also demonstrate coherent strong-field control of free-electron trajectories using tailored optical waveforms.