bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Highly Efficient and Industrially Feasible Interdigitated Back‐Contact Perovskite Solar Cells with Front Carrier Transport Layers Selected Using 2D Simulation
Authors: Li Ping , Lin Lingyan , Xiong Hao , Jiang Linqin , Lien Shui-Yang , Li Jiansheng , Sun Wen-Hsien , Qiu Yu
Published: November 2021

Interdigitated back‐contact (IBC) perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have great potential for highly efficient and low‐cost solar energy conversion. However, their full potential has not been achieved. In particular, there is no practically available front surface and rear contact design for IBC‐PSCs as for the conventional crystalline silicon IBCs, which propose challenges in realizing high efficiency. Herein, innovative quasi‐interdigitated back‐contact (QIBC) PSC designs that enhance the effective lateral transport of carriers are proposed and therefore a realistic wide pitch for back contacting in the range of hundreds of micrometers is allowed. The novel design features implementing an appropriate conductive and well‐passivated carrier transport layer, referred to as a front‐carrier transport layer (FCTL), on the front surface of the QIBC‐PSC. Technology computer‐aided design optical/device simulations are used to investigate the function of the FCTL in increasing the cell performance and achieve 23.23% of power conversion efficiency (PCE) after FCTL design optimizations for a QIBC‐PSC with a rear contact pitch of 200 μm. Further improvement of the PCE over 25% can be potentially achievable by improving the film and passivation quality. This work opens up a new approach to fabricate realistic highly efficient IBC‐PSCs.
Structural Manipulation of a Zirconocene‐Based Porous Coordination Cage Using External and Host–Guest Stimuli
Authors: Xiao Zhifeng , Drake Hannah F. , Rezenom Yohannes H. , Cai Peiyu , Zhou Hong-Cai
Published: November 2021

Porous coordination cages (PCCs) constructed from a zirconocene‐based cluster have drawn great attention for their high stability and structural tunability. These features have enabled these cages to be utilized for a wide array of applications. This work demonstrates the structural flexibility and stimulus‐responsive features of two interconvertible zirconocene‐based PCCs. The subjects, PCC‐20c (capsular) and PCC‐20t (tetrahedral), are constructed from the same cluster and ligand but exhibit different shapes and properties. In the synthetic study of the cages, it is found that higher temperatures of synthesis yield PCC‐20c in several different crystalline phases while lower temperatures of synthesis yield pure phase PCC‐20t. Thermodynamic studies on the interconversion of the two cages show that the conversion from PCC‐20t into PCC‐20c is an entropically driven process and can be largely affected by the solvent environment. Additionally, the process of PCC‐20t/c conversion can be mediated by the counter anions and light irradiation as evidenced by the change in equilibrium constants under these influences. The current studies are conducted to decipher how the PCC‐20t/c phase can be controllably synthesized, interconverted, and their properties can be modified under the use of external stimuli: heat, light, and guest molecules.
3D‐Structured Photodetectors Based on 2D Transition‐Metal Dichalcogenide
Authors: Mawlong Larionette P. L. , Ahn Jong-Hyun
Published: November 2021

3D‐structured transition‐metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are attracting significant attention in the field of photodetection owing to their remarkable and superior electronic and optoelectronic properties. This review outlines the optical properties of graphene and TMDCs. The recent progress in 2D‐planar graphene and TMDC‐based photodetectors are discussed. In addition, the recent advances in the different types of 3D‐structured TMDCs and their heterostructures used in photodetectors are elaborated in detail. These 3D‐structured TMDC‐based photodetectors exhibit enhanced optoelectronic properties compared to 2D‐planar photodetectors. Finally, this review concludes with the latest developments in 3D‐structured graphene and TMDC‐based photodetectors, and discusses the present challenges and future prospects for high‐performance photodetectors.
Integrating Triply‐ and Singly‐Bent Highly Flexible Crystal Optical Waveguides for Organic Photonic Circuit with a Long‐Pass‐Filter Effect
Authors: Annadhasan Mari , Pradeep Vuppu Vinay , Kumar Avulu Vinod , Ravi Jada , Chandrasekar Rajadurai
Published: November 2021

Fabrication of organic photonic integrated circuits (OPICs) greatly relies on crystalline materials with high mechanical flexibility and fluorescence (FL). Realizing an efficient OPIC with multiple photonic functions suitable for practical applications depends on creating complex circuit architectures. The mechanical and optical functions of crystals are susceptible to subtle differences in the molecular packing and, more importantly, the type of intermolecular interactions. Herein, an organic crystal (E)‐1‐(4‐(iodo)phenyl)iminomethyl‐2‐hydroxyl‐naphthalene (IPIN) exhibiting high flexibility under mechanical stress, bright green FL, and selective self‐absorbance of the blue part of its broadband FL signal is reported. IPIN microcrystal transduces its FL effectively even in its bent geometry. The significant crystal‐surface adhesion energy facilitates the micromechanical fabrication of a triply‐bent waveguide using a mechano(crystal)photonic approach, which is later integrated with a singly‐bent waveguide to create a unique OPIC. This futuristic OPIC delivers excitation position‐dependent and direction‐specific long‐pass‐filtered narrowband optical signals with different split ratios.
Scrambling with conservation laws
Authors: Cheng Gong , Swingle Brian
Published: November 2021

