bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Removing grid artifacts from a two-dimensional crisscrossed grid in cone-beam computed tomography to enhance image quality
Authors: Jeon Duhee , Kim Woosung , Cho Hyosung , Park Myeongkyu
Published: March 2024

One-dimensional linear X-ray grids are typically used in clinical practice to reduce the
number of scattered X-rays reaching the detector surface, thus improving image contrast in
radiography. However, such grids can only remove scattered X-rays in one direction. Additionally,
the primary challenge in using X-ray grids in digital radiography is the presence of grid
artifacts, such as grid strip shadows and moiré, which can reduce image quality. To overcome these
difficulties, in this study, we developed a prototype two-dimensional (2D) crisscrossed grid with
a strip density of 1.724 lines/mm by adopting a high-precision sawing process to further improve
its scatter radiation removal ability and implemented it in a cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT)
system to enhance image quality. We propose a new software-based method called the grid artifact
reduction (GAR) algorithm to efficiently eliminate grid artifacts of a 2D grid in CBCT. The GAR
algorithm involves three main steps: 1) preprocessing for flat-field compensation, 2)
postprocessing for GAR, and 3) CBCT reconstruction. To verify the efficacy of the proposed
approach, we conducted an experiment on a CT quality control phantom (Pro-CT MK
II™) and quantitatively evaluated the CBCT image quality using the
contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and Hounsfield unit (HU) accuracy error. The CNR value measured in
the CBCT image obtained using the 2D grid and proposed GAR algorithm was 3.22, which is
approximately 4.4 times of the value obtained without GAR. Furthermore, the corresponding HU
accuracy error was 30.47, an improvement of approximately 1.3 times. These results indicate that
the proposed approach is highly efficient in eliminating scattered X-rays, thereby improving the
quality of CBCT images. Consequently, high-quality CBCT images were obtained using the proposed
approach (i.e., using a 2D crisscrossed grid in CBCT and the proposed GAR algorithm).
Characteristics and ultra-high total ionizing dose response of 22 nm fully depleted silicon-on-insulator
Authors: Termo Gennaro , Borghello Giulio , Faccio Federico , Kloukinas Kostas , Caselle Michele , Elsenhans Alexander Friedrich , Ulusoy Ahmet Cagri , Koukab Adil , Sallese Jean-Michel
Published: March 2024

The radiation response of MOS transistors in a 22 nm Fully Depleted Silicon-On-Insulator (FDSOI) technology exposed to ultra-high total ionizing dose (TID) was investigated. Custom structures including n- and p-channel devices with different sizes and threshold voltage flavours were irradiated with X-rays up to a TID of 100 Mrad(SiO2) with different back-gate bias configurations, from -8 V to 2 V. The investigation revealed that the performance is significantly affected by TID, with the radiation response being dominated by the charge trapped in the buried oxide.
Feasibility of improving image performance in photon-counting computed tomography using X-ray spectrum filtration
Authors: Lee Soohyun , Lee Minjae , Cho Hyosung
Published: March 2024

Photon-counting computed tomography (PCCT) is an emerging technology based on new energy-resolving X-ray detectors (photon-counting detectors (PCDs)) that provide promising image performance compared to the conventional energy-integrating CT (EICT). It has the potential to provide higher resolution and contrast, lower radiation dose, and fewer artifacts, which has led to significant research interest. This study proposes a method to further improve the image performance of the PCCT using an X-ray spectrum filtration technique. We conducted a feasibility study via simulations using aluminum (Al), beryllium (Be), sodium (Na), nickel (Ni), tin (Sn), neodymium (Nd), and tantalum (Ta) incorporating varying thicknesses using a PCD simulation toolkit (PcTK). The PCCT system used in this simulation was modeled to have a cadmium telluride-based PCD with four multi-energy thresholds of E = 40, 60, 80, 100 keV, assuming that the object received the same number of photons. Using the PCCT images obtained with the highest threshold (i.e., E4 = 100 keV), the image quality was evaluated quantitatively in terms of the signal difference-to-noise ratio (SDNR) and structural similarity (SSIM). Among the filtrations selected in this simulation, a filtration of 2.0 mmAl (inherent) and 1.5 mmSn (added) showed the best image quality. The SDNR and SSIM values measured in the PCCT image obtained with an added filtration of 1.5 mmSn were 3.73 and 0.81, approximately 1.9 and 1.8 times higher than those with no added filtration, respectively. Consequently, the X-ray spectrum filtration technique in PCCT is useful to further improve image performance.
50.3 ps time resolution and an 11-channel time measuring chip for Topmetal detectors
Authors: Fang Ni , Wang Dong , Sun Xiangming , Gao Chaosong , Chen Ran , Zhou Zhuo , Zhou Shiqiang , Lian Cheng , Lang Zijian
Published: March 2024

