bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Composite learning control for strict feedback systems with neural network based on selective memory
Authors: Hu Zhiyu , Fei Yiming , Li Jiangang , Li Yanan
Published: August 2024

This paper addresses the high‐precision control problem for nonlinear strict feedback systems with external time‐varying disturbances and proposes a novel composite learning control algorithm. Unlike previous research that only uses tracking errors for neural network updates, this paper prioritizes the accuracy of neural network learning. The article uses a selective memory recursive least squares algorithm to construct system information prediction errors, which are combined with tracking errors to update the neural network weights. A new composite learning control algorithm is developed to design dynamic surface control and neural network disturbance observers, which achieves high‐precision control of nonlinear strict feedback systems under external time‐varying disturbance conditions. Lyapunov's method demonstrates the stability of the closed‐loop system and the boundedness of errors. The simulation results show that the proposed control algorithm can effectively estimate system nonlinearity and suppress the impact of disturbances.
Why is it necessary to integrate circular economy practices for agri‐food sustainability from a global perspective?
Authors: Islam Md. Ziaul , Zheng Lili
Published: August 2024

Our comprehensive analysis delves into the viability of incorporating circular economy (CE) principles to effectively address Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)‐12 (“Responsible Consumption and Production”), with a focus on minimising food waste and loss (FWL) and lessening environmental harm. The study relied on existing literature from various organisations, including the United Nations, Food and Agriculture Organisation, and World Resources Institute, among others, to collect data. This study reveals that in 2019, over 931 million tonnes of food squandering was produced on a global scale, and households, the food service industry, and retail establishments account for the squandering of 61, 26, and 13 per cent, respectively. Our study finds that food waste contributes significantly to environmental damage, causing approximately 16 per cent of the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by food systems in Europe. We also find that food production, such as the excessive disposal of meat, contributes to nearly 20 per cent of the carbon footprint caused by FWL on a global scale. Based on analysing available data, we investigated the factors and frequency of FWL in the agri‐food industry on a global scale, which vary in terms of a country's or region's economic position. Therefore, this research aims to assess and integrate the CE model into agri‐food sustainability in harmony with the SDG indicators worldwide.
Do patent assets have a second life when startups fail? An analysis of the redeployment likelihood and mode of transfer
Authors: Serrano Carlos J. , Ziedonis Rosemarie H.
Published: August 2024

Research Summary

Entrepreneurial firms are fertile sources of patented inventions. Yet little is known about what happens to patent assets when startups go out of business: Do the assets have a “second life” through redeployment to new owners? Based on 264 failed VC‐backed startups, we document an active market for the patents both as standalone assets and through co‐movement with inventors to the purchasing organization. We then model and test how the redeployment likelihood and mode of transfer is shaped by trading thickness in the secondary patent market and the degree to which asset value is firm‐specific and tied to the original venture. The study sheds new light on conditions that affect the redeployment of intangible assets and the abilities of startups to preserve value in liquidation.

Managerial Summary

The process of innovation naturally gives rise to failed attempts and abandoned projects. While prior studies document that disbanded ventures are important sources of human capital and learning spillovers, we are the first to document an active resale market for their patent assets. This study shines new light on conditions that affect the redeployment likelihood and mode of patent transfer, whether as standalone assets or through co‐mobility with an inventor to the purchasing organization. The evidence is based on 264 VC‐backed startups in the semiconductor, software, and medical device sectors. The formal model and empirical findings suggest that trading conditions in the secondary market not only affect the likelihood that patents originating from failed startups will be sold but also influence managerial incentives to retain inventors and preserve complementarities with the human capital.
Insight into Anionic Discrepancies in Bipolar Poly(Thionine) Organic Cathodes for Aqueous Zinc Ion Batteries
Authors: Zhan Shuai , Wang Chunfang , Zhong Leheng , Zhao Linwei , Yang Xiaodong , Guo Amy X.Y. , Xiong Wei , Cheng Liangjie , Li Ran , Tang Zijie , Cao Shan Cecilia , Zhi Chunyi , Lv (Lyu) Haiming
Published: August 2024

Electroactive organic electrode materials exhibit remarkable potential in aqueous zinc ion batteries (AZIBs) due to their abundant availability, customizable structures, sustainability, and high reversibility. However, the research on AZIBs has predominantly concentrated on unraveling the storage mechanism of zinc cations, often neglecting the significance of anions in this regard. Herein, bipolar poly(thionine) is synthesized by a simple and efficient polymerization reaction, and the kinetics of different anions are investigated using poly(thionine) as the cathode of AZIBs. Notably, poly(thionine) is a bipolar organic polymer electrode material and exhibits enhanced stability in aqueous solutions compared to thionine monomers. Kinetic analysis reveals that ClO4− exhibits the fastest kinetics among SO42−, Cl−, and OTF−, demonstrating excellent rate performance (109 mAh g−1 @ 0.5 A g−1 and 92 mAh g−1 @ 20 A g−1). Mechanism studies reveal that the poly(thionine) cathode facilitates the co‐storage of both anions and cations in Zn(ClO4)2. Furthermore, the lower electrostatic potential of ClO4− influences the strength of hydrogen bonding with water molecules, thereby enhancing the overall kinetics in aqueous electrolytes. This work provides an effective strategy for synthesizing high‐quality organic materials and offers new insights into the kinetic behavior of anions in AZIBs.
Die Friesenbrücke in Weener
Authors: Grubmüller Sascha , Schwede Stefan , Haspel Lorenz , Menzel Andreas
Published: August 2024

