bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Application of Engineered Nanomaterials in Perinatal Therapeutics
Authors: Stapleton Phoebe A.
Published: July 2023

Pregnancy is a vulnerable life stage for the mother and developing fetus. Because of this dual concern, approved therapeutic options for pre‐existing conditions or pregnancy‐induced pathologies, placental deformities, or fetal concerns are extremely limited. These cases often leave patients and clinicians having to choose between maternal health and fetal development. Recent advancements in nanomedicine and nanotherapeutic devices have made the development of perinatal therapeutics an attractive objective. However, perinatal medicine requires a multifaceted approach given the interactions between maternal, placental, and fetal physiology. Maternal–fetal interactions are centralized to the placenta, a specialized transient barrier organ, to allow for nutrient and waste exchange. Perinatal nanotherapeutics must be designed for placental avoidance or uptake. In this review, pregnancy‐related conditions, experimental models, and modes of drug delivery during pregnancy are discussed.
Impedance‐Based Multimodal Electrical‐Mechanical Intrinsic Flow Cytometry
Authors: Feng Yongxiang , Zhu Junwen , Chai Huichao , He Weihua , Huang Liang , Wang Wenhui
Published: July 2023

Reflecting various physiological states and phenotypes of single cells, intrinsic biophysical characteristics (e.g., mechanical and electrical properties) are reliable and important, label‐free biomarkers for characterizing single cells. However, single‐modal mechanical or electrical properties alone are not specific enough to characterize single cells accurately, and it has been long and challenging to couple the conventionally image‐based mechanical characterization and impedance‐based electrical characterization. In this work, the spatial‐temporal characteristics of impedance sensing signal are leveraged, and an impedance‐based multimodal electrical‐mechanical flow cytometry framework for on‐the‐fly high‐dimensional intrinsic measurement is proposed, that is, Young's modulus E, fluidity β, radius r, cytoplasm conductivity σi, and specific membrane capacitance Csm, of single cells. With multimodal high‐dimensional characterization, the electrical‐mechanical flow cytometry can better reveal the difference in cell types, demonstrated by the experimental results with three types of cancer cells (HepG2, MCF‐7, and MDA‐MB‐468) with 93.4% classification accuracy and pharmacological perturbations of the cytoskeleton (fixed and Cytochalasin B treated cells) with 95.1% classification accuracy. It is envisioned that multimodal electrical‐mechanical flow cytometry provides a new perspective for accurate label‐free single‐cell intrinsic characterization.
Effects of Rare Earth on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of a Pearlitic Steel Wire Rod
Authors: Yang Zhendan , Zhang Xiao , Sang Chenhao , Wang Pei , Zhang Lei , Li Dianzhong
Published: July 2023

The effects of rare earth (RE) on the microstructure and mechanical properties of a pearlitic steel wire rod are investigated under the dual‐low‐oxygen condition. The results show that the wire rods with different RE contents all have pearlite microstructure. As RE content increases from 0 to 310 ppm, the pearlite substructures such as interlamellar spacing, pearlite colony size, and ferrite grain size decrease remarkably, indicating that the nucleation and growth behavior of pearlite change. This is attributed to the combined effects of stimulating nucleation by a large number of micrometer‐scale RE‐containing inclusions and decreased carbon diffusion due to RE in solution. As a result, the changes in microstructure lead to simultaneous enhancement of strength, plasticity, impact toughness, and microhardness of pearlite wire rod, demonstrating that adding appropriate content of RE under the dual‐low‐oxygen condition is an effective alloying method to optimize the microstructure and mechanical properties of pearlitic steel wire rod.
Direct Power Control and Space Vector Modulation‐Based Direct Power Control for Brushless Doubly‐Fed Reluctance Generator
Authors: Shi Long , Jin Shi
Published: July 2023

This paper deduces the quantitative relationship between the flux vectors and the power of power winding (PW) in brushless doubly‐fed reluctance generator (BDFRG). On this basis, the direct power control (DPC) theory of BDFRG is established, which makes up the deficiency that the DPC theory of BDFRG is only based on qualitative analysis in the existing literature. The power derivative expression is derived for accurately analyzing the effect of voltage vector of control winding (CW) on the power of PW, concluding that the control effect of DPC is related to the operation point of a BDFRG. The number of basic voltage vectors of CW connected with two‐level converter is limited, resulting that under some operation conditions, a BDFRG controlled by DPC could present a time interval where the power cannot be controlled satisfactorily. Therefore, the space vector modulation‐based direct power control (SVM‐DPC) strategy of BDFRG is proposed, which can solve the above problem and fix the switching frequency. Experimental results prove the correctness of the elaboration and the proposed method. © 2023 Institute of Electrical Engineer of Japan and Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Use of road infrastructure for movement by common terrestrial vertebrates
Authors: Charles Felicity E. , Brady Megan J. , Smith Annabel L.
Published: July 2023