The Topmetal detector, utilized in this investigation, is a direct-type CMOS pixel sensor known for its distinctive feature of employing exposed metal at the top of each pixel to directly capture external charged particles. This method generates electrical signals through the induction of charge. At present, it is mainly used in gas pixel detector(GPD) and particle beam monitoring. In this paper, we present a new front-end design aimed at enhancing the capabilities of the Topmetal pixel detector. The focus is on incorporating a Time-Digital Conversion (TDC) ASIC into the front-end, with the objective of achieving high-precision time measurement in addition to superior position resolution. The function of the TDC is achieved by the two reverse delay chains, 11 edge acquisition circuits Time-to-Amplitude Converter (TAC), analog gate, weight count module, and Wilkinson Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC). Coarse time measurement is implemented based on a counter with a working frequency of 500 MHz, and fine time measurement is implemented by the combination of TAC and ADC. The design prototype was taped out with the GSMCR130 nm technology. Test results show that this circuit can handle up to 11 consecutive cases, with the minimum time interval of adjacent cases being 500 ps and the bin size up to 2 ps. The time measurement precision is better than 50.3 ps RMS and the PVT(Process Voltage Temperature) robustness of the input delay chain circuit is validated, showing the stable performance of the design.
Detection of Clostridioides difficile infection by assessment of exhaled breath volatile organic compounds
Authors: John Teny M , Shrestha Nabin K , Hasan Leen , Pappan Kirk , Birch Owen , Grove David , Boyle Billy , Allsworth Max , Shrestha Priyanka , Procop Gary W , Dweik Raed A
Published: March 2024

Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is the leading cause of hospital-acquired infective diarrhea. Current methods for diagnosing CDI have limitations; enzyme immunoassays for toxin have low sensitivity and Clostridioides difficile polymerase chain reaction cannot differentiate infection from colonization. An ideal diagnostic test that incorporates microbial factors, host factors, and host-microbe interaction might characterize true infection. Assessing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath may be a useful test for identifying CDI. To identify a wide selection of VOCs in exhaled breath, we used thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to study breath samples from 17 patients with CDI. Age- and sex-matched patients with diarrhea and negative C.difficile testing (no CDI) were used as controls. Of the 65 VOCs tested, 9 were used to build a quadratic discriminant model that showed a final cross-validated accuracy of 74%, a sensitivity of 71%, a specificity of 76%, and a receiver operating characteristic area under the curve of 0.72. If these findings are proven by larger studies, breath VOC analysis may be a helpful adjunctive diagnostic test for CDI.
Evaluating the Impact of the Recent Combined and Satellite-Only Global Geopotential Model on the Gravimetric Geoid Model
Authors: Azmin Nurul Shafiqah Hazelin Noor , Pa’suya Muhammad Faiz , Din Ami Hassan Md , Aziz Mohamad Azril Che , Othman Noorhurul Ain
Published: March 2024

Geoid represents Earth’s surface, ocean, and gravitational field, which influence the elevations, shape, and mass distribution of the geopotential surface, a hypothetical surface that is perpendicular to the direction of gravity at every point. This geopotential surface serves as a reference for measuring elevations and is used as a fundamental reference surface for geodetic and surveying purposes. In this study, the Least Squares Modification of Stokes Formula (LSMS) with Additive Corrections (AC), also known as the KTH method, is used to generate a new gravimetric geoid model for Peninsular Malaysia. The KTH method was developed at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm-Sweden. The dataset used is the most recent global digital elevation model, Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) 1 Arc-Second Global, generated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA). In addition to this elevation data, the dataset includes the Global Geopotential Model (GGM), which is composed of the XGM2016, XGM2019e, Tongji_GGMG2021S, and Tongji-Grace02k models. Furthermore, it incorporates sets of regional gravity data, including terrestrial gravity, airborne gravity, and marine gravity anomalies, all of which are derived from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU 21). The actual 45 Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-levelling points data have been compared to the gravimetric geoid model developed in this study and the geoid acquired from Department of Survey and Mapping Malaysia (DSMM). According to the statistical results, NXGM2019e provides better accuracy, with the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) geoid model errors of ±0.033 m, compared to the deviations in free-air anomalies, XGM2019e, which has the minimum RMSE of 10.291 mGal. Meanwhile, Tongji-GMMG2021S has the maximum RMSE of 14.792 mGal. The geoid is derived from the XGM2019e model and has maximum and minimum values of 0.032 m and 0.147 m, respectively, with mean residuals of 0.089 m. In conclusion, the XGM2019e has the potential to determine a precise local geoid model for Peninsular Malaysia
Preliminary checklist on species composition of small mammals and birds in Marine Research Excellence Centre (MAREC), Pulau Tuba.
Authors: Amran M. A. A. , Limin N. A. , Naser N. B. M. , Nizam N. A. , Hatta S. N. N. M. F. , Yahaya I. N. S. , Hatta S. K. M. , Kamaruddin S. H. , Yusof N. N. M.
Published: March 2024