Abstract

In this article we discuss the impact of conservation laws, specifically U(1) charge conservation and energy conservation, on scrambling dynamics, especially on the approach to the late time fully scrambled state. As a model, we consider a d + 1 dimensional (d ≥ 2) holographic conformal field theory with Einstein gravity dual. Using the holographic dictionary, we calculate out-of-time-order-correlators (OTOCs) that involve the conserved U(1) current operator or energy-momentum tensor. We show that these OTOCs approach their late time value as a power law in time, with a universal exponent $$ \frac{d}{2} $$

d
2

. We also generalize the result to compute OTOCs between general operators which have overlap with the conserved charges.
Blood DCs activated with R848 and poly(I:C) induce antigen-specific immune responses against viral and tumor-associated antigens
Authors: Hänel Gerulf , Angerer Caroline , Petry Katja , Lichtenegger Felix S. , Subklewe Marion
Published: November 2021

Monocyte-derived Dendritic cells (DCs) have successfully been employed to induce immune responses against tumor-associated antigens in patients with various cancer entities. However, objective clinical responses have only been achieved in a minority of patients. Additionally, generation of GMP-compliant DCs requires time- and labor-intensive cell differentiation. In contrast, Blood DCs (BDCs) require only minimal ex vivo handling, as differentiation occurs in vivo resulting in potentially better functional capacities and survival. We aimed to identify a protocol for optimal in vitro activation of BDCs including the three subsets pDCs, cDC1s, and cDC2s. We evaluated several TLR ligand combinations and demonstrated that polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid [poly(I:C)] and R848, ligands for TLR3 and TLR7/8, respectively, constituted the optimal combination for inducing a positive co-stimulatory profile in all BDC subsets. In addition, TLR3 and TLR7/8 activation led to high secretion of IFN-α and IL-12p70. Simultaneous as opposed to separate tailored activation of pDCs and cDCs increased immunostimulatory capacities, suggesting that BDC subsets engage in synergistic cross-talk during activation. Stimulation of BDCs with this protocol resulted in enhanced migration, high NK-cell activation, and potent antigen-specific T-cell induction.

We conclude that simultaneous activation of all BDC subsets with a combination of R848 + poly(I:C) generates highly immunostimulatory DCs. These results support further investigation and clinical testing, as standalone or in conjunction with other immunotherapeutic strategies including adoptive T-cell transfer and checkpoint inhibition.
Cigarette smoke alters inflammatory genes and the extracellular matrix — investigations on viable sections of peripheral human lungs
Authors: Obernolte Helena , Niehof Monika , Braubach Peter , Fieguth Hans-Gerd , Jonigk Danny , Pfennig Olaf , Tschernig Thomas , Warnecke Gregor , Braun Armin , Sewald Katherina
Published: November 2021

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a complex chronic respiratory disorder often caused by cigarette smoke. Cigarette smoke contains hundreds of toxic substances. In our study, we wanted to identify initial mechanisms of cigarette smoke induced changes in the distal lung. Viable slices of human lungs were exposed 24 h to cigarette smoke condensate, and the dose–response profile was analyzed. Non-toxic condensate concentrations and lipopolysaccharide were used for further experiments. COPD-related protein and gene expression was measured. Cigarette smoke condensate did not induce pro-inflammatory cytokines and most inflammation-associated genes. In contrast, lipopolysaccharide significantly induced IL-1α, IL-1β, TNF-α and IL-8 (proteins) and IL1B, IL6, and TNF (genes). Interestingly, cigarette smoke condensate induced metabolism- and extracellular matrix–associated proteins and genes, which were not influenced by lipopolysaccharide. Also, a significant regulation of CYP1A1 and CYP1B1, as well as MMP9 and MMP9/TIMP1 ratio, was observed which resembles typical findings in COPD. In conclusion, our data show that cigarette smoke and lipopolysaccharide induce significant responses in human lung tissue ex vivo, giving first hints that COPD starts early in smoking history.
Research@ZaB: Study of FDS Capabilities to Assess the High-Speed Train Impact on Pressure Pattern Within a Railway Tunnel
Authors: Patsekha Aliaksei , Galler Robert
Published: November 2021

The “wind tunnel” approach is applied to study high-speed train aerodynamics in a railway tunnel using FDS software. The main focus of the research is on the pressure distribution along the tunnel. Proven analytical dependencies based on the experimental observations for air jet centerline velocity and flow entrainment are used to evaluate the model setup. A model verification is carried out based on the pressure drop calculations due to viscous effects where the impact of the surface roughness and the tunnel length are also considered. A sensitivity analysis is performed to evaluate changes in input FDS parameters and to explore interactions between them. It is proposed to use the standard deviation, obtained from the calculated time-averaged pressure values, to specify the appropriate numeric parameter combinations, e.g. DT and PRESSURE_TOLERANCE, considering the desired results consistency and the computational time consumed. The simulated cases with and without a train inside a tunnel provide data on the aerodynamic characteristics of the models. The obtained volumetric and cross-sectional profiles for pressure and airflow velocity distribution form the basis for an informed decision regarding the tunnel design or safety solutions, for example, defining areas under maximal and minimal pressure loads. The analysis displays the necessity to carefully manage each investigated case considering the FDS features and limitations that largely affect a model setup and calculations.
Sealing materials for post-extraction site: a systematic review and network meta-analysis
Authors: Del Fabbro Massimo , Tommasato Grazia , Pesce Paolo , Ravidà Andrea , Khijmatgar Shahnawaz , Sculean Anton , Galli Matthew , Antonacci Donato , Canullo Luigi
Published: November 2021

