bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Urban Potential of Multifamily Housing Renovation
Authors: Daglio Laura
Published: June 2023

Multifamily post-war middle-class housing in Italy represents a significant heritage which strongly characterizes urban landscapes. Although this huge stock has long been addressed by national policies as a major potential to pursue European climate targets, only the recent massive incentive measures (Superbonus 110%) have started to produce results for the energy upgrading of the buildings, offering alternatives and motivations (through the size of the public funding and the institution of the credit transfer) to the issues of the typical ownership fragmentation. However, these first partial outcomes are controversial from a life cycle, a social and an economic point of view. In addition, policies focus only on the energy performance of the single building, conceiving the interventions through a narrow-minded and generic attitude. The typological obsolescence and the multifaceted relationships between the building and the neighborhood are neglected, although important social, economic and energy efficiency benefits might emerge when addressing the renovation through a multi-scalar, multifunctional, and place-based approach. Stemming from the collection and analysis of ongoing initiatives and projects, possible models are outlined, enlarging the scenario of the transformations to include the urban scale. For example, underused private spaces can host new public or semi-public functions to contribute on the one hand to the management costs of the condominium and on the other hand to trigger local neighborhood regenerations. Moreover, widening the transformation perspective can envisage a group of buildings and the adjacent public spaces as a system to create energy districts where energy infrastructures introduce new amenities and added value.
The Importance of Testing Activities for a “New” Generation of Building Envelope
Authors: Milardi Martino , Grillo Evelyn , Mandaglio Mariateresa
Published: June 2023

The construction sector is considered, directly or indirectly, one of the pillars for the application of technological solutions to rise the quality levels of building envelopes. The need to realize new processes capable of “dynamically” reading the responses of the built systems becomes an essential action to understand how the dynamics of climate change determine and trigger evident effects on the built environment. In this scenario, the contribution describes the experimental research activities on a curved facade—carried out at the TCLab Section of Building Future Lab of the Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria—to verify its performance responses to extreme events according to specific standardized protocols. Therefore, this study focuses on the building envelope, as the main subsystem through which leakage occurs, not only in terms of thermal and dynamic fluxes, but of air and water permeability. Testing activities, nowadays of fundamental value for climate change phenomena, allow to predict the behavior of the built environment and at the same time to evaluate alternative solution. The research efforts go toward defining a design methodology for a new generation of building envelopes, capable of reacting to different contextual conditions by raising the environmental and performance quality according to adaptive dynamics. From the tests carried out, the results take the form of test protocols, giving real added value to research and implementing applied experimentation actions with highly reliable results.
Designing with Nature Climate-Resilient Cities: A Lesson from Copenhagen
Authors: Negrello Maicol
Published: June 2023

Climate change is accelerating at a faster rate than previously anticipated, and a significant number of cities remain unprepared for this transition. There is a pressing need to reconsider the approach to the design of public spaces, directing attention towards the development of design concepts that can impart knowledge for adaptation to climate change. Landscape architects, through nature-based solutions, can emerge as key figures capable of regenerating urban spaces. The case study of this research is the city of Copenhagen, which has become the stage of the most innovative experiments to create climate-resilient urban spaces. It is evident that a multidisciplinary and site-specific approach can be the critical components for a successful transition. Such a transition necessitates innovative project management that involves the collaboration of municipalities, private stakeholders, and citizens. Natural-based solutions, through an ecosystem approach, can effectively address the environmental, social, and economic challenges presented by climate change.
Nursing Homes During COVID-19 Pandemic—A Systematic Literature Review for COVID-19 Proof Architecture Design Strategies
Authors: Mangili Silvia , Sun Tianzhi , Johnson Alexander Achille
Published: June 2023

The immense impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on older adults living in nursing homes (NH) and other long-term care facilities, who at baseline are at increased risk of infection due to fragility, cognitive impairments, and complex comorbidities, has renewed the attention of researchers to the unmet needs of this population. It is well known that the built environment can significantly influence human health, a reality which is often overlooked in the setting of NHs. Recognizing how qualities of the NH built environment can influence resident outcomes, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, can provide architects and medical professionals implementable strategies. As such, we conducted a systematic literature review from May to November 2021 to identify components of the NH built environment and their potential impacts on the health and well-being of NH residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Relevant articles were identified with a search of Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed scientific databases, as well as a search of gray literature. The initial search resulted 481 articles, though after the application of eligibility criteria and full-text screening, 17 articles remained for inclusion. From these, a total of 24 built environment features were identified, divided across four domain levels of NHs: Overall Facility, Building, Service Space, and Residential Room. These features were differentially linked to improved facility infection control, decreased COVID-19 incidence and mortality from COVID-19, better air quality, and enhanced resident health, quality of life, and socialization. This research defines a set of design/architecture strategies that NHs may implement to improve COVID-19-related outcomes as well as the overall health and quality of life of their residents. Additional research utilizing primary data and testing these identified interventions is needed to provide stronger evidence-based suggestions.
Exploring Swedish ‘Family Planning’: Reproductive Racism and Reproductive Justice
Authors: Mulinari Paula , Herz Marcus , Svensson Chowdhury Matilda
Published: June 2023

In Sweden, during the parliamentary election campaign in 2022, birth control and family planning were identified as practices that could solve all variety of social problems, from poverty to crime. They were also presented as a solution to migrant women’s supposed lack of integration into Swedish society.

