bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sources of the predictability of month‐to‐month variation of precipitation anomalies in East Asia during summer
Authors: Sun Bo , Li Huixin , Zhu Baoyan , Xue Rufan , Li Wanling
Published: September 2023

During boreal summer, the patterns of precipitation anomalies in East Asia have notable month‐to‐month variations, which may induce alternated wet and dry conditions in different regions of East Asia during summer. In this study, based on observation and reanalysis data, the dynamic processes of monthly precipitation anomalies in three sub‐regions of East Asia (South China, the Yangtze River valley and northern–northeastern China) are investigated, which are associated with different combined effects of tropical air–sea interaction and mid‐to‐high latitude Rossby waves during different months. These dynamic processes dominate the leading modes of month‐to‐month variation of precipitation anomalies in East Asia during summer. To understand what dynamic processes are the key sources of the predictability of month‐to‐month variation of precipitation anomalies in East Asia during summer, a method of spatially running pattern correlation coefficient (SR_PCC) is applied to examine the differences in prediction skill of geopotential height anomalies, sea‐level pressure anomalies and sea surface temperature anomalies between the years of well and poorly predicted precipitation anomalies. Based on the results of CFSv2 hindcast and CMIP6‐AMIP experiments, both the air–sea interaction over tropical Indo–Pacific region and the mid‐to‐high latitude Rossby waves over the Eurasian continent are key sources of predictability of month‐to‐month variation of precipitation anomalies in East Asia during boreal summer.
Active anterior rhinomanometry: A study on nasal airway resistance, paradoxical reactions to decongestion, and repeatability in healthy subjects
Authors: Sunnergren Ola , Ahonen Hanna , Holmström Mats , Broström Anders
Published: September 2023

Objectives

Anterior active rhinomanometry (AAR) is widely used in Swedish routine clinical practice to decide if septoplasty is necessary. The scientific basis for the method needs to be strengthened. Therefore, the aims were to evaluate nasal airway resistance (NAR), paradoxical reactions to pharmacological decongestion, and test–retest characteristics of the Rhino‐Comp® AAR in healthy subjects.

Methods

A prospective longitudinal design was used. AAR was performed before and after decongestion at baseline and after ≥6 months on 60 healthy volunteers. The relationships between NAR, height, weight, BMI, sex, and allergic rhinitis were evaluated by regression analyses. Descriptive statistics were used to evaluate paradoxical reactions. Test–retest and repeatability characteristics were evaluated with intra‐class coefficients (ICC), Cronbach's α, and standard error of measurement

Results

No statistically significant differences were found between genders or nasal cavity sides. NAR was statistically significantly related to height. Short‐ and long‐term test–retest characteristics were good with ICC and Cronbach's α > .75. The minimal significant difference in NAR Log10V2 values between the two measurements was 0.11 and 0.09 (long‐ and short‐term). Paradoxical reactions to pharmacological decongestion were rare, mostly weak, and not evidently reproducible.

Conclusion

In this study, we report reference data for healthy subjects, test–retest capabilities, and the minimal relevant difference between two measurements for the Rhino‐Comp® AAR, information that is vital and necessary for the appropriate use of AAR in clinical practice. An effective method for pharmacological decongestion is described and recommended for future studies and clinical practice. Paradoxical reactions to pharmacological decongestants exist but maybe without clinical significance.

Level of Evidence

NA.
Interview: "Es ist zu viel CO2 in der Luft und einer muss es rausholen"
Authors: Neubauer Uta
Published: September 2023

Das Schweizer Unternehmen Climeworks baut Anlagen, die CO2 aus der Umgebungsluft abscheiden. Im Interview erläutert Carlos Härtel, Senior Technology Advisor der Geschäftsführung, wie das als Direct Air Capture bezeichnete Verfahren funktioniert und warum er in der Chemieindustrie einen wichtigen Partner sieht.
Recycling: Labor statt Müllcontainer
Authors: Heinrich Markus R.
Published: September 2023

Manche Wirkstoffe in alten Medikamenten sind zu wertvoll, um in der Müllverbrennung entsorgt zu werden. Eine Arbeitsgruppe der Universität Erlangen‐Nürnberg extrahiert sie und macht sie als Chemikalien für Forschung und Lehre nutzbar.
Optimal control in a magnetization‐prepared rapid acquisition gradient‐echo sequence
Authors: Vernier Benoît , Van Reeth Eric , Pilleul Frank , Lapert Marc , Beuf Oliver , Ratiney Hélène
Published: September 2023

This article proposes a numerical framework to determine the optimal magnetization preparation in a three‐dimensional magnetization‐prepared rapid gradient‐echo (MP‐RAGE) sequence to obtain the best achievable contrast between target tissues based on differences in their relaxation times. The benefit lies in the adaptation of the algorithm of optimal control, GRAdient Ascent Pulse Engineering (GRAPE), to the optimization of magnetization preparation in a cyclic sequence without full recovery between each cycle. This numerical approach optimizes magnetization preparation of an arbitrary number of radio frequency pulses to enhance contrast, taking into account the establishment of a steady state in the longitudinal component of the magnetization. The optimal control preparation offers an optimized mixed
contrast in this traditional
‐weighted sequence. To show the versatility of the proposed method, numerical and in vitro results are described. Examples of contrasts acquired on brain regions of a healthy volunteer are presented for potential applications at 3 T.
Simple regulation of dielectric pulsing properties of polyethylene glycol‐poly(vinylidene fluoride) coaxial nanofiber films based on blow‐spinning process
Authors: Li Zhenzhen , Gong Yutie , Li Hairong , Xu Aihua , Wang Lina , Gong Xue , Jiang Ming
Published: September 2023

