bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Disentangling Different Aspects of Between-Item Similarity Unveils Evidence Against the Ensemble Model of Lineup Memory
Authors: Meyer-Grant Constantin G. , Klauer Karl Christoph
Published: July 2022

For modeling recognition decisions in a typical eyewitness identification lineup task with multiple simultaneously presented test stimuli (also known as simultaneous detection and identification), essentially two different models based on signal detection theory are currently under consideration. These two models mainly differ with respect to their assumptions regarding the interplay between the memory signals of different stimuli presented in the same lineup. The independent observations model (IOM), on the one hand, assumes that the memory signal of each simultaneously presented test stimulus is separately assessed by the decision-maker, whereas the ensemble model (EM), on the other hand, assumes that each of these memory signals is first compared with and then assessed relative to its respective context (i.e., the memory signals of the other stimuli within the same lineup). Here, we discuss some reasons why comparing confidence ratings between trials with and without a dud (i.e., a lure with no systematic resemblance to the target) in an otherwise fair lineup—results of which have been interpreted as evidence in favor of the EM—is in fact inconclusive for differentiating between the EM and the IOM. However, the lack of diagnostic value hinges on the fact that in these experiments two aspects of between-item similarity (viz. old–new and within-lineup similarity) are perfectly confounded. Indeed, if separately manipulating old–new similarity, we demonstrate that EM and IOM make distinct predictions. Following this, we show that previously published data are inconsistent with the predictions made by the EM.
Expansivity and strong structural stability for composition operators on $$L^p$$ spaces
Authors: Maiuriello Martina
Published: July 2022

In this note, we investigate the two notions of expansivity and strong structural stability for composition operators on $$L^p$$

L
p

spaces, $$1\le p < \infty$$

1
≤
p
<
∞

. Necessary and sufficient conditions for such operators to be expansive are provided, both in the general and the dissipative case. We also show that, in the dissipative setting, the shadowing property implies the strong structural stability and we prove that these two notions are equivalent under the extra hypothesis of positive expansivity.
Recent advances in modeling turbulent wind flow at pedestrian-level in the built environment
Authors: Zhong Jiading , Liu Jianlin , Zhao Yongling , Niu Jianlei , Carmeliet Jan
Published: July 2022

Pressing problems in urban ventilation and thermal comfort affecting pedestrians related to current urban development and densification are increasingly dealt with from the perspective of climate change adaptation strategies. In recent research efforts, the prime objective is to accurately assess pedestrian-level wind (PLW) environments by using different simulation approaches that have reasonable computational time. This review aims to provide insights into the most recent PLW studies that use both established and data-driven simulation approaches during the last 5 years, covering 215 articles using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and typical data-driven models. We observe that steady-state Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (SRANS) simulations are still the most dominantly used approach. Due to the model uncertainty embedded in the SRANS approach, a sensitivity test is recommended as a remedial measure for using SRANS. Another noted thriving trend is conducting unsteady-state simulations using high-efficiency methods. Specifically, both the massively parallelized large-eddy simulation (LES) and hybrid LES-RANS offer high computational efficiency and accuracy. While data-driven models are in general believed to be more computationally efficient in predicting PLW dynamics, they in fact still call for substantial computational resources and efforts if the time for development, training and validation of a data-driven model is taken into account. The synthesized understanding of these modeling approaches is expected to facilitate the choosing of proper simulation approaches for PLW environment studies, to ultimately serving urban planning and building designs with respect to pedestrian comfort and urban ventilation assessment.
Enhancing the take-off performance of hypersonic vehicles using the improved chimp optimisation algorithm
Authors: Zhang X. , Yan J. , Liu S. , Yan B.
Published: July 2022

The performance of hypersonic vehicles in the take-off stage considerably influences their capability of accomplishing the flight tasks. This study is aimed at enhancing the take-off performance of a cruise aircraft using the improved chimp optimisation algorithm. The proposed algorithm, which uses the Sobol sequence for initial population generation and a function of the weight factors, can effectively overcome the problems of premature convergence and low accuracy of the original algorithm. In particular, the Sobol sequence aims to obtain a better fitness value in the first iteration, and the weight factor aims to accelerate the convergence speed and avoid the local optimal solution. The take-off mass model of the hypersonic vehicle is constructed considering the flight data obtained using the pseudo-spectral method in the climb phase. Simulations are performed to evaluate the algorithm performance, and the results show that the algorithm can rapidly and stably optimise the benchmark function. Compared to the original algorithm, the proposed algorithm requires 28.89% less optimisation time and yields an optimised take-off mass that is 1.72kg smaller.
“Clubbing in the Club”: Could Climate-Related Trade Arrangements Set the Pace for Future Climate Cooperation?
Authors: Mbengue Makane Moïse , Cima Elena
Published: July 2022

