bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Exposure Meter of Lijiang Fiber-fed High-Resolution Spectrograph
Authors: Yu Xiao-Guang , Ji Kai-Fan , Zhang Xi-Liang , Chang Liang , Cai Yun-Fang , Qin Ying , Shang Zhen-Hong
Published: August 2023

In 2016, an exposure meter was installed on the Lijiang Fiber-fed High-Resolution Spectrograph to monitor the coupling of starlight to the science fiber during observations. Based on it, we investigated a method to estimate the exposure flux of the CCD in real time by using the counts of the photomultiplier tubes (PMT) of the exposure meter, and developed a piece of software to optimize the control of the exposure time. First, by using flat-field lamp observations, we determined that there is a linear and proportional relationship between the total counts of the PMT and the exposure flux of the CCD. Second, using historical observations of different spectral types, the corresponding relational conversion factors were determined and obtained separately. Third, the method was validated using actual observation data, which showed that all values of the coefficient of determination were greater than 0.92. Finally, software was developed to display the counts of the PMT and the estimated exposure flux of the CCD in real-time during the observation, providing a visual reference for optimizing the exposure time control.
Novel approach to reducing uncertainty of drift estimate in international comparisons of relative humidity scales
Authors: Hudoklin D , Georgin E , Kentved A B , Aytekin S O , Benyon R , Begeš G
Published: August 2023

International comparisons of relative humidity scales at the highest level are often challenging because of significant drift of the impedance-based transfer standard, which reduces the accuracy of comparison. Comparisons that are shorter or have fewer participants may be less affected by drift, but ultimately require more inter-linking with their inherent irreproducibility to compare all scales internationally. We addressed these issues in a large comparison of 21 laboratories from the European association of national metrology institutes (EURAMET), covering a range from 10%rh to 95%rh at air temperatures from 10 °C to 70 °C. In it, nine state-of-the-art transfer standards drifted on average between 0,6%rh and 1,8%rh, depending on the measurement point, while the participants can achieve calibration uncertainties on average between 0,2%rh and 1,5%rh. To produce useful comparison data even with significantly drifting transfer standards, we carefully planned the topology of the comparison and the number of transfer standards to be able to partly compensate for drift. This paper focuses on the approach we took in analysing the results to minimise the impact of instrument drift on the comparison outcome. We combined the estimated drift of the transfer standards together with the links drawn between the loops into so-called between-set variability. To calculate the reference value, we used an adjusted Paule-Mandel estimate where we modified the model equations to account for the three interlinked loops and solved for them using a non-linear least-squares fitting. This approach reduced the uncertainty in the drift estimates and the uncertainty in evaluated degrees of equivalence at most, but not all, of the measured values. We discuss the advantages of this approach to consider its applicability in future interlaboratory comparisons.
Gas puff imaging measurements during resonant magnetic perturbations on the HL-2A tokamak
Authors: Yuan J.B. , Xu M. , Yu Y. , Yuan B.D , Nie L. , Wang Z.H. , Sun T.F. , Wu T. , Ke R. , Long T. , Gong S.B. , Ji X.Q. , Li J.Q. ,   HL-2A team
Published: August 2023

The gas puff imaging diagnostic is used for the investigation of the poloidal flow and turbulent fluctuations at the plasma edge and scrape-off layer (SOL) on the HL-2A tokamak. The impact of resonant magnetic perturbations (RMPs) on the edge poloidal velocity (

V
θ

) are investigated and compared during the operation of a stair-like rising RMP coil current (

I

RMP

). The application of the RMP is observed to modify the poloidal velocity significantly. When

I

RMP

exceeds 4 kA, the turbulence poloidal velocity at the edge changes direction from electron to ion diamagnetic drift. This phenomenon is explained by the electron loss along the perturbed radial magnetic field

(

B
r

)

with RMP, with the experimental evidence provided that the edge electric potential increases significantly. A strong impact of the RMP on the properties of plasma density fluctuations in the SOL is also observed. With RMP, both skewness and kurtosis are smaller in the SOL and large-scale turbulence structures (small

k
r

and

k
θ

) are suppressed in both edge and SOL. These results can improve our understanding of the interaction between RMP and edge turbulence and in particular, the edge poloidal flow.
Active–passive mixtures with bulk loading: a minimal active engine in one dimension
Authors: Derivaux Jean-François , Jack Robert L , Cates Michael E
Published: August 2023

We study a one-dimensional mixture of active (run-and-tumble) particles and passive (Brownian) particles, with single-file constraint, in a sawtooth potential. The active particles experience a ratchet effect and this generates a current, which can push passive particles against an applied load. The resulting system operates as an active engine. Using numerical simulations, we analyse the efficiency of this engine and we discuss how it can be optimised. Efficient operation occurs when the active particles self-organise into teams, which can push the passive ones against large loads by leveraging collective behaviour. We discuss how the particle arrangement, conserved under the single-file constraint, affects the engine efficiency. We also show that relaxing this constraint still allows the engine to operate effectively.
Performance analysis of solar PV system for different converter configurations
Authors: Dwivedi Dewang , Maurya Arun Kumar , Gangwar Ayush , Ahmad Anas , Maury Ayush Pratap , Ahuja Hemant
Published: August 2023

In present scenario power electronic converters are of great usage. Almost every electronic industry uses converters in one way or the other. If the converters are integrated with solar PV system, then their various parameters could be thoroughly studied and the most suitable converter could be chosen on the results obtained asper the performance parameters.