Located in Langkawi archipelago, Andaman Sea, Pulau Tuba is one of the islands that is densely protected as a forest reserve. We investigated and documented the species composition of small mammals and birds at two different sites in the forest of UiTM Marine Research Excellence Centre (MAREC). Wire cage traps were used to capture non-volant small mammals while mist nets were used to capture bats and understorey birds. A total of 35 individuals were captured consisting of four species of small mammals and four species of birds. Among the most abundant species captured were Rattus tiomanicus, Leopoldamys sabanus and Cynopterus brachyotis. The calculated Shannon diversity index was 1.58 indicating a low diversity of small mammals and birds within the area. Our current study stipulated that few individuals were caught due to the rainy season affecting Pulau Tuba during the study period. Further surveys and studies should be conducted for a longer period in different seasons so that more species of fauna can be documented.
Effects of power on ion behaviors in radio-frequency magnetron sputtering of indium tin oxide (ITO)
Authors: 李 Maoyang LI 茂洋 , MO 莫 Chaochao 超超 , CHEN 陈 Jiali 佳丽 , JI 季 Peiyu 佩宇 , TAN 谭 Haiyun 海云 , ZHANG 张 Xiaoman 潇漫 , CUI 崔 Meili 美丽 , ZHUGE 诸葛 Lanjian 兰剑 , WU 吴 Xuemei 雪梅 , HUANG 黄 Tianyuan 天源
Published: March 2024

This study delves into ion behavior at the substrate position within RF magnetron discharges utilizing an indium tin oxide (ITO) target. The positive ion energies exhibit an upward trajectory with increasing RF power, attributed to heightened plasma potential and initial emergent energy. Simultaneously, the positive ion flux escalates owing to amplified sputtering rates and electron density. Conversely, negative ions exhibit broad ion energy distribution functions (IEDFs) characterized by multiple peaks. These patterns are clarified by a combination of radiofrequency oscillation of cathode voltage and plasma potential, alongside ion transport time. This elucidation finds validation in a one-dimensional model encompassing the initial ion energy. At higher RF power, negative ions surpassing 100 eV escalate in both flux and energy, posing a potential risk of sputtering damages to ITO layers.
Bounds on cohomological support varieties
Authors: Briggs Benjamin , Grifo Eloísa , Pollitz Josh
Published: March 2024

Over a local ring

R
R

, the theory of cohomological support varieties attaches to any bounded complex

M
M

of finitely generated

R
R

-modules an algebraic variety

V

R

(
M
)

{\mathrm {V}}_R(M)

that encodes homological properties of

M
M

. We give lower bounds for the dimension of

V

R

(
M
)

{\mathrm {V}}_R(M)

in terms of classical invariants of

R
R

. In particular, when

R
R

is Cohen–Macaulay and not complete intersection we find that there are always varieties that cannot be realized as the cohomological support of any complex. When

M
M

has finite projective dimension, we also give an upper bound for

dim
⁡

V

R

(
M
)

\dim {\mathrm {V}}_R(M)

in terms of the dimension of the radical of the homotopy Lie algebra of

R
R

. This leads to an improvement of a bound due to Avramov, Buchweitz, Iyengar, and Miller on the Loewy lengths of finite free complexes, and it recovers a result of Avramov and Halperin on the homotopy Lie algebra of

R
R

. Finally, we completely classify the varieties that can occur as the cohomological support of a complex over a Golod ring.
Beautiful
Authors: Erdman Andrew L
Published: March 2024

Beautiful: The Story of Julian Eltinge, America’s Greatest Female Impersonator is the first in-depth, book-length biography of the vaudeville, musical comedy, and silent film performer Julian Eltinge (1881–1941). Eltinge, born William Dalton in Massachusetts, was widely considered the most popular and highest-paid cisgender male portrayer of women and was among the highest-paid, most widely followed actors of any kind at his peak. He portrayed Gibson Girl and Salome characters in vaudeville and starred in musical comedies like The Fascinating Widow (1911) and silent comedies such as The Countess Charming (1917). In 1912, his producer and mentor A. H. Woods named a new Broadway theatre for Eltinge on West 42nd Street. The years that marked Julian Eltinge’s greatest success, about 1900–1925, were a time when it was common for men to play women’s parts and wear female costuming in theatrical settings both professional and amateur. Men in mainstream culture faced little censure for crossdressing onstage or being enthusiastic fans of the art form. Julian Eltinge thus rode atop and co-created a wave of cultural fascination with men skillfully playing women’s parts. His story reveals much about attitudes toward gender, racialized masculinity, womanhood, and sexuality as they emerged and changed in the early twentieth century, setting the stage for ongoing cultural and political ferment. Julian Eltinge’s ability both to present seemingly “perfect” women onstage while posing himself as a rugged, conventionally masculine, “regular” man offstage—a consummate professional and expert technician rather than a fetishist or freakshow-type oddity—contributed as much to his success as did his impersonations.
“George M.” Is for Minstrel
Authors: Erdman Andrew L
Published: March 2024

In 1908, Julian Eltinge joined Cohan & Harris’s Honey Boy Minstrels in a major production that toured the country. Produced by legendary showman George M. Cohan and starring George “Honey Boy” Evans, the show gave Julian Eltinge his first chance to engage in the complicated, infamous, and deeply American tradition of interpolating the supposedly authentic musical and vocal stylings of once-enslaved Black persons. Eltinge also took part in the huge “Salome” fad sweeping vaudeville, opera, and popular drama. Dozens of women who came up with renditions of Salome’s famed “Dance of the Seven Veils” drew moral criticism and outrage. But not Julian Eltinge, who was considered purer than vaudeville luminaries Eva Tanguay and Gertrude Hoffman. In perhaps the most ironic, self-consciously subversive episode of his career, Eltinge and Tanguay schemed to become engaged, he as a bride in white, she as a boyish gender-bender in a tux.
Fascinating Stardom
Authors: Erdman Andrew L
Published: March 2024

