bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Additive Grothendieck Pretopologies and Presentations of Tensor Categories
Authors: Coulembier Kevin
Published: April 2023

We study how tensor categories can be presented in terms of rigid monoidal categories and Grothendieck topologies and show that such presentations lead to strong universal properties. As the main tool in this study, we define a notion on preadditive categories which plays a role similar to (a generalisation of) the notion of a Grothendieck pretopology on an unenriched category. Each such additive pretopology defines an additive Grothendieck topology and suffices to define the sheaf category. This new notion also allows us to study the noetherian and subcanonical nature of additive topologies, to describe easily the join of a family of additive topologies and to identify useful universal properties of the sheaf category.
Eutrophic reservoir water suitability for irrigation in semi-arid region
Authors: Tadesse Kassahun Birhanu , Dinka Megersa Olumana
Published: April 2023

Eutrophication is a common problem for the dams situated within an urban or agricultural catchment with a high source of untreated plant nutrients. This can negatively affect the hydro ecosystem, recreational and other uses of water. On the other hand, such eutrophic dams could also be a rich source of nutrients for agricultural use. Thinking irrigation as an alternative means of eutrophic reservoir water management, water suitability for irrigation was investigated for Roodeplaat Dam, South Africa using physicochemical parameters recorded (1981–2017) at five sampling stations. Irrigation suitability was evaluated in terms of nutrient content, salinity, soil infiltration, and toxicity problems to irrigated plants. Plant nutrients: NH4_N, NO3_NO2_N, PO4_P, are within the normal range. But K is above the normal range for irrigation use and can cause nitrogen deficiency. The salinity of 0.44 dS/m was found within the normal range with none restriction for irrigation use. Na toxicity in terms of SAR and Cl toxicity was none for both surface and sprinkler irrigated plants. The pH value of 8.4 was within the normal range (6.5–8.4). Generally, the quality of the reservoir water was categorized under C2S1 (medium salinity and low sodium hazard). Irrigation water can cause slight to moderate soil infiltration problem. Therefore, eutrophic reservoirs can be a potential source of readily available nutrients for irrigation and, hence irrigation use can be considered as one of the remedial measures to decrease nutrient accumulation in the reservoir. The existing water conveyance system can be used to transport water to agricultural fields.
A reinforcement learning/ad-hoc planning and scheduling mechanism for flexible and sustainable manufacturing systems
Authors: Paraschos Panagiotis D. , Koulinas Georgios K. , Koulouriotis Dimitrios E.
Published: April 2023

The process scheduling is still considered a crucial subject for manufacturing industry, due to the ever-changing circumstances dictated by the nowadays product demand and customer trends. These conditions are often associated with increasing costs and energy consumption, considerably affecting the long-term sustainability of manufacturing plants. To mitigate that effect, one should create an effective strategy tailoring integrated operations and processes to the customer demand and trends faced by the nowadays industry. A well-known approach to this matter is the technologies introduced by manufacturing paradigms, e.g., Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing. As suggested in literature, these technologies are capable of helping decision-makers by continuously gathering significant information about the state of machinery and manufactured goods. This information is thereafter utilized to identify weaknesses and strengths demonstrated within manufacturing plants. To this end, the present paper presents a process optimization framework implemented in a three-stage production line prone to systematic degradation faults. Aiming at strengthening profitability, the framework engages reinforcement learning with ad-hoc manufacturing/maintenance control in decision-making carried out in implemented machines. Simulation experiments showed improved process planning and inventory management enabling cost-effective green and sustainable manufacturing in manufacturing plants.
Immunotherapy for Metastatic Triple Negative Breast Cancer: Current Paradigm and Future Approaches
Authors: Geurts Veerle , Kok Marleen
Published: April 2023

Opinion statement

In approximately 15–20% of the patients diagnosed with breast cancer, it comprises the triple negative (TN) subtype, which until recently lacked targets for specific treatments and is known for its aggressive clinical behavior in patients with metastatic disease. TNBC is considered the most immunogenic breast cancer subtype due to higher levels of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), tumor mutational burden and PD-L1 expression, providing a rationale for immunotherapy. The addition of pembrolizumab to chemotherapy as first-line treatment resulted in significantly improved PFS and OS for PD-L1 positive mTNBC, leading to FDA approval. However, response rate of ICB in unselected patients is low. Ongoing (pre)clinical trials aim to further optimize ICB efficacy and widen its application beyond PD-L1 positive breast tumors. Novel immunomodulatory approaches to induce a more inflamed tumor microenvironment include dual checkpoint blockade, bispecific antibodies, immunocytokines, adoptive cell therapies, oncolytic viruses, and cancer vaccines. Preclinical data for these novel strategies seems promising, but solid clinical data to further support its application for mTNBC is awaited. Biomarkers capturing the degree of immunogenicity such as but not limited to TILs, CD8 T cell levels, and IFNg signatures could support deciding which therapeutic strategy is most appropriate for which patient. Given 1) the accumulating therapy options for patients with metastatic disease and 2) the heterogeneity of mTNBC from inflamed to immune-desert tumors, the challenge is to work towards immunomodulatory strategies for specific subgroups of patients with TNBC to enable personalized (immuno)therapy for patients with metastatic disease.
The paleo-synanthropic niche: a first attempt to define animal’s adaptation to a human-made micro-environment in the Late Pleistocene
Authors: Baumann Chris
Published: April 2023

