bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Out of kernel tuning and optimizations for portable large-scale docking experiments on GPUs
Authors: Accordi Gianmarco , Gadioli Davide , Vitali Emanele , Crisci Luigi , Cosenza Biagio , Beccari Andrea , Palermo Gianluca
Published: February 2024

Virtual screening is an early stage in the drug discovery process that selects the most promising candidates. In the urgent computing scenario, finding a solution in the shortest time frame is critical. Any improvement in the performance of a virtual screening application translates into an increase in the number of candidates evaluated, thereby raising the probability of finding a drug. In this paper, we show how we can improve application throughput using Out-of-kernel optimizations. They use input features, kernel requirements, and architectural features to rearrange the kernel inputs, executing them out of order, to improve the computation efficiency. These optimizations’ implementations are designed on an extreme-scale virtual screening application, named LiGen, that can hinge on CUDA and SYCL kernels to carry out the computation on modern supercomputer nodes. Even if they are tailored to a single application, they might also be of interest for applications that share a similar design pattern. The experimental results show how these optimizations can increase kernel performance by 2$$\times$$
×
, respectively, up to 2.2$$\times$$
×
in CUDA and up to 1.9$$\times$$
×
, in SYCL. Moreover, the reported speedup can be achieved with the best-proposed parameterization, as shown by the data we collected and reported in this manuscript.
Growth performance, carcass, and meat quality traits in broiler chickens reared on plastic-grid flooring, wood shavings, and zeolite-supplemented wood shavings
Authors: Kaya Mehmet , Karaarslan Solmaz , Oral Toplu H. Değer , Dereli Fidan Evrim , Türkyılmaz Mehmet Kenan , Nazlıgül Ahmet
Published: February 2024

This study aimed to assess the growth performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality traits of broiler chickens raised on plastic-grid floors, traditional wood shavings, and wood shavings enriched with zeolite. The experimental design included the allocation of 504-day-old chicks to three different bedding materials, namely wood shavings, plastic-grid floors, and zeolite litter, each with four replications (42 birds per replicate). The chicks were individually weighed at birth and grouped according to their average body weights. An experiment involving 504 chicks was conducted, with each replicate consisting of 42 male chicks of similar body weight. At the end of the experiment, a total of 120 chickens were slaughtered with 10 chickens selected from each replicate for processing carcass and meat quality traits. The effects of different bedding materials on mortality (P = 0.812), body weight (P = 0.565), and body weight gain (P = 0.569) were not significant. The ANOVA test was conducted to compare the main effects of performance, carcass, and meat quality characteristics. The feed intake was significantly affected in the 2nd, and 3rd weeks (P = 0.001; 0.023); in addition, the feed conversion ratio was significant in the 2nd, 4th, and overall period (P = 0.003; P = 0.026; P = 0.038) by the bedding materials. The breast yield (P = 0.001), thigh yield (P = 0.028), and wing yield (P = 0.023) were significant. The type of bedding material used in broiler production significantly influenced the pH24 (P = 0.030), L* (P = 0.037), a* (P = 0.000), and CL (P = 0.028). It was concluded that both a plastic-grid floor and zeolite supplementation to wood shaving litter did not significantly affect overall growth performance in broiler chickens. However, the plastic-grid floor showed superior effects on breast meat yield and quality characteristics, particularly reducing cooking loss, when compared to zeolite supplementation in wood shaving litter. The plastic-grid floor led to a slight increase in the feed conversion ratio. Consequently, adopting a plastic grid floor emerges as a viable alternative to traditional wood shavings in broiler farming.
Assessing the Presence of Petroleum Hydrocarbons in the Punta Carnero Estuary (Ecuador)
Authors: Veloz-Zambrano Enrique , Chavarría Johnny , Pulido-Calvo Inmaculada
Published: February 2024

Chronic hydrocarbon spills are a threat to coastal ecosystems, and their impact on the water quality along watercourses should be characterised to medium long term in order to assess the risk and define cost-effective and sustainable remediation strategies. For this purpose, a methodology for the measurement of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) on a spatio-temporal scale was designed, implemented and validated in the Punta Carnero estuary, in the Santa Elena province, western Ecuador, which is affected by hydrocarbon pollution. The selection of monitoring stations was made according to the different inflows along the water system corresponding to the different anthropogenic activities in the area, in order to assess whether the effluents involve critical levels of pollution. Measurements of hydrodynamic, environmental and vegetation cover parameters were also carried out to assess their possible variations as a consequence of the impact of the spatio-temporal TPH concentrations. An increase in hydrocarbon concentrations was observed from 2013 to 2021. Mean annual TPH levels were above the maximum allowable limit for the protection of aquatic and other wildlife in estuarine waters according to the Ecuadorian regulation for environmental quality. An increase in mangrove tree cover could contribute to an exponential decrease in contamination levels. The methodology used in this study may support the quantifying of TPH content in future applications, which is a priority task for the restoration of degraded ecosystems.