The climate is changing, and so is climate diplomacy. Global treaties may be failing, while unilateral actions are proving to be contentious both within the climate and the trade regime. At the same time, countries need to be given the right incentives to participate in the fight against climate change and to start curbing their emissions substantially. The European Union's (EU) decision to introduce a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and the momentum around carbon pricing may be the perfect opportunity to revisit these ideas in the form of clubs. What if small groups of countries got together and set the pace for a new era in climate diplomacy? What if they relied on trade measures to do so? Clubs are not new in international law, let alone in international climate law. Compared to global approaches, they may avoid freeriding; compared to unilateral ones, they may reduce the risk of trade frictions. And not all major emitters need to participate right away. As few as two parties could start a climate club, a sort of club within the club, gradually catalyzing or influencing action on climate change. In this essay, we argue that climate clubs enable like-minded countries to assume more ambitious commitments and gradually pull in other countries with them.
The Metaphorical Use of Body Parts in Forming Counting expressions: Evidence from Tāti Language Group
Authors: Sabzalipur Jahandust , Izadifar Raheleh
Published: July 2022

Mathematics is a particularly important challenge for embodied approaches to cognition, as it is probably the most abstract domain of human knowledge. Humans use metaphors in all aspects of life. This paper studies the effects of human body parts on numerals, numeral systems, and mensural and sortal classifiers. The evidence for this paper comes from the Tāti language group, an endangered Iranian language of the Indo-European language family. The Tāti data shows these languages make use of base-10, base-20, and base-50 numeral systems, some of which are among the most common and earliest counting systems worldwide, while the last is unique and peculiar to the area. Body parts may also play an important role in forming mensural and sortal classifiers, as is the case in the Tāti language group.
Legitimizing the Separatist Cause: Nation-building in the Eurasiande factoStates
Authors: Dembińska Magdalena
Published: July 2022

This article compares the nation-building processes in four well-established Eurasiande factostates. Although all four pursue a set of identity politics that would legitimize the separatist cause, comparing them reveals important differences in boundary-making strategies. While maintaining the image of the enemy parent-state and of an imminent external threat is a common endeavor, they face different challenges and thus have pursued different strategies of identity-building. Transnistria and Abkhazia are two ethnically heterogeneous entities while Nagorno-Karabakh and South Ossetia are more homogeneous since (forced) displacements, mostly of non-titular ethnicities, took place. The Abkhazs, Ossetians, and Armenians claim titular status in their respective regions, but only the latter two have kin in neighboring countries with whom they want to unify. Meanwhile, the “Transnistrian people” is a newly invented construct. Despite their lack of international recognition, the article demonstrates that – apart from a special emphasis on cultivating the image of the “enemy parent-state” – the nation-building mechanisms in the de facto states do not substantially differ from the processes at work in other post-Soviet states presented in this Special Issue.
A -SUPERCONGRUENCE MODULO THE THIRD POWER OF A CYCLOTOMIC POLYNOMIAL
Authors: WEI CHUANAN
Published: July 2022

We derive a q-supercongruence modulo the third power of a cyclotomic polynomial with the help of Guo and Zudilin’s method of creative microscoping [‘A q-microscope for supercongruences’, Adv. Math.346 (2019), 329–358] and the q-Dixon formula. As consequences, we give several supercongruences including
$$ \begin{align*}\sum_{k=0}^{(p-2)/3}\frac{(\frac{2}{3})_k^3}{(1)_k^3}\equiv\frac{p}{2}\frac{(1)_{(p-2)/3}}{(\frac{4}{3})_{(p-2)/3}}\pmod{p^3},\end{align*} $$

where p is a prime with
$p\equiv 5\pmod {6}$
.
Timing of gestational weight gain in association with birth weight outcomes: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Lin Lixia , Chen Xi , Zhong Chunrong , Huang Li , Li Qian , Zhang Xu , Wu Meng , Wang Huanzhuo , Yang Sen , Cao Xiyu , Xiong Guoping , Sun Guoqiang , Yang Xuefeng , Hao Liping , Yang Nianhong
Published: July 2022

Maternal gestational weight gain (GWG) is an important determinant of infant birth weight, and having adequate total GWG has been widely recommended. However, the association of timing of GWG with birth weight remains controversial. We aimed to evaluate this association, especially among women with adequate total GWG. In a prospective cohort study, pregnant women’s weight was routinely measured during pregnancy, and their GWG was calculated for the ten intervals: the first 13, 14–18, 19–23, 24–28, 29–30, 31–32, 33–34, 35–36, 37–38 and 39–40 weeks. Birth weight was measured, and small-for-gestational-age (SGA) and large-for-gestational-age were assessed. Generalized linear and Poisson models were used to evaluate the associations of GWG with birth weight and its outcomes after multivariate adjustment, respectively. Of the 5049 women, increased GWG in the first 30 weeks was associated with increased birth weight for male infants, and increased GWG in the first 28 weeks was associated with increased birth weight for females. Among 1713 women with adequate total GWG, increased GWG percent between 14 and 23 weeks was associated with increased birth weight. Moreover, inadequate GWG between 14 and 23 weeks, compared with the adequate GWG, was associated with an increased risk of SGA (43 (13·7 %) v. 42 (7·2 %); relative risk 1·83, 95 % CI 1·21, 2·76). Timing of GWG may influence infant birth weight differentially, and women with inadequate GWG between 14 and 23 weeks may be at higher risk of delivering SGA infants, despite having adequate total GWG.
Bacteria associated with leaf-cutter ants drive natural antibiotic resistance in soil bacteria
Authors: Simon Sophia , Chai Kelsey , Drescher Matthew , Chaves-Campos Johel
Published: July 2022