Im Dezember 2015 wurde die historische Eisenbahnbrücke über die Ems bei Weener durch einen Schiffsanprall zerstört. Der bewegliche Teil der Friesenbrücke, eine Scherzer‐Klappbrücke, wurde so stark beschädigt, dass eine Instandsetzung nicht mehr möglich war. Nach einem intensiven politischen Diskurs wurde beschlossen, die Brücke neu zu errichten. Die Variantenuntersuchung hat ergeben, dass unter Berücksichtigung aller Randbedingungen die Erneuerung der Friesenbrücke als Hub‐Drehbrücke die Vorzugsvariante darstellt. Der Brückenzug der Friesenbrücke hat eine Gesamtlänge von 337 m, wobei das Herzstück der ca. 145 m lange, bewegliche Fachwerkteil der Hub‐Drehbrücke ist. Die neue Friesenbrücke gibt für die Schifffahrt eine lichte Weite von 56,60 m frei und erfüllt die Anforderungen an die Sicherheit und Leichtigkeit aller betroffenen Verkehrswege. Die neue Friesenbrücke im Nordwesten Niedersachsens ist ein Großprojekt, welches in seinen baulichen Dimensionen und logistischen Randbedingungen einzigartig ist. Sie wird die größte Hub‐Drehbrücke für den Eisenbahnverkehr in Europa werden.
Load Profile‐Based Setpoint Design for Piecewise Droop Controller to Mitigate Current Sharing Error in Dual Active Bridge System
Authors: Nguyen Hung Duc , Tran Linh Truong Hoai , Nguyen Tuyen Dinh , Pham Minh Duc
Published: August 2024

Effective load current distribution is a fundamental aspect of ensuring a stable and efficient DC microgrid operation particularly when utilizing dual active bridge converters. In order to construct an improved piecewise setpoint, this research involves a thorough analysis of the statistical distribution of load profiles and the intrinsic properties of a two‐segment piecewise droop controller. Furthermore, a thorough comparison analysis of linear and exponential droop‐based approaches is carried out in this paper. To assess the proposed two‐segment piecewise droop controller, several simulations and hardware‐in‐loop scenarios are carried out. Additionally, the conventional discrete piecewise droop control method is compared with the proposed method. Notably, with the proposed method, paralleling dual active bridge converters in a DC microgrid clearly demonstrates a significant improvement in current sharing within a specific operating range. © 2024 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan and Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Association study of crude seed protein and fat concentration in a USDA pea diversity panel
Authors: Uhdre Renan , Coyne Clarice J. , Bourland Britton , Piaskowski Julia , Zheng Ping , Ganjyal Girish M. , Zhang Zhiwu , McGee Rebecca J. , Main Dorrie , Bandillo Nonoy , Morales Mario , Ma Yu , Chen Chengci , Franck William , Thrash Adam , Warburton Marilyn L.
Published: August 2024

Pea (Pisum sativum L.) is a key rotational crop and is increasingly important in the food processing sector for its protein. This study focused on identifying diverse high seed protein concentration (SPC) lines in pea plant genetic resources. Objectives included identifying high‐protein pea lines, exploring genetic architecture across environments, pinpointing genes and metabolic pathways associated with high protein, and documenting information for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)‐based marker‐assisted selection. From 2019 to 2021, a 487‐accession pea diversity panel, More protein, More pea, More profit, was evaluated in a randomized complete block design. DNA was extracted for genomic analysis via genotype‐by‐sequencing. Phenotypic analysis included protein and fat measurements in seeds and flower color. Genome‐wide association study (GWAS) used multiple models, and the Pathways Association Study Tool was used for metabolic pathway analysis. Significant associations were found between SNPs and pea seed protein and fat concentration. Gene Psat7g216440 on chromosome 7, which targets proteins to cellular destinations, including seed storage proteins, was identified as associated with SPC. Genes Psat4g009200, Psat1g199800, Psat1g199960, and Psat1g033960, all involved in lipid metabolism, were associated with fat concentration. GWAS also identified genes annotated for storage proteins associated with fat concentration, indicating a complex relationship between fat and protein. Metabolic pathway analysis identified 20 pathways related to fat and seven to protein concentration, involving fatty acids, amino acid and protein metabolism, and the tricarboxylic acid cycle. These findings will assist in breeding of high‐protein, diverse pea cultivars, and SNPs that can be converted to breeder‐friendly molecular marker assays are identified for genes associated with high protein.
Identification of carbon fixation microorganisms and pathways in an aquifer contaminated with long‐chain petroleum hydrocarbons
Authors: Gan Shuang , Ning Zhuo , Wang Shuaiwei , Sun Weichao , Xu Zhe , Di He , Ti Jinjin , Guo Caijuan , Zhou Yahong , He Ze , Kong Siyu , Zhang Min
Published: August 2024

Petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs) can be biodegraded into CO2, and PHC‐contaminated aquifers are always deemed as carbon sources. Fortunately, some carbon fixation microorganisms have been found in PHC‐contaminated sites. However, most of the studies are related to volatile short‐chain PHC, and few studies focus on long‐chain PHC‐contaminated sites. To reveal the carbon fixation microorganisms in these sites, in the study, a long‐chain PHC polluted site in North China was selected. Through hydrochemical and metagenomics analysis, the structure and capacity of carbon fixing microorganisms in the site were revealed. Results showed that there were many kinds of carbon fixed microorganisms that were identified such as Flavobacterium, Pseudomonas. HP/4HB, rTCA, and DC/4HB cycles were dominated carbon fixation pathways. The long‐chain PHC were weakly correlated with carbon fixation microorganisms, but it may stimulate the growth of some carbon fixation microorganisms, such as microorganisms involved in rTCA cycle.

Practitioner Points

The microorganisms with carbon fixation gene exist in the aquifer contaminated by long‐chain petroleum hydrocarbon.

Microorganisms that have the ability to degrade petroleum also have the ability to carbon fixation.

Long‐chain petroleum hydrocarbon may promote the growth of carbon fixation microorganisms.
“Patriarchy permeating health policymaking”: Influence of gender on involvement in health policymaking from nurse leaders' perspective
Authors: Inayat Shahzad , Younas Ahtisham , Ali Parveen
Published: August 2024

Despite a greater percentage of women in the healthcare workforce, women are underrepresented in leadership positions. Researchers have examined the influence of gender on women involvement in policy‐making and leadership in male‐dominated professions. However, no research has explored nurses' perspectives about the role of gender in impacting their involvement in health policymaking in female‐dominant profession. This study explores nurse leaders' perspectives on how gender can influence their involvement in health policymaking in Pakistan. Eleven nurse leaders with at least 1 year of experience in policymaking participated in semi‐structured interviews. The data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Four themes emerged: Patriarchy Permeates Health Policymaking; Women's Social Status and Nurses' Involvement in Policymaking; Intentionally Disregarding Nurses' Insights on Policy Forums; Condescending Attitudes Towards Women Nurses on Policy Forums. The underrepresentation of nurses in health policymaking is influenced by gender and social biases and stereotypes against women and the negative social image of the nursing profession. Health‐care organizations must play an active role and develop policies to combat gender‐based discrimination and curb the underrepresentation of nurses in healthcare policymaking.
Novel insights on the positive correlation between sense and antisense pairs on gene expression
Authors: Das Subhadeep , Zea Rojas Maria Paula , Tran Elizabeth J.
Published: August 2024

A considerable proportion of the eukaryotic genome undergoes transcription, leading to the generation of noncoding RNA molecules that lack protein‐coding information and are not subjected to translation. These noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) are well recognized to have essential roles in several biological processes. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) represent the most extensive category of ncRNAs found in the human genome. Much research has focused on investigating the roles of cis‐acting lncRNAs in the regulation of specific target gene expression. In the majority of instances, the regulation of sense gene expression by its corresponding antisense pair occurs in a negative (discordant) manner, resulting in the suppression of the target genes. The notion that a negative correlation exists between sense and antisense pairings is, however, not universally valid. In fact, several recent studies have reported a positive relationship between corresponding cis antisense pairs within plants, budding yeast, and mammalian cancer cells. The positive (concordant) correlation between anti‐sense and sense transcripts leads to an increase in the level of the sense transcript within the same genomic loci. In addition, mechanisms such as altering chromatin structure, the formation of R loops, and the recruitment of transcription factors can either enhance transcription or stabilize sense transcripts through their antisense pairs. The primary objective of this work is to provide a comprehensive understanding of both aspects of antisense regulation, specifically focusing on the positive correlation between sense and antisense transcripts in the context of eukaryotic gene expression, including its implications towards cancer progression.

