bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Unraveling the Multifunctional Sites of Ag Single‐Atom and Nanoparticles Confined Within Carbon Nitride Nanotubes for Synergistic Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution
Authors: Sun Yue , Lin Jingkai , Yang Weiwei , Chen Xinqing , Zhang Huayang , Liu Yazi , Qi Haifeng , Song Bingyu , Zuo Gancheng , Yang Shaogui , He Huan , Yu Fei , Chen Zupeng
Published: November 2024

The development of novel nano‐single‐atom‐site catalysts with optimized electron configurations and active water adsorption (*H2O) to release hydrogen protons (*H) is paramount for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution (PHE), a multi‐step reaction process involving two electrons. In this study, an atom‐confinement and thermal reduction strategy is introduced to achieve synergistic Ag single‐atoms (Ag1) and nanoparticles (AgNPs) confined within carbon nitride nanotubes (Ag1+NPs‐CN) for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. Mechanistic investigations reveal that H2O adsorption/dissociation predominantly occurs at Ag1 sites, while AgNPs sites notably facilitate H2 release, indicating the synergistic effect between Ag1 and AgNPs in the H2 evolution reaction. Furthermore, the effective confining of Ag species is beneficial for trapping electrons in highly active reaction regions, while the “electronic metal‐support interactions” (EMSIs) of AgNPs and Ag1‐C2N sites regulate the d‐band centers and effectively optimize the adsorption/desorption of intermediates in photocatalytic hydrogen evolution, leading to enhanced H2 production performance. This work demonstrates the potential of the construction of synergistic photocatalysts for efficient energy conversion and storage; Hydrogen production; Nanoparticles; Photocatalysis; Single atom; and Synergistic effect.
Revealing the Effect of Curvature Structure in Hard Carbon Anodes for Lithium/Sodium Ion Batteries
Authors: Feng Xin , Wu Feng , Fu Yanke , Li Ying , Gong Yuteng , Ma Xiaoyue , Zhang Ping , Wu Chuan , Bai Ying
Published: November 2024

Heteroatom doping is the most common means to enhance the Li+/Na+ ions storage of hard carbon (HC). The explanation of the storage mechanism of heteroatom‐doped HC is to increase the active site or widen the layer spacing while ignoring the effect of local bending structure induced by it. Meanwhile, the storage mechanism by the localized bending structure also lacks in‐depth study. Herein, a locally curved configuration and an amorphous structure are designed by introducing different heteroatoms, respectively, and the mechanism of the two types of structures on the Li+/Na+ ions storage is explored. The density functional theory (DFT) calculation shows that the adsorption energy of Li+/Na+ ions is optimal at the appropriate curvature of 27.72 m−1. Serving as anode for lithium/sodium ion batteries in ester electrolytes, the optimized HCs demonstrate satisfied specific capacity and high‐rate capability, respectively. Furthermore, the charging capacity below 1.0 V of HC with suitable curvature microstructure reaches 84.8% and 90.1% of the total charge capacity, confirming that the curvature defects can better control the delithiation/desodiation process, and provide a higher energy density. This study enlightens new insights into the storage mechanisms of Li+/Na+ ions and provides guidance for better design of heteroatom‐doped carbon anodes with superior performance.
Numerical Investigation on Heat Transfer Efficiency from Gas to Scrap in Feeding System of 100 t Consteel Electric Arc Furnace
Authors: Zhu Hong‐Chun , Pan Tao , Ni Zhuo‐Wen , Jiang Zhou‐Hua , Li Hua‐Bing , Lu Hong‐Bin , Yang Ce , He Zhi‐Yu , Feng Hao , Zhang Shu‐Cai
Published: November 2024

The Consteel electric arc furnace (EAF) has gained rapid development in the field of EAF steelmaking due to its advantageous features including short tap‐to‐tap time, low production energy consumption, and waste heat recovery. However, the low heat transfer efficiency from gas to scrap has remained a persistent technical challenge in Consteel EAF. This research establishes a scrap preheating model for the Consteel EAF to comprehensively investigate the heat transfer efficiency from gas to scrap. The calculation results demonstrate that the heat transfer efficiency from gas to scrap can be effectively enhanced by increasing the initial gas velocity and scrap porosity. Specifically, raising the initial gas velocity from 0.9 to 1.5 m s−1 improves convective and radiative heat exchange, leading to increased heat transfer efficiency from gas to scrap at the same positions within the scrap layer. Moreover, increasing the scrap porosity from 0.92 to 0.98 significantly enhances the heat transfer efficiency through augmented radiation heat exchange. Notably, the improvement in heat transfer efficiency resulting from increased porosity is considerably greater than that achieved through increased gas velocity. The findings of this study hold significant practical implications for the actual field production operations in the horizontal continuous feeding system of EAF.
Event Analysis Through QuoteKG: A Multilingual Knowledge Graph of Quotes
Authors: Kuculo Tin , Gottschalk Simon
Published: November 2024