Aim

By means of a systematic review and network meta-analysis, this study aims to answer the following questions: (a) does the placement of a biomaterial over an extraction socket lead to better outcomes in terms of horizontal and vertical alveolar dimensional changes and percentage of new bone formation than healing without coverage? And (b) which biomaterial(s) provide(s) the better outcomes?

Materials and methods

Parallel and split-mouth randomized controlled trials treating ≥ 10 patients were included in this analysis. Studies were identified with MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Scopus. Primary outcomes were preservation of horizontal and vertical alveolar dimension and new bone formation inside the socket. Both pairwise and network meta-analysis (NMA) were undertaken to obtain estimates for primary outcomes. For NMA, prediction intervals were calculated to estimate clinical efficacy, and SUCRA was used to rank the materials based on their performance; multidimensional ranking was used to rank treatments based on dissimilarity. The manuscript represents the proceedings of a consensus conference of the Italian Society of Osseointegration (IAO).

Results

Twelve trials were included in the qualitative and quantitative analysis: 312 sites were evaluated. Autologous soft tissue grafts were associated with better horizontal changes compared to resorbable membranes. A statistically significant difference in favor of resorbable membranes, when compared to no membrane, was found, with no statistically significant heterogeneity. For the comparison between crosslinked and non-crosslinked membranes, a statistically significant difference was found in favor of the latter and confirmed by histomorphometric NMA analysis. Given the relatively high heterogeneity detected in terms of treatment approaches, materials, and outcome assessment, the findings of the NMA must be interpreted cautiously.

Conclusions

Coverage of the healing site is associated with superior results compared to no coverage, but no specific sealing technique and/or biomaterial provides better results than others. RCTs with larger sample sizes are needed to better elucidate the trends emerged from the present analysis.

Clinical relevance

Autologous soft tissue grafts and membranes covering graft materials in post-extraction sites were proved to allow lower hard tissue shrinkage compared to the absence of coverage material with sealing effect. Histomorphometric analyses showed that non-crosslinked membranes provide improved hard tissue regeneration when compared to crosslinked ones.
The success and effectiveness of miniscrew-assisted rapid palatal expansion are age- and sex-dependent
Authors: Jeon Ji Yoon , Choi Sung-Hwan , Chung Chooryung Judi , Lee Kee-Joon
Published: November 2021

Objectives

This study aimed to assess the success rate and the amount of suture separation after the miniscrew-assisted rapid palatal expansion (MARPE) procedure in relation to the chronological age and sex of the patients.

Materials and methods

The periapical radiographs of 215 subjects (95 male; 120 female; range, 6–60 years) who had undergone MARPE treatment were retrospectively analyzed. The success of suture separation was determined and, in suture-separated subjects, the amount of suture separation was evaluated by suture separation ratio calculated from the periapical radiograph obtained after active expansion. Association tests were performed using linear-by-linear association, the Jonckheere-Terpstra test, Fisher’s exact test, and the Mann–Whitney U test, and linear regression models were also developed.

Results

The success rate of suture separation was 61.05% in male, 94.17% in female, and 79.53% in both sexes. There was a statistically significant association between older age and suture nonseparation in male (p < 0.001), but not in female (p = 0.221). In suture-separated subjects, there was a statistically significant trend toward a low amount of suture separation with older age subgroups in both sexes (p < 0.001); however, there was no statistically significant difference in the amount of suture separation between male and female in all age subgroups.

Conclusions

Older patients treated with MARPE, particularly in male, may have a reduced likelihood of both success in suture separation and sufficient basal bone expansion.

Clinical relevance

This study demonstrates that clinicians should consider that the success rate of MARPE and the amount of suture separation may depend on chronological age and sex.
Willows in the farming landscape: a forgotten eco-cultural icon
Authors: Rotherham Ian D.
Published: November 2021

