bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessing the significance of first place and online third places in supporting Malaysian seniors’ well-being during the pandemic
Authors: Tan Teck Hong , Idris Izian
Published: April 2023

The enforced lockdowns and social distancing measures associated with COVID-19 may have influenced older adults’ preferences towards their homes and neighborhoods as well as social spaces. One objective of this research is to determine whether home and neighborhood environments (“first place”) affect how satisfied older adults are with their lives during the epidemic. This study also examined the extent to which social spaces that exist in the virtual world (“online third places”) affect older adults’ life satisfaction when they would have to practice risk-averse behaviors in times of pandemic. To collect data, this study analyzed the responses of 500 active older adults and conducted in-depth interviews with seven older adults who served as neighborhood leaders in Klang Valley, Malaysia. The study found that there is a direct relationship between older adults’ satisfaction with their current housing and their overall life satisfaction during the pandemic. Similarly, having a quality neighborhood nearby increases the likelihood of living a satisfied life during the pandemic. Most online third places, with the exception of instant messaging apps, do not appear to provide older adults with an adequate platform to interact with their friends, participate in social networking, and join communities for emotional support during the pandemic. The findings and recommendations of this study would be very useful in developing effective interventions to promote aging in place during the coronavirus outbreak.
Simplified approach models tsunami-causing landslides quickly and accurately
Authors: Liebendorfer Adam
Published: April 2023

Numerical computations find the locked wave of landslides contributes to wave formation more than previously believed.
Machine learning boosting the discovery of porous metamaterials with an abnormal thermal transport property
Authors: Yang Yu , Zhao Yunshan , Zhang Lifa
Published: April 2023

Normally, the introduction of porous structures into materials can tune their thermal conductivity, showing great applications in thermal management and thermoelectric energy harvesting. However, the ability of disorder changing the thermal conductivity of porous materials has seldom been explored. In this work, we show that an introduction of disorder into the macroscopic porous materials with a certain porosity can lead to a desired effective thermal conductivity over a large range, where an abnormal enhancement of ∼7.9% and a normal reduction of ∼44% at room temperature are predicted by the machine-learning-optimized algorithm. All of these theoretical calculation results are further verified by our experiments performed in the current work by using the steady-state thermal flux method. Moreover, when these periodic units are artificially connected, a structural anisotropy up to 40 is achieved, which can be further used to adjust the direction of the thermal flux in a well-controlled way. Our work provides an efficient and convenient approach for designing high-performance porous materials with specific thermal conductivity and high structural anisotropy for various applications in thermal management.
An improved Darwin approximation in the classical electromagnetism
Authors: Shiroto Takashi
Published: April 2023

Darwin approximation, a non-relativistic submodel of the Maxwell's equations, has been used for theoretical and computational investigations of magnetized plasmas. In this short paper, an improved Darwin approximation is proposed, which is applicable not only to the Coulomb gauge but also to the Lorenz counterpart. The proposed approximation exactly satisfies the conservation of charge, momentum, and energy under the use of the Lorenz and Coulomb gauges.
Developing characteristics of the positive streamer in water with microsecond pulse voltage
Authors: Wang Yongsheng , Meng Yang , Jin Wenyong , Peng Mingbin , Ding Weidong
Published: April 2023

Underwater discharge is the typical method used to generate plasma in a liquid phase environment and is employed in many engineering applications. This study analyzes the formation and development process of the positive streamer in water under microsecond voltage. The effects of voltage amplitude, liquid conductivity, and the presence of bubbles on the underwater discharge characteristics are analyzed by establishing a two-dimensional finite element simulation model of a needle-plate gap. The simulation results show that the electron density of the streamer in water can reach 1023 m−3, and as the applied voltage amplitude increases, the development speed of the streamer increases and the head of the stream bifurcates. Moreover, when the conductivity of the water is high, the development speed of the streamer and the density of charged particles increase. Furthermore, the presence of bubbles significantly impacts the development of the discharge morphology, causing the channel to have multiple bifurcations.
On the force exerted on a non-spherical dust grain from homogeneous magnetized plasma
Authors: Krasheninnikov S. I.
Published: April 2023

It is shown that stationary non-spherical dust grains immersed into stationary magnetized plasma can experience the j → × B → force due to electric current flowing through the grain. The electric current can be caused by different patterns of electron and ion fluxes impinging on the grain.
Emergence of disordered branching patterns in confined chiral nematic liquid crystals
Authors: Echeverría-Alar Sebastián , Clerc Marcel G. , Bordeu Ignacio
Published: April 2023

