bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Imperfect detection and wildlife density estimation using aerial surveys with infrared and visible sensors
Authors: Delisle Zackary J. , McGovern Patrick G. , Dillman Brian G. , Swihart Robert K.
Published: September 2022

Aerial vehicles equipped with infrared thermal sensors facilitate quick density estimates of wildlife, but detection error can arise from the thermal sensor and viewer of the infrared video. We reviewed published research to determine how commonly these sources of error have been assessed in studies using infrared video from aerial platforms to sample wildlife. The number of annual articles pertaining to aerial sampling using infrared thermography has increased drastically since 2018, but past studies inconsistently assessed sources of imperfect detection. We illustrate the importance of accounting for some of these types of error in a case study on white‐tailed deerOdocoileus virginianusin Indiana, USA, using a simple double‐observer approach. In our case study, we found evidence of false negatives associated with the viewer of infrared video. Additionally, we found that concordance between the detections of two viewers increased when using a red‐green‐blue camera paired with the infrared thermal sensor, when altitude decreased and when more stringent criteria were used to classify thermal signatures as deer. We encourage future managers and ecologists recording infrared video from aerial platforms to use double‐observer methods to account for viewer‐induced false negatives when video is manually viewed by humans. We also recommend combining infrared video with red‐green‐blue video to reduce false positives, applying stringent verification standards to detections in infrared and red‐green‐blue video and collecting data at lower altitudes over snow when needed.
Correction to: Ethics, EdTech, and the Rise of Contract Cheating
Authors: Gray Brenna Clarke
Published: September 2022

The original version of the book was inadvertently published with an incorrect line inthe Abstract in Chapter 9 (Ethics, EdTech, and the Rise of Contract Cheating). This has now been rectified and the line has been removed. The chapter and book have been updated with the changes. The updated
Quantification of meteorological drought risks between 1.5 °C and 4 °C of global warming in six countries
Authors: Price Jeff , Warren Rachel , Forstenhäusler Nicole , Wallace Craig , Jenkins Rhosanna , Osborn Timothy J. , Van Vuuren D. P.
Published: September 2022

We quantify the projected impacts of alternative levels of global warming upon the probability and length of severe drought in six countries (China, Brazil, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana and India). This includes an examination of different land cover classes, and a calculation of the proportion of population in 2100 (SSP2) at exposed to severe drought lasting longer than one year. Current pledges for climate change mitigation, which are projected to still result in global warming levels of 3 °C or more, would impact all of the countries in this study. For example, with 3 °C warming, more than 50% of the agricultural area in each country is projected to be exposed to severe droughts of longer than one year in a 30-year period. Using standard population projections, it is estimated that 80%-100% of the population in Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia and Ghana (and nearly 50% of the population of India) are projected to be exposed to a severe drought lasting one year or longer in a 30-year period. In contrast, we find that meeting the long-term temperature goal of the Paris Agreement, that is limiting warming to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels, is projected to greatly benefit all of the countries in this study, greatly reducing exposure to severe drought for large percentages of the population and in all major land cover classes, with Egypt potentially benefiting the most.
Creating Insecurity Through Youth Street Groups and Applying Security for Control and Governance. A Case Study of Barcelona Latin Kings
Authors: Ballesté-Isern Eduard , Feixa Carles
Published: September 2022

This paper is based on an ethnographic study of the arrests and the subsequent trial and sentencing of a group of Latin Kings and Queens from Barcelona between 2015 and 2020. We analyze the actions carried out by the police, judicial institutions and media to reestablish the “hard handed” discourse in relation to these youth street groups in a time of crisis and precariousness. The concept of a “space of youth street groups” is used to construct a tool for mapping the agents who interact with these groups and the position they occupy in the social space. The interactions between these agents in Barcelona configure a new form of security governance through the creation of subjective insecurity and the promotion of punitive policies against youth street groups.
Utilizing additive manufacturing and mass customization under capacity constraints
Authors: Lacroix Rachel , Timonina-Farkas Anna , Seifert Ralf W.
Published: September 2022

Additive manufacturing (AM), originally used for prototyping, is increasingly adopted for custom final part production across different industries. However, printing speed and production volume are two barriers for the adoption of AM for product customization at large scale. Nevertheless, manufacturers could aim to combine the benefits of AM for product customization with traditional mass customization (MC) technologies over the product life cycle (PLC). This approach is showcased in our paper as a manufacturing opportunity and is addressed via a non convex-concave optimization model that considers a monopolist manufacturer producing horizontally differentiated products at scale. To satisfy individual customer preferences under capacity considerations, the firm jointly decides on the inventory, production quantity, product variety, optimal technology-switching times (between AM and MC) and pricing strategy. Our approach can be implemented by decision-makers to leverage customer-centricity and benefit from this novel hybrid manufacturing practice. By deriving a closed-form solution for the production quantity based on an adaptive inventory policy, the resulting optimization problem is solved using the Sample Average Approximation framework grounded by analytical results. Our results demonstrate that the new usage of AM with MC can benefit a manufacturer for customer-centric driven strategies. Significant profit improvements can be achieved with an AM–MC–AM technology-switching scenario under certain capacity conditions and with an increasing-decreasing pricing strategy. Our results also indicate that the benefits of pricing flexibility are highest when capacity is unlimited or when the firm does not hold inventory. Under capacity constraints, a simple decreasing pricing policy combined with inventory performs very well.
Tuning the Structural and Magnetic Properties of the Stuffed Framework Structures MeFe2O4 (Me = Ni, Ca, and Sr)
Authors: Ateia Ebtesam. E. , Hussien Sara , Mohamed Amira. T.
Published: September 2022

