bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intersection clock reveals a rejuvenation event during human embryogenesis
Authors: Kerepesi Csaba , Gladyshev Vadim N.
Published: October 2023

Recent research revealed a rejuvenation event during early development of mice. Here, by examining epigenetic age dynamics of human embryogenesis, we tested whether a similar event exists in humans. For this purpose, we developed an epigenetic clock method, the intersection clock, that utilizes bisulfite sequencing in a way that maximizes the use of informative CpG sites with no missing clock CpG sites in test samples and applied it to human embryo development data. We observed no changes in the predicted epigenetic age between cleavage stage and blastocyst stage embryos; however, a significant decrease was observed between blastocysts and cells representing the epiblast. Additionally, by applying the intersection clock to datasets spanning pre and postimplantation, we found no significant change in the epigenetic age during preimplantation stages; however, the epigenetic age of postimplantation samples was lower compared to the preimplantation stages. We further investigated the epigenetic age of primed (representing early postimplantation) and naïve (representing preimplantation) pluripotent stem cells and observed that in all cases the epigenetic age of primed cells was significantly lower than that of naïve cells. Together, our data suggest that human embryos are rejuvenated during early embryogenesis. Hence, the rejuvenation event is conserved between the mouse and human, and it occurs around the gastrulation stage in both species. Beyond this advance, the intersection clock opens the way for other epigenetic age studies based on human bisulfite sequencing datasets as opposed to methylation arrays.
Origin and distribution pattern of pelvic limb nerves of a Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris)
Authors: Sánchez Hilda Liliana , Massone Norberto , Alarcón Francisco , Rafasquino Marta Emilia , Diorio Juan José , Zuccolilli Gustavo , Portiansky Enrique Leo
Published: October 2023

The Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) is a species belonging to the Felidae family. In Argentina, tigers are currently only found in captivity. The longevity of individual animals in human‐controlled environments depends on proper management and practices that prioritize animal welfare. Regular veterinary care is essential to maintain optimal health conditions. Professionals must have a comprehensive understanding of the anatomy and physiology of tigers to effectively perform medical procedures and administer treatments. The study described in the text focuses on the trajectory and distribution of nerves in the pelvic limb of a Bengal tiger specimen, providing detailed dissection findings. The results revealed that the lumbosacral plexus is formed from the ventral rami of the LIV, LV, LVI, LVII, SI, SII and SIII nerves. Among the observations to highlight is the great development of the nerves N. cutaneus femoris lateralis and N. cutaneus femoris caudalis some differences were observed in the distribution of the N. femoralis and N. obturatorius; the N. ischiadicus, together with its division into the fibularis communis and tibialis nerves, showed the same configuration observed in other cats. Finally, it was observed that the nerves N. gluteus cranialis and N. gluteus caudalis also originated from the truncus lumbosacralis. The similarities and differences with studies carried out on other cats are relevant and provide anatomical data for medical procedures in the Bengal tiger.
Potential measurement error from vessel reflex and multiple light paths in dual‐wavelength retinal oximetry
Authors: Beach James M. , Shoemaker Benjamin , Eckert George J. , Harris Alon , Siesky Brent , Arciero Julia C.
Published: October 2023

Purpose

This study aims to characterize the dependence of measured retinal arterial and venous saturation on vessel diameter and central reflex in retinal oximetry, with an ultimate goal of identifying potential causes and suggesting approaches to improve measurement accuracy.

Methods

In 10 subjects, oxygen saturation, vessel diameter and optical density are obtained using Oxymap Analyzer software without diameter correction. Diameter dependence of saturation is characterized using linear regression between measured values of saturation and diameter. Occurrences of negative values of vessel optical densities (ODs) associated with central vessel reflex are acquired from Oxymap Analyzer. A conceptual model is used to calculate the ratio of optical densities (ODRs) according to retinal reflectance properties and single and double‐pass light transmission across fixed path lengths. Model‐predicted values are compared with measured oximetry values at different vessel diameters.

Results

Venous saturation shows an inverse relationship with vessel diameter (D) across subjects, with a mean slope of −0.180 (SE = 0.022) %/μm (20 < D < 180 μm) and a more rapid saturation increase at small vessel diameters reaching to over 80%. Arterial saturation yields smaller positive and negative slopes in individual subjects, with an average of −0.007 (SE = 0.021) %/μm (20 < D < 200 μm) across all subjects. Measurements where vessel brightness exceeds that of the retinal background result in negative values of optical density, causing an artifactual increase in saturation. Optimization of model reflectance values produces a good fit of the conceptual model to measured ODRs.