Spatial branching processes are ubiquitous in nature, yet the mechanisms that drive their growth may vary significantly from one system to another. In soft matter physics, chiral nematic liquid crystals provide a controlled setting to study the emergence and growth dynamic of disordered branching patterns. Via an appropriate forcing, a cholesteric phase may nucleate in a chiral nematic liquid crystal, which self-organizes into an extended branching pattern. It is known that branching events take place when the rounded tips of cholesteric fingers swell, become unstable, and split into two new cholesteric tips. The origin of this interfacial instability and the mechanisms that drive the large-scale spatial organization of these cholesteric patterns remain unclear. In this work, we investigate experimentally the spatial and temporal organization of thermally driven branching patterns in chiral nematic liquid crystal cells. We describe the observations through a mean-field model and find that chirality is responsible for the creation of fingers, regulates their interactions, and controls the tip-splitting process. Furthermore, we show that the complex dynamics of the cholesteric pattern behaves as a probabilistic process of branching and inhibition of chiral tips that drives the large-scale topological organization. Our theoretical findings are in good agreement with the experimental observations.
(p)ppGpp – an important player during heat shock response
Authors: Driller Kristina , Cornejo Fabián A , Turgay Kürşad
Published: April 2023

The alarmones and second messengers (p)ppGpp are important for the cellular response to amino acid starvation. Although the stringent response is present in many bacteria, the targets and functions of (p)ppGpp can differ between species, and our knowledge of (p)ppGpp targets is constantly expanding. Recently, it was demonstrated that these alarmones are also part of the heat shock response in Bacillus subtilis and that there is a functional overlap with the oxidative and heat stress transcriptional regulator Spx. Here, the (p)ppGpp second messenger alarmones allow the fast stress-induced downregulation of translation while Spx inhibits the further expression of translation-related genes to lower the load on the protein quality control system, while the chaperone and protease expression is induced. In this review, we discuss the role of (p)ppGpp and its intricate connections in the complex network of stress sensing, heat shock response, and adaptation in B. subtilis cells.
The future of ocean plastics: designing diverse collaboration frameworks
Authors: Mofokeng R P , Faltynkova A , Alfonso M B , Boujmil I , Carvalho I R B , Lunzalu K , Zanuri N B Mohd , Nyadjro E S , Puskic P S , Lindsay D J , Willis K , Adyel T M , Serra-Gonçalves C , Zolich A , Eriksen T S , Evans H-C , Gabriel D , Hajbane S , Suaria G , Law K L , Lobelle D
Published: April 2023

This paper aims to guide the stakeholder engagement process related to plastic pollution research in marine environments. We draw on advice identified during an online workshop (Ocean Plastic Workshop 2022) organized by Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOPs) from 11 countries, held in April 2022. International experts and workshop participants discussed their experiences in the collaborative development and implementation of ocean plastic pollution projects held worldwide, guided by three main questions: (i) What is the role of scientists in a multi-stakeholder project? (ii) How should scientists communicate with other stakeholders? (iii) Which stakeholders are missing in collaborative projects, and why are they missing? This multidisciplinary, co-learning approach highlights the value of stakeholder engagement for ocean plastic projects with an end goal to identify and implement ocean plastic solutions via innovative technologies, informing policy, community engagement, or a combination of all three approaches. The target outcomes of the workshop described in this paper include the identification of transdisciplinary (academic-stakeholder) engagement frameworks and specific suggestions that can serve as guidelines for the development of future plastic pollution projects.
Nutritional value of a new source of cheese coproduct fed to weanling pigs
Authors: Mallea Andrea P , Oliveira Maryane S F , Lopez Diego A , Stein Hans H
Published: April 2023

Three experiments were conducted to test the hypothesis that values for standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of amino acids (AA) and metabolizable energy (ME) in a the cheese coproduct are greater than in fish meal or enzyme-treated soybean meal (ESBM). The second objective was to test the hypothesis that pigs fed a diet containing cheese coproduct will have growth performance that is not different from that of pigs fed other sources of protein. In experiment 1, eight ileal-cannulated barrows (11.0 ± 0.4 kg) were allotted to a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design with four diets and four periods and two pigs per diet in each period. The four diets included an N-free diet and three diets that contained ESBM, fish meal, or the cheese coproduct as the source of AA. Results indicated that the cheese coproduct had greater (P < 0.05) SID of most AA compared with ESBM and fish meal. In experiment 2, 32 weanling barrows (14.0 ± 1.1 kg) were housed individually in metabolism crates and randomly allotted to one of four diets. A corn-based diet and three diets that contained corn and ESBM, fish meal, or cheese coproduct were formulated. Feces and urine were collected quantitatively. The ME in cheese coproduct was greater (P < 0.05) than in ESBM and fish meal. In experiment 3, 128 weaned pigs (6.2 ± 0.6 kg) were allotted to a randomized complete block design with four treatments and 8 replicate pens per diet. Phase 1 diets that contained 0%, 6.65%, 7.35%, or 14% cheese coproduct were fed from days 1 to 14 and a common phase 2 diet without cheese coproduct was fed from days 15 to 28. Individual pig weights were recorded at the beginning of the experiment, on days 14 and 28, and daily feed allotments were also recorded. Two blood samples were collected from 1 pig per pen on day 14 to analyze for blood urea N, albumin, total plasma protein, peptide YY, immunoglobulin G, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, and interleukin-10. No differences were observed in average daily gain among treatments, but there was a tendency (P < 0.10) for total protein on day 14 to increase as cheese coproduct increased in the diets. In conclusion, the cheese coproduct used in this experiment has a greater SID of AA and greater ME than ESBM and fish meal and the cheese coproduct may be included in prestarter diets for weanling pigs without negatively impacting growth performance or indicators of intestinal health.
Challenges and advances towards the rational design of microalgal synthetic promoters in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
Authors: Milito Alfonsina , Aschern Moritz , McQuillan Josie L , Yang Jae-Seong
Published: April 2023