Graphical abstract
A novel approach to quantifying individual's biological aging using Korea’s national health screening program toward precision public health
Authors: Yoo Jinho , Hur Junguk , Yoo Jintae , Jurivich Donald , Lee Kyung Ju
Published: February 2024

Accurate prediction of biological age can inform public health measures to extend healthy lifespans and reduce chronic conditions. Multiple theoretical models and methods have been developed; however, their applicability and accuracy are still not extensive. Here, we report Differential Aging and Health Index (DAnHI), a novel measure of age deviation, developed using physical and serum biomarkers from four million individuals in Korea's National Health Screening Program. Participants were grouped into aging statuses (< 26 vs. ≥ 26, < 27 vs. ≥ 27, …, < 75 vs. ≥ 75 years) as response variables in a binary logistic regression model with thirteen biomarkers as independent variables. DAnHI for each individual was calculated as the weighted mean of their relative probabilities of being classified into each older age status, based on model ages ranging from 26 to 75. DAnHI in our large study population showed a steady increase with the increase in age and was positively associated with death after adjusting for chronological age. However, the effect size of DAnHI on the risk of death varied according to the age group and sex. The hazard ratio was highest in the 50–59-year age group and then decreased as the individuals aged. This study demonstrates that routine health check-up biomarkers can be integrated into a quantitative measure for predicting aging-related health status and death via appropriate statistical models and methodology. Our DAnHI-based results suggest that the same level of aging-related health status does not indicate the same degree of risk for death.
Wear and Corrosion Resistant Eutectic High-Entropy Alloy Al0.3CoCrFeNiMo0.75 Produced by Laser Metal Deposition and Spark-Plasma Sintering
Authors: Preuß B. , Lindner T. , Uhlig T. , Mehner T. , Töberling G. , Wagner G. , Lampke T.
Published: February 2024

Eutectic high-entropy alloys (EHEAs) with a fine-lamellar structure and homogenous property profile are of particular interest for wear and corrosion protection coatings. High cooling rates in the laser metal deposition (LMD) process can induce microstructure refinement and allow the formation of a supersaturated solid solution in EHEAs. A subsequent solution annealing can create the equilibrium state. In the present study, LMD coatings with an ultrafine-grained Widmanstätten structure were produced from the EHEA Al0.3CoCrFeNiMo0.75 gas atomized powder. High cooling rates during deposition led to a supersaturated solid solution with face-centered cubic (FCC) structure. The LMD coating exhibits the highest average hardness of 734 HV0.5, which drops to approx. 200 HV0.5 due to an increased microstructural domain size after heat treatment. Under oscillating wear, the formation of oxidized wear debris promotes material removal in the heat-treated condition. Corrosion tests reveal a deterioration of the passivation behavior. LMD processes exhibit great potential to create supersaturated solid solutions with refined structure in EHEAs to enhance the property profile.
H. Pylori Treatment in the COVID-19 Era. What Have We Learned So Far?
Authors: Ekmektzoglou Konstantinos , Rokkas Theodore
Published: February 2024

Purpose of Review

CoronaVirus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) has negatively influenced the management of multiple conditions in regards to the gastroenterology patient. An equivalent change in the management of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)-related diseases was reported, as practically no eradication treatment was offered during most of the pandemic. Given the scarcity of published data, we performed a literature review trying to elucidate the effect of COVID-19 on H. pylori treatment.

Recent Findings

COVID-19 has produced more questions than answers as to the outcome of COVID-19 in H. Pylori infected patients, post-COVID-19 patients treated for H. pylori, acid suppression and COVID-19 incidence and outcomes, and H. pylori eradication treatment in patients having recovered from COVID-19.

We strongly believe that this scientific uncertainty produced by the COVID-19 pandemic has set up the stage for an incremental change in H. pylori treatment as COVID-19 has offered us the chance to speed up how we will, in the near future, approach patients with a possible Η. pylori infection.
Anticorrosive barrier coatings modified by core-shell rubber particles: effects on the property transients and premature crack initiation susceptibility of particle type and concentration
Authors: Li Qiong , Kiil Søren
Published: February 2024

