bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sino‐American competition and the future of climate cooperation
Authors: Moore Scott M.
Published: January 2023

Climate change is often thought of as an issue that only cooperation can address. But growing tensions between the world's two largest emitters, the United States and China, demand that scholars contribute to a new understanding of how climate change, geopolitics, and international relations intersect. A better understanding of how competition might affect climate action by individual states, and more rigorous assessment of whether it might be helpful rather than harmful, is needed.

This article is categorized under:

Policy and Governance > International Policy Framework
Significant changes in lower limb alignment due to flexion and rotation—a systematic 3D simulation of radiographic measurements
Authors: Brunner Josef , Jörgens Maximilian , Weigert Maximilian , Kümpel Hannah , Degen Nikolaus , Fuermetz Julian
Published: January 2023

Background

Many radiographic lower limb alignment  measurements are dependent on patients’ position, which makes a standardised image acquisition of long-leg radiographs (LLRs) essential for valid measurements. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of rotation and flexion of the lower limb on common radiological alignment parameters using three-dimensional (3D) simulation.

Methods

Joint angles and alignment parameters of 3D lower limb bone models (n = 60), generated from computed tomography (CT) scans, were assessed and projected into the coronal plane to mimic radiographic imaging. Bone models were subsequently rotated around the longitudinal mechanical axis up to 15° inward/outward and additionally flexed along the femoral intercondylar axis up to 30°. This resulted in 28 combinations of rotation and flexion for each leg. The results were statistically analysed on a descriptive level and using a linear mixed effects model.

Results

A total of 1680 simulations were performed. Mechanical axis deviation (MAD) revealed a medial deviation with increasing internal rotation and a lateral deviation with increasing external rotation. This effect increased significantly (p < 0.05) with combined flexion up to 30° flexion (− 25.4 mm to 25.2 mm). With the knee extended, the mean deviation of hip–knee–ankle angle (HKA) was small over all rotational steps but increased toward more varus/valgus when combined with flexion (8.4° to − 8.5°). Rotation alone changed the medial proximal tibial angle (MPTA) and the mechanical lateral distal femoral angle (mLDFA) in opposite directions, and the effects increased significantly (p < 0.05) when flexion was present.

Conclusions

Axial rotation and flexion of the 3D lower limb has a huge impact on the projected two-dimensional alignment measurements in the coronal plane. The observed effects were small for isolated rotation or flexion, but became pronounced and clinically relevant when there was a combination of both. This must be considered when evaluating X-ray images. Extension deficits of the knee make LLR prone to error and this calls into question direct postoperative alignment controls.

Level of evidence

III (retrospective cohort study).
Sex‐based Disparities Among Surgical Faculty Positions Across Medical Colleges in Pakistan
Authors: Rauf Hareem , Martins Russell Seth , Arif Hibba Erum , Ahmed Aymen , Nawaz Arisha , Malik Mahim A.
Published: January 2023

Introduction

Despite women being under‐represented in academic surgery, there is no publicly accessible repository describing the distribution of surgeons by sex and specialty in Pakistan. This short report aims to fulfill this gap by describing female representation across surgical faculty positions in medical colleges across Pakistan.

Methods

This cross‐sectional study was conducted in 2021 across medical universities in Pakistan. A dual mode of data collection was employed, whereby data regarding sex, academic designation, and subspecialty of surgical faculty was retrieved via emails to representative faculty from medical colleges, and from medical colleges’ websites.

Results

A total of 97/114 (85.1%) medical colleges across Pakistan were included, providing us with data of 2070 surgical faculty. Overall, only 10.3% of surgical faculty were women, with women comprising 14.1% of assistant professors, 9.3% of associate professors, and only 5.7% of professors. Most women surgical faculty were assistant professors (63.1%), with only 17.8% being professors. Sindh (14.3%) and Punjab (9.7%) had the greatest percentage of women across surgical faculty overall, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had the lowest (6.5%). Apart from breast surgery (100%), pediatric surgery (29.4%), ophthalmology (15.0%) and general surgery (11.6%), women did not represent more than 10% of surgical faculty for any surgical subspecialty.

Conclusion

In Pakistan, there is a blatant lack of female representation across all faculty positions and in most surgical specialties, with imbalances more pronounced in the relatively under‐developed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. These sex disparities may aggravate the surgical disease burden and adversely impact surgical prospects for women across the country.
Short-term neonatal outcomes in women with gestational diabetes treated using metformin versus insulin: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Sheng Bo , Ni Juan , Lv Bin , Jiang Guoguo , Lin Xuemei , Li Hao
Published: January 2023

Aims

To expand the evidence base for the clinical use of metformin, we conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the efficacy and safety of metformin versus insulin with respect to short-term neonatal outcomes.

Methods

A comprehensive search of electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science) was performed. Two reviewers extracted the data and calculated pooled estimates by use of a random-effects model. In total, 24 studies involving 4355 participants met the eligibility criteria and were included in the quantitative analyses.

