bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adrenal tumors in patients with neuroendocrine neoplasms
Authors: Falhammar Henrik , Stenman Adam , Juhlin C. Christofer , Kistner Anna
Published: April 2024

Purpose

To study the prevalence of primary adrenal tumors and adrenal metastases in patients with neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) and describe these in detail. NENs can be further divided into neuroendocrine tumor (NET) and neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC).

Methods

A review of medical files was conducted for all patients who underwent a 68Gallium-DOTATOC-PET/CT during 2010−2023 or adrenalectomy during 1999-2023 at the Karolinska University Hospital.

Results

In total, 68Gallium-DOTATOC-PET/CT was performed on 1750 individuals with NEN, among whom 12 (0.69%) had adrenal tumors. Of these, 9 (0.51%) were NEN metastases. Out of 1072 adrenalectomies, 4 (0.37%) showed evidence of NEN metastases. Thus, 16 patients with NEN exhibited adrenal tumors. The adrenal tumors were found on average 5 years after the NEN diagnosis and 19% of the adrenal tumors with simultaneous NEN were benign. Few had all adrenal hormones measured. None had an adrenal insufficiency nor an adrenal biopsy. Another synchronous metastasis was found in 69% at the time of the adrenal tumor discovery. During the median 2-year follow-up, 38% of the subjects had deceased (with the exclusion of individuals presenting supposedly benign adrenal tumors 31%) all due to tumor complications. A comparison between individuals identified through 68Gallium-DOTATOC-PET/CT and those who underwent adrenalectomy revealed a higher prevalence of NETs in the former group and NECs in the latter group.

Conclusion

Adrenal primary tumors and adrenal metastases are infrequent occurrences in patients with NEN. Most cases involved the presence of NEN metastasis upon the initial discovery of adrenal tumors. The overall prognosis was found to be favorable.
Demographic Profile and Etiology of Epistaxis
Authors: Ukawat Lavi , Gupta Ankur , Jain Konika
Published: April 2024

Epistaxis is common worldwide otorhinolaryngology emergency presenting as a life-threatening condition especially in resource-constrained hospitals with limited health-care facilities for acceptable management. The aim of this study is to find out the common causes of epistaxis. It was a cross sectional study. It was carried out on 304 patients who presented with epistaxis at tertiary care hospital of Central India (Peoples College of Medical Science & Research Centre, Bhopal). It was found that among 304 participants, maximum number of patients with epistaxis were of age group 21–30 years i.e. 66 (21.71%) with 210 (69.08%) were male and 94 (30.92%) were female. It was found that maximum patients were of nose picking i.e. 113 (37.17%) followed by trauma via accident, assault and fall i.e. 77 (25.33%), followed by hypertension i.e. 49. Epistaxis is a common emergency condition in Otorhinolaryngology. People of all ages can be affected. Hypertension and trauma were the most common etiological/risk factors among the patients in whom etiology was found although in most of the patients etiology could not be found.
Genomic ancestry and cancer among Latin Americans
Authors: Ruíz-Patiño Alejandro , Rojas Leonardo , Zuluaga Jairo , Arrieta Oscar , Corrales Luis , Martín Claudio , Franco Sandra , Raez Luis , Rolfo Christian , Sánchez Natalia , Cardona Andrés Felipe
Published: April 2024

Latin American populations, characterized by intricate admixture patterns resulting from the intermingling of ancestries from European, Native American (NA) Asian, and African ancestries which result in a vast and complex genetic landscape, harboring unique combinations of novel variants. This genetic diversity not only poses challenges in traditional population genetics methods but also opens avenues for a deeper understanding of its implications in health. In cancer, the interplay between genetic ancestry, lifestyle factors, and healthcare disparities adds a layer of complexity to the varying incidence and mortality rates observed across different Latin American subpopulations. This complex interdependence has been unveiled through numerous studies, whether conducted on Latin American patients residing on the continent or abroad, revealing discernible differences in germline composition that influence divergent disease phenotypes such as higher incidence of Luminal B and Her2 breast tumors, EGFR and KRAS mutated lung adenocarcinomas in addition to an enrichment in BRCA1/2 pathogenic variants and a higher than expected prevalence of variants in colorectal cancer associated genes such as APC and MLH1. In prostate cancer novel risk variants have also been solely identified in Latin American populations. Due to the complexity of genetic divergence, inputs from each individual ancestry seem to carry independent contributions that interplay in the development of these complex disease phenotypes. By understanding these unique population characteristics, genomic ancestries hold a promising avenue for tailoring prognostic assessments and optimizing responses to oncological interventions.
Uniformly Perfect Sets, Hausdorff Dimension, and Conformal Capacity
Authors: Rainio Oona , Sugawa Toshiyuki , Vuorinen Matti
Published: April 2024

Using the definition of uniformly perfect sets in terms of convergent sequences, we apply lower bounds for the Hausdorff content of a uniformly perfect subset E of $$\mathbb {R}^n$$

R

n

to prove new explicit lower bounds for the Hausdorff dimension of E. These results also yield lower bounds for capacity test functions, which we introduce, and enable us to characterize domains of $${{\mathbb {R}}}^n\,$$