Recent studies have revealed a largely forgotten rural landscape in which Salix (willow) species were a characteristic, iconic, and utilitarian feature. In former wetlands, now largely removed by massive drainage schemes since the 1600s various willow species were distinctive features of the landscape and of major value to agricultural communities that inhabited those places. From lowlands to uplands across the British countryside willows dominated much wetter and more extensive landscapes. Remnant upland willow woods (now present as ‘shadow woods’) exist as isolated remnants in small wet habitats in an often desiccated landscape fragmented and drained. In the lowlands, especially former fenland areas, willows were present in extensive wet (carr) woodlands and in cultivated beds of withies or osier holts, and as coppices and pollards on boundaries and in field edges across the countryside. The economic driver of withy beds survived in the main English fenlands until the mid-twentieth century. Today these once extensive and important landscapes are mostly forgotten and derelict; and furthermore, the eco-cultural resource of the willows is currently under threat with unrecorded veteran trees being actively removed by farmers. This paper introduces the significance of the willow landscapes, the history of the eco-cultural resource, and the implications of neglect for future conservation.
Teaching CAD/CAM/CAE tools with project-based learning in virtual distance education
Authors: Sola-Guirado Rafael R. , Guerrero-Vacas Guillermo , Rodríguez-Alabanda Óscar
Published: November 2021

Computer-aided design, manufacturing and engineering technologies (CAD/CAM/CAE) are a mainstay in today’s industry and therefore they should be an important part in the current training plan of the graduate engineers. However, their implementation in the university environment presents certain barriers that make it difficult. In this work, we study the feasibility of the teaching proposal of the management of this type of tools through a Project-Based Learning method in a distance learning environment. The methodology has been implemented transversally in two Master’s degree subjects related to advanced design and manufacturing and has been carried out thanks to the operation of the product lifecycle management platform software by virtual machines. The practice has given very good pedagogical results in the work of skills related to the field of industrial design and manufacturing. The virtual system has demonstrated high efficiency and students have shown a satisfactory evolution in their professional training.
Wave-induced Lagrangian drift in a porous seabed
Authors: Weber Jan Erik H. , Ghaffari Peygham
Published: November 2021

The mean drift in a porous seabed caused by long surface waves in the overlying fluid is investigated theoretically. We use a Lagrangian formulation for the fluid and the porous bed. For the wave field we assume inviscid flow, and in the seabed, we apply Darcy’s law. Throughout the analysis, we assume that the long-wave approximation is valid. Since the pressure gradient is nonlinear in the Lagrangian formulation, the balance of forces in the porous bed now contains nonlinear terms that yield the mean horizontal Stokes drift. In addition, if the waves are spatially damped due to interaction with the underlying bed, there must be a nonlinear balance in the fluid layer between the mean surface gradient and the gradient of the radiation stress. This causes, through continuity of pressure, an additional force in the porous layer. The corresponding drift is larger than the Stokes drift if the depth of the porous bed is more than twice that of the fluid layer. The interaction between the fluid layer and the seabed can also cause the waves to become temporally attenuated. Again, through nonlinearity, this leads to a horizontal Stokes drift in the porous layer, but now damped in time. In the long-wave approximation only the horizontal component of the permeability in the porous medium appears, so our analysis is valid for a medium that has different permeabilities in the horizontal and vertical directions. It is suggested that the drift results may have an application to the transport of microplastics in the porous oceanic seabed.
Fish morphology and passage through velocity barriers. Experience with northern straight-mouth nase (Pseudochondrostoma duriense Coelho, 1985) in an open channel flume
Authors: Sánchez-González J. R. , Morcillo F. , Ruiz-Legazpi J. , Sanz-Ronda F. J.
Published: November 2021

Knowing the relationship between size, morphological traits and swimming performance of fish is essential to understand the swimming capacity to successfully surpass these obstacles and the selective pressure that barriers in rivers and streams could exert on fish. Northern straight-mouth nase, an endemic potamodromous cyprinid fish species from the Northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, was selected to carry out volitionally swimming performance experiments in an open channel against three different flow velocities, using telemetry and video cameras. The use of thin-plate spline, on 10 landmarks, evidenced unknown patterns linked to velocity barriers. At lower flow velocity, size is the main factor explaining the swimming performance; thus, large individuals swim up more efficiently. In contrast, at high flow velocities, shape becomes the essential explanatory variable; thereby, streamlined body shapes with a higher relative position of the tail and a narrower caudal peduncle are more efficient. The obtained results show the existence of a relationship between fish morphology and swimming performance, with potential consequences due to selection pressures associated with velocity barriers and their implications on behavioural and dispersal processes. To sum up, velocity barriers could exert a selection pressure on nase populations, so the fishway design and removal should be (re)considered.
The Indirect Approach: Towards Non-Dominating Dementia Care
Authors: Carter Matilda
Published: November 2021

Carers often interfere with the choices of people living with dementia. On neorepublican and (most) relational egalitarian views, interference can be justified if it tracks a person's interests: if it does not lead to a relationship of domination. However, the kind of environment-shaping interventions carers often pursue would be considered infantilising or objectionably paternalistic in other cases. In this paper, I defend this indirect approach and argue that it offers the best prospects of dementia care without domination.
Electrical Conductivity Enhancement of V2O5-P2O5-Bi2O3 Glasses by Nanocrystallization
Authors: Ibrahim F. A.
Published: November 2021

