bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Flood Regime on Water Quality and Plankton Distribution in Bosso Area, Minna, Niger State
Authors:   Federal University of Technology Minna, B.S Adama , Y.M Mohammed ,   Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, I.N Musa ,   Federal University of Technology Minna, P.O Samuel ,   Federal University of Technology Minna, J.J Saba ,   Niger State College of Agriculture Mokwa
Published: June 2023

Flooding endangers lives and property, and it can lead to surface water pollution, reducing access to potable water and destroying wildlife habitats. This study investigated the effect of flood on water quality and plankton in two selected water bodies in within Minna Metropolis, Niger state, Nigeria. Water samples were collected for physicochemical parameters and plankton identification using standard methods and procedures. Samples were collected for a period of six (6) months (April to September 2021). The result of the physiochemical parameters showed temperature (26.0-28.5°C), flow velocity (0.23 to 0.26 m/s), dissolved oxygen (6.4-10.0mg/l), turbidity (30-240 NTU), pH (7.21-7.53), TSS (0.04-0.04), electrical conductivity (69-228 µS/cm) and total dissolved solid (60-220 mg/l). Most of these parameters were within the WHO permissible limits. From all the parameters measured, temperature, DO, pH and TSS showed no significance difference (p>0.05) between the water bodies while turbidity, total alkalinity, electrical conductivity and total dissolved solid exhibit significant difference (p<0.05) between the water bodies with Fadipe Pool recording higher values in most of the parameters. A total of 12 phytoplankton species were identified comprising of 3 families which are Bacillariophyceae (2), Chlorophyceae (6), and Cyanophyceae (4). For the zooplankton, a total of 11 species are made up of 3 taxa which are Cladocera (4), Copepoda (2), and Rotifera (5). In this study, several plankton species that serve as indicator organisms were identified which is indication of a disturbed water bodies.
МУЗИЧНІ АУДІОФОНДИ УКРАЇНСЬКОЇ ДІАСПОРИ В АРХІВНИХ ЗІБРАННЯХ МЮНХЕНА
Authors: Мирон Черепанин
Published: June 2023

У статті представлена інформація про музичні аудіофонди, зосереджені в архівних зібраннях Українського Вільного Університету м. Мюнхена. Оцифрування оригіналів магнітних плівок розпочали науковці Прикарпатського національного університету ім. В. Стефаника професори М. Черепанин, та В. Дутчак. В процесі першого етапу роботи опрацьовано бл. 200-т записів, які систематизовано за принципом тематики жанрів музики. Продовження справи каталогізації, оцифрування і фахової систематизації музичного аудіоархіву УВУ відбудеться на наступному етапі наукового дослідження. Ключові слова: музичні аудіозаписи, архів Українського Вільного Університету, українська діаспора, оцифрування, фахова систематизація.
IMPACT OF FEEDS CONTAINING OPTIFEED®, VÊO® PREMIUM, AND OLEOBIOTEC® ON THE LIPID PEROXIDATION OF MALE BROILERS UNDER HEAT STRESS
Authors: Al-Bazy F. I. , Abdulateef S. M. , Sulimn B. F.
Published: June 2023

The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of adding various levels of Optifeed®, VêO® premium and Oleobiotec® to the diets as appetite stimulants in the production Performance of broiler males under heat stress conditions. The experiment was done for 42 days for the period from 30 August 2018 to 11 of October 2018 at the Poultry Research Station of the Livestock Research Department / Agricultural Research Department / Ministry of Agriculture (Baghdad - Abu Ghraib). In this study, 270 - one-day broiler males (Ross 308) were reared with a mean body weight of 37 g/chick, distributed randomly on 18 pens with dimensions of 2 x 3 m (length x width). The experimental treatments involved six treatments with three replicates for each treatment (per replicate 15 chicks). The treatments were included T1: basal diet as a control with no additions, T2:  basal diet + 500 g/ton of Optifeed®, T3: basal diet + 250 g/ton of VêO® premium, T4: basal diet + 250 g/ton of Oleobiotec®, T5: basal diet + 250 g of Optifeed® + 125 g of VêO® premium + 125 g of oleobiotec® /ton of feed, T6: basal diet + 500 g Optifeed® + 250 g VêO® premium + 250 g Oleobiotec® g/ton of feed. The obtained results showed that a significant decrease in all experimental trials of Malondialdehyde (MDA) for broiler liver tissue compared to control treatment. Treatment (T6) recorded the lowest concentration of dehydrode (MDA) compared to other treatments.
Duas décadas de monitoramento da qualidade da água do rio Piracicaba, Estado de Minas Gerais
Authors: Nascimento Thiago Ribeiro da Silva , Baumgratz Sônia Santos , Marques Paulo Antonio Moreira
Published: June 2023

No médio-baixo curso do rio Piracicaba (MG), afluente do rio Doce, na região Sudeste do país, está instalada a Usina Hidrelétrica Guilman Amorim (140MW). Entre as atividades da gestão ambiental da usina, tem sido realizado o monitoramento da qualidade da água do rio Piracicaba desde 1995, antes de se iniciar as obras de sua construção. Neste estudo, foram selecionados dados de sete parâmetros monitorados ao longo de um período de 20 anos (1995-2015). Os dados foram avaliados por meio de estatísticas descritivas e testes não paramétricos para detecção de tendências temporais. Os resultados mostraram os pontos onde ocorrem as principais alterações da qualidade da água e as tendências temporais revelaram intensificação da poluição por despejos orgânicos e por fontes difusas na bacia hidrográfica do rio Piracicaba. O estudo concluído reforça a importância da estatística para acompanhamento dos resultados dos programas de monitoramento ambiental de longo prazo.