Protective epoxy coatings, as a result of their inherent brittleness, show insufficient resistance towards initiation and propagation of cracks, which can occur as early as during the curing process. To improve premature crack initiation resistance, it is essential to understand the underlying mechanisms. In this work, a solvent-based novolac epoxy, cured with a cycloaliphatic amine, was reinforced with either an epoxypropoxypropyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), nanoparticles of strontium titanate (SrTiO3), or core-shell rubber (CSR) nanoparticles. The effects on coating property transients, curing-induced internal stress, and premature crack initiation susceptibility of the modifier types and CSR (MX 217 and MX 267) concentrations were investigated. In addition, using a digital microscope, the defect and crack morphology in coatings applied to rigid, flat substrates and inner 90-degree angles were characterized. Finally, to evaluate the anticorrosive barrier performance of the reinforced coatings, an electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis was employed. Despite a slightly reduced crack initiation susceptibility, the flexible PDMS chains, due to phase separation, resulted in a deteriorated barrier performance. The inclusion of SrTiO3 nanoparticles also led to a reduced anticorrosion performance, relative to a neat epoxy coating, with a slightly lower crack initiation susceptibility and a minor increase (around 0.2 MPa) in the average internal stress. For 5 wt% MX 217 and MX 267 CSR toughened coatings, the maximum internal stress and crack initiation susceptibility in the series, as well as an associated reduced corrosion resistance, were seen. In spite of a reduction in the elastic modulus, an improved barrier performance and a reduced internal stress and crack initiation susceptibility were observed for 25 wt% MX 217 and 37 wt% MX 267 CSR toughened coatings. To improve barrier properties and avoid premature crack initiation of epoxy coatings, guidelines on modifier selection are provided.
The Impact of the High-Fructose Corn Syrup on Cardiac Damage via SIRT1/PGC1-α Pathway: Potential Ameliorative Effect of Selenium
Authors: İlhan İlter , Ascı Halil , Buyukbayram Halil İbrahim , Imeci Orhan Berk , Sevuk Mehmet Abdulkadir , Erol Zeki , Aksoy Fatih , Milletsever Adem
Published: February 2024

High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) has been a subject of intense debate due to its association with cardiovascular risks. This study investigates the potential protective effects of selenium (Se) supplementation against cardiac damage induced by HFCS. Thirty-two male Wistar albino rats were divided into four equal groups: control, CS (20%-HFCS), CS with Se (20%-HFCS, 0.3 mg/kg-Se), and Se (0.3 mg/kg-Se) only. After a 6-week period, heart and aorta tissues were collected for histopathological, immunohistochemical, biochemical, and genetic analyses. HFCS consumption led to severe cardiac pathologies, increased oxidative stress, and altered gene expressions associated with inflammation, apoptosis, and antioxidant defenses. In the CS group, pronounced oxidative stress within the cardiac tissue was concomitant with elevated Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) expression and diminished expressions of B-cell-lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC1-α), and silenced information regulator 1 (SIRT1). Se supplementation mitigated these effects, showing protective properties. Immunohistochemical analysis supported these findings, demonstrating decreased expressions of caspase-3, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), IL-1β, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the CS + Se group compared to the CS group. The study suggests that Se supplementation exerts anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiapoptotic effects, potentially attenuating HFCS-induced cardiovascular toxicity. These findings highlight the importance of dietary considerations and selenium supplementation in mitigating cardiovascular risks associated with HFCS consumption.
Neural Responses in Addictive Eating: a Systematic Review
Authors: Pursey Kirrilly M. , Yokum Sonja , Brain Katherine , Burrows Tracy
Published: February 2024

Purpose of Review

It has been suggested that similar brain regions are activated to ultra-processed food as in substance addiction, giving rise to the concept of “food addiction”. However, few neuroimaging studies have used specific assessment tools for food addiction, with obesity often used as a proxy, leading to considerable variability in neural activation patterns associated with food addiction. This systematic review aimed to synthesise published studies using task-related and resting-state fMRI to assess neural responses associated with food addiction, using a validated assessment tool, the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS). A systematic review was conducted from 2008 to July 2022 according to the PRISMA guidelines. Studies were included if they reported YFAS food addiction outcomes in combination with task-related or resting-state fMRI outcomes. Two reviewers independently appraised studies and data were synthesised descriptively.

Recent Findings

Seven task-related and four resting-state fMRI studies were included, involving 675 predominantly female participants. Brain areas involved in reward, craving, and appetitive responses were associated with YFAS-assessed food addiction in response to high-calorie processed foods in task-related fMRI studies, as well as impaired inhibition in non-food-related tasks. In the resting-state studies, altered connectivity in reward-related regions and cognitive control were commonly reported. However, activation across included studies was not consistent, with some studies reporting no relationship between food addiction scores and neural activation.

