bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Polygon relations and subadditivity of entropic measures for discrete and continuous multipartite entanglement
Authors: Liu Lijun , Ge Xiaozhen , Cheng Shuming
Published: August 2024

In a recent work by us Ge et al [Phys. Rev. A 110, L010402 (2024)], we have derived a series of polygon relations of bipartite entanglement measures that is useful to reveal entanglement properties of discrete, continuous, and even hybrid multipartite quantum systems. In this work, with the information-theoretical measures of Rényi and Tsallis entropies, we study the relationship between the polygon relation and the subadditivity of entropy. In particular, the entropy-polygon relations are derived for pure multi-qubit states and then generalized to multi-mode Gaussian states, by utilizing the known results from the quantum marginal problem. Then the equivalence between the polygon relation and subadditivity is established, in the sense that for all discrete or continuous multipartite states, the polygon relation holds if and only if the underlying entropy is subadditive. As a byproduct, the subadditivity of Rényi and Tsallis entropies is proven for all bipartite Gaussian states. Finally, the difference between polygon relations and monogamy relations is clarified, and generalizations of our results are discussed. Our work provides a better understanding of the rich structure of multipartite states, and hence is expected to be helpful for the study of multipartite entanglement.
Insights on cold atmospheric plasma treatment of ethidium bromide and its binding to protein BSA
Authors: Reema  , Kakati Nishanta , P Radhakrishnanand , Sankaranarayanan Kamatchi
Published: August 2024

Ethidium bromide (Et-Br) is a dye prevalently used in microbiology laboratories to visualize its binding to DNA under UV light. After usage, the Et-Br thrown from the lab as waste can reach waterbodies and it is toxic not only to aquatic life but also to humankind. Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) is a novel technology used to degrade various hazardous chemicals as it produces reactive species (ROS/ RNS) which work synergistically to degrade these hazardous chemicals. Molecular docking studies show that Et-Br has strong binding affinity with BSA. Here, to test the efficacy of CAP treatment, the binding interaction of Et-Br with protein Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) before and after CAP treatment has been studied. Herein, various biophysical techniques were used to study interaction of Et-Br with BSA before and after CAP treatment. Our investigation provides insight into the applicability of CAP to degrade hazardous chemicals such as Et-Br with potential environmental applications.
Emergent particles of de Sitter: thermal interpretation of the stochastic formalism and beyond
Authors: Kim TaeHun
Published: August 2024

A thermal interpretation of the stochastic formalism of a slow-rolling scalar field in de Sitter (dS) is given. We construct a correspondence between Hubble patches of dS and particles living in another space called an abstract space. By assuming a dual description of scalar fields and classical mechanics in the abstract space, we show that the stochastic evolution of the infrared part of the field is equivalent to the Brownian motion in the abstract space filled with a heat bath of massless particles. The 1st slow-roll condition and the Hubble expansion are also reinterpreted in the abstract space as the speed of light and a transfer of conserved energy, respectively. Inspired by this, we sketch quantum emergent particles, which may realize the Hubble expansion by an exponential particle production. This gives another meaning of dS entropy as entropy per Hubble volume.
Analysis of the thermal control system for the 3U CubeSat nanosatellite – “IXAYA”
Authors: Zuñiga-Contreras F D , Farah-Simón A , Ferrer-Perez J A , Gaviria-Arcila D , Valdés-Galicia J F , Sänchez-Guzmán J A , Romo-Fuentes C , Ramírez-Aguilar J A , Chavez-Moreno R G
Published: August 2024

In recent years, space exploration has become increasingly accessible to a diverse array of countries, facilitated in part by CubeSat nanosatellites. These versatile nanosatellites find applications in a wide spectrum of fields, from forest fire detection and meteorological observation to communication systems, particle analysis, and hot spot identification. This article delves into the outcomes of a comprehensive thermal analysis conducted on the IXAYA nanosatellite. The primary mission of this nanosatellite is to identify hot spots in the vicinity of Mexico City. The thermal analysis process entails a meticulous review of each subsystem along with the associated boundary conditions. This study commences with the definition of an optical payload and a thorough assessment of subsystem requirements. Subsequently, we calculate both external and internal thermal loads. With these foundational data points, we progress to ascertain the temperature distribution across the entirety of the satellite, ensuring that all constituent elements remain within their designated operational temperature ranges. In the closing section, we present our findings and conclusions.
Detailed height mapping of trees and buildings (HiTAB) in Chicago and its implications to urban climate studies
Authors: Li Peiyuan , Sharma Ashish
Published: August 2024