Actinobacteria that live mutualistically with leaf-cutter ants secrete antibiotics that may induce antibiotic resistance in nearby soil bacteria. We tested for the first time whether soil bacteria near and inside Atta cephalotes nests in Costa Rica show higher levels of antibiotic resistance than bacteria collected farther away. We collected soil samples 0 m to 50 m away from ant nests and grew bacteria from them on agar with paper discs treated with antibiotics of common veterinary use. As a proxy for antibiotic resistance, we measured the distance from the edge of each disc to the closest bacterial colonies. In general, resistance to oxytetracycline increased with proximity to leaf-cutter ant nests. Antibiotic resistance to oxytetracycline was also higher in samples collected inside the nest than in samples from the nest mound; not all antibiotics demonstrated the same trend. A preliminary exploratory morphological analysis suggests bacterial communities between 0 m and 50 m from ant nests were similar in diversity and abundance, indicating the pattern of antibiotic resistance described above may not be caused by differences in community composition. We conclude that actinobacteria living mutualistically with A. cephalotes drive natural antibiotic resistance to tetracycline in proximal bacterial communities.
Artificial intelligence methods for improving the inventive design process, application in lattice structure case study
Authors: Hanifi Masih , Chibane Hicham , Houssin Remy , Cavallucci Denis , Ghannad Naser
Published: July 2022

Nowadays, firms are constantly looking for methodological approaches that help them to decrease the time needed for the innovation process. Among these approaches, it is worth mentioning the TRIZ-based frameworks such as the Inventive Design Methodology (IDM), where the Problem Graph method is used to formulate a problem. However, the application of IDM is time-consuming due to the construction of a complete map to clarify a problem situation. Therefore, the Inverse Problem Graph (IPG) method has been introduced within the IDM framework to enhance its agility. Nevertheless, the manual gathering of essential information, including parameters and concepts, requires effort and time. This paper integrates the neural network doc2vec and machine learning algorithms as Artificial Intelligence methods into a graphical method inspired by the IPG process. This integration can facilitate and accelerate the development of inventive solutions by extracting parameters and concepts in the inventive design process. The method has been applied to develop a new lattice structure solution in the material field.
Family instability, parenting, and child externalizing problems: Moderation by maternal sympathetic stress reactivity
Authors: Li Zhi , Sturge-Apple Melissa L. , Davies Patrick T.
Published: July 2022

This multi-method longitudinal study evaluated how changes in maternal sensitive parenting may operate as an indirect factor linking family instability and the development of child externalizing problems over time. This study also investigated how mothers’ stress reactivity within the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) may moderate the association between family instability and the development of maternal sensitivity. Participants were 235 families with a young child (Mage= 2.97 years at the first measurement occasion) and these families were followed for two annual measurement occasions. Maternal sensitivity was observed during two discipline tasks (i.e., forbidden toy, discipline discussion tasks), and maternal SNS stress reactivity was indicated by their salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) reactivity to an interpersonal stressor. Findings revealed significant direct effects of family instability and family instability-x-sAA reactivity interaction in association with the change in maternal sensitivity over time. For both tasks, mothers with greater sAA reactivity exhibited stronger associations between family instability and the growth of their sensitivity. Tests of indirect effects indicated that change in maternal sensitivity operated as an indirect factor between family instability-x-sAA reactivity interaction and the change in child externalizing problems. The present findings have important implications for understanding parental and child sequelae associated with unstable family contexts.
Inequitable access: factors associated with incomplete referrals to paediatric cardiology
Authors: Warren Paul W. , Beck Andrew F. , Zang Huaiyu , Anderson Jeffrey , Statile Christopher
Published: July 2022

Objective:

To assess the variables associated with incomplete and unscheduled cardiology clinic visits among referred children with a focus on equity gaps.

Study design:

We conducted a retrospective chart review for patients less than 18 years of age who were referred to cardiology clinics at a single quaternary referral centre from 2017 to 2019. We collected patient demographic data including race, an index of neighbourhood socio-economic deprivation linked to a patient’s geocoded address, referral information, and cardiology clinic information. The primary outcome was an incomplete clinic visit. The secondary outcome was an unscheduled appointment. Independent associations were identified using multivariable logistic regression.

Results:

There were 10,610 new referrals; 6954 (66%) completed new cardiology clinic visits. Black race (OR 1.41; 95% CI 1.22–1.63), public insurance (OR 1.29; 95% CI 1.14–1.46), and a higher deprivation index (OR 1.32; 95% CI 1.08–1.61) were associated with higher odds of incomplete visit compared to the respective reference groups of White race, private insurance, and a lower deprivation index. The findings for unscheduled visit were similar. A shorter time elapsed from the initial referral to when the appointment was made was associated with lower odds of incomplete visit (OR 0.62; 95% CI 0.52–0.74).