The structural and electrical properties of the xP2O5-(40 − x) Bi2O3-60V2O5 (0 ≤ x ≤ 20) glass system have been investigated. The samples were prepared by the conventional melt-quenching technique. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns confirmed the amorphous nature of the present glasses. Nanocrystalline grains were found due to the annealing of the glass samples under study. Nanocrystals with an average grain size of 22 nm were implanted in the glass structure and estimated from the XRD patterns of the glass–ceramic samples. DC conductivity of the glass system has been determined in the temperature range 300–500 K. It was found that the general behavior of electrical conductivity was similar for all the glass compositions and found to decrease with increasing phosphate content. The electrical conductivity of the glass–ceramic nanocrystals obtained by annealing at crystallization temperature (Tc) was much higher than the initial glass. The activation energy (W) was enhanced by annealing and was obtained from plots of temperature-dependent DC conductivity, and found to be 0.23–0.31 eV for glasses and 0.19–0.23 eV for the glass–ceramic nanocrystals.
The Hepatic Stellate Cells (HSTCs) and Adipose-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells (ASCs) Axis as a Potential Major Driver of Metabolic Syndrome – Novel Concept and Therapeutic Implications
Authors: Marycz Krzysztof , Kornicka-Garbowska Katarzyna , Galuppo Larry , Bourebaba Lynda
Published: November 2021

Herein, we would like to introduce a novel concept for the prevention and treatment of metabolic syndrome, which is based on molecular relationship between liver and adipose tissue. Particularly, we believe, that unravelling the molecular crosstalk between hepatokines and adipokines will allow to better understand the pathophysiology of metabolic diseases and allow to develop novel, effective therapeutic solutions against obesity and metabolic syndrome.

Graphical Abstract

Inter-organ communication on the level of stem progenitor cells-hepatic stellate cells (HSTCs) and adipose-derived progenitors (ASCs) could represents a key mechanism involved in controlling glucose tolerance as well as insulin sensitivity.
Cybercrime Victimization and Problematic Social Media Use: Findings from a Nationally Representative Panel Study
Authors: Marttila Eetu , Koivula Aki , Räsänen Pekka
Published: November 2021

According to criminological research, online environments create new possibilities for criminal activity and deviant behavior. Problematic social media use (PSMU) is a habitual pattern of excessive use of social media platforms. Past research has suggested that PSMU predicts risky online behavior and negative life outcomes, but the relationship between PSMU and cybercrime victimization is not properly understood. In this study, we use the framework of routine activity theory (RAT) and lifestyle-exposure theory (LET) to examine the relationship between PSMU and cybercrime victimization. We analyze how PSMU is linked to cybercrime victimization experiences. We explore how PSMU predicts cybercrime victimization, especially under those risky circumstances that generally increase the probability of victimization. Our data come from nationally representative surveys, collected in Finland in 2017 and 2019. The results of the between-subjects tests show that problematic PSMU correlates relatively strongly with cybercrime victimization. Within-subjects analysis shows that increased PSMU increases the risk of victimization. Overall, the findings indicate that, along with various confounding factors, PSMU has a notable cumulative effect on victimization. The article concludes with a short summary and discussion of the possible avenues for future research on PSMU and cybercrime victimization.
Fluoride Exposure and Age of Menarche: Potential Differences Among Adolescent Girls and Women in the United States
Authors: Malin Ashley J. , Busgang Stefanie A. , Garcia Jaqueline C. , Bose Sonali , Sanders Alison P.
Published: November 2021

Fluoride exposure is associated with later pubertal development and decreased testosterone production in adolescent and adult males. However, its effects on female reproductive health and pubertal development are unclear. Therefore, we examined associations of fluoride exposure with reproductive health outcomes among adolescent girls and women in the United States. Participants were from The National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (2013 to 2016), aged 16–19 and identified as female. There were 524 and 460 participants with measures of plasma fluoride and household tap water fluoride respectively, who had at least one reproductive health outcome examined, and complete covariate data. We applied covariate adjusted survey-weighted linear or logistic regression to examine associations of fluoride exposure with age of menarche, menstrual cycle regularity, or serum sex steroid hormone levels. Median interquartile range (IQR) water and plasma fluoride concentrations were 0.48 (0.53) mg/L and 0.34 (0.30) µmol/L respectively. An IQR increase in water fluoride was associated with a 3.3 month earlier first menstrual period (B =  − 0.28, 95%CI − 0.54, − 0.02, p = 0.05). Additionally, we observed a significant interaction between plasma fluoride and race/ethnicity in association with age of menarche (p = 0.01). Among Non-Hispanic Black adolescents, each IQR increase in plasma fluoride was associated with a 5-month earlier age of menarche (B =  − 0.42, 95%CI − 0.61, − 0.23, p < 0.001). Potential impacts of chronic low-level fluoride exposure on reproductive health outcomes are an important area of study. Current study findings, as well as potential health disparities due to disproportionate fluoride exposure should be examined in prospective studies.
A Short Walk through Gravity Studies at CSIR-NGRI, India
Authors: Singh A. P. , Kumar Niraj , Rao B. Nageswara , Tiwari V. M.
Published: November 2021