Conclusion

Measurement artefacts in retinal oximetry are caused by strong central vessel reflections, and apparent diameter sensitivity may result from single and double‐pass transmission in vessels. Improvement in correction for vessel diameter is indicated for arteries however further study is necessary for venous corrections.
The modeling pastes of the monumental terracruda sculpture of the Silk Roads: Archaeometric study of the Tepe Narenj and Qol‐e‐tut examples (Kabul, Afghanistan)
Authors: López‐Prat Monica , De Luca Raffaella , Pecci Alessandra , Mileto Simona , Bandyopadhyay Sudipa Ray , Bloise Andrea , Guido Adriano , Cipriani Mara , Lancelotti Carla , Carrascosa Begoña , Noori Noor Agha , Simón‐Cortés José‐Manuel , Miriello Domenico
Published: October 2023

This paper presents the results of the mineralogical, petrographic and chemical study of different archaeological samples related to terracruda sculptures and other elements that were part of the architectural decoration of the Buddhist sites of Tepe Narenj and Qol‐e‐tut (Kabul, Afghanistan; fifth to 11th centuries CE). The main objective of the study was to characterize the samples using an archaeometric approach. The study helped to better understand the materials involved in the modeling of Afghan sculptures and their processing, such as the different nature of the clay layers and the finishing ‘stucco’ coating. The results further indicate that similarities exist among the manufacturing process of the studied samples and that used today by an ancient caste of clay artists in West Bengal (India), suggesting the existence of a continuous technological tradition that deserves to be further explored in the future.
Tricky technology of making silver seed beads in the Early Bronze Age, NW Caucasus
Authors: Trifonov Viktor , Shishlina Natalia , Loboda Anastasia , Khvostikov Vladimir , Kovalenko Eketerina , Tereschenko Elena , Yatsishina Ekaterina
Published: October 2023

This study reconstructed the technical chaîne operatoire of silver seed bead production in the Maikop culture on the basis of tracewear analysis and experimental research using silver beads from the Early Bronze Age dolmen (c. 3200–2900 bce) in kurgan 2 at Tsarskaya (1898). The results demonstrate that such beads were produced as a “garland” lost wax casting, when a garland of beads is formed on a hollow dry stalk (straw) that burns out during the casting process. The technology of “garland” casting is an original and, probably, the earliest solution in history that helped address the issue of large‐scale production of uniform cast precious metal seed beads. It is not yet clear whether this technology was originally developed in the Caucasus or brought here from Western Asia, where the Maikop culture has its roots.
Impact of obesity on the conversion of immediate‐release tacrolimus to extended‐release tacrolimus in kidney transplant recipients
Authors: Newman Jessica , Patel Neha , Patel Shikha , Sprague Taylor , Bartlett Felicia , Rao Nikhil , Andrade Erika , Rohan Vinayak , DuBay Derek , Casey Michael J. , Taber David
Published: October 2023

Outcomes analyzing conversion from IR‐tacrolimus (IR) to LCP‐tacrolimus (LCP) in obesity are limited. This was a retrospective longitudinal cohort study of patients converted from IR to LCP from June 2019 to October 2020. Primary outcomes were conversion ratios for weight‐based dose at a steady‐state therapeutic level and identification of appropriate dosing weight. Other outcomes included tacrolimus coefficient of variation (CV), time in therapeutic range (TITR), adverse events, infections, donor specific antibodies (DSAs), and acute rejection. A total of 292 patients were included; 156 and 136 patients with a BMI < 30 and BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2, respectively. Baseline characteristics were similar, except for pancreas transplant, diabetes, and HLA mismatch. IR to LCP conversion ratio ranged from .73 to .79. Mean LCP dose was similar (.08 vs. .07 mg/kg/day for BMI < 30 and BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2, respectively); there was a significant difference in IR and LCP mg/kg dosing at steady state with TBW (.11 mg/kg vs.09 mg/kg and .08 mg/kg vs. .06 mg/kg, respectively). The most appropriate dosing weight was adjusted body weight (AdjBW), consistent across IR and LCP steady‐state doses, and might yield more accurate steady‐state dosing requirements. In multivariable modeling, BMI was a significant predictor of steady state mg/kg dosing at therapeutic goal for total body weight (TBW), but not ideal body weight (IBW) or AdjBW.
Bioequivalence study of dacomitinib and Vizimpro® in healthy Chinese volunteers under fasting and fed conditions: A randomized, open‐label, single‐dose, crossover trial
Authors: Yang Xiaojia , Li Jinfang , Zhang Taihui , Xia Qinping , Zhang Wei , Cui Yike , He Wen
Published: October 2023

This study aimed to evaluate the bioequivalence between test tablet dacomitinib and reference product Vizimpro® under fasting and fed conditions and assess their pharmacokinetic (PK) and safety profiles for gaining marketing approval of the new generic drug. A single‐center, randomized, open‐label, single‐dose, two‐treatment, two‐period, crossover bioequivalence study was conducted in healthy Chinese subjects. Eligible healthy subjects randomly received a single 45 mg dose of test or reference formulations with an administration sequence of test tablet (T), reference tablet (R), or (RT), under both fasting and fed conditions, and each single administration was followed by a 21‐day washout period. Plasma concentrations and corresponding non‐compartmental PK parameters of dacomitinib were determined. The 90% confidence intervals of the geometric mean ratio (GMR) (test/reference) for Cmax, AUC0–t, and AUC0–∞, respectively, were 97.75%–119.99%, 101.00%–115.09%, and 100.27%–113.90% under fasting conditions and 95.20%–104.94%, 97.24%–102.23%, and 97.27%–101.88% under fed conditions, which were within the limits of 80%–125%. Under fasting and fed conditions, the PK characteristics of the test dacomitinib tablet and reference Vizimpro® were comparable; the two formulations of dacomitinib were demonstrated to be bioequivalent and well‐tolerated in healthy Chinese volunteers.
No country for small birds: Potential positive association among medium‐sized, aggressive species in Australian bird communities
Authors: García‐Navas Vicente , López‐Poveda Gabriel , Bliard Louis , Christidis Les , Ozgul Arpat
Published: October 2023