Criticism towards discourses and policies of family planning is extensive, from scholars challenging the notion of ‘voluntariness’ to those arguing that, in family planning, women’s lives are subordinated to economic and developmental goals. While contraceptive technologies hold an impressive emancipatory power in the lives of women globally, vulnerable groups of women have, in the name of family planning, experienced forced sterilisation and reproductive coercion.

This chapter aims to analyse political discourses and governmental policies on reproduction through the conceptual lens of reproductive racism. We hope to challenge what we identify as historical amnesia concerning Swedish ‘family planning’ and show how, in different ways, reproductive rights in Sweden are inscribed and embedded into racial inequalities.

The empirical material presented here has been collected with the aim of illustrating governmental policies that historically and today shape and frame diverse forms of reproductive racism with a special focus on welfare professionals.
In Green and White: Feminist Struggles for Abortion Rights in Argentina
Authors: Mulinari Diana
Published: June 2023

In 2020, Argentina became the third country in Latin America to provide the right to abortion, following Cuba and Uruguay (Mexico had guaranteed this right in 2007, but only in Mexico City, and in Oaxaca in 2019, then six other states in 2021–2022). The Argentinean feminist movement is internationally well known and publicly recognised for its massive mobilisation for the legalisation of voluntary termination of pregnancy. A central argument in this chapter is that the decision to support the bill proposal for the legalisation of abortion, taken finally, after a failed attempt in 2018, by the Argentinean Senate in December 2020, must be understood as a product of Argentina’s long history of women’s struggles and of decades of feminist mobilisation.

The aim of the chapter is to explore the feminist-inspired struggle for the right to abortion, with particular emphasis on the intergenerational and intersectional feminist labour at the core of the 2020 feminist success. The aim is also to analyse what scholar and queer activist Mabel Bellucci (Historia de una desobediencia. Aborto y feminismo. Capital Intelectual, Buenos Aires, 2014) names a ‘history of disobedience’: the diverse and contradictory ways through which feminist struggles for abortion rights created powerful alliances and innovative forms of collaboration, developing an understanding of abortion rights within the frame of reproductive justice.
‘Enough Is Enough’: Strike, Affective Solidarity and Belonging Among Migrant Women from Poland Living in Trondheim
Authors: Kochaniewicz Agata
Published: June 2023

This chapter is about the political mobilisation of women from Poland living in Trondheim, in reaction to the Polish Constitutional Tribunal’s anti-abortion ruling, which triggered massive anti-governmental protests in many cities, towns and villages in Poland and abroad. Migrant women from Poland connected through online and offline networks to share their feelings of disappointment and anger, but also hope, and organised two solidarity strikes in Trondheim. Using the concepts of temporality, space, affective solidarity and belonging and looking at the solidarity strikes as alens, the author reveals experiences, expectations and different aspects of the intersecting positionalities of women: as migrants, mothers, sisters and/or members of the LGBTQI+ community. She reflects on the questions that were addressed when the strike ‘travelled’ to Norway and how politics in Poland affected the everyday lives of women in Trondheim. She traces practices of solidarity and alliances and what they expose about the seams of temporality in the context of (un)belonging and local power asymmetries.
Heuristic Modularity Maximization Algorithms for Community Detection Rarely Return an Optimal Partition or Anything Similar
Authors: Aref Samin , Mostajabdaveh Mahdi , Chheda Hriday
Published: June 2023

Community detection is a fundamental problem in computational sciences with extensive applications in various fields. The most commonly used methods are the algorithms designed to maximize modularity over different partitions of the network nodes. Using 80 real and random networks from a wide range of contexts, we investigate the extent to which current heuristic modularity maximization algorithms succeed in returning maximum-modularity (optimal) partitions. We evaluate (1) the ratio of the algorithms’ output modularity to the maximum modularity for each input graph, and (2) the maximum similarity between their output partition and any optimal partition of that graph. We compare eight existing heuristic algorithms against an exact integer programming method that globally maximizes modularity. The average modularity-based heuristic algorithm returns optimal partitions for only 19.4% of the 80 graphs considered. Additionally, results on adjusted mutual information reveal substantial dissimilarity between the sub-optimal partitions and any optimal partition of the networks in our experiments. More importantly, our results show that near-optimal partitions are often disproportionately dissimilar to any optimal partition. Taken together, our analysis points to a crucial limitation of commonly used modularity-based heuristics for discovering communities: they rarely produce an optimal partition or a partition resembling an optimal partition. If modularity is to be used for detecting communities, exact or approximate optimization algorithms are recommendable for a more methodologically sound usage of modularity within its applicability limits.
Tachyons and misaligned supersymmetry in closed string vacua
Authors: Angelantonj Carlo , Florakis Ioannis , Leone Giorgio
Published: June 2023

Abstract

In a remarkable paper, Dienes discovered that the absence of physical tachyons in closed string theory is intimately related to oscillations in the net number of bosonic minus fermionic degrees of freedom, a pattern predicted by an underlying misaligned supersymmetry. The average of these oscillations was linked to an exponential growth controlled by an effective central charge Ceff smaller than the expected inverse Hagedorn temperature. Dienes also conjectured that Ceff should vanish when tachyons are absent.