The Earth’s gravity field measurements and their applications for resource exploration and geodynamic studies form an important part of geophysical studies initiated at the CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute (CSIR-NGRI) since its inception. Finite Element analysis for regional-residual separation, scaling attributes of the source distribution, together with the mathematical formulation to density distribution in sedimentary basins have transformed the interpretation of gravity data. Collection, collation, and standardization of terrestrial gravity data have led to the compilation of the Gravity Map Series of India. Analyses of these data with contemporary computational technologies help in deciphering better-resolved density models under different parts of the Indian plate. These studies have provided well-constrained models of active and ancient continental collision zones, magmatic underplating beneath large igneous provinces, an integrated lithospheric density structure of Dharwar and Singhbhum cratons, the evolution of passive continental margins of India, and estimation of the effective strength of the Indian lithosphere. The studies on temporal gravity changes from terrestrial and satellite observations are also carried out to infer the redistribution of mass in the earthquake-prone regions and water storage variabilities over India. Recently, moving-platform gravity gradiometry has been introduced by the Institute in India. The gravity studies have continued to be a vital component of an integrated geophysical approach adopted by CSIR-NGRI for shallow and deep earth explorations.
CSIR-NGRI’s Quest for Understanding Earth Surface Processes and Liquefaction Based Paleoseismology in the Himalaya and Adjoining Region
Authors: Pandey Anand K. , Kumar Devender
Published: November 2021

CSIR-NGRI has developed pioneering facilty of the 14C and expertises to pursue paleoseismic and neotectonic studies aimed at building earthquake chronology from earthquake-prone regions in India. We present some academic accomplishments and a glimpse of some ongoing programs on the subject at CSIR-NGRI. The quest resulted in developing the paleo-earthquake catalog based on coseismic liquefaction studies from the Shillong region, which experienced the largest intra-plate (1897) earthquake in the Indian subcontinent. The exploration in other earthquake-affected areas brought comprehension to distinguish coseismic deformation features and processes in saturated sedimentary records to the aseismic structures. The paucity of datable samples for estimating the past earthquakes chronology led to improvising other techniques like paleomagnetic dating, the Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating protocol for poorly bleached samples, and constraint from the archaeology have been incorporated. The effect of recurrent primary rupture in shaping the landscape and defining deformation partitioning using tectonic-geomorphology and earth surface process modeling are other evolving disciplines being pursued at CSIR-NGRI.
A Review of the CSIR-NGRI Seismicity Studies during the Last Sixty Years
Authors: Srinagesh D. , Kumar V. Pavan
Published: November 2021

Earthquakes during the last sixty years both moderate and large magnitudes have caused considerable damage to the built in environment and loss of life in India. CSIR-NGRI has been systematically studying both the inter and intra plate earthquakes during this period and the contributions are seminal in nature. During the sixty years journey, with a single WWSSN station at CSIR-NGRI, Hyderabad campus, presently are operating more than 200 seismological stations across the country. In this manuscript we shall be presenting the various studies undertaken by CSIR-NGRI in characterizing the seismicity and its relation to various tectonic features.
Structure of the Seismically Active Kachchh Region
Authors: Mandal Prantik
Published: November 2021

A 3-D structural model for the Kachchh rift zone has been constructed based on the results from our earlier studies using S-to-P converted phase, and joint inversion of P-receiver functions and surface wave dispersion data, which reveals a a seismogenic crustal volume (~ 50x50x45 km3) with large sediment thickness and marked crustal as well as asthenospheric thinning below the Kachchh rift zone (KRZ). A local earthquake velocity tomography using 24019 P- as well as 23825 S-wave arrival times of 3750 relocated events from 41 three- component seismographs has been performed. Vp and Vs tomograms detect a distinct very high velocity lower crustal anomaly (Vp: 6.8-7.8 km/s; Vs: 3.9-4.3 km/s; Vp/Vs:1.7-1.8) at deeper depths (= 20 km) below the central KRZ. Three high velocity anomalies at 5-30 km depths have also been mapped below the Wagad uplift, Kachchh rift and Banni regions. These high velocity anomalies are interpreted as mafic plutons, within the mapped crustal volume, which might have resulted from the 65 Ma Deccan plume episode. Relocations of most of M=5 events (including 2001 Bhuj mainshock) fall either near the contacts between high and low velocity zones or in the high-velocity zones while some earthquakes (including the 1956 Anjar earthquake) also occurred in the low-velocity zones (8-18% drop in Vs, indicating the presence of fluids). We propose that mapping of such a scenario of crustal and lithospheric structure where resultant tectonic forces encourage seismicity is crucial for the assessment of the intraplate seismic hazard.
Imaging Mesozoic Sediments in Deccan Volcanic Province of India: Inferences from Seismic and Gravity Studies
Authors: Behera Laxmidhar , Kolluru Renuka , Singh Bijendra
Published: November 2021