Keywords:  Water  quality,  Hydroelectric  reservoir,  Monitoring,  Trend  analysis,  Piracicaba river

 

Abstract

The  monitoring  of  water  quality  in  stretches  of  rivers influenced  by  hydroelectric  plants  is critical  to  water  resources  management.  Despite  the  existence  of  many  studies  in  this  area, the  publicly  available  papers  usually  employ  data  collected  in  few  monitoring  campaigns, while  the  analysis  of  long  series  is still  underexplored.  In  the  medium  course  of  the Piracicaba  River,  a  tributary  of  the  Doce  River, in Brazil’s  Southeast,  is  installed  the Guilman Amorim Hydropower Plant (140MW). Among the hydropower plant’s environmental management activities, the monitoring of Piracicaba River water quality has been carried out since  1995,  before  construction  work  began.  In  this  study,  data  were  selected  from  seven parameters  monitored  over  a  period  of  20  years  (1995-2015). Data were  evaluated  using descriptive statisticsand non-parametric tests to detect temporal trends. Results showed that the  main  changes  in  water  quality  occur  at  the  reduced  flow  stretch,  which  is  influenced  by the reservoir and the tributaries that flow into this river’s section. Temporal trends revealed intensification  of  pollution  by  organic  discharges  and  by  diffuse  sources  in  the  Piracicaba River basin. The work reinforces the importance of statistics for assessing the results of long-term environmental monitoringprograms.
Uso da análise multicritério baseada no método híbrido AHP/TOPSIS para implantação de intervenções de programas hidroambientais
Authors: Pereira Alex Cardoso , Rezende Bruno Augusto de , Alves Fabiano Henrique da Silva , Marques André Luís de Paula , Silva Luciana Figueiredo , Feitoza Vítor Soares , Rocha Héverton Ferreira
Published: June 2023

O estudo visou o desenvolvimento de um modelo de decisão multicritério para hierarquizar os imóveis rurais comtemplados pela Iniciativa RIO VIVO da Bacia Hidrográfica do Rio Doce. Foi desenvolvido um modelo hídrico composto pelas ferramentas Analytic  Hierarchy Process (AHP) – utilizada para determinação dos pesos dos critérios; e Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) – utilizada para a hierarquização dos imóveis rurais. O modelo foi aplicado na hierarquização de 52 imóveis rurais de uma microbacia hidrográfica do município de Mariana. Foram selecionados 12 critérios para hierarquização, que comtemplaram os programas de proteção de nascentes (P52) e expansão do saneamento rural (P42). O painel para determinação dos pesos dos critérios foi realizado com os técnicos envolvidos com a elaboração da Iniciativa RIO VIVO, sendo que a taxa de consistência da matriz de julgamento foi de 4,0% e o grau de consenso do grupo foi de 80,9%. Os critérios Quantidade de nascentes e Localização na microbacia foram os que obtiveram a maior ponderação no painel. Os imóveis rurais localizados nos terços alto e médio obtiveram as primeiras colocações da hierarquização, sendo esses os prioritários na implantação das intervenções. O modelo desenvolvido promove uma adequada implantação dos recursos oriundos da cobrança do uso da água, auxiliando os gestores na tomada de decisão, uma vez que prioriza os imóveis rurais, otimiza a logística e reduz os custos de implantação das intervenções hidroambientais, de acordo com as características dos locais de implantação.
Poor Education and Unemployment Implications for Youth Crimes in Nigeria
Authors: Angel Olofinbiyi Sogo , Balgobind Singh Shanta
Published: June 2023

Research on the correlation between education, occupation and criminality among the youth has grown both in length, and complexity in the last two decades. Using a mixed-method analysis, this study concurs that educational and occupational variables are significant determinants of criminal propensities but maintains two sides of the same coin by contending that the level of educational attainment of the youth does not grossly influence their involvement in criminal activities, whereas it draws on occupational attainment as a strong factor for the pervasive involvement of youth in criminality. Taking evidence from Nigeria, the study recommends policies that will review and implement youth entrepreneurial development, educational re-orientation and creation of more job opportunities, as a life-changing instrument against crime.
Principles of the Economic Analysis and Criteria for Evaluation of Corporate Structures Functioning
Authors: Pugacheva M.A. , Girfanova E. Ju. , Pugacheva S.D. , Nuriyahmetova S.M.
Published: June 2023