R

n

with uniformly perfect boundaries. Moreover, we show that an alternative method to define capacity test functions can be based on the Whitney decomposition of the domain considered.
Degradation Modelling of and Optimising the Timing of Replacements for Batch Vacuum Pans
Authors: Horner Angus , Truong-Ba Huy , Cholette Michael E. , Kent Geoffrey A.
Published: April 2024

Replacing a pan involves the expenditure of significant capital for a sugar mill. Replacing a pan too late may result in excessive downtime, maintenance costs, and risk of catastrophic failure. On the other hand, replacing a pan too early will lead to wasting residual life and an unnecessary allocation of capital funds that may have been spent better elsewhere in the mill. This paper reports on the development of a replacement policy for batch vacuum pan components based on a stochastic model of degradation. Degradation data, principally wall-thickness measurements, were collected from the vacuum pans of an Australian sugar factory and used to develop component degradation models. Unlike the conventional approach of using a line of best fit to identify the end of life of the pan, the methods adopted account for the uncertainties due to seasonal operating conditions and inherent uncertainty in the degradation model parameters. The quantification of the uncertainty in identifying the end of life of a vacuum pan has shown that there is significant risk of a pan failing earlier than the straight-line prediction. Employing this quantification of the risk, a component replacement plan was developed by optimising the replacement of each component individually and subsequently optimising the replacement plan for the entire pan. This strategy is demonstrated using a case study with and without parametric uncertainty to evaluate its impact on maintenance optimisation. Including parametric uncertainty leads to the determination of greater risk earlier, proposing the replacement of components earlier than when parameters are considered as ‘known’. It is, therefore, important to consider parametric uncertainty in the planning of pan component replacements to better manage risk.
Imaging for ion beam therapy: current trends and future perspectives
Authors: Parodi Katia
Published: April 2024

Purpose

Since the pioneering use of planar X-ray imaging in early experimental sites of proton and light ion cancer therapy, imaging has always been a cornerstone of ion beam therapy (IBT). This contribution highlights current trends and future perspectives of imaging in modern IBT.

Methods

Several flavours of image guidance are under investigation to enhance IBT. A first class of in-room imaging techniques aims at providing insights on updated patient anatomy prior to or ideally during treatment. Owing to the unique characteristics of IBT, these methods do not only target a correct localization of the tumour and critical structures as in photon therapy, but also aim at extracting the tissue stopping properties for accurate (re)planning. A second class of techniques, predominantly performed during beam delivery, aims at capturing different secondary emissions induced by the irradiation to identify the beam stopping position and ideally reconstruct the dose delivery for inter- or intra-fractional treatment adaptation. Finally, a third class of imaging techniques is being explored to provide novel insights on the underlying biological mechanisms to open new opportunities for more effective and better tolerated treatments.

Results and conclusions

70 years after the worldwide first proton treatment, image guidance of IBT continues to be an evolving area which combines advanced instrumentation with progress in computational areas, including artificial intelligence, and beam delivery schemes. Especially on-site imaging opens new opportunities to innovate the IBT chain with daily treatment adaptation, real-time verification of in-vivo range and dose delivery along with biological guidance for treatment personalization.
A note on umbilic points at infinity
Authors: Guilfoyle Brendan
Published: April 2024

In this note a definition of umbilic point at infinity is proposed, at least for surfaces that are homogeneous polynomial graphs over a plane in Euclidean 3-space. This is a stronger definition than that of Toponogov in his study of complete convex surfaces, and allows one to distinguish between different umbilic points at infinity. It is proven that all such umbilic points at infinity are isolated, that they occur in pairs and are the zeroes of the projective extension of the third fundamental form, as developed in Guilfoyle and Ortiz-Rodríguez (Math Proc R Ir Acad 123A(2), 63–94, 2023). A geometric interpretation for the definition is that an umbilic point at infinity occurs when the tangent to the level set at infinity is also an asymptotic direction at infinity.
Stability properties of ultraholomorphic classes of Roumieu-type defined by weight matrices
Authors: Jiménez-Garrido Javier , Miguel-Cantero Ignacio , Sanz Javier , Schindl Gerhard
Published: April 2024

We characterize several stability properties, such as inverse or composition closedness, for ultraholomorphic function classes of Roumieu type defined in terms of a weight matrix. In this way we transfer and extend known results from J. Siddiqi and M. Ider, from the weight sequence setting and in sectors not wider than a half-plane, to the weight matrix framework and for sectors in the Riemann surface of the logarithm with arbitrary opening. The key argument rests on the construction, under suitable hypotheses, of characteristic functions in these classes for unrestricted sectors. As a by-product, we obtain new stability results when the growth control in these classes is expressed in terms of a weight sequence, or of a weight function in the sense of Braun–Meise–Taylor.
Children’s existential questions and worldviews: possible RE responses to performance anxiety and an increasing risk of exclusion
Authors: Osbeck Christina , Kärnebro Katarina , Lilja Annika , Sporre Karin
Published: April 2024