Results

Unlike insulin, metformin lowered neonatal birth weights (mean difference − 122.76 g; 95% confidence interval [CI] − 178.31, − 67.21; p < 0.0001), the risk of macrosomia (risk ratio [RR] 0.68; 95% CI 0.54, 0.86; p = 0.001), the incidence of neonatal intensive care unit admission (RR 0.73; 95% CI 0.61, 0.88; p = 0.0009), and the incidence of neonatal hypoglycemia (RR 0.65; 95% CI 0.52, 0.81; p = 0.0001). Subgroup analysis based on the maximum daily oral dose of metformin indicated that metformin-induced neonatal birth weight loss was independent of the oral dose.

Conclusions

Our meta-analysis provides further evidence that metformin is a safe oral antihyperglycemic drug and has some benefits over insulin when used for the treatment of gestational diabetes, without an increased risk of short-term neonatal adverse outcomes. Metformin may be particularly useful in women with gestational diabetes at high risk for neonatal hypoglycemia, women who want to limit maternal and fetal weight gain, and women with an inability to afford or use insulin safely.
Determining puma habitat suitability in the Eastern USA
Authors: Yovovich Veronica , Robinson Nathaniel , Robinson Hugh , Manfredo Michael J. , Perry Shelby , Bruskotter Jeremy T. , Vucetich John A. , Solórzano Luis Aníbal , Roe Lydia A. , Lesure Alison , Robertson Jamie , Butler Tom , Elbroch L. Mark
Published: January 2023

Pumas (Puma concolor) were eliminated from most of the eastern USA a century ago. In the past couple of decades, their recovery in the West has increased puma dispersal into the Midwest, with some individuals even traveling to the East Coast. We combined published expert opinion data and a habitat suitability index in an analysis that identified 17 areas in the Upper Midwest, Ozarks, Appalachia, and New England that could potentially host puma populations in the future. Thirteen of these were larger than 10,000 km2 and so likely to ensure a puma population’s long-term genetic health. Further, we quantified patch size, human density, livestock density, percent public land, and a sociocultural index reflecting wildlife values for comparing patches, as well as present a summary of current legislation relevant to puma management in the East. Our work may be useful in identifying suitable areas to restore pumas based not only on the quality of their biophysical habitat, but also on social values conducive to puma-human coexistence.
Development of affect at the transition to university mathematics and its relation to dropout — identifying related learning situations and deriving possible support measures
Authors: Geisler Sebastian , Rolka Katrin , Rach Stefanie
Published: January 2023

The transition from school to university mathematics is a challenging process for many students. This phenomenon is reflected by high dropout rates from mathematics programs especially during the first year at university that may be related to the development of students’ mathematical interest and self-concept. Taking a learning psychological perspective, it is a relevant question if all students have similar development patterns of these variables or if students who are at risk to drop out show an unfavorable development. Moreover, for didactical issues, it is of particular relevance which factors influence this development. Within a longitudinal study, 556 first-semester students stated their interest and self-concept at the beginning and the middle of the first semester; dropout was measured at the beginning of the second year. By using regression analyses, we found that the development of students’ interest and self-concept is related to dropout. It seems that interest in university mathematics and mathematical self-concept of students, who dropped out, decreased significantly in contrast to the characteristics of students who continued their studies. In an exploratory follow-up study, we identified factors which probably influenced the development of students’ self-concept by asking 18 students in a first-semester mathematics course “linear algebra” about learning situations in which they experienced the emergence or the decline of self-concept. Using qualitative content analysis, we found that most of these situations occurred when students worked on mathematical homework tasks or got criterial feedback on their solutions. Based on the presented results, we discuss implications for teaching and learning of undergraduate mathematics.
Genetic diversity in early maturity Chinese and European elite soybeans: A comparative analysis
Authors: Yao Xindong , Xu Jiang-yuan , Liu Zhang-xiong , Pachner Martin , Molin Eva Maria , Rittler Leopold , Hahn Volker , Leiser Willmar , Gu Yong-zhe , Lu Yu-qing , Qiu Li-juan , Vollmann Johann
Published: January 2023

Soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) is a legume crop important for global food security due to supplying high-quality vegetable protein and oil. China is the origin and rich center of soybean genetic diversity represented by numerous landraces and other genetic resources. During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, world-wide dissemination of plant introductions laid the foundation of modern soybean production. Due to selection for regional adaptation, present-day elite soybean cultivars do have a comparatively narrow genetic base. However, as genetic variation is the major component of future breeding progress, diversity of early maturity Chinese and European elite soybeans was comparatively analyzed using a high-throughput functional SNP array and an SSR marker set. Results revealed a clear differentiation between Chinese and European elite cultivars, and the level of genetic diversity was similar between the two populations. Both in Chinese and European cultivars, unique SSR alleles were found which indicates that selection for specific adaptation can preserve genetic variation. The European population was markedly structured by maturity groups which was less clear in the Chinese population. Structure analysis indicated that European cultivars are based on two major ancestral lines, whereas Chinese elite soybean cultivars trace back to more ancestral lines pointing to the rich natural soybean diversity of China. The results confirm that long-term selection under divergent environmental and agronomic conditions can produce specific diversity which could potentially be utilized for future enhancing both Chinese and European soybean breeding.
Data-Driven Adaptive Prediction of Cloud Resource Usage
Authors: Nawrocki Piotr , Osypanka Patryk , Posluszny Beata
Published: January 2023

