bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Systems methods for analyzing trade-offs between food security and conserving biodiversity
Authors: Stuch Benjamin , Alcamo Joseph
Published: April 2023

The endeavor for greater food security has caused trade-offs between increasing agricultural production and conserving habitat of threatened species. We take a novel approach to analyze these trade-offs by applying and comparing three systems methods (systems diagrams, influence matrices, and land use modeling) in a case study of Uganda. The first two methods were used to scope out the trade-off system and identify the most important variables influencing trade-offs. These variables were agricultural yield, land governance processes, and change in land use and land cover. The third method was used to quantify trade-offs and evaluate policy scenarios to alleviate them. A reference scenario indicated that increasing agricultural production by expanding agricultural land provided food for 79% more people in 2050 (compared to 2005) but with a 48% loss of habitat of threatened species. A scenario assuming strong investments to augment agricultural yield increased the number of people fed in 2050 up to 157%, while reducing the loss of habitat down to 27%. We use a novel “trade-off coefficient” for a consistent comparison of scenario results. A scenario assuming yield improvement and ring-fencing protected areas reduced the trade-off coefficient from − 0.62 in the reference case to − 0.15. This coefficient can be used as a common basis to compare results from different trade-off studies. It was found that the three systems methods are useful, but have limitations as stand-alone tools. Combining the methods into a single methodology increases their collective utility by maximizing the transparency and comprehensiveness and potential stakeholder engagement of a trade-off analysis.
Causal Bayes Nets and Token-Causation: Closing the Gap between Token-Level and Type-Level
Authors: Gebharter Alexander , Hüttemann Andreas
Published: April 2023

Causal Bayes nets (CBNs) provide one of the most powerful tools for modelling coarse-grained type-level causal structure. As in other fields (e.g., thermodynamics) the question arises how such coarse-grained characterizations are related to the characterization of their underlying structure (in this case: token-level causal relations). Answering this question meets what is called a “coherence-requirement” in the reduction debate. It provides details about it provides details about how different accounts of one and the same system (or kind of system) are related to each other. We argue that CBNs as tools for type-level causal inference are abstract enough to roughly fit any current token-level theory of causation as long as certain modelling assumptions are satisfied, but accounts of actual causation, i.e. accounts that attempt to infer token-causation based on CBNs, for the very same reason, face certain limitations.
Islands without Iron. Strategies for Manufacturing Prehistoric Rotary Querns without Metal Tools in the Canary Islands: Working Hypotheses and Experimentation
Authors: Lacave Hernández A. , Rodríguez Rodríguez A. , Naranjo Mayor Y. , Marrero Salas E.
Published: April 2023

The introduction of the rotary quern into the Iberian Peninsula during the Iron Age represents a great technological innovation with regard to processing cereals. These mechanisms arrived several centuries later in the Canarian archipelago with the first North African colonists. Contacts with the African continent appear to have either been cut off or minimised a short time later, obliging the colonists to subsist autonomously and adapt to the features of the new territory. Moreover, the archipelago's volcanic character does not offer minerals that could be transformed into metals obliging the new populations to resort to stone tools, an adaptation evidenced by the manufacture of rotary querns. Currently few technological studies of these querns have combined experimental work with hypotheses stemming from archaeological evidence. This article presents two experimental programs that have attempted to reconstruct the operational sequence (chaîne opératoire) of the two main types of rocks exploited for querns in the Canary Islands: volcanic tuff and vesicular basalt.
Identification of novel microRNAs in the embryonic mouse brain using deep sequencing
Authors: Szakats Susanna , McAtamney Alice , Wilson Megan J.
Published: April 2023

Many advances in small RNA-seq technology and bioinformatics pipelines have been made recently, permitting the discovery of novel miRNAs in the embryonic day 15.5 (E15.5) mouse brain. We aimed to improve miRNA discovery in this tissue to expand our knowledge of the regulatory networks that underpin normal neurodevelopment, find new candidates for neurodevelopmental disorder aetiology, and deepen our understanding of non-coding RNA evolution. A high-quality small RNA-seq dataset of 458 M reads was generated. An unbiased miRNA discovery pipeline identified fifty putative novel miRNAs, six of which were selected for further validation. A combination of conservation analysis and target functional prediction was used to determine the authenticity of novel miRNA candidates. These findings demonstrate that miRNAs remain to be discovered, particularly if they have the features of other small RNA species.
Predicting delirium in older non-intensive care unit inpatients: development and validation of the DELIrium risK Tool (DELIKT)
Authors: Schulthess-Lisibach Angela E. , Gallucci Giulia , Benelli Valérie , Kälin Ramona , Schulthess Sven , Cattaneo Marco , Beeler Patrick E. , Csajka Chantal , Lutters Monika
Published: April 2023

Background

Effective delirium prevention could benefit from automatic risk stratification of older inpatients using routinely collected clinical data.

Aim

Primary aim was to develop and validate a delirium prediction model (DELIKT) suitable for implementation in hospitals. Secondary aim was to select an anticholinergic burden scale as a predictor.