Significant moments in history are often remarked upon by public figures in the form of quotes. As evidence of character traits and future political or personal decisions, quotes provide insight into the actions of their originators. The impact of a quote crosses language barriers and influences the public’s reaction to specific political stances. Nevertheless, effectively collating, attributing and analysing these quotes across languages remain challenging. Existing efforts have made strides in quote collections and analyses, yet several limitations persist, including a lack of context information, a labour-intensive extraction process and missing alignment of quote mentions across languages. Building upon QuoteKG, a multilingual knowledge graph of quotes that already addresses some of the aforementioned limitations, we present an approach for aligning quotes with event knowledge. QuoteKG is based on Wikiquote, a free and collaboratively created collection of quotes in many languages. Containing nearly one million quotes in 55 languages said by 69,000 people of public interest, QuoteKG extracts and aligns different mentions and contexts of quotes across a wide range of topics. We show that QuoteKG can be aligned with event knowledge. We use this alignment to enrich and analyse event-centric information by providing rich semantic context to important world events. QuoteKG is publicly available and can be accessed via a SPARQL endpoint.
A French Hotel in Lima, Russia in Paris, and Theatre Laws in Transylvania: On Migration, Travel, and Transnational Female Theatre Historiography
Authors: Groß Martina
Published: November 2024

This chapter provides a comparative insight into the complex interrelation of travel writing and migration literature. Focusing on the idea of a transnational female theatre historiography, Martina Groß also shows how travel writing and historical migration research can be linked and what potential is inherent in travelogues as sources for historical migration research. Using the travel and migration experiences of nineteenth-century women (Flora Tristan, Minna Wohlgeboren-Wohlbrück, Juliane Déry), their literary documentation, and aesthetic reflection, similarities and differences between migration and travel experiences are analysed in terms of cultural hybridity, the experience of alterity, and the transfer of (artistic) knowledge. Referring to the mechanisms that exclude female voices in theatre history, the chapter concludes with a plea for the perspective of a transnational female theatre historiography.
Travelling Along ‘Untrodden Tracts’: Joachim Stocqueler and the Making of Early Colonial Theatre in India
Authors: Basu Priyanka
Published: November 2024

Basu offers a critical historical study of the early years of theatre-making in colonial India through the life and writings of Joachim Stocqueler, a prolific traveller, journalist, and theatre-maker. Beginning with images of ship journeys as drawing the Empire closer, the chapter moves on to explore how Stocqueler’s twin vocations of journalism and theatre-making offer a much more fluid and mobile view of theatre histories as opposed to rigid post-colonial historiographies. Underscoring the need for exploring the lives and labours of early actresses on the colonial English stage, the chapter offers a close reading of Stocqueler’s own memoirs as a rich primary resource. In conclusion, it brings Stocqueler’s travels, vocations, and voice together to push the boundaries of understanding the life and work of theatre-migrants.
From Cape Workers and ‘Carriers of Culture’: Migration, Citizenship, and Race in the German Empire
Authors: Skwirblies Lisa
Published: November 2024

The chapter queries theatre-migration through the lens of colonialism and empire. It focuses on two performance repertoires in the former colony of German South-West Africa that reveal the extent to which discourses on migration and citizenship were entangled in debates about ‘race’ in imperial Germany: the German colonial settlers regularly organised theatre and literary societies in the service of empire in the late nineteenth century, while the so-called Cape workers, a large group of African labour migrants from the neighbouring British Cape colony who came to work in the diamond mines of the colony at the beginning of the twentieth century, regularly staged performance events that challenged the strict racial-segregation laws in place under German colonial rule.
Pitch Perfect: Impressing Your Audience As an Entrepreneur
Authors: Kuckertz Andreas , Leicht Thomas , Scheu Maximilian , da Silva Wagner Indra , Ebersberger Bernd
Published: November 2024

In this chapter, you will learn what a pitch is and what it contains, focusing on preparing a compelling pitch. We guide you to practice pitching and prepare for the stage, emphasizing the importance of audience diversity and the dynamics of pitching to different audiences. We will detail the components of a pitch and explain the relationship between content, visualization, and performance. We offer insights into delivering information, creating curiosity, and being memorable, along with a comprehensive checklist for a successful pitch. Additionally, you will learn how to react to questions, demonstrate entrepreneurial ability with confidence, and be aware of what a pitch is not, helping you avoid common pitfalls and misconceptions. We offer advice for immediate action.
Antibiotikaverschreibung in urologischen Kliniken Deutschlands: Ergebnisse einer Querschnittstudie
Authors: Kern Winfried V. , Baumann Jürgen , Först Gesche , Kramme Evelyn , Steib-Bauert Michaela , Kranz Jennifer , Magistro Giuseppe , de With Katja
Published: November 2024

Hintergrund

Die Antibiotikaverordnung bei stationären Patienten unterscheidet sich je nach Fachrichtung sowohl hinsichtlich der Intensität als auch bezüglich des Wirkstoffspektrums.

Ziel der Arbeit

Es wird eine Analyse und Bewertung der aktuellen Daten zur Antibiotikaverbrauchsdichte (AD) in deutschen urologischen Fachabteilungen durchgeführt.

Material und Methoden

Die Antibiotikaverordnungsdaten von 107 urologischen Fachabteilungen wurden für den Zeitraum 2022/23 ausgewertet. Die Berechnung der AD erfolgte als Tagesdosen (festgelegt nach Empfehlungen für erwachsene stationäre Patienten, sog. „recommended daily doses“, RDD) pro 100 Pflegetage (RDD/100).