This research work presents the thorough analysis of a PV system under different converter configurations. Mainly 6 converters are used in this entire research work Buck converter (Step down chopper), Boost converter (Step up chopper), Buck-Boost converter, Split-pi converter, Flyback converter and Linear voltage regulator. Simulations were done on MATLAB/Simulink and on the basis of it results were obtained graphically.
A Collaboration of VSC with SEIG Based Microgrid in Voltage and Frequency Control
Authors: Parchha Lalit , Ahuja Hemant , Bhargava Vani
Published: August 2023

In the generation, the most widely used generator is synchronous generator (SG) but its cost of producing per kilo watt (kW) power is higher than induction generator (IG). There are many advantages of IG over SG like, IG has small size for per kW output power production it means that the energy density of IG is higher than SG, when operates in parallel IG runs without hunting problem. IG can recover the energy with relatively simple control. IG is an alternative source to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy. Some problems are associated at distribution and generation level when IG operates in an isolated electric system. These problems are mainly caused by in linear changes in load. It results in loss of system reliability. The quality of voltage and frequency also get affected. So, to enhance reliability to control voltage & frequency, a flexible method with power electronic converter is used which control the dynamics of system and provide electrical power support as well simultaneously. When this converter emulates with its control mechanism, it works like a real synchronous generator which is called as VSG. This paper presents the distribution-generation system in collaboration with IG and VSC. VSC controller are designed on the basis of d-q model of converter. Performance of this control strategy is verified through Matlab/Simulink. The simulation result represents the actual behavior of the system against the non-linear loads. It shows the optimization of power and keeping the voltage frequency under a permissible limit.
Machine Learning for Cardiac Arrhythmia Detection: A Systematic Survey
Authors: Singh Geetika , Agarwal Charu , Kaur Inderjeet , Gupta Pradeep
Published: August 2023

A significant global worry is a substantial rise in cardiac arrhythmia cases brought on by improper food and lifestyle choices. Manual analysis of the report of the electrocardiogram to detect the presence of an anomaly is a time-consuming task. Hence, it is necessary to create an automated diagnosis system that can deliver results quickly and accurately. Numerous machine learning-based models were created by researchers working in this field to determine the severity of cardiac arrhythmias. This article provides an organized and thorough assessment of previous research in the field, with a particular emphasis on machine learning methods developed by different authors to detect cardiac arrhythmia. Additionally, covered is the performance analysis of the different algorithms. The difficulties associated with developing a model for cardiac arrhythmia and its potential future impact are finally examined in the conclusion section.
Smart Farming: Monitoring of Field Status and Control of Irrigation Using Sensors and Esp8266 Nodemcu Module
Authors: Dwivedi Mahendra Dutt , Kalra Sarika , Dubey Jayant , Kumar Chiyam , Singh Nikhil , Gautam Vipul Kumar
Published: August 2023

The concept of smart work is the trend today, which has assimilated into every walk of life. While agriculture sector is growing but the speed of growth is far less compared to othersectors because of not using new technologies and gadgets. This has led to people migrating from agriculture sector to other sectors in search of better options. This has to be corrected and people have to be made aware about new technologies that are very helpful in assisting them in agricultural works. This project is for farmers whose fields are not close to their home, which is case with majority of farmers, so that they can easily monitor field status from remote place and don’t have to take multiple tris for issues concerning irrigation etc. This project uses NodeMCU to facilitate the communication of data from sensors to servers, from where it is sent to mobile application through Blynk platform for user’s convenience.
BECS-II: an updated bio-inspired electrocommunication system for small underwater robots
Authors: Chen Tansheng , He Hongjie , Xie Guangming
Published: August 2023