Microalgae hold enormous potential to provide a safe and sustainable source of high-value compounds, acting as carbon-fixing biofactories that could help to mitigate rapidly progressing climate change. Bioengineering microalgal strains will be key to optimizing and modifying their metabolic outputs, and to render them competitive with established industrial biotechnology hosts, such as bacteria or yeast. To achieve this, precise and tuneable control over transgene expression will be essential, which would require the development and rational design of synthetic promoters as a key strategy. Among green microalgae, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii represents the reference species for bioengineering and synthetic biology; however, the repertoire of functional synthetic promoters for this species, and for microalgae generally, is limited in comparison to other commercial chassis, emphasizing the need to expand the current microalgal gene expression toolbox. Here, we discuss state-of-the-art promoter analyses, and highlight areas of research required to advance synthetic promoter development in C. reinhardtii. In particular, we exemplify high-throughput studies performed in other model systems that could be applicable to microalgae, and propose novel approaches to interrogating algal promoters. We lastly outline the major limitations hindering microalgal promoter development, while providing novel suggestions and perspectives for how to overcome them.
UVIT view of NGC 5291: Ongoing star formation in tidal dwarf galaxies at ∼ 0.35 kpc resolution
Authors: Rakhi R , Santhosh Geethika , Joseph Prajwel , George Koshy , Subramanian Smitha , Kavila Indulekha , Postma J , Duc Pierre-Alain , Côté Patrick , Cortese Luca , Ghosh S K , Subramaniam Annapurni , Tandon Shyam , Hutchings John , Wesley P Samuel , Bharadwaj Aditya , Niroula Neeran
Published: April 2023

NGC 5291, an early-type galaxy surrounded by a giant H i ring, is believed to be formed from collision with another galaxy. Several star forming complexes and tidal dwarf galaxies are distributed along the collisional ring which are sites of star formation in environments where extreme dynamical effects are involved. Dynamical effects can affect the star formation properties and the spatial distribution of star forming complexes along the tidal features. To study and quantify the star formation activity in the main body and in the ring structure of the NGC 5291 system, we use high spatial resolution FUV and NUV imaging observations from the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope onboard AstroSat. A total of 57 star-forming knots are identified to be part of this interacting system out of which 12 are new detections (star forming complexes that lie inside the H i contour) compared to the previous measurements from lower resolution UV imaging. We estimate the attenuation in UV for each of the resolved star-forming knots using the UV spectral slope β, derived from the FUV − NUV colour. Using the extinction corrected UV fluxes, we derive the star formation rate of the resolved star forming complexes. The extinction corrected total star formation rate of this system is estimated as 1.75 ± 0.04 $\mathrm{M_\odot \, yr}^{-1}$. The comparison with dwarf galaxy populations (BCD, Sm, and dIm galaxies) in the nearby Universe shows that many of the knots in the NGC 5291 system have SFR values comparable to the SFR of BCD galaxies.
Relationship between the phase angle from bioelectrical impedance analysis and daily physical activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Matsumoto Yoshinari , Tada Masahiro , Yamada Yutaro , Mandai Koji , Hidaka Noriaki
Published: April 2023

Objectives

This study aimed to examine the relationship between daily physical activity and the phase angle (PhA) obtained by bioelectrical impedance analysis in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.

Methods

Data from a prospective cohort study of RA patients who were surveyed every year were analysed. The PhA was assessed by the bioelectrical impedance analysis method, and physical activity was assessed as the amount of time of exercise in metabolic equivalents (METs) per day using a triaxial accelerometer for 7 consecutive days. The association between physical activity and the PhA was evaluated using the isotemporal substitution model in multiple regression analysis.

Results

Seventy-six RA patients were included in the analysis (81% female and age 66.2 ± 13.1 years). On cross-sectional analysis, the isotemporal substitution model in multiple regression analysis showed that the PhA was 0.05 points higher every 10 minutes when activities with intensity of 1 ≤ METs < 2 were replaced by activities with intensity of ≥3 METs (P = .01). Over 1 year, the rate of change in the PhA was 0.69% higher every 10 minutes when activities with intensity of 1 ≤ METs < 2 were replaced by activities with intensity of ≥3 METs (P = .037).

Conclusion

The PhA in RA patients may be related to physical activity level.