Predicting computing resource usage in any system allows optimized management of resources. As cloud computing is gaining popularity, the urgency of accurate prediction is reduced as resources can be scaled on demand. However, this may result in excessive costs, and therefore there is a considerable body of work devoted to cloud resource optimization which can significantly reduce the costs of cloud computing. The most promising methods employ load prediction and resource scaling based on forecast values. However, prediction quality depends on prediction method selection, as different load characteristics require different forecasting mechanisms. This paper presents a novel approach that incorporates data-driven adaptation of prediction algorithms to generate short- and long-term cloud resource usage predictions and enables the proposed solution to readjust to different load characteristics as well as both temporary and permanent usage changes. First, preliminary tests were performed that yielded promising results – up to 36% better prediction quality. Subsequently, a fully autonomous, multi-stage optimization solution was proposed. The proposed approach was evaluated using real-life historical data from various production servers. Experiment results demonstrate 9.28% to 80.68% better prediction quality when compared to static algorithm selection.
TG/DSC/FTIR/QMS analysis of environmentally friendly poly(citronellyl methacrylate)-co-poly(benzyl methacrylate) copolymers
Authors: Worzakowska Marta
Published: January 2023

Polymer materials, not described in the literature so far, were obtained in the process of UV polymerization between methacrylic monomer obtained on the basis of natural, terpene alcohol: citronellyl methacrylate and benzyl methacrylate with different composition. The structures of the novel, environmentally friendly copolymers were confirmed by the FTIR and 13C CPMAS/NMR spectra. The copolymers containing more than 50% mass of citronellyl methacrylate were characterized by a high conversion of the double bonds determined on the basis of the FTIR and NMR spectra (95–96% and 92–94%, respectively). The novel materials were highly resistant to polar and non-polar solvents and the chemical stability. The glass transition temperature was from 15.8 to 19.9 °C which confirms that the obtained materials are elastomers at room temperature. Their thermal stability depended on their composition. It was from 185 to 205 °C (inert conditions) and from 149 to 214 °C (oxidizing conditions). TG/FTIR/QMS studies confirmed that their decomposition took place mainly as a depolymerization process combined with a subsequent breaking of the bonds in the resulting monomer/s at higher temperatures, which led to the formation of the gases with lower molecular masses. The main decomposition products emitted in an inert atmosphere were benzyl methacrylate, citronellyl methacrylate, 2-methylpropenal, citronellal and higher molecular mass compounds formed as a result of radical reactions between intermediate volatile products. In turn, under oxidizing conditions, as volatiles, benzyl methacrylate, citronellyl methacrylate, 2-methylpropenal, citronellal and small amounts of inorganic gases (CO, CO2, H2O) as a result of depolymerization and some combustion processes of the residues were indicated.
Predictors of change in asthma-related quality of life: a longitudinal real-life study in adult asthmatics
Authors: Louis Gilles , Pétré Benoit , Schleich Florence , Zahrei Halehsadat Nekoee , Donneau Anne-Françoise , Henket Monique , Paulus Virginie , Guissard Françoise , Guillaume Michèle , Louis Renaud
Published: January 2023

Purpose

Asthma negatively impacts health-related quality of life (HRQL). The objective is to investigate the longitudinal relationship between HRQL in asthma and disease control, demographic and clinical objective parameters in an adult population in real-life settings.

Methods

We conducted a longitudinal study on adult asthmatics recruited from Liege University Hospital Asthma Clinic (Belgium) between 2011 and 2019. We selected those who had two visits and completed two patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), the asthma control test (ACT) and the mini asthma quality of life questionnaire (AQLQ) (n = 290). AQLQ was the dependent variable. Demographic, functional and inflammatory characteristics, asthma control, and exacerbations were the independent variables. We applied generalized linear mixed models to identify the factors associated with change in AQLQ and its dimensions.

Results

Median (IQR) time interval between the two visits was 7 (5–19) months. Overall, median (IQR) global AQLQ increased from 4.1 (3–5.1) to 4.6 (3.4–5.9) (p < 0.0001). All AQLQ dimensions significantly improved, apart the environmental one. AQLQ improved in patients who had both step-up and step-down pharmacological treatment as well as in patients reporting no change between the two visits. The fitted models indicated that change in ACT was the main predictor of change in AQLQ (p < 0.0001). A rise in 3 units in ACT predicted an improvement of 0.5 AQLQ (AUC-ROC = 0.85; p < 0.0001). Change in BMI inversely impacted global AQLQ (p < 0.01) and its activity dimension (p < 0.0001).