Spinel ferrite nanoparticles (NPs), have received a lot of attention in medical applications. Therefore, facile synthesis of ferrite NPs of numerous shapes and sizes using the citrate autocombustion technique was utilized in this article. A series of ferrite with the general formula MeFe2O4 [Me = nickle (Ni), calcium (Ca), and strontium (Sr)] are synthesized with varying average ionic radii and cation disorder on the A-site. The structural and morphological characterization of the prepared samples was performed using XRD, HRTEM, FESEM, EDAX, XPS, and Raman analyses. The phase transformation from cubic (Ni) to orthorhombic (Ca) to monoclinic (Sr) was also revealed by XRD. Accordingly, HRTEM images demonstrated nanoparticles in orthorhombic and monoclinic shapes, which are inconsistent with XRD analyses. The coercive field HC for monoclinic SrFe2O4 is ≈ 42 times larger than the Hc for NiFe2O4 with a cubic structure. This deviation in HC compared to the cubic shape particles can be coupled to the shape anisotropy present in SrFe2O4 and refers to the presence of a preferred magnetization direction within the material. The use of monoclinic SrFe2O4 NPs as antifungal activity agents is noteworthy due to their advantages in terms of surface area, efficacy, and biodegradability.
Multimodal recognition of frustration during game-play with deep neural networks
Authors: Fuente Carlos de la , Castellanos Francisco J. , Valero-Mas Jose J. , Calvo-Zaragoza Jorge
Published: September 2022

Frustration, which is one aspect of the field of emotional recognition, is of particular interest to the video game industry as it provides information concerning each individual player’s level of engagement. The use of non-invasive strategies to estimate this emotion is, therefore, a relevant line of research with a direct application to real-world scenarios. While several proposals regarding the performance of non-invasive frustration recognition can be found in literature, they usually rely on hand-crafted features and rarely exploit the potential inherent to the combination of different sources of information. This work, therefore, presents a new approach that automatically extracts meaningful descriptors from individual audio and video sources of information using Deep Neural Networks (DNN) in order to then combine them, with the objective of detecting frustration in Game-Play scenarios. More precisely, two fusion modalities, namelydecision-levelandfeature-level, are presented and compared with state-of-the-art methods, along with different DNN architectures optimized for each type of data. Experiments performed with a real-world audiovisual benchmarking corpus revealed that the multimodal proposals introduced herein are more suitable than those of a unimodal nature, and that their performance also surpasses that of other state-of-the–art approaches, with error rate improvements of between 40%and 90%.
Approximating the linear response of physical chaos
Authors: Śliwiak Adam A. , Wang Qiqi
Published: September 2022

Parametric derivatives of statistics are highly desired quantities in prediction, design optimization and uncertainty quantification. In the presence of chaos, the rigorous computation of these quantities is certainly possible, but mathematically complicated and computationally expensive. Based on Ruelle’s formalism, this paper shows that the sophisticated linear response algorithm can be dramatically simplified in higher-dimensional systems featuring statistical homogeneity in the physical space. We argue that the contribution of the SRB (Sinai–Ruelle–Bowen) measure gradient, which is an integral yet the most cumbersome part of the full algorithm, is negligible if the objective function is appropriately aligned with unstable manifolds. This abstract condition could potentially be satisfied by a vast family of real-world chaotic systems, regardless of the physical meaning and mathematical form of the objective function and perturbed parameter. We demonstrate several numerical examples that support these conclusions and that present the use and performance of a simplified linear response algorithm. In the numerical experiments, we consider physical models described by differential equations, including Lorenz 96 and Kuramoto–Sivashinsky.
One-dimentional periodic structure infiltrated by (PVA/CV + CF)-polymer for high-performance sensitivity
Authors: Sayed Fatma A. , Elsayed Hussein A. , Mehaney Ahmed , Eissa M. F. , Aly Arafa H.
Published: September 2022