In this paper, we revisit this problem and show that boson-fermion oscillations are realised even when tachyons are present in the physical spectrum. In fact, we prove that the average growth rate Ceff is set by the mass of the “lightest” state, be it massless or tachyonic, and coincides with the effective inverse Hagedorn temperature of the associated thermal theory. We also provide a general proof that the necessary and sufficient condition for classical stability is the vanishing of the sector averaged sum which implies Ceff = 0, in agreement with Dienes’ conjecture.
Dynamical Compactification with Matter
Authors: Kim Kyung Kiu , Koh Seoktae , Tumurtushaa Gansukh
Published: June 2023

Abstract

In this work, we study cosmological solutions of the 8-dimensional Einstein Yang-Mills theory coupled to a perfect-fluid matter. A Yang-Mills instanton of extra dimensions causes a 4-dimensional expanding universe with dynamical compactification of the extra dimensions. To construct physically reliable situations, we impose the null energy condition on the matter. This energy condition is affected by the extra dimensions. Then, we consider cosmological constant to grasp the structure of the solution space. Even in this simple case, we find several interesting solutions, such as bouncing universes and oscillatory solutions, eventually arriving at a de Sitter universe with stabilized compact dimensions. In addition, we consider a class of matters whose energy density depends on the volume of the extra dimensions. This case shows another set of bouncing universes. Also, a real scalar with potential is taken into account. The scalar field model admits de Sitter solutions due to the choice of potential, and we demonstrate how potentials can be constructed using flow equations. Thus, what we discuss in this work is based on the 8-dimensional Einstein frame, which corresponds to the 4-dimensional Jordan frame by dimensional reduction. Consequently, the results are derived in the 4-dimensional Jordan frame, not in the 4-dimensional Einstein frame.
Line defect RG flows in the ε expansion
Authors: Pannell William H. , Stergiou Andreas
Published: June 2023

Abstract

A general analysis of line defect renormalisation group (RG) flows in the ε expansion below d = 4 dimensions is undertaken. The defect beta function for general scalar-fermion bulk theories is computed to next-to-leading order in the bulk couplings. Scalar models as well as scalar-fermion models with various global symmetries in the bulk are considered at leading non-trivial order. Different types of potential infrared (IR) defect conformal field theories (dCFTs) and their RG stability are discussed. The possibility of multiple IR stable dCFTs is realised in specific examples with hypertetrahedral symmetry in the bulk. The one-point function coefficient of the order parameter in the stable IR dCFT of the cubic model is computed at next-to-leading order and compared with that in the IR dCFT of the Heisenberg model.
Praxisorientierter Umgang mit späten Schwangerschaftsabbrüchen und Fetoziden
Authors: Geffroy Alexandra , Bäz Elke , Kunze Mirjam , Waterstradt Ina , Schmidt Ulrike , Huber-Schumacher Sabine , Juhasz-Böss Ingolf , Markfeld-Erol Filiz
Published: June 2023

Hintergrund

Die Diskussion über die Durchführung und Sicherstellung von Schwangerschaftsabbrüchen flammt in Deutschland immer wieder auf. Die überwiegende Anzahl aller Schwangerschaftsabbrüche erfolgt unter Beachtung der Beratungsregelung vor der abgeschlossenen 12. Schwangerschaftswoche (SSW) post conceptionem (p. c.). Ein Schwangerschaftsabbruch aus maternaler Indikation erfolgt meist erst nach der 12. SSW als sogenannter später Schwangerschaftsabbruch. Dieser stellt für Eltern und Beteiligte verschiedener beruflicher Disziplinen ein ethisches Dilemma dar. Besonders belastend sind Abbrüche jenseits von 22 SSW p. c., bei denen häufig vor Geburtseinleitung ein Fetozid durchgeführt wird. Der Gesetzgeber hat die juristischen Grundzüge des Schwangerschaftsabbruchs vorgegeben, wobei länderspezifische Unterschiede beachtet werden müssen. Die praktische Umsetzung stellt die Mitarbeiter der durchführenden Kliniken vor vielschichtige Herausforderungen.

Ziel der Arbeit

Die Publikation beschreibt die transparente Organisation erforderlicher Abläufe eines späten Schwangerschaftsabbruchs aus maternaler Indikation unter Einhaltung aller rechtlichen Vorgaben, wobei gleichzeitig der sensible, fürsorgliche Umgang mit Betroffenen gewährleistet werden muss. Das Ergebnis der Zusammenarbeit von Gynäkolog/Innen, Beteiligten der Pflege und Hebammen, Kolleg/Innen der Rechtsmedizin und Pathologie, dem Standesamt, der Kriminalpolizei sowie der Staatsanwaltschaft Freiburg im Breisgau soll bundesweit geburtshilflich tätigen Kliniken als Anregung dienen, eine analoge praxisnahe Verfahrensleitlinie unter Wahrung der rechtlich geltenden Vorschriften im Umgang mit späten Schwangerschaftsabbrüchen zu entwickeln.
Use of overactive bladder anticholinergic medications associated with falls leading to emergency department visits: results from the ADRED study
Authors: Just Katja S. , Schultze Karen A. , Dormann Harald , Seufferlein Thomas , Gräff Ingo , Scholl Catharina , Schwab Matthias , Stingl Julia C.
Published: June 2023

Purpose

Drug intake might be a modifiable factor for the individual fall-risk of older adults, and anticholinergic properties of drugs need to be considered. This study is aimed at analyzing the association of older adults’ individual anticholinergic load with particular focus on use of overactive bladder anticholinergic medications with falls in multi-medicated patients.