Synanthropic behavior, i.e., the behavior of wild animals that benefit from a shared ecology with humans, has existed long before the sedentarization of Homo sapiens during the Neolithic, around 10,000 years ago. This study describes and discusses the concept of an older animal-human relationship: paleo-synanthropic behavior and the associated paleo-synanthropic niche. Key features of this new niche are anthropogenic food waste from mobile hunter-gatherers as a stable food base for small opportunistic scavengers and a human-near environment safe from large predators. By linking the niche to human behavior rather than to a specific location or structure, this niche was accessible for a long time, even in the Late Pleistocene. Like modern synanthropic animals, members of the paleo-synanthropic niche experienced an increase in population density and a decrease in home range. This, in turn, made it easier for humans to capture these animals and use them as resources for meat, fur, or feathers, as seen in the zooarchaeological record of many European Late Pleistocene sites. As a disadvantage, diseases such as zoonoses may have spread more easily.
Catalytic Reduction of Congo Red to Low-Toxicity Forms Using a Low-Cost Catalyst Based on Modified Bentonite Material
Authors: Zahraoui Mehdi , Mokhtar Adel , Medjhouda Zohra Aouali Kebir , Abdelkrim Soumia , Boukoussa Bouhadjar , Djelad Amal , Hasnaoui Mohammed Abdelkrim , Sassi Mohamed , Abboud Mohamed
Published: April 2023

The reduction of azo dyes to less toxic and more easily biodegradable amine derivatives is an effective strategy for the treatment of industrial wastewater. The present work aimed to study the reduction reaction of azo dye Congo red (CR) catalyzed by nanoparticles (NPs) of chromium oxides (Cr2O3NPs) immobilized on bentonite in the presence of NaBH4. Cr(III) ions were intercalated using ion exchange reactions to obtain Cr-bentonite, and then the immobilized chromium cations were treated using NaBH4 leading to the formation of Cr2O3NPs-bentonite. The physicochemical properties of the samples were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS), UV–Visible diffuse reflectance (UV–Vis DR), and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy techniques. The results showed the formation of various chromium species, in which the most dominant were chromium oxide nanoparticles, on the bentonite surface with an average particle size between 20 and 35 nm. Line-scan analysis showed a reactive catalytic surface due to the excellent distribution of Cr on the bentonite surfaces. The best-performing catalyst, Cr2O3NPs-bentonite, displayed significant catalytic activity compared to the bentonite and Cr-bentonite materials, with a full reduction time of 630 s and a rate constant, kapp, equal to 0.034 s–1. The resulting products (benzidine and sodium 3, 4-diaminonaphthalene-1-sulfonate) from the catalytic reduction exhibited low toxicity compared to the CR dye; these products are easy to use in chemical synthesis. All results collected from this work indicated that this low-cost catalyst can be exploited to eliminate other dyes from the environment.
The Contested World Economy
Authors: Helleiner Eric
Published: April 2023

The rapid growth of the field of international political economy since the 1970s has revived an older tradition of thought from the pre-1945 era. The Contested World Economy provides the first book-length analysis of these deep intellectual roots of the field, revealing how earlier debates about the world economy were more global and wide-ranging than usually recognized. Helleiner shows how pre-1945 pioneers of international political economy included thinkers from all parts of the world rather than just those from Europe and the United States featured in most textbooks. Their discussions also went beyond the much-studied debate between economic liberals, neomercantilists, and Marxists, and addressed wider topics, including many with contemporary relevance, such as environmental degradation, gender inequality, racial discrimination, religious worldviews, civilizational values, national self-sufficiency, and varieties of economic regionalism. This fascinating history of ideas sheds new light on current debates and the need for a global understanding of their antecedents.
BHR Agenda and Authoritarian Regimes: The Case of Political and Human Rights Crisis in Belarus Since 2020
Authors: Deikalo Ekaterina
Published: April 2023

This article aims to highlight peculiarities relating to the realization of the state duty to protect human rights during the crisis situation after the 2020 presidential elections in Belarus. It proposes that we engage more seriously with the context of a strong authoritarian state, which does not have people’s protection as a priority and deliberately involves business in human rights violations. Such a context is at odds with the more often presumed model in the BHR discussion: a strong business and a weak state that cannot protect its people. Two systemic factors, which stem from the authoritarian nature of the Belarusian political regime and which worsened during the crisis are discussed in the context UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: the use of business as a tool to achieve political goals and the dependence of all institutions in the country on the authorities. One of the key conclusions of the article is that the Belarusian crisis, aggravated by the complicity of Belarus in the Russian aggression, prompts businesses to adopt a new optic on human rights due diligence and to assess their long-term risks and strategies in authoritarian countries. At the very least there is an awareness among businesses of the direct link between political and human rights risks.
Addressing health disparities in the criminal legal system: Translational benefits, challenges, and facilitators of impactful research with incarcerated pregnant women
Authors: Volkov Boris B. , Pulley Chris , Shlafer Rebecca
Published: April 2023