Some weakly electric fish can use electric signals to interact and communicate with each other in dark and complex underwater environments where traditional underwater communication fails. In our previous work, we developed a bio-inspired electrocommunication system (BECS) that serves as an effective alternative to traditional methods in this challenging underwater scenario performing communication at a speed of approximately 1200 bps (bits per second) within approximately 3 m. In this study, a novel underwater wireless communication system (BECS-II) is proposed to upgrade the BECS with much better performance. We first propose theoretical and simulation models for electrocommunication, including the effects of the angular frequency and electrode impedance. A custom-made digital communication system is employed in BECS-II to improve the anti-interference ability and channel capacity of the BECS. In addition, a novel circuit optimization strategy was used to develop a customized circuit to enhance the transmitting and receiving capabilities of the BECS-II. Dual-frequency communication is proposed to meet the communication demands of different tasks by taking inspiration from the task allocation and evolution mechanisms of weakly electric fish. The experimental results showed that BECS-II outperformed BECS in high-frequency mode at both the communication speed (approximately 20 kbps) and distance (approximately 10 m), whereas in low-frequency mode, it extended the communication range by transmitting data up to a distance of approximately 20 m at a speed of approximately 200 bps. A substantial increase in the communication distance can expand the robot motion space in a group and improve group flexibility.
Promotion of adipose stem cell transplantation using GelMA hydrogel reinforced by PLCL/ADM short nanofibers
Authors: Ning Xuchao , Liu Na , Sun Tiancai , You Yong , Luo Yanan , Kang Enhao , Chen Zhenyu , Wang Yuanfei , Ren Jizhen
Published: August 2023

Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) show poor survival after transplantation, limiting their clinical application. In this study, a series of poly(l-lactide-co-ϵ-caprolactone) (PLCL)/acellular dermal matrix (ADM) nanofiber scaffolds with different proportions were prepared by electrospinning. By studying their morphology, hydrophilicity, tensile mechanics, and biocompatibility, PLCL/ADM nanofiber scaffolds with the best composition ratio (PLCL:ADM = 7:3) were selected to prepare short nanofibers. And based on this, injectable gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogel loaded with PLCL/ADM short nanofibers (GelMA-Fibers) was constructed as a transplantation vector of ADSCs. ADSCs and GelMA-Fibers were co-cultured, and the optimal loading concentration of PLCL/ADM nanofibers was investigated by cell proliferation assay, live/dead cell staining, and cytoskeleton staining in vitro. In vivo investigations were also performed by H&E staining, Oil red O staining, and TUNEL staining, and the survival and apoptosis rates of ADSCs transplanted in vivo were analyzed. It was demonstrated that GelMA-Fibers could effectively promote the proliferation of ADSCs in vitro. Most importantly, GelMA-Fibers increased the survival rate of ADSCs transplantation and decreased their apoptosis rate within 14 d. In conclusion, the constructed GelMA-Fibers would provide new ideas and options for stem cell tissue engineering and stem cell-based clinical therapies.
Stressed economies respond more strongly to climate extremes
Authors: Middelanis Robin , Willner Sven Norman , Kuhla Kilian , Quante Lennart , Otto Christian , Levermann Anders
Published: August 2023

Economies experience stress for various reasons such as the global Covid-19 pandemic beginning in 2020. The associated lock-downs caused local economic losses and the disruption of international supply chains. In addition, such stress alters the effects of short-term shocks as caused by climate extremes, especially their propagation through the economic network and the resulting repercussions. Here we show that adverse indirect impacts of tropical cyclones, river floods, and heat stress on global consumption are strongly enhanced when the economy is under stress. This compound effect results from aggravated scarcity causing higher consumer prices. Modeling climate impacts during Covid-19, we find that in a stressed economy with the current network structure, consumption losses due to climate extremes double in the USA and triple in China. The simulated effects intensify when climate shocks grow stronger. Our results emphasize the amplifying role of the interaction between climate change and its socioeconomic backdrop.
Assessing long-distance atmospheric transport of soilborne plant pathogens
Authors: Brodsky Hayes Klemm , Calderón Rocío , Hamilton Douglas S , Li Longlei , Miles Andrew , Pavlick Ryan , Gold Kaitlin M , Crandall Sharifa G , Mahowald Natalie
Published: August 2023

Pathogenic fungi are a leading cause of crop disease and primarily spread through microscopic, durable spores adapted differentially for both persistence and dispersal via soil, animals, water, and/or the atmosphere. Computational Earth system models and air pollution models have been used to simulate atmospheric spore transport for aerial-dispersal-adapted (airborne) rust diseases, but the importance of atmospheric spore transport for soil-dispersal-adapted (soilborne) diseases remains unknown. While a few existing simulation studies have focused on intracontinental dispersion, transoceanic and intercontinental atmospheric transport of soilborne spores entrained in agricultural dust aerosols is understudied and may contribute to disease spread. This study adapts the Community Atmosphere Model, the atmospheric component of the Community Earth System Model, to simulate the global transport of the plant pathogenic soilborne fungus Fusarium oxysporum (F. oxy). Our sensitivity study assesses the model’s accuracy in long-distance aerosol transport and the impact of deposition rate on simulated long-distance spore transport in Summer 2020 during a major dust transport event from Northern Sub-Saharan Africa to the Caribbean and southeastern United States (U.S.). We find that decreasing wet and dry deposition rates by an order of magnitude improves representation of long-distance, trans-Atlantic dust transport. Simulations also suggest that a small number of spores can survive trans-Atlantic transport to be deposited in agricultural zones. This number is dependent on source spore parameterization, which we improved through a literature search to yield a global map of F. oxy spore distribution in source agricultural soils. Using this map and aerosol transport modeling, we show how potentially viable spore numbers in the atmosphere decrease with distance traveled and offer a novel danger index for modeled viable spore deposition in agricultural zones. Our work finds that intercontinental transport of viable spores to cropland is greatest between Eurasia, North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa, suggesting that future observational studies should concentrate on these regions.
Greenhouse gas emissions embodied in the U.S. solar photovoltaic supply chain
Authors: Gan Yu , Elgowainy Amgad , Lu Zifeng , Kelly Jarod C , Wang Michael , Boardman Richard D , Marcinkoski Jason
Published: August 2023