Method

We used one cohort for model development and another for validation with electronically available data collected within the first 24 h of admission. Included were patients aged ≥ 65, hospitalised ≥ 48 h with no stay > 24 h in an intensive care unit. Predictors, such as administrative and laboratory variables or an anticholinergic burden scale, were selected using a combination of feature selection filter method and forward/backward selection. The final model was based on logistic regression and the DELIKT was derived from the β-coefficients. We report the following performance measures: area under the curve, sensitivity, specificity and odds ratio.

Results

Both cohorts were similar and included over 10,000 patients each (mean age 77.6 ± 7.6 years) with 11% experiencing delirium. The model included nine variables: age, medical department, dementia, hemi-/paraplegia, catheterisation, potassium, creatinine, polypharmacy and the anticholinergic burden measured with the Clinician-rated Anticholinergic Scale (CrAS). The external validation yielded an AUC of 0.795. With a cut-off at 20 points in the DELIKT, we received a sensitivity of 79.7%, specificity of 62.3% and an odds ratio of 5.9 (95% CI 5.2, 6.7).

Conclusion

The DELIKT is a potentially automatic tool with predictors from standard care including the CrAS to identify patients at high risk for delirium.
The interoceptive underpinnings of the feeling of being alive. Damasio’s insights at work
Authors: Barile Emilia
Published: April 2023

The feeling of being alive still constitutes a major blind spot of contemporary affective sciences research. The mainstream view accepts it as an ‘umbrella notion’ comprising different states, such as M. Ratcliffe’s «feelings of being», T. Fuchs’s «feeling of being alive», E.M. Engelen’s «Gefühl des Lebendigseins», etc. In contrast, I argue for an account of the feeling of being alive as a unique feeling that can be described in several ways. Empirical support for this view comes mainly from Carvalho and Damasio’s hypothesis of the distinctiveness of the interoceptive system as the physiological underpinning of this feeling. This account is also in line with many other approaches recognizing the role of interoception proper in mind and subjectivity grounding, collected by Tsakiris and De Presteer. Over recent decades, Damasio’s organic descriptions have been widely acknowledged as neurophysiological counterparts of philosophical/psychological concepts. However, in my view they have been often misinterpreted, especially due to the mainstream Ratcliffian interpretation mediating his ideas amongst philosophers. Throughout the paper, a critical inquiry into Damasio’s conceptualization is provided, by means of conceptual analysis and an overall taxonomy of the several affective states he has proposed over the past few decades. Ultimately, a critical discussion of his own account of the feeling of being alive is offered from a philosophical viewpoint.
Combined effect of elevated CO2 and Fe deficiency on common bean metabolism and mineral profile
Authors: Deuchande Teresa , Vasconcelos Marta
Published: April 2023

Aims

Elevated atmospheric CO2 (eCO2) and restricted iron (Fe) supply are known to impact plant growth and nutritional quality of food crops. However, studies aimed at understanding how eCO2 will interact with Fe deficiency are scarce. Changes in the nutritional status of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) may significantly impact the nutritional status of populations that rely heavily on this crop.

Methods

To understand the combined effects of eCO2 and Fe deficiency on mechanisms relevant to plant nutrient uptake and accumulation, common bean plants were grown under Fe sufficiency (Fe+, 20 mM Fe-EDDHA) and Fe deficiency (Fe-, 0 mM Fe-EDDHA) combined with eCO2 (800 ppm) or ambient CO2 (aCO2, 400 ppm) in hydroponics until maturity.

Results

Elevated CO2, besides stimulating photosynthesis and stomatal closure, highly affected plant Fe metabolism: stimulated root ferric chelate reductase (FCR) activity by 6-fold and downregulated the expression of root FRO1 and IRT1 expressions by about 4-fold. In leaves, citrate and oxalate increased, but ferritin expression decreased by 9-fold. Such changes may have determined the differences on mineral accumulation patterns particularly the lower levels of Fe in roots (62%), leaves (38%) and seeds (50%). The combination of Fe deficiency and eCO2 doubled the effect of a single factor on FCR up-regulation, balanced the internal pH of Fe deficient plants, and resulted in the lowest Fe accumulation in all plant parts.

Conclusions

These results suggest that eCO2 directly affects the Fe uptake mechanism of common bean plants, decreasing plant Fe content.
Crop diversification improves the diversity and network structure of the prokaryotic soil microbiome at conventional nitrogen fertilization
Authors: Liu Bei , Schroeder Julia , Ahnemann Hauke , Poeplau Christopher , Tebbe Christoph C.
Published: April 2023

Background

Sustainable agriculture seeks to optimize the application of nitrogen (N) fertilizers to reduce adverse economic and ecological effects. Crop diversification has been proposed to increase the efficiency of N fertilization. An open question is how the soil microbiome responds to these beneficial practices.

Methods

In a field study we investigated the effects of mineral N fertilizer with a 0-control, a conventional amount of 150 kg N ha−1 and an excessive application of 250 kg N ha−1 on the soil microbiome within a diversified cropping system with oil radish and undersown ryegrass over a period of 2.5 years and a non-diversified control, both in rotation of potato, winter rye and maize.