This article is categorized under:

RNA Processing > 3′ End Processing

Regulatory RNAs/RNAi/Riboswitches > Regulatory RNAs
Physical Protection of Nuclear Facilities and Materials
Authors: Kumar Anil , McCue James , Evans Alan
Published: August 2024

This chapter offers perspectives on protecting nuclear facilities and materials from external threats and how these approaches have evolved over time. The authors also identify new technologies and practices to mitigate threats to facilities and materials. Indian author Anil Kumar argues that physical protection systems must employ defense in depth and follow a graded approach, increasing or decreasing with the potential threat to various materials and systems. Kumar specifically focuses on the challenge of transporting nuclear and radiological materials safely. U.S. authors James McCue and Alan Evans describe the Design Evaluation Process Outline (DEPO) process through which U.S. physical protection systems are constructed and discuss how it could be improved. They explain how the DEPO process applies to physical protection systems in ICBM launch facilities as well as to transportation scenarios.
Cybersecurity and Nuclear Facilities
Authors: Mohan Pulkit , Glantz Cliff , Landine Guy , Gourisetti Sri Nikhil , Motkuri Radha Kishan
Published: August 2024

This chapter covers cyber threats to the nuclear enterprise and suggests ways that India and the United States can mitigate such dangers. Indian author Pulkit Mohan describes the Indian government’s evolving regulatory approach to the problem. Mohan argues for measures including the creation of an effective security culture, addressing supply-chain vulnerabilities, and strengthening cybersecurity agreements with like-minded countries. U.S. authors Clifford Glantz et al. explain the importance of cybersecurity to the protection of the U.S. nuclear enterprise. They discuss the evolving U.S. regulatory environment, U.S. approaches to cyber defense and supply-chain security, and the challenge of assessing cybersecurity.
To Be Continued: Conclusion and Outlook
Authors: Krauß Florian
Published: August 2024

The concluding chapter highlights the broader transformation processes of television against which practitioners have negotiated the quality TV drama in Germany and its storytelling and screenwriting practices. Linked to the multiplication and expansion of the television landscape (in and beyond Germany), this final chapter addresses changes in distribution, in programmes, in production methods and especially in screenwriting as well as reception. The interviewed and observed TV practitioners repeatedly dealt with the socialisation of viewers in Germany, which is manifesting in increasingly specialised and diversified target groups with tastes in foreign markets and in the transforming digital media environment. The practitioners’ discussions also repeatedly touched upon other criteria for and ways of evaluating viewers’ feedback, besides the quantitative audience rating that has dominated for years. The German quality TV drama as negotiated and approached by the TV professionals stands at the beginning of a digitalised television based on data and algorithms, and thereby differently conceived audiences. By describing the multidimensional industry discourse on quality drama, the conclusion also maps such fundamental, ongoing changes in television production and writing, in Germany and beyond.
AIS Data for Building a Transport Maritime Network: A Pilot Study in the Strait of Messina (Italy)
Authors: Rindone Corrado
Published: August 2024

The maritime transport of goods enables economic exchanges at a global level. Containership, sea routes, port systems and relative performances (e.g. times and costs) influence the quality and quantity of these exchanges. For these reasons, it is necessary to develop quantitative methods for evaluating the main performances of maritime container services. At the same time, ICT (e.g. Automatic Identification System, AIS) enable the acquisition and collection of information and data for supporting Transport Simulation Models (TSM), useful for calculating the performances. In this context, this paper presents a method for building a supply transport network model of container maritime services. The method is based on the acquisition and elaboration of data deriving from the AIS. The supply model allows the calculation of indicators for evaluating the main performance of containership services at the international level. The proposed method is applied to developing a pilot study of maritime containership services in a portion of the Mediterranean Sea. The results of the pilot consist of the representation of a transport network obtained from the available AIS data. The obtained results show the main potentialities of the proposed method for developing TSM from the fed by the AIS data. The method and results obtained are of potential interest to public and private decision-makers and takers involved in the maritime transport sector.
Exploring the ARM Coherent Mesh Network Topology
Authors: Friese Philipp A. , Schulz Martin
Published: August 2024

The continuously rising number of cores per socket puts a growing demand on on-chip interconnects. The topology of these interconnects are largely kept hidden from the user, yet, they can be the source of measurable performance differences for large many-core processors due to core placement on that interconnect. This paper investigates the ARM Coherent Mesh Network (CMN) on an Ampere Altra Max processor. We provide novel insights into the interconnect by experimentally deriving key information on the CMN topology, such as the position of cores or memory and cache controllers. Based on this insight, we evaluate the performance characteristics of several benchmarks and tune the thread-to-core mapping to improve application performance. Our methodology is directly applicable to all ARM-based processors using the ARM CMN, but in principle applies to all mesh-based on-chip networks.
Study on the Effect of Uniform Corrosion on the Durability of Corrugated Web-Concrete Combination Box Girders with Steel Base Plate
Authors: Zhang Kaihui
Published: August 2024

In order to study the effect of uniform corrosion on the durability of steel bottom plate corrugated web-concrete composite box girder, this new type of steel-concrete composite structural girder bridge is analysed by using the time-varying reliability as the durability index. The static loading test is carried out on the steel bottom plate corrugated web-concrete composite box girder before and after corrosion, the mid-span deflection and stress before and after corrosion are calculated, and the time-varying reliability is used to calculate the reliability index of the composite box girder. The results show that under static loading, the mid-span deflection of the model test beam increases with the increase of load. The stress values before and after corrosion do not differ much when the load is small, and there is a significant difference in the stress values of the steel bottom plate with the increasing load. According to the relevant codes and using the primary second-order method of moments, the time-varying reliability indexes under different t moments are calculated by Matlab software.
Thermodynamic formulation of vacuum energy density in flat spacetime and potential implications for the cosmological constant
Authors: LeClair André
Published: August 2024