Solar photovoltaic (PV) electricity is considered to be an important source of electricity generation in the quest for net-zero carbon emissions. However, the growth of solar electricity is creating both increased material demands and increased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from silicon and PV manufacturing (also referred to as embodied GHG emissions of solar electricity). Here we analyze the silicon and solar PV supply chain for the United States (U.S.) market and find that the embodied GHG emissions of solar PV panel materials (such as silicon), manufacture, logistics, and installation in the U.S. given the current supply chain are 36 g CO2e kWh−1 of solar electricity generated. Eighty-five percent of the embodied GHG emissions are from PV panel production processes in China and other Asia–Pacific countries. Moving the silicon and PV manufacturing to the U.S. would reduce the embodied GHG emissions of solar electricity by 16% from its current level, primarily because of the lower GHG emission intensity of the U.S. electrical grid and the lower GHG emissions for aluminum electrolysis in North America. Future scenario analysis shows that by 2030, with the U.S. PV domestic supply chain and its decarbonized grid electricity and aluminum production, as well as improving PV conversion efficiency, the embodied GHG emissions of solar electricity in the U.S. will be reduced to 21 g CO2e kWh−1.
Physically based equation representing the forcing-driven precipitation in climate models
Authors: Lee Donghyun , Sparrow Sarah N , Min Seung-Ki , Yeh Sang-Wook , Allen Myles R
Published: August 2023

This study aims to improve our understanding of the response of precipitation to forcings by proposing a physically-based equation that resolves simulated precipitation based on the atmospheric energy budget. The equation considers the balance between latent heat release by precipitation and the sum of the slow response by tropospheric temperature changes and the fast response by abrupt radiative forcing (RF) changes. The equation is tuned with three parameters for each climate model and then adequately reproduces time-varying precipitation. By decomposing the equation, we highlight the slow response as the largest contributor to forcing-driven responses and uncertainty sizes in simulations. The second largest one to uncertainty is the fast-RF response from aerosols or greenhouse gases (GHG), depending on the low or highest Coupled Model Intercomparison Projection 6 future scenarios. The likely range of precipitation change at specific warming levels under GHG removal (GGR) and solar radiation management (SRM) mitigation plans is evaluated by a simple model optimizing the relationship between temperature and decomposed contributions from multi-simulations under three scenarios. The results indicate that GGR has more severe effects from aerosols than GHG for a 1.5 K warming, resulting in 0.91%–1.62% increases in precipitation. In contrast, SRM pathways project much drier conditions than GGR results due to the tropospheric cooling and remaining anthropogenic radiative heating. Overall, the proposed physically-based equation, the decomposition analysis, and our simple model provide valuable insights into the uncertainties under different forcings and mitigation pathways, highlighting the importance of slow and fast responses to human-induced forcings in shaping future precipitation changes.
Microstructure and properties of magnetic field assisted laser wire-filled welded 22MnB5 steel joints
Authors: Zhu Xiaoou , Liu Zhanqi , Yin Guili , Wang Haijiang , Ren Jingtao
Published: August 2023

The magnetic field-assisted laser wire-filled welding test of 1.5 mm automotive 22MnB5 steel is performed to investigate the influence of magnetic field on the microstructure and properties of the welded joints. When no magnetic field is applied, and the laser heat input is 190 J mm−1, the welded joint width and the grain size of the coarse grain region are large. Also, there is an obvious hump defect at the bottom of the weld. Under the same heat input conditions, when a 5 mT and 15 mT steady magnetic field is applied, the thermoelectric magnetic force generated by the magnetic field promoted the flow of molten pool and concentrated laser energy. It is found that the hump defect is eliminated, the width of the welded joint is reduced, the grain size of the coarse grain region is significantly reduced, and the overall hardness of the welded joint is improved. However, different magnetic induction intensities have different effects on the solid phase transformation of the weld. When no magnetic field is added, the weld center is mainly composed of granular bainite and polygonal ferrite due to the slow cooling rate of the molten pool. When the applied magnetic field is 5 mT, the center of the weld is mainly composed of brittle and hard upper bainite because the thermoelectric magnetic force stirs the molten pool and accelerates the cooling rate of the molten pool but the overall mechanical properties of the welded joint were relatively poor. At 15 mT, lath martensite and lower bainite predominate in the weld center due to the increased cooling rate of the molten pool, thereby increasing the overall mechanical properties of the welded joint. Therefore, choosing the appropriate magnetic induction intensity is critical for improving the microstructure and properties of welded joints.
Interpretable delta-learning of GW quasiparticle energies from GGA-DFT
Authors: Fediai Artem , Reiser Patrick , Peña Jorge Enrique Olivares , Wenzel Wolfgang , Friederich Pascal
Published: August 2023