In the current work, we demonstrate a design to act as a Gamma-ray radiation dosimeter based on the one-dimensional photonic crystal (1D-PhC). The basic concept of the present dosimeter is based on a Porous Silicon (PSi) infiltrated by poly-vinyl alcohol (PVA)-polymer doped with crystal violet (CV) and carbol-fuchsine (CF) dyes. The mechanism of suggested dosimeter is based on the shift of the photonic bandgap (PBG) to higher wavelengths as exposed to gamma-ray radiation doses from 0 to 70 Gray (Gy). The basic axes of the current theoretical treatment are the transfers matrix method (TMM), Bruggeman's effective medium equation, and the fitted experimental data to the refractive index of the doped PVA-Polymer. The obtained results showed the proposed sensor is characterized by high stable sensitivity varied from (178–186 nm/ RIU) along an applied γ-dose from (10–70 Gy) in the visible range. In addition, we compared these results with previous researches. In addition, based on the our knowledge may be it is the first time that a 1D-PhC has been used for gamma-ray detection by using (PVA/CV + CF) based on Porous Silicon.
Reading and math skills development among Finnish primary school children before and after COVID-19 school closure
Authors: Lerkkanen Marja-Kristiina , Pakarinen Eija , Salminen Jenni , Torppa Minna
Published: September 2022

This study quantified the possible learning losses in reading and math skills among a sample of Finnish Grade 3 children (n = 198) who spent 8 weeks in distance learning during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020. We compared their reading and math skill development trajectories across Grades 1, 2, and 4 to a pre-COVID sample (N = 378). We also examined if gender, parental education, maternal homework involvement, and child’s task-avoidant behavior predict children’s academic skills at Grade 4 differently in the pre-COVID sample compared with the COVID sample. Children’s reading and math skills were tested, mothers reported their education and homework involvement, and teachers rated children’s task-avoidant behavior. The results showed, on average, lower reading skills in the COVID sample than in the pre-COVID sample but there were no differences in math skills. Although the COVID sample had lower levels in reading, their developmental trajectories in reading and math skills were not different from the pre-COVID sample before the pandemic in Grades 1 and 2. From Grade 2 to 4, however, the development was slower in reading fluency and comprehension in the COVID sample, but not in math. The predictors of change from Grade 2 to 4 in reading and math skills were not different in the samples. The results showed that the development of reading skills in particular may have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Secured polar code derived from random hopped frozen-bits
Authors: Moussa Karim H. , Shaaban Shawki , El-Sakka Ahmed H.
Published: September 2022

The polar code is a unique coding approach that can achieve Shannon's capacity in modern communication systems' discrete memory-less channels with superior reliability, but it is not secure enough under modern attacks for such systems. This study aims to offer a comprehensive secured polar coding scheme that uses a combination of polar coding and the Mersenne-Twister pseudo-random number generator (MT-PRNG) to achieve a super secured encoding. The pre-shared crypto-system cyphering key initiates the starting state of the MT-PRNG as a seed. The randomly generated sequences govern the values of the frozen bits in polarized bit channels and their associated indices. A half-bit-error-rate probability system performance is calculated when the encoding ciphering keys at the receiver differ by a single bit from those utilized at the transmitter. Using calculated numerical analysis, the system is shown to be secure against brute force attacks, Rao-Nam attacks, and polar code reconstruction attacks.
Perceptions About Climate Change in the Brazilian Civil Defense Sector
Authors: Marchezini Victor , Londe Luciana Resende , Loose Eloisa Beling , Saito Silvia Midori , Marengo José A.
Published: September 2022

Few studies have analyzed climate change perceptions in the disaster risk management sector. This research aimed to understand how civil defense experts are dealing with the climate change topic: what they learn and think about. An online survey was conducted between October and December 2021 with 1,063 participants from civil defense agencies in Brazil. The findings indicate: (1) most (80.6%) civil defense officers completely agreed that climate change will cause additional challenges to disaster risk management, while 10.1% stated that they are prepared to deal with it; (2) one quarter of the respondents (26.3%) completely agreed that they easily understand the information about climate change, but trust in the sources of information is a challenge—52.4% completely agreed and 40.5% partially agreed with information provided by scientists, but the levels of trust were reduced when referring to governments and press; and (3) about 30% of the respondents thought that civil defense work is associated with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), despite SDGs 11 and 13 being related to disasters and climate change. The identification of civil defense’ perceptions on climate change is an important step in seeking pathways for increasing capacity building to achieve disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.
Thermal desorption of mercury from lignite in a high-temperature furnace and in power plant mills
Authors: Kropp Anne-Christin , Gebauer Kathrin , Beckmann Michael
Published: September 2022

In this article, the binding forms of two lignite samples are determined by thermal desorption using a high-temperature furnace. Each mercury compound, such as HgCl2, has a specific binding strength whose decomposition requires a certain thermal energy. Hence, the release of mercury from pure substances and lignite samples was analyzed in a high-temperature furnace. The released mercury is determined with a Mercury Vapor Monitor. The obtained characteristic temperature range and peak of the mercury release were compared between lignite samples and mercury pure substances. For the lignite samples investigated, the binding form of mercury was then identified as Humic Acid. These organic compounds vaporize at lower temperatures. About half of the mercury bound in the lignite was already released at 350 °C. Furthermore, the question arises whether mercury is already released during the grinding-drying process in the coal mill of a power plant. At two power plants, lignite samples were taken simultaneously at the feeder before entering the coal mill and at the dust line afterwards. The samples were analyzed for mercury concentration. The results show that up to one third of the mercury was already released in the coal mill. The vaporized mercury enters the combustion chamber detached from the lignite. The stated analysis methods and the results presented in this article contribute to the understanding of the mercury binding forms in lignite. It also shows the potential of thermal coal pretreatment as a favorable alternative mercury separation technology to others such as activated carbon dosing.
Are microconidia infectious principles in Neonectria ditissima?
Authors: Wesche Johanna , Weber Roland W. S.
Published: September 2022