Ergebnisse

Die AD betrug im Median 71 RDD/100 mit einer großen Spannweite von minimal 15,9 bis maximal 138,7 RDD/100. Es gab keine signifikanten Unterschiede nach Krankenhausgröße. Fluorchinolone waren mit einer medianen AD von 6,0 RDD/100 nach Cephalosporinen der dritten bzw. vierten Generation (Median 16,2 RDD/100), Aminopenicillin/Betalaktamaseinhibitor-Kombinationen (Median 10,8 RDD/100) und Piperacillin-Tazobactam bzw. Piperacillin (Median 8,9 RDD/100) die viertstärkste Substanzgruppe. Das Verhältnis Penicilline zu Cephalosporinen schwankte zwischen 6:94 und 98:2 (insgesamt 52:48). Aminoglykoside (< 1 %) und intravenöses Fosfomycin (< 0,1 %) hatten nur einen sehr kleinen Anteil an den Verordnungen. Cotrimoxazol (Median 4,0 RDD/100) wurde seltener als Fluorchinolone verordnet. Der Anteil oraler Antibiotika betrug insgesamt 44,7 % und schwankte nach Krankenhausgröße wenig. Dabei wurden Fosfomycin, Pivmecillinam, Nitrofurantoin und Nitroxolin deutlich seltener verordnet als orale Betalaktame, Fluorchinolone und Cotrimoxazol.

Schlussfolgerung

Die AD in der Urologie schwankte auch 2022/23 erheblich. Betalaktame wurden mit Abstand am häufigsten verordnet. Fluorchinolone – vielfach oral – werden weiterhin eingesetzt, ihr Verbrauch schwankt ähnlich der gesamten AD erheblich und unabhängig von der Krankenhausgröße. Die bei der akuten unkomplizierten Zystitis empfohlenen Antibiotika spielen mengenmäßig im stationären Setting eine untergeordnete Rolle. Penicilline und Cotrimoxazol sollten vermehrt als Behandlungsalternative berücksichtigt werden. Auch intravenöses Fosfomycin oder Aminoglykoside sollten als Optionen bei ansonsten resistenten Erregern betrachtet werden.
Aggregating credences into beliefs: agenda conditions for impossibility results
Authors: Wang Minkyung , Kim Chisu
Published: November 2024

Hybrid belief aggregation addresses aggregation of individual probabilistic beliefs into collective binary beliefs. In line with the development of judgment aggregation theory, our research delves into the identification of precise agenda conditions associated with some key impossibility theorems in the context of hybrid belief aggregation. We determine the necessary and sufficient level of logical interconnection between the propositions in an agenda for some key impossibilities to arise. Specifically, we prove three characterization theorems about hybrid belief aggregation: (i) Precisely the path-connected and pair-negatable agendas lead to the ‘oligarchy result’—only oligarchic rules satisfy universal domain, proposition-wise independence, respect for unanimity, and deductive closure of collective beliefs. (ii) Precisely the negation-connected agendas lead to the ‘triviality result’—only unanimity rules satisfy those conditions as well as anonymity. (iii) Precisely the blocked agendas lead to the ‘non-existence result’—no rules satisfy those conditions as well as completeness and consistency of collective beliefs. Furthermore, we compare these novel findings with existing agenda-theoretic characterization theorems in the domains of judgment aggregation and belief binarization.
Matthew 7:3—a response to Kingsland and Taiz (2024)
Authors: Minorsky Peter V.
Published: November 2024

I present here a rebuttal to an article in this volume wherein Kingsland and Taiz (2024) cast aspersions about an article I have written concerning Sir Jagadis Chandra Bose (Minorsky PV, in Plant Signal Behav 16:1818030, 2021) a brilliant Bengali scientist who was a pioneer not only in physics (microwaves and semi-conductors), but also in elucidating the electrophysiological responses of plants to environmental stimuli. The charge of racism that I have levelled at Bose’s most powerful and well-connected botanical adversary in the 1920s, Daniel T. MacDougal, is irrefutable: MacDougal was a racist, his racism extended to South Asians, and he used racist epithets in referring to Bose. MacDougal offered no cogent arguments against Bose’s electrophysiological measurements but attacked Bose with the racist trope that South Asians were “mystics.” MacDougal wielded his political and editorial clout to publicize faulty research in opposition to Bose while ignoring a sizable body of contemporaneous evidence in support of Bose’s ideas. Unfortunately, given MacDougal’s stature as the General Secretary of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the racist tenor of the time, many Western scientists were too ready to accept uncritically MacDougal’s proclamations that Bose was a fraud, an incompetent, and a “Hindoo” mystic. Bose was one of the greatest minds to ever contemplate plant function. It is high time that we, in the West, redress this historical wrong, and acknowledge Bose’s enormous and revolutionary contributions to plant physiology.
BFAR: improving radar odometry estimation using a bounded false alarm rate detector
Authors: Alhashimi Anas , Adolfsson Daniel , Andreasson Henrik , Lilienthal Achim , Magnusson Martin
Published: November 2024