Conclusion

Asthma control and BMI are key predictors of asthma quality of life acting in an opposite direction. AQLQ may improve without step-up in the pharmacological treatment.
Wann setzen sich linke Parteien für die Besteuerung hoher Einkommen und Vermögen ein? Lehren aus dem Bundestagswahlkampf von 2021
Authors: Fastenrath Florian , Marx Paul
Published: January 2023

Trotz zunehmender Ungleichheit verzichten viele Demokratien auf Steuererhöhungen für Reiche. Der Beitrag untersucht am deutschen Fall die Gründe für diese Zurückhaltung sowie Faktoren, durch die Reichenbesteuerung auf die politische Agenda gelangt. Eine Analyse der Wahlkämpfe seit 2005 zeigt ein allenfalls zögerliches Eintreten der SPD für höhere Steuern. Interviews mit politischen Akteuren verweisen als Hauptgründe auf die Gegenmobilisierung durch Wirtschaftsinteressen, eine ablehnende öffentliche Meinung und einen Mangel an Steuerexpertise in linken Parteien. Der Wahlkampf 2021 weicht von diesem Muster ab. Die Betonung der Reichenbesteuerung durch die SPD erklärt sich durch eine auf Steuerpolitik fokussierte Parteiführung, die Salienz von Investitionsbedarfen und eine programmatische Schwäche von Union und FDP bei der Finanzierung dieser Bedarfe. Gerade mit einem gemäßigten Spitzenkandidaten konnte die SPD so Steuererhöhungen ohne Verlust an zugeschriebener Wirtschaftskompetenz fordern. Als zweiten Schritt untersucht der Beitrag in Umfrageexperimenten und Fokusgruppen mit Geringqualifizierten, ob die Steuerkampagne zum Wahlerfolg der SPD beigetragen hat. Dies scheint nicht der Fall zu sein. Insgesamt bestätigen sich in Interviews geäußerte Annahmen in der Politik über die öffentliche Meinung: Steuern stoßen durch ihre Komplexität auf geringes Interesse, verunsichern durch unklare Effekte, sind insgesamt negativ konnotiert und werden als schädlich für die Wirtschaft betrachtet. Steuern für Reiche werden zudem häufig aus meritokratischen Ideologien abgelehnt.
Selective separation and purification of cerium (III) from concentrate liquor associated with monazite processing by cationic exchange resin as adsorbent
Authors: Shahr El-Din Ahmed M. , Rizk Hoda E. , Borai Emad H. , El Afifi El Sayed M.
Published: January 2023

The present study is directed to find the optimal conditions required for efficient separation and purification of Ce3+ as an analog for lanthanides from Fe3+, Th4+, and Zr4+ (interfering ions) using Amberlite IR120H (AIR120H) resin as a strongly cationic exchange adsorbent. The main factors affecting the separation processes had been investigated and optimized. Ce3+ (Ln3+) as an admixture with Fe3+, Th4+, and Zr4+ was successfully separated by batch and column techniques. The sorption efficiency (S, %) from different acidic media was in this order: HCl > HNO3 > H2SO4. In a quaternary mixture with Fe3+ and Th4+, the maximum separation factor between Ce3+ and Zr4+ was ~ 13 after 90 min of equilibration, and the sorption capacity of AIR120H resin for Ce3+ was 8.2 mg/g. The rate of adsorption was found to follow a pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Separation of the absorbed ions was achieved by desorption processes. Firstly, 98 ± 2% of loaded Ce3+ is fully desorbed by 1 M sodium acetate solution without interfering ions. Moreover, ~ 95% of Zr4+ is desorbed by 1 M citric acid solution. Finally, 85% of loaded Fe3+ and Th4+ ions are desorbed with 8 M HCl solution. The batch technique was applied to separate and purify Ln3+-concentrate in chloride liquor (LnCl3), coming from the caustic digestion of Egyptian high-grade monazite. However, the enhanced radioactivity in LnCl3 due to radium -isotopes (228Ra2+, 226Ra2+, 224Ra2+, 223Ra2+) and radio-lead (210Pb2+) is initially reduced by a factor of 92% (i.e., safe limit) by pH-adjustment. As result, it can be recommended that the sorption process by AIR120H resin is efficient and promising for exploring pure lanthanides from its minerals.
Enhancing the Air Conditioning Unit Performance via Energy Storage of Different Inorganic Phase Change Materials with Hybrid Nanoparticles
Authors: Ismail M. , Zahra W. K. , Ookawara Shinichi , Hassan Hamdy
Published: January 2023

Air conditioning unit performance, coupled with new configurations of phase change material as thermal energy storage, is investigated in hot climates. During the daytime, the warm exterior air temperature is cooled when flowing over the phase change material structure that was previously solidified by the night ambient air. A theoretical transient model is constructed and solved numerically for the proposed design in plate and cylinder configurations. This model is studied at different inlet hot ambient air temperatures and phase change material types (SP24E and SP26E) without and with inclusion of hybrid nanoparticles. The results affirm that the discharging and charging duration for the cylinder is minimal compared to the plate configuration. Raising the inflow air temperature lowers the exit air temperature and air conditioning coefficient of performance and power-saving but shortens the cooling time. Using phase change material with a relatively low melting temperature increases the melting time and exit air temperature but reduces the charging time. Mixing hybrid nanoparticles with phase change material has a short-term positive influence on air conditioning performance. The maximum power saving for 2 h of working is 16.4% for the cylinder, while for 10 h of working, it is 6.4% for the plate.
Dual immune checkpoint blockade in gastroesophageal tumors: never say never
Authors: Ilhan-Mutlu Aysegul
Published: January 2023