Comparative studies of different isolates of Neonectria ditissima obtained from canker lesions and rotten fruit showed that both five-septate macroconidia and aseptate microconidia were capable of germination by germ-tube formation, but that growth commenced earlier and proceeded faster from the former than the latter type of spore. Further, following wound inoculation of apple fruit with different numbers of conidia (50, 500 or 5000 per wound) the resulting rot lesions were always significantly larger with macroconidia than microconidia, and in both conidial types lesion size increased with higher inoculum loads. These data confirm that microconidia are capable of causing infections, but indicate that their contribution to the success of the pathogen in the field is probably negligible.
Opportunity Cost: An Economic Concept That May Improve the Functioning of Federal Milk Marketing Orders and the U.S. Dairy Industry
Authors: Mykrantz John L. , Bozic Marin
Published: September 2022

In the United States, over 70% of milk production is priced under Federal Milk Marketing Orders (FMMOs). A primary purpose of FMMOs is to facilitate orderly allocation of milk as a limited, perishable resource among alternative uses. Fundamental to FMMOs are the regulatory prices applicable to milk used in cheese and whey (Class III), and nonfat dry milk and butter (Class IV). This work examines a novel milk pricing method based on the concept of opportunity cost for milk used in cheese and whey. This novel method may improve the functioning of FMMOs and the U.S. dairy industry.
Large-scale behavior of a particle system with mean-field interaction: Traveling wave solutions
Authors: Stolyar Alexander
Published: September 2022

We use probabilistic methods to study properties of mean-field models, which arise as large-scale limits of certain particle systems with mean-field interaction. The underlying particle system is such that n particles move forward on the real line. Specifically, each particle ‘jumps forward’ at some time points, with the instantaneous rate of jumps given by a decreasing function of the particle’s location quantile within the overall distribution of particle locations. A mean-field model describes the evolution of the particles’ distribution when n is large. It is essentially a solution to an integro-differential equation within a certain class. Our main results concern the existence and uniqueness of—and attraction to—mean-field models which are traveling waves, under general conditions on the jump-rate function and the jump-size distribution.
On the Virtue of Epistemic Justice and the Vice of Epistemic Injustice
Authors: Kotsonis Alkis
Published: September 2022

In this paper, I develop an account of epistemic justice as a character-based intellectual virtue that a truth-desiring agent would want to possess. The agent who possesses this virtue is just towards other knowers in matters pertaining to epistemic goods and this involves a regard for agents as knowers. Notably, the virtue of epistemic justice has a unique position among virtues: epistemic justice is presupposed by every other intellectual virtue, while remaining a standalone virtue itself. Correspondingly, I also offer an account of the vice of epistemic injustice as an epistemically dis-valuable trait of character. The agent who possesses this trait is unjust towards other knowers in matters pertaining to epistemic goods and this involves a disregard for agents as knowers. Most importantly, I highlight that the vice of epistemic injustice is entailed by every other epistemic vice, though it remains a distinct vice.
When Comparative Law Walks the Path of Anthropology: The Third Gender in Europe
Authors: Osella Stefano
Published: September 2022

Gender recognition is a crucial achievement for non-binary people. To better understand this right, this article combines comparative law with theoretical insights from anthropology to offer a discussion of non-binary recognition in European fundamental rights law. It identifies three approaches to such a right and critically assesses each of them. The first approach is denial, with the non-binary option being explicitly or implicitly rejected, as has occurred in French and Italian courts. The next approach is limited recognition, whereby a non-binary option is granted under specific limitations, such as when certain physical characteristics are present or when a claimant permanently identifies with the non-binary gender. This is the course of action that has been taken in German law. The third approach is gender self-determination, whereby individuals can obtain recognition on the basis of their declaration alone. This solution has been offered by the Belgian Constitutional Court. On the strength of findings from anthropology, the article argues that the first two models are incapable of genuinely engaging with gender diversity, while the third one offers more robust legal protection. The analysis presented here serves as an example of how anthropological insights can be effectively used to advance comparative law research.
Une défense de l'hédonisme axiologique
Authors: Broi Antonin
Published: September 2022

L'hédonisme axiologique a une longue histoire en philosophie. Pourtant, il garde une mauvaise réputation qui lui vaut d’être parfois écarté sans ménagement de la discussion philosophique. Cet article se propose de défendre l'hédonisme axiologique en exposant les principaux arguments en sa faveur et en répondant aux principales critiques et confusions dont il fait l'objet. Une attention particulière sera portée aux arguments établissant la spécificité du plaisir et du déplaisir par rapport à toutes les autres choses — amitié, savoir, justice, etc. — dont on pourrait argumenter la valeur finale.
Modernization in Progress: Part-Year Operation, Mechanization, and Labor Force Composition in Late Imperial Russia
Authors: Gregg Amanda , Matiashvili Tamar
Published: September 2022