Results

N-fertilizations and crop rotations altered the pH, but differences were less pronounced with the diversified system. Compared to the crop species and season, N fertilization and crop diversification had less influence on the abundance of soil bacteria, archaea and fungi. The crop diversification showed a much stronger effect on archaeal than on bacterial or fungal abundances, while the microbial carbon use efficiency correlated strongly with bacterial abundance. At the end of the growing seasons, crop diversification increased prokaryotic richness and Shannon diversity in response to N addition, with a greater increase in the conventional N. At conventional N supply, prokaryotic co-occurrence networks revealed a much denser and complex structure in the diversified system.

Conclusions

The diversified cropping system under conventional N application rates showed positive effects on the prokaryotic soil microbiome by increasing their richness, Shannon diversity, and promoting a more elaborated network structure.
Comprehensive insights into sustainable conversion of agricultural and food waste into microbial protein for animal feed production
Authors: Rasool Kashif , Hussain Sabir , Shahzad Asif , Miran Waheed , Mahmoud Khaled A. , Ali Nisar , Almomani Fares
Published: April 2023

The growing global population and higher living standards instantly demand the transition in the direction of a sustainable food system. A substantial section of means and agricultural lands are presently committed to protein-rich feed production to rear livestock for human consumption. Conversely, accelerated farming activities and the food industry have rendered a drastic increase in waste which impair the economic and environmental sustainability of the ecosystem. This situation emerges the need for developing an integrated technology for waste management and to improve sustainability footprints. Microbial protein (MP) production based on renewable electron and carbon sources has the potential as a substitute protein source. MP production for animal feed use is growing fast and is derived from bacteria, algae, and fungi including yeast. MP produced from all types of microbes is currently commercialized and in use. However, novel methods and processes are also under investigation to make MP production more economical and sustainable. Current research on MP has concentrated on the valorization of waste materials by using high protein content-containing microorganisms, which can then be used in animal feed. Using such kind of integrated approach, the agroindustry waste resources upcycling can contribute towards finding sustainable, cheaper, and environment-friendly protein sources. This review first describes the potential waste feedstock for MP production and summarizes the recent progress in the application of MP-producing microorganisms including fungus, yeast, bacteria, and phototrophic microbes. Bioprocesses, and production technology advances for MP production have been explored and discussed in detail. Finally, the MP application as animal feed, its challenges, and future perspectives in research have been evaluated.
Synopsis of the aurantiactinomyxon collective group (Cnidaria, Myxozoa), with a discussion on the validity of morphotype definition and demise of guyenotia
Authors: Rocha Sónia
Published: April 2023

Aurantiactinomyxon is one of the most diverse myxozoan collective groups, comprising types that mostly infect freshwater and marine oligochaetes belonging to the family Naididae Ehrenberg, 1828, but also Lumbriculidae Claus, 1872. In this study, a comprehensive revision of all known aurantiactinomyxon types is performed and highlights the fallibility of using the form and length of the valvular processes as main criterion for differentiating among style-less actinospore morphotypes. The demise of the guyenotia collective group is proposed based on the ambiguous features of several types that allow conformity with both the aurantiactinomyxon and guyenotia definitions. Nonetheless, the information presently available clearly shows that a general shift is needed in our approach to actinospore grouping, which should probably be based on actinospore functionality relative to environment and host ecology, rather than on morphology. Life cycle studies based on experimental transmission and molecular inferences of the 18S rDNA have linked aurantiactinomyxon (including former guyenotia) to myxozoans belonging to a diverse array of genera, including Chloromyxum, Henneguya, Hoferellus, Myxobolus, Paramyxidium, Thelohanellus and Zschokkella. This undoubtedly shows a high capacity of the aurantiactinomyxon morphotype to promote infection in intrinsically distinct vertebrate hosts and environmental habitats, consequently increasing interest in its study for attaining a better understanding of myxozoan-host interactions. The identification of novel and known types, however, is impeded by the lack of concise information allowing a comprehensive analysis of biological, morphological, and molecular criteria. In this sense, the compilation of data presented in this study will ultimately help researchers seeking to perform reliable identifications.
Distinct metabolic signatures in blood plasma of bisphenol A–exposed women with polycystic ovarian syndrome
Authors: Prabhu Navya B. , Vasishta Sampara , Bhat Shashikala K. , Joshi Manjunath B. , Kabekkodu Shama Prasada , Satyamoorthy Kapaettu , Rai Padmalatha S.
Published: April 2023

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a complicated endocrinopathy with an unclear etiology that afflicts fertility status in women. Although the underlying causes and pathophysiology of PCOS are not completely understood, it is suspected to be driven by environmental factors as well as genetic and epigenetic factors. Bisphenol A (BPA) is a weak estrogenic endocrine disruptor known to cause adverse reproductive outcomes in women. A growing relevance supports the notion that BPA may contribute to PCOS pathogenesis. Due to the indeterminate molecular mechanisms of BPA in PCOS endocrinopathy, we sought liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS), a metabolomics strategy that could generate a metabolic signature based on urinary BPA levels of PCOS and healthy individuals. Towards this, we examined urinary BPA levels in PCOS and healthy women by ELISA and performed univariate and chemometric analysis to distinguish metabolic patterns among high and low BPA in PCOS and healthy females, followed by pathway and biomarker analysis employing MetaboAnalyst 5.0. Our findings indicated aberrant levels of certain steroids, sphingolipids, and others, implying considerable disturbances in steroid hormone biosynthesis, linoleic, linolenic, sphingolipid metabolism, and various other pathways across target groups in comparison to healthy women with low BPA levels. Collectively, our findings provide insight into metabolic signatures of BPA-exposed PCOS women, which can potentially improve management strategies and precision medicine.
In vitro assessment of the genotoxicity and immunotoxicity of treated and untreated municipal effluents and receiving waters in freshwater organisms
Authors: Gilroy Ève A. M. , Kleinert Christine , Lacaze Émilie , Campbell Sheena D. , Verbaan Sara , André Chantale , Chan Kara , Gillis Patricia L. , Klinck Joel S. , Gagné François , Fournier Michel , de Solla Shane R.
Published: April 2023