This work introduces a novel detector, bounded false-alarm rate (BFAR), for distinguishing true detections from noise in radar data, leading to improved accuracy in radar odometry estimation. Scanning frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radars can serve as valuable tools for localization and mapping under low visibility conditions. However, they tend to yield a higher level of noise in comparison to the more commonly employed lidars, thereby introducing additional challenges to the detection process. We propose a new radar target detector called BFAR which uses an affine transformation of the estimated noise level compared to the classical constant false-alarm rate (CFAR) detector. This transformation employs learned parameters that minimize the error in odometry estimation. Conceptually, BFAR can be viewed as an optimized blend of CFAR and fixed-level thresholding designed to minimize odometry estimation error. The strength of this approach lies in its simplicity. Only a single parameter needs to be learned from a training dataset when the affine transformation scale parameter is maintained. Compared to ad-hoc detectors, BFAR has the advantage of a specified upper-bound for the false-alarm probability, and better noise handling than CFAR. Repeatability tests show that BFAR yields highly repeatable detections with minimal redundancy. We have conducted simulations to compare the detection and false-alarm probabilities of BFAR with those of three baselines in non-homogeneous noise and varying target sizes. The results show that BFAR outperforms the other detectors. Moreover, We apply BFAR to the use case of radar odometry, and adapt a recent odometry pipeline, replacing its original conservative filtering with BFAR. In this way, we reduce the translation/rotation odometry errors/100 m from 1.3%/0.4$$^\circ $$

∘

to 1.12%/0.38$$^\circ $$

∘

, and from 1.62%/0.57$$^\circ $$

∘

to 1.21%/0.32$$^\circ $$

∘

, improving translation error by 14.2% and 25% on Oxford and Mulran public data sets, respectively.
Cycling of dissolved organic nutrients and indications for nutrient limitations in contrasting Amazon rainforest ecosystems
Authors: Lange D. Frederik , Schröter Simon A. , da Luz Fernanda M. , Pires Elaine , Santos Yago R. , da Silva Jonismar S. , Hildmann Stefanie , Hoffmann Thorsten , Ferreira Sávio J. F. , Schäfer Thorsten , Quesada Carlos A. , Simon Carsten , Gleixner Gerd
Published: November 2024

In the nutrient-poor soils of the Amazon rainforest, phosphorus (P) emerges as a critical limiting factor for ecosystem productivity. Despite these limitations, the Amazon exhibits remarkable productivity that is maintained by its efficient nutrient recycling mechanisms. Central to this process is the role of organic matter, particularly its dissolved (DOM) fraction, which serves as a crucial nutrient reservoir for both plants and microorganisms. This study delves into the dynamics of nutrient-containing DOM within the soils of two contrasting rainforest ecosystems: clayey terra firme forests, known for their robust nutrient recycling and presumed P-limitation, and sandy white-sand forests, characterized by reduced nutrient recycling capacity and presumed nitrogen (N)-limitation. Utilizing ultra-high resolution mass spectrometry (HR-MS), we analyzed the molecular composition of dissolved organic nutrient species. We evidenced nutrient limitation applying innovative concepts: (1) assessing nutrient depletion in DOM via nutrient-to-carbon ratios, (2) comparing the composition of nutrient-enriched DOM pools across soil depth profiles to infer microbial nutrient processing, and (3) examining the temporal variability of nutrient-containing DOM as an indicator of nutrient uptake and production. Our results corroborate the hypothesis of P-limitation in terra firme forests, with significant processing of N-containing DOM also observed, indicating a synergistic demand for both P and N. Surprisingly, white-sand soils exhibited no signs of N-limitation but instead sulfur (S)-limitation, a novel finding for these ecosystems. This study highlights the diversity of potential nutrient limitations in the central Amazon and the importance of the bioavailable “black box” DOM for tropical nutrient cycles.
Enduring Outcomes of Family-focused Youth Care: A Systematic Review of Child, Parent and Family Functioning After Care and at Follow-up
Authors: Janssen Bernadette M. , Mathijssen Jolanda J. P. , Van Bakel Hedwig J. A.
Published: November 2024

Background

Given the impact of growing up in vulnerable families on opportunities in life and the large numbers of families with severe parenting and child functioning problems who repeatedly receive some form of youth care, it is important to investigate the long-term outcomes of the provided care.

Objective

This study aimed to investigate whether outcomes endure over a longer period of time, by exploring the effects of family-focused youth care on child, parental and family functioning at the end of care and at follow-up moments.

Method

A systematic search was conducted in three databases (Psycinfo, Web of Science and ERIC), using search terms matching youth care and long-term effects. Effects between start and end of care, between end and follow up moments and between start and follow up moments on child, parent and family functioning were systematically mapped out.

Results

Twenty-six articles were included describing effects of family-focused youth care at post treatment and at least one follow-up moment. The results demonstrated positive outcomes in short and longer term as improvement was found in child, parent and family functioning at the end of care and follow-up moments.

Conclusions

Despite the positive outcomes, determining long-term effects of youth care turned out to be difficult, as most studies organize follow-up moments within one year of the end of care. Moreover, there may also be an intertwined effect of the provided and possible follow-up care. More longitudinal research with follow-up moments over multiple years is required to investigate the durability of outcomes.
On Being Accepted: Interrogating How University Cultural Scripts Shape Personal and Political Facets of Belonging
Authors: Covarrubias Rebecca
Published: November 2024