Materials and Methods

Cases of the prospective, observational, multi-center study on adverse drug reactions leading to emergency departments (ADRED study) between 2015 and 2018 in Germany were analyzed comparing the exposure of overactive bladder anticholinergic medications on the chance to present with a fall with patients without exposure. Logistic regression analysis was used adjusting for pre-existing conditions, drug exposure, and the individual anticholinergic burden by drug use. To this end, a combination of seven expert-based anticholinergic rating scales was used.

Results

The anticholinergic burden was higher in patients with overactive bladder anticholinergic medications (median 2 [1; 3]) compared to not taking drugs of interest. Presenting with a fall was associated with overactive bladder anticholinergic medications (odds ratio (OR) 2.34 [95% confidence interval 1.14–4.82]). The use of fall-risk increasing drugs was likewise associated (OR 2.30 [1.32–4.00]). The anticholinergic burden itself seemed not to be associated with falls (OR 1.01 [0.90–1.12]).

Conclusions

Although falls occur multifactorial in older adults and confounding by indication cannot be ruled out, the indication for a drug treatment should be decided with caution when other, non-pharmacological treatment options have been tried.

German clinical trial register

DRKS-ID: DRKS00008979, registration date 01/11/2017.
Feasibility of AI-assisted compressed sensing protocols in knee MR imaging: a prospective multi-reader study
Authors: Wang Qizheng , Zhao Weili , Xing Xiaoying , Wang Ying , Xin Peijin , Chen Yongye , Zhu Yupeng , Xu Jiajia , Zhao Qiang , Yuan Huishu , Lang Ning
Published: June 2023

Objectives

To evaluate the image quality and diagnostic performance of AI-assisted compressed sensing (ACS) accelerated two-dimensional fast spin-echo MRI compared with standard parallel imaging (PI) in clinical 3.0T rapid knee scans.

Methods

This prospective study enrolled 130 consecutive participants between March and September 2022. The MRI scan procedure included one 8.0-min PI protocol and two ACS protocols (3.5 min and 2.0 min). Quantitative image quality assessments were performed by evaluating edge rise distance (ERD) and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Shapiro-Wilk tests were performed and investigated by the Friedman test and post hoc analyses. Three radiologists independently evaluated structural disorders for each participant. Fleiss κ analysis was used to compare inter-reader and inter-protocol agreements. The diagnostic performance of each protocol was investigated and compared by DeLong’s test. The threshold for statistical significance was set at p  < 0.05.

Results

A total of 150 knee MRI examinations constituted the study cohort. For the quantitative assessment of four conventional sequences with ACS protocols, SNR improved significantly (p < 0.001), and ERD was significantly reduced or equivalent to the PI protocol. For the abnormality evaluated, the intraclass correlation coefficient ranged from moderate to substantial between readers (κ = 0.75–0.98) and between protocols (κ = 0.73–0.98). For meniscal tears, cruciate ligament tears, and cartilage defects, the diagnostic performance of ACS protocols was considered equivalent to PI protocol (Delong test, p > 0.05).

Conclusions

Compared with the conventional PI acquisition, the novel ACS protocol demonstrated superior image quality and was feasible for achieving equivalent detection of structural abnormalities while reducing acquisition time by half.

Clinical relevance statement

Artificial intelligence–assisted compressed sensing (ACS) providing excellent quality and a 75% reduction in scanning time presents significant clinical advantages in improving the efficiency and accessibility of knee MRI for more patients.

Key Points

• The prospective multi-reader study showed no difference in diagnostic performance between parallel imaging and AI-assisted compression sensing (ACS) was found.

• Reduced scan time, sharper delineation, and less noise with ACS reconstruction.