Understanding the relationship between the fabrication process and the dielectric behavior of thermo‐responsive dielectric materials and accordingly optimizing the dielectric response behavior through simple regulation is critical to advancing their practical applications. For this purpose, we systematically analyze and demonstrate the effects of blow‐spinning process parameters, the feed rate and airflow pressure, on the orientation of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) chains, the individual phase fractions of PVDF, the structure of the core‐sheath nanofibers, the mechanical properties, and the dielectric pulsing properties in polyethylene glycol (PEG)‐PVDF core‐sheath fiber films, and achieve the goal of effectively regulating the thermo‐responsive dielectric behavior. In particular, by increasing the airflow pressure, the polar phase fraction of the PVDF can be effectively increased, thus strengthening the dielectric pulsing effect. The significant influence of the processing parameters on the nanofiber structure also allows us to tailor the strength and toughness of the nanofiber films over a wide range by adjusting the feed rate and airflow pressure. Our work shows that the regulation of feed rate and airflow pressure can be used as an effective strategy to optimize the dielectric pulsing and mechanical properties of PEG‐PVDF films, enabling a simple and low‐cost performance optimization of thermo‐responsive dielectric materials.

Highlights

Effective regulation of thermal dielectric behavior by tuning process parameters.

Simple tuning of mechanical properties of nanofiber films over a wide range.

High ratio of β‐ and γ‐phases of PVDF by solution blow spinning.

Major polar phases contribute to improved mechanical and dielectric properties.
The role of non‐resident family ties in rural staying
Authors: Ferguson Sara , Haartsen Tialda , Steinführer Annett , Catney Gemma
Published: September 2023

Internal migration research is paying increasing attention to the role in migration behaviour of having non‐resident family—family living outside of the household—living close by, and also to non‐migration and staying in general. Combining these two themes, this paper investigates the role of non‐resident family ties in rural staying for adults aged 31–64. Using a mixed methods analysis of survey and interview data from the Netherlands, Germany and Northern Ireland (UK), we examine if the presence of non‐resident family nearby relates to future intentions to stay in the rural region, and we explore the meanings of different family relations and how they relate to past and ongoing staying behaviours. Our findings reveal that living near non‐resident children and in‐laws increases the likelihood of the intention to stay in the rural region for the rest of one's lifetime. While the quantitative analyses suggest that the presence of parents in the area does not contribute to future staying intentions, the interviews revealed that parents' residential proximity was integral in the original staying decision. Non‐resident family members provide emotional and instrumental support, offer location‐specific structural opportunities, and provide a sense of security. Partly, family obligations also play a role in staying, yet not in the sense that rural stayers are ‘stuck in place’ because of family ties, but rather in an implicit way, intertwined with senses of belonging and attachment.
Robotic hepatectomy and cholecystectomy in the management of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the biliary tract: A case report and literature review
Authors: Savsani Kush , Hansen‐Artache Katrina , Alfonso Anjelica , Lee Seung , Hatfield Bryce , Imai Daisuke , Khan Aamir , Sharma Amit , Saeed Irfan , Kumaran Vinay , Cotterell Adrian , Levy Marlon , Bruno David A.
Published: September 2023

Background

In the Western Hemisphere, Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the biliary tract (IPMN‐B) is a rare lesion with uncertain aetiology. This report outlines a scarcely documented instance of IPMN‐B treated using robotic hepatectomy and cholecystectomy supplemented with intraoperative imagery aimed at informing future robotic procedures.

Methods

A healthy person with acute cholangitis symptoms underwent diagnostic imaging followed by successful robotic hepatectomy and cholecystectomy. Pathological examination confirmed IPMN‐B.

Results

The patient was consulted regarding the proposed procedure of robotic left hepatectomy, cholecystectomy, and potential hepaticojejunostomy, to which she provided consent. Subsequent surgical intervention resulted in clear margins for malignancy, and the patient recovered without complications.

Conclusions

This case emphasises the importance of early diagnosis and intervention in managing IPMN. The use of a robotic approach, specifically through robotic left hepatectomy combined with cholecystectomy, offers minimally invasive surgery that provides exceptional visualisation and precise control.
Residuals and diagnostics for multinomial regression models
Authors: Gerber Eric A. E. , Craig Bruce A.
Published: September 2023

In this paper, we extend the concept of a randomized quantile residual to multinomial regression models. Customary diagnostics for these models are limited because they involve difficult‐to‐interpret residuals and often focus on the fit of one category versus the rest. Our residuals account for associations between categories by using the squared Mahalanobis distances of the observed log‐odds relative to their fitted sampling distributions. Aside from sampling variation, these residuals are exactly normal when the data come from the fitted model. This motivates our use of the residuals to detect model misspecification and overdispersion, in addition to an overall goodness‐of‐fit Kolmogorov–Smirnov test. We illustrate the use of the residuals and diagnostics in both simulation and real data studies.
Self‐Healing Behavior of the Metal Halide Perovskites and Photovoltaics
Authors: Wang Chenyun , Qu Du , Zhou Bin , Shang Chuanzhen , Zhang Xinyue , Tu Yongguang , Huang Wei
Published: September 2023