Aim

Australian woodlands have been intensively cleared since European settlement and, in parallel, many species of birds inhabiting this habitat type have experienced a marked decline. Conversely, some species such as noisy miner Manorina melanocephala respond positively to habitat disturbance and due to their hyper‐aggressiveness can end up driving away specialized and fragmentation‐sensitive species. Recent studies have suggested that the negative impact of miners is exacerbated by means of synergistic interactions between these and other aggressive species, including nest predators. However, it is not clear if these positive associations arise through similar habitat requirements or due to potential mutual benefits (‘facilitation effects’), which should predominate in harsh environments as the stress‐gradient hypothesis (SGH) predicts.

Location

Eastern Australia.

Methods

We combined a multi‐season community N‐mixture model and joint species distribution models within the Hierarchical Modelling of Species Communities framework to examine species co‐occurrence patterns after accounting for imperfect detection and the influence of environmental variables. We then explored how the balance between positive and negative associations varied along an abiotic stress gradient and whether species‐to‐species associations were non‐randomly distributed with respect to species traits.

Results

No significant associations were detected; we only found tentative associations (posterior probability 85%) in a low proportion of species pairs (~4%). Although most non‐random (tentative) associations were negative, these were weaker and less consistent across models than the positive ones. Five medium‐sized species of swooping birds including the noisy miner monopolized virtually all positive associations. Communities from low‐productivity environments tended to show a lower degree of overall (community‐level) competitiveness than those located in less stressful (more productive) environments, which supports the SGH. There was no significant relationship between species trait dissimilarity and species‐to‐species association's strength.

Main Conclusions

Our results suggest that aggressive species like miners, kookaburras, lorikeets, magpies and butcherbirds can form potential synergies with each other that may intensify the direct negative influence of each species on small‐sized songbirds. Since these species thrive in anthropized landscapes and have drastically increased their numbers in some regions, their associative potential should be considered in conservation actions.
Perspectives on Designing Design Managers By Lee D. Green, Jeff Smith, Gary Bryant, Rachel Cooper, Kyung‐Won Chung, and Maryann Finiw
Authors: Nussbaum Bruce
Published: October 2023

The strongest and strangest rift in academia is perhaps between business and design. For two fields that are so interdependent on one another, the separation is appalling—and completely unnecessary. In the world of fashion, for example, designers know they must be creators (each season, twice a year, year after year), as well as manufacturers, originators and retailers, loners and team players, empathizers and pathbreakers. By the time they are seniors, fashion students know where to outsource, who to go to for publicity and marketing, what margins are needed to stay in business. Nearly all have been required to intern in successful fashion businesses and have learned the realities of the fashion world from the ground up. In the best fashion schools, from Parsons in New York to Central Saint Martins in London, this is what professors teach and what the curriculum is composed of.

Yet in this article, we clearly see that other design schools are not doing this job. Designers graduate without the abilities to function in a business environment, much less build a new business. This is a tragedy with a cause—bad design education. What is needed to be great corporate designers and design managers? The deepest need is understanding—not of the customer, but of business itself. Learning the language and values of business and integrating them into the designer's practice and presentation is the key to success. What is valuable? How is it measured? How can you deliver it? These are all key questions.

Designers need to know not only their own process but also the process of bringing their creations to the marketplace. This is what unites such an unlikely pair of designers as Alexander McQueen and Jonathan Ive. One made incredible clothes; the other makes incredible consumer electronics. Yet both obsessed over materials, manufacturing, marketing, and price.

This is what designers have to learn to either be part of a team or lead one. It isn't magic.
Catalyzing Scientific Innovation with Design Thinking
Authors: Yajima Rieko
Published: October 2023

The scientific community plays a critical role in helping to solve grand challenges that affect society, while facing budget reductions and other pressures. Can design thinking offer ways to accelerate and further innovation in scientific research and discovery?

Designers and scientists have a lot in common—the desire to understand the world around them, the passion to discover something unexpected, and the ability to look at the world in a new way. Can we talk?
Design for the 21st Century: Media Lab Style
Authors: Hoffman Ellen , Slotnick Stacie
Published: October 2023

The MIT Media Lab has always been a place for the daring and the disobedient. Here's an overview of some of their current projects.

With 24 research groups covering everything from synthetic biology to scalable agricultural systems for cities, the Media Lab is combining computational design, biological design, and systems design to create, in essence, a design ecosystem.
Q&A
Authors: Samuels Allen
Published: October 2023

Dr. Allen Samuels has created hundreds, if not thousands, of product concepts and designs in the 50 years since he began his career.
Product Fail? Maybe the Market Research Was to Blame
Authors: Braunstein Marc
Published: October 2023

When we strive to validate design concepts, we need to ask some serious questions about whether traditional research methods are capable of revealing users' true interests and intentions.