The aim of this article is to examine patterns in Swedish children’s existential questions and worldviews in 2020 in relation to patterns from 1970 and 1987, but also to point towards a further discussion of importance, about possible RE responses to these findings. The material, children’s texts, comes both from studies conducted by Sven Hartman and colleagues in the 1970s and 1980s, and from new empirical studies. The children’s responses are collected according to the same method, sentence completion tasks, in both cases. Theoretically, the article is anchored in both the tradition of Swedish worldview studies and the new international interest in these perspectives for religious education. Existential questions and worldviews are seen as interdependent in human beings’ life interpretations, which are continuously developing and are both sociocultural and existential in nature. The empirical findings show a strong and increasing focus on relationships, but also a recurrent focus on achievements, which relates to school as context and community. In relation to these findings, the article stresses the importance of RE responses, and discusses concretely what such responses might advantageously include. Among other things, the importance is stressed of an RE that offers the student greater awareness of her life interpretations, and encourages her to develop broader repertoires of frameworks, through which the student might have a better chance to be the author of her own life, which is inevitably a collectively shared life.
Isocyanate-free urethanediol itaconates as biobased liquid monomers in photopolymerization-based 3D printing
Authors: Carmenini Rosario , Spanu Chiara , Locatelli Erica , Sambri Letizia , Comes Franchini Mauro , Maturi Mirko
Published: April 2024

Nowadays, most of the commercial resins for VP are composed of (meth)acrylated urethanes, as they are cheap and provide good mechanical properties to the thermosets produced by their photocuring. However, such urethanes are still produced using toxic and polluting isocyanates, though alternative pathways exploiting cyclic carbonates and biobased amines are arising. Unfortunately, the use of biobased amines and carbonates to produce (meth)acrylate urethanes often leads to the formation of solid products that display poor solubility in the liquid components of photocurable resins. In this work, we describe the synthesis of fully biobased diurethanediols using a biobased diamine and bioderived carbonates functionalized with itaconic acid moieties that are liquid at room temperature and that can be efficiently formulated with (meth)acrylic and itaconic acid-based formulations for VP leading to 3D printed materials with good mechanical properties, comparable to those of commercially available non-biobased alternatives. In fact, depending on the resin formulations, the addition of diurethanediols diitaconates led to the obtainment of 3D printed materials with elastic moduli as high as 1 GPa, and tensile strengths over 30 MPa, and biobased contents as high as 90 wt.%. These products may serve as candidates for the replacement of isocyanate-based components with the aim of increasing the sustainability of resins’ manufacturing for VP.
Melting ceramic Al2O3 powder by electron beam powder bed fusion
Authors: Sjöström William , Botero Carlos , Jimenez-Piqueo Emilio
Published: April 2024

Electron beam powder bed fusion (PBF-EB) is a known metal additive manufacturing (AM) technology. Processing non-conducting powders such as ceramics has so far been considered as not feasible because of the inherent problems with Coulomb repulsion due to insufficient electrical conductivity. In this study, a method for functionalizing ceramic powder is proposed where particles are electroless coated by a ~ 1 µm Ni layer to decrease the surface resistivity. The feasibility of the suggested approach is tested on Al2O3 powder, and the results show that the coated ceramic powder has a decreased surface resistivity, which enables processing by PBF-EB. Heating and melting parameters were investigated and samples were manufactured at ~ 1600 °C. Sintered and melted powders were analyzed by microscopy and micromechanically tested by nanoindentation. Calculations, visual observation and SEM–EDX suggest that the Ni coating is evaporated during the process, which suggests that the process could be feasible for the manufacturing of pure ceramic parts.
Secondary Use of Health Data for Medical AI: A Cross-Regional Examination of Taiwan and the EU
Authors: Ho Chih-hsing
Published: April 2024

This paper conducts a comparative analysis of data governance mechanisms concerning the secondary use of health data in Taiwan and the European Union (EU). Both regions have adopted distinctive approaches and regulations for utilizing health data beyond primary care, encompassing areas such as medical research and healthcare system enhancement. Through an examination of these models, this study seeks to elucidate the strategies, frameworks, and legal structures employed by Taiwan and the EU to strike a delicate balance between the imperative of data-driven healthcare innovation and the safeguarding of individual privacy rights. This paper examines and compares several key aspects of the secondary use of health data in Taiwan and the EU. These aspects include data governance frameworks, legal and regulatory frameworks, data access and sharing mechanisms, and privacy and security considerations. This comparative exploration offers invaluable insights into the evolving global landscape of health data governance. It provides a deeper understanding of the strategies implemented by these regions to harness the potential of health data while upholding the ethical and legal considerations surrounding its secondary use. The findings aim to inform best practices for responsible and effective health data utilization, particularly in the context of medical AI applications.
The impact of politicians’ behaviors on hate speech spread: hate speech adoption threshold on Twitter in Japan
Authors: Kim Taehee , Ogawa Yuki
Published: April 2024