In this article, authors attempt to investigate and specify the principles of the economic analysis and criteria for evaluation of activity of corporate structures in the conditions of instability of the external environment that allowed defining degree of completeness of their realization in practice. For receiving quality and objective standard of the economic analysis results, in the course of its carrying out we seek to consider the established principles representing the set of rules. Based on the outcomes, it can be concluded that the possibility of their full realization in many respects depends on institutional, legal and infrastructure conditions, professionalism of management of that region in the territory of which the corporation is located. Need of introduction of the principles of adaptability, relevance, independence, clarity and openness of results of the economic analysis is proved.
Semantic Web Application and Framework Development in South African Higher Education Institutions
Authors: Nwanua Ohei Kenneth
Published: June 2023

The evolution of the Semantic Web (SW) and its application marked a turning point in how students could benefit from a range of educational web tools and applications enabled by the SW, also referred to as Web 3.0 technology for academic purposes to meet their demands. This shift afforded students the opportunity to obtain meaningful information, collaboration and data filtering to suit their needs. It also offers freedom in how and where they choose to learn. SW tools and applications are progressively being used at several universities worldwide. However, educators’ ability to integrate the use of these tools and applications in teaching and learning appears to be a major problem in almost every development plan of education and educational reform efforts. Moreover, very few educators integrate web tools to their full potential in teaching. This paper probed the integration and use of SW tools and applications in higher education institutions (HEIs), and developed a framework for its adoption in academic processes. The objectives aimed to establish the credible features and benefits of SW tools and applications in HEIs, and how the integration supports students’ academic goals. It is anticipated to improve learning interaction and collaboration, and build a social presence and cohesion among students. The paper employed a systematic literature review, and information and communication technology theory of adoption. The developed framework ultimately suggests that SW tools and applications are beneficial and useful in positively impacting the pedagogical setting. Findings revealed that certain challenges with human factors (technophobia, beliefs), infrastructure, security concerns, ethical and legal issues were identified as a hindrance to be considered during integration. Despite the challenges, these tools and applications provide variety and a new wave of teaching and learning in South African HEIs, which is crucial for meeting the demand of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) era.
Novel regulators of islet function identified from genetic variation in mouse islet Ca2+ oscillations
Authors: Emfinger Christopher H. , Clark Lauren E. , Yandell Brian , Schueler Kathryn L. , Simonett Shane P. , Stapleton Donnie S. , Mitok Kelly A. , Merrins Matthew J. , Keller Mark P. , Attie Alan D.
Published: June 2023

Insufficient insulin secretion to meet metabolic demand results in diabetes. The intracellular flux of Ca
2+
into β-cells triggers insulin release. Since genetics strongly influences variation in islet secretory responses, we surveyed islet Ca
2+
dynamics in eight genetically diverse mouse strains. We found high strain variation in response to four conditions: 1) 8 mM glucose; 2) 8 mM glucose plus amino acids; 3) 8 mM glucose, amino acids, plus 10 nM GIP; and 4) 2 mM glucose. These stimuli interrogate β-cell function, α-cell to β-cell signaling, and incretin responses. We then correlated components of the Ca
2+
waveforms to islet protein abundances in the same strains used for the Ca
2+
measurements. To focus on proteins relevant to human islet function, we identified human orthologues of correlated mouse proteins that are proximal to glycemic-associated SNPs in human GWAS. Several orthologues have previously been shown to regulate insulin secretion (e.g. ABCC8, PCSK1, and GCK), supporting our mouse-to-human integration as a discovery platform. By integrating these data, we nominated novel regulators of islet Ca
2+
oscillations and insulin secretion with potential relevance for human islet function. We also provide a resource for identifying appropriate mouse strains in which to study these regulators.
Impact of selected risk factors on motor performance in the third month of life and motor development in the ninth month
Authors: Gajewska Ewa , Moczko Jerzy , Naczk Mariusz , Naczk Alicja , Sobieska Magdalena
Published: June 2023

Background

Proper motor development can be influenced by a range of risk factors. The resulting motor performance can be assessed through quantitative and qualitative analysis of posture and movement patterns.

Methods

This study was designed as the cohort follow-up of the motor assessment and aimed to demonstrate, in a mathematical way, the impact of particular risk factors on elements of motor performance in the 3rd month and the final motor performance in the 9th month of life. Four hundred nineteen children were assessed (236 male and 183 female), including 129 born preterm. Each child aged 3 month underwent a physiotherapeutic assessment of the quantitative and qualitative development, in the prone and supine positions. The neurologist examined each child aged 9 month, referring to the Denver Development Screening Test II and assessing reflexes, muscle tone and symmetry. The following risk factors were analyzed after the neurological consultation: condition at birth (5th min Apgar score), week of gestation at birth, intraventricular hemorrhage, respiratory distress syndrome, and the incidence of intrauterine hypotrophy and hyperbilirubinemia determined based on medical records.

Results

A combination of several risk factors affected motor development stronger than any one of them solely, with Apgar score, hyperbilirubinemia, and intraventricular hemorrhage exhibiting the most significant impact.