This in-depth analysis illuminates a translational journey of a community-university research collaboration that examined health disparities among incarcerated pregnant women and spanned the translational spectrum, with the initial collaboration in 2011 paving the way for consequent research grants, publications, practices, programs, and legislation passed years later. The case study utilized data from interviews with research stakeholders, institutional and governmental sources, peer-reviewed publications, and news stories. Identified research and translational challenges included cultural differences between research and prison system; the prison system’s lack of transparency; politics of using and translating research to policy change; and issues of capacity, power, privilege, and opportunity when doing community-engaged research/science. Among the facilitators of translation were the Clinical and Translational Science Award and institutional support; engagement of key stakeholders and influencers; authentic collaboration and team science; researchers as translation catalysts; pragmatic scientific approach; and policies and legislative activities. The research contributed to a variety of community and public health, policy/legislative, clinical/medical, and economic benefits. The case study findings enhance our understanding of translational science principles and processes leading to improved wellbeing and serve as a call for advancing the research agenda addressing health disparities related to criminal and social justice issues.
Community-engaged training in informed consent
Authors: Markman Kris M. , Weicker Noelle P. , Klein Andreas K. , Sege Robert
Published: April 2023

Inadequate training in the interpersonal skills of conducting informed consent conversations has long been noted as a challenge for clinical research recruitment and retention. To address this critical gap, Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute developed regular trainings for clinical research coordinators and other research staff on the practical skills of communicating informed consent using community members as simulated patients for role-playing exercises. In this paper, we assess the reach and effectiveness of these trainings and describe the impact of employing community stakeholders as simulated patients. We found that by embedding community members in the trainings, clinical research coordinators get to hear diverse perspectives, experience a range of patient responses, and learn from the lived experience of the communities that research tries to serve. Utilizing community members as trainers also helps to dismantle traditional power dynamics by demonstrating the organization’s commitment to inclusiveness and community engagement. Based on these findings, we suggest that training on informed consent include more simulated consent exercises that feature interaction with community members who can provide real-time feedback to coordinators.
Disputing death: brain death in the courts
Authors: Donnelly Mary , Lyons Barry
Published: April 2023

Death by neurological criteria (DNC) has remained controversial since its introduction over 50 years ago. Objections to the diagnosis of DNC have been coming before the courts in various jurisdictions, including at least seven recent challenges before the UK courts. In responding to these challenges, the UK courts have expressed no doubts as to the status of DNC and have affirmed that following a diagnosis of DNC, the matter of best interests is no longer relevant. Yet, the courts have also, tacitly, acknowledged that DNC is not quite the same as cardio-pulmonary death.

This paper begins by setting out the origins of DNC as a medico-legal construction, and its ongoing controversies. It then analyses the treatment of DNC, including authorisation of DNC testing, by the UK courts. It shows that the courts have been operating a form of ad hoc reasonable accommodation of different views of DNC but have done so without normative engagement. The paper argues that the courts should recognise that DNC disputes are not simply concerned with whether, as a matter of fact, DNC has been correctly diagnosed, but also raise profound questions about rights and interests, both of families and of the DNC dead.
Investing in Infants: Child Protection and Nationalism in Transylvania during Dualism and the Interwar Period
Authors: Gál Edina
Published: April 2023

The high infant mortality rate of illegitimate children in Dualist Hungary urged politicians to create a modern state child welfare system for the protection of abandoned children whose upbringing became a national matter. Their main concern was providing adequate nutrition for infants and increase their chances of survival. The article examines how demographical concerns and national-political ideals influenced the evolution of the child welfare system in multi-ethnic Transylvania, first as part of the dual monarchy and after the First World War as a province of Romania. The Hungarian state children’s asylums offered a variety of nursing programs for abandoned infants, where the foster-care system often resulted in their Magyarization at a later age. During the First World War, the new objective was the protection of infants together with mothers and the promotion of breastfeeding in order to ensure the viability of the Hungarian nation. National arguments were used in both time periods to support infant protection initiatives. In interwar Transylvania, the urban-rural ethnic distribution influenced the development of infant protection facilities: all state investments were channeled toward the “authentic” Romanian countryside, while in the “foreign” urban environment ethnic minorities focused on their own institutions.
From Victims to Dissidents: Legacies of Violence and Popular Mobilization in Iraq (2003–2018)
Authors: BERMAN CHANTAL , CLARKE KILLIAN , MAJED RIMA
Published: April 2023