Municipal wastewater effluent is one of the largest sources of pollution entering surface waters in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Exposure to wastewater effluent has been associated with impaired immune systems and induction of genotoxicity to aquatic animals. Due to habitat degradation and environmental pollution linked to industrial development and population growth, several regions of the Great Lakes have been designated Areas of Concern (AOCs). In this study, we assessed the effect of extracts of sewage influent, (treated) effluent and receiving surface waters from the Hamilton Harbour AOC and the Toronto and Region AOC (Ontario, Canada) on the phagocytic immune response of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) kidney leukocytes and the genotoxicity (DNA strand breaks) of these extracts on freshwater mussel (Eurynia dilatata) hemocytes. We identified and quantified numerous chemicals present in the various samples extracted for exposure. In freshwater mussels, extracts from Hamilton Harbour AOC induced DNA damage with the most frequency (12 out of 28 samples) regardless of sample type, reflecting past and present industrial activities. In contrast, extracts from Toronto and Region AOC induced DNA damage infrequently (2 out of 32 (summer) and 5 out of 32 (fall) samples, respectively) and from different WWTPs at different times. None of the extracts induced any significant effect on phagocytosis of rainbow trout kidney leukocytes. The present study indicates that despite overall improvements to effluent quality, treatment of influent by WWTPs may not result in a corresponding improvement of the genotoxicity of effluents. In vitro bioassays are useful and cost-effective rapid-screening tools for preliminary assessments of contamination of aquatic ecosystems.
Entrepreneurial efforts and opportunity costs: evidence from twitch streamers
Authors: Wollborn Philip , Dornekott David , Holder Ulrike
Published: April 2023

With the rise of digital platforms, individuals’ possibilities to generate income have increased drastically. In this context, we present digital content creation as a form of (digital) entrepreneurship that is characterized by potentially high but also uncertain revenues. As the cost structure of content creation mostly depends on opportunity costs, it stands in contrast to other popular platform-work options. We demonstrate how a stark and unexpected reduction in opportunity costs affects the actual decision to produce digital content. Exploiting the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, we measure how individuals (streamers) who operate on a live streaming platform, respond to a sudden change in external factors while accounting for individual differences in initial conditions. We observe intensified efforts across the spectrum of streamers and find particularly strong reactions from newcomer streamers. We further show that only the most successful newcomers sustain their increased efforts even when opportunity costs start to rise again. Our results are consistent with the initial assumption that an individual’s decision on taking up or intensifying entrepreneurial efforts on digital platforms is strongly affected by their opportunity costs. The results further imply that there is a large potential in individuals who might be willing to become entrepreneurs but are restricted by external conditions. As platform-based digital entrepreneurship offers high flexibility and very low entry barriers, measures for lowering opportunity costs could therefore help to unleash this potential. To maintain a steady influx of new talents, content platforms should increase their support for smaller creators and policymakers should provide easily accessible platforms to ease the way into entrepreneurship for these individuals.
On Rule of Law, Civic Virtues, Trust, and Happiness
Authors: Graafland Johan
Published: April 2023

In literature, there is a long and ongoing dispute over whether free market institutions encourage or discourage civic virtues. On the one hand, the so-called doux commerce thesis states that free market institutions have a favorable influence on civic virtues, such as honesty, respect for private property, and fair dealings. This idea goes back to, amongst others, Adam Smith who famously argued that where commerce is introduced, people are more faithful to their word. Smith also believed that civic virtues foster human happiness. The policy implication would be that free market institutions increase happiness by stimulating civic virtues. On the other hand, the so-called self-destruction thesis states that free market institutions are inimical to the civic virtues, which would mean that free markets decrease human happiness by crowding out civic virtues. Although the debate on free market institutions and civic virtues is very relevant to policy makers, empirical evidence on these opposing propositions is still scarce. In this paper we test both relationships on a sample of 212,431 individuals from 80 countries by using data from the World Values Survey and the European Values Survey over the 1990–2020 period. We focus on one important dimension of free market institutions: rule of law. We find that civic virtues are positively related to rule of law and that happiness increases with civic virtues. In addition, civic virtues indirectly increase happiness by stimulating trust. In addition, trust is directly positively related to rule of law, indicating that both formal institutions (rule of law) and informal institutions (civic virtues) affect trust. An analysis of all the effects of rule of law on happiness shows, however, that the indirect effects through civic virtues and trust are of relatively minor importance in comparison to its total effect.
Female Sufi guides and the Murshida fatwa in Indonesian Sufism: Murshidas in a Sufi order in Lombok
Authors: Smith Bianca J. , Hamdi Saipul , Muzayyin Ahmad
Published: April 2023