There was a lack of consistency in activation across studies which may be due to the heterogeneity of study designs. It is difficult to ascertain if there are indeed neural activation patterns that are unique to food addiction and what components of food may have addictive potential. Future studies are required with replicable study designs.
Role of temperature in tribolayers in fretting wear of γ-TiAl alloy
Authors: Yang Yulei , Shang Hongfei , Pei Huiping , Xu Jimin , Liang Yi , Pan Minghui
Published: February 2024

The formation of tribolayers may play significant influences on fretting wear. At elevated temperature, the adhesion among wear debris and the increased diffusion rate facilitate the formation of tribolayers. However, the intensification of oxidation at elevated temperature and the low diffusion rate in oxides may play an adverse role. The present study aims to investigate the role of temperature in tribolayers in fretting wear using a γ-TiAl alloy. Scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive spectrometer, Raman spectrometer, transmission electron microscope and nanoindentation were utilized to investigate the wear debris, tribolayers, and wear scars. The fretting tests showed that, compared with that at room temperature (RT) and 350 °C, significant reduction in wear rate and decrease in the fluctuation of friction coefficient occurred at 550 and 750 °C. It was further revealed that when temperature raised from room temperature (RT) to 750 °C, the oxidation of the wear debris increased slightly and the diffusion coefficients increased prominently, which facilities the formation of well tribo-sintered tribolayers. The well tribo-sintered tribolayers presented homogenous structure, nanocrystalline grains with excellent mechanical properties, and resulted in the improvement in the fretting wear resistance of the γ-TiAl alloy at 550 and 750 °C.
Boundary slip and lubrication mechanisms of organic friction modifiers with effect of surface moisture
Authors: Yi Xiaobin , Xu Haiyu , Jin Ge , Lu Yang , Chen Biqiang , Xu Shaofeng , Shi Junqin , Fan Xiaoli
Published: February 2024

Surface moisture or humidity impacting the lubrication property is a ubiquitous phenomenon in tribological systems, which is demonstrated by a combination of molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and experiment for the organic friction modifier (OFM)-containing lubricant. The stearic acid and poly-α-olefin 4cSt (PAO4) were chosen as the OFM and base oil molecules, respectively. The physical adsorption indicates that on the moist surface water molecules are preferentially adsorbed on friction surface, and even make OFM adsorption film thoroughly leave surface and mix with base oil. In shear process, the adsorption of water film and desorption OFM film are further enhanced, particularly under higher shear rate. The simulated friction coefficient (that is proportional to shear rate) increases firstly and then decreases with thickening water film, in good agreement with experiments, while the slip length shows a contrary change. The wear increases with humidity due to tribochemistry revealing the continuous formation and removal of Si-O-Si network. The tribological discrepancy of OFM-containing lubricant in dry and humid conditions is attributed to the slip plane’s transformation from the interface between OFM adsorption film and lubricant bulk to the interface between adsorbed water films. This work provides a new thought to understand the boundary lubrication and failure of lubricant in humid environments, likely water is not always harmful in oil lubrication systems.
Experimental study on boundary lubricity of superficial area of articular cartilage and synovial fluid
Authors: Li Wenxiao , Morita Takehiro , Sawae Yoshinori
Published: February 2024

The boundary lubrication mechanism at the articulating surface of natural synovial joints has been the subject of much discussion in tribology. In this study, to elucidate the lubricating function of the superficial area of articular cartilage and synovial fluid (SF), cartilage specimens were processed with four different treatments: gentle and severe washing with detergent, incubation in NaCl solution, and trypsin digestion to selectively remove certain constituents from the cartilage surface. Subsequently, the frictional characteristics were examined in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and SF against glass. Angularly reciprocating sliding tests with a spherical glass probe and square articular cartilage specimens were performed at low contact loads in the mN range to extract the frictional behavior in the superficial area of the cartilage specimens. Meanwhile, the cartilage surface was observed to confirm the effects of treatments on the morphology of the cartilage surface using a fluorescence microscope and water-immersion methods. The coefficient of friction (COF) of the prepared cartilage specimens was varied from 0.05 to over 0.3 in PBS. However, a certain group of cartilage specimens exhibited a low COF of less than 0.1 with limited variation. For the low COF group of specimens, all four treatments increased the COF in PBS to different extents, and fluorescence microscopy revealed that the integrity of the cartilage surface was deteriorated by treatments. This means that the intact cartilage surface had lubricating constituents to maintain low friction, and the removal of such constituents resulted in the loss of the intrinsic boundary lubricity of the cartilage surface. The variation in the COF of the cartilage specimens was suppressed in SF because it had a clear boundary lubrication effect on the cartilage surface. The lubricating effect of SF could be confirmed even after degenerative treatment.
Analysis of the discrete contact characteristics based on the Greenwood-Williamson model and the localization principle
Authors: Yakovenko Anastasiya A. , Goryacheva Irina G.
Published: February 2024