Wildlife‐vehicle collisions are increasing with road expansion. This problem could be minimised if the use of existing infrastructure to cross roads could be enhanced. We aimed to determine whether common terrestrial vertebrates used drainage culverts to cross roads, relative to rates of surface crossings. Camera traps were deployed on road verges at 30 locations in southeast Queensland, Australia for 2 weeks each over a 3‐month period. Of 1671 independent animal observations, 397 were direct observations of road crossings, either over‐road (365) or under‐road via culverts (32). Native species and small species were found more commonly at roadsides than culverts and where vegetation density was lower. Our data showed that animals used culverts only about 6% of the time. Management such as funnel fencing or vegetation manipulation could encourage wildlife to use culverts, but this would require a substantial investment given the propensity for animals to cross via the road surface.
Wort für Wort. Bedingungen der Analyse diplomatischer Wortprotokolle als historische Quellen
Authors: Weichselbraun Anna
Published: July 2023

In diesem Kapitel untersuche ich Eignung und Grenzen des »Protokolls« als historische Quelle. Protokolle sind nicht nur das »gefilterte Gedächtnis« einer Organisation, sondern werden auch zu historischen Quellen für WissenschaftlerInnen, die dieses gefilterte Gedächtnis verstehen wollen. Wortwörtliche Aufzeichnungen oder Protokolle werden manchmal als Quelle bevorzugt, weil man davon ausgeht, dass sie vollständiger sind und somit das Ereignis akkurat repräsentiert wird. Entgegen dieser Annahme werde ich zeigen, dass sogar das Wortprotokoll eine stark stilisierte und veränderte Aufzeichnung des Ereignisses ist. Ich argumentiere, dass eine »verbatim ideology« (Inoue 2018) das Protokoll als genaue Quelle motiviert. Und schließlich, dass das Lesen des Wortprotokolls auf die entstehende Interaktionsdynamik des Ereignisses überraschende Einblicke in eingefahrene Diskussionen bieten kann.
»…für die aufmerksamen Zuhörer eine Pein, für die unaufmerksamen ein Schlafmittel«. Protokolle, Unmittelbarkeit und Wahrheitsfindung im Disziplinarakt öffentlich Bediensteter
Authors: Garstenauer Therese
Published: July 2023

Das Protokoll schreibt institutionell produzierte Wahrheit fest, verbürgt durch formale Vorgaben seiner Entstehung sowie die Kopräsenz der oder des Protokollierenden zum Ereignis. In diesem Beitrag wird erörtert, welche Rolle Protokolle in Disziplinarverfahren von öffentlich Bediensteten des frühen 20. Jahrhunderts spielten. Zunächst werden Ähnlichkeiten und Unterschiede zwischen den Gerichts- und Disziplinarverfahren erfasst, zumal das Disziplinarrecht ab 1914 auf Basis der Strafprozessordnung von 1873 modelliert wurde. Eine zentrale Frage ist, wie mit Protokollen aus Vorerhebungen im Prozess umgegangen wird – sollen sie in der mündlichen Verhandlung verlesen werden oder soll die befragte Person persönlich aussagen? Zudem braucht es für die Wahrheitsfindung mitunter mehr als protokollarisch festgehaltene sprachliche Äußerungen: auch Pläne, Gutachten und der »Augenschein« werden erfasst. Am Beispiel des Disziplinarfalls eines niederösterreichischen Bezirksbeamten aus den 1920ern, der eine Entscheidung des Verfassungsgerichtshofs unflätig verunglimpft haben soll, wird gezeigt, mit welchen Mitteln hier eine Wahrheit produziert wurde, die eine Entscheidung in der Disziplinarsache erlaubte.
Mean Ergodic Weighted Shifts on Köthe Echelon Spaces
Authors: Kalmes Thomas , Santacreu Daniel
Published: July 2023

Necessary and sufficient conditions are given for mean ergodicity, power boundedness, and topologizability for weighted backward shift and weighted forward shift operators, respectively, on Köthe echelon spaces in terms of the weight sequence and the Köthe matrix. These conditions are evaluated for the special case of power series spaces which allow for a characterization of said properties in many cases. In order to demonstrate the applicability of our conditions, we study the above properties for several classical operators on certain function spaces.
Homoeologous non-reciprocal translocation explains a major QTL for seed lignin content in oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.)
Authors: Schilbert Hanna Marie , Holzenkamp Karin , Viehöver Prisca , Holtgräwe Daniela , Möllers Christian
Published: July 2023

Key message

A homoeologous non-reciprocal translocation was identified in the major QTL for seed lignin content in the low lignin line SGDH14. The lignin biosynthetic gene PAL4 was deleted.

Oilseed rape is a major oil crop and a valuable protein source for animal and human nutrition. Lignin is a non-digestible, major component of the seed coat with negative effect on sensory quality, bioavailability and usage of oilseed rape’s protein. Hence, seed lignin reduction is of economic and nutritional importance. In this study, the major QTL for reduced lignin content found on chromosome C05 in the DH population SGDH14 x Express 617 was further examined. SGDH14 had lower seed lignin content than Express 617. Harvested seeds from a F2 population of the same cross were additionally field tested and used for seed quality analysis. The F2 population showed a bimodal distribution for seed lignin content. F2 plants with low lignin content had thinner seed coats compared to high lignin lines. Both groups showed a dark seed colour with a slightly lighter colour in the low lignin group indicating that a low lignin content is not necessarily associated with yellow seed colour. Mapping of genomic long-reads from SGDH14 against the Express 617 genome assembly revealed a homoeologous non-reciprocal translocation (HNRT) in the confidence interval of the major QTL for lignin content. A homologous A05 region is duplicated and replaced the C05 region in SGDH14. As consequence several genes located in the C05 region were lost in SGDH14. Thus, a HNRT was identified in the major QTL region for reduced lignin content in the low lignin line SGDH14. The most promising candidate gene related to lignin biosynthesis on C05, PAL4, was deleted.
Zerumbone-incorporated liquid crystalline nanoparticles inhibit proliferation and migration of non-small-cell lung cancer in vitro
Authors: Manandhar Bikash , Paudel Keshav Raj , Clarence Dvya Delilaa , De Rubis Gabriele , Madheswaran Thiagarajan , Panneerselvam Jithendra , Zacconi Flavia C. , Williams Kylie A. , Pont Lisa G. , Warkiani Majid Ebrahimi , MacLoughlin Ronan , Oliver Brian Gregory , Gupta Gaurav , Singh Sachin Kumar , Chellappan Dinesh Kumar , Hansbro Philip M. , Dua Kamal
Published: July 2023