Immunotherapy was proven to be effective as first-line treatment for a subgroup of patients with gastroesophageal tumors and is already established as the standard of care. However, chemotherapy remains the backbone of treatment in both advanced and resectable stages. Dual checkpoint inhibition produces synergistic activation of immune cells and enhanced antitumor activity, and could thus represent an alternative to chemotherapy. So far, there is evidence for the combination strategies of inhibitors of the PD-L1/PD‑1 axis and CTLA4, LAG3 and TIGIT. A combination therapy of nivolumab+ipilimumab has already been approved as first-line treatment for patients with advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Evaluation of other concepts is ongoing. The aim of this review is to summarize current knowledge about dual inhibition of immune checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of gastroesophageal carcinoma and to discuss the available evidence from a clinical perspective.
Serum levels of the novel adipokine isthmin-1 are associated with obesity in pubertal boys
Authors: Ruiz-Ojeda Francisco Javier , Anguita-Ruiz Augusto , Rico Maria C. , Leis Rosaura , Bueno Gloria , Moreno Luis A. , Gil-Campos Mercedes , Gil Ángel , Aguilera Concepción M.
Published: January 2023

Objectives

To evaluate whether there is an association between the serum levels of the novel insulin-like adipokine isthmin-1 (ISM1) and obesity-related phenotypes in a population of Spanish children and to investigate the plausible molecular alterations behind the alteration of the serum levels of this protein in children with obesity.

Methods

The study population is a sub-cohort of the PUBMEP research project, consisting of a cross-sectional population of 119 pubertal children with overweight (17 boys, 19 girls), obesity (20 boys, 25 girls), and normal weight (17 boys, 21 girls). All subjects were classified into experimental groups according to their sex, obesity, and insulin resistance (IR) status. They were counted anthropometry, glucose and lipid metabolism, inflammation and cardiovascular biomarkers as well as isthmin-1 (ISM1) serum levels. This population was intended as a discovery population to elucidate the relationship between obesity and ISM1 levels in children. Furthermore, the study population had blood whole-genome DNA methylation examined, allowing deepening into the obesity–ISM1 molecular relationship.

Results

Higher serum ISM1 levels were observed in boys with obesity than in normal weight (P = 0.004) and overweight (P = 0.007) boys. ISM1 serum levels were positively associated with body mass index (BMI) Z-score (P = 0.005) and fat mass (P = 0.058) and negatively associated with myeloperoxidase (MPO) (P = 0.043) in boys. Although we did not find associations between ISM1 serum levels and metabolic outcomes in girls, which may indicate a putative sexual dimorphism, fat mass was positively associated in all children, including boys and girls (P = 0.011). DNA methylation levels in two-enhancer-related CpG sites of ISM1 (cg03304641 and cg14269097) were associated with serum levels of ISM1 in children.

Conclusions

ISM1 is associated with obesity in boys at the pubertal stage, elucidating how this protein might be of special relevance as a new biomarker of obesity in children. Further studies including a longitudinal design during puberty are needed.
Boosting the stability of β-galactosidase immobilized onto soy-protein isolate-glutaraldehyde-functionalized carrageenan beads
Authors: Wahba Marwa I.
Published: January 2023

Uncontrolled enzyme-immobilizer interactions were evident after immobilizing β-galactosidase onto soy-protein isolate-glutaraldehyde-functionalized carrageenan beads. Such interactions triggered shortcomings in the immobilized β-galactosidase (iβGL) thermal and storage stabilities. The thermal stability of the iβGL was somewhat lesser than that of the free βGL. Moreover, the iβGL suffered an initial sharp fall-off in its activity after storing it. Thus, approaches were adopted to prevent the occurrence of such uncontrolled enzyme-immobilizer interactions, and accordingly, boost the stability of the iβGL. These approaches involved neutralizing the covalently reactive GA entities via glycine and also altering the functionalizing GA concentrations. Nonetheless, no improvement was recorded in the iβGL thermal stability and this indicated that the uncontrolled enzyme-immobilizer interactions were not mediated via GA. Another approach was then attempted which involved treating the iβGL with lactose. The lactose-treated iβGL (LT-iβGL) presented superior thermal stability as was verified from its smaller kd and bigger t1/2 and D-values. The LT-iβGL t1/2 values were 5.60 and 3.53 fold higher than those presented by the free βGL at 62 and 65 °C, respectively. Moreover, the LT- iβGL presented loftier ΔG than did the free βGL. The storage stability of the LT- iβGL was also superior as it offered 100.41% of its commencing activity on its 43rd storage day. Thus, it could be concluded that lactose prevented the uncontrolled enzyme-immobilizer interactions. Finally, advantageous galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) were prepared via the iβGL. The GOS were then analyzed with mass spectrometry, and it was shown that their degree of polymerization reached up to 7.
Appraising the value of compositional information and its implications to scrap-based production of steel
Authors: Compañero Reinol Josef , Feldmann Andreas , Samuelsson Peter , Tilliander Anders , Jönsson Pär Göran , Gyllenram Rutger
Published: January 2023