The contact of a rigid body with nominally flat rough surface and an elastic half-space is considered. To solve the contact problem, the Greenwood-Williamson statistical model and the localization principle are used. The developed contact model allows us to investigate the surface approach and the real contact area with taking into account the asperities interaction. It is shown that the mutual influence of asperities changes not only contact characteristics at the macroscale, but also the contact pressure distribution at the microscale. As follows from the results, the inclusion in the contact model of the effect of the mutual influence of asperities is especially significant for studying the real contact area, as well as the contact characteristics at high applied loads. The results calculated according to the proposed approach are in a good agreement with the experimentally observed effects, i.e., the real contact area saturation and the additional compliance exhaustion.
CNN-GRU-FF: a double-layer feature fusion-based network intrusion detection system using convolutional neural network and gated recurrent units
Authors: Imrana Yakubu , Xiang Yanping , Ali Liaqat , Noor Adeeb , Sarpong Kwabena , Abdullah Muhammed Amin
Published: February 2024

Identifying and preventing malicious network behavior is a challenge for establishing a secure network communication environment or system. Malicious activities in a network system can seriously threaten users’ privacy and potentially jeopardize the entire network infrastructure and functions. Furthermore, cyber-attacks have grown in complexity and number due to the ever-evolving digital landscape of computer and network devices in recent years. Analyzing network traffic using network intrusion detection systems (NIDSs) has become an integral security measure in modern networks to identify malicious and suspicious activities. However, most intrusion detection datasets contain imbalance classes, making it difficult for most existing classifiers to achieve good performance. In this paper, we propose a double-layer feature extraction and feature fusion technique (CNN-GRU-FF), which uses a modified focal loss function instead of the traditional cross-entropy to handle the class imbalance problem in the IDS datasets. We use the NSL-KDD and UNSW-NB15 datasets to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed model. From the research findings, it is evident our CNN-GRU-FF method obtains a detection rate of 98.22% and 99.68% using the UNSW-NB15 and NSL-KDD datasets, respectively while maintaining low false alarm rates on both datasets. We compared the proposed model’s performance with seven baseline algorithms and other published methods in literature. It is evident from the performance results that our proposed method outperforms the state-of-the-art network intrusion detection methods.
The epidemiology of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and Achromobacter xylosoxidans infections
Authors: Zilberman-Itskovich Shani , Cohen Edward , Ploshansky Leonid-Arie , Yusupov Alexander , Bouganim Ruth , Jaffe Katie H. , Marchaim Dror
Published: February 2024

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and Achromobacter xylosoxidans are emerging nosocomial, non-glucose fermenting, Gram-negative pathogens. In this nested case-control trial, independent predictors for S. maltophilia infections were hemodialysis and recent antibiotic usage (overall), while recent usage of fluoroquinolones, was independently associated with A. xylosoxidans infections. Infections were independently associated with multiple worse outcomes.
Damage localisation using disparate damage states via domain adaptation
Authors: Wickramarachchi Chandula T. , Gardner Paul , Poole Jack , Hübler Clemens , Jonscher Clemens , Rolfes Raimund
Published: February 2024

A significant challenge of structural health monitoring (SHM) is the lack of labeled data collected from damage states. Consequently, the collected data can be incomplete, making it difficult to undertake machine learning tasks, to detect or predict the full range of damage states a structure may experience. Transfer learning is a helpful solution, where data from (source) structures containing damage labels can be used to transfer knowledge to (target) structures, for which damage labels do not exist. Machine learning models are then developed that generalize to the target structure. In practical applications, it is unlikely that the source and the target structures contain the same damage states or experience the same environmental and operational conditions, which can significantly impact the collected data. This is the first study to explore the possibility of transfer learning for damage localisation in SHM when the damage states and the environmental variations in the source and target datasets are disparate. Specifically, using several domain adaptation methods, this article localizes severe damage states at a target structure, using labeled information from minor damage states at a source structure. By minimizing the distance between the marginal and conditional distributions between the source and the target structures, this article successfully localizes damage states of disparate severities, under varying environmental and operational conditions. The effect of partial and universal domain adaptation—where the number of damage states in the source and target datasets differ—is also explored in order to mimic realistic industrial applications of these methods.
Fen Plantation: Commons, Calvinism, and the Boundaries of Belonging in Early Modern England
Authors: Robson Elly Dezateux
Published: February 2024

In the first half of the seventeenth century, several foreign plantations were established on wetlands drained during a wave of ambitious state-led projects across eastern England. The lines of solidarity and separation forged by this little-known episode in the history of migration pose important questions about how emergent notions of nationhood intersected with local and transnational, religious and economic communities. This article investigates the causes and consequences of the settlement of Calvinist refugees on drained commons in Hatfield Level. It argues that fen plantation expands understanding of the relationship between English agricultural improvement and imperial expansion in the British Atlantic, as migrant communities acted in the service of empires and states while forging transnational Protestant networks. As Calvinists and cultivators, however, the settlers were met with hostility in England. While the crown encouraged foreign plantation as a source of national prosperity, Laudian church authorities identified it as a threat to religious conformity, the state, and society, muddying depictions of English governors as guarantors of refugee rights. Local efforts to violently expel settlers from Hatfield Level, meanwhile, were rooted in fen commoners’ defense of customary rights, as parallel communities sought to enact rival environmental and economic models. The settler community interpreted these experiences through the lens of transnational Protestant adversity, entangling their quest for religious freedoms with their remit as fen improvers. Moving beyond dichotomous arguments about xenophobia, this article traces the transnational imaginaries, national visions, and emplaced processes through which collective identities and their sharp edges were constituted in early modern England.
On the non-uniqueness of the kernel of the Zakharov equation in intermediate and shallow water: the connection with the Davey–Stewartson equation
Authors: Onorato Miguel , Janssen Peter A.E.M.
Published: February 2024