Abstract

We propose a thermodynamical definition of the vacuum energy density ρvac, defined as 〈vac|Tμν|vac〉 =  − ρvacgμν, in quantum field theory in flat Minkowski space in D spacetime dimensions, which can be computed in the limit of high temperature, namely in the limit β = 1/T → 0. It takes the form ρvac = const ∙ mD where m is a fundamental mass scale and “const” is a computable constant which can be positive or negative depending on interaction couplings. Due to modular invariance ρvac can also be computed in a different non-thermodynamic channel where one spatial dimension is compactifed on a circle of circumference β and we confirm this modularity for free massive theories for both bosons and fermions for D = 2, 3, 4. We list various properties of ρvac that are generally required, for instance ρvac = 0 for conformal field theories, and others, such as the constraint that ρvac has opposite signs for free bosons verses fermions of the same mass, which is related to constraints from supersymmetry. Using the Thermodynamic Bethe Ansatz we compute ρvac exactly for 2 classes of integrable QFT’s in 2D and interpreting some previously known results. We apply our definition of ρvac to Lattice QCD data with two light quarks (up and down) and one additional massive flavor (the strange quark), and find it is negative, ρvac ≈ − (200 MeV)4. Finally we make some remarks on the Cosmological Constant Problem since ρvac is central to any discussion of it.
Does attachment anxiety mediate the persistence of anxiety and depressive symptoms from adolescence to early adulthood?
Authors: Blake Julie A. , Thomas Hannah J. , Pelecanos Anita M. , Najman Jake M. , Scott James G.
Published: August 2024

Objectives

Depression and anxiety often emerge in adolescence and persist into early adulthood. Developing a greater understanding of the factors that influence their persistence may inform psychological interventions. Their association with an insecure attachment style is well established although the mediating role of attachment anxiety in the persistence of depression and anxiety over time has not been examined. This study aimed to examine if anxious attachment mediated depression and anxiety from adolescence to early adulthood.

Methods

Data from 3,436 participants in a longitudinal birth cohort study were examined. At 14-years and 21-years, participants completed the Achenbach Youth Self Report (YSR) and the Achenbach Young Adult Self-Report (YASR) respectively. At 21-years, participants completed the Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ). Attachment anxiety as a mediator for the persistence of anxiety/depressive symptoms from 14- to 21-years was examined.

Results

Attachment anxiety accounted for approximately 60% of the persistence of anxiety and depressive symptoms at 14- and 21- years after adjusting for covariates. Results were similar when stratifying by males and females.

Conclusions

Attachment anxiety significantly contributes to the persistence of anxiety and depressive symptoms from adolescence into early adulthood for both males and females. Incorporating interventions that address attachment anxiety in adolescents may improve the response to therapy for anxiety and depression.
Assessing Patient Satisfaction Following Facelifts with Social Media Reviews
Authors: Revercomb Lucy , Patel Aman M. , Choudhry Hannaan S. , Shaikh Sadiq , Tseng Christopher C. , Filimonov Andrey
Published: August 2024

Background

Facelifts are one of the most common facial aesthetic surgery procedures. Patient satisfaction determines success of most aesthetic surgery but has been historically difficult to assess.

Objective

This study evaluated reviews by facelift patients on the aesthetic surgery social media website RealSelf.com to determine positive and negative factors underlying patient satisfaction following facelifts.

Methods

Facelift reviews were gathered from RealSelf.com with an automated web crawler. Reviews were categorized as positive or negative and by the primary and secondary reasons for the positive or negative review. Patient “worth it” and star ratings, physician specialty, and cost of procedure were also collected.

Results

A total of 2153 facelift reviews were collected. Overall, 1986 (92.24%) were positive and 167 (7.76%) were negative. The most common overall reasons for a positive review were aesthetic results (n=1571, 79.10%) and bedside manner (n=1488, 74.92%). The most common overall reasons for a negative review were outcome (n=137, 82.04%) and bedside manner (n=82, 49.10%). Most facelifts were performed by plastic surgeons (n=1796, 83.42%). The greatest 5-star rating percentages were seen for oral and maxillofacial surgeons (n=29, 93.55%), otolaryngologists (n=96, 92.31%), and plastic surgeons (n=1642, 91.43%). Of patients who provided a “worth it” rating, 1216 (91.91%) stated that their facelift was “worth it.”

Conclusion

Overall patient sentiment toward facelifts was positive. The factors most commonly affecting a positive patient experience were bedside manner and aesthetic results. Negative patient reviews were primarily attributed to dissatisfaction with aesthetic outcomes. Social media serves as a valuable tool for evaluating patient satisfaction with aesthetic surgery.