Lung cancer is the second most prevalent type of cancer and is responsible for the highest number of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) makes up the majority of lung cancer cases. Zerumbone (ZER) is natural compound commonly found in the roots ofZingiber zerumbetwhich has recently demonstrated anti-cancer activity in both in vitro and in vivo studies. Despite their medical benefits, ZER has low aqueous solubility, poor GI absorption and oral bioavailability that hinders its effectiveness. Liquid crystalline nanoparticles (LCNs) are novel drug delivery carrier that have tuneable characteristics to enhance and ease the delivery of bioactive compounds. This study aimed to formulate ZER-loaded LCNs and investigate their effectiveness against NSCLC in vitro using A549 lung cancer cells. ZER-LCNs, prepared in the study, inhibited the proliferation and migration of A549 cells. These inhibitory effects were superior to the effects of ZER alone at a concentration 10 times lower than that of free ZER, demonstrating a potent anti-cancer activity of ZER-LCNs. The underlying mechanisms of the anti-cancer effects by ZER-LCNs were associated with the transcriptional regulation of tumor suppressor genesP53andPTEN, and metastasis-associated geneKRT18. The protein array data showed downregulation of several proliferation associated proteins such as AXL, HER1, PGRN, and BIRC5 and metastasis-associated proteins such as DKK1, CAPG, CTSS, CTSB, CTSD, and PLAU. This study provides evidence of potential for increasing the potency and effectiveness of ZER with LCN formulation and developing ZER-LCNs as a treatment strategy for mitigation and treatment of NSCLC.
The application of chitosan as an eco-filler of polymeric composites
Authors: Fila Karolina , Podkościelna Beata , Szymczyk Katarzyna
Published: July 2023

The aim of the study was the synthesis of polymer biocomposites based on acrylates with the addition of various amounts of chitosan as an eco-filler. The composites (BPA.DA + NVP) were prepared using the photopolymerization technique. The obtained materials were subjected to physicochemical tests, determining, among others, their hardness and thermal properties by the DSC and TG/DTG methods. The ATR/FT-IR analysis and optical profilometer as well as the values of the solid surface tension calculated from the contact angle of model liquids and van Oss et al. approach to the solid-liquid interface tension were performed to confirm the chemical structure of the obtained biocomposites.
National Surveillance of Home-Based HIV Testing Among Australian Gay and Bisexual Men, 2018–2020: Uptake After Commercial Availability of HIV Self-Tests
Authors: Zhang Ye , Holt Martin , Chan Curtis , Applegate Tanya L. , Bavinton Benjamin R. , Broady Timothy R. , Keen Phillip , Wulandari Luh Putu Lila , Mao Limin , McManus Hamish , Medland Nicholas A. , Prestage Garrett , Wiseman Virginia , Guy Rebecca J.
Published: July 2023

HIV self-testing allows people to collect samples and test themselves at home, addressing known barriers to facility-based testing. We aimed to measure the uptake of home HIV testing among Australian gay and bisexual men (GBM). Using national cross-sectional data from the Australian Gay Community Periodic Surveys, we assessed trends in home HIV testing among non-HIV positive GBM between 2018 and 2020. Overall, the use of home HIV testing was low, but slightly increased during 2018–2020 (from 0.3 to 0.8%, RR = 1.54, 95%CI = 1.23–1.92, p-trend < 0.001). Testing at home was more likely among non-HIV-positive GBM who were born overseas and recently arrived in Australia, at higher risk of HIV, and infrequent HIV testers. Given the greater use of home testing by men at higher risk of HIV, recent migrants and infrequent testers, all priority groups in Australia’s HIV epidemic, we recommend increasing access to HIV self-testing to enhance uptake in these and other groups of GBM.
How Can Social Workers Assess Clinically Meaningful Change in Their Clients? An Example from Children in Care
Authors: Baviskar Siddhartha , Bergström Martin
Published: July 2023