• Improved efficiency of the clinical knee MRI examination by the ACS acceleration.
„Angriffe auf Verbindungen“ – zur Sozialpsychologie des Populismus
Authors: Küchenhoff Joachim
Published: June 2023

Unter dem Gesichtspunkt eines regressiven Angriffs auf Verbindungen wird der Populismus untersucht. Dabei wird gezeigt, dass der Populismus Urheber solcher Angriffe auf Verbindungen ist, aber zugleich sich auch solchen Angriffen verdankt bzw. eine – fehlgeleitete – Antwort auf das Zerreißen von Verbindungen ist. Zentral ist der Begriff der Regression, der in der Psychoanalyse vertraut und bedeutsam ist, aber auch auffällig aktuell in der soziologischen Diskussion der Gegenwart genutzt wird. Populismus ist selbst regressiv, aber auch Antwort auf gesellschaftliche Regressionen. Diese These soll begründet werden. Der Text beginnt mit einem soziologischen Steckbrief des Populismus. Er wendet sich dann den gesellschaftlichen Ursachen des Populismus zu, unter Hinweis auf Demokratiedefizite allgemein und spezifisch auf gesellschaftliche Regressionen. Im dritten Teil wird der psychoanalytische Regressionsbegriff mit dem soziologischen kontrastierend verbunden und gezeigt, dass es die Psychoanalyse in der gesellschaftstheoretischen Analyse braucht, um das Attraktive in der Regression, die der Populismus darstellt, zu verstehen. Im letzten Teil wird eine Fabel zitiert, die aus der Nobelpreisrede der Autorin Toni Morrison stammt.
Insensitive: Simulation of the NMR Experiment for Didactic Purposes
Authors: Boldt Klaus
Published: June 2023

Since its first publication in 2011, the program “Insensitive” has progressed to be one of the most feature-rich, educational simulation tools for the nuclear magnetic resonance experiment in homogeneous solution. It can be used without prior knowledge of a programming language or complex spectrometer software. In four steps it follows the spin physics behind NMR, from the creation of a spin system to the acquisition and processing of a one or two-dimensional spectrum. At its core, it visualises common models of the spin state, both graphic and numerical, and allows to manipulate each interaction at various levels of sophistication. Thus, it provides graphical aides and can be used as a tool for teaching and self-teaching a highly abstract and demanding topic.
A peculiar case of pure intraventricular glioblastoma
Authors: Zanuttini Luca , Orsatti Agnese , Martinoni Matteo
Published: June 2023

Glioblastoma (formerly named glioblastoma multiforme) is the most common primary central nervous system tumor, representing 45% of all cases and 15% of all intracranial neoplasms [1]. Its typical radiologic findings and localization make it often a lesion easy to diagnose. In MRI it usually appears as an irregularly shaped cystic lesion with ring contrast enhancement in T1-weighted images, localized in subcortical white matter and deep gray matter nuclei of the cerebral hemispheres. It involves more frequently the frontotemporal region followed by parietal lobes [1]. Few articles in literature described cases of intraventricular glioblastomas, defining those as secondary ventricular tumors because of their probable origin primarily from cerebral tissue with consequent transependymal development [2, 3]. Atypical presentations of these tumors make it more difficult to clearly differentiate them from other lesions more commonly located in the ventricular system. We describe a case with a unique radiological presentation: an intraventricular glioblastoma lying entirely within the ventricular walls, involving all the ventricular system, without mass effect or nodular parenchymal lesions.
Fruit ripeness identification using transformers
Authors: Xiao Bingjie , Nguyen Minh , Yan Wei Qi
Published: June 2023

Pattern classification has always been essential in computer vision. Transformer paradigm having attention mechanism with global receptive field in computer vision improves the efficiency and effectiveness of visual object detection and recognition. The primary purpose of this article is to achieve the accurate ripeness classification of various types of fruits. We create fruit datasets to train, test, and evaluate multiple Transformer models. Transformers are fundamentally composed of encoding and decoding procedures. The encoder is to stack the blocks, like convolutional neural networks (CNN or ConvNet). Vision Transformer (ViT), Swin Transformer, and multilayer perceptron (MLP) are considered in this paper. We examine the advantages of these three models for accurately analyzing fruit ripeness. We find that Swin Transformer achieves more significant outcomes than ViT Transformer for both pears and apples from our dataset.
Assessment of Numerical Accuracy and Parallel Performance of OpenFOAM and its Reacting Flow Extension EBIdnsFoam
Authors: Zirwes Thorsten , Sontheimer Marvin , Zhang Feichi , Abdelsamie Abouelmagd , Pérez Francisco E. Hernández , Stein Oliver T. , Im Hong G. , Kronenburg Andreas , Bockhorn Henning
Published: June 2023