Perovskite solar cells have achieved rapid progress in the new‐generation photovoltaic field, but the commercialization lags behind owing to the device stability issue under operational conditions. Ultimately, the instability issue is attributed to the soft lattice of ionic perovskite crystal. In brief, metal halide perovskite materials are susceptible to structural instability processes, including phase segregation, component loss, lattice distortion, and fatigue failure under harsh external stimuli such as high humidity, strong irradiation, wide thermal cycles, and large stress. Developing self‐healing perovskites to further improve the unsatisfactory operational stability of their photoelectric devices under harsh stimuli has become a cutting‐edge hotspot in this field. This self‐healing behavior needs to be studied more comprehensively. Therefore, the self‐healing behavior of the metal halide perovskites and photovoltaics is classified and summarized in this review. By discussing recent advances, underlying mechanisms, strategies, and existing challenges, this review provides perspectives on self‐healing of perovskite solar cells in the future.
Prognostic value of angiogenic markers in pregnancy with fetal growth restriction
Authors: Palmrich P. , Kalafat E. , Pateisky P. , Schirwani‐Hartl N. , Haberl C. , Herrmann C. , Khalil A. , Binder J.
Published: September 2023

Objective

Pregnancies with fetal growth restriction (FGR) are at increased risk for pre‐eclampsia. Angiogenic markers including soluble fms‐like tyrosine kinase‐1 (sFlt‐1) and placental growth factor (PlGF) are altered in pregnancies complicated by FGR, but their utility for predicting pre‐eclampsia in growth‐restricted pregnancies is uncertain. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of angiogenic markers for predicting the development of pre‐eclampsia in pregnancies with FGR and suspected pre‐eclampsia.

Methods

This was a retrospective study of singleton pregnancies with FGR, defined according to Delphi consensus criteria, which underwent sampling of sFlt‐1 and PlGF for suspicion of pre‐eclampsia at the Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria, between 2013 and 2020. Women with an established diagnosis of pre‐eclampsia at sampling were excluded. Cox regression analysis and logistic regression analysis were performed to evaluate the association of angiogenic markers with the development of pre‐eclampsia at various timepoints.

Results

In this cohort of 93 women, pre‐eclampsia was diagnosed in 14 (15.1%) women within 1 week after sampling, 21 (22.6%) within 2 weeks after sampling and 38 (40.9%) at any time after assessment. The sFlt‐1/PlGF ratio consistently showed a stronger association with the development of pre‐eclampsia compared to sFlt‐1 or PlGF alone (pre‐eclampsia within 1 week: area under the receiver‐operating‐characteristics curve, 0.87 vs 0.82 vs 0.72). Models including the sFlt‐1/PlGF ratio were associated more strongly with pre‐eclampsia hazard compared to models including sFlt‐1 or PlGF alone (concordance index, 0.790 vs 0.759 vs 0.755). The risk classification capability of the sFlt‐1/PlGF ratio decreased after the 2‐week timepoint. The established cut‐off value for the sFlt‐1/PlGF ratio of < 38 was effective for ruling out pre‐eclampsia within 2 weeks, with a negative predictive value of 0.933 and sensitivity of 0.952.

Conclusions

Use of the sFlt‐1/PlGF ratio is preferrable to the use of PlGF alone for the prediction of pre‐eclampsia in pregnancies with FGR. Established cut‐offs for ruling out the development of pre‐eclampsia in the short term seem to be effective in these patients. © 2023 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
The long journey of resistance toward acceptance: Understanding digital forensic accreditation in England and Wales from a social science perspective
Authors: Wilson‐Kovacs Dana , Wyatt David
Published: September 2023

Drawing on topical academic and practitioner accounts, our contribution examines the challenges of accreditation in digital forensics (DF), specifically, the adoption of ISO/IEC 17025 standard for forensic science support providers in England and Wales. We built on the debate generated by the Forensic Science Regulator's introduction of this standard in DF to reflect on the position and status of DF community of practice. We argue that a social science approach can help illuminate the organizational and professional tensions generated by this development and to understand better the implications for the role of DF specialists and their position in the wider forensic science community.

This article is categorized under:

Digital and Multimedia Science > Cybercrime Investigation

Crime Scene Investigation > Education and Formation
RNA sampling time on postmortem avian carcasses in the wild
Authors: Shao Ziying , Hou Xian , Chen Yangkang , Lin Zhenzhen , Zhan Xiangjiang
Published: September 2023