This paper investigates part-year factory operation, a common but understudied dimension of industrializing economies, in a prototypical late-industrializing setting that offers rich factory-level data: Imperial Russia. Newly compiled data provides detailed descriptions of all Russian manufacturing firms operating in 1894 and shows that factories operating a greater number of annual working days were more mechanized, more urban, more likely to employ women and children, more productive, and more likely to survive. Rather than arguing that part-year operation demonstrated Russia’s uniquely inexorable backwardness, we stress operating time’s relationship to fundamental drivers of growth, including urbanization, geography, and institutions.
Description of Joyeuxiella pasqualei (Cestoda: Dipylidiidae) from an Italian domestic dog, with a call for further research on its first intermediate host
Authors: Bezerra-Santos Marcos Antonio , Mendoza-Roldan Jairo Alfonso , Lia Riccardo Paolo , Annoscia Giada , Schuster Rolf , Varcasia Antonio , Sgroi Giovanni , Modry David , Otranto Domenico
Published: September 2022

Although Joyeuxiella pasqualei is frequently detected in cats from Mediterranean Europe, information on its biology is still scarce. This cestode is relatively less frequently reported in dogs, possibly because it is often misdiagnosed with the better-known Dipylidium caninum. The occurrence of J. pasqualei proglottids in a dog living in a closed environment triggered us to delve into the biology of this cestode by collecting biological samples from lizards and a road-killed cat. Two reptile species, Podarcis siculus (Lacertidae), and Tarentola mauritanica (Geckonidae) were also collected in the garden and its surroundings. In addition, experimental infections with eggs obtained from gravid proglottids were performed in laboratory mice, and Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) beetles. Proglottids from the dog's feces and adult cestodes detected at necroscopy of a cat were morphologically identified as J. pasqualei. Two out of 13 T. mauritanica collected in the garden had natural infections of J. pasqualei cysts in the liver and attached to the intestine. All P. siculus lizards and experimentally infected rodents and beetles were negative. DNA sequences obtained from J. pasqualei showed the highest nucleotide similarities with Versteria sp., Echinococcus sp., Raillietina sonini, Taenia polyacantha and D. caninum. Data herein provided show the inability of rodents to become infected by direct ingestion of gravid proglottids, suggesting a need for an invertebrate first intermediate host in the life cycle. Thus, more research study is advocated to better understand the biology of J. pasqualei such as its first intermediate host and its mechanism of transmission in reptiles and rodents.
In defence of Mary's consent: a response to Hereth
Authors: Mulder Jack
Published: September 2022

In this article I defend the possibility of the Virgin Mary's free consent to bear the Son of God at the Annunciation against Blake Hereth's argument that God's offer cannot but be either coercive or deceptive, or both. I argue that the Immaculate Conception does help ensure this possibility, contrary to what Hereth also argues against me.
Hadrian's Frontiers in Northern Britain
Authors: Bidwell Paul
Published: September 2022

The structural relationships of the forts, Wall curtain and Vallum are reviewed and a revised sequence of construction for Hadrian's Wall is proposed. The original plan (Stage 1) incorporated much of the earlier Trajanic frontier (the Stanegate) and probably included the Devil's Causeway which ran north-eastwards from Corbridge. Forts were then added to the line of the Wall as a result of three modifications of the plan (Stages 2–4), continuing until late in Hadrian's reign. The Vallum was added in Stage 3. Hadrian probably conceived the original plan for the Wall, but the modifications that followed seem to have been consequences of shifting focuses of loyalty, resistance and outright warfare, beyond and behind the frontier.
Human-like motion planning of robotic arms based on human arm motion patterns
Authors: Zhao Jing , Wang Chengyun , Xie Biyun
Published: September 2022

Robots with human-like appearances and structures are usually well accepted in the human–robot interaction. However, compared with human-like appearances and structures, the human-like motion plays a much more critical role in improving the efficiency and safety of the human–robot interaction. This paper develops a human-like motion planner based on human arm motion patterns (HAMPs) to fulfill the human–robot object handover tasks. First, a handover task is divided into two sub-tasks, that is, pick-up and delivery, and HAMPs are extracted for these two sub-tasks separately. The resulting HAMPs are analyzed, and a method is proposed to select HAMPs that can represent the characteristics of the human arm motion. Then the factors affecting the duration of the movement primitives are analyzed, and the relationship between the duration of the movement primitives and these factors is determined. Based on the selected HAMP and the computed duration of the movement primitives, a human-like motion planning framework is developed to generate the human-like motion for the robotic arms. Finally, this motion planner is verified by the human–robot handover experiments using a KUKA IIWA robot. It shows that the resulting trajectories can correctly reflect the relative relationship between the joints in the human arm motion and are very close to the recorded human arm trajectories. Furthermore, the proposed motion planning method is compared with the motion planning method based on minimum total potential energy. The results show that the proposed method can generate more human-like motion.
“One China” Contention in China–Taiwan Relations: Law, Politics and Identity
Authors: Chen Yu-Jie
Published: September 2022