Belonging is personal and political. As a fundamental human need, belonging is about self-acceptance and about feeling “accepted” by others. And yet, this process of acceptance is inextricably tied to structures of power that work to include and exclude. Structures of whiteness within higher education systems, for example, relegate low-income, first-generation-to-college students of color to the margins and undermine their capacity and desire to belong. This makes the task of developing institutional practices that foster belonging complex. Such a task prompts important questions about what “acceptance” looks like. For example, in what ways can practices of acceptance attend to existing power structures? Under what conditions can acceptance occur so as not to solely expect students to assimilate or to silence important parts of themselves? How can practices of acceptance recognize the diverse belonging needs of marginalized students and the politics surrounding those needs? To answer these questions, I utilize frameworks that reveal the paradoxes of belonging—the push and pull of being accepted in spaces that marginalize the self. Specifically, drawing from a place-belongingness and politics of belonging framework, I first provide a foundation for understanding the personal and political components of belonging for marginalized students. I then review harmful institutional practices of “acceptance” and discuss more transformative practices that sustain students’ cultural identities. Illuminating the personal and political facets of what it means to be accepted provides a pathway for reimaging who can, wants, and gets to belong.
The Epistemic Policies of Anti-Ageing Medicines in the European Union
Authors: Marín Penella Guillermo
Published: November 2024

Anti-ageing medicines are products intended to extend lifespan and healthspan in humans that have a good potential use in public health policies. In the European Union, their development, production and consumption are dependent on regulatory science performed by the European Medicines Agency and its associated epistemic policies. They impose, among other things, an unfavourable burden of proof, a strict standard of proof and meta-methodological constrictions related to some theoretical issues. This results in a distribution of errors that tends to reduce false positives while increasing false negatives, leading to a set of social consequences that are generally accepted when the focus is placed on conventional medicines. However, when the same epistemic policies are applied to anti-ageing medicines, the distribution of errors is imbalanced, and undesirable outcomes like research discouragement and waiting time extensions appear. Three possible strategies that policymakers could implement to unblock the situation are presented for future reflection: the consideration of ageing as a disease, the application of methodological asymmetry and the use of biomarkers during clinical research.
Metabolomics and dual proteomics identify contrasting patterns of major pathways affected in asparagus shoot upon Fusarium infection
Authors: Witzel Katja , Djalali Farahani-Kofoet Roxana , Döll Stefanie , Lindemann Viktoria , Cramer Benedikt , Humpf Hans-Ulrich , Zrenner Rita
Published: November 2024

Aims

Infections with soil-borne pathogens have considerable detrimental effects on asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) growth and production, notably caused by the Fusarium species F. oxysporum f.sp. asparagi, F. proliferatum, and F. redolens. To get insight into the systemic effects of fungal infection on plant physiology to identify candidate resistance traits, we investigated this interaction using a multi omics approach.

Methods

Asparagus plants were inoculated with one of the three Fusarium species. After 8 weeks, basal stem parts were harvested and subjected to metabolome and proteome analysis as well as detection of fungal DNA.

Results

Upon infection, the pathogen spreads systemically from the root to the shoot and, consequently, fungal DNA and mycotoxins were detected in the basal part of the plant stem. Metabolite data revealed that the main pathway affected by Fusarium infections was “Fatty acids”, specifically the superclasses “Glycerophospholipids”, “Glycerolipids” and “Sphingolipids” being lower abundant upon infection. Another main pathway identified in the analysis was “Shikimates and Phenylpropanoids” with compounds assigned to these classes being mainly enriched upon infection. Proteome data revealed an induction of pathogen-defense proteins upon infection in asparagus, while proteins involved in vesicle trafficking and lipid metabolism were lower abundant.

Conclusions

This indicates that not only lipid-based signaling processes are distorted by Fusarium, but also fundamental processes such as vesicle formation, membrane integrity and cell wall organization. In planta proteome analysis of F. oxysporum led to the identification of 1,488 fungal proteins, including proteins involved in metabolic and cellular processes as well as putative virulence factors.
New Insights into the Stiffness and Strength of Flax Composites from Tsai’s Modulus and the Area of the Failure Envelope
Authors: Cantera Maria Asun
Published: November 2024

There is a growing trend toward the use of natural fibers as reinforcing materials, with flax being a significant part of this market. The mechanical properties of these polymer composites, like those of synthetic fibers, are governed by parameters and material invariants. The challenge is to minimize these parameters, and to reveal these invariants to make stiffness and strength easily comparable with each other and with other composites, while avoiding excessive complexity. To this end, a simple methodology has been developed using the following parameters: Tsai’s modulus or the trace of the stiffness tensor and the area of the Omni Failure Envelope in stress space. Based on the analysis of significant published experimental data on flax composites, new insights were found. The trace-normalized longitudinal Young modulus is a material property that were found to be 0.77 for tension and 0.67 compression with a coefficient of variation of 5.6% and 15%, respectively. The area of the Omni Failure Envelopes and the strength are linearly related. The use of the proposed parameters and some invariants has been discussed and they are used to compare and rank them with each other and with other composites, including carbon, aramid, and glass fiber-reinforced polymer composites.
The Role of Spring-Neap Phasing of Intermittent Lateral Exchange in the Ecosystem of a Channel-Shoal Estuary
Authors: Engel Lilian , Lucas Lisa , Stacey Mark
Published: November 2024