Imaging sub-basalt Mesozoic sediments in the Deccan Volcanic Province (DVP) of India is a major challenge for hydrocarbon exploration. However, long-offset coincident seismic reflection (CDP) and refraction/wide-angle seismic reflection techniques may be applied for imaging sub-trappean Mesozoic sediments with proven success. The CSIR-NGRI executed several such deep seismic profiles with maximum offsets less than 100 km along with other geophysical methods like magneto-telluric, deep-resistivity-sounding and gravity surveys in the DVP covering Kutch, Saurashtra and Deccan Syneclise regions of India during the last three decades with an aim of integrated geophysical modeling. This has been sponsored and supported by the ONGC and OIDB. We used some of the selected deep seismic profile data in the DVP to image low-velocity-layer (LVL) like Mesozoic sediments, hidden below the high-velocity-layer (HVL) corresponding to basalts/traps. We applied ray-trace inversion of travel time data, robust tomographic inversion and advanced seismic imaging techniques to obtain seismic sections and velocity models. The derived velocity models delineate thick sub-basalt Mesozoic sediments in the south of Kutch, north-western part of Saurashtra and western segment of Deccan Syneclise along with extension of trap and basement configuration with details shown through fence diagrams. They are further constrained and corroborated by the corresponding density models obtained from inversion of residual Bouguer gravity anomaly data. The results provide an insight of the presence of hydrocarbon bearing sub-trappean Mesozoic sediments hidden in the DVP.
Geophysical Exploration of Unconventional Hydrocarbons
Authors: Satyavani N. , Uma V. , Kishore P. Pavan , Srinivas K.N.S.S.S. , Mysaiah D. , Dhanam K. , Srinivas G.S. , Satyanarayana H.V.S. , Vedanti Nimisha
Published: November 2021

India is not an exception among the countries intensely probing for alternate unconventional hydrocarbon resources in the present day scenario of increasing demand for energy and faster depletion of conventional fossil fuel. It is estimated that in India, the prospects for unconventional hydrocarbons are more than the conventional ones; yet, due to lack of proper studies, non-availability of in-house technologies, and several other socio-economic factors, these deposits were not seriously considered for commercial production. In India’s latest energy policy and the ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan,’ various incentives are given to enhance the domestic production of hydrocarbons; thus, many new initiatives are taken to boost the unconventional resources exploration program.

CSIR-NGRI initiated its exploration program in 1970 with deep seismic studies. Since then, seismic exploration studies were carried out in various lignite and coal fields, i.e., in Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, and the Odisha state of India. In the last two decades, CSIR-NGRI made remarkable progress in unconventional resource exploration. Various prospective basins were explored using seismic reflection data to map unconventional resources like Gas hydrates, Coal Bed Methane, and Shale gas. This article presents a brief overview of seismic exploration studies being carried out at CSIR-NGRI to map unconventional hydrocarbons in the sedimentary basins of India.
A Brief Overview of Groundwater Studies at CSIR-NGRI During Six Decades
Authors: Tiwari V. M. , Mondal N.C. , Chandra S.
Published: November 2021

The groundwater research was one amongst a few programmes started in the early days of CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute (CSIR-NGRI). The researchers have worked on a wide range of scientific issues that include development of new instruments and exploration techniques, aquifer mapping and source findings, groundwater modelling and management. This article briefly summarizes the selected contributions of CSIR-NGRI in the field of groundwater research.
Review of Scaling Approach to Estimate Depths from Gravity and Magnetic Data
Authors: Dimri V. P. , Bansal Abhey Ram
Published: November 2021

The gravity and magnetic methods are the cheapest and oldest geophysical explorations methods used as a reconnaissance survey for hydrocarbon and mineral exploration. A reliable estimation of the fractures, depth, density/susceptibility distribution within the crust is possible with some assumptions, and one such assumption is white noise distribution. The distribution of sources from the borehole follows a scaling noise distribution. The introduction of scaling noise resulted in a better estimate of the depth from gravity and magnetic data. The method is applied to the field data from India, Iran, Germany, Australia, the USA, and many other parts of the globe, to estimate the depth values. Large window sizes of 5 to 10 times the expected depths are required for its estimation. The scaling exponents are not constant but vary with the lithology and crustal heterogeneities of the region.
Improving Outcomes for Elderly Patients Following Emergency Surgery: a Cutting-edge Review
Authors: Halle-Smith James M. , Naumann David N. , Powell Susan L. , Naumann Laura K. , Griffiths Ewen A.
Published: November 2021

Purpose of Review

The aim of this review is to explore the consequence of emergency general surgery in the elderly, and to summarise recent developments in the pre-, peri- and postoperative management of these patients, in order to improve outcomes.

Recent Findings

Preoperatively, accurate risk assessment is vital to ensure the right patients undergo emergency surgery. Perioperatively, there are multiple interventions specific to elderly patients that have been shown to improve outcomes. Postoperatively, elderly patients must be cared more in an appropriate setting in order to avoid failure to rescue and promote return to function.