Following his tour with Cohan & Harris’s Minstrels in 1908–1909, Julian Eltinge secured work opening for the popular Scottish comedian, singer, and raconteur Harry Lauder. The tour was demanding and Lauder, an uncloseted homophobe, grew miffed at Eltinge’s popularity. Perhaps the biggest development at this time, however, was producer Albert Herman Woods’s involvement in Julian Eltinge’s career. In 1910, the actor appeared in the Woods’s The Fascinating Widow, a “comedy with music,” written specially for Eltinge. The show made both Woods and Eltinge more popular, wealthy, and famous than they’d ever been. The Fascinating Widow cast Eltinge as a man forced by circumstances to take on a woman’s role in order to wrangle whatever contrivances the plot threw his way. In Woods, Eltinge had a father figure, mentor, and friend. The artist also formed a longtime partnership with his valet, dresser, and confidant, Ko Shima.
Impersonating in the USA, 1919
Authors: Erdman Andrew L
Published: March 2024

When Julian Eltinge arrived on the Famous Players–Lasky lot, the movies had changed in just over two decades, from novelty to large-scale commercial enterprise. In films like The Countess Charming (1917), the actor played roles not unlike those he’d recently rendered onstage: a “regular” guy forced to impersonate women for variously absurd plot reasons. His films were well received and earned him high salaries and access to Hollywood’s elite inner sanctum. But it all got him no closer to playing non-drag or serious parts on the stage or screen. Meanwhile, he took a deep interest in the building and decoration of his Los Angeles mansion, the landmark, Spanish colonial-influenced Villa Capistrano. The environment for gender impersonation and same-sex eroticism had grown richer with the mobilization of millions of American servicemen during World War I who were in close quarters and who also enjoyed producing high-quality, all-male shows.
The Velvet Inquisition
Authors: Erdman Andrew L
Published: March 2024

With the Depression, the rise of the Soviet Union, and Nazification underway, reactionary panic amplified antigay, anti-drag fervor in the United States during the 1930s. Julian Eltinge had never been especially political, and when he was, he tilted rightward. But he was forced to oppose a crackdown on drag artists in Los Angeles. The stage had literally been set for public uproar over drag thanks in part to the trials of Mae West and her depictions of the backstage lives of transvestic entertainers. West, who had written the controversial plays Sex (1926) and The Drag (1927), was arrested for Pleasure Man in 1928. Eltinge, running out of money, launched an artists’ retreat and resort but it foundered amid a faltering economy. A single talkie, Maid to Order (1931), did nothing for him. After a residency at Billy Rose’s Diamond Horseshoe in New York, Eltinge passed away in March 1941.
Sweden and Education as a Market
Authors: Lundahl Lisbeth
Published: March 2024

Since the late 1970s, the relationship between the state, the public sector, and the economy has undergone a profound transformation globally toward privatization, commercialization, and market organization. Pronounced marketization of education has occurred even in the Nordic countries, traditionally characterized as having social democratic/universalistic and egalitarian welfare systems, but with considerable national variations. Sweden has caught international attention by introducing unusually far-reaching, state-supported privatization of educational provision and strong incentives for school choice and competition. Central issues addressed include the factors associated with the exceptionally swift and far-reaching market reforms in Sweden, as well as the persistence of the resulting system and its consequences according to current research.

A hasty reform decision, paucity of envisioned alternatives, and the appeal of school choice for an expanding middle-class contributed to the neoliberal turn in Swedish education politics. Generous rules of establishment and possibilities of profit-making attracted big businesses, particularly after the decision in the mid-1990s to fully tax-fund independent “free” schools. Within a 10-year period, substantial proportions of the schools were owned and run by large, profit-making companies and chains. Research has shown that the school choice and privatization reforms, besides providing parents and young people in the urban areas with a vast smorgasbord of schools, have fueled growing educational inequity and segregation since the 1990s. Despite increasing criticism of the design of school choice and profit-making in education from many sides, recently even from conservative–liberal media and politicians, the Swedish “market school system” persists and flourishes.
Current Trends and Directions in Socioscientific Issues Education Research
Authors: Raveendran Aswathy
Published: March 2024