In this paper, we hypothesized that a leading politician’s behavior signaling support for the ideas of hate groups will increase hate speech by shifting social norms. To examine the hypotheses, in particular, to quantify the social norms shift, the study utilized an adoption threshold measure based on Twitter retweet networks. Our empirical study focused on the hate speech spread effect of an announcement by Yuriko Koike, Governor of Tokyo, declining to participate in a memorial ceremony for Korean massacre victims. The results support the hypothesis: after Koike’s announcement, adoption thresholds of hate speech users were significantly lowered, while the number of hate speech users increased. Further, this study compared the effect of Koike’s announcement to the effect of a North Korean missile launch, a national security threat to Japan. The average hate speech adoption threshold was lower after Koike’s announcement than after the missile launch, suggesting that a leading politician’s behavior could have a greater impact on shifting norms of prejudice than even a nationally threatening event.
Using Folsomia candida (Collembola) for the ecological assessment of sediment samples from three rivers from the QwaQwa region, South Africa
Authors: Kamdem M. M. , Kubheka N. , Nyoka N. W.-K. , Otomo P. V.
Published: April 2024

Since the establishment of a free economic zone and a simultaneous increase in the population of the QwaQwa region, aquatic systems of the area were expected to undergo an increase in metal contamination. The aims of this study were to assess the quality of sediments from the Metsi-Matsho, Namahadi and Elands Rivers of the QwaQwa region, and to investigate their impact on the survival and reproduction of the collembolan Folsomia candida. Due to the lack of freshwater sediment quality guidelines in South Africa, metal contents of the sediments were analysed and critically interpreted using the national action list for the screening of dredged sediment proposed for marine disposal, and international sediment quality guidelines (SQGs). In the laboratory, F. candida was exposed to 0, 50, 75 and 100% of the sediment samples for 28 days at 20 °C. Sediments were variably contaminated with Cr, with the Namahadi River middle site having the highest concentration (569 mg.kg−1, dry weight) followed by the lower site on the Elands River (529 mg.kg−1, dry weight), both above the recommended prohibition level of 500 mg Cr.kg−1. According to the consensus-based SQGs, only the concentrations of Cr and Ni (upper reach of Metsi-Matsho River) were higher than probable effect concentration, denoting that harmful effects of those metals are likely to occur. Of the two endpoints assessed, reproduction was the most sensitive with the upper reach of the Metsi-Matsho River (half maximal effective concentration, EC50 = 24% sediment) being the most deleterious site to the reproduction of F. candida. Ecotoxicological bioassays using F. candida could be suitable complements to chemical analysis in the assessment of the ecological risks of freshwater sediments as this collembolan species is sensitive to sediments with variable ranges of metal contamination.
Entropy generation on MHD motion of hybrid nanofluid with porous medium in presence of thermo-radiation and ohmic viscous dissipation
Authors: Murugan Revathi Devi , Sivakumar Narsu , Tarakaramu Nainaru , Ahmad Hijaz , Askar Sameh
Published: April 2024

Hybrid nanotechnology has significantly contributed to enhancing energy efficiency and reducing heat loss. This study addresses entropy analysis in the motion of hybrid nanofluids incorporating magnetohydrodynamic effects, thermal radiation, and ohmic viscous dissipation phenomena. The implementation of magnetohydrodynamic, thermal radiation, and dissipation effects allows for a second law of thermodynamics analysis. The hybrid nanoparticles considered are Graphene Oxide (GO) and Molybdenum Disulphide (MoS2), with water serving as the base liquid. Entropy generation analysis, a thermodynamic approach, quantifies irreversibility and inefficiencies within the system, aiding in understanding losses and identifying areas for improvement. Additionally, a comparative study is conducted. The BVP4C algorithm, implemented using MATLAB, is employed to address this study and obtain solutions. The key findings indicate that heat transfer rates are higher for blade-shaped nanoparticles, and entropy is minimized by controlling parameters such as the radiation parameter, Brinkman parameter, and temperature difference.
An evaluation of antimicrobial potency of silver nanoparticles synthesised from Fusarium sp.
Authors: Mwangi Ngunjiri Vincent , Madivoli Shigwenya Edwin , Kangogo Mourine , Wangui Mwangi Clement , Wanakai Indire Sammy , Nzilu Mwanza Dennis , Waudo Walyambillah
Published: April 2024

Biological synthesis of metal nanoparticles has caught the interest of scientists due to the environment friendly synthesis approach which yields metallic nanoparticles with antimicrobial potency. In the present study silver nanoparticles were produced using a green method with the assistance of Fusarium sp. fungal cell filtrate and their antimicrobial potency was explored. The silver nanoparticles depicted a surface plasma resonance of 434 nm when run in the Ultra Violet–Visible Spectrophotometer. The functional group present in the nanoparticles were investigated using an Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared where –OH, C–H, amide I and amide II functional groups were notable. The morphology and crystallinity of the produced silver nanoparticles was investigated with the help of a Scanning Electron Microscope and X-ray Diffraction. The X-ray diffraction results revealed that the nanoparticles were crystalline in nature with a face centred cubic structure and a crystallite size of 38.5 nm. The Scanning Electron Microscope revealed that the nanoparticles were spherical with sizes ranging between 3 to 43 nm. Antimicrobial studies of the synthesised silver nanoparticles were conducted at different concentrations (1 mM, 10 mM, 20 mM and 100 mM) against disease causing microorganisms Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the results showed that at a concentration of 1 mM there was no inhibition but as the concentration was increased to 20 mM and 100 mM, there was a notable inhibition with the maximum inhibition zone being 17 ± 0.6 mm.
The Role of Upper Body Motions in Stationary Ball-Kicking Motion: A Systematic Review
Authors: Chen Junze , Peek Kerry , Sanders Ross Howard , Lee Jack , Pang Johnson Chun Yiu , Ekanayake Kanchana , Fu Allan Chak Lun
Published: April 2024