A growing literature links experiences of armed conflict with postwar political behavior. This paper examines how legacies of wartime violence shape dynamics of protest in twenty-first-century Iraq. We argue that experiences of shared violence against civilians generate strong social and organizational ties, as individuals turn to neighbors, friends, and communal organizations or social groups to help them cope. These strengthened social networks endure beyond the end of the conflict, forming important vehicles that can facilitate the organization of protest when new grievances or opportunities arise. Further, we posit that these effects will be strongest when the perpetrator of wartime violence is a clear out-group—e.g., a foreign army or non-coethnic militia—which facilitates network strengthening by creating a sense of collective victimization and in-group solidarity. We support these arguments using an original database of Iraqi protests from 2010 to 2012 and data on civilian casualties during Iraq’s 2004–2009 conflict. We further test our argument with geo-referenced Arab Barometer surveys. We leverage a case study of Fallujah, based on original interviews and other qualitative data, to unpack mechanisms of network strengthening, endurance, and reactivation during the Iraqi protest wave of 2011.
Tilly Goes to Church: The Religious and Medieval Roots of European State Fragmentation
Authors: GRZYMALA-BUSSE ANNA
Published: April 2023

The starting point for many analyses of European state development is the historical fragmentation of territorial authority. The dominant bellicist explanation for state formation argues that this fragmentation was an unintended consequence of imperial collapse, and that warfare in the early modern era overcame fragmentation by winnowing out small polities and consolidating strong states. Using new data on papal conflict and religious institutions, I show instead that political fragmentation was the outcome of deliberate choices, that it is closely associated with papal conflict, and that political fragmentation persisted for longer than the bellicist explanations would predict. The medieval Catholic Church deliberately and effectively splintered political power in Europe by forming temporal alliances, funding proxy wars, launching crusades, and advancing ideology to ensure its autonomy and power. The roots of European state formation are thus more religious, older, and intentional than often assumed.
p-GROUPS WITH CYCLIC OR GENERALISED QUATERNION HUGHES SUBGROUPS: CLASSIFYING TIDY p-GROUPS
Authors: BEIKE NICOLAS F. , CARLETON RACHEL , COSTANZO DAVID G. , HEATH COLIN , LEWIS MARK L. , LU KAIWEN , PEARCE JAMIE D.
Published: April 2023

Let G be a p-group for some prime p. Recall that the Hughes subgroup of G is the subgroup generated by all of the elements of G with order not equal to p. In this paper, we prove that if the Hughes subgroup of G is cyclic, then G has exponent p or is cyclic or is dihedral. We also prove that if the Hughes subgroup of G is generalised quaternion, then G must be generalised quaternion. With these results in hand, we classify the tidy p-groups.
THE RESTRICTED CONNECTED HULL: FILLING THE HOLE
Authors: MOUTON SONJA , HARTE ROBIN
Published: April 2023

By defining and applying the restricted topology, we have investigated certain connections between the boundary spectrum, the exponential spectrum, the topological boundary of the spectrum and the connected hull of the spectrum (see Mouton and Harte [‘Linking the boundary and exponential spectra via the restricted topology’, J. Math. Anal. Appl.454 (2017), 730–745]). We now solve a remaining problem regarding the restricted connected hull.
The Proceduralization of Hominin Knapping Skill: Memorizing Different Lithic Technologies
Authors: Muller Antoine , Shipton Ceri , Clarkson Chris
Published: April 2023

Reconstructing the technical and cognitive abilities of past hominins requires an understanding of how skills like stone toolmaking were learned and transmitted. We ask how much of the variability in the uptake of knapping skill is due to the characteristics of the knapping sequences themselves? Fundamental to skill acquisition is proceduralization, the process whereby skilful tasks are converted from declarative memories (consciously memorized facts and events) into procedural memories (sub-consciously memorized actions) via repetitive practice. From knapping footage, we time and encode each action involved in discoidal, handaxe, Levallois and prismatic blade production. The structure and complexity of these reduction sequences were quantified using k-mer analysis and Markov chains. The amount of time spent on tasks and the pattern of core rotations revealed portions of these reduction sequences that are predisposed to being converted into procedural memories. We observed two major pathways to achieve this proceduralization: either a repetitive or a predictable sequence of core rotations. Later Acheulean handaxes and Levallois knapping involved a predictable platform selection sequence, while prismatic blade knapping involved a repetitive exploitation of platforms. Technologies and the portions of their reduction sequence that lend themselves to proceduralization probably facilitated the more rapid uptake of stone toolmaking skill.
Coupling of Water‐Carbon Interactions During Snowmelt in an Arctic Finland Catchment
Authors: Croghan Danny , Ala‐Aho Pertti , Lohila Annalea , Welker Jeffrey , Vuorenmaa Jussi , Kløve Bjørn , Mustonen Kaisa‐Riikka , Aurela Mika , Marttila Hannu
Published: April 2023