Conclusion:

Race, insurance type, neighbourhood deprivation, and time from referral date to appointment made were each associated with incomplete referrals to paediatric cardiology. Interventions directed to understand such associations and respond accordingly could help to equitably improve referral completion.
Unconditional Support for Trump’s Resistance Prior to Election Day
Authors: Hartnett Brendan , Haver Alexandra
Published: July 2022

Using survey data collected less than two weeks before the 2020 presidential election, we investigated why likely Trump voters would support Trump resisting the election results if he lost. We first used an experiment with randomized hypothetical popular-vote margins to test whether support for resistance was contingent on the results of the election. We also directly asked respondents who stated that they would support resistance to explain their reasoning in an open-ended response. In doing so, we gained insight into one of the most turbulent elections in American history and examined how support for resistance existed before the election due to both misinformation about voter fraud and hyperpartisanship that made Trump voters view the electoral process itself as illegitimate.
Dynamic inefficiency by promoting relative consumption
Authors: Woo Wai Chiu
Published: July 2022

I develop a dynamic model of consumption variety in status goods by introducing a realistic aspect that is new in the existing literature—that a good will not carry status appeal unless it is advertised. As advertisements will divert resources from new product research, growth in new products will be reduced. However, status-good advertisements also enhance distinctiveness of a good and increase a firm’s profit. This will motivate more researches. With the two effects offsetting each other, the original market bias in a standard product-development model—insufficient research due to a general knowledge spillover—cannot be overcome. While introducing advertising into models of this kind does not reverse the original welfare implication of suboptimal growth, this makes available a new and better intervention option—taxing advertisements. This tax is superior to consumption tax, the conventional solution to inefficient status competition, as consumption tax is found to be ineffective in the present model. It is also superior to research subsidies, the conventional solution to suboptimal growth, as subsidies must be financed and is not a self-sufficient policy.
The First Ten Years of WTO Jurisprudence on Renewable Energy Support Measures: Has the Dust Settled Yet?
Authors: Asmelash Henok
Published: July 2022

The last decade has witnessed the emergence and rise of trade disputes over renewable energy support measures. By pitting trade against the environment, these disputes ignited a considerable debate over the adequacy of the green policy space available under WTO law. This article examines whether and to what extent the first ten years of litigation settled the key issues in this debate by undertaking a systematic analysis of the developments in the case law and in the renewable energy policy landscape. The analysis reveals that the case law has raised more questions than answers and much uncertainty remains as to the scope of the policy space available for the subsidization of renewables. It also highlights how these disputes steered the debate away from the most contentious issue of subsidy regulation to the slam-dunk issue of non-discrimination. In doing so, they helped conceal rather than resolve the green policy space deficit in multilateral renewable energy subsidy governance.
Independence and constitutionalism in Egypt 1919–1922
Authors: Ikeda Misako
Published: July 2022

This paper aims to provide a new constitutional perspective on the Egyptian political process from the end of World War I to its independence in 1922. Egyptian historical research on the same period has been conducted mainly from a nationalist perspective. However, as Egypt had a long history of constitutionalism that had developed in unison with nationalism since the 1870s, Egyptian nationalists simultaneously desired to establish a constitutional system after achieving independence. Eventually, Britain unilaterally declared the independence of Egypt in 1922, which, despite its concern, included the introduction of a constitutional system into the country. The declaration was the product of secret negotiations between the British Special High Commissioner Allenby and Tharwat, an Egyptian nationalist politician. However, the idea of introducing the constitutional system was first publicly proposed in the preceding negotiations between Colonial Minister Milner and Zaghlūl, which facilitated Tharwat's negotiations with Allenby on this subject. While Zaghlūl, the leader of the Wafd, and the group including ‘Adlī and Tharwat were increasingly antagonistic, the establishment of a constitutional system had long been a common desire of all Egyptian nationalists who transcended their differences.
Is the American Public Really Turning Away from Democracy? Backsliding and the Conceptual Challenges of Understanding Public Attitudes
Authors: Ahmed Amel
Published: July 2022

Recent scholarship has warned that the American public is turning away from democracy, with many focusing on the role of polarization in driving these trends. While these studies devote a great deal of attention to conceptualizing and measuring polarization, however, there is much less attention to the concept of democracy itself. As a result, they encounter several problems: First, lack of attention to the categorical and contextual differences between various democratic transgressions can lead to misleading findings. Second, slippage between macro and micro level analysis of backsliding can make it difficult to draw solid inferences about attitudes. Finally, lack of attention to contestation within the concept of democracy obscures a different kind of regime contention reflected in public attitudes. These problems confound efforts to understand whether the American public is truly turning away from democracy and point to the need for greater collaboration among scholars from different intellectual traditions and methodological orientations.
Application of an Improved Calibration Flight Scheme in Aeromagnetic Interference Compensation
Authors: Liu Xiaogang , Wang Yunpeng , Sun Bijiao , Guan Bin , Ouyang Mingda , Qin Xianping
Published: July 2022