Genetic sampling, especially high‐quality RNA from wild avian populations, is challenging in wildlife biology due to rapid RNA degradation. Although carcasses could be a potential RNA source, the optimal postmortem sampling time on the avian carcasses under field conditions remains unclear. Here, we carried out a field experiment on the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau (QTP) and evaluated the relationship between PMI and RNA degradation in three tissue types (muscle, brain, and liver) of the domestic chicken Gallus gallus domesticus carcasses. In the muscle and brain tissues, we found that the RNA Integrity Number (RIN) of samples collected within 60 h postmortem was more than 7.0, suggesting a high RNA extract quality. The following RNA‐seq experiment demonstrated that gene expression profiles of the samples collected within 36 h postmortem were comparable to those of fresh samples (i.e. 0 h), with a low percentage of differentially expressed genes (< 3.0%) observed between samples at 0 and 36 h postmortem. However, in the liver tissue, RNA samples already degraded at 12 h postmortem, showing low RIN values (< 7.0), different gene expression profiles from fresh samples, and a high percentage of differentially expressed genes (15.6%). Therefore, our study suggests that samples from muscle and brain tissues collected within 36 h postmortem are qualified for RNA‐seq analyses. In contrast, only the fresh RNA samples from liver tissue are qualified. Our study provides a practicable and efficient sampling strategy for the transcriptome study on avian populations under extreme environment such as the QTP.
Synthesis and structure of rhenium carbonyl complexes bearing a saccharinate ligand
Authors: Hasanuzzaman M. , Sarker Mithun Chandra , Al Mamun M. Abdullah , Rajbangshi Subas , Kabir Shariff E. , Nesterov Vladimir N. , Richmond Michael G. , Ghosh Shishir
Published: September 2023

Saccharin (sacH) reacts with [Re2(CO)8(NCMe)2] at room temperature to afford dinuclear [Re2(CO)8(μ‐H)(μ‐sac‐κN,O)] (1), which contains a bridging sac ligand coordinated to both rhenium centers using the nitrogen and ketonic oxygen atoms, and the mononuclear compounds [Re(CO)5(sac‐κN)] (2) and cis‐[Re(CO)4(NCMe)(sac‐κN)] (3), both of which contain a sac ligand bonded to rhenium using only the nitrogen atom. Complex 3 that contains an MeCN ligand reacts with tri(2‐furyl)phosphine (PFu3) at room temperature to yield cis‐[Re(CO)4(PFu3)(sac‐κN)] (4). The molecular structures of 1–4 have been established by X‐ray crystallography, and the bonding in compound 1 has been examined by electronic structure calculations.
Einleitung
Authors: Hammermeister Juliane
Published: September 2023

Konzeptionen schulischer politischer Bildung beschreiben Zusammenhänge politischen Lehrens und Lernens. Wenngleich in der Politikdidaktik zu problematisierende Inhaltsfelder sowie Fragen nach dem Prozess der Aneignung bzw. Vermittlung höchst kontrovers diskutiert werden, scheint doch das Ziel politischen Unterrichts unstrittig: Lernende sollen zu politischer Mündigkeit befähigt werden.
Gramsci und eine kritisch-reflexive politische Bildung
Authors: Hammermeister Juliane
Published: September 2023

Das nachfolgende Kapitel reflektiert die wesentlichen Resultate der vorangegangenen Argumentation: Ausgehend von Antonio Gramscis allgemeinem, in frühen Aufsätzen entwickelten Bildungsverständnis sollen hier zunächst Möglichkeiten und Grenzen dieses Ansatzes für die gegenwärtige Debatte um eine kritische politische Bildung erörtert werden. Vor diesem Hintergrund kann ein erster Zugang zur kritischen politischen Bildung und zur Politikdidaktik eröffnet werden, in dem Gramscis Bedeutung für diese Felder aufgezeigt wird. Hierfür sind die Erörterungen des im zweiten Kapitel besprochenen einschlägigen Modells der Sinnbilder zentral.
Das Model of Collective Information Processing (MCIP)
Authors: Schindler Johanna
Published: September 2023

Im folgenden Kapitel wird das Model of Collective Information Processing – kurz MCIP – vorgestellt. Dabei handelt es sich um eine Ausarbeitung und Weiterentwicklung eines vorher bereits in Grundzügen skizzierten Modells der Medienrezeption in Gruppen (Schindler & Bartsch, 2019, S. 14–16). Das MCIP stellt den zentralen theoretischen Beitrag der vorliegenden Arbeit dar und verbindet Ansätze und Erkenntnisse aus der Forschung zu (Klein-)Gruppenprozessen und individuellen Informationsverarbeitungsprozessen. Während theoretische Modelle zur Medienrezeption bzw. Informationsverarbeitung in der Regel auf die Individualebene abzielen (siehe 2.3.1), bezieht sich das MCIP auf die Gruppenebene. Es soll in der Lage sein, kollektive Informationsverarbeitungsprozesse zu beschreiben, zu erklären und vorherzusagen. Das MCIP beschäftigt sich also mit kollektiver Informationsverarbeitung im Allgemeinen, wird im empirischen Teil der Arbeit aber auf kollektive Medienrezeptionsprozesse im Speziellen angewandt.

﻿Das MCIP baut auf sechs zentralen Annahmen auf: Annahmen 1–3 bilden die Basis des Modells. Sie zielen im Kern auf die Betrachtung von Gruppen als informationsverarbeitende Systeme (Hinsz et al., 1997) ab (siehe 3.1). Annahmen 4–6 bilden das Herzstück des MCIP. Sie nehmen eine Mehrprozess-Perspektive auf Informationsverarbeitung in Gruppen ein und gehen von Systematik und Offenheit als zentrale Dimensionen kollektiver Informationsverarbeitung aus (siehe 3.2). Nach einem zusammenfassenden Überblick werden schließlich aus dem MCIP abgeleitete Forschungsfragen vorgestellt, um das Modell einer ersten empirischen Prüfung zu unterziehen (siehe 3.3). Sie beziehen sich auf die Umsetzbarkeit bzw. Validität eines standardisierten Befragungsinstrumentes für Kleingruppen (FF1–2) und auf die Funktionsweise kollektiver Informationsverarbeitung (FF3–11).﻿
Product-service system-oriented business models: a taxonomy of startups in the mobility sector
Authors: Kurpiela Steffen , Teuteberg Frank
Published: September 2023