The current nature of steel design and production is a response to meet increasingly demanding applications but without much consideration of end-of-life scenarios. The scrap handling infrastructure, particularly the characterization and sorting, is unable to match the complexity of scrapped products. This is manifested in problems of intermixing and contamination in the scrap flows, especially for obsolete scrap. Also, the segmentation of scrap classes in standards with respect to chemical compositions is based on tolerance ranges. Thus, variation in scrap composition exists even within the same scrap type. This study applies the concept of expected value of perfect information (EPVI) to the context of steel recycling. More specifically, it sets out to examine the difference between having partial and full information on scrap composition by using a raw material optimization software. Three different scenarios with different constraints were used to appraise this difference in terms of production and excess costs. With access to perfect information, production costs decreased by 8–10%, and excess costs became negligible. Overall, comparing the respective results gave meaningful insights on the value of reestablishing the compositional information of scrap at the end of its use phase. Furthermore, the results provided relevant findings and contribute to the ongoing discussions on the seemingly disparate prioritization of economic and environmental incentives with respect to the recycling of steel.
Temporal Structure in Sensorimotor Variability: A Stable Trait, But What For?
Authors: Perquin Marlou Nadine , van Vugt Marieke K. , Hedge Craig , Bompas Aline
Published: January 2023

Human performance shows substantial endogenous variability over time, and this variability is a robust marker of individual differences. Of growing interest to psychologists is the realisation that variability is not fully random, but often exhibits temporal dependencies. However, their measurement and interpretation come with several controversies. Furthermore, their potential benefit for studying individual differences in healthy and clinical populations remains unclear. Here, we gather new and archival datasets featuring 11 sensorimotor and cognitive tasks across 526 participants, to examine individual differences in temporal structures. We first investigate intra-individual repeatability of the most common measures of temporal structures — to test their potential for capturing stable individual differences. Secondly, we examine inter-individual differences in these measures using: (1) task performance assessed from the same data, (2) meta-cognitive ratings of on-taskness from thought probes occasionally presented throughout the task, and (3) self-assessed attention-deficit related traits. Across all datasets, autocorrelation at lag 1 and Power Spectra Density slope showed high intra-individual repeatability across sessions and correlated with task performance. The Detrended Fluctuation Analysis slope showed the same pattern, but less reliably. The long-term component (d) of the ARFIMA(1,d,1) model showed poor repeatability and no correlation to performance. Overall, these measures failed to show external validity when correlated with either mean subjective attentional state or self-assessed traits between participants. Thus, some measures of serial dependencies may be stable individual traits, but their usefulness in capturing individual differences in other constructs typically associated with variability in performance seems limited. We conclude with comprehensive recommendations for researchers.
Synergy effect between tetracycline and Cr(VI) on combined pollution systems driving biochar-templated Fe3O4@SiO2/TiO2/g-C3N4 composites for enhanced removal of pollutants
Authors: Yang Bowen , Dai Jiawei , Zhao Yuan , Wang Zhanchao , Wu Jingwei , Ji Caiya , Zhang Yuhu , Pu Xiao
Published: January 2023

Biochar-coupled Fe3O4@SiO2/TiO2/g-C3N4 composites were successfully constructed through simple sol–gel and calcination methods. The composites efficiently removed high-concentration toxic tetracycline (TC) by means of ·OH and ·$${\rm O}_2^{-}$$

O
2
-

, whose removal rate exhibited 91.88% during 3 h, and the degradation rate constant reached up to 0.0068 min−1. The excellent performance can be attributed to the high specific surface area, enhanced visible light response, the introduction of magnetic nanoparticles and biochars expediting charge transfer, Z-scheme heterojunction enhancing the spatial separation of photo-generate carriers and, importantly extraordinary adsorption capacity of 147.96 mg g−1. Moreover, the composites showed the most excellent efficiency under the calcination temperature of 450 ℃, and exhibited good stability with tolerance to a wide range of pH and anions. Interestingly, a synergistic photocatalytic effect was discovered in the TC/Cr(VI) combined pollution systems, resulting in significantly improved removal of Cr(VI). Besides, the photocatalytic mechanism and degradation path of tetracycline were also elucidated. All these findings suggested the as-synthesized catalyst was an excellent photocatalyst for removal of TC/Cr(VI)-contaminated water.

Graphical Abstract
What should AI see? Using the public’s opinion to determine the perception of an AI
Authors: Chan Robin , Dardashti Radin , Osinski Meike , Rottmann Matthias , Brüggemann Dominik , Rücker Cilia , Schlicht Peter , Hüger Fabian , Rummel Nikol , Gottschalk Hanno
Published: January 2023

Deep neural networks (DNN) have made impressive progress in the interpretation of image data so that it is conceivable and to some degree realistic to use them in safety critical applications like automated driving. From an ethical standpoint, the AI algorithm should take into account the vulnerability of objects or subjects on the street that ranges from “not at all”, e.g. the road itself, to “high vulnerability” of pedestrians. One way to take this into account is to define the cost of confusion of one semantic category with another and use cost-based decision rules for the interpretation of probabilities, which are the output of DNNs. However, it is an open problem how to define the cost structure, who should be in charge to do that, and thereby define what AI-algorithms will actually “see”. As one possible answer, we follow a participatory approach and set up an online survey to ask the public to define the cost structure. We present the survey design and the data acquired along with an evaluation that also distinguishes between perspective (car passenger vs. external traffic participant) and gender. Using simulation based F-tests, we find highly significant differences between the groups. These differences have consequences on the reliable detection of pedestrians in a safety critical distance to the self-driving car. We discuss the ethical problems that are related to this approach and also discuss the problems emerging from human–machine interaction through the survey from a psychological point of view. Finally, we include comments from industry leaders in the field of AI safety on the applicability of survey based elements in the design of AI functionalities in automated driving.
scEMAIL: Universal and Source-Free Annotation Method for scRNA-Seq Data with Novel Cell-Type Perception
Authors: Wan Hui , Chen Liang , Deng Minghua
Published: January 2023