OpenFOAM is one of the most widely used open-source computational fluid dynamics tools and often employed for chemical engineering applications. However, there is no systematic assessment of OpenFOAM’s numerical accuracy and parallel performance for chemically reacting flows. For the first time, this work provides a direct comparison between OpenFOAM’s built-in flow solvers as well as its reacting flow extension EBIdnsFoam with four other, well established high-fidelity combustion codes. Quantification of OpenFOAM’s numerical accuracy is achieved with a benchmark suite that has recently been established by Abdelsamie et al. (Comput Fluids 223:104935, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compfluid.2021.104935) for combustion codes. Fourth-order convergence can be achieved with OpenFOAM’s own cubic interpolation scheme and excellent agreement with other high-fidelity codes is presented for incompressible flows as well as more complex cases including heat conduction and molecular diffusion in multi-component mixtures. In terms of computational performance, the simulation of incompressible non-reacting flows with OpenFOAM is slower than the other codes, but similar performance is achieved for reacting flows with excellent parallel scalability. For the benchmark case of hydrogen flames interacting with a Taylor–Green vortex, differences between low-Mach and compressible solvers are identified which highlight the need for more investigations into reliable benchmarks for reacting flow solvers. The results from this work provide the first contribution of a fully implicit compressible combustion solver to the benchmark suite and are thus valuable to the combustion community. The OpenFOAM cases are publicly available and serve as guide for achieving the highest numerical accuracy as well as a basis for future developments.
Attribution of the heavy rainfall events leading to severe flooding in Western Europe during July 2021
Authors: Tradowsky Jordis S. , Philip Sjoukje Y. , Kreienkamp Frank , Kew Sarah F. , Lorenz Philip , Arrighi Julie , Bettmann Thomas , Caluwaerts Steven , Chan Steven C. , De Cruz Lesley , de Vries Hylke , Demuth Norbert , Ferrone Andrew , Fischer Erich M. , Fowler Hayley J. , Goergen Klaus , Heinrich Dorothy , Henrichs Yvonne , Kaspar Frank , Lenderink Geert , Nilson Enno , Otto Friederike E. L. , Ragone Francesco , Seneviratne Sonia I. , Singh Roop K. , Skålevåg Amalie , Termonia Piet , Thalheimer Lisa , van Aalst Maarten , Van den Bergh Joris , Van de Vyver Hans , Vannitsem Stéphane , van Oldenborgh Geert Jan , Van Schaeybroeck Bert , Vautard Robert , Vonk Demi , Wanders Niko
Published: June 2023

In July 2021 extreme rainfall across Western Europe caused severe flooding and substantial impacts, including over 200 fatalities and extensive infrastructure damage within Germany and the Benelux countries. After the event, a hydrological assessment and a probabilistic event attribution analysis of rainfall data were initiated and complemented by discussing the vulnerability and exposure context. The global mean surface temperature (GMST) served as a covariate in a generalised extreme value distribution fitted to observational and model data, exploiting the dependence on GMST to estimate how anthropogenic climate change affects the likelihood and severity of extreme events. Rainfall accumulations in Ahr/Erft and the Belgian Meuse catchment vastly exceeded previous observed records. In regions of that limited size the robust estimation of return values and the detection and attribution of rainfall trends are challenging. However, for the larger Western European region it was found that, under current climate conditions, on average one rainfall event of this magnitude can be expected every 400 years at any given location. Consequently, within the entire region, events of similar magnitude are expected to occur more frequently than once in 400 years. Anthropogenic climate change has already increased the intensity of the maximum 1-day rainfall event in the summer season by 3–19 %. The likelihood of such an event to occur today compared to a 1.2 $$^{\circ }$$

∘

C cooler climate has increased by a factor of 1.2–9. Models indicate that intensity and frequency of such events will further increase with future global warming. While attribution of small-scale events remains challenging, this study shows that there is a robust increase in the likelihood and severity of rainfall events such as the ones causing extreme impacts in July 2021 when considering a larger region.
On being the wrong size, or the role of body mass in fish kills and hypoxia exposure
Authors: Müller Johannes , Houben Niels , Pauly Daniel
Published: June 2023

Rising temperatures, drought, and oxygen depletion may be the greatest threats to aquatic animals in the twenty-first century. As a robust body of literature suggests, large-bodied fish are among the most vulnerable organisms in times of rapid climate change. While earlier studies showed an interspecific correlation between body size and sensitivity to hypoxia and thermal stress, comparisons within species remain debated. This review marshals a diverse body of literature on this topic, ranging from physiological studies to field reports and fish kill manuals, and evaluates the evidence for intraspecific size effects on hypoxia tolerance. While experimental studies and fisheries management literature sometimes contradict each other, we show that there is strong evidence for size effects on hypoxia tolerance within fish species. We argue that bringing fisheries management literature and physiological studies into a dialog with each other is of crucial importance in times of rapid climate change.
Mapping ethical, legal, & social implications (ELSI) of assisted reproductive technologies
Authors: Alon Ido , Chebance Zacharie , Massucci Francesco Alessandro , Bounartzi Theofano , Ravitsky Vardit
Published: June 2023

Purpose

A significant portion of the research on assisted reproductive technologies explores ethical, legal, and social implications. It has an impact on social perceptions, the evolution of norms of clinical practices, regulations and public funding. This paper reviews and maps the geographical distribution to test the hypothesis of geographical concentration and classifies the output by fields and topics.

Methods

We queried PubMed, Scopus and the Web of Science for documents published between 1999 and 2019, excluding clinical trials and medical case reports. Documents were analyzed according to their titles, abstracts and keywords and were classified to assisted reproductive fields and by Topic Modeling. We analyzed geographic distribution.

Results

Research output increased nearly tenfold. We show a trend towards decentralization of research, although at a slower rate compared with clinical assisted reproduction research. While the U.S. and the U.K.’s share has dropped, North America and Western Europe are still responsible for more than 70%, while China and Japan had limited participation in the global discussion. Fertility preservation and surrogacy have emerged as the most researched categories, while research about genetics was less prominent.