Level of Evidence IV

This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.
Nitric oxide laser-induced fluorescence using the fifth harmonic of a broad-band Nd:YAG laser
Authors: Bolderman Tom , Maes Noud , Dam Nico
Published: August 2024

We explore the prospects of laser-induced fluorescence diagnostics of nitric oxide (NO) using non-tunable fifth-harmonic radiation of a broad-band, ns-pulsed Nd:YAG laser at $$\lambda = 213$$

λ
=
213

 nm. Typically, 2–5 mJ/pulse of 213-nm radiation is produced by a commercial harmonic generator in this study, with an efficiency of about 1–3% (relative to the input pulse energy). We present spectral results obtained in various environments, ranging from air-based combustion processes at room conditions up to elevated pressure and temperature environments, the latter resembling conditions typical for compression-ignition internal combustion engines. In all cases, the laser-induced fluorescence spectrum shows clear signatures of the NO spectrum, mostly on transitions in the $$\gamma $$
γ
-band system ($$\text {A}^2\Sigma ^+ \rightarrow X^2\Pi $$

A
2

Σ
+

→

X
2

Π

). At higher fluences, multi-photon absorption also gives rise to blue-shifted fluorescence. The fluorescence yield increases with increasing pressure, allegedly due to non-resonant excitation, the efficiency of which increases with increasing pressure broadening. When applied to air-based combustion processes, interference by (hot) oxygen needs to be taken into account. We conclude that the method is a relatively straightforward option to visualize the NO distribution in a broad variety of applications.
Anticipating how rain-on-snow events will change through the 21st century: lessons from the 1997 new year’s flood event
Authors: Rhoades Alan M. , Zarzycki Colin M. , Hatchett Benjamin J. , Inda-Diaz Héctor , Rudisill William , Bass Benjamin , Dennis Eli , Heggli Anne , McCrary Rachel , McGinnis Seth , Ombadi Mohammed , Rahimi-Esfarjani Stefan , Slinskey Emily , Srivastava Abhishekh , Szinai Julia , Ullrich Paul A. , Wehner Michael , Yates David , Jones Andrew D.
Published: August 2024

The California-Nevada 1997 New Year’s flood was an atmospheric river (AR)-driven rain-on-snow (RoS) event and remains the costliest in their history. The joint occurrence of saturated soils, rainfall, and snowmelt generated inundation throughout northern California-Nevada. Although AR RoS events are projected to occur more frequently with climate change, the warming sensitivity of their flood drivers across scales remains understudied. We leverage the regionally refined mesh capabilities of the Energy Exascale Earth System Model (RRM-E3SM) to recreate the 1997 New Year’s flood with horizontal grid spacings of 3.5 km across California, with forecast lead times of up to 4 days, and across six warming levels ranging from pre-industrial conditions to $$+3.5\,^\circ$$

+
3.5

∘

C. We describe the sensitivity of the flood drivers to warming including AR duration and intensity, precipitation phase, intensity and efficiency, snowpack mass and energy changes, and runoff efficiency. Our findings indicate current levels of climate change negligibly influence the flood drivers. At warming levels $$\ge 1.7\,^\circ$$

≥
1.7

∘

C, AR hazard potential increases, snowpack nonlinearly decreases, antecedent soil moisture decreases (except where the snowline retreats), and runoff decreases (except in the southern Sierra Nevada where antecedent snowpack persists). Storm total precipitation increases, but at rates below warming-induced increases in saturation-specific humidity. Warming intensifies short-duration, high-intensity rainfall, particularly where snowfall-to-rainfall transitions occur. This study highlights the nonlinear tradeoffs in 21st-century RoS flood hazards with warming and provides water management and infrastructure investment adaptation considerations.
Temporally enhanced graph convolutional network for hand tracking from an egocentric camera
Authors: Cho Woojin , Ha Taewook , Jeon Ikbeom , Jeon Jinwoo , Kim Tae-Kyun , Woo Woontack
Published: August 2024

We propose a robust 3D hand tracking system in various hand action environments, including hand-object interaction, which utilizes a single color image and a previous pose prediction as input. We observe that existing methods deterministically exploit temporal information in motion space, failing to address realistic diverse hand motions. Also, prior methods paid less attention to efficiency as well as robust performance, i.e., the balance issues between time and accuracy. The Temporally Enhanced Graph Convolutional Network (TE-GCN) utilizes a 2-stage framework to encode temporal information adaptively. The system establishes balance by adopting an adaptive GCN, which effectively learns the spatial dependency between hand mesh vertices. Furthermore, the system leverages the previous prediction by estimating the relevance across image features through the attention mechanism. The proposed method achieves state-of-the-art balanced performance on challenging benchmarks and demonstrates robust results on various hand motions in real scenes. Moreover, the hand tracking system is integrated into a recent HMD with an off-loading framework, achieving a real-time framerate while maintaining high performance. Our study improves the usability of a high-performance hand-tracking method, which can be generalized to other algorithms and contributes to the usage of HMD in everyday life. Our code with the HMD project will be available at https://github.com/UVR-WJCHO/TEGCN_on_Hololens2.
The role of energy intensity, green energy transition, and environmental policy stringency on environmental sustainability in G7 countries
Authors: Degirmenci Tunahan , Sofuoglu Emrah , Aydin Mehmet , Adebayo Tomiwa Sunday
Published: August 2024