Lateral variability is a fundamental feature of channel-shoal estuaries, and exchanges between the channel and shoal can play an important role in the dynamics of the ecosystem in each region. This lateral exchange of biomass interacts with vertical structure and variability, particularly in the channel, to define algal biomass accumulation in the estuary. In this paper, we investigate how time-variable lateral exchange affects phytoplankton dynamics with a biophysical model that links two water columns via intermittent exchange. We find that time variability in the exchange influences biomass by increasing concentrations in the shoals and decreasing them in the channel when the time variability happens on a timescale greater than the timescales of biological processes, and the strength of the effect increases with the period of the intermittency. At timescales of variability comparable to the spring-neap cycle, however, the interplay between lateral exchange and the ecosystem response is complicated by the fortnightly development of stratification in the channel and the role that channel-shoal interaction plays in defining that stratification. As a result, for lateral exchange variability with periods of 7 and 14 days, the influence of the shoal ecosystem on the channel ecosystem is sensitive to the phasing of exchange relative to the spring-neap cycle, due to the fact that neap tide exchanges can create stratification events that are larger in magnitude and duration than would occur in the absence of lateral exchange, causing the channel to transition into net positive growth conditions. We conclude that lateral exchange influences the estuarine ecosystem both directly, through the exchange of biomass between shoals with net positive growth and adjoining channels and indirectly through its role in defining stratification events that allow the channel itself to have net positive growth.
Improved Nodal Yields in Laparoscopic Right Hemicolectomy Using Intracorporeal Technique—A Comparative Study
Authors: Naseem Zainab , Ho Kah Ann , Tran Mathew , Hapangama Nipuni , Fitzgerald Kate , Maqbool Abrar , Hargreaves Warren , Jayachandran Narayanan
Published: November 2024

Right-sided colon cancer is now commonly treated by laparoscopic right hemicolectomy (LRH). The best procedure for mesentery dissection and nodal harvesting is still being debated. The purpose of this study is to compare precise intra-corporeal mesentery dissection (ICMD) with extra-corporeal mesentery dissection (ECMD) approaches and assess their impact on nodal harvest during LRH. This paper is also aimed at providing a detailed account of the customised intracorporeal dissection technique. A retrospective analysis of 78 operative cases was performed. The patients were divided into two groups: those with ICMD (n = 30) and those with ECMD (n = 48). The total number of lymph nodes extracted was the primary outcome. The number of positive lymph nodes, length of hospital stay, and surgical complications were some of the secondary objectives. The total number of lymph nodes extracted in the ICMD was considerably higher (p = 0.02). Cancers located in the ascending colon were associated with more lymph nodes than tumours located in the cecum or hepatic flexure (p = 0.001). This study demonstrates that ICMD provides improved nodal yield compared to ECMD in LRH for right-sided colon cancer. The anatomical location of cancer also impacts the nodal number, with tumours in the ascending colon having the highest yield. The findings underscore the importance of precise dissection technique selection to optimise oncological outcomes, suggesting potential further enhancements with the use of robotic surgical systems in accessing challenging anatomical locations.
Limosilactobacillus fermentum KBL674 Alleviates Vaginal Candidiasis
Authors: Jang Sung Jae , Jo Eun Jung , Lee Cheonghoon , Cho Bo-Ram , Shin Yun Jeong , Song Jun Soo , Kim Woon-Ki , Lee Nanhee , Lee Hyungjin , Park SungJun , Ko GwangPyo
Published: November 2024

Candidaalbicans (C. albicans) is the primary etiologic agent of vaginal candidiasis. Lactobacillus species are predominant in the vaginal microbiome; they inhibit the development of vaginal candidiasis by producing antimicrobial agents, such as lactic acid and hydrogen peroxide. In this study, we investigated the effects of Limosilactobacillus fermentum (L. fermentum) KBL674 in a mouse model of vaginal candidiasis. L. fermentum KBL674 inhibited C. albicans hyphal growth. Moreover, oral administration of L. fermentum KBL674 significantly suppressed vaginal C. albicans infection and associated symptoms, including tissue thickness and immune cell infiltration. A substantial quantity of L. fermentum KBL674 was excreted by the mice within 6 h after oral administration, indicating that most L. fermentum KBL674 did not settle within the gastrointestinal tract. L. fermentum KBL674 modulated gut microbiome diversity, increasing abundances of the genera Akkermansia, Eubacterium, and Faecalibaculum and family Muribaculaceae. Abundances of these bacteria showed negative correlations with the vaginal C. albicans burden in the mouse model, suggesting links between the gut microbiome composition and the vaginal C. albicans burden. Therefore, L. fermentum KBL674 can reduce the vaginal C. albicans burden via direct or indirect inhibition and modulation of the gut microbiome composition preventively.

Graphical Abstract
Testing of an indirect ice detection methodology in the Horizon 2020 project SENS4ICE
Authors: Deiler C.
Published: November 2024

Supercooled large droplets (SLD) icing conditions have been the cause of severe aircraft accidents over the last decades. Existing countermeasures, even on modern airplanes, are not necessarily effective against the resulting ice formations, which raises a demand for reliable detection of SLD in all conditions for safe operations. The EU-funded Horizon 2020 project SENS4ICE focused on new ice detection approaches and innovative sensor hybridization to target a fast and reliable (SLD-)ice detection. The performance-based (indirect) ice detection methodology is key to this approach and based on the changes of airplane flight characteristics under icing influence. This paper provides a short overview of the development and implementation of the indirect ice detection (IID) algorithms in SENS4ICE. Moreover, it gives and discusses first exemplary results from the IID tests in classical icing conditions during the SENS4ICE North America flight test campaign conducted in February/March 2023 out of St. Louis Regional Airport in Alton (Illinois, USA).
Recurrent discharges of non-petroleum substances from chemical tankers in Swedish marine Natura 2000 sites are against the aims of EU Directives
Authors: Larsson Kjell , Carlson Ulrica , Stålnacke Erik
Published: November 2024