This article contributes to the wider historicity of female Sufi spiritual guides by engaging Indonesian examples about which very little have been written. While women can and do hold different levels of rank and leadership in Indonesian Sufi orders (tariqah), usually among all-female congregations, this article examines a very rare example of a woman in a public leadership position overseeing an entire tariqah network inclusive of male and female disciples. Across the Sufi world, it is not common publicly to find women in official positions of leadership as spiritual guides based on a predominant and normative, but fractious, understanding that males are authentic guides with authority to initiate disciples. Keeping with this understanding, the Indonesian national body that governs the correctness of Sufi orders has since 1959 maintained a fatwa that bans women from holding head leadership positions as spiritual guides of the highest rank known by the title Murshida, which is the female counterpart to the male Murshid. We explore the conflation of Murshid with leader and subsequently problematize it in terms of gender when the Murshida rank is not separated analytically from the male Murshid. Arguments suggest that in practice the rank and roles of a Murshida in Indonesia are diverse and culturally situated and thus take on different understandings across socio-political contexts. Further to this, the article has two major aims: one is to historicize the place of the Murshida in the broader Indonesian context through an anthropological examination of contextual meanings this rank and title carries in practice as opposed to the strict fiqh understanding (which is masculinized in the male Murshid as a Sufi order’s legitimate guide); and the other aim is to document ethnographically the contestation within a Sufi order, Hizib Nahdlatul Wathan, on the island of Lombok in eastern Indonesia which had a Murshida as its formal leader and spiritual guide from 2005 to 2019 and who continues to hold the Murshida rank together with claims to inherited sainthood.
Structural brain network connectivity in trichotillomania (hair-pulling disorder)
Authors: Roos Annerine , Fouche Jean-Paul , Stein Dan J , Lochner Christine
Published: April 2023

Neuroimaging studies suggest involvement of frontal, striatal, limbic and cerebellar regions in trichotillomania, an obsessive-compulsive related disorder. However, findings regarding the underlying neural circuitry remains limited and inconsistent. Graph theoretical analysis offers a way to identify structural brain networks in trichotillomania. T1-weighted MRI scans were acquired in adult females with trichotillomania (n = 23) and healthy controls (n = 16). Graph theoretical analysis was used to investigate structural networks as derived from cortical thickness and volumetric FreeSurfer output. Hubs, brain regions with highest connectivity in the global network, were identified, and group differences were determined. Regions with highest connectivity on a regional level were also determined. There were no differences in small-worldness or other network measures between groups. Hubs in the global network of trichotillomania patients included temporal, parietal, and occipital regions (at 2SD above mean network connectivity), as well as frontal and striatal regions (at 1SD above mean network connectivity). In contrast, in healthy controls hubs at 2SD represented different frontal, parietal and temporal regions, while at 1SD hubs were widespread. The inferior temporal gyrus, involved in object recognition as part of the ventral visual pathway, had significantly higher connectivity on a global and regional level in trichotillomania. The study included women only and sample size was limited. This study adds to the trichotillomania literature on structural brain network connectivity. Our study findings are consistent with previous studies that have implicated somatosensory, sensorimotor and frontal-striatal circuitry in trichotillomania, and partially overlap with structural connectivity findings in obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Automation architecture for harnessing the demand response potential of aqueous parts cleaning machines
Authors: Fuhrländer-Völker Daniel , Magin Jonathan , Weigold Matthias
Published: April 2023

To reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, numerous new renewable power plants are installed and integrated in the power grid. Due to the volatile generation of renewable power plants large storage capacity has to be installed and electrical consumer must adapt to periods with more or less electrical generation. Industry, as one of the largest global consumers of electrical energy, can help by adjusting its electricity consumption to renewable production (demand response). Industrial aqueous parts cleaning machines offer a great potential for demand response as they often have inherent energy storage potential and their process can be adapted for energy-flexible operation. Therefore, this paper presents a method for implementing demand response measures to aqueous parts cleaning machines. We first determine the potential for shifting electrical consumption. Then, we adapt the automation program of the machine so that submodules and process steps with high potential can be energy-flexibly controlled. We apply the method to an aqueous parts cleaning machine in batch process at the ETA Research Factory.
Green-Naghdi Theory, Part B: Green-Naghdi Equations for Deep Water Waves
Authors: Duan Shiliang , Zhao Binbin , Webster W. C.
Published: April 2023

“Green — Naghdi Theory, Part A: Green — Naghdi (GN) Equations for Shallow Water Waves” have investigated the linear dispersion relations of high-level GN equations in shallow water. In this study, the GN equations for deep water waves are investigated. In the traditional GN equations for deep water waves, the velocity distribution assumption involves only one representative wave number. Herein, a new velocity distribution shape function with multiple representative wave numbers is employed. Further, we have derived the three-dimensional GN equations and analyzed the linear dispersion relations of the GN-3 and GN-5 equations. In this study, the finite difference method is used to simulate focus waves in the time domain. Additionally, the GN-5 equations are used to validate the wave profile and horizontal velocity distribution along water depth for different focused waves.
Experimental Study on the Effect of Extreme Waves on a LNG Carrier
Authors: Klein Marco , Wang Shan , Clauss Günther , Guedes Soares C.
Published: April 2023