The vertical dimensions of urban morphology, specifically the heights of trees and buildings, exert significant influence on wind flow fields in urban street canyons and the thermal environment of the urban fabric, subsequently affecting the microclimate, noise levels, and air quality. Despite their importance, these critical attributes are less commonly available and rarely utilized in urban climate models compared to planar land use and land cover data. In this study, we explicitly mapped the height of trees and buildings (HiTAB) across the city of Chicago at 1 m spatial resolution using a data fusion approach. This approach integrates high-precision light detection and ranging (LiDAR) cloud point data, building footprint inventory, and multi-band satellite images. Specifically, the digital terrain and surface models were first created from the LiDAR dataset to calculate the height of surface objects, while the rest of the datasets were used to delineate trees and buildings. We validated the derived height information against the existing building database in downtown Chicago and the Meter-scale Urban Land Cover map from the Environmental Protection Agency, respectively. The co-investigation on trees and building heights offers a valuable initiative in the effort to inform urban land surface parameterizations using real-world data. Given their high spatial resolution, the height maps can be adopted in physical-based and data-driven urban models to achieve higher resolution and accuracy while lowering uncertainties. Moreover, our method can be extended to other urban regions, benefiting from the growing availability of high-resolution urban informatics globally. Collectively, these datasets can substantially contribute to future studies on hyper-local weather dynamics, urban heterogeneity, morphology, and planning, providing a more comprehensive understanding of urban environments.
Nonlinear wave propagation in large extra spatial dimensions and the blackbody thermal laws
Authors: Soares I , Turcati R , Duarte S B
Published: August 2024

Nonlinear wave propagation in large extra spatial dimensions (on and above d = 2) is investigated in the context of nonlinear electrodynamics theories that depend exclusively on the invariant

F

(
=
−
(
1

/

4
)

F

μ
ν

F

μ
ν

)

. In this vein, we consider propagating waves under the influence of external uniform electric and magnetic fields. Features related to the blackbody radiation in the presence of a background constant electric field such as the generalization of the spectral energy density distribution and the Stefan–Boltzmann law are obtained. Interestingly enough, anisotropic contributions to the frequency spectrum appear in connection to the nonlinearity of the electromagnetic field. In addition, the long wavelength regime and Wien’s displacement law in this situation are studied. The corresponding thermodynamics quantities at thermal equilibrium, such as energy, pressure, entropy, and heat capacity densities are contemplated as well.
Risk management program implementation on low and medium-risk processed food manufacturers to enhance food safety control in Indonesia
Authors: Cahyaningrum F , Priyandani R , Gusti S A A
Published: August 2024

The Risk Management Program (RMP) on food safety is an Indonesian Food and Drug Authority (FDA) initiative to stimulate the self-regulatory control system of food manufacturers. The study was conducted to analyze the association between RMP in low and medium-risk processed food manufacturers through Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) implementation and food testing. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Indonesia through the Indonesian FDA food control in 2022-2023, involving 328 samples of low and medium-risk processed food from 7 food types and identified from a total of 131 manufacturers grouped by RMP implementation. Most of the manufacturers (95.1%) complied with GMP requirements. In line with this, the food test results showed that most of the samples (94.5%) met the standards, as well as the samples from RMP-implemented manufacturers (97.7%). Chi-square analysis revealed there was a significant association between GMP implementation and food test results (p-value<0.05), whereas the RMP implementation did not show a significant association with the food test results (p-value=0.314). Since the RMP was a prestige for manufacturers to gain the trust and recognition of the Indonesian FDA as a regulator in implementing a self-regulatory control system, low and medium-risk processed food manufacturers still implemented RMP.
The morphological performance of indonesian cacao plant as a result of mutation using gamma-ray
Authors: Tresniawati C , Ajijah N , Izzah N K , Firdaus N K , Randriani E , Ibrahim M S D , Puspitasari M , Susilawati  , Sakiroh  , Indriati G , Hasibuan A M
Published: August 2024

The diversity of cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) genetic resources can be increased through mutation breeding. The study aimed to determine the LD20 and LD50 information of gamma-ray irradiation on cacao seeds. The research was conducted from January to December 2020 in the greenhouse and the Integrated Laboratory of The Indonesian Industrial and Beverage Crops Research Institute (IIBCRI). The cacao seeds were obtained from a prospective mother garden belonging to the IIBCRI. Seeds were applied at the Isotope and Radiation Application Center (PAIR) BATAN. Five bulk cacao clone seeds, including Sulawesi 1, Sulawesi 2, MCC 01, MCC 02, and SCA 6, were irradiated at doses of 0, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 Gy. The observed characteristics include the percentage of germination, root length, number of leaves, leaf length, leaf width, petiole length, plant height, and leaf shape. Each clone exhibited different LD20 and LD50 values based on the percentage of germination. The LD20 ranged from 5.83 Gy (Sulawesi 1) to 11.79 Gy (SCA 6) and LD50 ranged from 19.58 Gy (Sulawesi 1) to 25.07 Gy (SCA 6). Morphological changes in leaf shape were also observed. Increasing the dose of gammarays decreased the average values of root length, number of leaves, leaf length, leaf width, petiole length, and plant height of five cacao clones. The optimal dose of gammaray irradiation for cacao seeds was found to be 20Gy. In the future, cacao mutants will be used as parents in a plant breeding program.
In-vitro test of five cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) F1 hybrids to Phytophthora palmivora
Authors: Puspitasari M , Susilawati  , Amaria W , Izzah N K , Tresniawati C , Firdaus N K , Rubiyo  , Pranowo D , Sasmita K D , Aunillah A , Tarigan E Br. , Randriani E , Martono B , Ajijah N
Published: August 2024