Striving for a more foolproof way to gauge consumer interest in new products and services.
Avoiding the ‘Internet of Misinformed Things’
Authors: Walter Glen
Published: October 2023

More and more of the everyday objects we design have the ability to send and receive information. In the coming “internet of things,” how can we avoid adding to what is already a surfeit of information? And how can we best preserve our humanity in the face of an onslaught of conflicting and biased bits of “knowledge?”

Where is “the internet of things” heading, and what does it mean for us as human beings?
Inside Practices for Outside Success—Outside Ideas for Inside Success
Authors: Poage Jennifer , Poage Jim
Published: October 2023

Why do some companies extract successful design results from their products and services, while others that claim to use design fall short? Employees of many of today's large companies know the basics of product design and design management, but only some have learned to use designers and design managers to achieve truly value‐driven design. The authors suspect that much of the trouble lies with top management.

The authors of Flair explore the internal practices and external influences on design management that can make or break a company's reputation as a design leader.
How Agile is Your Design Business?
Authors: Kwon Yeunyoung , Nam Ki‐Young , Chung Kyung‐won
Published: October 2023

More and more, the ability to respond to change divides successful companies and failures. Nokia's spectacular fall from glory has made that loud and clear. In contrast, IBM responded to change by transforming itself into a potent solutions company. Change is a powerful and unavoidable double‐edged sword: a huge risk in business, but also a great opportunity if one knows how to handle it. So what is organizational agility and how is it relevant to the design business?

Is your design firm an Explorer, a Watcher, or a Butler? In this article the agility and culture of design consultancies is assessed across seven parameters.
“Piggyback Pigtails”: Simplifying secondary transradial access for TAVR
Authors: Ahoopai Majid , Geyer Martin , Tamm Alexander R. , Gößler Theresa , Oberhoffer Martin , Masseli Franz , Münzel Thomas , von Bardeleben Ralph Stephan
Published: October 2023

Minimalist approaches have evolved for TAVR over the last years with impact on in‐hospital stay and patient safety. As part of this concept, transradial secondary arterial access is capable of reducing vascular and bleeding complications. Yet, steering of the marker pigtail catheter in the descending aorta might by fluoroscopic imaging sometimes be challenging. In our manuscript, we present a very simple “piggyback” technique, simplifying management of transradial secondary access in transfemoral TAVR.
Financialization and sluggish recovery of firms' investment: Global evidence from the 2007–2008 financial crisis
Authors: Luo Mingjin , Wang Shenqguan
Published: October 2023

After the financial crisis of 2007–2008, the global economy witnessed a trend of sluggish investment recovery and continuous deepening of financialization. Using data on nonfinancial firms from 108 countries over the period from 2000 to 2017, we examine the impact of financialization on firms' postcrisis investment recovery with a probit model. We find that firms' financialization inhibited postcrisis investment recovery, and this finding remains stable under a series of robustness checks. Further discussion shows the hindering impact of financialization on investment recovery is especially dominant among firms with severe financial constraints and firms from advanced economies. Higher financial market yield also exacerbates the restraint effect of financialization on investment recovery.
Bubble detective: City‐level analysis of house price cycles
Authors: Cevik Serhan , Naik Sadhna
Published: October 2023

This paper investigates house price dynamics at high frequency using city‐level observations during the period 1994–2022 in Lithuania. We employ multiple time series‐based econometric procedures to examine whether real house prices and house price‐to‐rent ratios exhibit explosive behaviour. According to these recursive right‐tailed test results, we reject the null hypothesis of no‐bubble and find evidence for long and multiple periods of explosive behaviour in the housing market in all major cities during the sample period. While the size of bubbles varies across cities, especially when we use the house price‐to‐rent ratio, there is clearly a similar boom‐bust pattern in Lithuania. Large house price corrections can in turn have adverse effects on economic performance and financial stability, as experienced during the global financial crisis and other episodes in history.
Booms, Busts, and Common Risk Exposures
Authors: KOPYTOV ALEXANDR
Published: October 2023

I present a dynamic general equilibrium model in which commonality in bank assets endogenously changes over the business cycle and shapes systemic risk. To reduce individual risks, banks diversify, increasing portfolio overlap and hence the similarity of their exposures to fundamental shocks. Systemic financial crises burst at the end of credit booms when productive investment opportunities are exhausted, banks' diversification incentives are strong, and their portfolios are highly correlated. A calibrated model is able to match key moments related to frequency, severity, and the economy's behavior around systemic crises.
I don't want to leave my child: How mothers and fathers affect mother's breastfeeding duration and leave length
Authors: Van Egdom Drake , Piszczek Matthew M. , Wen Xueqi , Zhang Jing , Granillo‐Velasquez Kenneth E. , Spitzmueller Christiane
Published: October 2023