Accurate prediction of the ionization potential and electron affinity energies of small molecules are important for many applications. Density functional theory (DFT) is computationally inexpensive, but can be very inaccurate for frontier orbital energies or ionization energies. The GW method is sufficiently accurate for many relevant applications, but much more expensive than DFT. Here we study how we can learn to predict orbital energies with GW accuracy using machine learning (ML) on molecular graphs and fingerprints using an interpretable delta-learning approach. ML models presented here can be used to predict quasiparticle energies of small organic molecules even beyond the size of the molecules used for training. We furthermore analyze the learned DFT-to-GW corrections by mapping them to specific localized fragments of the molecules, in order to develop an intuitive interpretation of the learned corrections, and thus to better understand DFT errors.
Development and Validation of a Claims-Based Model to Predict Categories of Obesity
Authors: Suissa Karine , Wyss Richard , Lu Zhigang , Bessette Lily G , York Cassandra , Tsacogianis Theodore N , Lin Kueiyu Joshua
Published: August 2023

We developed and validated a claims-based algorithm that classifies patients into obesity categories. Using Medicare (2007–2017) and Medicaid (2000–2014) claims data linked to 2 electronic health record (EHR) systems in Boston, Massachusetts, we identified a cohort of patients with an EHR-based body mass index (BMI) measurement (calculated as weight (kg)/height (m)2). We used regularized regression to select from 137 variables and built generalized linear models to classify patients with BMIs of ≥25, ≥30, and ≥40. We developed the prediction model using EHR system 1 (training set) and validated it in EHR system 2 (validation set). The cohort contained 123,432 patients in the Medicare population and 40,736 patients in the Medicaid population. The model comprised 97 variables in the Medicare set and 95 in the Medicaid set, including BMI-related diagnosis codes, cardiovascular and antidiabetic drugs, and obesity-related comorbidities. The areas under the receiver-operating-characteristic curve in the validation set were 0.72, 0.75, and 0.83 (Medicare) and 0.66, 0.66, and 0.70 (Medicaid) for BMIs of ≥25, ≥30, and ≥40, respectively. The positive predictive values were 81.5%, 80.6%, and 64.7% (Medicare) and 81.6%, 77.5%, and 62.5% (Medicaid), for BMIs of ≥25, ≥30, and ≥40, respectively. The proposed model can identify obesity categories in claims databases when BMI measurements are missing and can be used for confounding adjustment, defining subgroups, or probabilistic bias analysis.
Life Expectancy Changes During the COVID-19 Pandemic, 2019–2021: Highly Racialized Deaths in Young and Middle Adulthood in the United States as Compared With Other High-Income Countries
Authors: Masters Ryan K , Aron Laudan Y , Woolf Steven H
Published: August 2023

We estimated changes in life expectancy between 2019 and 2021 in the United States (in the total population and separately for 5 racial/ethnic groups) and 20 high-income peer countries. For each country’s total population, we decomposed the 2019–2020 and 2020–2021 changes in life expectancy by age. For US populations, we also decomposed the life expectancy changes by age and number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) deaths. Decreases in US life expectancy in 2020 (1.86 years) and 2021 (0.55 years) exceeded mean changes in peer countries (a 0.39-year decrease and a 0.23-year increase, respectively) and disproportionately involved COVID-19 deaths in midlife. In 2020, Native American, Hispanic, Black, and Asian-American populations experienced larger decreases in life expectancy and greater losses in midlife than did the White population. In 2021, the White population experienced the largest decrease in US life expectancy, although life expectancy in the Native American and Black populations remained much lower. US losses during the pandemic were more severe than in peer countries and disproportionately involved young and middle-aged adults, especially adults of this age in racialized populations. The mortality consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic deepened a US disadvantage in longevity that has been growing for decades and exacerbated long-standing racial inequities in US mortality.
Light intensity mediates phenotypic plasticity and leaf trait regionalization in a tank bromeliad
Authors: Lafont Rapnouil Tristan , Gallant Canguilhem Matthieu , Julien Frédéric , Céréghino Régis , Leroy Céline
Published: August 2023

Background and Aims

Phenotypic plasticity allows plants to cope with environmental variability. Plastic responses to the environment have mostly been investigated at the level of individuals (plants) but can also occur within leaves. Yet the latter have been underexplored, as leaves are often treated as functional units with no spatial structure. We investigated the effect of a strong light gradient on plant and leaf traits and examined whether different portions of a leaf show similar or differential responses to light intensity.