References to socioscientific issues (SSIs) in science education research literature can be traced back to the 1980s. With a focus on introducing students to SSIs or issues with conceptual or technological links to science, the SSI movement aims to foster skills for democratic citizenship in students. This entails understanding the ethical and political complexities involved in these technoscientific controversies, the nature of the evidence involved and arriving at one’s own position on these issues. Two major approaches characterize research in the field of SSI education—the sociocultural and sociopolitical approaches, which differ in their assumptions and methodological approaches. While both approaches are concerned about issues of democratic citizenship and teaching skills to engage SSIs, they differ in their overarching emphasis on sociopolitical actions. The literature on SSIs raises questions on citizenship and how it is theorized in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education research as well as whether schools are meaningful spaces where students can engage with SSIs. It is also important to carefully deliberate on what meaningful sociopolitical actions entail. Future SSI research needs to focus on the issue of navigating SSIs in the affective space of the classroom where complex power-ridden relationalities play out between teacher and students. There is also a necessity for the SSI movement to engage with questions of contextualization and politicization of the STEM curriculum as a whole.
Elephant Management in the Brahmaputra Uplands and Beyond: An Ethnohistorical Approach
Authors: Lainé Nicolas
Published: March 2024

Drawing on the history of human–elephant relationships in Brahmaputra uplands in precolonial, colonial, and contemporary periods, this article highlights at least long-standing two elephant management systems: the dominant power of each period with its corresponding war, imperialist, or conservation purposes and that of the local populations for whom elephants represent an essential part of their daily life and a source of livelihood, even though they simultaneously remain at the service of the dominant power. Through the ages, the local inhabitants’ relationship with elephants has evolved, and the presence of these animals alongside human societies has shaped the culture, identity, and ecology of the region.

In the six centuries of the Ahom kingdom, and the two centuries of British rule, local knowledge of elephants has always played a role in state policy, often by force. However, after independence, international norms of conservation have tended to remove human settlements from elephant habitats and exclude consideration of local knowledge of elephants, to the detriment of all parties. The interests and knowledge of local people need to be engaged if elephant populations are to survive. At the same time, exploring the extensive literature on the connection between humans and elephants could provides fresh perspectives on the region’s history, social structures, and geopolitical significance between South and Southeast Asia.
‘Ali, Muhammad
Authors: La Rue George Michael
Published: March 2024

Muhammad ‘Ali ruled Egypt from 1805 to 1848. Long perceived as a reforming modernizer and founder of modern Egypt, historians have more recently reconsidered the impact of his economic and social policies on Egypt’s ordinary people. To determine his place in African history (and in the history of slavery and abolition) requires a broad reexamination of his policies and Egypt’s actions, and their consequences in Egypt, Sudan, within the Ottoman Empire, and in the 19th-century balance of power.

After arriving in Egypt in 1801, Muhammad ‘Ali emerged from a complex political field as the Ottoman Pasha of Egypt by 1805. He overpowered the remnants of the old Mamluk regime, pushed them to Egypt’s southern boundaries, allied with key Egyptian elites, helped to suppress the Wahhabi revolt in the Hijaz for his Ottoman overlord, and strove to reduce the power of his Albanian troops. He reestablished trade (including the slave trade) with Sudan, and planned a new army of enslaved Sudanese.

Between 1820 and 1835, Muhammad ‘Ali made a series of bold moves. The invasion of Sudan (1820–1821) and its occupation caused great political, social, and economic devastation there. Egypt toppled or threatened many Sudanese rulers, redirected Sudanese-Egyptian trade, and reshaped Sudan’s urban centers. The invaders attacked Sudanese and other African populations, conducted ongoing slave raids, enslaved thousands, and destroyed their homes. Egyptians and Sudanese found challenges and opportunities within these broader patterns. Enslaved Sudanese became soldiers in the nizam al-jadid, laborers in Muhammad ‘Ali’s new industries, diplomatic gifts, and taxable trade commodities. Newly formed elites bought African slaves for domestic tasks in Sudan and Egypt. Egypt’s new medical establishment treated Sudanese slave soldiers for guinea-worm, vaccinated incoming slaves for smallpox, and purchased Sudanese and Ethiopian women to train as hakimas—fully trained nurse-midwives.

Initially, Muhammad ‘Ali sent his new army to fight in Greece on behalf of the Ottoman Empire. Later, his challenges to Ottoman supremacy drew the attention of European powers, who feared any disruption to the delicate balance of power. The demographic impact of the bubonic plague epidemic of 1834–1835 on Egypt’s black slave population was notable, and led to increased demand for replacement slaves. This drew attention from European observers and added an abolitionist dimension to diplomatic pressure on Muhammad ‘Ali. By 1841, he gained Ottoman recognition as hereditary ruler of Egypt and parts of Sudan, his army’s size was capped, and he made trade concessions to Europe. With his imperial ambitions now limited to Africa, Muhammad ‘Ali renewed his interest in controlling more of Sudan and adjacent regions, and deflected abolitionist criticism by blaming supplying regions for continuing to raid and trade in slaves.
Dust Storms on Mars
Authors: Kahre Melinda
Published: March 2024

Airborne dust is a critical part of the atmosphere and climate of Mars.The importance of dust in the Martian atmosphere has led to extensive study of how and why dust storms begin, grow, and eventually decay. Scientists use observations combined with laboratory and numerical modeling techniques to better understand dust storms on Mars.Observations show that there is always dust in Martian atmosphere but that there are some seasons that are dustier than others.There is generally a low-level background dust haze observed during the first half of the year (northern hemisphere spring and summer), and increased dustiness observed during the second half of the year (northern hemisphere autumn and winter).Dust storms and their associated hazes range in size from meters across (local-scale) to thousands of meters across (global-scale).The largest and most infrequent dust storms—global dust storms—significantly impact the temperature and wind structures in the atmosphere on a global scale.While scientists have made significant progress in characterizing the behavior and occurrence of dust storms on Mars, many open questions remain that require future observational, laboratory, and numerical modeling studies to answer.
Contemporary Trends in Militarization and Politics in Africa
Authors: Maringira Godfrey
Published: March 2024