Conclusions

Premature birth on its own did not cause a substantial delay in motor development. Nonetheless, its co-occurrence with other risk factors, namely intraventricular hemorrhage, respiratory distress syndrome, and hyperbilirubinemia, notably worsened motor development prognosis. Moreover, improper position of the vertebral column, scapulae, shoulders, and pelvis in the third month of life may predict disturbances in further motor development.
Prácticas ambientales de las PyMEs Hoteleras
Authors: Balseca-Ruiz Juan Carlos , Toledo-López Arcelia , Velázquez-Sánchez Rosa María
Published: June 2023

El presente estudio exploró las prácticas ambientales que realizan las pequeñas y medianas empresas (PyMEs) hoteleras en la ciudad de Oaxaca, México y definió el segmento al que éstas pertenecen, según sus acciones en el manejo del agua, energía, aire y residuos. Se aplicaron 16 cuestionarios a los gerentes de las PyMEs hoteleras de 3 y 4 estrellas mediante el muestreo por conveniencia. Se realizó un análisis de cluster y se encontraron tres segmentos de estas PyMEs hoteleras, de acuerdo a las prácticas ambientales que implementan. Estas prácticas son: reciclaje de residuos, uso de productos biodegradables, reducción del consumo de energía, ahorro de agua, reducción de la contaminación del aire y ruido, programas de blancos y campañas en pro del medio ambiente. Así mismo, se realizó un análisis de conglomerados en el cual se destacan las actividades pro-ambientales del 68% de las PyMEs hoteleras que se caracterizan por su proactividad ambiental. Lo anterior se observa en el cambio de equipos convencionales por equipos y acciones amigables con el medio ambiente, el uso de regaderas y grifos ahorradores de agua, el retiro de tinas de baño en las habitaciones y el cierre de piscinas y el uso de energía solar y sistemas de ahorro de combustibles.
Studies on Genetic Diversity and Principal Component Analysis in Wheat Germplasm (Triticum aestivum L.)
Authors: Niyazi Mohd. Khurram , Synrem Gideon , Pandey Sharad
Published: June 2023

This study aimed to assess the potential genetic diversity among wheat genotypes by using cluster analysis and principal component analysis for selection of desired parents in hybridization programmes. The study was carried out at the Crop Research Center, Department of Agriculture, Himgiri Zee University, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, during Rabi season 2021-2022 under irrigated conditions. Twenty germplasm lines of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were grown in Randomized Block Design with three replications with an objective to study the genetic variability and diversity through D2 statistics in wheat. The Analysis of variance revealed the significant differences among the genotypes for all the traits studied indicating that the presence of genetic material under the study. The clustering pattern as per Tocher’s optimization method obtained on the basis of magnitude of D2 value revealed that the twenty genotypes were grouped into five clusters. The maximum intra cluster D2 value was observed in cluster I (130.89) followed by cluster II (108.06) and cluster III (97.93). The inter cluster distance values ranged from 249.44 to 1101.59. The maximum inter cluster distance was observed between cluster II and IV (1101.59) followed by II and III (1017.07) that indicated wide divergence existed among the genotypes of these clusters. From the results obtained by Principal component analysis six principal components PC 1 to PC6, which are extracted from the original data and having latent roots greater than one thereby accounting to 84.30% of the total variation.
Uniform Li‐deposition induced by Ni‐catalyzing graphitization of natural carbon materials in lithium metal batteries
Authors: Han Junshan , Zhang Lijing , Duan Liqiang , Liu Lvcheng , Xiao Xunwen , Xin Xing , Li Xing
Published: June 2023

Lithium metal batteries are known as the most prospecting recyclable accumulation system owing to the high specific capacity of 3860 mAh g−1. Nevertheless, Li‐dendrites formed by the charge‐discharge process would lead to poor performances and severe safety problems. In this work, we proposed a new silk‐film with a composite network that was full of the Ni‐containing functionalized nanoparticles to induce the uniform Li‐deposition and prevent the wanton growth of lithium dendrite. As a result, the as‐designed flexible fiber materials (Ni‐silks) were successfully prepared by utilizing degradable silks as the substrates and Ni‐particles as the catalyzer for graphitization of carbon materials. The Ni‐silk‐Li (NSL) as anodes were constructed by Ni‐silk and Li metals, which exhibited the long‐term cycle of 800 h and high coulombic efficiency of 98.35% for the half cells. In addition, the NSL anodes also showed outstanding electrochemical performances in full cells using LiFePO4 as the cathode with an outstanding specific capacity of 155 mAh g−1. To further explore the working mechanism of the NSL electrode, Density functional theory (DFT) computations were analyzed. Our findings provide a new idea for evoking uniform Li‐nucleation by introducing graphitization of flexible Ni‐silks, which is not to be ignored for reducing Li‐dendrite formation.
A case study of potato germplasm enhancement using distant late blight resistant wild relatives
Authors: Ordoñez Benny , Aponte Mariela , Lindqvist‐Kreuze Hannele , Bonierbale Merideth
Published: June 2023