Methods

We measured variation in 27 morpho-anatomical and physiological traits of the rosette and leaf portions (i.e. base and apex) of the tank bromeliad Aechmea aquilega (Bromeliaceae) when naturally exposed to a marked gradient of light intensity.

Key Results

The light intensity received by A. aquilega had a strong effect on the structural, biochemical and physiological traits of the entire rosette. Plants exposed to high light intensity were smaller and had wider, shorter, more rigid and more vertical leaves. They also had lower photosynthetic performance and nutrient levels. We found significant differences between the apex and basal portions of the leaf under low-light conditions, and the differences declined or disappeared for most of the traits as light intensity increased (i.e. leaf thickness, adaxial trichome density, abaxial and adaxial trichome surface, and vascular bundle surface and density).

Conclusions

Our results reveal a strong phenotypic plasticity in A. aquilega, particularly in the form of a steep functional gradient within the leaf under low-light conditions. Under high-light conditions, trait values were relatively uniform along the leaf. This study sheds interesting new light on the functional complexity of tank bromeliad leaves, and on the effect of environmental conditions on leaf trait regionalization.
XIV—Hegel and Fichte: Two Early Critiques of Capitalism
Authors: Honneth Axel
Published: August 2023

In what follows, I attempt to reconstruct Fichte’s and Hegel’s reasons for developing at almost the same time two very different conceptions of a rational economic order. Whereas Hegel, on the basis of his objective notion of reason, would recommend that a rational state, founded on the notion of right, should include a strictly confined, socially embedded market economy, Fichte, on the basis of his subjective notion of reason, thought instead that the very same state must adopt an economic order that might well be described as a ‘planned economy’. Throughout the article I discuss whether it is the stark differences in their methodological premisses or their very different ideas about the individual freedom to be institutionalized in the economic sphere that helps us understand their respective notions of a rational economy.
DBPMod: a supervised learning model for computational recognition of DNA-binding proteins in model organisms
Authors: Pradhan Upendra K , Meher Prabina K , Naha Sanchita , Sharma Nitesh K , Agarwal Aarushi , Gupta Ajit , Parsad Rajender
Published: August 2023

DNA-binding proteins (DBPs) play critical roles in many biological processes, including gene expression, DNA replication, recombination and repair. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying these processes depends on the precise identification of DBPs. In recent times, several computational methods have been developed to identify DBPs. However, because of the generic nature of the models, these models are unable to identify species-specific DBPs with higher accuracy. Therefore, a species-specific computational model is needed to predict species-specific DBPs. In this paper, we introduce the computational DBPMod method, which makes use of a machine learning approach to identify species-specific DBPs. For prediction, both shallow learning algorithms and deep learning models were used, with shallow learning models achieving higher accuracy. Additionally, the evolutionary features outperformed sequence-derived features in terms of accuracy. Five model organisms, including Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila melanogaster, Escherichia coli, Homo sapiens and Mus musculus, were used to assess the performance of DBPMod. Five-fold cross-validation and independent test set analyses were used to evaluate the prediction accuracy in terms of area under receiver operating characteristic curve (auROC) and area under precision-recall curve (auPRC), which was found to be ~89–92% and ~89–95%, respectively. The comparative results demonstrate that the DBPMod outperforms 12 current state-of-the-art computational approaches in identifying the DBPs for all five model organisms. We further developed the web server of DBPMod to make it easier for researchers to detect DBPs and is publicly available at https://iasri-sg.icar.gov.in/dbpmod/. DBPMod is expected to be an invaluable tool for discovering DBPs, supplementing the current experimental and computational methods.
More efficient exact group invariance testing: using a representative subgroup
Authors: Koning N W , Hemerik J
Published: August 2023

We consider testing invariance of a distribution under an algebraic group of transformations, such as permutations or sign flips. As such groups are typically huge, tests based on the full group are often computationally infeasible. Hence, it is standard practice to use a random subset of transformations. We improve upon this by replacing the random subset with a strategically chosen, fixed subgroup of transformations. In a generalized location model, we show that the resulting tests are often consistent for lower signal-to-noise ratios. Moreover, we establish an analogy between the power improvement and switching from a t-test to a Z-test under normality. Importantly, in permutation-based multiple testing, the efficiency gain with our approach can be huge, since we attain the same power with many fewer permutations.
Characterization of sperm and implications for male fertility in the last of the Rhynchocephalians
Authors: Lamar Sarah K , Nelson Nicola J , Ormsby Diane K
Published: August 2023