This article examines the abiding “one China” contention between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC or Taiwan), focusing on their 2008–2016 cooperation and the ensuing political stalemate. It does so by investigating the PRC's and the ROC's respective legal frameworks and the positions of the major political actors, including the Chinese Communist Party and both Taiwan's Kuomintang and its Democratic Progressive Party. While the PRC maintains its “one-China principle,” and the ROC's legal system retains some “one China” elements, the idea of “one China” has been in flux in Taiwan. The traditional conceptualization of “one China” has been increasingly challenged in Taiwan's democratic era by the rise of a countervailing Taiwanese national identity and opposition to the PRC's insistent agenda to absorb the island. These dynamics are rapidly minimizing the appeal and political utility of any “one China” notions in China–Taiwan relations.
In Memoriam: Professor Marc R. de Leval (April 16, 1941–June 26, 2022) – an exceptional, inspirational, and most modest man
Authors: Marek Jan , Jowett Victoria , Khambadkone Sachin , Tsang Victor
Published: September 2022

Professor Marc de Leval (16 April 1941 –26 June 2022) was a pioneer in the field of congenital cardiothoracic surgery and former chair of the British Congenital Cardiac Association [https://www.bcca-uk.org/]. Professor de Leval was appointed as a Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon at Great Ormond Street Hospital in 1974. Throughout his distinguished career at Great Ormond Street Hospital, he worked with dedication to improve outcomes for cardiothoracic surgery. His contribution to academic cardiothoracic surgery was significant and far-reaching with over 300 peer-reviewed publications. Of particular note was his work in improving the palliation of children with cyanotic congenital heart disease by the use of the modified Blalock-Thomas-Taussig shunt and his pioneering work over many years to improve understanding of the Fontan circulation using in vitro modelling and computational fluid dynamics that led to the development of the total cavopulmonary connection. His other significant contributions include the importance of analysing surgical failures, being the co-editor of the most readable textbook in our field, and so much more. During his career, he trained many eminent surgeons from around the world, and a Marc de Leval Fellowship of The American Association for Thoracic Surgery [https://www.aats.org/about-the-foundation/the-reach-of-our-programs/foundation-honoring-our-mentors-program/marc-r-de-leval-md] now allows the opportunity for a trainee to study congenital cardiac surgery in the UK or Europe. Marc is fondly remembered by the staff at Great Ormond Street Hospital. The nurses recall his arrival at the break of day on the intensive care unit, having already been for a swim, and the diligence with which he observed his patients following surgery. Former trainees remember a man who, despite his standing, always remained courteous, approachable, and kind. Professor de Leval will be remembered not only as a skilled and dedicated surgeon but also as a distinguished scholar, one with a quest for knowledge in the pursuit of excellence.
High Precision Femtosecond Laser Ablation ICP‐MS Measurement of Benthic Foraminiferal Mn‐Incorporation for Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction: A Case Study From the Plio‐Pleistocene Caribbean Sea
Authors: Öğretmen N. , Schiebel R. , Jochum K. P. , Galer S. , Leitner J. , Khanolkar S. , Yücel M. , Stoll B. , Weis U. , Haug G. H.
Published: September 2022

Closure of the Central American Seaway (CAS) and hydrology of the Caribbean Sea triggered Northern Hemisphere Glaciation and played an important role in the Pliocene to modern‐day climate re‐establishing the deep and surface ocean currents. New data on Mn/Ca obtained with femtosecond laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry on well‐preserved tests of the epibenthic foraminifer Cibicidoides wuellerstorfi and infaunal C. mundulus contribute to the interpretation of paleoenvironmental conditions of the Caribbean Sea between 5.2 and 2.2 Ma (million years) across the closure of the CAS. Hydrothermal activity at the Lesser Antilles may be a primary source of Mn in the well‐oxygenated Plio‐Pleistocene Caribbean Sea. Incorporation of Mn in the benthic foraminifer shell carbonate is assumed to be affected by surface ocean nutrient cycling, and may hence be an indicator of paleoproductivity.
Moho and LAB Across the Western Alps (Europe) From P and S Receiver Function Analysis
Authors: Monna S. , Montuori C. , Frugoni F. , Piromallo C. , Vinnik L. ,   AlpArray Working Group
Published: September 2022