Conclusions

We call to enrich researchers’ perspectives by addressing local issues in ways that are tailored to local cultural values, social and economic contexts, and differently structured healthcare systems. Researchers from wealthy centers should conduct international research, focusing on less explored regions and topics. More research on financial issues and access is required, especially regarding regions with limited public funding.
Development of cupric sulphate nanocrystals on fluorine-doped tin oxide substrates using hydrothermal technique
Authors: Ahia Chinedu Christian , Meyer Edson L.
Published: June 2023

Cupric sulphate nanocrystals (NCs) are desirable for a number of applications. The NCs were grown using a hydrothermal technique on Fluorine-doped Tin Oxide substrate which was sandwiched into the grooves of a sample holder at an angle between 45° and 90° relative to the wall of a 100 ml Teflon container. The surface features were observed using an optical microscope while atomic scale features which are not visible under the optical microscope were investigated using a scanning electron microscope and atomic force microscope. Details of the weight percentage composition were investigated on the sample by means of energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. A broad absorption spectrum from 690 to 1100 nm, having a full width at half maximum value of 254 nm and an energy excitonic absorption peak in the visible region at 810 nm, was observed when the NCs are dissolved in water (hydrate solution) contrary to the highest absorption peak which was observed at 678 nm for the anhydrous compound. A total number of 16 vibrational frequencies were observed from Raman scattering while five active modes were visible in the Fourier Transform Infrared spectrum. Information on room-temperature photoluminescence and fluorescence spectroscopy measurements obtained from the NCs is reported. The deposition technique adopted in present work could be optimized for the high-yield production of more uniform layers of ultrathin nanostructures with increased aptitude for various applications.
An Alternative to Cognitivism: Computational Phenomenology for Deep Learning
Authors: Beckmann Pierre , Köstner Guillaume , Hipólito Inês
Published: June 2023

We propose a non-representationalist framework for deep learning relying on a novel method computational phenomenology, a dialogue between the first-person perspective (relying on phenomenology) and the mechanisms of computational models. We thereby propose an alternative to the modern cognitivist interpretation of deep learning, according to which artificial neural networks encode representations of external entities. This interpretation mainly relies on neuro-representationalism, a position that combines a strong ontological commitment towards scientific theoretical entities and the idea that the brain operates on symbolic representations of these entities. We proceed as follows: after offering a review of cognitivism and neuro-representationalism in the field of deep learning, we first elaborate a phenomenological critique of these positions; we then sketch out computational phenomenology and distinguish it from existing alternatives; finally we apply this new method to deep learning models trained on specific tasks, in order to formulate a conceptual framework of deep-learning, that allows one to think of artificial neural networks’ mechanisms in terms of lived experience.
Radiomics for the non-invasive prediction of PD-L1 expression in patients with brain metastases secondary to non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Meißner Anna-Katharina , Gutsche Robin , Galldiks Norbert , Kocher Martin , Jünger Stephanie T. , Eich Marie-Lisa , Nogova Lucia , Araceli Tommaso , Schmidt Nils Ole , Ruge Maximilian I. , Goldbrunner Roland , Proescholdt Martin , Grau Stefan , Lohmann Philipp
Published: June 2023

Background

The expression level of the programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) appears to be a predictor for response to immunotherapy using checkpoint inhibitors in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). As differences in terms of PD-L1 expression levels in the extracranial primary tumor and the brain metastases may occur, a reliable method for the non-invasive assessment of the intracranial PD-L1 expression is, therefore of clinical value. Here, we evaluated the potential of radiomics for a non-invasive prediction of PD-L1 expression in patients with brain metastases secondary to NSCLC.

Patients and methods

Fifty-three NSCLC patients with brain metastases from two academic neuro-oncological centers (group 1, n = 36 patients; group 2, n = 17 patients) underwent tumor resection with a subsequent immunohistochemical evaluation of the PD-L1 expression. Brain metastases were manually segmented on preoperative T1-weighted contrast-enhanced MRI. Group 1 was used for model training and validation, group 2 for model testing. After image pre-processing and radiomics feature extraction, a test-retest analysis was performed to identify robust features prior to feature selection. The radiomics model was trained and validated using random stratified cross-validation. Finally, the best-performing radiomics model was applied to the test data. Diagnostic performance was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses.

Results

An intracranial PD-L1 expression (i.e., staining of at least 1% or more of tumor cells) was present in 18 of 36 patients (50%) in group 1, and 7 of 17 patients (41%) in group 2. Univariate analysis identified the contrast-enhancing tumor volume as a significant predictor for PD-L1 expression (area under the ROC curve (AUC), 0.77). A random forest classifier using a four-parameter radiomics signature, including tumor volume, yielded an AUC of 0.83 ± 0.18 in the training data (group 1), and an AUC of 0.84 in the external test data (group 2).