The Zakharov equation describes the evolution of weakly nonlinear surface gravity waves for arbitrary spectral shape. For deep-water waves, results from the Zakharov equation are well established. However, for two-dimensional propagation, in intermediate and shallow water, there are problems related to the treatment of apparent singularities in the contribution of the wave-induced set-up to the evolution of the surface gravity waves. More specifically, the kernel in the integral term is characterized by a regular and an apparent singular contribution. Here, we show that the Davey–Stewartson equation can be directly derived from the Zakharov equation, also in the shallow water limit. This result provides guidance on how to treat the singular contribution to the evolution of the action variable. A relevant result that is obtained is that the growth rate obtained from the stability analysis of a plane wave in shallow water does not depend on the singular part of the kernel of the Zakharov equation.
Streamwise dispersion of soluble matter in solvent flowing through a tube
Authors: Guan Mingyang , Chen Guoqian
Published: February 2024

For the dispersion of soluble matter in solvent flowing through a tube as investigated originally by G.I. Taylor, a streamwise dispersion theory is developed from a Lagrangian perspective for the whole process with multi-scale effects. By means of a convected coordinate system to decouple convection from diffusion, a diffusion-type governing equation is presented to reflect superposable diffusion processes with a multi-scale time-dependent anisotropic diffusivity tensor. A short-time benchmark, complementing the existing Taylor–Aris solution, is obtained to reveal novel statistical and physical features of mean concentration for an initial phase with isotropic molecular diffusion. For long times, effective streamwise diffusion prevails asymptotically corresponding to the overall enhanced diffusion in Taylor's classical theory. By inverse integral expansions of local concentration moments, a general streamwise dispersion model is devised to match the short- and long-time asymptotic solutions. Analytical solutions are provided for most typical cases of point and area sources in a Poiseuille tube flow, predicting persistent long tails and skewed platforms. The theoretical findings are substantiated through Monte Carlo simulations, from the initial release to the Taylor dispersion regime. Asymmetries of concentration distribution in a circular tube are certified as originated from (a) initial non-uniformity, (b) unidirectional flow convection, and (c) non-penetration boundary effect. Peculiar peaks in the concentration cloud, enhanced streamwise dispersivity and asymmetric collective phenomena of concentration distributions are illustrated heuristically and characterised to depict the non-equilibrium dispersion. The streamwise perspective could advance our understanding of macro-transport processes of both passive solutes and active suspensions.
Indigenous Knowledge and Ontological Difference? Ontological Pluralism, Secular Public Reason, and Knowledge between Indigenous Amazonia and the West
Authors: Tym Christian
Published: February 2024

Real knowledge emerges from “impossible” worldviews. Or, put differently, it is possible to accept knowledge that is produced by people whose ontological presuppositions–their baseline assumptions about the nature of reality–one entirely rejects. How can this fact be accommodated, not by advancing a wishful post-dualism, dangerous post-secularism, or implausible ontological relativism, but by working within the tradition of secular political philosophy so that indigenous knowledge, too, can be a basis for public policy and collective action in secular societies? Via a reframing Amazonian multinaturalist perspectivism–which has so inspired post-dualist civilizational critiques–as a social theory of health and illness that informs contemporary Western epidemiology’s struggles to theorize the distribution of health and illness in mass society, this article advances a general approach to recognizing knowledge that has been developed on the other side of boundaries of ontological difference. It argues that the accuracy or efficacy of any particular indigenous knowledge-practice implies the generative potentialas theoryof the ontological presuppositions that facilitated the knowledge-practice’s evolution. Combining the ontological turn’s interest in the innovativeness of indigenous concepts with a proposal for superseding its incommensurable worlds and abandonment of the aspiration to more-than-local knowledge, the article shows that indigenous ideas and their underlying ontologies are more than generic alternatives to inspire Western civilizational renewal, and opens a path to their legitimization as actionable knowledge in the terms of secular public reason.
China’s prevention and control experience of echinococcosis: A 19-year retrospective
Authors: Gu H. , Hu Y. , Guo S. , Jin Y. , Chen W. , Huang C. , Hu Z. , Li F. , Liu J.
Published: February 2024