A ball-kicking motion requires a coordinated sequencing of all body segments for maximum ball release speed. Evidence of the role of upper body rotations and motor coordination during a ball-kicking motion is inconsistent among existing evidence. This study aimed to systematically review the role of upper body rotations on all modes of ball kicking and performance metrics. A comprehensive search of seven electronic databases from the inception was conducted. Studies reporting on the relationships between upper body rotation, and ball-kicking performance were included. From 1486 potentially relevant studies, we analysed 27 studies involving 457 participants. These studies encompassed instep soccer kicks (n = 21), inside-of-the-foot soccer kicks (n = 1), rugby place kicks (n = 4) with a stationary ball, and a volley kick (n = 1). Methodological quality assessment was performed using Standard Quality Assessment Criteria. Our results provide moderate evidence that increasing thoracolumbar rotations along the longitudinal axis and the transverse plane can enhance ball-releasing velocity through a "whip-like effect" based on the kinetic link principle. However, to gain a comprehensive understanding, further research is needed to explore the effects of timing and the ranges of motion of all relevant upper and lower body segments on ball release velocity and its potential influence on ball release accuracy. The current coaching manuals do not emphasise the significance of upper body rotation, indicating a pressing requirement for revisions in training guidelines to enhance ball-kicking performance.
On the Practical Power of Automata in Pattern Matching
Authors: Amir Ora , Amir Amihood , Fraenkel Aviezri , Sarne David
Published: April 2024

Many papers in the intersection of theoretical and applied algorithms show that the simple, asymptotically less efficient algorithm, performs better than the bestcomplex theoretical algorithms on random data or in specialized “real world” applications. This paper considers the Knuth–Morris–Pratt automaton, and shows a counter-intuitive practical result. The classical pattern matching paradigm is that of seeking occurrences of one string—the pattern, in another—the text, where both strings are drawn from an alphabet set $$\Sigma$$
Σ
. Assuming the text length is n and the pattern length is m, this problem can naively be solved in time O(nm). In Knuth, Morris and Pratt’s seminal paper of 1977, an automaton, was developed that allows solving this problem in time O(n) for any alphabet. This automaton, which we will refer to as the KMP-automaton, has proven useful in solving many other problems. A notable example is the parameterized pattern matching model. In this model, a consistent renaming of symbols from $$\Sigma$$
Σ
is allowed in a match. The parameterized matching paradigm has proven useful in problems in software engineering, computer vision, and other applications. It has long been believed that for texts where the symbols are uniformly random, the naive algorithm will perform as well as the KMP algorithm. In this paper, we examine the practical efficiency of the KMP algorithm versus the naive algorithm on a randomly generated text. We analyze the time under various parameters, such as alphabet size, pattern length, and the distribution of pattern occurrences in the text. We do this for both the original exact matching problem and parameterized matching. While the folklore wisdom is vindicated by these findings for the exact matching case, surprisingly, the KMP algorithm always works significantly faster than the naive in the parameterized matching case. We check this hypothesis for DNA texts and image data and observe a similar behavior as in the random text. We also show a very structured exact matching case where the automaton is much more efficient.
A Decade of Churn Prediction Techniques in the TelCo Domain: A Survey
Authors: Barsotti Annalisa , Gianini Gabriele , Mio Corrado , Lin Jianyi , Babbar Himanshi , Singh Aman , Taher Fatma , Damiani Ernesto
Published: April 2024

This work surveys the research contributions of the last decade to the prediction of customer churn and adds a perspective toward what is yet to be reached. The main objective of this article is to report on (1) the methods and algorithms studied, the evaluation metrics adopted, and the results achieved, (2) the data used, and (3) the issues and limitations identified. Furthermore, the work highlights the gaps in the current literature and suggests a direction for future research.
Balancing Tracking Granularity and Parallelism in Many-Task Systems: The Horizons Approach
Authors: Thoman Peter , Salzmann Philip
Published: April 2024

Reducing the need for users to manually manage the details of work and data distribution is an important goal of high-level many-task runtime systems. For distributed memory platforms this means that the runtime system has to keep track of both fine-grained task dependencies and data residency meta-information. The amount of such meta-information is proportional to the granularity of parallelism which needs to be managed, introducing a trade-off. More precise tracking of data state allows leveraging more opportunities for compute and transfer parallelism, while also introducing more overhead. As such, the fidelity of the information being tracked needs to be managed carefully, ideally without introducing additional latency, communication or substantial compute overhead. We present the “Horizons” approach, designed to fulfill these goals. Specifically, horizons allow for the effective and efficient management of parallelism and the coalescing of previous fine-grained tracking information while maintaining an easily configurable scheduling window with full information precision. As an additional benefit, they provide consistent cluster-wide decision points without requiring any inter-node communication, and effectively cap the size of state tracking data structures even in the presence of problematic access patterns. Experimental evaluation on microbenchmarks and dry runs demonstrates that horizons are effective in keeping the scheduling complexity constant, while their own overhead is negligible—below $$10\, \upmu {\rm s}$$