In the formative years of African independence, the assumption was that the military would desist from politics. Even though the military is expected to subordinate itself to a civilian government, the militaries in postcolonial Africa continue to meddle in politics. Hence, when the military acts in politics, it seeks to achieve its desired interests. Whether military intervention and coups in Africa are an alternative means to achieve and attain democracy remains a question for debate. There is no consensus on this issue, as military intervention in politics and coups leads to different and varied consequences. However, recent trends in military coups have been celebrated by ordinary citizens across African countries where authoritarian political elites have been overthrown from power.
Language and Colonial Rule
Authors: Tavárez David
Published: March 2024

The study, classification, and standardization of languages by scholars, missionaries, and administrators played a vital and often protean role in the implementation and enforcement of colonial domination. Ongoing scholarship surveys the merging of linguistic investigations and linguistic knowledge with colonial hegemony in the Americas and East Asia between the late 15th century and the end of World War II, with a sustained focus on Mesoamerica and the Andes. European colonial expansion from the 15th century onward resulted in the emergence of multiple philological and lexicographic projects that were intimately tied to a hegemonic refashioning of the social order through the establishment of extractive economic regimes, colonial administrative systems, and religious institutions that sought to Christianize and discipline colonial subjects. The conversion, education, and surveillance of these subjects were intricately tied to colonial governance objectives, priests, missionaries, and colonial officials who worked in tandem with Indigenous scholars and assistants who described and documented Indigenous languages. As a result of colonial policies, new vernaculars emerged, and regional languages underwent severe language shift or extinction. Even after the demise of colonial regimes, the linguistic policies embraced by nation-states relied on highly racialized, neocolonial approaches to linguistic and ethnic difference.
Reviving Decades-Old Wisdom: Longitudinal Analysis of Renin–Angiotensin System Inhibitors and Its Effects on Acute Ischemic Stroke to Improve Outcomes
Authors: Samuel Sophie , Craver Kyndol , Miller Charles , Pelsue Brittany , Gonzalez Catherine , Allison Teresa A , Gulbis Brian , Choi Huimahn Alex , Kim Seokhun
Published: March 2024

BACKGROUND

While renin–angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitors have a longstanding history in blood pressure control, their suitability as first-line in-patient treatment may be limited due to prolonged half-life and kidney failure concerns.

METHODS

Using a cohort design, we assessed the impact of RAS inhibitors, either alone or in combination with beta-blockers, on mortality, while exploring interactions, including those related to end-stage renal disease and serum creatinine levels. Eligible subjects were Acute Ischemic Stroke (AIS) patients aged 18 or older with specific subtypes who received in-patient antihypertensive treatment. The primary outcome was mortality rates. Statistical analyses included cross-sectional and longitudinal approaches, employing generalized linear models, G-computation, and discrete-time survival analysis over a 20-day follow-up period.

RESULTS

In our study of 3,058 AIS patients, those using RAS inhibitors had significantly lower in-hospital mortality (2.2%) compared to non-users (12.1%), resulting in a relative risk (RR) of 0.18 (95% CI: 0.12–0.26). Further analysis using G-computation revealed a marked reduction in mortality risk associated with RAS inhibitors (0.0281 vs. 0.0913, risk difference [RD] of 6.31% or 0.0631, 95% CI: 0.046–0.079). Subgroup analysis demonstrated notable benefits, with individuals having creatinine levels below and above 1.3 mg/dl exhibiting statistically significant RD (RD −0.0510 vs. −0.0895), and a significant difference in paired comparison (−0.0385 or 3.85%, CI 0.023–0.054). Additionally, longitudinal analysis confirmed a consistent daily reduction of 0.93% in mortality risk associated with the intake of RAS inhibitors.

CONCLUSIONS

RAS inhibitors are associated with a significant reduction in in-hospital mortality in AIS patients, suggesting potential clinical benefits in improving patient outcomes.
Beyond the skin: B cells in pemphigus vulgaris, tolerance and treatment
Authors: Strandmoe Anne-Lise , Bremer Jeroen , Diercks Gilles F H , Gostyński Antoni , Ammatuna Emanuele , Pas Hendri H , Wouthuyzen-Bakker Marjan , Huls Gerwin A , Heeringa Peter , Laman Jon D , Horváth Barbara
Published: March 2024

Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is a rare autoimmune bullous disease characterized by blistering of the skin and mucosa owing to the presence of autoantibodies against the desmosome proteins desmoglein 3 and occasionally in conjunction with desmoglein 1. Fundamental research into the pathogenesis of PV has revolutionized its treatment and outcome with rituximab, a B-cell-depleting therapy. The critical contribution of B cells to the pathogenesis of pemphigus is well accepted. However, the exact pathomechanism, mechanisms of onset, disease course and relapse remain unclear. In this narrative review, we provide an overview of the fundamental research progress that has unfolded over the past few centuries to give rise to current and emerging therapies. Furthermore, we summarize the multifaceted roles of B cells in PV, including their development, maturation and antibody activity. Finally, we explored how these various aspects of B-cell function contribute to disease pathogenesis and pave the way for innovative therapeutic interventions.
Persistent increase of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events in COVID-19 patients: a 3-year population-based analysis
Authors: Battistoni Allegra , Volpe Massimo , Morisco Carmine , Piccinocchi Gaetano , Piccinocchi Roberto , Fini Massimo , Proietti Stefania , Bonassi Stefano , Trimarco Bruno
Published: March 2024

Aims

We evaluated the incidence and relative risk of major post-acute cardiovascular consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection in a large real-world population from a primary care database in a region at moderate cardiovascular risk followed up in the period 2020–22.

Methods and results

This is a retrospective cohort analysis using data from a cooperative of general practitioners in Italy. Individuals aged >18 affected by COVID-19 starting from January 2020 have been followed up for 3 years. Anonymized data from 228 266 patients in the period 2020–22 were considered for statistical analysis and included 31 764 subjects with a diagnosis of COVID-19. An equal group of subjects recorded in the same database in the period 2017–19 was used as propensity score-matched comparison as an unquestionable COVID-19-free population. Out of the 228 266 individuals included in the COMEGEN database during 2020–22, 31 764 (13.9%) were ascertained positive with SARS-CoV-2 infection by a molecular test reported to general practitioners. The proportion of individuals with a new diagnosis of major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events was higher in the 2020–22 COVID-19 group than in the 2017–19 COMEGEN propensity score-matched comparator, with an odds ratio of 1.73 (95% confidence interval: 1.53–1.94; P < 0.001). All major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events considered showed a significantly higher risk in COVID-19 individuals. Incidence calculated for each 6-month period after the diagnosis of COVID-19 in our population was the highest in the first year (1.39% and 1.45%, respectively), although it remained significantly higher than in the COVID-19-free patients throughout the 3 years.

Conclusion

The increase of cardiovascular risk associated with COVID-19 might be extended for years and not limited to the acute phase of the infection. This should promote the planning of longer follow-up for COVID-19 patients to prevent and promptly manage the potential occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events.
Fighting over Churches: Augsburg and Multiconfessional Cities in the Thirty Years War
Authors: Gray Emily Fisher
Published: March 2024

The religious overtones of the Thirty Years War (1618–1648) resonated in particular in multiconfessional towns and cities like Augsburg. Not only were churches destroyed, desecrated or reassigned in deliberate acts of war, but the military supremacy of one side or the other could mean a permanent end to the ability of a portion of the city’s inhabitants to practise their religion. In 1648 the Peace of Westphalia recognized the existence of multiple confessions and clarified ownership of church properties, allowing minority confessions to rebuild their churches and schools. In some multiconfessional towns such as Heidelberg and Hanau, Lutheran congregations took advantage of the provisions of the peace to build elaborate churches where none had existed before. Lingering fear of confessional annihilation drove postwar fundraising efforts for the building or rebuilding of churches. The memory of the trauma of war was expressed in confessionally specific ways until the significance of religious coexistence in German history was reassessed after the Second World War.
Differences in stress sensitivity of natural-artificial fracture networks in tight sandstone gas reservoirs
Authors: Wang Shengjun , Nie Yanbo , Luo Xiuyu , Zhu Songbai , Shi Shaohuan , Wang Shuoliang
Published: March 2024

The stress sensitivity of fractures has a significant impact on the production characteristics of tight sandstone gas reservoirs. However, there has been a lack of attention to and research on the differences between different types of fracture and their stress sensitivity. Based on the core samples of the Keshen gas reservoir in Xinjiang, China, this paper conducts a comprehensive comparison of the flow capacity, stress sensitivity, and the production characteristics of the structural fracture, diagenetic fracture, and artificial fracture. The findings reveal that the flow capacity of a single structural fracture is higher than that of a diagenetic fracture. Additionally, both structural and diagenetic fractures contribute to increasing the flow capacity of the porous system by 63 and 88%, respectively. The stress sensitivity of fractures varies from strong to weak, structural fractures exhibit a higher sensitivity compared to diagenetic fractures, and artificial fractures demonstrate the weakest stress sensitivity. Based on the fitting formulas of stress-sensitivity curves for different fractures, a new seepage model considering different stress sensitivities was established and numerical simulations were conducted. The numerical simulation results indicate that the gas well with a diagenetic-artificial fracture network yields a higher production, the 10-year production is 35.01% higher than that with a structural-artificial fracture network. This study is of great significance for understanding the production differences of fractured tight sandstone gas reservoirs and provides valuable insights for selecting optimal well locations.
FCA-based reasoning for privacy
Authors: Aranda-Corral Gonzalo A , Borrego-Díaz Joaquín , Galán-Páez Juan
Published: March 2024