In aeromagnetic measurement, accurate compensation for the interference magnetic field generated by the aircraft platform due to the aircraft maneuvering in the Earth's magnetic field is an important prerequisite for the accurate identification of the magnetic anomaly signal of the detection target. The flaws of the traditional calibration flight scheme in aeromagnetic interference compensation are firstly analyzed, and then an improved scheme is proposed, featuring smaller calibration flight areas, more simplified maneuvers, shorter flight route and less influence from the magnetometer's direction and extreme weather. The improved scheme can enhance the robustness of the aeromagnetic interference compensation matrix and improve the compensation efficiency, and thus both the solved magnetic compensation coefficients and compensation effects are significantly improved. The experimental results of the aeromagnetic interference compensation in an area of Inner Mongolia of China show that the average accuracy of the repeated survey lines, which are compensated by the improved scheme, can be increased by 5 and 3 nT, respectively, compared with the uncompensated results and the results compensated by the traditional scheme. Therefore, the effectiveness and superiority of the improved calibration flight scheme is fully proved.
Elastic Slab in Viscoelastic Mantle: Effects on Determining Megathrust Slip and Mantle Viscosity During Postseismic and Interseismic Phases
Authors: Li Shaoyang , Chen Ling
Published: July 2022

Earthquake‐cycle deformation at subduction zones is not only induced by cyclical faulting processes but also impacted by the Earth structure and rheology. Oversimplifying the first‐order Earth structure in models leads to biased estimations of fault kinematics and Earth rheology and hence misinterpretation of subduction‐zone dynamics. Here we first use synthetic models to investigate the impacts of an elastic slab on viscoelastic postseismic and interseismic deformation and on determining afterslip, locking distribution, and mantle viscosity. We confirm that the presence of a slab causes anchored viscous flow in the mantle wedge and less extensive viscoelastic deformation in the overriding plate than the depth‐dependent layered models without a slab during the interseismic and postseismic phases. By assuming the predicted viscoelastic deformation from the model with a slab as the synthetic true observations, layered models obtain a higher viscosity and more slip on the downdip of the seismogenic zone than the true model during both phases. These biased estimates are found varying with the displacement component, spatial and temporal coverages of the used observations. We then conduct two real‐world case studies at the Japan subduction zone and find that the layered model obtains the biased fault kinematics and mantle viscosity that are similar to the synthetic modeling results, indicating that the slab signature may have been observed in the geodetic data. Our findings highlight the importance of including a slab in modeling the earthquake‐cycle deformation and thoroughly exploring the sensitivities of surface deformation, especially the verticals, on the deep Earth structures.
α-cyanobacteria possessing form IA RuBisCO globally dominate aquatic habitats
Authors: Cabello-Yeves Pedro J , Scanlan David J , Callieri Cristiana , Picazo Antonio , Schallenberg Lena , Huber Paula , Roda-Garcia Juan J , Bartosiewicz Maciej , Belykh Olga I , Tikhonova Irina V , Torcello-Requena Alberto , De Prado Paula Martin , Millard Andrew D , Camacho Antonio , Rodriguez-Valera Francisco , Puxty Richard J
Published: July 2022

RuBisCO (ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase) is one the most abundant enzymes on Earth. Virtually all food webs depend on its activity to supply fixed carbon. In aerobic environments, RuBisCO struggles to distinguish efficiently between CO2 and O2. To compensate, organisms have evolved convergent solutions to concentrate CO2 around the active site. The genetic engineering of such inorganic carbon concentrating mechanisms (CCMs) into plants could help facilitate future global food security for humankind. In bacteria, the carboxysome represents one such CCM component, of which two independent forms exist: α and β. Cyanobacteria are important players in the planet’s carbon cycle and the vast majority of the phylum possess a β-carboxysome, including most cyanobacteria used as laboratory models. The exceptions are the exclusively marine Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus that numerically dominate open ocean systems. However, the reason why marine systems favor an α-form is currently unknown. Here, we report the genomes of 58 cyanobacteria, closely related to marine Synechococcus that were isolated from freshwater lakes across the globe. We find all these isolates possess α-carboxysomes accompanied by a form 1A RuBisCO. Moreover, we demonstrate α-cyanobacteria dominate freshwater lakes worldwide. Hence, the paradigm of a separation in carboxysome type across the salinity divide does not hold true, and instead the α-form dominates all aquatic systems. We thus question the relevance of β-cyanobacteria as models for aquatic systems at large and pose a hypothesis for the reason for the success of the α-form in nature.
Distilling physical origins of hardness in multi-principal element alloys directly from ensemble neural network models
Authors: Beniwal D. , Singh P. , Gupta S. , Kramer M. J. , Johnson D. D. , Ray P. K.
Published: July 2022