The increase in energy intensity and energy depletion may lead to faster depletion of natural resources and increased environmental impacts. The green energy transition can improve environmental quality by reducing the pressure on natural resources and the carbon footprint. At this point, public environmental regulations are significant for environmental sustainability. On the one hand, the environmental policy stringency imposes high environmental taxes on polluting activities and, on the other hand, provides R&D support to clean technologies. This study examines the impact of energy intensity, energy depletion, green energy transition, and environmental policy stringency on load capacity factor in G7 countries from 1990–2020 using common correlated effects mean group and augmented mean group panel long run estimators. The study's robust results show that i) energy intensity has a negative impact on environmental sustainability in Germany, Italy, and the USA, ii) energy depletion has a negative impact on environmental sustainability in Canada and France, and iii) green energy transition has a positive impact on environmental sustainability in Japan. G7 countries must reverse the adverse effects of energy intensity and energy depletion by accelerating the transition to green energy. These countries with significant fiscal capacity should use environmental policy instruments that include environmental taxes.

Graphical abstract
Impact of cardiac patch alignment on restoring post-infarct ventricular function
Authors: Janssens Koen L. P. M. , Bovendeerd Peter H. M.
Published: August 2024

Acute myocardial infarction (MI) leads to a loss of cardiac function which, following adverse ventricular remodeling (AVR), can ultimately result in heart failure. Tissue-engineered contractile patches placed over the infarct offer potential for restoring cardiac function and reducing AVR. In this computational study, we investigate how improvement of pump function depends on the orientation of the cardiac patch and the fibers therein relative to the left ventricle (LV). Additionally, we examine how model outcome depends on the choice of material properties for healthy and infarct tissue. In a finite element model of LV mechanics, an infarction was induced by eliminating active stress generation and increasing passive tissue stiffness in a region comprising 15% of the LV wall volume. The cardiac patch was modeled as a rectangular piece of healthy myocardium with a volume of 25% of the infarcted tissue. The orientation of the patch was varied from 0 to $$150^ \circ $$

150
∘

relative to the circumferential plane. The infarct reduced stroke work by 34% compared to the healthy heart. Optimal patch support was achieved when the patch was oriented parallel to the subepicardial fiber direction, restoring 9% of lost functionality. Typically, about one-third of the total recovery was attributed to the patch, while the remainder resulted from restored functionality in native myocardium adjacent to the infarct. The patch contributes to cardiac function through two mechanisms. A contribution of tissue in the patch and an increased contribution of native tissue, due to favorable changes in mechanical boundary conditions.
Consequences of Spiraea tomentosa invasion in Uropodina mite (Acari: Mesostigmata) communities in wet meadows
Authors: Wiatrowska Blanka , Kurek Przemysław , Rutkowski Tomasz , Napierała Agnieszka , Sienkiewicz Paweł , Błoszyk Jerzy
Published: August 2024

Vegetation cover has been consistently reported to be a factor influencing soil biota. Massive spreading of invasive plants may transform native plant communities, changing the quality of habitats as a result of modification of soil properties, most often having a directional effect on soil microorganisms and soil fauna. One of the most numerous microarthropods in the litter and soil is Acari. It has been shown that invasive plants usually have a negative effect on mites. We hypothesized that invasive Spiraea tomentosa affects the structure of the Uropodina community and that the abundance and species richness of Uropodina are lower in stands monodominated by S. tomentosa than in wet meadows free of this alien species. The research was carried out in wet meadows, where permanent plots were established in an invaded and uninvaded area of each meadow, soil samples were collected, soil moisture was determined and the mites were extracted. We found that Uropodina mite communities differed in the abundance of individual species but that the abundance and richness of species in their communities were similar. S. tomentosa invasion led primarily to changes in the quality of Uropodina communities, due to an increase in the shares of species from forest and hygrophilous habitats. Our results suggest that alien plant invasion does not always induce directional changes in mite assemblages, and conclude that the impact of an alien species on Uropodina may cause significant changes in the abundance and richness of individual species without causing significant changes in the abundance and diversity of their community.
The Expansion of Alternative Forms of Organizing Integration: Imitation, Bricolage, and an Ethic of Care in Migrant Women’s Cooperatives
Authors: Zapata Campos María José
Published: August 2024