Phytophthora palmivora causes black pod diseases (BPD) in cacao pods and reduces up to 25% of cacao yield. Cacao plant breeding aims to produce superior plants resistant to BPD. This research intended to confirm the pathogen through morphological characteristics and molecular identification, as well as evaluate the resistance level of five cacao F1 hybrids against P. palmivora in-vitro. The morphology of colonies was observed visually and microscopically, while sequencing analysis was performed using primer-specific pairs YPh1F/2R, followed by phylogenetic analysis. Resistance studies were using five cacao F1 hybrids: 8-7 (1), 9-7 (1), 1-11 (1), 5-1 (2), 2-8 (3), and BL 50 as the comparison variety using leaf disc methods. The research findings were Phytophthora sp. colonies on carrot medium showed faster growth than on potato dextrose agar. The microscopic observation showed the presence of pear-shaped spores. Likewise, the phylogenetic analysis confirmed that this pathogen was P. palmivora, with a high similarity of 98.78%. In the in-vitro study, two clones categorized as resistant, with clones 2-8 (3) having the lowest severity score. Other clones, including comparison varieties, have moderately resistant levels. The results are important information in assembling superior cacao clones resistant to P. palmivora.
Valley landau level crossings in weakly coupled bilayer WSe2
Authors: Li Shiwei , Cao Xinyu , Zhang Qi , Huang Yan , Kuang Guangli , Xi Chuanying , Watanabe Kenji , Taniguchi Takashi , Yu Geliang , Wang Lei
Published: August 2024

WSe2 is a p-type 2D-semiconductor that can be mechanically exfoliated down to atomic layers. Unlike the Bernal stacked bilayer graphene, the two layers in a bilayer WSe2 flake are weakly coupled. The electric displacement field can easily break the layer degeneracy of the bilayer WSe2. Together with the strong spin–orbit coupling, it exhibits many novel quantum physical properties. In this work, we fabricate high quality dual-gated bilayer WSe2 devices and observe twofold degenerate Landau levels(LLs) and density-dependent quantum Hall states which show transitions between even and odd filling. When introducing carriers into the system from the valence band edge by gating, two WSe2 layers are filled independently and the bottom layer WSe2 shows negative compressibility at the crossover point. Above 9 T, we observe the degeneracy of LLs is completely broken and there are two sets of LL crossings in the top WSe2 layer at Zeeman-to-cyclotron energy ratio

E
Z

/

E
N

≈ 4 and

E
Z

/

E
N

≈ 5. The interplay between two LLs from the two WSe2 layers confirms the weak coupling between them. Our results show that the bilayer WSe2 behave like two closely packed independent electronic systems under electric displacement fields.
Dielectrophoretic direct assembling of Mxene flakes at the level of screen-printed interdigitated microelectrodes and their evaluation in gas sensing applications
Authors: Turcan Ina , Filip Tudor Alexandru , Vlad-Bubulac Tăchiță , Rusu Daniela , Olariu Marius Andrei
Published: August 2024

Controlling, orientating, and assembling 2D materials is critical for their successful exploitation as active elements in various applications, particularly for sensors. Despite the increased interest in exploiting the properties of MXenes, to date, the direct dielectrophoretic assembly of this category of materials has not been reported. Thus, this work presents an experimental study on dielectrophoretic assembly of pristine MXene flakes at the level of screen-printed interdigitated microelectrodes. The development of MXene uniaxial ‘bridges’ across electrode micro-gaps can be controlled by convenient dielectrophoretic parameters such as voltage and frequency, which are thoroughly discussed. Moreover, appropriate frequencies for avoiding parasitic electrokinetic phenomena (AC electro-osmosis, electrothermal effect) that hamper the application of dielectrophoresis were identified. Finally, the proposed methodology for assembling MXene flakes demonstrates its feasibility of being used for development of chemiresistors as of satisfactory response of pristine MXene ‘bridges’ to ethanol atmosphere.
ZnO/TiO2 photocatalytic nanocomposite for dye and bacteria removal in wastewater
Authors: Truong Hanh Thi , Truong Hai Bang , Nguyen Thuan Chi
Published: August 2024

This study investigates ZnO/TiO2 nanocomposites synthesized by the sol–gel method for their potential application in textile wastewater treatment. The physicochemical properties of these materials were comprehensively characterized using various analytical techniques, including transmission electron microscopy (TEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, x-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area analysis, and UV–visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy. XRD and XRF analyses confirmed the formation of a ZnO/TiO2 heterostructure. TEM images revealed a quasi-spherical morphology with slight agglomeration. The ZnO/TiO2 nanocomposite with a 1:5 molar ratio of Zn(II):Ti(IV) showed the highest BET surface area (91.345 m2 g−1) and the narrowest band gap (Eg = 3.06 eV). This composite demonstrated efficient degradation of methylene blue dye under sunlight irradiation and exhibited 100% antibacterial activity against S. typhi and S. aureus at concentrations ≥5 mg ml−1, indicating its potential for treating textile wastewater.
Computational prediction of dielectric breakdown strength of a transformer paper in oil with uncertainty quantification
Authors: Olsen Daniel , San Martin Luis , Zhou Min
Published: August 2024