Despite a plethora of data being generated on the mechanical behavior of multi-principal element alloys, a systematic assessment remains inaccessible via Edisonian approaches. We approach this challenge by considering the specific case of alloy hardness, and present a machine-learning framework that captures the essential physical features contributing to hardness and allows high-throughput exploration of multi-dimensional compositional space. The model, tested on diverse datasets, was used to explore and successfully predict hardness in AlxTiy(CrFeNi)1-x-y, HfxCoy(CrFeNi)1-x-y and Alx(TiZrHf)1-x systems supported by data from density-functional theory predicted phase stability and ordering behavior. The experimental validation of hardness was done on TiZrHfAlx. The selected systems pose diverse challenges due to the presence of ordering and clustering pairs, as well as vacancy-stabilized novel structures. We also present a detailed model analysis that integrates local partial-dependencies with a compositional-stimulus and model-response study to derive material-specific insights from the decision-making process.
Demonstration of optimal non-projective measurement of binary coherent states with photon counting
Authors: DiMario M. T. , Becerra F. E.
Published: July 2022

Quantum state discrimination is a central problem in quantum measurement theory, with applications spanning from quantum communication to computation. Typical measurement paradigms for state discrimination involve a minimum probability of error or unambiguous discrimination with a minimum probability of inconclusive results. Alternatively, an optimal inconclusive measurement, a non-projective measurement, achieves minimal error for a given inconclusive probability. This more general measurement encompasses the standard measurement paradigms for state discrimination and provides a much more powerful tool for quantum information and communication. Here, we experimentally demonstrate the optimal inconclusive measurement for the discrimination of binary coherent states using linear optics and single-photon detection. Our demonstration uses coherent displacement operations based on interference, single-photon detection, and fast feedback to prepare the optimal feedback policy for the optimal non-projective quantum measurement with high fidelity. This generalized measurement allows us to transition among standard measurement paradigms in an optimal way from minimum error to unambiguous measurements for binary coherent states. As a particular case, we use this general measurement to implement the optimal minimum error measurement for phase-coherent states, which is the optimal modulation for communications under the average power constraint. Moreover, we propose a hybrid measurement that leverages the binary optimal inconclusive measurement in conjunction with sequential, unambiguous state elimination to realize higher dimensional inconclusive measurements of coherent states.
Analysis on the desert adaptability of indigenous sheep in the southern edge of Taklimakan Desert
Authors: Zhang Cheng-long , Liu Chunjie , Zhang Jihu , Zheng Langman , Chang Qianqian , Cui Zilong , Liu Shudong
Published: July 2022

The southern margin of the Taklimakan Desert is characterized by low rainfall, heavy sandstorms, sparse vegetation and harsh ecological environment. The indigenous sheep in this area are rich in resources, with the advantages of perennial estrus and good resistance to stress in most sheep. Exploring the molecular markers of livestock adaptability in this environment will provide the molecular basis for breeding research to cope with extreme future changes in the desert environment. In this study, we analyzed the population genetic structure and linkage imbalance of five sheep breeds with three different agricultural geographic characteristics using four complementary genomic selection signals: fixation index (FST), cross-population extended haplotype homozygosity (xp-EHH), Rsb (extended haplotype homozygosity between-populations) and iHS (integrated haplotype homozygosity score). We used Illumina Ovine SNP 50K Genotyping BeadChip Array, and gene annotation and enrichment analysis were performed on selected regions of the obtained genome. The ovary of Qira Black sheep (Follicular phase, Luteal phase, 30th day of pregnancy, 45th day of pregnancy) was collected, and the differentially expressed genes were screened by transcriptomic sequencing. Genome-wide selective sweep results and transcriptome data were combined for association analysis to obtain candidate genes associated with perennial estrus and stable reproduction. In order to verify the significance of the results, 15 resulting genes were randomly selected for fluorescence quantitative analysis. The results showed that Dolang sheep and Qira Black sheep evolved from Kazak sheep. Linkage disequilibrium analysis showed that the decay rate of sheep breeds in the Taklimakan Desert was higher than that in Yili grassland. The signals of FST, xp-EHH, Rsb and iHS detected 526, 332, 308 and 408 genes, respectively, under the threshold of 1% and 17 overlapping genes under the threshold of 5%. A total of 29 genes were detected in association analysis of whole-genome and transcriptome data. This study reveals the genetic mechanism of perennial estrus and environmental adaptability of indigenous sheep breeds in the Taklimakan Desert. It provides a theoretical basis for the conservation and exploitation of genetic resources of indigenous sheep breeds in extreme desert environment. This provides a new perspective for the quick adaptation of sheep and other mammals to extreme environments and future climate changes.
Ultrasound manifestations and clinical features of nonpalpable testis in children
Authors: Zhou Wei , Li Shoulin , Wang Hao , Zhou Guanglun , Wen Jianguo
Published: July 2022