Snowmelt spring floods regulate carbon transport from land to streams. However, these coupled processes are rarely documented through high‐resolution measurements focused on water‐carbon interactions. We collated a state‐of‐the‐art high‐frequency data set throughout a snowmelt and early post snowmelt period, alongside regular samples of stream water, precipitation, and snowmelt isotopes (δ18O). Our study was conducted during the 2019 snowmelt and initial post snowmelt season in a subarctic, peatland influenced headwater catchment in Pallas, Northern Finland. We measured high‐frequency dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and in‐stream carbon dioxide (pCO2). We identified a change in hydrological processes as the snowmelt season progressed and the post snowmelt season began. We found (a) Overland flow dominated stream DOC dynamics in early snowmelt, while increased catchment connectivity opened new distal pathways in the later snowmelt period; (b) CO2 processes were initially driven by rapid bursts of CO2 from the meltwaters in snowmelt, followed by dilution and source limitation emerging post snowmelt as deep soil pathways replaced the snowpack as the main source of CO2; (c) stream carbon concentration shifted from being relatively balanced between CO2 and DOC during the early snowmelt period to being increasingly DOC dominated as snowmelt progressed due to changes in DOC and CO2 source supply. The study highlights the importance of using high‐frequency measurements combined with high‐frequency data analyses to identify changes in the processes driving water‐carbon interactions. The degree to which water‐carbon interactions respond to the continuation of Arctic water cycle amplification is central to delineating the evolving complexity of the future Arctic.
Lack of correlation between hippocampal substructure atrophy and attention dysfunction in deficit schizophrenia
Authors: Li Jin , Zhang Xiaobin , Yang Haidong , Yang Man , Sun Hongyan
Published: April 2023

Hippocampal abnormalities are an established finding in the neuroimaging study of schizophrenia. However, no studies have examined the possibility of regional hippocampal abnormalities specific to deficit schizophrenia (DS) and associations with the unique symptoms of this schizophrenia subtype. This study compared 33 DS and 39 non-deficit schizophrenia (NDS) patients and 38 healthy subjects for hippocampal subfield volumetry. Clinical symptoms were assessed by PANSS, cognition by the neurocognitive battery on the day of the MRI scan. The automatic hippocampal segmentation were preprocesses use FreeSurfer 7.2.0. Unfortunately, the associations between neurocognitive scores and hippocampal subfield volumes in the DS group were not significant after the Bonferroni correction. Our results did not support a causal relationship between hippocampal subregional atrophy and cognitive deficits in DS.
Sensitivity of stratospheric ozone to the latitude, season, and halogen content of a contemporary explosive volcanic eruption
Authors: Østerstrøm Freja F. , Klobas J. Eric , Kennedy Robert P. , Cadoux Anita , Wilmouth David M.
Published: April 2023

We present a systematic evaluation of the perturbation to the stratosphere from an explosive volcanic eruption injecting sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere, as a function of latitude, season, and injection gas halogen content in a chemistry-climate state representative of the present day (modeled as year 2025). Enhancements in aerosol surface area density and decreases in stratospheric ozone are observed for a period of years following all modeled scenarios, with volcanic eruptions near the equator impacting both hemispheres relatively equally, and eruptions at higher latitudes reducing the thickness of the ozone layer more substantially in the hemisphere of the eruption. Our simulations reveal that there that are significant seasonal differences when comparing the stratospheric impact of a volcanic eruption occurring in summer versus winter, and this holds true regardless of whether volcanic halogen gases (Cl, Br) are co-injected with sulfur dioxide. If an explosive halogen-rich eruption were to occur, there would be substantial ozone losses in both hemispheres, regardless of latitude or season, with recovery potentially exceeding 4 years.
Mixed state behavior of Hermitian and non-Hermitian topological models with extended couplings
Authors: Kartik Y. R. , Sarkar Sujit
Published: April 2023

Geometric phase is an important tool to define the topology of the Hermitian and non-Hermitian systems. Besides, the range of coupling plays an important role in realizing higher topological indices and transition among them. With a motivation to understand the geometric phases for mixed states, we discuss finite temperature analysis of Hermitian and non-Hermitian topological models with extended range of couplings. To understand the geometric phases for the mixed states, we use Uhlmann phase and discuss the merit-limitation with respect extended range couplings. We extend the finite temperature analysis to non-Hermitian models and define topological invariant for different ranges of coupling. We include the non-Hermitian skin effect, and provide the derivation of topological invariant in the generalized Brillouin zone and their mixed state behavior also. We also adopt mixed geometric phases through interferometric approach, and discuss the geometric phases of extended-range (Hermitian and non-Hermitian) models at finite temperature.
Accurate measurements of particle emissions from a three-dimensional printer using a chamber test with a mixer-installed sampling system
Authors: Lee Handol , Kwak Dong-Bin , Choi Chi Young , Ahn Kang-Ho
Published: April 2023

Recently, three-dimensional (3D) printing has attracted attention as a new manufacturing technology. However, there is lack of data and regulations regarding the emissions of ultrafine particles from 3D printers. Therefore, we investigated particle emissions from a 3D printer using a chamber system. The test system was improved by installing a developed mixer for accurate measurement. Without a mixer, the particle concentration was unstable depending on the sampling point; however, reliable data with good uniformity were obtained by installing a mixer. Using the test system with a mixer, we investigated particle emissions from a 3D printer during operation. Filaments made each of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polylactic acid (PLA) were used as the printing material. The effects of nozzle temperature and printing time were investigated. Compared to the effect of the printing time, the nozzle temperature had greater impact on the particle emissions. The dominant particle size for the emissions from a 3D printer is less than 10 nm, and the particle concentration decreased with increasing particle size.
Tunable near-infrared emission and three-photon absorption in lanthanide-doped double perovskite nanocrystals
Authors: Ahmed Md Soif , Sireesha Lavadiya , Nayak Sudhanshu Kumar , Bakthavatsalam Rangarajan , Banerjee Dipanjan , Soma Venugopal Rao , Kundu Janardan , Raavi Sai Santosh Kumar
Published: April 2023