In spite of numerous active and passive seismological investigations, the existence of continuous or interrupted continental subduction below the Western Alps is still open to debate. Many of the observations focus on the Moho or the deeper part of the mantle, while reliable information on the Lithosphere‐Asthenosphere Boundary (LAB) below the Alpine region is scarce. Exploiting the data from the dense, broadband AlpArray Seismic Network we present a set of Receiver Function (RF) measurements on the Moho and LAB of a region encompassing the Western Alps, which includes the Ivrea Geophysical Body (IGB), a fragment of mantle placed at a few kilometers depth at the collision margin between Eurasia and Adria plates. We derive seismic velocity profiles of the crust‐uppermost mantle below each station down to about 250 km, through the joint inversion of P and S RF. We constrain the lateral variations of the Moho and LAB topographies across the colliding plates, and quantify the errors related to our measurements. Our results allow us to considerably expand the published data of the Moho depth and to add a unique set of new measurements of the LAB. Our observations show that Eurasia and Adria lithospheres have a comparable thickness (on average 90–100 km), and are colliding below the IGB, and that Eurasia is not presently continuously subducting below Adria. These observations suggest that there is a gap between the superficial (continental) European lithosphere and the deep (oceanic) lithosphere, confirming the discontinuous structure imaged by some seismic tomography models.
Metabolic control of histone acetylation for precise and timely regulation of minor ZGA in early mammalian embryos
Authors: Li Jingyu , Zhang Jiaming , Hou Weibo , Yang Xu , Liu Xiaoyu , Zhang Yan , Gao Meiling , Zong Ming , Dong Zhixiong , Liu Zhonghua , Shen Jingling , Cong Weitao , Ding Chunming , Gao Shaorong , Huang Guoning , Kong Qingran
Published: September 2022

Metabolism feeds into the regulation of epigenetics via metabolic enzymes and metabolites. However, metabolic features, and their impact on epigenetic remodeling during mammalian pre-implantation development, remain poorly understood. In this study, we established the metabolic landscape of mouse pre-implantation embryos from zygote to blastocyst, and quantified some absolute carbohydrate metabolites. We integrated these data with transcriptomic and proteomic data, and discovered the metabolic characteristics of the development process, including the activation of methionine cycle from 8-cell embryo to blastocyst, high glutaminolysis metabolism at blastocyst stage, enhanced TCA cycle activity from the 8-cell embryo stage, and active glycolysis in the blastocyst. We further demonstrated that oxidized nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) synthesis is indispensable for mouse pre-implantation development. Mechanistically, in part, NAD+ is required for the exit of minor zygotic gene activation (ZGA) by cooperating with SIRT1 to remove zygotic H3K27ac. In human, NAD+ supplement can promote the removal of zygotic H3K27ac and benefit pre-implantation development. Our findings demonstrate that precise and timely regulation of minor ZGA is controlled by metabolic dynamics, and enhance our understanding of the metabolism of mammalian early embryos.
An examination of public support for 35 nutrition interventions across seven countries
Authors: Pettigrew Simone , Booth Leon , Dunford Elizabeth , Scapin Tailane , Webster Jacqui , Wu Jason , Tian Maoyi , Praveen D. , Sacks Gary
Published: September 2022

Background

Public support for evidence-based nutrition interventions can be an important determinant of government willingness to develop and implement such interventions. The aim of this study was to assess support for a broad range of nutrition interventions across seven countries: Australia, Canada, China, India, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Assessed interventions included those relating to food availability, affordability, reformulation, labelling, and promotion.

Methods

Approximately 1000 adults per country (total n = 7559) completed an online survey assessing support for 35 nutrition interventions/policies. ANOVA analyses were used to identify differences between countries on overall levels of support and by intervention category. Multiple regression analyses assessed demographic and diet-related factors associated with higher levels of support across the total sample and by country.

Results

Substantial levels of public support were found for the assessed interventions across the seven countries and five intervention categories. The highest levels were found in India (Mean across all interventions of 4.16 (standard deviation (SD) 0.65) on a 5-point scale) and the lowest in the United States (Mean = 3.48, SD = 0.83). Support was strongest for interventions involving food labelling (Mean = 4.20, SD = 0.79) and food reformulation (Mean = 4.17, SD = 0.87), and weakest for fiscal interventions (Mean = 3.52, SD = 1.06). Consumer characteristics associated with stronger support were higher self-rated health, higher educational attainment, female sex, older age, and perceptions of consuming a healthy diet.

Conclusion

The results indicate substantial support for a large range of nutrition interventions across the assessed countries, and hence governments could potentially be more proactive in developing and implementing such initiatives.
The ryanodine receptor mutational characteristics and its indication for cancer prognosis
Authors: Wang Fenglin , Yu Jingbo , Lin Ping , Sigalas Charalampos , Zhang Shibo , Gong Yuan , Sitsapesan Rebecca , Song Lele
Published: September 2022