Startups are becoming increasingly important in the mobility sector and are putting established companies under pressure to adapt their business models. Especially, the automotive industry faces a significant change from an automotive manufacturer towards a mobility provider. However, literature does not provide a comprehensive understanding of the elements and archetypes of product-service system-oriented business models of startups in the mobility sector. This paper provides a taxonomy with six dimensions and 55 characteristics based on the analysis of 34 startups’ business models. Four clusters can be described as the result of a cluster analysis. Thus, a deeper understanding of the business models and a starting point for future research and practical application is provided. Furthermore, based on the results, implications for research and practice like dominated characteristics of product-service system-oriented business models as well as future research directions are pointed out.
A new bargaining solution for finite offer spaces
Authors: de Jonge Dave
Published: September 2023

The bargaining problem deals with the question of how far a negotiating agent should concede to its opponent. Classical solutions to this problem, such as the Nash bargaining solution (NBS), are based on the assumption that the set of possible negotiation outcomes forms a continuous space. Recently, however, we proposed a new solution to this problem for scenarios with finite offer spaces de Jonge and Zhang (Auton Agents Multi-Agent Syst 34(1):1–41, 2020). Our idea was to model the bargaining problem as a normal-form game, which we called the concession game, and then pick one of its Nash equilibria as the solution. Unfortunately, however, this game in general has multiple Nash equilibria and it was not clear which of them should be picked. In this paper we fill this gap by defining a new solution to the general problem of how to choose between multiple Nash equilibria, for arbitrary 2-player normal-form games. This solution is based on the assumption that the agent will play either ‘side’ of the game (i.e. as row-player or as column-player) equally often, or with equal probability. We then apply this to the concession game, which ties up the loose ends of our previous work and results in a proper, well-defined, solution to the bargaining problem. The striking conclusion, is that for rational and purely self-interested agents, in most cases the optimal strategy is to agree to the deal that maximizes the sum of the agents’ utilities and not the product of their utilities as the NBS prescribes.
Multimodal video retrieval with CLIP: a user study
Authors: Alpay Tayfun , Magg Sven , Broze Philipp , Speck Daniel
Published: September 2023

Recent machine learning advances demonstrate the effectiveness of zero-shot models trained on large amounts of data collected from the internet. Among these, CLIP (Contrastive Language-Image Pre-training) has been introduced as a multimodal model with high accuracy on a number of different tasks and domains. However, the unconstrained nature of the model begs the question whether it can be deployed in open-domain real-word applications effectively in front of non-technical users. In this paper, we evaluate whether CLIP can be used for multimodal video retrieval in a real-world environment. For this purpose, we implemented impa, an efficient shot-based retrieval system powered by CLIP. We additionally implemented advanced query functionality in a unified graphical user interface to facilitate an intuitive and efficient usage of CLIP for video retrieval tasks. Finally, we empirically evaluated our retrieval system by performing a user study with video editing professionals and journalists working in the TV news media industry. After having the participants solve open-domain video retrieval tasks, we collected data via questionnaires, interviews, and UI interaction logs. Our evaluation focused on the perceived intuitiveness of retrieval using natural language, retrieval accuracy, and how users interacted with the system’s UI. We found that our advanced features yield higher task accuracy, user ratings, and more efficient queries. Overall, our results show the importance of designing intuitive and efficient user interfaces to be able to deploy large models such as CLIP effectively in real-world scenarios.
Water quality prediction using machine learning models based on grid search method
Authors: Shams Mahmoud Y. , Elshewey Ahmed M. , El-kenawy El-Sayed M. , Ibrahim Abdelhameed , Talaat Fatma M. , Tarek Zahraa
Published: September 2023

Water quality is very dominant for humans, animals, plants, industries, and the environment. In the last decades, the quality of water has been impacted by contamination and pollution. In this paper, the challenge is to anticipate Water Quality Index (WQI) and Water Quality Classification (WQC), such that WQI is a vital indicator for water validity. In this study, parameters optimization and tuning are utilized to improve the accuracy of several machine learning models, where the machine learning techniques are utilized for the process of predicting WQI and WQC. Grid search is a vital method used for optimizing and tuning the parameters for four classification models and also, for optimizing and tuning the parameters for four regression models. Random forest (RF) model, Extreme Gradient Boosting (Xgboost) model, Gradient Boosting (GB) model, and Adaptive Boosting (AdaBoost) model are used as classification models for predicting WQC. K-nearest neighbor (KNN) regressor model, decision tree (DT) regressor model, support vector regressor (SVR) model, and multi-layer perceptron (MLP) regressor model are used as regression models for predicting WQI. In addition, preprocessing step including, data imputation (mean imputation) and data normalization were performed to fit the data and make it convenient for any further processing. The dataset used in this study includes 7 features and 1991 instances. To examine the efficacy of the classification approaches, five assessment metrics were computed: accuracy, recall, precision, Matthews's Correlation Coefficient (MCC), and F1 score. To assess the effectiveness of the regression models, four assessment metrics were computed: Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Median Absolute Error (MedAE), Mean Square Error (MSE), and coefficient of determination (R2). In terms of classification, the testing findings showed that the GB model produced the best results, with an accuracy of 99.50% when predicting WQC values. According to the experimental results, the MLP regressor model outperformed other models in regression and achieved an R2 value of 99.8% while predicting WQI values.
Structural comparison of allophycocyanin variants reveals the molecular basis for their spectral differences
Authors: Gisriel Christopher J. , Elias Eduard , Shen Gaozhong , Soulier Nathan T. , Brudvig Gary W. , Croce Roberta , Bryant Donald A.
Published: September 2023