After the birth of a child, employed mothers must make return‐to‐work and breastfeeding decisions. Prior organizational research focuses on how the mother's work environment affects these decisions, yet they are made with personal and relationship considerations in mind. We use the work‐home resources model and identity theory to address two pressing questions. First, do mothers' identity and fathers' paternity leave provide resources for supporting breastfeeding and return to work? Second, can mothers' separation anxiety help explain the psychological mechanisms for this process? We expect more work‐centric mothers and those whose partners take longer leaves to have lower maternal separation anxiety, and thereby shorter maternity leave length and shorter breastfeeding duration. We leverage the National Institute of Child Health and Development's Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. We conducted analyses using data from 491 families and nine time points from childbirth to 3 years post birth. Consistent with the work‐home resources model, the father's leave length is negatively related to mother's separation anxiety, which is positively related to her leave length. We also found that the father's leave length is directly and positively related to mother's leave length and breastfeeding duration, and the mother's work centrality is negatively related to her leave length. We explain how these results fit into the work‐home resources model and suggest organizations should provide mothers with control over return‐to‐work decisions and encourage longer paternity leave.
Arm levitation in multiple system atrophy
Authors: Shimozato Masaya , Yoshikura Nobuaki , Kimura Akio , Otsuki Mika , Shimohata Takayoshi
Published: October 2023

A 53‐year‐old woman presented with repetitive involuntary elevation of the left upper limb beyond her shoulder joint. Initially, the symptom was suspected to be due to a functional neurological disorder. Based on the clinical and radiological findings, however, we diagnosed arm levitation associated with multiple system atrophy. The mechanism of her arm levitation was suggested to be a disturbance of the right frontal cortex with resultant impairment of the inhibitory mechanisms of the primary motor cortex.
Nursing workload and patient‐focused outcomes in intensive care: A systematic review
Authors: Ross Paul , Howard Bethany , Ilic Dragan , Watterson Jason , Hodgson Carol L.
Published: October 2023

The aim of this systematic review was to examine the association of nursing workload on patient outcomes in intensive care units. The primary outcome measure was patient mortality, with adverse events (AE), the secondary outcome measures. Electronic search of databases including MEDLINE, CINAHL, Cochrane, EMCARE, Scopus, and Web of Science were performed. Studies were excluded if they were in non‐ICU settings, pediatric, neonatal populations, or if the abstract/full text was unavailable. Risk of bias was assessed by the ROBINS‐I tool. After screening 4129 articles, 32 studies were identified as meeting inclusion criteria. The majority of included studies were assessed as having a moderate risk of bias. The nursing activities score (NAS) was the most frequently used tool to assess nursing workload. Our systematic review identified that higher nursing workload was associated with patient‐focused outcomes, including increased mortality and AE in the intensive care setting. The varied approaches of measuring and reporting nursing workload make it difficult to translate the findings of the impact of nursing workload on patient outcomes in intensive care settings.
Can rapid maxillary expansion affect speech sound production in growing patients? A systematic review
Authors: Sant'Anna Letícia Iandeyara Dantas de Andrade , Miranda e Paulo Djessyca , Baião Felipe Carvalho Souza , Lima Igor Felipe Pereira , Vieira Walbert A. , César Carla Patrícia Hernandez Alves Ribeiro , Pithon Matheus Melo , Maia Lucianne Cople , Paranhos Luiz Renato
Published: October 2023

Rapid maxillary expansion (RME) may change speech sound parameters due to the enlargement of oral and nasal cavities. This study aimed to systematically review the current evidence on speech changes as a side effect of RME. An electronic search was conducted in nine databases, and two of them accessed the ‘grey literature’. The eligibility criteria included clinical studies assessing orthodontic patients with maxillary transverse deficiency and the relationship with speech alterations without restricting publication year or language. Only interventional studies were included. The JBI Critical Appraisal Tool assessed the risk of bias. The initial search provided 4853 studies. Seven articles (n = 200 patients) met the inclusion criteria and were analysed. The primary source of bias was the absence of a control group in four studies. RME altered speech production by changing vowel fundamental frequency and fricative phoneme formant frequency. Shimmer and jitter rates changed in one and two studies, respectively. Two studies presented deterioration during orthodontic treatment, but speech improved after appliance removal. Despite the limited evidence, RME affects speech during and after treatment.
Effects of site conditions on regeneration of African mahogany (Khaya anthotheca) in a semi‐deciduous East African tropical rainforest
Authors: Okimat John Paul , Babweteera Fred , Glatthorn Jonas , Ehbrecht Martin
Published: October 2023