Managing a species of conservation concern can be best achieved when there is information on the reproductive physiology of both sexes available; however, many species lack this critical, baseline information. One such species, the tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus), is the last surviving member of one of the four reptile orders (Rhynchocephalia) and is the only reptile known to lack a male intromittent organ. Culturally and evolutionarily significant, the conservation of this species is a global priority for the maintenance of biodiversity. In light of this, we characterized the morphology, viability and swim speed of mature tuatara sperm for the first time. We found that tuatara sperm are filiform and bear the remarkably conserved three-part sperm structure seen across the animal kingdom. Tuatara sperm are long (mean total length 166 μm), with an approximate head:midpiece:tail ratio of 15:1:17. While tuatara sperm are capable of high levels of within-mating viability (94.53%), the mean viability across all samples was 58.80%. Finally, tuatara sperm had a mean curvilinear velocity swim speed (μ × s − 1) of 82.28. At the population level, there were no differences in viability or mean swim speed between sperm collected from a male’s first mating of a season and repeat matings; however, the maximum sperm swim speed increased in observed repeated matings relative to first matings. Interestingly, faster sperm samples had shorter midpieces, but had greater viability and longer head and tail sections. This work expands our understanding of male reproductive characteristics and their variation to a new order, provides wild references for the assessment of captive individuals, lays the groundwork for potential assisted reproductive techniques and highlights variation in male reproductive potential as an important factor for consideration in future conservation programs for this unique species.
Childhood and spatial hermeneutics in tertiary education: pathways to place-based learning
Authors: Barratt-Peacock Ruth
Published: August 2023

Spatial hermeneutics is a key topic in Australian literary studies. This article asserts that the same attention should be paid to space in Australian children’s literature in tertiary education. Because the discursive nature of childhood and postmodern geography are challenging and highly abstract concepts for undergraduates, this article details two place-based approaches for tertiary teaching on children’s literature and childhood with a particular focus on the Australian children’s texts May Gibb’s 1914 classic GumnutBabies,1 Mem Fox’s Possum Magic (1983),2 and the more recent Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan (2008).3
Effects of weight loss in heart failure patients with overweight and obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Chi Meixuan , Nie Yangfan , Su Yue , Wang Naijuan , Li Anan , Ma Tianyu , Hou Yunying
Published: August 2023

Aims

To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the impact of weight loss (WL) on the prognosis of overweight and obese patients with heart failure (HF).

Methods and results

We reviewed the literature up to 1 February 2023 from PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Chinese databases for cohort studies, and randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Data from eligible studies were extracted, and statistical analyses were performed using Review Manager 5.3. A total of 19 studies (involving 449 882 patients) were included in the systematic review and meta-analyses. The results showed that WL did not reduce the mortality and rehospitalization rates in overweight and obese HF patients, but could improve the quality of life (P = 0.002), cardiac function (P = 0.0001), and exercise capacity (P = 0.03). The subgroup analysis showed that WL from bariatric surgery (BS) reduced the risk of death (P < 0.00001), WL from medication or exercise was not significantly associated with the risk of death (P = 0.18), and WL was associated with a higher mortality in the subgroup with unspecified WL modality or unintentional WL (P < 0.00001). In addition, it did not reduce the risk of short-term rehospitalization (P = 0.11), but reduced the rehospitalization rates over the long-term (P = 0.03).

Conclusion

WL improves the long-term rehospitalization (>3 months), quality of life, cardiac function, and exercise capacity in overweight and obese HF patients. Although overall WL is not proven effective, subgroup analysis shows that BS can reduce mortality.
Impact of COVID-19 epidemic on temporal pattern of new HIV diagnoses in Italy, 2021 database
Authors: Dorrucci Maria , Regine Vincenza , Pugliese Lucia , Suligoi Barbara
Published: August 2023

Background

New HIV diagnoses in Italy decreased drastically in 2020 due to COVID-19 related effects: 50% fewer diagnoses were reported by the National HIV Surveillance System. COVID-19 pandemic impact on HIV surveillance is unclear. We estimated the expected number of new HIV diagnoses in 2020 in order to isolate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

We analyzed 29 697 new HIV infections diagnosed from 2012 to 2020, reported to the National HIV Surveillance System. We assessed temporal trends of new HIV diagnoses applying negative binomial mixed effects models. We estimated the COVID-19 impact as the difference between the model-estimated slopes from 2012 to 2019 and the change reported in the diagnoses. The expected number of new HIV diagnoses in 2020 was also estimated and compared with the reported count.

Results

Based on the historical trend, we expected a 15% (95% CI: 5–25%) decline of new HIV diagnoses in 2020. We reported, however, a 49% decrease, yielding to a 34% net decrease in the number of new diagnoses. The strongest impact was estimated in northern regions (−40%) and MSM (−38%). We estimated 761 (95% prediction interval: 350–1277) missed diagnoses during 2020, the majority of them occurring in the North (465 cases), among MSM (416) and heterosexual males (217).