Improving potato late blight (LB) resistance is essential for ensuring food security, particularly using wild relatives endemic to Phytophthora infestans‐prone regions. However, reproductive barriers can impede the transfer from potato wild relatives (PWR) to the cultivated genepool. This study sought to incorporate potentially novel LB resistance from wild diploid accessions of Series Piurana (Solanum chiquidenum, Solanum paucissectum, and Solanum piurae), Tuberosa (Solanum cajamarquense), and Megistracroloba (Solanum sogarandinum) into tetraploid potato. Trough rescue pollination, 699 diploid interspecific hybrids were obtained, of which 385 displayed LB resistance in two endemic environments. Based on a comprehensive evaluation, including assessing 2n pollen production, 14 diploid interspecific hybrids were selected to continue the introgression process. These pre‐bred stocks were then used in interploidy (4x‐2x) crosses to incorporate their LB resistance in the cultivated tetraploid background. Assessment of 1978 genotypes resulting from interploidy crosses under endemic disease pressure yielded 717 hybrids with moderate to high levels of LB resistance. Evaluation of pollen viability and ploidy revealed moderate fertility and predominantly tetraploid genotypes. Reassessment of LB resistance on this new subset of hybrids further identified 214 genotypes with sustained resistance. Among them, 12 tetraploid hybrids with low glycoalkaloid content, favorable agronomic, and post‐harvest attributes were identified as crossing‐friendly stocks. Notably, 11 of these hybrids were derived from S. cajamarquense and one from S. sogarandinum. These promising 4x hybrids are now primed to be incorporated into potato breeding programs.
Design of blockchain-based applications using model-driven engineering and low-code/no-code platforms: a structured literature review
Authors: Curty Simon , Härer Felix , Fill Hans-Georg
Published: June 2023

The creation of blockchain-based software applications requires today considerable technical knowledge, particularly in software design and programming. This is regarded as a major barrier in adopting this technology in business and making it accessible to a wider audience. As a solution, low-code and no-code approaches have been proposed that require only little or no programming knowledge for creating full-fledged software applications. In this paper we extend a review of academic approaches from the discipline of model-driven engineering as well as industrial low-code and no-code development platforms for blockchains. This includes a content-based, computational analysis of relevant academic papers and the derivation of major topics. In addition, the topics were manually evaluated and refined. Based on these analyses we discuss the spectrum of approaches in this field and derive opportunities for further research.
Deep Learning for Automatic Extraction of Water Bodies Using Satellite Imagery
Authors: Gharbia Reham
Published: June 2023

The study introduces an automated approach for extracting water bodies from satellite images using the Faster R-CNN algorithm. The approach was tested on two datasets consisting of water body images collected from Sentinel-2 and Landsat-8 (OLI) satellite images, totaling over 3500 images. The results showed that the proposed approach achieved an accuracy of 98.7% and 96.1% for the two datasets, respectively. This is significantly higher than the accuracy achieved by the convolutional neural network (CNN) approach, which achieved 96% and 80% for the two datasets, respectively. These findings highlight the effectiveness of the proposed approach in accurately mapping water bodies from satellite imagery. Additionally, the Sentinel-2 dataset performed better than the Landsat dataset in both the Faster R-CNN and CNN approaches for water body extraction.
Do coopetition and cohesion of business groups stimulate their innovation performance?
Authors: Mierzejewska Wioletta , Aluchna Maria , Tomczyk Emilia
Published: June 2023

Innovation performance is a widely studied issue in management literature. However, despite an increasing number of innovation studies in the context of stand-alone firms, there is still little empirical evidence on business group innovation performance and its driving forces. Our study attempts to shed light on the relationship between coopetition and cohesion of a business group and its innovation performance. We use a Poisson regression model to analyze a sample of 118 business groups. We have found that the type of coopetition as well as the degree of cohesion of a business group is positively related to innovation performance measured by the number of patents and the number of trademarks.
Travel Time Prediction in Real time for GPS Taxi Data Streams and its Applications to Travel Safety
Authors: Putatunda Sayan , Laha Arnab Kumar
Published: June 2023

The analysis of data streams offers a great opportunity for development of new methodologies and applications in the area of Intelligent Transportation Systems. In this paper, we propose two new incremental learning approaches for the travel time prediction problem for taxi GPS data streams in different scenarios and compare the same with three other existing methods. An extensive performance evaluation using four real life datasets indicate that when the training data size is small the Support Vector Regression method is the best choice considering both prediction accuracy and total computation time. However when the training data size is large to moderate then the Randomized K-Nearest Neighbor Regression with Spherical Distance (RKNNRSD) and the Incremental Polynomial Regression become the methods of choice. When continuous prediction of remaining travel time along the trajectory of a trip is considered we find that the RKNNRSD is the method of choice. A Real-time Speeding Alert System (RSAS) and a Driver Suspected Speeding Scorecard (DSSS) using the RKNNRSD method are proposed which have great potential for improving travel safety.
Marginal Detachment Zones: The Fracture Factories of Ice Shelves?
Authors: Miele Chris , Bartholomaus Timothy C. , Enderlin Ellyn M.
Published: June 2023

Along the lateral margins of floating ice shelves in Greenland and Antarctica, ice flow past confining margins and pinning points is often accompanied by extensive rifting. Rifts in zones of marginal decoupling (“detachment zones”) typically propagate inward from the margins and result in many of Earth's largest calving events. Velocity maps of detachment zones indicate that flow through these regions is spatially transitioning from confined to unconfined ice shelf flow. We employ the software package icepack to demonstrate that longitudinally decreasing marginal resistance reproduces observed transitions in flow regime, and we show that these spatial transitions are accompanied by near‐margin tension sufficient to explain full‐thickness rifts. Thus, we suggest that zones of progressive decoupling are a primary control on ice shelf calving. The steadiness of detachment zone positions may be a good indicator of ice shelf vulnerability, with migratory or thinning detachment zones indicating shelves at risk of dynamic speedup and increased fracture.
Effect of different loads on the shoulder in abduction postures: a finite element analysis
Authors: Yang Zhengzhong , Xu Guangming , Yang Jiyong , Li Zhifei
Published: June 2023