Cs2AgInCl6 double perovskite (DP) nanocrystals (NCs) are an emerging class of materials with promising application potential in photonics/optoelectronics owing to their nontoxicity, direct bandgap, and high thermal and moisture stability.
Strong interlayer coupling and unusual antisite defect-mediated p-type conductivity in GePx (x = 1, 2)
Authors: Chen Guoxujia , Meng Weiwei , Guan Xiaoxi , Zhao Peili , Jia Shuangfeng , Zheng He , Zhao Dongshan , Wang Jianbo
Published: April 2023

As an emerging candidate for anisotropic two-dimensional materials, the group IV–V family (e.g. GeP, GeP2) has appealing applications in photoelectronics.
Orthometric multicolor encoded hybridization chain reaction amplifiers for multiplexed microRNA profiling in living cells
Authors: Wei Wei , Zhang Yiyi , Yang Fan , Zhou Liping , Zhang Yufan , Wang Yeyu , Yang Shuangshuang , Li Jinze , Dong Haifeng
Published: April 2023

We present a GSH-activated orthogonal multi-HCR amplifier for multiplexed detection of miRNAs in living tumor cells. It has a prominent advantage for monitoring complex miRNA array alterations in complicated intracellular process studies.
Differential regulation of ATP hydrolysis of RIG-I-like receptors by transactivation response RNA-binding protein
Authors: Chunhaphinyokul Benyapa , Hosokai Emi , Miyamoto Masahiko , Komuro Akihiko
Published: April 2023

Retinoic acid inducible gene (RIG)-I-like receptors (RLRs), including RIG-I, melanoma differentiation associated-5 (MDA5), and laboratory of genetics and physiology 2 (LGP2), play pivotal roles in viral RNA sensing to initiate antiviral interferon (IFN) responses.

We previously reported that an RNA-silencing regulator, transactivation response RNA-binding protein (TRBP), up-regulates MDA5/LGP2-mediated IFN responses through interaction with LGP2. Here, we aimed to investigate the mechanism underlying the TRBP-mediated up-regulation of IFN response.

Data indicated that phosphomimetic TRBP showed a modest effect, whereas the nonphosphorylated form exhibited hyperactivity in enhancing Cardiovirus-triggered IFN responses. These results suggest that encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) attenuates the TRBP-mediated IFN response via TRBP phosphorylation, since EMCV infection activates the kinase responsible for TRBP phosphorylation for virus replication.

Furthermore, we found that TRBP-mediated up-regulation of IFN response required the ATP hydrolysis and RNA binding of LGP2. TRBP enhanced RNA-dependent ATP hydrolysis by LGP2 but not that by RIG-I or MDA5. Nonphosphorylated TRBP exhibited higher levels of activity than phosphomimetic TRBP did, suggesting its possible involvement in the mechanism underlying the up-regulation of IFN response. TRBP activated the ATP hydrolysis of LGP2 and RIG-I, but not that of MDA5, in the absence of RNA. Collectively, we showed that TRBP differentially regulated RLR-mediated ATP hydrolysis. Further elucidation of the mechanism underlying the regulation of ATP hydrolysis leading to IFN response and self- and non-self-RNA discrimination could advance the development of effective therapeutic agents against autoimmune diseases.
The Extent of Hearing Input Affects the Plasticity of the Auditory Cortex in Children With Hearing Loss: A Preliminary Study
Authors: Yuan Di , Ng Iris H.-Y. , Feng Gangyi , Chang Wai Tsz , Tong Michael C. F. , Young Nancy M. , Wong Patrick C. M.
Published: April 2023

Purpose:

This study investigated to what extent residual hearing and rehabilitation options (e.g., hearing aids [HAs]) affect the auditory cortex in children with hearing loss.

Method:

Twenty-one children with bilateral congenital sensorineural hearing loss who were candidates for cochlear implantation were recruited. Voxel-based morphometry analysis was conducted to assess the gray matter (GM) volume in the auditory cortex. Children's residual hearing was measured by pure-tone audiometry at different frequencies. Multiple linear regression models were conducted to examine the effects of residual hearing and the use of HAs on GM volume in the auditory cortex with the control of age and gender.

Results:

Children with more residual hearing at high frequencies had larger GM volume ratio (corrected by total intracranial volume) in the left Heschl's gyrus (r= −.545,p= .013). An interaction effect between residual hearing and the use of HAs suggested that the effect of residual hearing on GM ratio was moderated by the use of HAs (β = −.791,p= .020). Compared with children with less residual hearing, children who had more residual hearing benefited more from longer use of HAs in terms of a larger GM ratio.