Conclusion

The developed radiomics classifiers allows for a non-invasive assessment of the intracranial PD-L1 expression in patients with brain metastases secondary to NSCLC with high accuracy.
When Right is Left: Values and Voting Behavior in Tunisia
Authors: Mehrez Ameni
Published: June 2023

According to theories on ideological differences, individuals who endorse the values of freedom, justice, and equality are expected to be left-wing oriented, whereas individuals who endorse authoritarian values are expected to be right-wing oriented. I hypothesize that such associations do not hold in the Arab world, where in the context of past state formation trajectories, leftists and secularists endorsed an authoritarian-nationalist discourse to build post-colonial states, while Islamists endorsed a freedom-and-justice discourse as a reaction to state oppression. Using original representative face-to-face survey data collected right after the 2019 Tunisian elections, I test this hypothesis by examining which values determine citizens’ voting behavior in both parliamentary and presidential elections. Results show that people who endorse liberty-and-justice values are more likely to vote for Islamist right-wing parties, whereas those who endorse authoritarian-nationalist values are more likely to vote for leftist parties. These results have important implications for the study of voting behavior in the Arab world and in comparative politics.
A Multiversal Model of Vibration of Effects of the Equitable and Sustainable Well-Being (BES) on Fertility
Authors: Cantone Giulio Giacomo , Tomaselli Venera
Published: June 2023

This study checks the hypothesis that sustainable well-being is a determinant factor of fertility through the application of a multiversal method based on the assumptions of Vibration of Effects (VoE) model of multiversal sampling on the Italian Equitable and Sustainable Well-being (BES) dataset. For 48 social indicators of well-being, adopting the Province as statistical unit, the estimate of linear effect has been systematically sampled 1024 times. This multiversal sampling allows to estimate the component of the hypothetical variability of the estimate of the effect size that depends on the theoretical choices of the analysis. This component is commonly underestimated, hidden, or ignored in regular multivariate analysis or classical bootstrapping. Results do not allow to claim that any of the 48 social indicators is a robust linear predictor of fertility. Indicators associated with high statistical significance are also at risk of misleading the causal relationship. Implications for policy-making and the future direction of the research on BES are discussed in the conclusive remarks.
Effects of Design and Operational Conditions on the Performance of Constructed Wetlands for Agricultural Pollution Control – Critical Review
Authors: Nan Xi , Lavrnić Stevo , Mancuso Giuseppe , Toscano Attilio
Published: June 2023

Constructed wetlands (CWs) can be considered as an efficient nature-based solution for the treatment of agricultural drainage water (ADW) and consequently for the mitigation of non-point source pollution. Aiming to provide suggestions for the construction and implementation of CWs, this paper proposes and discusses key parameters of CW design and operation. In order to verify the effect of these features, different case studies were reviewed, focusing on the performance of CWs that are treating agricultural drainage water. The findings showed that design and operational factors (e.g., the application of simple hydraulic structures and vegetation establishment) can improve pollutant removal efficiencies by increasing hydraulic retention time. Hydraulic efficiency of CWs can also be enhanced through certain shape characteristics (e.g., adoption of a high aspect ratio and creation of a long and narrow CW shape). The careful consideration of these parameters before and during CW implementation can therefore help these systems to achieve their full potential. However, further study is recommended to assess the effects of some parameters (e.g., flow direction and the application of deep zones).
Gefährdungsanalyse als Baustein der Entwicklung eines Schutzkonzepts gegen (sexualisierte) Gewalt
Authors: Hoffmann Ulrike , König Elisa , Jung Dennis , Maier Anna , Fegert J. M.
Published: June 2023

Hintergrund und Fragestellung

Seit November 2020 besteht im Rahmen des Qualitätsmanagements für alle Kliniken die Verpflichtung, ein Schutzkonzept gegen (sexualisierte) Gewalt zu entwickeln. Diese Entwicklung soll auf den Ergebnissen einer Gefährdungsanalyse beruhen. Ziel einer solchen Analyse ist es, die institutionsspezifischen Risikofaktoren für (sexuelle) Übergriffe zu identifizieren. Am Universitätsklinikum des Saarlandes (UKS) war im Nachgang eines Falls von sexuellen Übergriffen gegen Kinder durch einen Arzt ein Schutzkonzept entwickelt worden. Im Rahmen eines Forschungsprojekts mit der Klinik für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie (KJPP) Ulm sollte dieses Schutzkonzept weiterentwickelt und eine klinikweite Gefährdungsanalyse durchgeführt werden.

Methode

Es wurde eine klinikweite Befragung der Mitarbeitenden mittels eines Online-Fragebogens durchgeführt. Hierbei wurden verschiedene Gruppen von Risikofaktoren mit einem dichotomen Antwortschema abgefragt. Die Risikofaktoren wurden in der Häufigkeit der Nennung gewichtet und gruppenbezogene Unterschiede zwischen Leitungskräften und Mitarbeitenden berechnet.

Ergebnisse

Es haben knapp 1200 Mitarbeitende des UKS den Online-Fragebogen ausgefüllt, dies entspricht einer Ausfüllquote von 9,9 %. Es gab klare Ergebnisse zur Gewichtung der Risikofaktoren, gruppenbezogene Unterschiede konnten mit einer Ausnahme nicht festgestellt werden.

Schlussfolgerung

Die Machbarkeit der Durchführung eines solchen Fragebogens als klinikweite Befragung konnte gezeigt werden. Er kann als ein Baustein einer Gefährdungsanalyse Hinweise zum Vorhandensein und zur Gewichtung der eigenen institutionellen Risikofaktoren geben und somit Basis für die (Weiter)entwicklung eines Schutzkonzepts sein.