Notwithstanding the potential danger to security and privacy, sharing and publishing data has become usual in Data Science. To preserve privacy, de-identification methodologies guided by risk estimation have been designed. Two issues associated with classical risk metrics are, on the one hand, the adequacy of the metric and, on the other hand, its static nature. In this paper, we present metrics for estimating risk based on the emerging semantics provided by Formal Concept Analysis. The metrics are designed to estimate the a priori risk of compromised data deletion. Furthermore, by applying specialized variable forgetting methods for association rules, it is shown how to reflect the effect of deleting attributes belonging to potentially dangerous quasi-identifier sets. Additionally, a study of the role of the risk metric in confidence-based reasoning for re-identification is presented.
A Comprehensive Study of Meningioma Biomineralization: Morphological, Crystallographic, and Immunohistochemical Aspects
Authors: Denysenko Anastasiia , Danilchenko Sergey , Stepanenko Andriy , Chivanov Vadym , Moskalenko Roman
Published: March 2024

Biomineralization of brain tissues occurs both in normal and pathological conditions. Dura mater biomineralization is widespread and occurs in 1–72% of cases, depending on the patient's age and research method. The amount of biomineral deposits under the conditions of tumor growth in the meninges only increases, reaching 100% in the case of psammomatous meningiomas. Since calcifications are often found in the meninges, the problem of differential diagnosis with calcified meningiomas arises. A total of 30 samples of meningiomas with signs of biomineralization—dense structure, characteristic crunch, psammoma bodies (group I) and 30 samples of meningiomas without any signs of biomineralization were examined as controls (group II). To detect pathological biomineralization, the meningioma tissue was studied using the methods of macroscopic description, histology, histochemistry, and immunohistochemistry, scanning electron microscopy with microanalysis, and transmission electron microscopy. A significantly higher level of caspase3 and features of the expression of osteoblastic markers (a lower level of OPG expression and a higher level of the presence of RANKL in group I, the absence of fluctuations in the expression of SPARC) may indicate a dystrophic type of development of biomineral deposits in meningiomas.
Hyperbolic conduction: a fast, physical conduction model implemented in smoothed particle hydrodynamics
Authors: Owens N A , Wadsley J
Published: March 2024

We present the first implementation of hyperbolic thermal conduction in smoothed particle hydrodynamics. Hyperbolic conduction is a physically motivated alternative to traditional, parabolic conduction. It incorporates a relaxation time, which ensures that heat propagates no faster than a physical signal speed. This allows for larger, Courant-like, time-steps for explicit schemes. Numerical solutions of the hyperbolic conduction equations require added dissipation to remain stable at discontinuities and we present a novel scheme for this. Test cases include a simple step, the Sod Shock Tube, the Sedov–Taylor blast, and a super bubble. We demonstrate how longer relaxation times limit conduction, recovering the purely hydrodynamical results, while short relaxation times converge on the parabolic conduction result. We demonstrate that our scheme is stable with explicit Courant-like time-steps and can be orders of magnitude faster than explicit parabolic conduction, depending on the application.
Evolution of cold streams in hot gaseous haloes
Authors: Hong Wen-Sheng , Zhu Weishan , Wang Tian-Rui , Yang Xiaohu , Feng Long-Long
Published: March 2024

In the prevailing model of galaxy formation and evolution, the process of gas accretion on to central galaxies undergoes a transition from cold-dominated to hot-dominated modes. This shift occurs when the mass of the parent dark matter haloes exceeds a critical threshold known as Mshock. Moreover, cold gas usually flows on to central galaxies through filamentary structures, currently referred to as cold streams. However, the evolution of cold streams in haloes with masses around Mshock, particularly how they are disrupted, remains unclear. To address this issue, we conduct a set of idealized hydrodynamic simulations. Our simulations show that (1) for a gas metallicity $Z=0.001{\!-\!}0.1\, \mathrm{Z}_{\odot }$, cold stream with an inflow rate $\sim 3\, {\rm {M}_{\odot }}\, \mathrm{yr}^{-1}$ per each can persist and effectively transport cold and cool gas to the central region (<0.2 virial radius) in haloes with mass $10^{12}\, {\rm {M}_{\odot }}$, but is disrupted at a radius around 0.2 virial radius due to compression heating for haloes with mass $3 \times 10^{12}\, {\rm {M}_{\odot }}$. (2) At z ∼ 2, the maximum halo mass that capable of hosting and sustaining cold streams Mstream is between 1 × 1012 M⊙ and $1.5\times 10^{12}\,\rm {{M}_{\odot }}$ for gas metallicity ${\it Z}=0.001\, \mathrm{Z}_{\odot }$, while for a higher gas metallicity ${\it Z}=0.1\, \mathrm{Z}_{\odot }$, this value increases to $\sim 1.5\times 10^{12}\,\rm {{M}_{\odot }}$. (3) The evolution and ultimate fate of cold streams are determined primarily by the rivalry between radiative cooling and compression. Stronger heating due to compression in haloes more massive than Mstream can surpass cooling and heat the gas in cold streams to the hot ($\ge 10^6\,$ K) phase.