This paper presents a comprehensive experimental study on the effect of extreme waves on a LNG carrier. The LNG carrier model was equipped with a variety of sensors to measure motions, green water height on deck as well as local and global loads. Experiments in transient wave packets provided the general performance in waves in terms of response amplitude operators and were accompanied by tests in regular waves with two different wave steepness. These tests allowed detailed insights into the nonlinear behavior of the vertical wave bending moment in steep waves showing that green water on deck can contribute to a decrease of vertical wave bending moment. Afterwards, systematic model tests in irregular waves were performed to provide the basis for statistical analysis. It is shown that the generalized extreme value distribution model is suitable for the estimation of the extreme peak values of motions and loads. Finally, model tests in tailored extreme wave sequences were conducted comparing the results with the statistical analysis. For this purpose, analytical breather solutions of the nonlinear Schrödinger equation were applied to generate tailored extreme waves of certain critical wave lengths in terms of ship response. Besides these design extreme waves, the LGN carrier was also investigated in the model scale reproduction of the real-world Draupner wave. By comparing the motions, vertical wave bending moment, green water column and slamming pressures it is concluded that the breather solutions are a powerful and efficient tool for the generation of design extreme waves of certain critical wave lengths for wave/structure investigations on different subjects.
Therapies for IDH-Mutant Gliomas
Authors: Alshiekh Nasany Ruham , de la Fuente Macarena Ines
Published: April 2023

Purpose of Review

Isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutant gliomas are a distinct type of primary brain tumors with unique characteristics, behavior, and disease outcomes. This article provides a review of standard of care treatment options and innovative, therapeutic approaches that are currently under investigation for these tumors.

Recent Findings

Extensive pre-clinical data and a variety of clinical studies support targeting IDH mutations in glioma using different mechanisms, which include direct inhibition and immunotherapies that target metabolic and epigenomic vulnerabilities caused by these mutations.

IDH mutations have been recognized as an oncogenic driver in gliomas for more than a decade and as a positive prognostic factor influencing the research for new therapeutic methods including IDH inhibitors, DNA repair inhibitors, and immunotherapy.
CtBP Neuroprotective Role in Toxin-Based Parkinson’s Disease Models: From Expression Pattern to Dopaminergic Survival
Authors: Saraiva Cláudia , Lopes-Nunes Jéssica , Esteves Marta , Santos Tiago , Vale Ana , Cristóvão Ana Clara , Ferreira Raquel , Bernardino Liliana
Published: April 2023

C-terminal binding proteins (CtBP) are transcriptional co-repressors regulating gene expression. CtBP promote neuronal survival through repression of pro-apoptotic genes, and may represent relevant targets for neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease (PD). Nevertheless, evidence of the role of CtBP1 and CtBP2 in neurodegeneration are scarce. Herein, we showed that CtBP1 and CtBP2 are expressed in neurons, dopaminergic neurons, astrocytes, and microglia in the substantia nigra (SN) and striatum of adult mice. Old mice showed a lower expression of CtBP1 in the SN and higher expression of CtPB2 in the SN and striatum compared with adult mice. In vivo models for PD (paraquat, MPTP, 6-OHDA) showed increased expression of CtBP1 in the SN and striatum while CtBP2 expression was increased in the striatum of paraquat-treated rats only. Moreover, an increased expression of both CtBP was found in a dopaminergic cell line (N27) exposed to 6-OHDA. In the 6-OHDA PD model, we found a dual effect using an unspecific ligand of CtBP, the 4-methylthio 2-oxobutyric acid (MTOB): higher concentrations (e.g. 2500 µM, 1000 µM) inhibited dopaminergic survival, while at 250 μM it counteracted cell death. In vitro, this latter protective role was absent after the siRNA silencing of CtBP1 or CtBP2. Altogether, this is the first report exploring the cellular and regional expression pattern of CtBP in the nigrostriatal pathway and the neuroprotective role in PD toxin-based models. CtBP could counteract dopaminergic cell death in the 6-OHDA PD model and, therefore, CtBP function and therapeutic potential in PD should be further explored.
Examination of resistance of various methods of pulmonary vessel occlusion to hydrostatic pressure
Authors: Gajić Darko , Wojtyś Małgorzata , Wójcik Norbert , Maciąg Bogumił , Kiełbowski Kajetan , Wójcik Janusz , Grodzki Tomasz
Published: April 2023

Objective

The aim of this study was to compare pressure resistance of the most common methods of vessel occlusion during thoracic surgical procedures: ligations, clips, and vascular endostaplers.

Methods

Pulmonary vessels were obtained during routine thoracic surgeries. A ball-tipped cannula was inserted through an opening in the side wall and secured with a linen ligature from slipping out. Subsequently, saline was infused into the vessel. We recorded the pressure on which a leakage occurred.