Load can change the mechanical environment of dynamic and static stable structures of the shoulder joint, increase the risk of tissue damage and affect the stability of the shoulder joint, but its biomechanical mechanism is still unclear. Therefore, a finite element model of the shoulder joint was constructed to analyze the mechanical index changes of shoulder joint abduction under different loads. The stress of the articular side on the supraspinatus tendon was higher than that of the capsular side, with a maximum difference of 43% due to the increased load. For the deltoid muscle and glenohumeral ligaments, increases in stress and strain were obvious in the middle and posterior deltoid muscles and inferior glenohumeral ligaments. The above results indicate that load increases the stress difference between the articular side and the capsular side on the supraspinatus tendon and increases the mechanical indices of the middle and posterior deltoid muscles, as well as the inferior glenohumeral ligament. The increased stress and strain in these specific sites can lead to tissue injury and affect the stability of the shoulder joint.
Tirzepatid: GIP-/GLP-1-Rezeptoragonist zur Therapie des Typ-2-Diabetes – SURPASS-Studienprogramm
Authors: Aberle Jens , Forst Thomas , Heitmann Elke , Görgens Sven W , Seufert Jochen
Published: June 2023

Innovative therapeutische Ansätze zur Behandlung des Typ-2-Diabetes (T2D) sollten idealerweise sowohl zur Senkung des glykierten Hämoglobins (HbA1c) als auch zur Gewichtsabnahme beitragen und eine überlegene Wirksamkeit gegenüber derzeit verfügbaren Behandlungsoptionen zeigen. Der Inkretinrezeptor-Agonist Tirzepatid (LY3298176) – entwickelt, um sowohl die Rezeptoren des Glukose-abhängigen insulinotropen Polypeptids (GIP) als auch des Glukagon-ähnlichen Peptids 1 (GLP-1) zu aktivieren – ist inzwischen in zahlreichen Ländern, einschließlich den USA und EU-Ländern, für die Behandlung des T2D zugelassen. Wirksamkeit und Sicherheit von Tirzepatid wurden im SURPASS-Programm klinischer Phase-3-Studien untersucht und hier zusammengefasst. Tirzepatid 5, 10 und 15 mg wurde als Monotherapie und in Kombination mit zugelassenen oralen Antidiabetika und/oder Insulin bei Patienten:innen mit T2D untersucht (in SURPASS 1 vs. Placebo; in SURPASS 2 vs. Semaglutid; in SURPASS 3 vs. Insulin degludec; in SURPASS 4 vs. Insulin glargin bei Patienten:innen mit erhöhtem kardiovaskulären Risiko; in SURPASS 5 vs. Placebo). Dabei waren über die SURPASS-1–5-Studien hinweg jegliche Tirzepatid-Behandlungsarme in Woche 40 oder 52 mit mittleren Senkungen des HbA1c von 1,87–2,59 % verbunden, die durchgehend signifikant größer waren als in den Vergleichsgruppen. Außerdem wirkte sich Tirzepatid in diesen Studien im Vergleich zu allen aktiven Vergleichspräparaten und Placebo überlegen auf die Körpergewichtsreduktion aus. Insgesamt weisen die verfügbaren Daten auf eine gute Verträglichkeit hin. Gastrointestinale Nebenwirkungen sind vergleichbar mit denen anderer Inkretin-Agonisten und Tirzepatid zeigte außerdem eine sehr geringe Rate hypoglykämischer Ereignisse, was aufgrund seines Wirkmechanismus zu erwarten ist. Dank des neuartigen Wirkmechanismus und den damit verbundenen zusätzlichen klinischen Vorteilen konnte sich Tirzepatid als erster GIP/GLP-1-Rezeptoragonist seiner Klasse etablieren. Ebenfalls von großem Interesse werden die Ergebnisse der laufenden SURPASS-CVOT-Studie sein, die zum Verständnis möglicher kardiovaskulärer Vorteile von Tirzepatid – angesichts verbesserter glykämischer Kontrolle und Gewichtsreduktion – beitragen werden.
DepLink: an R Shiny app to systematically link genetic and pharmacologic dependencies of cancer
Authors: Nayak Tapsya , Wang Li-Ju , Ning Michael , Rubannelsonkumar Gabriela , Jin Eric , Zheng Siyuan , Houghton Peter J , Huang Yufei , Chiu Yu-Chiao , Chen Yidong
Published: June 2023

Motivation

Large-scale genetic and pharmacologic dependency maps are generated to reveal genetic vulnerabilities and drug sensitivities of cancer. However, user-friendly software is needed to systematically link such maps.