The determination of the dielectric breakdown strengths of microstructurally heterogeneous materials has been a primarily experimental endeavor. We report the development of a microstructure-level model for computationally predicting the breakdown strength and analyzing the interactions between electromagnetic pulses (EMP) and the constituents in a composite of cellulose-based paper and mineral oil found in electrical transformers. The model allows explicit simulation of the material breakdown process by tracking the transition of dielectric constituents from non-conductive to conductive states. The focus is on the electric fields induced in the materials and the overall conditions for dielectric breakdown (defined as the onset of avalanche) caused by the electric field induced in the composite. Responses to three distinct pulse shapes, i.e., Steep Front (SF), Lightning (L), and AC with spectra spanning 60–9 × 105 Hz are considered. It is found that the breakdown strength of the material is significantly affected by microstructure heterogeneities, the spatial variations of the constituent properties, and the pulse shapes. A probabilistic characterization of the breakdown strength is computationally obtained and compared with experimental measurements. Although one particular material is analyzed, the model and approach are applicable to other heterogeneous materials as well.
Causes of the extreme cold event in December 2023 on Eastern China
Authors: Chen Baoxu , Cui Hongyan , Qiao Fangli , Zhang Ziqun , Sun Xiaohui , Gao Chang , Song Yang
Published: August 2024

An extreme cold event outbreaks in Eastern China (EC) in December 16–22, 2023. Its maximum intensity (−8.30 °C) and duration (7 days) are in the second place in December during 1980–2023. In Early Stage (December 6–10), surface air temperature (SAT) anomalies reach the highest at 6.77 °C, exceeding mean value by two standard deviations. The variation of SAT anomalies (differences of SAT anomalies between the last day and the first day for a given period) is 0.60 °C. In Development Stage (December 11–15), SAT anomalies begin to decline but remain positive. In Outbreak Stage (December 16–22), the variation of SAT anomalies reaches a minimum of −3.17 °C, reflecting the cooling of EC. From December 1, cold air gradually gathers in Siberia under the influence of Arctic high moving southward. Cold air is locked in Siberia due to negative anomalies of geopotiential height (GH) and the westerlies anomalies between 40°–50°N. On December 11, these negative GH anomalies begin to move southeastward, and the westerlies anomalies weaken to a easterlies. From December 16–22, EC experiences an extreme cold event due to the southward of Arctic high and the eastward of Ural and Okhotsk high. On the basis of the zonal wind index (ZI) phase changes from negative to positive and the jet stream moves southeastward, the strong (weak) jet stream is spotted to block (promote) the southward of cold air. Linear regression shows that negative Arctic Oscillation (AO) conducts to the concentration of cold air in Siberia. Positive Siberia High (SH) pushes cold air to EC. SAT anomalies decrease by 2.29 °C in EC with the increase of 1 unit for SH. In empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis, EOF1 (28.07%) is characterized by warm Arctic and cold Siberia (WA-CS), which reflects the effect of SH on the occurrence of extreme cold events.
Investigating state-of-the-art planning strategies for electric vehicle charging infrastructures in coupled transport and power networks: a comprehensive review
Authors: Li Jinhao , Chew Arlena , Wang Hao
Published: August 2024

Electric vehicles (EVs) have emerged as a pivotal solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions paving a pathway to net zero. As the adoption of EVs continues to grow, countries are proactively formulating systematic plans for nationwide EV charging infrastructure (EVCI) to keep pace with the accelerating shift towards EVs. This comprehensive review aims to thoroughly examine current global practices in EVCI planning and explore state-of-the-art methodologies for designing EVCI planning strategies. Despite remarkable efforts by influential players in the global EV market, such as China, the United States, and the European Union, the progress in EVCI rollout has been notably slower than anticipated in the rest of the world. This delay can be attributable to three major impediments: inadequate EVCI charging services, low utilization rates of public EVCI facilities, and the non-trivial integration of EVCI into the electric grid. These challenges are intricately linked to key stakeholders in the EVCI planning problem within the context of coupled traffic and grid networks. These stakeholders include EV drivers, transport system operators, and electric grid operators. In addition, various applicable charging technologies further complicate this planning task. This review dissects the interests of these stakeholders, clarifying their respective roles and expectations in the context of EVCI planning. This review also provides insights into level 1, 2, and 3 chargers with explorations of their applications in different geographical locations for diverse EV charging patterns. Finally, a thorough review of node-based and flow-based approaches to EV planning is presented. The modeling of placing charging stations is broadly categorized into set coverage, maximum coverage, flow-capturing, and flow-refueling location models. In conclusion, this review identifies several research gaps, including the dynamic modeling of EV charging demand and the coordination of vehicle electrification with grid decarbonization. This paper calls for further contributions to bridge these gaps and drive the advancement of EVCI planning.
A research agenda to support economic resilience in US oil and gas producing communities
Authors: Raimi Daniel , Kaufman Noah
Published: August 2024