Restoration of high‐value timber trees in logged tropical forests is indispensable as a conservation strategy and for the enhancement of ecosystem services. Khaya anthotheca is a mahogany tree species of major restoration importance in Uganda. However, the factors affecting the natural regeneration success of this species are poorly understood. We determined the effect of selected site conditions on the abundance of K. anthotheca regeneration in the Budongo Forest Reserve. Two hundred and four 1,000 m2 inventory plots, each nested with four 4 m2 subplots, were systematically established in logged and unlogged sites within the study area. All trees greater than or equal to 10 cm DBH and natural regeneration (<10 cm DBH) were identified and recorded in the plots and subplots, respectively. We characterized plots by the density of conspecifics, light availability, ground cover of undergrowth, litter depth, soil pH, and basal area. Regression models were used to evaluate the variables that influenced regeneration abundance and occurrence. The density of adult conspecifics and soil pH were important. Regeneration abundance and occurrence increased with increasing density of adult conspecifics and decreased with increasing soil pH. Our results highlight that in addition to seed availability, soil pH was important for successful regeneration. This is one of the first K. anthotheca‐specific studies to evaluate more than a few environmental factors influencing the density of its naturally established seedlings in tropical African forests. The abundance and distribution of adult conspecifics in the canopy and soil pH should be considered in K. anthotheca restoration plans.
The Price of Perfection: The Cost of Error
Authors: Bosk Charles L.
Published: October 2023

In this book proposal, Charles L. Bosk synthesizes 50 years of ethnographic research to consider a key question: Why have decades of patient safety initiatives to reduce preventable deaths and adverse safety events failed to make traction on either one? With his incomparable wit and dry humor, Bosk takes us through the changes to the medical system that accompany his own evolution from a doctoral student to accomplished professional. Bosk's last work prods us to think deeply about the nature of medical error, our attempts to fix it, and what it means to improve medical care.
The Law of Peoples and Rectificatory Justice
Authors: d'Annibale Eleonora
Published: October 2023

In this paper, I argue that a principle of rectification for past wrongdoings could and should be added to Rawls's Law of Peoples on the ground that unrectified past injustice undermines the notion of equality of peoples. I base this work on a conception of rectification that includes apologies as well as economic compensation, and I focus on the step of compensation. To do so, I briefly discuss how the maximin decision rule can adapt to the second original position. To address the compatibility of rectificatory justice with Rawls's work, I focus on the strains of commitment and consider Rawls's account of peoples' fundamental interests. Rawls's conception of international justice needs to be responsive to peoples' fundamental interest in equality, which calls for proper protection of their means of self‐respect. Although the moral imbalance stemming from past injustice is overlooked in The Law of Peoples, I show that Rawls's theoretical framework can ground a principle of rectification.
Investigation of Sub-Grid Scale Turbulence-Radiation Interaction Effects on Turbulence Energy Transport and Varying Thermophysical Properties Using Large Eddy Simulation
Authors: Bazdidi-Tehrani Farzad , Ghiyasi Mehdi
Published: October 2023

The main objective of this article is to investigate sub-grid scale turbulence–radiation interaction (SGS TRI) effects on SGS turbulence kinetic energy (TKE) fluctuations and varying thermophysical properties in a partially premixed combustion system for a laboratory-piloted methane/air flame. The large eddy simulation approach is employed to simulate the turbulence of the compressible reactive flow. SGS quantities, including turbulent stress and fluxes of enthalpy and species in the sub-grid scale, are computed using the standard Smagorinsky–Lilly model. The radiative transfer equation is modeled by applying the spherical harmonic P1 approximation by considering the radiative heat source related to the SGS TRI contribution. Optically thin fluctuation approximation is utilized to simplify the radiative absorption term. A chemical reaction mechanism comprising 41 steps and 16 species is applied to model methane–air mixture combustion. Diffusion flamelet-generated manifolds are employed to govern the species transport equation. About 87% of TKE is resolved by applying the finest grid consisting of 1,822,580 cells. Impacts of SGS TRI on the spatially filtered density, eddy viscosity, SGS velocity and TKE, overall radiative emission, RMS temperature fluctuations, and nitrogen monoxide (NO) formation are studied. The results reveal that considering SGS TRI in the simulation leads to remarkable discrepancies, particularly in SGS velocity and TKE by 6.70% and 7.40%, respectively. Meanwhile, SGS density and eddy viscosity deviate negligibly in the presence of SGS TRI. Also, the filtered mass fraction of NO reduces up to 17.54% on average by considering TRI.
Mechanical Properties and Fracture Resistance of 3D-Printed Polylactic Acid
Authors: Yadav Deepesh , Jaya Balila Nagamani
Published: October 2023

3D printing is a layer-by-layer deposition process, which results in highly anisotropic structures and contains interfaces. Complex shapes manufactured by 3D printing carry defects. Complete elimination of these defects and interfaces is not possible, and these defects degrade the mechanical properties. In the present study, mechanical properties of printed dog bone samples are quantified as a function of building parameters, in particular, filling patterns, raster angle, and orientation of build direction with respect to that of loading, in polylactic acid (PLA). The tensile strength of 3D-printed PLA is the same for hexagonal and linear pattern filling when the build direction is along thickness and width, and failure was initiated at the defects in the structure, while better overall toughness is offered by hexagonal pattern filling. Build direction along specimen gauge length gives very low tensile strength and toughness, and failure happens between the printing layers. To minimize the defects especially near the grip section, cuboid samples were first deposited and micro-machined by laser into dog bone shape to perform tension test. Tensile strength and elastic modulus of micro-machined samples are surprisingly lower, while failure strain is highest among line filling printed samples. Damage resistance was quantified in terms of work of fracture, and hexagonal filling provided better damage resistance than line filling patterns for conditions of 0 deg raster angle with respect to the crack, whereas line filling with 45 deg and 90 deg raster angle tolerated damage better than hexagonal filling.
Effect of Nanoparticles Deposition on Cooling Performance of Photovoltaic Panels
Authors: Salem Hassan , Mina Ehab
Published: October 2023