Conclusions:

Our preliminary findings highlight the impact of residual hearing on the neuroanatomy of the auditory cortex in children with hearing loss. Moreover, our results call for more auditory input via HAs for children with more residual hearing to preserve the auditory cortex before cochlear implantation. For children with less residual hearing who might receive limited benefit from HAs, an early cochlear implant would be necessary.
Effects of feeding fodder beet or kale in winter to dams and their heifer offspring on the heifer growth and production
Authors: Woods R. R. , Dalley D. E. , Edwards J. P.
Published: April 2023

Context Fodder beet (FB) is a widely used winter feed in New Zealand’s southern regions due to its high yield, consistent quality, and environmental benefits. However, FB is low in crude protein, phosphorus and fibre, and a survey showed that many dairy farmers were concerned that feeding FB may have negative impacts on lifetime performance. Aim To determine whether winter feeding FB or kale (Ka) to dairy cows, and then their heifer offspring at 1 and 2 years old, affects the heifer performance from birth until the end of their first lactation. Methods In June–August 2017, pregnant dairy cows were fed FB or kale over winter and then 140 of the resultant heifer offspring were divided into four treatment groups at 9–11 months old according to their dam’s winter diet and offered either FB or kale, with pasture baleage. The groups were as follows (dam crop–heifer crop): FB–FB, FB–Ka, Ka–FB, Ka–Ka. The heifers’ subsequent performance (growth, stature, milk production, and reproduction) was measured to the end of their first lactation (May 2020), and blood mineral status was monitored from May 2018 to May 2019. This observational study has its limitations, but is useful for generating hypotheses to test in more controlled research. Key results Heifers grazing FB in winter (June–August) 2018 had lower blood plasma urea and phosphate concentrations than did heifers grazing kale, despite similar dietary crude protein contents. Treatments had no effect on milk production. However, the heifer liveweights were affected and there was an indication of poorer reproductive performance. The FB–FB heifer treatment group had a lower average liveweight than the FB–Ka heifers from 1 to 2.8 years old. Conclusions Although no impact on milk production for the first lactation was observed, the key results suggest possible negative impacts of feeding heifers FB during winter, particularly if their dam also wintered on FB. Implications The combined effects of FB dam and heifer winter diets on lifetime productivity warrant further investigation to help develop sustainable FB feeding systems. When feeding FB, we recommend that farmers test their crops and supplements to ensure that sufficient nutrition, in particular protein and phosphorus are provided.
Movement ecology of adult and juvenile spotted turtles (Clemmys guttata) in a seasonally dynamic environment
Authors: Lassiter Ellery V. , Sperry Jinelle H. , DeGregorio Brett A.
Published: April 2023

Context Understanding the temporal and spatial scales at which wildlife move is vital for conservation and management. This is especially important for semi-aquatic species that make frequent inter-wetland movements to fulfil life-history requirements. Aims We aimed to investigate the drivers of movement and space-use of the imperilled spotted turtle (Clemmys guttata), a seasonal wetland specialist, in three large, isolated wetland complexes in Virginia, USA. Methods We used VHF radio-transmitters to radio-locate adult and juvenile turtles, and estimated movement and space-use during their active and aestivation seasons (March–August). We then used generalised linear mixed models to examine how movement and space-use varied, based on intrinsic turtle characteristics and extrinsic wetland and climatic factors. Key results We show that, on average, individual spotted turtles used five wetlands per year (range 3–13), and that their inter-wetland movement and movement distance varied seasonally in accordance with wetland availability and breeding phenology. Spotted turtle movement and space-use was influenced by the arrangement and size of the wetland complexes, with turtles moving further and occupying larger home-ranges as size and distance between wetlands increased. Inter-wetland movement was not influenced by intrinsic turtle effects but larger adult turtles moved further, used more wetlands, and had larger home-ranges than smaller turtles. Conclusions Turtle responses to variation in season and wetland configuration highlight the need for complex and dynamic landscapes required to sustain this species. Implications This study has important conservation implications showing that spotted turtles rely on a large number of diverse wetlands, as well as upland habitat, to fulfil their resource needs – and that these habitat associations vary seasonally. Results from our study can aid the understanding of spatial and temporal variation in patch characteristics (e.g. quality and extent) and inter-patch movement by organisms, which is critical for the conservation and management of semi-aquatic species and other organisms that occupy patchy habitat complexes.
Transcending the senpai ‘senior’/kōhai ‘junior’ boundary through cross-speaker repetition in Japanese
Authors: Machi Saeko
Published: April 2023

This study explores the role of cross-speaker repetition in creating interpersonal connections between interactants in Japanese. The analysis focuses on Japanese non-reciprocal conversations between senpai ‘senior’ and kōhai ‘junior’ interactants, where the kōhai are normatively expected to speak using the honorific desu/masu markers. The analysis demonstrates that in such conversations, the kōhai sometimes drop the honorific markers while repeating the senpai’s utterances, thereby momentarily transcending the vertical boundary separating them from the senpai. Two types of plain form repetition are presented: (1) the kōhai repeat the senpai’s funny and/or questionable comments to savor the expressions, and (2) the kōhai repeat the senpai’s ideas, wishes or assessments to synchronize with the senpai. The analysis explicates how cross-speaker repetition allows the kōhai to drop the honorific markers in a way that is acceptable to the senpai. This study underscores the significance of the cross-speaker repetition device for creating harmonious relationships in Japanese.
Microstructural evolution during sintering of Fe-Cr-C steels prepared from admixed elemental powders
Authors: de Oro Calderon Raquel , Gierl-Mayer Christian , Danninger Herbert
Published: April 2023