Major reductions in greenhouse gas emissions will require a transition away from fossil fuels, including oil and natural gas. However, little research has examined the implications of such a transition for the workers and communities who depend on these industries to support local and regional economic wellbeing. In this perspective, we lay out a research agenda that can help inform policymakers as they seek to craft effective policies to support affected communities. We focus on the United States, the world’s largest oil and gas producer, and identify three key policy areas where new scholarship is needed to inform policymaking: economic and workforce development, public finances, and environmental remediation. Although it is not a comprehensive research agenda, we identify dozens of distinct research questions that will require a mix of methods and disciplinary lenses, including basic data gathering, community engagement, program evaluation, policy analysis, political analysis, and more. The goal of this article is to encourage scholars to take up these topics and expand them in the years ahead to ensure that oil and gas communities become more economically resilient in the face of deep uncertainty over the future of the domestic and global energy system.
Discovering symbolic laws directly from trajectories with hamiltonian graph neural networks
Authors: Bishnoi Suresh , Bhattoo Ravinder , Jayadeva  , Ranu Sayan , Krishnan N M Anoop
Published: August 2024

The time evolution of physical systems is described by differential equations, which depend on abstract quantities like energy and force. Traditionally, these quantities are derived as functionals based on observables such as positions and velocities. Discovering these governing symbolic laws is the key to comprehending the interactions in nature. Here, we present a Hamiltonian graph neural network (Hgnn), a physics-enforced Gnn that learns the dynamics of systems directly from their trajectory. We demonstrate the performance of Hgnn on

n
−

springs,

n
−

pendulums, gravitational systems, and binary Lennard Jones systems; Hgnn learns the dynamics in excellent agreement with the ground truth from small amounts of data. We also evaluate the ability of Hgnn to generalize to larger system sizes, and to a hybrid spring-pendulum system that is a combination of two original systems (spring and pendulum) on which the models are trained independently. Finally, employing symbolic regression on the learned Hgnn, we infer the underlying equations relating to the energy functionals, even for complex systems such as the binary Lennard-Jones liquid. Our framework facilitates the interpretable discovery of interaction laws directly from physical system trajectories. Furthermore, this approach can be extended to other systems with topology-dependent dynamics, such as cells, polydisperse gels, or deformable bodies.
Quantum support vector data description for anomaly detection
Authors: Oh Hyeondo , Park Daniel K
Published: August 2024

Anomaly detection is a critical problem in data analysis and pattern recognition, finding applications in various domains. We introduce quantum support vector data description (QSVDD), an unsupervised learning algorithm designed for anomaly detection. QSVDD utilizes a shallow-depth quantum circuit to learn a minimum-volume hypersphere that tightly encloses normal data, tailored for the constraints of noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) computing. Simulation results on the MNIST and Fashion MNIST image datasets, as well as credit card fraud detection, demonstrate that QSVDD outperforms both quantum autoencoder and deep learning-based approaches under similar training conditions. Notably, QSVDD requires an extremely small number of model parameters, which increases logarithmically with the number of input qubits. This enables efficient learning with a simple training landscape, presenting a compact quantum machine learning model with strong performance for anomaly detection.
The political economy of gender mainstreaming in energy access in Senegal
Authors: Klug Thomas W , Saparapa Rajah , Plutshack Victoria , Agradi Mawunyo , Appiah Sarah , Nunoo Isaac
Published: August 2024

In June 2017, the Economic Community of West African States adopted the Policy for Gender Mainstreaming in Energy Access to integrate gender equity in West Africa’s energy and climate policy making. The policy represents the first regional gender and energy policy in the world, establishing a framework to enhance understanding at the nexus of gender and energy, improve the inclusivity of policies, programs, and initiatives, and increase women’s participation in the field of energy in the public and private sectors. Each member state developed a National Action Plan (NAP) to operationalize these goals and align implementation with national contexts and policy priorities. This study examines the experience of Senegal’s NAP development, from 13 semi-structured interviews of key stakeholders and document review. We use the Actors, Objectives, Context political economy framework to understand how Senegal’s economic and political structures, historical and social context, and influence of key stakeholders shaped their efforts to mainstream gender in the country’s energy sector. We then describe four main objectives of actors in government, civil society, and the development space involved in policy development, summarizing these as: electricity access, economic development, access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking, and gender equity. We find that the objectives of government and development actors are reflected in the emphasis on energy access in the NAP and the government’s long-term development agenda, though a critical lack of engagement with the private sector has limited the policy’s efforts to mainstream women across energy sub-sectors beyond clean cooking. Women’s civil society organizations, historically less engaged with energy issues, have nonetheless achieved considerable success in advocating for increased women’s political participation. This advocacy has set a precedent for policies promoting ‘positive discrimination’ for women and marginalized groups, evident in policy activities aimed at electrifying women’s economic sectors.
Agency and Cognition
Authors: Tomasello Michael
Published: August 2024

This chapter provides an evolutionary background for five agentive architectures: goal-directed agency, intentional agency, metacognitive agency, joint agency, and collective agency. With respect to individual agency, it appears that the ordering in human ontogeny does indeed reflect the ordering in phylogeny: first goal-directed agency, then intentional agency, then metacognitive agency. With respect to shared agency, it appears again that the ordering in human ontogeny also reflects the ordering in phylogeny: joint agency precedes collective agency. But whereas both types of shared agency emerged in human evolution only after all three types of individual agency were already operative, in ontogeny something different happens.
Joint Agency and Perspectival Representations
Authors: Tomasello Michael
Published: August 2024