The current research aims to investigate the deposition and dispersion of nanoparticles for thermally developing laminar flow inside a cooling channel of a photovoltaic (PV) panel. The particle transport is modeled in an Eulerian–Lagrangian framework using a two-way coupling approach to perform the particle trajectories. In the absence of turbulent fluctuations, Brownian diffusion is the main force that contributes to particle deposition due to the small size of the particles used in the current study (below 100 nm). Several parameters were investigated such as inlet temperature, Reynolds number, nanoparticle size, and concentration in order to record the subsequent effects on the deposition efficiency, heat transfer coefficient, and pressure drop. There is no direct particle deposition model available in commercial computational packages such as fluent, so a deposition model was developed and programed in c-language using the user-defined function (UDF) capabilities available in the fluent solver to model how the particles are affected by wall impacts. Model validation was performed against the experimental studies found in the literature and showed good agreement. The efficiency of particle deposition on the channel wall was found to increase with decreasing nanoparticle size and/or Reynolds number. Furthermore, the deposition efficiency increased with the increase in fluid inlet temperature and nanofluid concentration. Moreover, the heat transfer rate was decreased as a result of decreasing nanofluid concentration caused by nanoparticle deposition on the channel walls, while the pumping power was also decreased due to concentration loss.
On the Advantages of Searching Infeasible Regions in Constrained Evolutionary-Based Multi-Objective Engineering Optimization
Authors: Bimo Dwianto Yohanes , Satria Palar Pramudita , Rizki Zuhal Lavi , Oyama Akira
Published: October 2023

Solving a multiple-criteria optimization problem with severe constraints remains a significant issue in multi-objective evolutionary algorithms. The problem primarily stems from the need for a suitable constraint handling technique. One potential approach is balancing the search in feasible and infeasible regions to find the Pareto front efficiently. The justification for such a strategy is that the infeasible region also provides valuable information, especially in problems with a small percentage of feasibility areas. To that end, this paper investigates the potential of the infeasibility-driven principle based on multiple constraint ranking-based techniques to solve a multi-objective problem with a small feasibility ratio. By analyzing the results from intensive experiments on a set of test problems, including the realistic multi-objective car structure design and actuator design problem, it is shown that there is a significant improvement gained in terms of convergence by utilizing the generalized version of the multiple constraint ranking techniques.
Angle resolved x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy assessment of the structure and composition of nanofilms—including uncertainties—through the multilayer model
Authors: Herrera-Gomez Alberto , Guzman-Bucio Dulce Maria , Mayorga-Garay Marisol , Cortazar-Martinez Orlando
Published: October 2023

The multilayer model (MLM) for assessing the structural and composition parameters of multilayered nanofilms from angle-resolved x-ray photoelectric spectroscopy is described in detail. It is compared with regularized back-transform (RBT) approaches such as the maximum entropy method (MEM) with Tikhonov-type regularizations. The advantages of MLM over MEM, such as the possibility of assessing confidence ranges, modeling structures beyond conformal multilayered nanofilms, and modeling abrupt interfaces, are discussed and exemplified. In contrast with MLM, the RBT methods have shortcomings such as the violation of the conservation of information and the inability to adequately address the dependence of the effective attenuation length on the material. Examples of the application of MLM to conformal films and systems with protrusions are shown. The covariance matrix method (CMM) is described and applied to assess uncertainties in structural parameters and composition under the MLM. The CMM constitutes the canonical method for assessing confidence ranges and adequately accounts for the covariance among structural (e.g., layer thicknesses) and composition parameters.
Application of acoustic spectroscopy and neural networks to on-line size measurement of pharmaceutical nanocrystals
Authors: Hou Guang Hao , Falola Akinola A. , Wang Xiao Kang , Liang Li Peng , Zou Xing Wu , Wu Tao , Wang Xue Z.
Published: October 2023

Acoustic spectroscopy and neural networks (NNs) are applied to on-line real-time measurement of particle size distribution (PSD) during wet milling of pharmaceutical nanocrystals. A method for modeling the relationship between acoustic attenuation spectra and PSD is proposed that is based on NNs and principal component analysis (PCA). PCA reduces the dimensions of both the spectra and the PSD; then, a neural network model of 2 × 2 × 2 (input, hidden, output layer nodes) with only eight connection weights is built. Compared with previous instrument models that could require as many as 14 physical properties, the current approach does not need any prior knowledge of the system's properties. In addition, the time taken to complete a PSD measurement is reduced from minutes to seconds and it always generates a single solution, rather than possible multiple PSD solutions as in early methods. Application to hydrotalcite nanomilling found good agreement between the on-line measurements and off-line analysis.
Similitude method for self-noise under boundary layer pressure fluctuation excitation
Authors: Wang Yilin , Li Qi , Shang Dajing , Tang Rui
Published: October 2023