Ca2+ signaling is altered substantially in many cancers. The ryanodine receptors (RYRs) are among the key ion channels in Ca2+ signaling. This study aimed to establish the mutational profile of RYR in cancers and investigate the correlation between RYR alterations and cancer phenotypes. The somatic mutation and clinical data of 11,000 cancer patients across 33 cancer types was downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Subsequent data processing was performed with corresponding packages of the R software. Mutational profile was analyzed and its correlation with tumor mutational burden (TMB), patient prognosis, age and smoking status was analyzed and compared. All three RYR isoforms exhibited random mutational distribution without hotspot mutations when all cancers were analyzed together. The number of mutations in RYR2 (2388 mutations) far overweight that of RYR1 (1439 mutations) and RYR3 (1573 mutations). Linear correlation was observed between cumulative TMB and cumulative number of mutations for all RYR isoforms. Patients with RYR mutations exhibited significantly higher TMB than those without RYR mutations for most cancer types. Strong correlation was also revealed in the average number of mutations per person between pairs of RYR isoforms. No stratification of patient overall survival (OS) by mutational status was found for all three RYR isoforms when all cancers were analyzed together, however, significant stratification of OS by RYR mutations was revealed in several individual cancers, most strikingly in LUAD (P = 0.0067, RYR1), BLCA (P = 0.00071, RYR2), LUSC (P = 0.036, RYR2) and KIRC (P = 0.0042, RYR3). Furthermore, RYR mutations were correlated with higher age, higher smoking history grading and higher number of pack years. Characteristic mutation profile of RYRs in cancers has been revealed for the first time. RYR mutations were correlated with TMB, age, smoking status and capable of stratifying the prognosis of patients in several cancer types.
Bis-pharmacophore of cinnamaldehyde-clubbed thiosemicarbazones as potent carbonic anhydrase-II inhibitors
Authors: Rasool Asif , Batool Zahra , Khan Majid , Halim Sobia Ahsan , Shafiq Zahid , Temirak Ahmed , Salem Mohamed A. , Ali Tarik E. , Khan Ajmal , Al-Harrasi Ahmed
Published: September 2022

Here, we report the synthesis, carbonic anhydrase-II (CA-II) inhibition and structure–activity relationship studies of cinnamaldehyde-clubbed thiosemicarbazones derivatives. The derivatives showed potent activities in the range of 10.3 ± 0.62–46.6 ± 0.62 µM. Among all the synthesized derivatives, compound 3n (IC50 = 10.3 ± 0.62 µM), 3g (IC50 = 12.1 ± 1.01 µM), and 3h (IC50 = 13.4 ± 0.52 µM) showed higher inhibitory activity as compared to the standard inhibitor, acetazolamide. Furthermore, molecular docking of all the active compounds was carried out to predict their behavior of molecular binding. The docking results indicate that the most active hit (3n) specifically mediate ionic interaction with the Zn ion in the active site of CA-II. Furthermore, the The199 and Thr200 support the binding of thiosemicarbazide moiety of 3n, while Gln 92 supports the interactions of all the compounds by hydrogen bonding. In addition to Gln92, few other residues including Asn62, Asn67, The199, and Thr200 play important role in the stabilization of these molecules in the active site by specifically providing H-bonds to the thiosemicarbazide moiety of compounds. The docking score of active hits are found in range of − 6.75 to − 4.42 kcal/mol, which indicates that the computational prediction correlates well with the in vitro results.
Reuse of phosphogypsum pretreated with water washing as aggregate for cemented backfill
Authors: Zhou Yanan , Li Xibing , Shi Ying , Zhu Quanqi , Du Jing
Published: September 2022

Phosphogypsum (PG) is reused as aggregate in the cemented backfill, which effectively improves the PG reutilization efficiency. However, the massive impurities contained in aggregate PG would adversely affect the hydration of binder, and therefore deteriorate the strength development of backfill. This research starts with the feasibility study on pretreating PG with the water washing method. Based on the most economical principle of the water demand, the optimal conditions for washing PG were determined at a stirring time of 5 min and a solid–liquid ratio of 1:0.5. Then, the original and pretreated PG were made into the backfill. Compared to using the original PG, the backfill slurry using the pretreated PG had better fluidity performance, such as the lower slurry viscosity and the higher bleeding rate. Furthermore, with the pretreated aggregate PG, the backfill strength was significantly enhanced by more than 8 times. Finally, the environmental behavior of the cemented backfill was investigated. Using the pretreated PG as aggregate, concentrations of PO43− and F− in the bleeding water and backfill leachates could meet the Chinese standard for integrated wastewater discharge. The results extend the reuse of PG as aggregate in a more environmental-friendly way, meeting the needs for sustainable mines.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa persister cell formation upon antibiotic exposure in planktonic and biofilm state
Authors: Patel Hiral , Buchad Hasmatbanu , Gajjar Devarshi
Published: September 2022

Persister cell (PC) is dormant, tolerant to antibiotics, and a transient reversible phenotype. These phenotypes are observed in P. aeruginosa and cause bacterial chronic infection as well as recurrence of biofilm-mediated infection. PC formation requires stringent response and toxin-antitoxin (TA) modules. This study shows the P. aeruginosa PC formation in planktonic and biofilm stages on ceftazidime, gentamicin, and ciprofloxacin treatments. The PC formation was studied using persister assay, flow cytometry using Redox Sensor Green, fluorescence as well as Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy, and gene expression of stringent response and TA genes. In the planktonic stage, ceftazidime showed a high survival fraction, high redox activity, and elongation of cells was observed followed by ciprofloxacin and gentamicin treatment having redox activity and rod-shaped cells. The gene expression of stringent response and TA genes were upregulated on gentamicin followed by ceftazidime treatment and varied among the isolates. In the biofilm stage, gentamicin and ciprofloxacin showed the biphasic killing pattern, redox activity, gene expression level of stringent response and TA varied across the isolates. Ceftazidime treatment showed higher persister cells in planktonic growth while all three antibiotics were able to induce persister cell formation in the biofilm stage.