In joint agencies, toddlers coordinate their intentional actions with other intentional agents in species-unique ways by creating both joint goals and joint attention. The social-cognitive capacities empowering the creation of joint goals and attention are what we may call joint intentionality. To facilitate this coordination, toddlers develop, in addition, species-unique forms of cooperative-referential communication, beginning with the simple but powerful pointing gesture, followed by symbolic (including linguistic) communication. The evolutionary hypothesis is that only humans evolved to co-operate in all these ways because only they evolved in the face of ecological challenges requiring collaborative activities structured by joint intentionality. This chapter provides a review and novel analysis of the literature on toddler-shared cognition, based on the principles of joint agency and perspectival representations.
Metacognitive Agency and Multi-Perspectival Representations
Authors: Tomasello Michael
Published: August 2024

The working hypothesis of this chapter is that what accounts for these new cognitive capacities, and others, is that children from three to six years of age are in the process of becoming metacognitive agents who reflectively regulate their executive-tier conceptualizing, thinking, and decision-making. What makes this rational/reflective mode of operation possible is a new organizational architecture that builds on top of toddlers’ executive tier of regulation a second-order executive tier, a metacognitive tier, of regulation. This chapter provides a review and novel analysis of the literature in preschoolers’ cognition based on the principles of metacognitive agency and multi-perspectival representations.
Paris During the Occupation
Authors: Garrison Leonard
Published: August 2024

This chapter details Gaston Crunelle’s myriad activities during the German Occupation of Paris from June 1940 to August 1944. The Paris Conservatory attempted to deal with the antisemitic policies of the occupying authorities, first by collaboration under director Henri Rabaud, and then by clandestine defiance under his successor Claude Delvincourt, a member of the French Resistance. Flute professor Marcel Moyse fled Paris, and the flute class was assigned to Crunelle. The latter continued to perform as principal flute in the Pasdeloup Orchestra and the Opéra-Comique, where he played in a historical revival and a legendary recording of Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande under Roger Désormière. Crunelle also joined the Quintette instrumental de Paris when its original flutist, René Le Roy, left for New York. He frequently performed on Nazi-run Radio-Paris and was subsequently censored, along with many leading French musicians.
Dataset of miRNA–disease relations extracted from textual data using transformer-based neural networks
Authors: Madan Sumit , Kühnel Lisa , Fröhlich Holger , Hofmann-Apitius Martin , Fluck Juliane
Published: August 2024

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in post-transcriptional processes and regulate major cellular functions. The abnormal regulation of expression of miRNAs has been linked to numerous human diseases such as respiratory diseases, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases. Latest miRNA–disease associations are predominantly found in unstructured biomedical literature. Retrieving these associations manually can be cumbersome and time-consuming due to the continuously expanding number of publications. We propose a deep learning-based text mining approach that extracts normalized miRNA–disease associations from biomedical literature. To train the deep learning models, we build a new training corpus that is extended by distant supervision utilizing multiple external databases. A quantitative evaluation shows that the workflow achieves an area under receiver operator characteristic curve of 98% on a holdout test set for the detection of miRNA–disease associations. We demonstrate the applicability of the approach by extracting new miRNA–disease associations from biomedical literature (PubMed and PubMed Central). We have shown through quantitative analysis and evaluation on three different neurodegenerative diseases that our approach can effectively extract miRNA–disease associations not yet available in public databases.

Database URL: https://zenodo.org/records/10523046
Magnesium-rich diet score is inversely associated with incident cardiovascular disease: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study
Authors: Copp Katherine L , Steffen Lyn M , Yi So-Yun , Lutsey Pamela L , Rebholz Casey M , Rooney Mary R
Published: August 2024

Aims

Numerous studies have shown inverse associations between serum magnesium (Mg) and risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), but studies of dietary Mg have not been consistent. To examine the association of a Mg-rich diet score with risks of CVD, coronary heart disease (CHD), and ischaemic stroke in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study.

Methods and results

There were 15 022 Black and White adults without prevalent CVD at baseline (1987–89) included in this analysis. Diet was assessed at two visits 6 years apart using an interviewer-administered 66-item food frequency questionnaire. A Mg-rich diet score was created that included servings of whole grain products, nuts, vegetables, fruit, legumes, coffee, and tea. Cox proportional hazard regression evaluated associations of incident CVD, CHD, and stroke across quintiles of Mg-rich diet score, adjusting for demographics, lifestyle factors, and clinical characteristics. Over >30 years of follow-up, there were 3531 incident CVD events (2562 CHD, 1332 ischaemic stroke). Participants who consumed more Mg-rich foods were older, female, White, had lower blood pressure, fewer were not current smokers, and more reported being physically active. A Mg-rich diet was inversely associated with incident CVD (HRQ5 vs. Q1 = 0.87, 95% CI: 0.77–0.98, Ptrend = 0.02) and CHD (HRQ5 vs. Q1 = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.71–0.95, Ptrend = 0.01); however, the diet-stroke association was null (HRQ5 vs. Q1 = 1.00, 95% CI: 0.82–1.22, Ptrend = 0.97).