10

μ
s

per horizon when building a command graph for 512 GPUs. We additionally demonstrate the performance impact of horizons—as well as their low overhead—on a real-world application.
Feature extraction for artificial intelligence enabled food supply chain failure mode prediction
Authors: Trollman H.
Published: April 2024

The Farm to Fork Strategy of the European Commission is a contingency plan aimed at always ensuring a sufficient and varied supply of safe, nutritious, affordable, and sustainable food to citizens. The learning from previous crises such as COVID-19 indicates that proactive strategies need to span numerous levels both within and external to food networks, requiring both vertical and horizontal collaborations. However, there is a lack of systematic performance management techniques for ripple effects in food supply chains that would enable the prediction of failure modes. Supervised learning algorithms are commonly used for prediction (classification) problems, but machine learning struggles with large data sets and complex phenomena. Consequently, this research proposes a manual approach to feature extraction for artificial intelligence with the aim of reducing dimensionality for more efficient algorithm performance, and improved interpretability/explainability for benefits in terms of ethics and managerial decision-making. The approach is based on qualitative comparative analysis informed by in-depth case knowledge which is refined through Boolean logic, yielding solutions that reflect complex causality as opposed to single failure point modes. Two case exemplars are presented to support the proposed framework for implementation: export readiness of dairy supply chains under the Russia-Ukraine war, and egg supply chain sustainability during COVID-19 lockdown in the United Kingdom.
Comparative investigation of powder and extract of biochar from Broussonetia papyrifera on the growth and eco-physiological attributes of Vigna radiata
Authors: Gupta Ipsa , Singh Rishikesh , Kaushik Anupama , Singh Harminder Pal , Batish Daizy R.
Published: April 2024

This study compared the impact of biochar (in powder and extract forms) derived from the invasive tree Broussonetia papyrifera on the growth and eco-physiological responses of Vigna radiata (mung bean) under laboratory and experimental dome environments. The primary objective was to investigate the sustainable utilization potential of biochar derived from invasive plants. Powdered biochar was mixed into garden soil at amendment rates of 0.5%, 1%, 2%, and 4%, while for extract treatments, the seedlings were irrigated with extracts of these concentrations. The responses of plants were found to be dependent on the concentration and type of treatment (i.e., powder or extract) used. The highest levels of growth and eco-physiological responses were observed at a concentration of 1% for biochar extract and 2% for powdered biochar. In addition, the impacts were more pronounced in the roots than in the shoots. The biochar amendment resulted in a 7‒73% increase in root length and a 12‒148% increase in plant dry biomass when compared to the control. Crop growth, water use efficiency, and leaf area were greater in powdered biochar, but net photosynthesis (Pn), transpiration rate, and stomatal conductance were higher in plants treated with biochar extract. Adding powdered biochar to soil increases its pH, electrical conductivity (EC), moisture content, soil organic C, and amounts of available N, P, and K; however, the effects of applying biochar extracts were less pronounced. Crop growth and eco-physiological responses were found to be positively correlated, regardless of the biochar form used. Following biochar extract treatment, EC was found to be negatively correlated with Pn. The study revealed that powdered biochar had superior growth responses and soil improvement compared to biochar extract at higher concentrations. However, biochar extract also had comparable effects and can be beneficial in short-term cropping systems such as urban farming (e.g., in kitchen gardens and vegetable production) at lower concentrations (up to 2%). The findings of the study provide a baseline for future evaluations regarding the sustainable application of biochar liquor (water extract) as a source of nutrients and the powdered residual biochar as a potential material for adsorbing environmental contaminants or improving soil quality.
Carbon storage and economic efficiency of fruit-based systems in semi-arid region: a symbiotic approach for sustainable agriculture and climate resilience
Authors: Singh Manoj Kumar , Yadav Sarwan Kumar , Rajput Bhalendra Singh , Sharma Prashant
Published: April 2024

Enhancing our understanding of carbon (C) stock in diverse horticulture and fruit-based agroforestry systems has potential to provide farmers with supplementary advantages in terms of poverty alleviation and livelihood development which can significantly benefit C market initiatives like UN-REDD (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation). Therefore, the current study aimed to assess the biomass accumulation, C storage and economic efficacy of seven agro-ecosystems, namely guava-based agri-horticulture system (AHS), mango-AHS, guava- pure orchard (PO), mango-PO, Indian gooseberry -PO, teak boundary plantation (TBP) and annual cropping system (ACS) under two different landscape positions viz., upland and lowland in the semi-arid region of Vindhyan ranges. The result indicated that mango-AHS accumulated significantly (p < 0.05) higher biomass (26.01 t ha−1) and vegetation C density (13.01 t C ha−1) whereas, soil (35.23 t C ha−1), litter (0.64 t C ha−1), and total C density (46.63 t C ha−1) was maximum under mango-PO closely followed by mango-AHS. The guava-PO system exhibited significantly (p < 0.05) higher C sequestration (2.11 t C ha−1 yr−1), and CO2 abatement (7.76 t CO2 ha−1 yr−1) rate compared to other systems with C credit generation of 129.76 US$ ha−1 year−1. However, mango-AHS was the most lucrative system providing net returns of 4835.48 US$ ha−1 yr−1 and 5.87 benefit–cost ratio. The C credits help in getting farmers an additional income; however, the economic impact of C credit was low (1.16–6.80%) when weighed against the overall economic efficacy of the different systems. Overall, the study concluded that farmers in the region should adopt fruit-based systems, especially agroforestry systems to establish mutually beneficial relationships between mitigation of climate change and livelihood stability.