In this paper, the authors propose a similitude method based on the Π-theorem to predict the noise generated by pressure fluctuations along the boundary layer of a full-scale model by using a small-scale model. We begin by investigating the theory of the similitude method and introducing an approach to control the flow regime. We also provide an account of active and passive methods of controlling the flow regime. We analyze a plate model and a rotary model by using the computational fluid dynamics method to validate the effectiveness of the proposed similitude method and subject it to error analysis. The results demonstrate that it can accurately predict flow-induced noise in the full-scale model based on the noise observed in the small-scale model. We also provide methods to identify transitions in flow in the Appendix.
Bronchopulmonary penetration of isavuconazole in lung transplant recipients
Authors: Caballero-Bermejo Antonio F. , Darnaude-Ximénez Ignacio , Aguilar-Pérez Myriam , Gomez-Lopez Alicia , Sancho-López Aránzazu , López García-Gallo Cristina , Díaz Nuevo Gema , Diago-Sempere Elena , Ruiz-Antorán Belén , Avendaño-Solá Cristina , Ussetti-Gil Piedad ,   PBISA01‐Study Group
Published: October 2023

Isavuconazole’s (ISA) pharmacokinetics was studied among lung transplant recipients to evaluate its bronchopulmonary penetration. This study included 13 patients and showed mean serum concentrations of 3.30 (standard deviation [SD] 0.45), 5.12 (SD 1.36), and 6.31 (SD 0.95) at 2 h, 4 h, and 24 h respectively. Mean concentrations in the epithelial lining fluid were 0.969 (SD 0.895), 2.141 (SD 1.265), and 2.812 (SD 0.693) at the same time points. ISA is a drug with a tolerable safety profile that achieves adequate concentrations in the lung.
Supplemental Material: How does weathering influence geochemical proxies in Paleoproterozoic banded iron formations? A case study from outcrop samples of the 2.46 Ga banded iron formation, Hamersley Basin, Western Australia
Authors: Li Zhiquan , et al.
Published: October 2023

Figure S1: The RGB image of sample 27-2 and 29-1. Figure S2: Correlations between REE+Y signatures and Al content in outcrop and core samples. Supplemental Text S1: ICP-MS measurement method. Table S1: Geochemical data of the reference geostandards.
Supplemental Material: Timing of Izanagi-Pacific ridge subduction beneath Eurasia: Constraints from metamorphic soles in Hokkaido, Japan
Authors: Dong Yu , Xu Wenliang , et al.
Published: October 2023

Table S1: SIMS zircon U–Pb dating data for amphibolites in the Hidaka metamorphic belt, Hokkaido, northern Japan. Table S2: Microprobe analysis of plagioclase compositions for amphibolites in the Hidaka metamorphic belt, Hokkaido, northern Japan. Table S3: Microprobe analysis of amphibole compositions for amphibolites in the Hidaka metamorphic belt, Hokkaido, northern Japan. Table S4: Major (wt%) and trace element (ppm) data for amphibolites in the Hidaka metamorphic belt, Hokkaido, northern Japan. Table S5: Sr–Nd–Hf–Pb isotopic data of amphibolites in the Hidaka metamorphic belt, Hokkaido, northern Japan.
Supplemental Material: Grain-size variability in debris flows of different runout lengths, Wenchuan, China
Authors: Harvey Erin L. , al. et
Published: October 2023

Table S1. The coordinates of the sample locations used in this study. Table S2. GSD integrals for the curves shown in Figure 6. Table S3. χ² test comparing the average sieved GSD from Luoquan to the average sieved GSD from Liusha. Figure S1. Photos of the Luoquan and Liusha debris flow deposits. Figure S2. Example of the curve used to calculate the GSD integral. Figure S3. Relationship between D50, D84 and the GSD integrals for each debris flows. Figure S4. Vertical grain size distributions for the Liusha debris flow. Figure S5. Vertical grain size distributions for the Luoquan debris flow.
Modeling tree leaf area of Chinese fir plantations
Authors: Qu Yancheng , Jiang Yihang , Chen Hanyue , Hu Yuxin , Cao Quang V. , Luo Anli , Zhang Jianguo , Zhang Xiongqing
Published: October 2023

Leaf area is an important ecophysiological variable for quantifying the potential production of trees, since it is closely related to tree growth. However, it is difficult to measure the leaf area completely because of the large number of leaves, so it is particularly important to develop accurate species-specific leaf area models. In this study, using 144 parse trees from 48 plots of different climate zones and ages of Chinese fir, tree leaf area models were developed based on sapwood area at breast height (SABH), diameter at breast height (DBH), and diameter at crown base (DCB), respectively. The results showed that the population-averaged levels of nonlinear mixed-effects (NLME) models were better than the plot-levels and base models, and the leaf area models based on DCB performed the best. Finally, the NLME model (16) based on DCB was used as the final model for tree leaf area of Chinese fir plantations, which was consistent with the pipe model theory. All the variables had certain biological and statistical significance and were easy to obtain in the field work (nondestructive). In addition, this study can also provide a reference for other tree species in predicting tree leaf area.