The transport of non-petroleum substances such as vegetable oils, other bio-based oils and their refined products by chemical tankers is increasing worldwide. The majority of the non-petroleum substances carried by chemical tankers will have detrimental effects on the marine environment if accidentally spilled or discharged during tank washing procedures. Swedish Coast Guard aircrafts detected 233 discharges of floating non-petroleum substances in the Swedish territorial sea and Swedish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) between 2020 and 2023. The majority of the discharges, 84%, were detected in the EEZ. About 14% of the discharges were detected within protected marine Natura 2000 sites. Together, the detected discharges covered 1071 km2 of sea surface. Discharges in marine Natura 2000 sites covered 228 km2. We conclude that the regulations in the IMO MARPOL Annex II convention are not strict enough to meet the objectives of EU nature legislation regarding protection of sensitive seas areas.
Associations Between Instrumented Mouthguard-Measured Head Acceleration Events and Post-Match Biomarkers of Astroglial and Axonal Injury in Male Amateur Australian Football Players
Authors: Evans Lauren J. , O’Brien William T. , Spitz Gershon , Mutimer Steven , Xie Becca , Giesler Lauren P. , Major Brendan P. , Hickey James W. , Roberts Spencer S. H. , Mitra Biswadev , O’Brien Terence J. , Shultz Sandy R. , McDonald Stuart J.
Published: November 2024

Background

Advances in instrumented mouthguards (iMGs) allow for accurate quantification of single high-acceleration head impacts and cumulative head acceleration exposure in collision sports. However, relationships between these measures and risk of brain cell injury remain unclear.

Aim

The purpose of this study was to quantify measures of non-concussive head impact exposure and assess their association with blood glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), neurofilament light (NfL) and phosphorylated-tau-181 (p-tau-181) levels in male Australian football players.

Methods

A total of 31 athletes underwent in-season (24 h post-match) and post-season (> 5 weeks) blood collections and/or wore HITIQ Nexus A9 iMGs measuring peak linear (PLA) and rotational (PRA) acceleration. Match footage was used to verify and code impacts. Blood GFAP, NfL, and p-tau-181 were quantified using Simoa and natural log transformed for analysis. Associations between post-match biomarkers and within match maximum single impact and cumulative PLA/PRA were assessed with linear mixed models.

Results

In-season versus post-season elevations were found for GFAP (mean difference 0.14, 95% CI 0.01–0.26, p = 0.033), NfL (mean difference = 0.21, 95% CI 0.09–0.32, p = 0.001) and p-tau-181 (mean difference = 0.49, 95% CI 0.33–0.65, p < 0.001). Post-match GFAP was associated with maximum single impact PLA (B = 0.003, 95% CI 0.0002–0.005, p = 0.036), cumulative PLA (B = 0.001, 95% CI 0.0002–0.002, p = 0.017), cumulative PRA (B = 0.01, 95% CI 0.002–0.02, p = 0.014), and impact number (B = 0.03, 95% CI 0.003–0.05, p = 0.029) within a single match. Change in NfL levels between two-matches correlated with cumulative PLA (r = 0.80, 95% CI 0.38–0.95, p = 0.005), PRA (r = 0.71, 95% CI 0.19–0.92, p = 0.019) and impact number (r = 0.63, 95% CI 0.05–0.89, p = 0.038).

Conclusion

Maximum and cumulative head accelerations in Australian football, measured by iMGs, were associated with elevated blood biomarkers of brain injury, highlighting the potential of both technologies for head impact management in collision sports.
Distribution of trace elements and rare earth elements in coal from the Bhalukasba Surni coal block, Rajmahal coalfield, Eastern India
Authors: Chakladar Saswati , Kumari Sneha , Kumar Alok , Mohanty Ashok , Chakravarty Sanchita , Kolker Allan
Published: November 2024

Exploration of secondary resources for isolation of valuable constituents, such as rare earth elements (REEs) and trace elements (TEs), is of importance owing to the need to identify new domestic sources and reduce reliance on imports. The present study systematically discusses the distribution of REEs and TEs in core samples from the coal block of Bhalukasba Surni {(B1(125 m)-B9 (409 m)} located in Rajmahal coalfield, Jharkhand, India, which has not been investigated previously for its geochemistry. The studied coal samples were found to be enriched in TEs whose abundances were in the order of Mn > Mo > Zr > Ni > Cr > V > Cu > Zn > Pb, and REEs (La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Dy, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu) along with Sc and Y. The average concentration of REEs with yttrium (ΣREY) on an ash basis was 528 ppm, which is significantly higher than the world average for coal ash (435 ppm). Of the samples investigated, B3 (182–184 m) and B8 (396–399 m) demonstrated relatively higher concentrations of potentially economic elements, with B3 containing a higher proportion of middle to heavy REEs Gd, Dy, Ho and Er, and B8 showing relative enrichment in Nd and Y. On dry whole coal basis, B6 (275–278 m) showed a considerably higher concentration of Ge (55 ppm) than other samples, whereas the concentration of Zr varied in the range of 90–160 ppm in the whole coal block. X-ray diffraction studies revealed the presence of quartz, keatite, hematite, zircon, anatase and orthoclase in the coal ash samples prepared at 815 °C. REEs exhibited prominent positive correlation with Al2O3 (0.4 < r > 0.9) which is supportive of their residence in primary clay minerals such as kaolinite and illite-smectite. Additionally, a positive correlation of REEs with P2O5 (0.4 < r > 0.9) suggests their association with phosphate minerals (such as monazite, xenotime, apatite). Positive correlation with TiO2 (r > 0.7) corroborates the possible association of REEs with anatase. The morphology of the coal ash samples viewed in SEM showed the presence of Al2O3 and SiO2 enriched irregular-sponge particles likely derived from partly-fused clay minerals, which accounted for the lower extent of REE encapsulation. The Bhalukasba Surni coal block is potentially of economic importance due to its enrichment in Ge, Zr, and the REEs.
Genome editing in future crop protection: utilizing CRISPR/Cas9 to improve crop resistance against diseases, pests, and weeds
Authors: Faizal Ahmad , Nugroho Syarul , Sembada Anca Awal , Theda Yohanes , Komariyah Tinta , Esyanti Rizkita Rachmi
Published: November 2024