Conclusion

Consuming a diet including Mg-rich foods, such as whole grains, nuts, vegetables, fruits, legumes, coffee, and tea, is associated with lower risk of CVD and CHD, but not ischaemic stroke.
Comparing the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of alternative type 2 diabetes monitoring intervals in resource limited settings
Authors: Mukonda Elton , Lesosky Maia , Sithole Siphesihle , van der Westhuizen Diederick J , Rusch Jody A , Levitt Naomi S , Myers Bronwyn , Cleary Susan
Published: August 2024

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) represents a growing disease burden in South Africa. While glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) testing is the gold standard for long-term blood glucose management, recommendations for HbA1c monitoring frequency are based on expert opinion. This study investigates the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of alternative HbA1c monitoring intervals in the management of T2D. A Markov model with three health states (HbA1c <7%, HbA1c ≥ 7%, Dead) was used to estimate lifetime costs and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) of alternative HbA1c monitoring intervals among patients with T2D, using a provider’s perspective and a 3% discount rate. HbA1c monitoring strategies (three-monthly, four-monthly, six-monthly and annual tests) were evaluated with respect to the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) assessing each comparator against a less costly, undominated alternative. The scope of costs included the direct medical costs of managing diabetes. Transition probabilities were obtained from routinely collected public sector HbA1c data, while health service utilization and health-related-quality-of-life (HRQoL) data were obtained from a local cluster randomized controlled trial. Other parameters were obtained from published studies. Robustness of findings was evaluated using one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. A South African indicative cost-effectiveness threshold of USD2665 was adopted. Annual and lifetime costs of managing diabetes increased with HbA1c monitoring, while increased monitoring provides higher QALYs and life years. For the overall cohort, the ICER for six-monthly vs annual monitoring was cost-effective (USD23 22.37 per QALY gained), whereas the ICER of moving from six-monthly to three-monthly monitoring was not cost effective (USD6437.79 per QALY gained). The ICER for four-monthly vs six-monthly monitoring was extended dominated. The sensitivity analysis showed that the ICERs were most sensitive to health service utilization rates. While the factors influencing glycaemic control are multifactorial, six-monthly monitoring is potentially cost-effective while more frequent monitoring could further improve patient HrQoL.
Ghosts in the labour market: perceived health implications of informal labour in Australia
Authors: van den Berg Miriam , Baum Fran
Published: August 2024

Employment conditions are important social and commercial determinants of health. Informal employment—also known as ‘cash-in-hand’ and ‘undeclared’ work—is a discrete employment condition that has salience around the world. Fuelled by neoliberal ideology, informal employment has become increasingly common in high-income countries. Public health research concerning the health of informal workers comes largely from low- and middle-income countries, where the phenomenon is more visible. There has been little research on the health effects of informal employment in high-income countries including Australia. Twenty-nine workers aged 18 years and older, who were undertaking informal work activities, were recruited using social media and an online marketplace in Tarndanya (Adelaide-Kaurna Country), Australia. Qualitative narrative data, demographic profiles, and physical and mental health scores were collected. Most informal workers reported unfair and indecent employment conditions including job insecurity, low income, coercion, and lack of respect and dignity at work, and were often exposed to unsafe and unhealthy work environments. Workplace injuries and exposure to occupational hazards were common; and Physical and Mental Component Scores were poorer among informal workers when compared to the population of South Australia as a whole. With informal employment in Australia described as part of a ‘significant, pervasive, damaging and growing’ problem, there is a need for a health promotion lens over industrial relations policies in the interest of creating equitable access to fair and decent work.
Distributions of Species Ecological Foundations
Authors: Lomolino Mark V. , Riddle Brett R. , Whittaker Robert J.
Published: August 2024

This chapter provides an overview of the ecological foundations concerning the distribution of individuals, species, and populations. It explains that each species has a unique geographic range that is central to all biogeography. The limits of geographical ranges include physical limiting factors, disturbance, dispersal, time, and interactions with other organisms. Harsh range boundaries are typically set by abiotic factors, while environmentally benign range boundaries reflect biotic controls. The chapter also looks into the relationship between distribution and abundance. It highlights how the current geographic ranges have been influenced by the responses of individuals, populations, and species to environmental conditions throughout evolutionary history.
One-year Safety and Effectiveness of Ustekinumab in Patients With Crohn’s Disease: The K-STAR Study
Authors: Lee Chang Kyun , Moon Won , Chun Jaeyoung , Kim Eun Soo , Kim Hyung Wook , Yoon Hyuk , Kim Hyun Soo , Lee Yoo Jin , Choi Chang Hwan , Jung Yunho , Park Sung Chul , Song Geun Am , Lee Jong Hun , Jung Eun Suk , Kim Youngdoe , Jung Su Young , Choi Jong Min , Ye Byong Duk
Published: August 2024

Background

This study investigated the safety and effectiveness of ustekinumab (UST) in Korean patients with Crohn’s disease (CD).

Methods

Adult patients with CD treated with UST were prospectively enrolled in the K-STAR (Post-MarKeting Surveillance for Crohn’s Disease patients treated with STelARa) study between April 2018 and April 2022. Both the clinical effectiveness and adverse effects of UST therapy were analyzed. Missing data were handled using nonresponder imputation (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03942120).