Graphical Abstract
Comparison of the Climatic Characteristics of Ozone Valley Over the Tibetan Plateau and the Rocky Mountains
Authors: Shen Lin , Rao Jian , Guo Dong , Yang Junfeng , Wang Qilu
Published: April 2024

This study compares the ozone valleys over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) and the Rocky Mountains (RM) using the ERA5 reanalysis data set. The dynamical transport of the ozone over these two regions is analyzed using the Lorenz circulation decomposition method. The ozone content valley over TP is observed around 200–50 hPa (upper troposphere and lower stratosphere, or UTLS), and that over RM is around 300–100 hPa. It is shown that the TP ozone content is smaller than that over RM. By analyzing the spatiotemporal distribution of the ozone content and the general circulation, the anticyclone over Southern Asian (SAH) plays a significant role in existence of the TP ozone valley, and the ozone content flux reaches its maximum in July. Large‐scale terrain and related general circulation determine the ozone valley appearance. Further analysis suggests that stationary transport has a larger impact on the ozone valley formation than the transient transport. The transport by the zonal circulation nearly cancels out most of that by the meridional circulation, due to the fact that the zonal transport magnitude is nearly equal to the meridional transport. The transport center over the RM is much weaker than that over the TP. Furthermore, the contrasts between transient and stationary transports are less evident over RM than over TP. The eddy‐driven stationary ozone transport flux significantly impacts the development of the two low ozone centers across these large terrains.
Stratospheric Aerosol Injection to Stabilize Northern Hemisphere Terrestrial Permafrost Under the ARISE‐SAI‐1.5 Scenario
Authors: Morrison A. L. , Barnes E. A. , Hurrell J. W.
Published: April 2024

Permafrost, or ground that is continuously frozen for at least 2 years, contains vast stores of organic soil carbon. Stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI) may prevent tipping points that lead to widespread permafrost thaw and carbon release by cooling surface and soil temperatures, but it is unclear if or when permafrost could stabilize after SAI deployment. Here we use output from the ARISE‐SAI‐1.5 simulations to assess how permafrost may respond to a specific SAI strategy that maintains global mean surface temperature to 1.5°C above pre‐industrial levels. Permafrost responses under SAI are compared to responses under the control SSP2‐4.5 emissions scenario. We show that the rate of boreal permafrost thaw slows under SAI but does not fully stop, likely due to deep permafrost thaw processes that are resistant to surface temperatures changes. In both the ARISE‐SAI‐1.5 and SSP2‐4.5 simulations, permafrost completely thaws and disappears along the southern edge of the permafrost area by 2069, indicating that some permafrost loss may be inevitable even if SAI successfully stabilizes global mean surface temperatures. SAI does prevent a potential local tipping point (talik formation) in roughly 1 million km2 of permafrost. Most of the talik prevention occurs in permafrost peatlands. Thus, a more aggressive SAI strategy than that of ARISE‐SAI‐1.5 is likely required to prevent all future projected permafrost thaw.
Tracking Interprovincial Flows of Atmospheric PAH Emissions Through Downscaling Estimates With Province‐Specific Emission Factors
Authors: Xia Linlin , Wang Jianbing , Wang Ruwei , Liang Sai , Yang Zhifeng
Published: April 2024

Atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are emitted significantly by economic sectors, are closely related to the global incidence of human cancer. When assessing temporal changes in PAH emissions in a country that is vast in area, such as China, it is crucial to consider socioeconomic differences across geological regions. In this study, we developed PAH emission factors at the provincial level and used them to compile a Chinese PAH emission inventory. Subsequently, we estimated trade‐driven PAH emissions at the provincial level in 2007, 2010, 2012, 2015, and 2017, and examined the critical supply chain paths. The updated inventory reveals a distinct temporal trend in trade‐driven PAH emissions, although they remain at an order of magnitude similar to previous estimates. National total production‐, consumption‐, and income‐based PAH emissions, despite a rebound in 2012, exhibit a general decline from 59.3, 43.3, and 48.8 kt in 2007 to 52.1, 43.9, and 47.0 kt in 2017, respectively. These declines align with economic adjustments and emissions mitigation legislation. Spatial hotspots were concentrated in the most affluent Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, and Jing‐Jin‐Ji provinces on the demand side and in the northern coal resource‐rich provinces on the supply side. They primarily drive PAH emissions from the heavy industrial sectors of northern coal resource‐rich provinces. Fewer affluent provinces have experienced a rapid increase in trade‐driven PAH emissions after 2012, emphasizing the need for synergistic reduction measures to combat PAH pollution.
Mapping Global Lithospheric Mantle Pressure‐Temperature Conditions by Machine‐Learning Thermobarometry
Authors: Qin Ben , Ye Chenyang , Liu Jingao , Huang Shichun , Wang Shunguo , ZhangZhou J.
Published: April 2024