Social workers use interventions in the expectation that they will make a positive difference for their clients. However, research about the effectiveness of interventions is typically presented at the group level, which places great demands on social workers’ ability to apply such results to the needs of individual clients. Further, the content and effects of “service as usual” (SAU) interventions that social workers typically offer are often not known, making it difficult for social workers to identify what aspects of the intervention any client change can be attributed to. Using indicators of clinically meaningful change (CMC) strengthens social workers’ ability to identify what, if anything, works in any given intervention for their individual clients, and also motivates their curiosity to identify the efficacious components of SAU. CMC refers to changes in an individual’s outcome measures that are reliable or are large enough to be considered “important.” We present five indicators to analyze CMC in a child’s psychological well-being measured with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and illustrate their use with two empirical examples from the project Me and My Foster Family. The examples demonstrated that conclusions regarding CMC can vary depending on the indicator used, the baseline assessment, and the magnitude of raw-score change on the measured outcome. To assess change at the individual level it is important to address questions of measurement reliability and the yardstick for judging when a change is large enough to be considered “important.” Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Mentalizing Capacity Partially Mediates the Relationship Between Attachment and Stress, Depression, and Anxiety in Social Work Students
Authors: Jansen Niels , Kühl Joana , Eller Natalie , Kingdon Phil , Firk Christine
Published: July 2023

Social work students experience high levels of stress, which makes them vulnerable to stress-related disorders such as depression. Attachment security has been associated with better stress regulation. Another factor that is closely associated with attachment is mentalization, i.e., the ability to reflect about one's own and others’ mental states, which may also influence the way people cope with stress. The main aim of the study was to investigate the impact of attachment and mentalization on stress, depression, and anxiety in social work students. 460 social work students completed the short version of the "Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised questionnaire” (ECR-RD8), “Relationship Questionnaire” (RQ-2), “Certainty About Mental States Questionnaire” (CAMSQ), “Perceived Stress Scale” (PSS-10) as well as the “Patient Health Questionnaire” (PHQ-9) and the “Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale” (GAD-7) in a cross-sectional research design. The majority of the current social work students (71.1%) were assigned to an insecure attachment style and reported noticeably high levels of stress, depression, and anxiety. Insecurely attached students showed even higher levels of stress, depression, and anxiety compared to securely attached students. Moreover, the results indicate that securely attached students have better mentalizing skills and that mentalizing skills (partially) mediated the effect of attachment security on perceived stress, depression, and anxiety. Due to the importance of mentalization for stress regulation, mental health, and the quality of relationships, programs promoting mentalization in social work students should be implemented in social work education programs.
Ericksen-Landau Modular Strain Energies for Reconstructive Phase Transformations in 2D Crystals
Authors: Arbib Edoardo , Biscari Paolo , Patriarca Clara , Zanzotto Giovanni
Published: July 2023

By using modular functions on the upper complex half-plane, we study a class of strain energies for crystalline materials whose global invariance originates from the full symmetry group of the underlying lattice. This follows Ericksen’s suggestion which aimed at extending the Landau-type theories to encompass the behavior of crystals undergoing structural phase transformation, with twinning, microstructure formation, and possibly associated plasticity effects. Here we investigate such Ericksen-Landau strain energies for the modelling of reconstructive transformations, focusing on the prototypical case of the square-hexagonal phase change in 2D crystals. We study the bifurcation and valley-floor network of these potentials, and use one in the simulation of a quasi-static shearing test. We observe typical effects associated with the micro-mechanics of phase transformation in crystals, in particular, the bursty progress of the structural phase change, characterized by intermittent stress-relaxation through microstructure formation, mediated, in this reconstructive case, by defect nucleation and movement in the lattice.
Nutrient composition of common fish species in the Okavango Delta: potential contribution to nutrition security
Authors: Mogobe Oarabile , Mazrui Nashaat M. , Gondwe Mangaliso J. , Mosepele Ketlhatlogile , Masamba Wellington R. L.
Published: July 2023

Fish can be a key strategy in addressing the global food and nutrition insecurity challenges. Fish nutrient data are critical for policy development targeting to reduce these problems. Despite this, much of the published studies on nutritional characteristics of fish have focused on marine ecology and there is little information on natural freshwater fish habitats like inland delta areas. This study investigated the nutrient composition of Okavango Delta fishes and their potential contribution to the recommended nutrient intake. Fish species sampled were Clarias ngamensis, Oreochromis andersonii, Schilbe intermedius, Marcusenius altisambesi, Brycinus lateralis, Barbus poechii and Tilapia sparrmanii. The nutrients analyzed were moisture, ash, proteins, Na, K, Ca, Mg, P and Zn. The small fishes (B. lateralis and B. poechii) had higher mineral content; Ca (643–968 mg/100 g), Mg (47–49 mg/100 g) and Zn (2.8–3.6 mg/100 g) compared to the larger species with average mineral content; Ca (73–460 mg/100 g), Mg (23–35 mg/100 g), Zn (1.2–2.9 mg/100 g). The most nutrient-dense species recognized were B. poechii and B. lateralis followed by the large species, M. altisambesi. These species illustrated the potential to contribute 80–121% Ca, 32–47% Mg and 70–150% Zn of the recommended nutrient intake to children (1–9 years), pregnant women and the elderly (65 + years). The study recommends prioritizing small and some large species (M. altisambesi and T. sparrmanii) for polyculture systems, primarily for securing food and nutrition security for local communities.
Is there a pollution haven in European Union global value chain participation?
Authors: Campos-Romero Hugo , Mourao Paulo Reis , Rodil-Marzábal Óscar
Published: July 2023