To explore the value of ultrasound in the preoperative diagnosis of nonpalpable testis (NPT) in children. A retrospective study of 254 cases with NPT from May 2017 to December 2021. The preoperative ultrasound examination results were compared with the surgical exploration and pathological results. There were 254 cases (312 testes) NPT has got surgery in our centre. The surgical age were from 6 month to 12 years old, the median age was 2.33 years. There were 103 cases (136 testes) diagnosed as intra-abdominal testis (IAT) by preoperative ultrasound, and 80 cases (103 testes) of extra-abdominal testis (EAT), 71 cases (73 testes) of non-viable testis (NVT). There were 102 cases (135 testes) consistented as IAT by the diagnostic laparoscopy, the preoperative ultrasound’s coincidence of IAT was 99.02%. There were 80 cases (103 testes) consistented as EAT by the diagnostic laparoscopy, the preoperative ultrasound’s coincidence rate was100%. There were 62 cases (62 testes) consistented as NVT by the diagnostic laparoscopy, there were 9 cases (11 testes) misdiagnosed, the preoperative ultrasound’s coincidence rate was 84.9%. Ultrasound can provide valuable information for the preoperative diagnosis of children with nonpalpable testicles, and especially good at identifying the EAT and IAT with normal testicular morphology.
Control of blood glucose induced by meals for type-1 diabetics using an adaptive backstepping algorithm
Authors: Zahedifar Rasoul , Keymasi Khalaji Ali
Published: July 2022

In this study, an adaptive backstepping method is proposed to regulate the blood glucose induced by meals for type-1 diabetic patients. The backstepping controller is used to control the blood glucose level and an adaptive algorithm is utilized to compensate for the blood glucose induced by meals. Moreover, the effectiveness of the proposed method is evaluated by comparing results in two different case studies: in the presence of actuator faults and the loss of control input for a short while during treatment. Effects of unannounced meals three times a day are investigated for a nominal patient in every case. It is argued that adaptive backstepping is the preferred control method in either case. The Lyapunov theory is used to prove the stability of the proposed method. Obtained results, indicated that the adaptive backstepping controller is stable, and the desired level of glucose concentration is being tracked efficiently.
Branched-chain and aromatic amino acid levels response to an oral glucose load associated with gestational diabetes mellitus
Authors: Gao BeiBei , Shen Qiong , Wu Ying , Cao MengDie , Zhang QiWu , Chen Lei
Published: July 2022

Serum branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) and aromatic amino acids (AAAs) are associated with obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We investigated the levels of these amino acids in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and examined their changes in response to an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). 110 women were enrolled and underwent a 75-g OGTT during their second trimester; 43 women were diagnosed with GDM and 67 women did not have GDM (non-GDM women). During the OGTT, fasting, 1-h, and 2-h blood samples were obtained. BCAA and AAA levels were measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The differences in BCAA and AAA levels between GDM and non-GDM women were not evident during fasting but became significant after glucose loading. Glucose ingestion decreased the levels of BCAAs and AAAs in both groups. Notably, GDM women showed a delayed and blunted decrease in these amino acids compared to non-GDM women. The risks of 2-h changes in BCAAs and AAAs for GDM women were significant. We identified that the differences in BCAA and AAA levels between GDM women and controls, which were not evident during fasting, could be provoked by performing an OGTT.
Xylogenesis and phloemogenesis in the flesh of sweet cherry fruit are limited to early-stage development
Authors: Gärtner Jonas , Grimm Eckhard , Knoche Moritz
Published: July 2022

Water inflows into sweet cherry fruit occur via the xylem and the phloem vasculatures of the pedicel. The rates of these inflows are subject to marked changes during fruit development. The objective was to establish if, and when, xylogenesis and phloemogenesis occur in the fruit flesh (mesocarp) during fruit development. Fruit were cut in half and the median and the lateral bundles inspected by light microscopy. Fruit mass increased with time in a double sigmoid pattern. Xylogenesis and phloemogenesis were both limited to early fruit development (stage I). There were no consistent changes in the areas of either xylem or phloem after stage I until maturity (i.e., during stages II and III). The cross-sectional areas of xylem and of phloem in a bundle were both linearly related to total bundle area. Most of the increases (stage I) in bundle area (62%, r2 = 0.99***) were accounted for by increases in phloem area and about 35% (r2 = 0.97***) by increases in xylem area. A small percentage of the xylem area increase (about 4% of the total area of the bundle; r2 = 0.48***) was contributed by the appearance of intercellular spaces within the xylem. Our results suggest, that new xylem and phloem tissues are differentiated only during early development.
Mendelian randomization reveals causal effects of kidney function on various biochemical parameters
Authors: Park Sehoon , Lee Soojin , Kim Yaerim , Cho Semin , Huh Hyeok , Kim Kwangsoo , Kim Yong Chul , Han Seung Seok , Lee Hajeong , Lee Jung Pyo , Joo Kwon Wook , Lim Chun Soo , Kim Yon Su , Kim Dong Ki
Published: July 2022