Comprehending the temperature distribution within Earth's lithospheric mantle is of paramount importance for understanding the dynamics of Earth's interior. Traditional mineral‐based thermobarometers effectively constrain temperature and pressure for particular compositions, but their application is limited at the global scale. Here, we trained machine‐learning (ML) algorithms on 985 published high‐temperature and high‐pressure experiments for use as thermometers and barometers to overcome the limitations of classic methods. We compared our ML models to classic thermobarometers to assess the accuracies of predicted pressures and temperatures. The comparison shows that the ML models outperform classic methods and better fit various mineral pairs. Global application of the ML models unveils mantle conditions beneath cratons. Furthermore, depths to the lithosphere‐asthenosphere boundary (LAB) calibrated based on the ML thermobarometry results are generally deeper by ∼40 km than those derived geophysically, implying the existence of melt‐bearing or hydrated mineral zones at the LAB.
Integrated Investigation on Heterogeneous Lower Crust Rheology in Kyushu and Afterslip Behavior Following the 2016 Mw7.1 Kumamoto Earthquake
Authors: Liu Yiqing , Cui Xin , Hu Yan , Zhang Jian , Chen Yunguo
Published: April 2024

The viscoelastic lower crust beneath Kyushu Island, influenced by the volcanic arc, interplays with active crustal faults in this region and helps to shape local tectonics. In this study, we employed a three‐dimensional viscoelastic finite element model to gain insights into the lithospheric rheology and crustal faulting kinematics, through modeling the postseismic deformation processes of the 2016 Mw 7.1 Kumamoto earthquake. Our model reveals a viscosity of 2 × 1020 Pa s for the lower crust and 2 × 1019 Pa s for the upper mantle. A reduced lower crust viscosity of 2 × 1019 Pa s in the volcanic arc area is required for better reproducing the Global Positioning System data. The stress‐driven afterslip decays rapidly over time and is up to 0.3 m within 5 years after the earthquake. We propose additional normal‐component afterslip to better explain the complex postseismic deformation in the near field, which may be due to the interaction between the fault and volcano Aso.
Asymmetric Influences of ENSO Phases on the Predictability of North Pacific Sea Surface Temperature
Authors: Hou Zhaolu , Li Jianping , Diao Yina , Zhang Yazhou , Zhong Quanjia , Feng Jie , Qi Xin
Published: April 2024

The North Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) has a profound climatic influence. The El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) significantly impacts the North Pacific SST; however, the influence of the distinct phases of ENSO on SST predictability remains unclear. To overcome the model limitations, this study assessed SST predictability under diverse ENSO phases using reanalysis. The predictability limit of the North Pacific SST under La Niña (8.4 months) is longer than that under Neutral (5.9 months) and El Niño (5.5 months) conditions, which unveils asymmetry. This asymmetry mirrors contemporary multimodal prediction skills. Error growth dynamics reveal La Niña's robust signal strength with a slow error growth rate, in contrast to El Niño's weaker signal and faster error growth. There exhibits intermediate signal strength and elevated error growth in Neutral condition. Physically, predictability signal strength aligns with SST variability, whereas the error growth rate correlates with atmospheric‐ocean heating anomalies. La Niña, which induces positive heating anomalies, minimizes the impact of atmospheric noise, resulting in lower error growth. The result is beneficial for improving North Pacific SST predictions.
The Ellipticity of High Frequency Transionospheric Radio Waves
Authors: Pandey Kuldeep , Kalafatoglu Eyiguler E. Ceren , Hussey Glenn C. , Danskin Donald W. , Gillies Robert G. , Yau Andrew W.
Published: April 2024

The polarization state of transionospheric high frequency (HF) radio waves can be determined using the crossed‐dipole antennas of the Radio Receiver Instrument (RRI) onboard Enhanced Polar Outflow Probe (e‐POP) on the CAScade, Smallsat, and IOnospheric Polar Explorer/Swarm‐E satellite. Coordinated experiments between ground radars and RRI showed that the radio waves have high ellipticity angles (elliptical or circular polarization) for propagation direction 6°–25° from the perpendicular direction to the local geomagnetic field. However, from magnetoionic theory and a typical assumption of roughly equal power in the O‐ and X‐modes, radio waves can have high ellipticity angles only when the propagation direction is within 10° of perpendicularity. This investigation uses coordinated experiments between the Saskatoon SuperDARN radar and RRI. Magnetoionic modeling reveals that the relative strengths of the O‐ and X‐modes for the HF radio waves transmitted from the Saskatoon SuperDARN change significantly poleward of the radar. Differences in the relative power between the two wave modes were found to significantly modify the polarization state of radio waves, and govern the sense of rotation of the wave. Even a relatively modest 2–5 dB power difference in the X‐mode over the O‐mode was found to result in unexpected observations of circularly polarized radio waves at aspect angles 6°–10° from perpendicular, and unexpected elliptically polarized waves observed at aspect angles more than 10° from perpendicular. Therefore, a combination of RRI observations and modeling, which accounts for relative differences in the O‐ and X‐mode powers, was used here to better understand the unexpected observations of polarization states of transionospheric radio waves.