Allophycocyanins are phycobiliproteins that absorb red light and transfer the energy to the reaction centers of oxygenic photosynthesis in cyanobacteria and red algae. Recently, it was shown that some allophycocyanins absorb far-red light and that one subset of these allophycocyanins, comprising subunits from the ApcD4 and ApcB3 subfamilies (FRL-AP), form helical nanotubes. The lowest energy absorbance maximum of the oligomeric ApcD4-ApcB3 complexes occurs at 709 nm, which is unlike allophycocyanin (AP; ApcA-ApcB) and allophycocyanin B (AP-B; ApcD-ApcB) trimers that absorb maximally at ~ 650 nm and ~ 670 nm, respectively. The molecular bases of the different spectra of AP variants are presently unclear. To address this, we structurally compared FRL-AP with AP and AP-B, performed spectroscopic analyses on FRL-AP, and leveraged computational approaches. We show that among AP variants, the α-subunit constrains pyrrole ring A of its phycocyanobilin chromophore to different extents, and the coplanarity of ring A with rings B and C sets a baseline for the absorbance maximum of the chromophore. Upon oligomerization, the α-chromophores of all AP variants exhibit a red shift of the absorbance maximum of ~ 25 to 30 nm and band narrowing. We exclude excitonic coupling in FRL-AP as the basis for this red shift and extend the results to discuss AP and AP-B. Instead, we attribute these spectral changes to a conformational alteration of pyrrole ring D, which becomes more coplanar with rings B and C upon oligomerization. This study expands the molecular understanding of light-harvesting attributes of phycobiliproteins and will aid in designing phycobiliproteins for biotechnological applications.
Sources of antibiotics for acute respiratory infection in children aged <5 years children in South Asia: A multicountry study
Authors: Biswas Md Abdullah Al Jubayer , Monjur Mohammad Riashad ,   South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, Hassan Md. Zakiul , Homaira Nusrat
Published: September 2023

Background: In South Asia, a region of almost 2 billion people across 8 countries, acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are associated with significant morbidity and mortality in children aged <5 years. Although ~80% of ARIs are due to viral etiology and are often self-limiting, they remain the single largest reason for antibiotic use in children aged <5 years in South Asia. We investigated the sources and dispensing pattern of antibiotics for ARIs in children aged <5 years in South Asia. Methods: We analyzed nationally representative, population-based, publicly available household survey data from 6 South Asian countries’ Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS): Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, and Pakistan. The outcome of interest was the source of antibiotics for children aged <5 years who reportedly had symptoms compatible with ARI (cough, fever, and runny nose) and had received antibiotics for the ARI episode in the 2 weeks preceding the survey. We used a generalized estimating equation with an exchangeable correlation structure to account for country-specific cluster-level correlation to estimate the odds of sources of antibiotics usage. Models were adjusted for age, sex, type of place of residence, wealth index, and parents’ education. To analyze the data, we used the sample weight supplied by the DHS to ensure that our results appropriately reflect the target population in each of the countries studied. Results: In total, across the 6 South Asian countries, 24,104 children aged <5 years had symptoms of ARI, 7,587 (31%; 95% CI, 30–33) from received antibiotics. A higher proportion of antibiotic usage for ARIs episodes occurred in Afghanistan (66%), followed by Maldives (53%), Pakistan (45%), and Nepal (43%). Regarding the source of antibiotics, a higher proportion of antibiotics was obtained from the private medical sector in India, followed by unqualified sources in Bangladesh, and the public sector in Afghanistan. Our adjusted multivariable analysis revealed that, in comparison to the public sector, participants were 2.6 times (aOR, 2.6; 95% CI, 1.6–4.3) more likely to receive antibiotics from private medical sector drug sources in Nepal and 1.3 times more likely (aOR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.1–1.5) in Afghanistan. Conclusions: In South Asian countries, the private medical sector was the most common primary source of antibiotics for children with ARIs. Targeted efforts to create awareness around antibiotic dispensing and guidelines to improve practices may curtail the use of antibiotics for ARIs in children aged <5 years in South Asia.