Results

Of the 464 patients enrolled from 44 hospitals across Korea, 457 and 428 patients (Crohn’s disease activity index ≥150) were included in the safety analysis and effectiveness analysis sets, respectively. At weeks 16 to 20 after initiating UST, clinical response, clinical remission, and corticosteroid-free remission rates were 75.0% (321 of 428), 64.0% (274 of 428), and 61.9% (265 of 428), respectively. At week 52 to 66, clinical response, clinical remission, and corticosteroid-free remission rates were 62.4% (267 of 428), 52.6% (225 of 428), and 50.0% (214 of 428), respectively. Combined effectiveness (clinical response + biochemical response) was achieved in 40.0% (171 of 428) and 41.6% (178 of 428) at week 16 to 20 and week 52 to 66, respectively. Biologic-naïve patients exhibited significantly higher rates of combined effectiveness than biologic-experienced patients (50.3% vs 30.7% at week 16-20, P < .001; 47.7% vs 36.0% at week 52-66, P = .014). No additional benefits were observed with the concomitant use of immunomodulators. Ileal location was independently associated with a higher probability of clinical remission compared with colonic or ileocolonic location at week 52 to 66. Adverse and serious adverse events were observed in 28.2% (129 of 457) and 12.7% (58 of 457), respectively, with no new safety signal associated with UST treatment.

Conclusions

Ustekinumab was well-tolerated, effective, and safe as induction and maintenance therapy for CD in Korea.
Short-term associations of PM10 attributed to biomass burning with respiratory and cardiovascular hospital admissions in Peninsular Malaysia
Authors: Tajudin Muhammad Abdul Basit Ahmad , Madaniyazi Lina , Seposo Xerxes , Sahani Mazrura , Tobías Aurelio , Latif Mohd Talib , Wan Mahiyuddin Wan Rozita , Ibrahim Mohd Faiz , Tamaki Shingo , Moji Kazuhiko , Hashizume Masahiro , Ng Chris Fook Sheng
Published: August 2024

Background

Biomass burning (BB) is a major source of air pollution and particulate matter (PM) in Southeast Asia. However, the health effects of PM smaller than 10 µm (PM10) originating from BB may differ from those of other sources. This study aimed to estimate the short-term association of PM10 from BB with respiratory and cardiovascular hospital admissions in Peninsular Malaysia, a region often exposed to BB events.

Methods

We obtained and analyzed daily data on hospital admissions, PM10 levels and BB days from five districts from 2005 to 2015. We identified BB days by evaluating the BB hotspots and backward wind trajectories. We estimated PM10 attributable to BB from the excess of the moving average of PM10 during days without BB hotspots. We fitted time-series quasi-Poisson regression models for each district and pooled them using meta-analyses. We adjusted for potential confounders and examined the lagged effects up to 3 days, and potential effect modification by age and sex.

Results

We analyzed 210 960 respiratory and 178 952 cardiovascular admissions. Almost 50% of days were identified as BB days, with a mean PM10 level of 53.1 µg/m3 during BB days and 40.1 µg/m3 during normal days. A 10 µg/m3 increment in PM10 from BB was associated with a 0.44% (95% CI: 0.06, 0.82%) increase in respiratory admissions at lag 0–1, with a stronger association in adults aged 15–64 years and females. We did not see any significant associations for cardiovascular admissions.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that short-term exposure to PM10 from BB increased the risk of respiratory hospitalizations in Peninsular Malaysia.
Comparison of the effects of alfalfa meal and sorghum distillery residue supplementation on the methane emissions in black-feathered Taiwan native chicken
Authors: Lee Shin-Mei , Lo Neng-Wen , Chen Yan-Siang , Liu Jer-Yuh , Chen Yieng-How , Ye Je-Chiuan
Published: August 2024

The issue of global warming, primarily fueled by anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, necessitates effective strategies to address methane (CH4) emissions from both ruminants and nonruminants. Drawing inspiration from successful approaches employed in ruminants, this study evaluates the impact of supplementing the diets of Taiwan’s native black-feathered chickens with alfalfa meal and sorghum distillery residues (SDRs) on CH4 emissions. Using a respiration chamber the results reveal a significant reduction in CH4 emissions when incorporating either 30% alfalfa meal or 30% SDRs into the chicken diet, demonstrating a 59% and 49% decrease, respectively, compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Considering that alfalfa meal contains saponins and SDRs contain tannins, the study delves into the mechanism through which these components mitigate CH4 production in chickens. Incorporating saponins or tannins shows that groups supplemented with these components exhibit significantly lower CH4 emissions compared to the control group (P < 0.05), with a consistent linear decrease as the concentration of the feed additive increases. Further in vitro analysis of chicken cecal contents indicates a proportional reduction in CH4 production with increasing levels of added saponins or tannins (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that the CH4-reducing effects of alfalfa meal and SDRs can be attributed to their saponins and tannin content. However, caution is warranted as excessive alfalfa meal supplementation may adversely impact poultry growth. Consequently, sorghum distillery residue emerges as a more suitable feed ingredient for mitigating CH4 emissions in Taiwan’s native black-feathered chickens compared to alfalfa. Additionally, substituting SDRs for conventional commercial chicken feed not only reduces CH4 emissions but also enhances the utilization of byproducts.