Results

A total of 65 vessels, divided between 3 groups, were enrolled in the study. In the endostaplers group, median bursting pressures were 262.5 mmHg and 300 mmHg for arteries and veins, respectively. In the case of clips, it was over 750 mmHg in both types of the vessels. The same results were observed in the ligation group. Minimal bursting pressures in endostapler occlusion were 187.5 mmHg and 225 mmHg in arteries and veins, respectively. In the case of clips, it was 600 mmHg for arteries and 675 mmHg for veins. A total of 525 mmHg (arteries) and 750 mmHg (veins) were the minimal leaking values observed in vessels occluded with ligations. Comparative analysis showed statistically significant differences in endostapler-clips and endostapler-ligations pairs (p < 0.001). There were no differences between clips and ligations.

Conclusions

The examined methods are capable of occluding pulmonary vessels under physiological conditions. Furthermore, ligations and clips are resistant to pressures highly exceeding physiological values.
Design of Experiments Study on Scottish Wood Biochars and Process Parameter Influence on Final Biochar Characteristics
Authors: Jamal Mohammad Umair , Fletcher Ashleigh J.
Published: April 2023

Native Scottish wood samples were investigated as potential, locally sourced, raw materials for biochar production. Screening experiments identified pure softwood as the preferable feedstock. Influence of operational parameters, i.e. activating gas flow rate (CO2), heating ramp rate and contact time on final biochar characteristics, was investigated using design of experiments. Surface area and biochar yield were selected as response variables. Minitab was used to define experimental run conditions and suggested an optimal output at 60 min contact time and 15 °C/min ramp rate for maximum responses. The highest surface area (764 m2/g) was achieved at 850 °C from softwood, albeit with a low yield of 15%. Under optimised conditions, the observed surface area was 613 m2/g with ~ 18% yield. Pareto charts suggested no influence of gas flow rate on chosen responses, which correlated well with experimental data. Pore structure was a combination of micro- and mesopores with average pore widths of 3–5 nm and an average point of zero charge of 7.40 ± 0.02. Proximate analysis showed an increase in fixed carbon content from 20%, in the feedstock, to 80%, in the optimised biochar. Morphological analysis showed a layered carbon structure in the biochars. The results show the significance of the selected feedstock as a potential source of biochar material and the relevance of interplay of operational variables in biochar development and their final characteristics.
ChemFET gas nanosensor arrays with alignment windows for assembly of single nanowires
Authors: Chmela Ondřej , Gablech Imrich , Sadílek Jakub , Brodský Jan , Vallejos Stella
Published: April 2023

This work focuses on the fabrication and characterization of ChemFET (Chemical Field-Effect Transistor) gas nanosensor arrays based on single nanowire (SNW). The fabrication processes include micro and nanofabrication techniques enabled by a combination of ultraviolet (UV) and e-beam lithography to build the ChemFET structure. Results show the integration and connection of SNWs across the multiple pairs of nanoelectrodes in the ChemFET by dielectrophoresis process (DEP) thanks to the incorporation of alignment windows (200–300 nm) adapted to the diameter of the NWs. Measurements of the SNW ChemFET array’s output and transfer characteristics prove the influence of gate bias on the drain current regulation. Tests upon hydrogen (H2) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) as analyte models of reducing and oxidizing gases show the ChemFET sensing functionality. Moreover, results demonstrate better response characteristics to H2 when the ChemFET operates in the subthreshold regime. The design concepts and methods proposed for fabricating the SNW-based ChemFET arrays are versatile, reproducible, and most likely adaptable to other systems where SNW arrays are required.
Neue Therapiemöglichkeiten der Alopecia areata
Authors: Griss Johannes
Published: April 2023

Die Alopecia areata ist mit einer Lebenszeitprävalenz von 2 % eine der häufigsten Autoimmunerkrankungen. Sie betrifft Menschen in jedem Alter und geht, obwohl es sich dabei um eine harmlose Erkrankung handelt, oft mit einer hohen Beeinträchtigung der Lebensqualität einher. Rezente Studien zeigten, dass Patienten mit Alopecia areata häufiger an Depressionen und Arbeitslosigkeit leiden. Das zeigt, dass effektive Therapien dringend benötigt werden. In dieser Übersicht werden die primären Erscheinungsformen und Pathogenese der Alopecia areata besprochen. Der Schwerpunkt liegt jedoch in einer Übersicht der derzeit verfügbaren Therapien und ihrer Wirksamkeit. Ein besonderer Schwerpunkt ist hier dem JAK-Inhibitor Baricitinib gewidmet, das als erste Therapie für die fortgeschrittene Alopecia areata zugelassen wurde. Diese neue Therapie zeigt eine bisher unerreichte Wirksamkeit, hat jedoch eine breite Diskussion über die Kosten und auch Risiken möglicher Therapien für die Alopecia areata, als rein kosmetische Erkrankung, ausgelöst.
Controlled diesel-mixed soils for roadway embankments: laboratory and ultrasonic characterization
Authors: AbdelSalam Sherif S. , Hasan Ahmed M. M.
Published: April 2023