Echinococcosis poses a significant threat to public health. The Chinese government has implemented prevention and control measures to mitigate the impact of the disease. By analyzing data from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, we found that implementation of these measures has reduced the infection rate by nearly 50% between 2004 to 2022 (from 0.3975 to 0.1944 per 100,000 person-years). Nonetheless, some regions still bear a significant disease burden, and lack of detailed information limites further evaluation of the effects on both alveolar and cystic echinococcosis. Our analysis supports the continuing implementation of these measures and suggests that enhanced wildlife management, case-based strategies, and surveillance systems will facilitate disease control.
Examining the glottal stop as a mark of gender-inclusive language in German
Authors: Körner Anita , Glim Sarah , Rummer Ralf
Published: February 2024

Grammatical gender form influences readers’ mental gender representations. Previous research demonstrates that the generic masculine form leads to male-biased representations, while some alternative forms lead to female-biased representations. The present research examines the recently introduced glottal stop form in spoken language in German, where a glottal stop (similar to a short pause), meant to represent all gender identities, is inserted before the gender-specific ending. In two experiments (total N = 1188), participants listened to sentences in the glottal stop, the generic masculine, or the generic feminine form and classified whether a second sentence about women or men was a sensible continuation. The generic feminine and the glottal stop led to female biases (fewer errors in sentences about women vs. men) and the generic masculine led to a male bias. The biases were smaller for the glottal stop and the generic masculine than for the generic feminine, indicating that the former two are more readily understood as representing both women and men.
Continuous versus changeable: transitions in older parents–adult children relationships in Chinese families
Authors: Deng Ruyue , Yan Shiyuan , Yao Jun
Published: February 2024

The traditional model of family relationships is undergoing significant changes in contemporary China. Nevertheless, little research has delved into the dynamic evolution of intergenerational relationships. To address this research gap, we utilise data from the Chinese Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (CLASS) conducted between 2016 and 2018 (N = 7,009) to analyse the transitions in intergenerational relationships over a two-year period, alongside the predictive factors. Employing Latent Transition Analysis, we unveil three distinct typologies: ‘Tight-Knit’, ‘Intimate-Distant’ and ‘Ambivalent-Distant’, which undergo changes over time. Our study captures the tendency of the integration of tradition and modernity within intergenerational relationship patterns in China, as well as the intricate dynamics of these relationships. Furthermore, we identify the predictive roles of age, gender, household registration, health conditions, life events, family composition and filial piety on relationship transitions. This study expands upon previous typological research on intergenerational relationships and enriches our comprehension of their intricate and dynamic nature.
How Supporting Law Libraries Overseas Promotes Access to Justice and is Good for the Planet
Authors: Crossley Katrina
Published: February 2024

The International Law Book Facility (ILBF) ships donated law books to organisations across the globe which require good quality legal publications. Since its inception in 2005 it has delivered over 80,000 books to more than 250 organisations in 56 countries. Here Katrina Crossley, the Chief Executive of the ILBF, explains why it is so important and how it works, giving some examples of how the project has eased the way for people training in the law in Africa. The importance of law librarians in all of this is discussed too. Katrina also outlines how ILBF has worked with BIALL in the course of its law librarian training schemes in Sierra Leone and Ghana, and will continue to do so in other countries in Africa as this is expanded.
Blended individual and group CBT for OCD in adolescents: model description and a feasibility study
Authors: Kunnari Laura , Mainz Sini , Granö Niklas , Ranta Klaus , Mäkelä Anni , Salkovskis Paul
Published: February 2024

Cognitive-behavioural treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is effective across the lifespan but is not widely available across the range of services. Delivering CBT as a blended treatment combining individual and group-based treatment with flexible parental involvement, adapted to the operational style of any particular service, is a promising option which we aimed to examine in OCD with adolescent samples. In a young people’s service based in a University Hospital, we evaluated the impact of a blended treatment combined with flexible parental involvement with adolescents (age 14–18 years of age). The CBT model used with OCD sufferers was a formulation driven approach, emphasising the importance of providing an alternative account linked to the way responsibility beliefs lead to compulsive behaviour. Six consecutively referred adolescents with their parents participated in a treatment group. Intervention consisted of eight individual meetings, eight group meetings and two meetings with parents. Five of six adolescents carried out the whole intervention. Of all participants, 5/5 scored in the clinical range for OCD at baseline, and 5/5 were no longer in the clinical range by the end of treatment; 5/5 were in the clinical range on general psychiatric problems at baseline, and 4/5 were rated as recovered at the end of treatment. Comparable changes were noted in measures of responsibility linked to intrusive thoughts. Use of a blended individual/group treatment based on a CBT model is feasible, with the results obtained being consistent with previous work on individual CBT treatment.