The kidney is a vital organ with diverse biological effects and the burden of kidney function impairment is increasing in modern medicine. As the effects from kidney function on diverse biochemical parameters are yet fully understood, additional investigation to reveal the causal effects is warranted. Here we show the causal estimates from kidney function parameter, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), on 60 biochemical parameters by performing two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study in 337,138 white British UK Biobank participants. A higher genetically predicted eGFR was significantly associated with higher lymphocyte percentage, HDL cholesterol, and alanine aminotransferase. The causal estimates indicated that a higher genetically predicted eGFR was associated with lower urea, urate, insulin growth factor-1, and triglycerides levels. The parameters with significant but non-linear causal estimates were hemoglobin concentration, calcium, vitamin D, and urine creatinine values, identified by non-linear MR. Healthcare providers should understand that changes in eGFR may affect the identified biochemical parameters in diverse patterns. Future study is warranted to expand the knowledge of the mechanisms and clinical implications of the causal effects of eGFR on various biochemical parameters.
Poly(allylamine)-copper(ii) coordination complex grafted on core@shell upconversion nanoparticles for ultrafast and sensitive determination of the phytohormone salicylic acid in plant extracts
Authors: Carreño-Vega Osvaldo , Vargas-Zamarripa Marlene , Salas Pedro , Ramírez-García Gonzalo
Published: July 2022

A NIR-activated composite based on upconversion nanoparticles decorated with the poly(allylamine)-Cu(ii) complex was developed to sensitively determine the salicylic acid phytohormone in plant-derived samples.
Furoyl peroxynitrate (fur-PAN), a product of VOC–NOxphotochemistry from biomass burning emissions: photochemical synthesis, calibration, chemical characterization, and first atmospheric observations
Authors: Roberts James M. , Neuman J. Andrew , Brown Steven S. , Veres Patrick R. , Coggon Matthew M. , Stockwell Chelsea E. , Warneke Carsten , Peischl Jeff , Robinson Michael A.
Published: July 2022

Wildfires produce furan compounds that are involved in atmospheric oxidant and SOA formation. One such compound, furfural, produces furoyl peroxynitrate (fur-PAN) in the atmosphere, a unique marker for this wildfire chemistry.
Targeted pressure-based development of membrane biofilms improves anaerobic membrane bioreactor effluent quality
Authors: Sawaya Christelle , Ramadan Lama , El Khoury Charbel , Al-Alam Josephine , Wazne Mahmoud , Harb Moustapha
Published: July 2022

Membrane biofilms were predeveloped at different transmembrane pressure and flux combinations in an AnMBR to promote better effluent quality and enhanced emerging contaminant removal.
Materials Horizons, Journal of Materials Chemistry B and Materials Advances Editor's Choice Web Collection: Recent Advances in Tissue Engineering Scaffolds
Authors: Chen Guoping
Published: July 2022

This Editor's collection introduces some scaffold-related reviews and research articles that have been recently published in Materials Horizons, Journal of Materials Chemistry B and Materials Advances.
Bio-inspired construction of a tetracyclic ring system with an avarane skeleton: total synthesis of dactyloquinone A
Authors: Wu Yumeng , Du Xuanxuan , Wang Xianyang , Liu Hainan , Zhou Luning , Tang Yu , Li Dehai
Published: July 2022

We report the asymmetric construction of an avarane skeleton. The strategy involves a Lewis acid-catalyzed cyclization reaction, which drives the methyl groups of two different configurations at the C-4 site to migrate by 1, 2-rearrangement.
Sensitive rGO/MOF based electrochemical sensor for penta-chlorophenol detection: a novel artificial neural network (ANN) application
Authors: Meskher Hicham , Achi Fethi , Ha Sohmyung , Berregui Bahria , Babanini Fatiha , Belkhalfa Hakim
Published: July 2022

Reduced graphene oxide/metal organic framework based electrochemical sensor coupled with machine learning for sensitive detection of penta-chlorophenol.
Bioderived ether design for low soot emission and high reactivity transport fuels
Authors: Cho Jaeyoung , Kim Yeonjoon , Etz Brian D. , Fioroni Gina M. , Naser Nimal , Zhu Junqing , Xiang Zhanhong , Hays Cameron , Alegre-Requena Juan V. , St. John Peter C. , Zigler Bradley T. , McEnally Charles S. , Pfefferle Lisa D. , McCormick Robert L. , Kim Seonah
Published: July 2022

This study developed the design principle of bio-derived ether fuels with low soot emission and high reactivity based on an experiment-theory combined approach.
Interplay between phytohormone signalling pathways in plant defence – other than salicylic acid and jasmonic acid
Authors: Gilroy Eleanor , Breen Susan
Published: July 2022

Phytohormones are essential for all aspects of plant growth, development, and immunity; however, it is the interplay between phytohormones, as they dynamically change during these processes, that is key to this regulation. Hormones have traditionally been split into two groups: growth-promoting and stress-related. Here, we will discuss and show that all hormones play a role in plant defence, regardless of current designation. We highlight recent advances in our understanding of the complex phytohormone networks with less focus on archetypal immunity-related pathways and discuss protein and transcription factor signalling hubs that mediate hormone interplay.