Current cell-type annotation tools for single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data mainly utilize well-annotated source data to help identify cell types in target data. However, on account of privacy preservation, their requirements for raw source data may not always be satisfied. In this case, achieving feature alignment between source and target data explicitly is impossible. Additionally, these methods are barely able to discover the presence of novel cell types. A subjective threshold is often selected by users to detect novel cells. We propose a universal annotation framework for scRNA-seq data called scEMAIL, which automatically detects novel cell types without accessing source data during adaptation. For new cell-type identification, a novel cell-type perception module is designed with three steps. First, an expert ensemble system measures uncertainty of each cell from three complementary aspects. Second, based on this measurement, bimodality tests are applied to detect the presence of new cell types. Third, once assured of their presence, an adaptive threshold via manifold mixup partitions target cells into “known” and “unknown” groups. Model adaptation is then conducted to alleviate the batch effect. We gather multi-order neighborhood messages globally and impose local affinity regularizations on “known” cells. These constraints mitigate wrong classifications of the source model via reliable self-supervised information of neighbors. scEMAIL is accurate and robust under various scenarios in both simulation and real data. It is also flexible to be applied to challenging single-cell ATAC-seq data without loss of superiority. The source code of scEMAIL can be accessed at https://github.com/aster-ww/scEMAIL and https://ngdc.cncb.ac.cn/biocode/tools/BT007335/releases/v1.0.
Evaluation of Short-Term Mortality Prediction Using Initial Lactate and NEWS+L at Admission in COVID-19 Patients
Authors: Abuzer Özkan
Published: January 2023

Objective:

To predict the short-term mortality of the serum lactate level and the National Early Warning Score + lactate (NEWS+L) at the time of first admission to the emergency department in COVID-19 patients.

Materials and methods:

This retrospective analysis was performed by screening the data of COVID-19 patients over a 6-month period (from January 15, 2021, to June 15, 2021). The demographic, comorbidities, vital parameters, and lactate values, as well as C- reactive protein (CRP), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and 28-day mortality data were recorded.

Results:

A total of 70 patients were included in our study. The median (25th - 75th percentile) age was 58 (47.3 - 73.5) years, and 33 (47.1%) patients were female. The mean lactate value was 1.6 (1.2 - 1.98) mmol/L, the mean NEWS was 6 (4-7.75), and the mean NEWS+L was 7.24 ± 2.54. Mortality occurred in 13 (18.2%) of the 70 patients at 28 days. Lactate, NEWS, and NEWS+L had no significant relationship with mortality. None of these parameters was able to predict mortality (P = 0.132, 0.670, and 0.994, respectively).

Conclusion:

Our findings showed that the NEWS+L, NEWS, and lactate level could not predict short-term mortality in COVID-19 patients at the time of first admission.
Bubble re-acceleration behaviours in compressible Rayleigh–Taylor instability with isothermal stratification
Authors: Fu Cheng-Quan , Zhao Zhiye , Wang Pei , Liu Nan-Sheng , Wan Zhen-Hua , Lu Xi-Yun
Published: January 2023

The highly nonlinear evolution of the single-mode stratified compressible Rayleigh–Taylor instability (RTI) is investigated via direct numerical simulation over a range of Atwood numbers (

$A_T=0.1$

–

$0.9$

) and Mach numbers (

$Ma=0.1$

–

$0.7$

) for characterising the isothermal background stratification. After the potential stage, it is found that the bubble is accelerated to a velocity which is well above the saturation value predicted in the potential flow model. Unlike the bubble re-acceleration behaviour in quasi-incompressible RTI with uniform background density, the characteristics in the stratified compressible RTI are driven by not only vorticity accumulation inside the bubble but also flow compressibility resulting from the stratification. Specifically, in the case of strong stratification and high

$A_T$

, the flow compressibility dominates the bubble re-acceleration characters. To model the effect of flow compressibility, we propose a novel model to reliably describe the bubble re-acceleration behaviours in the stratified compressible RTI, via introducing the dilatation into the classical model that takes into account only vorticity accumulation.
Circular bubbles in a Hele-Shaw channel: a Hele-Shaw Newton's cradle
Authors: Booth D.J. , Griffiths I.M. , Howell P.D.
Published: January 2023

We consider the propagation of inviscid bubbles in a Hele-Shaw cell under a uniform background flow. We focus on the distinguished limit in which the hydrodynamic pressure gradient due to the external flow balances viscous drag effects due to thin liquid films between the bubbles and the cell walls (Bretherton, J. Fluid Mech., vol. 10, issue 2, 1961, pp. 166–188), with the ratio between these two effects measured by a single dimensionless parameter that we label