Conclusions

In 2020, when excluding 15% decrease of new diagnoses attributable to the expected reduction, an additional 34% decrease was observed, representing a large decline in new HIV diagnoses associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Apilactobacillus kunkeei releases RNA-associated membrane vesicles and proteinaceous nanoparticles
Authors: Seeger Christian , Dyrhage Karl , Näslund Kristina , Andersson Siv G E
Published: August 2023

Extracellularly released particles, including membrane vesicles, have increasingly been recognized as important for bacterial community functions and host-interaction processes, but their compositions and functional roles differ between species and also between strains of the same species. In this study, we have determined the composition of membrane vesicles and protein particles identified in the cell-free pellets of two strains of Apilactobacillus kunkeei, a defensive symbiont of honeybees. The membrane vesicles were separated from the extracellular particles using density gradient ultracentrifugation. The peaks of the RNA and protein distributions were separated from each other and the highest concentration of RNA was observed in the fractions that contained the membrane vesicles while the highest protein concentration coincided with the fractions that contained extracellular particles. A comparative proteomics analysis by LC-MS/MS showed that 37 proteins with type-I signal peptides were consistently identified across the fractionated samples obtained from the cell-free pellets, of which 29 were orthologs detected in both strains. Functional predictions of the extracellular proteins revealed the presence of glycoside hydrolases, glycosyltransferases, giant proteins and peptidases. The extracellular transcriptomes mapped to a broad set of genes with a similar functional profile as the whole cell transcriptome. This study provides insights into the composition of membrane vesicles and extracellular proteins of a bee-associated symbiont.
A Quantitative, Genome-Wide Analysis in Drosophila Reveals Transposable Elements’ Influence on Gene Expression Is Species-Specific
Authors: Fablet Marie , Salces-Ortiz Judit , Jacquet Angelo , Menezes Bianca F , Dechaud Corentin , Veber Philippe , Rebollo Rita , Vieira Cristina
Published: August 2023

Transposable elements (TEs) are parasite DNA sequences that are able to move and multiply along the chromosomes of all genomes. They can be controlled by the host through the targeting of silencing epigenetic marks, which may affect the chromatin structure of neighboring sequences, including genes. In this study, we used transcriptomic and epigenomic high-throughput data produced from ovarian samples of several Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila simulans wild-type strains, in order to finely quantify the influence of TE insertions on gene RNA levels and histone marks (H3K9me3 and H3K4me3). Our results reveal a stronger epigenetic effect of TEs on ortholog genes in D. simulans compared with D. melanogaster. At the same time, we uncover a larger contribution of TEs to gene H3K9me3 variance within genomes in D. melanogaster, which is evidenced by a stronger correlation of TE numbers around genes with the levels of this chromatin mark in D. melanogaster. Overall, this work contributes to the understanding of species-specific influence of TEs within genomes. It provides a new light on the considerable natural variability provided by TEs, which may be associated with contrasted adaptive and evolutionary potentials.
Prevalence Estimates of Arthritis and Activity-Limiting Pain Among Family Caregivers to Older Adults
Authors: Turner Shelbie G , Robinson Jamaica R M , Pillemer Karl A , Reid M Carrington
Published: August 2023

Background and Objectives

Little is known about the prevalence of physical pain among family caregivers to older adults. We used national survey data to assess the relative prevalence of caregivers’ arthritis and activity-limiting bothersome pain by caregiver and care-recipient characteristics to identify which caregivers may be at a higher risk for physical pain.

Research Design and Methods

We analyzed data collected from 1,930 caregivers who participated in the National Study on Caregiving (2017). We utilized modified Poisson models to estimate adjusted associations of caregiver and care-recipient characteristics with the relative prevalence of arthritis and bothersome pain.

Results

Forty percent of caregivers had a lifetime diagnosis of arthritis. Seventy-five percent of caregivers with arthritis reported bothersome pain, nearly 30% of whom endorsed bothersome pain that limited their activities on most or every day of the previous month (i.e., activity-limiting bothersome pain). Regardless of whether they had arthritis, 51% of the sample reported bothersome pain in the previous month, 24% of whom indicated activity-limiting bothersome pain. Caregivers who were older or more highly educated had a higher prevalence of arthritis. Black caregivers had a lower prevalence of arthritis and activity-limiting bothersome pain compared to White caregivers. Caregivers with physical difficulty providing care had a higher prevalence of arthritis and activity-limiting bothersome pain than caregivers without physical difficulty providing care.

Discussion and Implications

Arthritis and activity-limiting bothersome pain are highly prevalent among caregivers. Given increased prevalence of pain among certain caregivers, it may be efficient to target these groups for pain management interventions.
Essential Cases: Contract Law
Authors: Jackson Nicola
Published: August 2023

Essential Cases: Contract Law provides a bridge between course textbooks and key case judgments. Essential Cases provides you with succinct summaries of some of the landmark and most influential cases in contract law. Each summary begins with a review of the main case facts and decision. The summary is then concluded with expert commentary on the case from the author, Nicola Jackson, including an assessment of the wider questions raised by the decision.

It can act as a succinct reference source alongside your core textbooks as you proceed through your course. It can also be used as a stand-alone revision aid as you approach examinations. But central to the Essential Cases series is the aim to encourage your own critical exploration of the legal matters under discussion.

Where possible, a link to a free-to-access full version of the judgment is included in each summary, providing you with an opportunity to deepen your understanding by reading the judgment of the court for yourself.