Soils contaminated with hydrocarbons is a repetitive site condition that may occur at locations adjacent to underground fuel tanks and other facilities. The main purpose of this study is to characterize and assess possibilities of reusing contaminated soil in useful applications such as roadway embankments. Accordingly, controlled amounts of diesel were mixed with clays and sands using percentages ranging from 0 to 13.5%. Unconfined compression, direct shear, California bearing ratio, and other tests were conducted on the diesel-mixed soil, along with the ultrasonic test. The ultrasonic test provided measures for the pulse wave velocity and received frequency, which was correlated with other soil parameters such as elastic modulus, resilient modulus, and California bearing ratio. From the main outcomes, it was found that small amounts of diesel can help improved soil shear strength. For instance, adding 5% diesel increased the soil cohesion by 63% and the unconfined compressive strength from 0.14 to 0.21 N/mm2. In sands, the California bearing ratio increased by almost double by adding 5% diesel, which is essential for roadway embankments especially in remote locations. Damping coefficient of soil was determined at different levels of diesel using the ultrasonic wave decay envelops. The ultrasonic waves were analyzed using fast Fourier transform to determine useful correlations between the wave frequency and the diesel content starting from 0 to 13.5%, and it was realized that an uncomplicated ultrasonic test can be acceptably used to assess static and dynamic properties of clean as well as contaminated soils.
Faster exact solution of sparse MaxCut and QUBO problems
Authors: Rehfeldt Daniel , Koch Thorsten , Shinano Yuji
Published: April 2023

The maximum-cut problem is one of the fundamental problems in combinatorial optimization. With the advent of quantum computers, both the maximum-cut and the equivalent quadratic unconstrained binary optimization problem have experienced much interest in recent years. This article aims to advance the state of the art in the exact solution of both problems—by using mathematical programming techniques. The main focus lies on sparse problem instances, although also dense ones can be solved. We enhance several algorithmic components such as reduction techniques and cutting-plane separation algorithms, and combine them in an exact branch-and-cut solver. Furthermore, we provide a parallel implementation. The new solver is shown to significantly outperform existing state-of-the-art software for sparse maximum-cut and quadratic unconstrained binary optimization instances. Furthermore, we improve the best known bounds for several instances from the 7th DIMACS Challenge and the QPLIB, and solve some of them (for the first time) to optimality.
Reputation based proof of cooperation: an efficient and scalable consensus algorithm for supply chain applications
Authors: Sarfaraz Aaliya , Chakrabortty Ripon K. , Essam Daryl L.
Published: April 2023

The growing interest in blockchain technology has gained a lot of attention in Supply Chain Management (SCM) and sparked the quest for decentralized, scalable, efficient and trustworthy consensus schemes. Traditional blockchains rely on computationally expensive consensus mechanisms with low throughput and high latency. This paper conducts a performance evaluation of several existing consensus protocols to illustrate blockchain’s shortcomings in terms of consensus and propose a new consensus algorithm: Reputation based proof of cooperation (RPoC). The RPoC algorithm uses a layered architecture to segment the nodes that participate in the consensus phase in order to improve scalability and efficiency while maintaining trust among peers. The layered design addresses the issues of flexibility and scalability and breaks down the extensive mining process into segments. Rather than choosing a few nodes for mining, the proposed consensus process involves all network nodes, making it more efficient, decentralized and scalable. Through extensive theoretical analysis and experimentation, the suitability of the proposed algorithm is established in terms of scalability and efficiency.
Appraisal of trace metals pollution, sources and associated health risks using the geochemical and multivariate statistical approach
Authors: Rajmohan Natarajan , Masoud Milad H. Z. , Niyazi Burhan A. M. , Alqarawy Abdulaziz M.
Published: April 2023

Trace metals pollution in the freshwater system is an emerging concern. Thus, a systematic study was performed in the Wadi Fatimah basin to appraise the trace metals pollution status, sources and associated health risks using integrated tools, namely indices, international standards, multivariate statistical techniques and health risk assessment models. The groundwater salinity shows a wide range (TDS = 391 to 11,240 mg/l). The heavy metal pollution index and contamination index justify that most of the samples are unfit for drinking due to high metal pollution. Severe pollution is noticed by the Li (100%), Ni (98%), Pb (86%) and B (78%), and it is in the decreasing order of Mo > Cr > Al > Fe = Mn > V > Sr > Ag > Cu. Pearson correlation matrix suggests that most of the metals have a significant strong positive correlation with Al, Fe and Mn and originated from geogenic sources. Principal components analysis and R-mode HCA indicate that trace metals are mostly derived from weathering of aluminium silicates, oxides/hydroxides of Fe and Mn followed by evaporation, evaporite dissolution and restricted flow. Q-mode HCA resulted in 4 clusters, and the water chemistry of WG1 and WG4 is governed by mineral weathering. In addition, evaporation also enriched the metal load and salinity in WG4 wells. In WG2, the water chemistry is predominantly affected by long storage, evaporation and mineral weathering. In WG3, the water chemistry is influenced by evaporation, irrigation return flow and evaporite dissolution. The hazard quotient and hazard index suggest that groundwater in this basin causes potential non-carcinogenic health risks to the consumer. This study strongly recommends treatment for groundwater before supply to the local inhabitants.