Disclosures: None
SPSVO: a self-supervised surgical perception stereo visual odometer for endoscopy
Authors: Zhao Junjie , Luo Yang , Li Qimin , Baddour Natalie , Hossen Md Sulayman
Published: September 2023

Accurate tracking and reconstruction of surgical scenes is a critical enabling technology toward autonomous robotic surgery. In endoscopic examinations, computer vision has provided assistance in many aspects, such as aiding in diagnosis or scene reconstruction. Estimation of camera motion and scene reconstruction from intra-abdominal images are challenging due to irregular illumination and weak texture of endoscopic images. Current surgical 3D perception algorithms for camera and object pose estimation rely on geometric information (e.g., points, lines, and surfaces) obtained from optical images. Unfortunately, standard hand-crafted local features for pose estimation usually do not perform well in laparoscopic environments. In this paper, a novel self-supervised Surgical Perception Stereo Visual Odometer (SPSVO) framework is proposed to accurately estimate endoscopic pose and better assist surgeons in locating and diagnosing lesions. The proposed SPSVO system combines a self-learning feature extraction method and a self-supervised matching procedure to overcome the adverse effects of irregular illumination in endoscopic images. The framework of the proposed SPSVO includes image pre-processing, feature extraction, stereo matching, feature tracking, keyframe selection, and pose graph optimization. The SPSVO can simultaneously associate the appearance of extracted feature points and textural information for fast and accurate feature tracking. A nonlinear pose graph optimization method is adopted to facilitate the backend process. The effectiveness of the proposed SPSVO framework is demonstrated on a public endoscopic dataset, with the obtained root mean square error of trajectory tracking reaching 0.278 to 0.690 mm. The computation speed of the proposed SPSVO system can reach 71ms per frame.
“Let the Commander Respond”: The Paradox of Obedience in the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces
Authors: Orbach Danny , Bohrer Ziv
Published: September 2023

Between 1870 and 1945, the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy provided uniquely broad legal protection to subordinates who perpetrated crimes under the orders of military superiors. Legal immunity was provided not only to soldiers who obeyed orders contrary to international law, but also to those who under orders violated domestic standing legislation of the Japanese Army. This gave rise to a so-called “paradox of obedience”: while disobedience among officers was rampant, their subordinates were expected to unquestionably obey their orders, even in rebellion against the Japanese government. This mix of blatant disobedience to the system at large on the one hand, and blind obedience to immediate superiors on the other, was a remarkable feature of the Imperial Japanese armed forces. Drawing on legal codes, court cases and juridic writings, we analyze how this “paradox of obedience” encouraged mutinies as well as atrocities, especially in the 1930s and during the Asia-Pacific War.
Final Report of the ILA Committee on Participation in Global Cultural Heritage Governance
Authors: Starrenburg Sophie
Published: September 2023

International cultural heritage regimes such as the World Heritage Convention have faced increasing scrutiny with regard to the impact of heritage governance on local communities. An oft-posited solution to this problem is to increase the possibilities for these communities to participate in decisions that will potentially affect the heritage they live in, with, or around. For international lawyers, this discussion is usually framed through the lens of the right to take part in cultural life guaranteed by human rights law. This case note reflects on theFinal Reportof the International Law Association’s Committee on Participation in Global Cultural Heritage Governance, which analyzes the current state of the law on these issues and formulates several proposals for its future development. The case note underlines the potentialities of human rights-based approaches to heritage management and the importance of adopting a cross-sectoral approach to participation in international governance.
Do business cycles result from stochastic shocks?
Authors: Zhu Yi
Published: September 2023

According to the real business cycle theory, business cycles mainly result from random exogenous shocks. In this paper, this argument is tested. I extend the Wald–Wolfowitz runs test under the assumption that a recession lasts for two periods at least and an expansion lasts for
$k$
periods at least with k ≥ 2. I apply the extended runs test to the three two-valued data recession-expansion series generated by the National Bureau of Economic Research and the Center for Economic and Policy Research. The test results reject the null hypothesis that they are generated in a random way for any
$k$
even at the 1% significance level.
Choroidal morphology and microvascular structure in eyes of patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus before and after ventriculo-peritoneal shunt surgery
Authors: Valsecchi Nicola , Roda Matilde , Febbraro Simone , Wrona Diana , Marega Giulia , Palandri Giorgio , Giannini Giulia , Milletti David , Schiavi Costantino , Fontana Luigi
Published: September 2023

The present study aims to investigate the choroidal morphology and microvascular structure in eyes of patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) compared with the eyes of healthy age-matched individuals, and to assess the choroidal structure in eyes of iNPH patients before and after shunt surgery using Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT). The primary objective was to assess the choroidal morphology in eyes of iNPH patients before and after ventriculo-peritoneal (VP) surgery compared to age and sex-matched healthy individuals. The secondary objective was to compare the choroidal morphology of iNPH patients before and after a mean of 56 days from shunt surgery. Eighteen consecutive patients diagnosed with iNPH and 18 healthy controls were prospectively recruited between November 2021 and October 2022. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) with enhanced depth imaging (EDI) was conducted before and within 4 months after shunt surgery. Images were binarized using the ImageJ software, and the choroidal vascular index (CVI) was calculated. Sub-foveal choroidal thickness (SFCT), total choroidal area (TCA), luminal choroidal area (LCA), and stromal choroidal area (SCA) were significantly increased in iNPH patients before surgery compared to the control group (p < 0.05). SFCT, TCA, and SCA were significantly increased in iNPH patients after surgery compared to the control group (p < 0.05). There were no differences in the CVI between iNPH patients and controls. No statistical differences in the choroidal structure were observed before and after VP shunt surgery (p > 0.05). In conclusion, the choroid was thicker in iNPH patients before and after VP shunt compared to age-matched healthy individuals. However, there were no difference in the choroidal microstructure in the eyes of iNPH patients before and after a mean of 3 months from VP shunt surgery.
Direct Methane Conversion: An Industrial View
Authors: Powell Joseph B. , van Bavel Alexander P.
Published: September 2023