This paper examines how alternative forms of organising integration in resource-scarce environments expand across settings, by considering the role of local embeddedness and an ethic of care in enabling this expansion. It builds on theories of imitation in organization studies in combination with theories of ethics of care and bricolage applied to welfare and migration studies. The paper is informed by the case of Yalla Trappan, a work cooperative of immigrant women in the city of Malmö, Sweden, and the attempts to diffuse this organization and its methods to other cities in the country. The findings indicate that the expansion of alternative forms of integration into resource-scarce contexts is enabled by simultaneous practices of imitation and bricolage, ingrained in an ethic of care. The article shows, first, how many important practices were developed by imitating accounts of the original ideas, through a broadcasting mode of imitation. Next, it explains why the local translation of these practices in resource-scarce contexts, consisting of ‘bricolage work’ based on material, market, institutional, human, and cultural elements, was necessary. The conclusion is that the expansion of novel forms of integration requires imitation, but of a kind that involves the bricolage of local translations. Such bricolage is always collective (which does not diminish the importance of individual agency), multi-spatial and not just local, and wrapped in an ethic of care, rather than in an economic logic. The article concludes by discussing the implications of these findings with the ethics of migration.
Discontinuities in and Perceptions of Mental Health Service Path of Violent Young Offenders: A Qualitative Descriptive Study
Authors: Huikko Eeva , Santalahti Päivi , Aalto-Setälä Terhi , Ahlgrén-Rimpiläinen Aulikki , Lämsä Riikka
Published: August 2024

Studies on mental health service use among juvenile violent offenders prior to their acts of violence are sparse. Mostly, their service use seems to be short-term, although there may have been several service periods. Little is known about how they have perceived those services. Using a qualitative content analysis on data from forensic psychiatric examination statements, we studied discontinuities in the use of mental health services of 15-22-year-old violent Finnish offenders and descriptions of their perceptions of those services. There were several types of discontinuities: limited youth engagement and subsequent dropping out from services, or partial or total refusal of the proposed examinations or treatments. Most discontinuations were instigated by the youth themselves, followed by the parents and the service system. The subjects had perceived mental health services to be not beneficial for the most part, although some experienced benefits from medication. When treating children and adolescents with behavioral symptoms clinicians should identify the early signs of the process of disengagement from treatment and pay attention to the perceptions of the treatment of both the youth and their parents. Also, more research is needed on the user experience of mental health services among violent offenders, as well as factors relating to discontinuities along their mental health service path.
3Rs of Sustainable Activism on Social Media: Relatability, Reliability and Redress
Authors: Luzak J.
Published: August 2024

The achievement of sustainability goals will take a joint effort and content creators could be one of the actors helping with reaching it. Reliable but relatable communication on sustainable lifestyles on social media could reach many consumers and contribute to changing their behaviour patterns. However, the content creators’ activities need to fit within certain parameters for the benefits to outweigh the costs. This article identifies three important parameters that regulation should safeguard: Relatability, reliability, and redress. A key reason why content creators have managed to establish themselves as influencers is that they are relatable. But content creators may not be able to ensure what they tell their followers is reliable. That in turn raises the question of who should be responsible for providing redress in cases of misstatements. Following the critical analysis of the European legal framework, this article considers the need for further adaptations to the current rules or even the adoption of new rules more strictly regulating sustainable activism on social media.
The Economic Impacts of Rural Water Supply Infrastructures in Developing Countries: Empirical Evidence from Senegal
Authors: Magbondé Kadoukpè Gildas , Thiam Djiby Racine , Wagner Natascha
Published: August 2024

The paper addresses the often-neglected economic impacts associated with the supply of hydraulic infrastructure in rural and under-serviced communities in developing countries. We rely on a rich panel dataset including 1319 Senegalese rural households collected in 2016 and 2020, during the deployment of the first phase of the Emergency Program for Community Development (PUDC). By combining propensity score matching (PSM), inverse probability weighting, difference-in-differences, and quantile regression, we find that access to piped water improves employment in the agricultural sector but has no significant impact on household expenditures. After controlling for attrition, through PSM, we find that the employment effect operates through access to a greater quantity of water and a reduction in the time women devote to water fetching chores. Moreover, when bundled with complementary infrastructure interventions such as the construction of rural roads, we find that access to water services generates an even higher impact. The quantile analysis shows that non-poor households seem to benefit more from the provided water supply infrastructure compared to poor households. Finally, when comparing the welfare effect of government-led PUDC water supply with that of community-led initiatives, our findings advocate for the widespread implementation of the former for reasons of cost-effectiveness.
Imagination Cannot Generate Empirical Justification or Knowledge
Authors: Egeland Jonathan
Published: August 2024

What is the epistemic function of imagination? Traditionally, philosophers have claimed that the epistemic function of imagination is exhausted by its ability to provide justification for modal beliefs, or that it is epistemically irrelevant. However, in recent years a number of philosophers have broken with the tradition by arguing that imagination can generate justification or knowledge about contingent empirical facts. This paper argues against this view by developing a new dilemma. The upshot of the argument is that although imagination does have an important epistemic function that has evaded the traditional view, it cannot give rise to new empirical justification or knowledge.