Key learning aims

(1)

Delivering CBT to adolescents with OCD as a blended treatment combining individual and group-based treatment with flexible parental involvement is a promising option which merits further evaluation.

(2)

OCD symptoms and general psychiatric symptoms were reduced during and after treatment.

(3)

Use of a blended treatment based on a CBT model is feasible.
Analyzing the Land Surface Temperature Response to Urban Morphological Changes: A Case Study of the Chengdu–Chongqing Urban Agglomeration
Authors: Tian Yuhang , Xie Zhenghui , Xie Jinbo , Jia Binghao , Chen Si , Qin Peihua , Li Ruichao , Wang Longhuan , Yan Heng , You Yanbin , Liu Bin
Published: February 2024

Urban morphological change impacts the land surface temperature (LST) through modifying the net radiation, convective heat transfer, evapotranspiration, and heat storage on the ground. It is essential to quantify the contributions of these physical changes on LST changes. In this work, we conduct simulations using a weather research and forecasting model for the Chengdu–Chongqing urban agglomeration to identify causes of LST changes due to urban morphological changes through different morphological parameters: the aspect ratio, building plan area fraction, and average building height. A new method is proposed and used to quantify the contribution of these physical changes on LST changes. The results show as the aspect ratio increases, an increase of the average LST is induced by variations in radiation, and daytime cooling and nighttime warming are induced by variations in heat storage. There is warming associated with an increase in the building plan area fraction, which is mostly caused by a decrease in the efficiency of the long‐wave radiant heat emitted from the surface to the atmosphere. We also find that an increase in the average building height enhance the efficiency of convective heat transfer, which results in cooling. These results are important for the management of urban thermal environments.
Cutoff Rigidities, Galactic Cosmic Ray Flux, and Heavy Ion Detections at Jupiter
Authors: Enghoff Martin B. , Svensmark Jacob , Becker Heidi N. , Jørgensen John L. , Kotsiaros Stavros , Herceg Matija , Alexander James W. , Florence Meghan M. , Connerney John E. P.
Published: February 2024

A map of vertical cutoff rigidities has been calculated for galactic cosmic ray (GCR) entry into the atmosphere of Jupiter at the 1 bar pressure radius (1 RJ = 71,492 km) using the JRM33 comprehensive model of Jupiter's magnetic field (based on 32 close flybys of Jupiter by the Juno satellite) along with a particle trajectory code (Geomagnetic Cutoff Rigidity Computer Program). The map was combined with measurements of the GCR proton flux at Earth, from the BESS‐Polar ii campaign, to calculate a corresponding proton flux map at Jupiter. Additional cutoff rigidity maps were calculated for 1,000 km above the 1 bar level, and for 1.41 RJ. Furthermore, detections of heavy particles from Juno's Stellar Reference Unit were analyzed for their cutoff rigidities in multiple directions. Cutoff rigidities of 3.5–7.5 GV were found for five of the detections furthest out making them possible GCR candidates. The majority of points, located below 1.6 RJ are not likely to be GCR. Assuming instead that they are trapped particles we have calculated upper and lower limits on their equatorial pitch angles, resulting in a range from 10.1° to 27.1°, which can help constraining Jupiter's energetic radiation.
Inherited Grain‐Size Distributions: Effect on Heavy‐Mineral Assemblages in Modern and Ancient Sediments
Authors: Feil Sarah , von Eynatten Hilmar , Dunkl István , Schönig Jan , Lünsdorf Nils Keno
Published: February 2024

Heavy‐mineral suites are used widely in sandstone provenance and are key when connecting source and sink. When characterizing provenance related signatures, it is essential to understand the different factors that may influence a particular heavy‐mineral assemblage for example, chemical weathering or diagenetic processes. Hydrodynamics, causing size‐density sorting, exert major control on the distribution of heavy minerals. Here, we highlight the effect of grain‐size inheritance, essentially the absence of certain grain sizes within a specific heavy‐mineral species, on two distinct types of sediments. Modern deposits from a high‐energy beach in NW Denmark give an analog for heavily reworked sediment, primarily controlled by hydrodynamic processes. In contrast, three Palaeogene turbidite successions in the Eastern Alps were sampled, presenting a more complex history that includes diagenesis. All samples were processed for their heavy‐mineral compositions using Raman spectroscopy, and several techniques applied to determine the effect of grain‐size inheritance. Results show that (a) even within the hydrodynamically well‐sorted beach and placer deposits, evidence of grain‐size inheritance is apparent, and (b) turbidites of variable heavy‐mineral composition show strong effects of grain‐size inheritance for several mineral species. Moreover, considerable intersample contrasts within single turbidite beds are observed. We enforce the importance of understanding grain‐size inheritance, as well as other processes effecting size‐density relations in clastic sediment that go well beyond purely hydrodynamic control of intrasample heavy‐mineral variability.