This paper aims to test the pollution haven hypothesis within the European Union (EU), especially among newcomer countries, through the participation in global value chains (GVCs). The study used a combination of multiregional input–output method and multilevel mixed econometric analysis to investigate the relationship between global value chain trade flows, foreign direct investment flows, energy consumption, and carbon emissions across countries, sectors, and time. The study tested both the “pollution haven” and “pollution halo” hypotheses and found a non-linear relationship between foreign capital flows and carbon emissions, which became less relevant after the economic integration process. The results suggest the existence of a pollution haven in Europe. Although Eastern economies still exhibit problematic issues in relation to pollution control, they have made significant progress in reducing their emissions intensity. The conclusions include some policy recommendations based on the main findings of the research.
Monitoring Framework for the Performance Evaluation of an IoT Platform with Elasticsearch and Apache Kafka
Authors: Calderon Gonzalo , del Campo Guillermo , Saavedra Edgar , Santamaría Asunción
Published: July 2023

IoT platforms are in charge of extracting and processing the data that come from IoT networks, generating additional value, and providing access to the user through usable interfaces. However, the ever growing number of devices, networks, services and applications within the IoT ecosystem, and the recently adopted edge/cloud architecture, increase the complexity. Therefore, IoT platforms should integrate monitoring and visualization tools to facilitate deployment, management and maintenance tasks. In this work, we present the implementation and performance evaluation of an IoT modular platform for distributed architectures that combines the use of Elastic Stack tools (Elasticsearch, Kibana and Beats) and Apache Kafka. We have developed a monitoring framework based on Beats agents that supervise the platform performance attending to different metrics; and adapted the Kibana visualization tools to provide friendly and accessible information to platform administrators and users. Finally, we have deployed and evaluated the IoT platform in four real use cases, identifying the factors that affect the performance of the different modules: Edge Node, Data Streaming, Cloud Server and Search Engine.
Observation of structural, optical, electrical and magnetic properties of ternary copper-doped CeO2/GO/SrTiO3 nanocomposites
Authors: Hossam F. , Elseman Ahmed Mourtada , Rasly M. , Mahani R. M. , Sayed S. A. , Rashad M. M.
Published: July 2023

A ternary system involving copper-substituted ceria (Cu:CeO2)0.95−y(GO)y(SrTiO3)0.05nanocomposite where the GO concentration (y) is varied between 0.15 and 0.30. The innovation of this work lies in the purposeful assembly of the nanocomposite using a grinding method, which was optimized through the individual fabrication of Cu-doped CeO2with different CuO concentrations. In the first, Cu-doped CeO2with various CuO concentrations (x = 0.0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3) was first individually fabricated based on a sol–gel auto-combustion strategy to optimize the best ratio. The XRD profiles confirm the successful fabrication of cubic cerium (IV) oxide CeO2using glycine as a fuel at an annealing temperature of 400 °C for 2 h. AC conductivity was investigated for both Cu-doped CeO2and the ternary nanocomposite over a wide frequency range (10–1to 107 Hz) at room temperature. The conductivity showed lower values for CeO2doped with 0.05, 0.2, and 0.3 wt% CuO, whereas it showed its maximum values upon doping with 0.1 wt% CuO. Interestingly, the conductivity of graphene oxide–doped CeO2was 103times higher than that of pure CeO2, i.e., it increased from 1.7 × 10–6to 2 × 10–3S/cm. The magnetic-field dependence of MS of the ternary Cu-doped CeO2/GO/SrTiO3nanocomposites showed a systematic increase in MS as the Cu2+ion content increased. This strengthens the ferromagnetism in our samples as Cu2+ion content increases.
On the limited consensus of mountain pine beetle impacts on wildfire
Authors: Romualdi D. C. , Wilkinson S. L. , James P. M. A.
Published: July 2023

Context

The mountain pine beetle (MPB; Dendroctonus ponderosae) is a native bark beetle whose outbreaks leads to widespread conifer forest mortality. Of particular concern to forest and wildfire managers is the influence of MPB outbreaks on wildfire via spatial legacies left in impacted forest stands. There is, however, limited consensus in the literature regarding how MPB outbreaks affect wildfire across western North America.

Objectives

This meta-analysis aims to (1) summarize available evidence regarding MPB-wildfire interactions, and (2) identify environmental and methodological indicators associated with various wildfire responses (i.e., amplified, neutral, or dampened) post-outbreak.

Methods

We include peer-reviewed publications focusing on MPB outbreaks and subsequent wildfire activity in forests across western Canada and the USA between 2000 and 2021. A classification scheme was used to examine attributes of each publication to assess which indicators contribute most to their associated wildfire response.

Results

We found that spatial scale, forest fuels, and weather are main drivers of variation in wildfire response post-outbreak. Metrics of forest fuels and inclusion of weather data on a stand-scale are related to amplified fire responses, whereas dampened responses correspond to landscape-scale analyses. Furthermore, red-stage stands are associated with amplified fire response, whereas other stages are associated with dampened response—supporting current conceptual models of the importance of outbreak stage on wildfire.