In the upcoming years, a reduction in the use of critical elements, such as Ni and Cu, with unstable prices and high demand from the electromobility sector will become increasingly important for the PM-industry. Cr-alloyed sintered steels offer attractive properties at a moderate cost, but so far mostly Cr-prealloyed grades have been used. This work analyses the microstructural homogenisation process when Cr is introduced as admixed elemental powder. It is shown how – due to its high carbon affinity – Cr particles act as ‘internal carbon-getters’. There is an intermediate ‘heterogenization’ of the microstructure, i.e. the iron matrix is decarburised due to the formation of (Cr, Fe)-carbides. Final homogenisation depends on the formation of a transient liquid phase through the eutectic reaction between carbides and the iron matrix. Thus, the microstructure is not only sensitive to aspects such as sintering temperature or Cr-particle size but also to the heating rate and small variations in nominal carbon.
Effect of Water Stress and Nano Selenium on Growth and Multiplication of Strawberry Shoots (Fragaria X ananassa Duch) in Vitro
Authors: Al-Quraishi Mohammad A. B. , Nayef Makki N.
Published: April 2023

The experiment was conducted in the plant tissue culture laboratory of the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Engineering, College of Agriculture, Al-Qasim Green University. For the purpose of evaluating the tolerance of celery cultivar Festival to water stress in vitro using three concentrations of polyethylene glycol (PEG) (4, 0.2 mg L-1) and three concentrations of nano selenium (Se) (4, 2, 0 mg L-1) in the growth and multiplication of strawberry shoots. The apical meristem taken from the purlins of the aforementioned cultivar, which was obtained from Najaf Research Department - Agricultural Research Department - Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture, was cultivated in the MS medium (Murashige and Skoog) supplied with (1 mg L-1BA + 0. mg L-1). IBA + 80 mg L-1adenine sulfate) for 4 weeks, Then the percentage of surviving plants, the average number of shoots formed, their lengths, the number of leaves, and their fresh and dry weights were calculated as indicators of their response and tolerance to water stress. The results showed a significant reduction in the percentage of plant survival, the number of branches and their lengths, the number of leaves, and their fresh and dry weights when the concentration of polyethylene glycol (PEG) in the multiplication medium was increased. The lowest values were recorded at a concentration of 4 mg L-1compared to the highest results when the control treatment was 0 mg L-1. As for the nano selenium, the highest values were recorded at a concentration of 4 mg L-1compared to the lowest results when the comparison treatment was 0 mg L-1.
The Effect of Adding Grape Seed Oil on the Chemical, Physical and Microbial Properties of Yoghurt
Authors: Zeena D. A. , Shaimaa R. A. , Khazal S. A.
Published: April 2023

The research aims to study the chemical tests of grape seed oil such as peroxide number, acidity number, saponification number and physical tests such as refractive index, density and smoking point, as well as estimating fatty acids in the oil and manufacturing healthy yoghurt milk by replacing animal fat with grape seed oil and by adding the initiator Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Streptococcus thermophiles. It also studies the changes in the product during storage for 14 days, estimation of peroxide number, acidity, pH, as well as estimation of the total count of bacteria, lactic acid bacteria and E.coli.
Effect of Black Caraway Oil on Prolonging the Storage Life of Flaxseed Oil
Authors: Fanus Farah Karim , Abbas Wedad Fadel
Published: April 2023

The study was conducted for the purpose of prolonging the shelf life of flax oil by replacing different percentages of flax oil with black caraway oil. Flax oil was replaced with black caraway oil with of 10,5,2.5%, as well as a Comparison sample without addition. The samples were kept at a temperature of 25-30 °C for a period of 1 day, 3, 5 and 8 weeks. The results of estimating the fatty acids of flax oil showed a high content of alpha-linolenic fatty acid, as It reached 50.88%. As for oleic and linoleic acid, they reached 15.18,16.20%, respectively, while the percentages of linolenic, oleic and linoleic acid in black caraway oil were 0.22, 24.51, 55.2%, respectively. The results of estimating the effective compounds also showed that black caraway oil contains many effective compounds, and the compound, Phellandral, recorded the highest percentage, which amounted to 2.54%, and the paeonol compound recorded the lowest percentage, which amounted to 0.13%. As for the development in the pH, peroxide and thiobarbituric acid values of the samples, it was less in the oil sample with a 10% replacement ratio, as it reached 6.80, 3.33 mEq / kg fat, 0.051 mg Malone Dehyde / kg, respectively and the highest in the control treatment oil was 5.75, 5.25 mEq / kg fat, 0.085 mg Malone Aldehyde / kg, respectively, after 8 weeks of storage at a temperature of 30-25 ° C.