Increasing population and climate change pose significant threats to global food security by imposing stresses on plants, making them more susceptible to diseases and productivity losses caused by pathogens, pests, and weeds. Traditional breeding strategies are insufficient for rapid development of new plant traits that can outpace this productivity downtrend. Modern advances in genome editing technologies, particularly CRISPR/Cas9, have revolutionised crop protection through precise and targeted genome modifications. This allows for the development of resilient crops with enhanced resistance against pathogens, pests, and weeds. This review explores various approaches with which CRISPR/Cas9 is applied for crop protection: knocking out of susceptibility genes, introduction of resistance genes, and modulation of defence genes. Potential applications of CRISPR/Cas9 in crop protection include the introduction of genes conferring resistance to pathogens, disruption of insect genes responsible for survival and reproduction and engineering of herbicide-resistant crops. In conclusion, CRISPR/Cas9 holds great promises in advancing crop protection and thus ensuring food security amidst environmental and population pressures. This review highlights the transformative potential of genome editing in crop protection and calls for continued research and development in this field.
The recreational value of birding and crane abundance
Authors: Melstrom Richard T. , Nielsen Alex , Reeling Carson
Published: November 2024

We estimate the economic value of birding, which is an important ecosystem service produced by bird populations in recreation areas. Our research identifies the link between values and species richness as well as the abundance of the sandhill crane (Grus canadensis), which migrates each year through our study area. Sandhill crane stopovers at state and federal wildlife areas can attract many birders. We estimate this nonmarket value using the zonal travel cost method and data from the eBird project on wildlife areas in Indiana. We compare crane counts based on eBird with those from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR). We find important differences depending on whether we use eBird or DNR counts. On average, birders are willing to pay $28 per trip to sites in the study area and less than $1 per trip to see an additional species, while the value of 1000 more cranes is either about $1 or $10 per trip depending on how abundance is measured.
Emergency measures? Terrorism and climate change on the security agenda
Authors: McDonald Matt
Published: November 2024

The significantly divergent trajectories of terrorism and climate change as security issues for Western states in the early years of the 21st century represent a puzzle. While sharing some attributes – uncertainty and the primacy of risk-management responses – climate change clearly represents a more fundamental threat to life than terrorism. Despite this, terrorism has occupied a prominent place on states’ security agendas, while climate change has been decidedly marginal. This paper explores this divergence. Employing the securitisation framework, the paper maps the approach to terrorism and climate change as ‘security’ issues among key proponents of the ‘war on terror’, before exploring why these two issues were treated in such different ways. This analysis suggests a clear inclination to define and approach terrorism as an urgent security threat necessitating emergency measures: a willingness not evident in the case of climate change. While noting elements of the latter that militated against its securitisation, the paper points to the role of ideology – the beliefs and commitments of political leaders in particular – in driving choices around the construction of the security agenda. It concludes by suggesting that unlike the response to terrorism, impediments to enacting emergency measures to address the climate crisis remain.
The return of nuclear great power politics (or why we stopped worrying about terrorists and the bomb)
Authors: Futter Andrew , Zala Benjamin
Published: November 2024

With the decline of the Western framing of the war on terror (WoT) in security discourse, it has become commonplace to note the ‘return’ of great power politics. But under-analysed so far have been the nuclear dimensions of this trend. This is important because we are on the cusp of a multipolar order where the ‘poles of power’ are nuclear-armed. We outline the ways in which almost 30 years of perceptions of unipolarity, and particularly the focus on ‘rogue’ and non-state (nuclear) terrorism post 9/11 on the part of Western policy practitioners, analysts, and scholars, allowed for the previous focus on the threat of nuclear war to be supplanted by a wider ‘nuclear security’ agenda. We unpack the return of nuclear threats and risk-taking in the Euro-Atlantic, the nuclear deterrence balance in the Western Pacific, and the emergence of a non-aligned nuclear great power in the Global South. While we argue that managing the dangers of the return of nuclear great power politics will require a dual approach drawing lessons from both from the Cold War ‘balance of terror’ and from an earlier era of a multipolar ‘balance of power’, many key dynamics from the WoT years remain.