Methane in natural gas can be converted to C1 products or hydrogen via “indirect” formation of synthesis gas for proven technology deployed in large-scale commercial projects. Direct conversion to C2+ products has not been commercialized due to lower yields, despite the potential to utilize a lower-cost feedstock. For future sustainable development, choosing direct conversion of natural gas must consider circularity of chemical products and supply chains. The alternative synthesis of chemicals from bio-based feedstocks or using carbon derived from direct air capture (DAC) of CO2 would allow direct incineration at end of life without increasing fossil CO2 footprints, whereas similar products derived from direct conversion of fossil-derived natural gas would require the addition of carbon capture and storage for end-of-life incineration. Direct conversion of lower concentrations of methane present in the refinery and process off-gas mixtures to C2+ products, as an alternative to combustion as process fuel, is an attractive proposition for reducing carbon footprints and improving circularity. Given the emerging role for hydrogen in decarbonizing industry and enabling zero emission vehicles in the transport sector, the direct conversion of methane to hydrogen and sequestered solid carbon products via methane pyrolysis is another potential use for direct methane conversion.
Differential cellular responses to FDA-approved nanomedicines: an exploration of albumin-based nanocarriers and liposomes in protein corona formation
Authors: Putri Athika Darumas , Hsu Ming-Jen , Han Chia-Li , Chao Fang-Ching , Hsu Chun-Hua , Lorenz Christian D. , Hsieh Chien-Ming
Published: September 2023

Albumin nanoparticles attract less serum protein adsorption than liposomes and hard corona proteins on albumin nanoparticles elicit higher cellular uptake. Coarse-grained molecular simulations reveal the biological mechanism of protein corona.
One-pot synthesis of thioethers from indoles and p-quinone methides using thiourea as a sulfur source
Authors: Kumar Pradeep , Saxena Deepanshi , Maitra Rahul , Chopra Sidharth , Narender T.
Published: September 2023

A simple and efficient protocol has been developed to access thioethers by reacting indoles with p-quinone methides using thiourea as a sulfur source.
Using machine learning ensemble method for detection of energy theft in smart meters
Authors: Kawoosa Asif Iqbal , Prashar Deepak , Faheem Muhammad , Jha Nishant , Khan Arfat Ahmad
Published: September 2023

Electricity theft is a primary concern for utility providers, as it leads to substantial financial losses. To address the issue, a novel extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost)‐based model utilizing the consumers’ electricity consumption patterns for analysis is proposed for electricity theft detection (ETD). To remove the imbalance in the real‐world electricity consumption dataset and ensure an even distribution of theft and non‐theft data instances, six different artificially created theft attacks were used. Moreover, the utilization of the XGBoost algorithm for classification, especially to identify malicious instances of electricity theft, yielded commendable accuracy rates and a minimal occurrence of false positives. The proposed model identifies electricity theft specific to the regions, utilizing electricity consumption parameters, and other variables as input features. The authors’ model outperformed existing benchmarks like k‐neural networks, light gradient boost, random forest, support vector machine, decision tree, and AdaBoost. The simulation results using the false attacks for balancing the dataset have improved the proposed model's performance, achieving a precision, recall, and F1‐score of 96%, 95%, and 95%, respectively. The results of the detection rate and the false positive rate (FPR) of the proposed XGBoost‐based detection model have achieved 96% and 3%, respectively.
Detection of intended and unintended emissions from Starlink satellites in the SKA-Low frequency range, at the SKA-Low site, with an SKA-Low station analogue
Authors: Grigg D. , Tingay S. J. , Sokolowski M. , Wayth R. B. , Indermuehle B. , Prabu S.
Published: September 2023

Context. Intended and unintended radio emissions from satellites can interfere with sensitive radio telescopes in the frequency ranges of key experiments in astrophysics and cosmology. We detect strong intended and unintended electromagnetic radiation from Starlink satellites at the site of the future SKA-Low facility in Western Australia, using an SKA-Low prototype station known as the Engineering Development Array version 2 (EDA2).

Aims. We aim to show that Starlink satellites are easily detectable utilising a configuration of low frequency radio antennas representative of an SKA-Low ‘station’ and that our results complement similar findings with the LOFAR telescope.

Methods. Utilising the EDA2 at frequencies of 137.5 MHz and 159.4 MHz, we detected trains of Starlink satellites on March 17 and 18, 2023, and November 16 and 17, 2021, respectively, via the formation of all-sky images with a frequency resolution of 0.926 MHz and a time resolution of 2 s. Time differencing techniques were utilised to isolate and characterise the transmissions from Starlink and other satellites.

Results. We observed Starlink satellites reaching intensities of 106 Jy beam−1, with the detected transmissions exhibiting a range of behaviours, from periodic bursts to steady transmission. The results are notable because they demonstrate that Starlink satellites are detected in the SKA-Low frequency range, transmitting both intentionally and unintentionally. Follow-up work and discussion are needed to identify the cause of this unintentional radiation as it has the potential to interfere with SKA-Low science. It is likely that the transmission levels will need to be reduced by orders of magnitude to bring the impact on radio astronomy to potentially manageable levels.

Conclusions. Our results indicate that both intended and unintended radiation from Starlink satellites will be detrimental to key SKA science goals without mitigation. A continued conversation with SpaceX could potentially result in future mitigations which the EDA2 instrument could efficiently monitor and characterise at the SKA-Low site.