$\delta$

. In this regime, we find that each bubble remains approximately circular, and its propagation velocity is determined by a net force balance. The analytical solution for the problem of an isolated bubble in an infinite Hele-Shaw cell is found to agree well with experimental data in the literature. In particular, we find that the bubble may move faster or slower than the background fluid speed, depending on whether

$\delta >1$

or

$\delta <1$

, or precisely with the background flow if

$\delta =1$

. When the model is generalised to include the effects of multiple bubbles and boundaries in the Hele-Shaw cell, we still find that the sign of

$\delta -1$

causes striking changes in the qualitative behaviour. For a train of three or more bubbles moving along a Hele-Shaw channel, we observe longitudinal waves that propagate forwards or backwards along the bubble train, depending on whether

$\delta >1$

or

$\delta <1$

, resembling a Hele-Shaw Newton's cradle.
Latitudinal regionalization of rotating spherical shell convection
Authors: Gastine Thomas , Aurnou Jonathan M.
Published: January 2023

Convection occurs ubiquitously on and in rotating geophysical and astrophysical bodies. Prior spherical shell studies have shown that the convection dynamics in polar regions can differ significantly from the lower latitude, equatorial dynamics. Yet most spherical shell convective scaling laws use globally-averaged quantities that erase latitudinal differences in the physics. Here we quantify those latitudinal differences by analysing spherical shell simulations in terms of their regionalized convective heat-transfer properties. This is done by measuring local Nusselt numbers in two specific, latitudinally separate, portions of the shell, the polar and the equatorial regions,

$Nu_p$

and

$Nu_e$

, respectively. In rotating spherical shells, convection first sets in outside the tangent cylinder such that equatorial heat transfer dominates at small and moderate supercriticalities. We show that the buoyancy forcing, parameterized by the Rayleigh number

$Ra$

, must exceed the critical equatorial forcing by a factor of

${\approx }20$

to trigger polar convection within the tangent cylinder. Once triggered,

$Nu_p$

increases with

$Ra$

much faster than does

$Nu_e$

. The equatorial and polar heat fluxes then tend to become comparable at sufficiently high

$Ra$

. Comparisons between the polar convection data and Cartesian numerical simulations reveal quantitative agreement between the two geometries in terms of heat transfer and averaged bulk temperature gradient. This agreement indicates that rotating spherical shell convection dynamics is accessible both through spherical simulations and via reduced investigatory pathways, be they theoretical, numerical or experimental.
Reconstruction of the 3-D fields with a depth-averaged model for open-channel flows in the smooth turbulent case
Authors: Richard G.L. , Couderc F. , Vila J.P.
Published: January 2023

A two-dimensional depth-averaged model is derived for open-channel flows in the smooth turbulent case. The derivation is consistently obtained with a method of matched asymptotic expansions in the outer and inner layers using a mixing length model of turbulence including the free-surface reduction of the eddy viscosity. The shear effects are taken into account by an extra tensor variable of the model called the enstrophy tensor. The friction coefficient is an explicit expression of the water depth. The three-dimensional velocity field and the friction velocity can be reconstructed from the values of the depth-averaged quantities. Numerical simulations show that the enstrophy can be used to evaluate the development of the turbulent boundary layer. In the case of subcritical unsteady flows, the reconstructed velocity can be described with a logarithmic law modified by Coles’ wake function with apparent von Kármán constant, integration constant and wake-strength parameter, which differ from their values in steady flows. In the viscous sublayer the steady-state relation between the velocity and the vertical coordinate, in the inner scaling, is not valid for unsteady flows. Large errors on the calculation of the von Kármán constant can be made if the validity of the steady-state relation is assumed for unsteady flows. The comparisons of the reconstructed velocity profiles in the case of one-dimensional unsteady open-channel flows and two-dimensional wide trapezoidal channels show a good agreement with experiments.
Second-order inertial forces and torques on a sphere in a viscous steady linear flow
Authors: Candelier F. , Mehaddi R. , Mehlig B. , Magnaudet J.
Published: January 2023

We compute the full set of second-order inertial corrections to the instantaneous force and torque acting on a small spherical rigid particle moving unsteadily in a general steady linear flow. This is achieved by using matched asymptotic expansions and formulating the problem in a coordinate system co-moving with the background flow. Effects of unsteadiness and fluid-velocity gradients are assumed to be small, but to dominate in the far field over those of the velocity difference between the body and fluid, making the results essentially relevant to weakly positively or negatively buoyant particles. The outer solution (which at first order is responsible for the Basset–Boussinesq history force at short time and for shear-induced forces such as the Saffman lift force at long time) is expressed via a flow-dependent tensorial kernel. The second-order inner solution brings a number of different contributions to the force and torque. Some are proportional to the relative translational or angular acceleration between the particle and fluid, while others take the form of products of the rotation/strain rate of the background flow and the relative translational or angular velocity between the particle and fluid. Adding the outer and inner contributions, the known added-mass force or the spin-induced lift force are recovered, and new effects involving the velocity gradients of the background flow are revealed. The resulting force and torque equations provide a rational extension of the classical Basset–Boussinesq–Oseen equation incorporating all first- and second-order fluid inertia effects resulting from both unsteadiness and velocity gradients of the carrying flow.