Conclusions

Advancing our understanding regarding drivers of wildfire responses post-MPB outbreak is key to developing accurate, and comparative research studies. These findings provide crucial information for wildfire, and forest management agencies, especially in forests newly exposed to this disturbance interaction under climate change.
Pathogenic Role of Fibrinogen in the Neuropathology of Multiple Sclerosis: A Tale of Sorrows and Fears
Authors: Alruwaili Mubarak , Al-kuraishy Hayder M. , Alexiou Athanasios , Papadakis Marios , ALRashdi Barakat M. , Elhussieny Omnya , Saad Hebatallah M. , Batiha Gaber El-Saber
Published: July 2023

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune demyelinating neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system (CNS) due to injury of the myelin sheath by immune cells. The clotting factor fibrinogen is involved in the pathogenesis of MS by triggering microglia and the progress of neuroinflammation. Fibrinogen level is correlated with MS severity; consequently, inhibition of the fibrinogen cascade may reduce MS neuropathology. Thus, this review aimed to clarify the potential role of fibrinogen in the pathogenesis of MS and how targeting of fibrinogen affects MS neuropathology. Accumulation of fibrinogen in the CNS may occur independently or due to disruption of blood–brain barrier (BBB) integrity in MS. Fibrinogen acts as transduction and increases microglia activation which induces the progression of inflammation, oxidative stress, and neuronal injury. Besides, brain fibrinogen impairs the remyelination process by inhibiting the differentiation of oligodendrocyte precursor cells. These findings proposed that fibrinogen is associated with MS neuropathology through interruption of BBB integrity, induction of neuroinflammation, and demyelination with inhibition of the remyelination process by suppressing oligodendrocytes. Therefore, targeting of fibrinogen and/or CD11b/CD18 receptors by metformin and statins might decrease MS neuropathology. In conclusion, inhibiting the expression of CD11b/CD18 receptors by metformin and statins may decrease the pro-inflammatory effect of fibrinogen on microglia which is involved in the progression of MS.
Mean Field Models of Flux Transport Dynamo and Meridional Circulation in the Sun and Stars
Authors: Hazra Gopal , Nandy Dibyendu , Kitchatinov Leonid , Choudhuri Arnab Rai
Published: July 2023

The most widely accepted model of the solar cycle is the flux transport dynamo model. This model evolved out of the traditional$\alpha \Omega $αΩdynamo model which was first developed at a time when the existence of the Sun’s meridional circulation was not known. In these models the toroidal magnetic field (which gives rise to sunspots) is generated by the stretching of the poloidal field by solar differential rotation. The primary source of the poloidal field in the flux transport models is attributed to the Babcock–Leighton mechanism, in contrast to the mean-field$\alpha $α-effect used in earlier models. With the realization that the Sun has a meridional circulation, which is poleward at the surface and is expected to be equatorward at the bottom of the convection zone, its importance for transporting the magnetic fields in the dynamo process was recognized. Much of our understanding about the physics of both the meridional circulation and the flux transport dynamo has come from the mean field theory obtained by averaging the equations of MHD over turbulent fluctuations. The mean field theory of meridional circulation makes clear how it arises out of an interplay between the centrifugal and thermal wind terms. We provide a broad review of mean field theories for solar magnetic fields and flows, the flux transport dynamo modelling paradigm and highlight some of their applications to solar and stellar magnetic cycles. We also discuss how the dynamo-generated magnetic field acts on the meridional circulation of the Sun and how the fluctuations in the meridional circulation, in turn, affect the solar dynamo. We conclude with some remarks on how the synergy of mean field theories, flux transport dynamo models and direct numerical simulations can inspire the future of this field.
Evaluation of groundwater quality in the rural environment using geostatistical analysis and WebGIS methods in a Hungarian settlement, Báránd
Authors: Balla Dániel , Kiss Emőke , Zichar Marianna , Mester Tamás
Published: July 2023

The evaluation, visualization of environmental data from long-term monitoring, and making them accessible in a processed form in user-friendly interfaces on the Internet are important tasks of our time. The pollution of groundwater resources in settlements is a global phenomenon, the mitigation of which requires a number of environmental measures. In this study, water quality changes following the construction of a sewerage network were examined in the course of long-term monitoring between 2013 and 2022, during which 40 municipal groundwater wells were regularly sampled. Classifying the monitoring data into pollution categories based on water quality index (WQI) and degree of contamination index (Cd), a high degree of contamination was found in the period before the installation of the sewerage network (2014), as the majority of the wells were classified as contaminated and heavily contaminated. In the monitoring period following the installation of the sewerage network, a significant positive change was found in the case of most of the water chemical parameters tested (EC, NH4+, NO2−, NO3−, PO43−). Based on interpolated maps, it was found that an increasing part of the area shows satisfactory or good water quality. This was confirmed by the discriminant analysis as well, as it is possible to determine with an accuracy of 80.4% whether the given sample originates from the period before or after the installation of the sewerage network based on the given water chemical parameters. However, 8 years after setting up the sewerage network, the concentration of inorganic nitrogen forms and organic matter remains high, indicating that the accumulated pollutants in the area are still present. To understand the dynamics of purification processes, additional, long-term monitoring is necessary. Making these data available to members of the society can contribute to appropriate environmental measures and strategies.
Quantitatively mapping the research status and trends of vegetation responses to climate change with bibliometric analysis
Authors: Li Xinzhe , Wen Zhiqiang , Cui Lizhen , Chen Yang , Li Tong , Liu Hongdou , Xu Zhihong , Cui Xiaoyong , Song Xiufang
Published: July 2023

Purpose

Vegetation is a typical sensitive indicator of climate change, and therefore provides theoretical and valuable information for addressing issues arising from climate change including improving soil ecosystem services. Exploring how vegetation responses to climate change has become one of major hotspots of research. However, few scholars have performed bibliometric analyses of this field. This study investigated the current research activities and the trend developments of vegetation responses to climate change.