This review of contemporary evidence identifies multiple pre-, peri- and postoperative interventions that can improve outcomes for elderly patients after emergency general surgery. These evidence-based recommendations should help direct care of elderly patients undergoing emergency surgery and foster further quality improvement measures and research investigations.
The Lingua Franca
Authors: Operstein Natalie
Published: November 2021

Whose name is hidden behind the anonymity of the key publication on Mediterranean Lingua Franca? What linguistic reality does the label 'Lingua Franca' conceal? These and related questions are explored in this new book on an enduringly important topic. The book presents a typologically informed analysis of Mediterranean Lingua Franca, as documented in the Dictionnaire de la langue franque ou petit mauresque, which provides an important historical snapshot of contact-induced language change. Based on a close study of the Dictionnaire in its historical and linguistic context, the book proposes hypotheses concerning its models, authorship and publication history, and examines the place of the Dictionnaire's Lingua Franca in the structural typological space between Romance languages, on the one hand, and pidgins, on the other. It refines our understanding of the typology of contact outcomes while at the same time opening unexpected new avenues for both linguistic and historical research.
Holding a Mirror up to Nature
Authors: Gilligan James , Richards David A.J.
Published: November 2021

Shakespeare has been dubbed the greatest psychologist of all time. This book seeks to prove that statement by comparing the playwright's fictional characters with real-life examples of violent individuals, from criminals to political actors. For Gilligan and Richards, the propensity to kill others, even (or especially) when it results in the killer's own death, is the most serious threat to the continued survival of humanity. In this volume, the authors show how humiliated men, with their desire for retribution and revenge, apocryphal violence and political religions, justify and commit violence, and how love and restorative justice can prevent violence. Although our destructive power is far greater than anything that existed in his day, Shakespeare has much to teach us about the psychological and cultural roots of all violence. In this book the authors tell what Shakespeare shows, through the stories of his characters: what causes violence and what prevents it.
Do risk factors at the time of hospital admission differ by sex for in-hospital mortality from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)?
Authors: Sharma Mamta , Bhargava Ashish , Szpunar Susanna M. , Johnson Leonard B. , Saravolatz Louis D.
Published: November 2021

Background:

Sex-disaggregated data for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) reported higher hospitalized fatality rates among men than women.

Objective:

To determine whether the risk factors for in-hospital mortality from COVID-19, present at the time of hospital admission, differed by patient sex.

Design and setting:

Single-center, retrospective cohort study at a tertiary-care urban academic center.

Methods:

We reviewed the electronic medical records of patients positive for COVID-19 via qualitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay, admitted between March 8 and June 14, 2020. Patients were stratified by sex to assess the association of variables present on admission with in-hospital mortality.

Results:

The overall inpatient case fatality rate (CFR) was 30.4% (172 of 565). The CFR among male patients was higher than among female patients: 99 (33.7%) versus 73 (26.9%), respectively (P = .08). Among males, comorbid conditions associated with in-hospital mortality were chronic pulmonary disease (P = .02) and connective tissue disease (P = .03). Among females, these comorbid conditions were congestive heart failure (P = .03), diabetes with complication (P = .05), and hemiplegia (P = .02). Variables that remained independently associated with death in males included age >70 years, public insurance, incremental increase in quick sepsis-related organ failure assessment (qSOFA) and C-reactive protein (CRP), lymphocytopenia, and thrombocytopenia. Among females, variables that remained independently associated with mortality included public insurance, incremental increase in Charlson weighted index of comorbidity (CWIC) score, qSOFA, and CRP.

Conclusions:

Risk factors for in-hospital mortality by sex included public insurance type, incremental increase in qSOFA and CRP in both sexes. For male patients, older age, lymphocytopenia and thrombocytopenia were also associated with mortality, whereas a higher Charlson score was associated with in-hospital mortality in female patients.
Options to design more ethical and still successful default nudges: a review and recommendations
Authors: Lemken Dominic
Published: November 2021

On the one hand, default nudges are proven to strongly influence behavior. On the other hand, a number of consumer autonomy and welfare concerns have been raised that hinder public policy applications. Both nudge success and ethical concerns depend heavily on the design of defaults. We identify six taxonomic characteristics that matter to the ethical and the nudge success dimension. We review the default nudge literature (N = 61) and review ethical studies to assess both dimensions concerning the taxonomy. When designing a default, a choice architect inevitably makes a decision concerning the characteristics. Among others, the results show three main findings. (1) The initial choice architecture regularly imposes welfare losses and impedes consumer autonomy. Forced active choosing can mitigate both issues. (2) Empirical evidence suggests that transparent defaults are similarly effective as the non-transparent counterparts. (3) The framing of the choice in combination with a choice structuring default leads to greater nudge success and tends to involve the reflective decision-making patterns. Choice architects can trade-off nudge success for legitimacy but a design change may also benefit one without harming the other. We discuss further options of choice architects to legitimize a default.
Another Vision of the Situation of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Mexico During 2020
Authors: De La Cruz-Hernández Sergio Isaac
Published: November 2021

The number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases and deaths registered in Mexico during 2020 could be underestimated, due to the sentinel surveillance adopted in this country. Some consequences of following this type of epidemiological surveillance were the high case fatality rate and the high positivity rate for COVID-19 shown in Mexico in 2020. During this year, the Mexican Ministry of Health only considered cases from the public health system, which followed this sentinel surveillance, but did not consider those cases from the private health system. To better understand this pandemic, it is important to include all the results obtained by all the institutions capable of testing for COVID-19; thus, the Mexican Government could then make good decisions to protect the population from this disease.