Results

Here, we present DepLink, a web server to identify genetic and pharmacologic perturbations that induce similar effects on cell viability or molecular changes. DepLink integrates heterogeneous datasets of genome-wide CRISPR loss-of-function screens, high-throughput pharmacologic screens and gene expression signatures of perturbations. The datasets are systematically connected by four complementary modules tailored for different query scenarios. It allows users to search for potential inhibitors that target a gene (Module 1) or multiple genes (Module 2), mechanisms of action of a known drug (Module 3) and drugs with similar biochemical features to an investigational compound (Module 4). We performed a validation analysis to confirm the capability of our tool to link the effects of drug treatments to knockouts of the drug’s annotated target genes. By querying with a demonstrating example of CDK6, the tool identified well-studied inhibitor drugs, novel synergistic gene and drug partners and insights into an investigational drug. In summary, DepLink enables easy navigation, visualization and linkage of rapidly evolving cancer dependency maps.

Availability and implementation

The DepLink web server, demonstrating examples and detailed user manual are available at https://shiny.crc.pitt.edu/deplink/.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics Advances online.
Distribution of property at the termination of de facto unions (marriages by cohabitation/repute) in some African countries
Authors: Mujuzi Jamil Ddamulira
Published: June 2023

Many African countries have ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). Article 16(1) of CEDAW provides for, inter alia, the right to equality in a marriage. The drafting history of Article 16 of CEDAW shows that the delegates agreed that the whole provision was applicable to women whether or not they were married. In its General Recommendation No. 29 on Marriage and Family Relations, the CEDAW Committee provides interpretive guidance for states on Article 16 and, inter alia, highlights the economic hardships that women face at the termination of de facto unions or relationships (marriages by cohabitation) and urged state parties to protect the economic rights of women in such relationships. African countries have approached the issue of de facto relationships in different ways. These approaches have also determined the manner in which the economic rights of parties to these relationships are protected. In some countries such as Malawi and Tanzania, legislation recognizes such unions. In Kenya, although these unions are not recognized by legislation, they are recognized by courts. Courts have also recognized some economic rights of parties therein. In Seychelles, a ‘hybrid’ approach has been followed in terms of which these rights are protected in both legislation and case law. In Uganda, South Africa, Zambia, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Swaziland, and Rwanda, de facto unions are neither recognized in legislation nor in case law. However, courts have invoked principles from other branches of law such as the law of equity (constructive trusts and proprietary estoppel), partnerships and the right to property to protect the economic rights of the parties in these unions. In this article, the author demonstrates the approaches taken by courts in countries where de facto unions are not recognized by legislation (Uganda, South Africa, Zambia, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Namibia, Eswatini (Swaziland), and Rwanda) to protect the economic rights of the parties when these relationships are terminated.
Futile Resistance as Protest
Authors: Tweedy Flanigan Edmund
Published: June 2023

Acts of futile resistance—harms against an aggressor which could not reasonably hope to avert the threat the aggressor poses—give rise to a puzzle: on the one hand, many such acts are intuitively permissible, yet on the other, these acts fail to meet the justificatory standards of defensive action. The most widely accepted solution to this puzzle is that victims in such cases permissibly defend against a secondary threat to their honour, dignity, or moral standing. I argue that this solution fails, because futile resistance is not plausibly regarded as defensive in the relevant sense. I propose instead that futile resistance is justified as a form of protest, where protest is analysed as an expression of rejection of victims’ wrongs. Such protest is justified, I argue, when and because it is the fitting response to the circumstances of futility.
9New Materialisms
Authors: Taylor Colleen
Published: June 2023

The works reviewed in this year’s essay on New Materialisms raise queries about first-wave New Materialism and signal what some critics refer to as second-phase Neo-materialism. The ‘Neo’ or New Materialisms of 2022 increasingly commingle the rhetorical and the material and address the Western-centric focus of previous New Materialisms. The works reviewed here, including Rosi Braidotti’s ‘The Virtual as Affirmative Praxis: A Neo-Materialist Approach’, Anne Elvey’s Reading with Earth: Contributions of the New Materialism to an Ecological Feminist Hermeneutics, Nina Lykke’s Vibrant Death: A Posthuman Phenomenology of Mourning, and Clayton Crockett’s Energy and Change a New Materialist Cosmotheology, engage new intersections between New Materialist theory and decoloniality, making deliberate gestures to integrate the idea of vibrant materiality and Indigenous cultures. This review essay is divided into five parts: 1. Introduction; 2. Neo-Materialism; 3. Literary Studies; 4. Theology; 5. Postcolonialism/Decoloniality. The essay concludes that New Materialism may indeed be on the brink of a second phase, especially if decolonial New Materialism continues to be explored.
Unsaturated fatty acids uniquely alter aggregation rate of α‐synuclein and insulin and change the secondary structure and toxicity of amyloid aggregates formed in their presence
Authors: Matveyenka Mikhail , Zhaliazka Kiryl , Kurouski Dmitry
Published: June 2023