Materials and methods

We conducted a quantitative bibliometric analysis of 2,310 publications on vegetation responses to climate change from 1991 to 2021 retrieved in the Web of Science Core Collection. The analysis comprised significant journals, disciplines, and scholars, as well as partnerships between countries and institutions, keyword co-occurrence and burst analysis. The bibliometric analysis tools, Histcite, Vosviewer, CiteSpace software, and R (Bibliometrix package), were applied.

Results and discussion

The related publications on vegetation responses to climate change had been increasing exponentially in the past 30 years and its total global cited score reached its peak in 2010. The USA and China were the leading countries, with the Chinese Academy of Sciences having the highest number of publications and citations. The scholars who had the most citations were Allen CD, Bresears DD, and Running SW. Six research clusters were generated by keywords co-occurrence analysis, including impact, response, CO2, growth, climate change, and vegetation. These clusters represented the current research topics that highlighted the responses of vegetation to climate change, the manifestation of its impact, and coping strategies. In future research on vegetation, the emphasis is expected to be placed on “human activities” and “N2O emission”.

Conclusion

This study has performed a comprehensive and systematic and quantitative analysis of the publications on the responses of vegetation to climate change. The results reveal the characteristics, development patterns, and research trends of studies on vegetation activity in response to climate change, which sheds new insights into understanding the relationship between soil and climate.
A clustering heuristic to improve a derivative-free algorithm for nonsmooth optimization
Authors: Gaudioso Manlio , Liuzzi Giampaolo , Lucidi Stefano
Published: July 2023

In this paper we propose an heuristic to improve the performances of the recently proposed derivative-free method for nonsmooth optimization CS-DFN. The heuristic is based on a clustering-type technique to compute an estimate of Clarke’s generalized gradient of the objective function, obtained via calculation of the (approximate) directional derivative along a certain set of directions. A search direction is then calculated by applying a nonsmooth Newton-type approach. As such, this direction (as it is shown by the numerical experiments) is a good descent direction for the objective function. We report some numerical results and comparison with the original CS-DFN method to show the utility of the proposed improvement on a set of well-known test problems.
Data Sharing During Pandemics: Reciprocity, Solidarity, and Limits to Obligations
Authors: Silva Diego S. , Smith Maxwell J.
Published: July 2023

South Africa shared with the world the warning of a new strain of SARS-CoV2, Omicron, in November 2021. As a result, many high-income countries (HICs) instituted complete travel bans on persons leaving South Africa and other neighbouring countries. These bans were unnecessary from a scientific standpoint, and they ran counter to the International Health Regulations. In short, South Africa was penalized for sharing data. Data sharing during pandemics is commonly justified by appeals to solidarity. In this paper, we argue that solidarity is, at best, an aspirational ideal to work toward but that it cannot ground an obligation to share data. Instead, low-and-middle income countries (LIMCs) should be guided by the principle of reciprocity, which states that we ought to return good for good received. Reciprocity is necessarily a conditional principle. LMICs, we argue, should only share data during future pandemics on the condition that HICs provide enforceable assurances that the benefits of data sharing will be equitably distributed and that LMICs won’t be penalized for sharing information.
The Effect of Substrate Stiffness on Elastic Force Transmission in the Epithelial Monolayers over Short Timescales
Authors: Tervonen Aapo , Korpela Sanna , Nymark Soile , Hyttinen Jari , Ihalainen Teemu O.
Published: July 2023

Purpose

The importance of mechanical forces and microenvironment in guiding cellular behavior has been widely accepted. Together with the extracellular matrix (ECM), epithelial cells form a highly connected mechanical system subjected to various mechanical cues from their environment, such as ECM stiffness, and tensile and compressive forces. ECM stiffness has been linked to many pathologies, including tumor formation. However, our understanding of the effect of ECM stiffness and its heterogeneities on rapid force transduction in multicellular systems has not been fully addressed.

Methods

We used experimental and computational methods. Epithelial cells were cultured on elastic hydrogels with fluorescent nanoparticles. Single cells were moved by a micromanipulator, and epithelium and substrate deformation were recorded. We developed a computational model to replicate our experiments and quantify the force distribution in the epithelium. Our model further enabled simulations with local stiffness gradients.

Results

We found that substrate stiffness affects the force transduction and the cellular deformation following an external force. Also, our results indicate that the heterogeneities, e.g., gradients, in the stiffness can substantially influence the strain redistribution in the cell monolayers. Furthermore, we found that the cells’ apico-basal elasticity provides a level of mechanical isolation between the apical cell–cell junctions and the basal focal adhesions.