Docosahexaenoic (DHA) and arachidonic acids (ARA) are omega‐3 and omega‐6 long‐chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs). These molecules constitute a substantial portion of phospholipids in plasma membranes. Therefore, both DHA and ARA are essential diet components. Once consumed, DHA and ARA can interact with a large variety of biomolecules, including proteins such as insulin and α‐synuclein (α‐Syn). Under pathological conditions known as injection amyloidosis and Parkinson's disease, these proteins aggregate forming amyloid oligomers and fibrils, toxic species that exert high cell toxicity. In this study, we investigate the role of DHA and ARA in the aggregation properties of α‐Syn and insulin. We found that the presence of both DHA and ARA at the equimolar concentrations strongly accelerated aggregation rates of α‐Syn and insulin. Furthermore, LCPUFAs substantially altered the secondary structure of protein aggregates, whereas no noticeable changes in the fibril morphology were observed. Nanoscale Infrared analysis of α‐Syn and insulin fibrils grown in the presence of both DHA and ARA revealed the presence of LCPUFAs in these aggregates. We also found that such LCPUFAs‐rich α‐Syn and insulin fibrils exerted significantly greater toxicities compared to the aggregates grown in the LCPUFAs‐free environment. These findings show that interactions between amyloid‐associated proteins and LCPUFAs can be the underlying molecular cause of neurodegenerative diseases.
Combined effects of P25 TiO2nanoparticles and disposable face mask leachate on microalgaeScenedesmus obliquus: Analysing the effects of heavy metals
Authors: Das Soupam , Mukherjee Amitava
Published: June 2023

Disposable surgical masks have been extensively employed as protective medical equipment due to the widespread breakout and transmission of the COVID-19 virus across the globe. These masks were made up of plastic polymer materials that would emit microplastics after entering the environment. Therefore, their careless disposal might lead to new and bigger microplastic contamination. The impacts of plastics that seep into waterways and their subsequent interactions with aquatic life are yet largely unexplored. In this study, we determined the quantity and kind of microplastics that were discharged from disposable surgical face masks. Furthermore, we also quantified heavy metals leached from the face masks (HML). In contrast, the increasing usage of nTiO2in consumer items has led to its ubiquitous presence in freshwater systems. Four different concentrations of nTiO2, 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 mg L-1were mixed with face mask leachates (FML) to perform the mixture toxicity test on freshwater algae,Scenedesmus obliquus. Reduced cell viability and photosynthetic activity were noticed in the treatment groups containing nTiO2and FML. This was accompanied by increased oxidative stress and antioxidant activities. Furthermore, the heavy metals leached from the face masks were also tested for toxicity. In addition to that, changes in the cellular morphology were also studied with the help of FE-SEM and FTIR analysis. Our study reveals that leachates from disposable surgical face masks along with nTiO2possess a serious threat to the environment.

Environmental significance

During COVID-19, surgical face masks were widely used and discarded. These discarded face masks end up in lakes, rivers, and ponds. The facemasks were composed of polypropylene and other polymers. These masks release microplastics and heavy metals when discarded into water bodies. The current research focuses on assessing the environmental toxicity of the microplastics and heavy metals leached from the masks using algae as a model system. Our work further demonstrates the combined toxic effects of nTiO2in the presence of the face mask leachate. Algae plays a crucial role as the primary producer in the freshwater ecosystem. These emerging contaminants may act as environmental stressors to the microalgae, and this may impair the ecosystem’s structure and function.
Machine learning to construct an mRPS risk prognostic model for directing immunotherapy in patients with breast cancer based on the mCAF signature genes
Authors: Huang Biaojie , Chen Qiurui , Ye Zhiyun , Zeng Lin , Huang Cuibing , Xie Yuting , Zhang Rongxin , Shen Han
Published: June 2023

Withdrawal statement

The authors have withdrawn their manuscript owing to the identification of inadequate informed consent procedures in this research. Therefore, the authors do not wish this work to be cited as reference for the project. If you have any questions, please contact the corresponding author.
Does movement matter? Consequences of motor problems for everyday life in children born preterm
Authors: Evensen Kari Anne I.
Published: June 2023

This commentary is on the original article by Aubert et al on pages 1617–1628 of this issue.
Succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase deficiency: A model of neurocircuit imbalances in autism and potential insight into new biomarkers
Authors: Frye Richard E.
Published: June 2023

This commentary is on the original article by Latzer et al on pages 1596–1606 of this issue.
Content proliferation and narrowcasting in the age of streaming media
Authors: Fang Zhen , Fan Ming , Jain Apurva
Published: June 2023

Streaming media companies have changed how contents are consumed, produced, and delivered. This research develops a theoretical model on optimal content policies for streaming media companies in order to maximize customer engagement. We have the following interesting findings. First, in contrast to the results in prior literature that firms produce just enough programs and coverage intervals of the programs do not overlap, we show that placing programs closer can be a better policy for engagement‐based firms. Second, more contents are produced under engagement‐based model when the customer value of the content is high. Third, on learning the distribution of the customers, the media firm will always place programs closer when the distribution density is higher such that neighboring programs always have overlapped target audience. Additionally, in facing the tradeoffs of content quality and quantity, the firm should use a high‐quality and low‐variety policy for crowded clusters but a low‐quality and high‐variety policy for niche clusters. Furthermore, when customers consume multiple shows in a period, a good policy is to produce TV shows or series with multiple episodes, whereas individual movies are more suitable for an infrequent watcher market. Our research contributes to the literature on digital media, and the results provide interesting and insightful implications for streaming companies.