Conclusions

Our simulation results show that increased ECM stiffness, e.g., due to a tumor, can mechanically isolate cells and modulate rapid mechanical signaling between cells over distances. Furthermore, the developed model has the potential to facilitate future studies on the interactions between epithelial monolayers and elastic substrates.
Ventral Hippocampal CA1 Pyramidal Neurons Encode Nociceptive Information
Authors: Wang Yue , Liu Naizheng , Ma Longyu , Yue Lupeng , Cui Shuang , Liu Feng-Yu , Yi Ming , Wan You
Published: July 2023

As a main structure of the limbic system, the hippocampus plays a critical role in pain perception and chronicity. The ventral hippocampal CA1 (vCA1) is closely associated with negative emotions such as anxiety, stress, and fear, yet how vCA1 neurons encode nociceptive information remains unclear. Using in vivo electrophysiological recording, we characterized vCA1 pyramidal neuron subpopulations that exhibited inhibitory or excitatory responses to plantar stimuli and were implicated in encoding stimuli modalities in naïve rats. Functional heterogeneity of the vCA1 pyramidal neurons was further identified in neuropathic pain conditions: the proportion and magnitude of the inhibitory response neurons paralleled mechanical allodynia and contributed to the confounded encoding of innocuous and noxious stimuli, whereas the excitatory response neurons were still instrumental in the discrimination of stimulus properties. Increased theta power and theta-spike coupling in vCA1 correlated with nociceptive behaviors. Optogenetic inhibition of vCA1 pyramidal neurons induced mechanical allodynia in naïve rats, whereas chemogenetic reversal of the overall suppressed vCA1 activity had analgesic effects in rats with neuropathic pain. These results provide direct evidence for the representations of nociceptive information in vCA1.
Emerging roles of noncoding RNAs in human cancers
Authors: Wu Shijie , Wu Yiwen , Deng Sijun , Lei Xiaoyong , Yang Xiaoyan
Published: July 2023

Studies have found that RNA encoding proteins only account for a small part of the total number, most RNA is non-coding RNA, and non-coding RNA may affect the occurrence and development of human cancers by affecting gene expression, therefore play an important role in human pathology. At present, ncRNAs studied include miRNA, circRNA, lncRNA, piRNA, and snoRNA, etc. After decades of research, the basic role of these ncRNAs in many cancers has been clear. As far as we know, the role of miRNAs in cancer is one of the hottest research directions, however, it is also found that the imbalance of ncRNAs will affect the occurrence of gastric cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, meanwhile, it may also affect the prognosis of these cancers. Therefore, the study of ncRNAs in cancers may help to find new cancer diagnostic and treatment methods. Here, we reviewed the biosynthesis and characteristics of miRNA, cricRNA, and lncRNA etc., their roles in human cancers, as well as the mechanism through which these ncRNAs affect human cancers.
Bringing Children’s and Teachers’ Agency Together to Create Meaningful Learning That Matters in a Diverse Preschool
Authors: Sisson J. H.
Published: July 2023

This article addresses children living and learning under difficult circumstances by problematising taken-for-granted views of what counts as learning and school readiness that perpetuate deficit views of children who have been impacted by forced migration. Drawing from a larger study focused on exploring how early childhood teachers re-design their pedagogy in culturally responsive ways, this article presents the findings of one team who shifted their views about a group of children impacted by forced migration who resisted planned learning experiences. The analysis focuses on how an assemblage of knowledge, actors, expressions and experiences came together to constitute children’s play and digital worlds as matter(ing) in teachers’ planning and pedagogy and teachers’ planning and pedagogy as matter(ing) in children’s play, demonstrating how children and their mediators of learning re-imagined their repertoires, identities and agencies to co-construct meaningful learning.
Electro-facies classification based on core and well-log data
Authors: Al Hasan Reda , Saberi Mohammad Hossein , Riahi Mohammad Ali , Manshad Abbas Khaksar
Published: July 2023

Facies studies represent a key element of reservoir characterization. In practice, this can be done by making use of core and petrophysical data. The high cost and difficulties of drilling and coring operations coupled with the time-intensive nature of core studies have led researchers toward using well-log data as an alternative. In the Teapot Dome Oilfield, where core data are limited to those from only a single well, we used well-log data for reservoir electro-facies (EF) studies via two unsupervised clustering methods, namely multi-resolution graph-based clustering (MRGC) and self-organizing map (SOM). Satisfactory results were obtained with both methods, distinguishing seven electro-facies from one another, where MRGC had the highest discriminatory accuracy. The best reservoir quality was exhibited by electro-facies 1, as per both methods. Our findings can be used to avoid some time-intensive steps of conventional reservoir characterization approaches and are useful for prospect modeling and well location proposal.
Digital technologies and the early childhood sector: are we fostering digital capabilities and agency in young children?
Authors: Wilson Sinead , Murcia Karen , Cross Emma , Lowe Geoff
Published: July 2023

Across Australia, early years learning frameworks recommend digital technologies be integrated into early years centres. Introduced in 2009, the Early Years Learning Framework, requires educators to foster children’s use of technologies for accessing information, investigating ideas, and representing their thinking. The National Quality Framework also encourages children to engage with digital technology for experimentation. Using a researcher created Digital Technology Activity Framework for early years centres, this study examined broad digital technology integration in a sample of Australian early years centres. Using desktop audits, interviews and observations, the study found that while digital technologies were widely embedded, there were significant opportunities evident for further promoting children’s agency with devices. These findings suggest that to support children’s achievement of learning outcomes with digital technologies, greater sector-wide professional learning and aligned resources in effective digital pedagogy and policy development would be valuable for both early years centre directors and educators.