bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
What are stakeholder views and needs for achieving phosphorus sustainability?
Authors: Grieger Khara , Merck Ashton , Deviney Alison , Marshall Anna
Published: May 2023

Our society depends on the effective management of phosphorus (P). Phosphorus is a key component of agricultural fertilizers to improve crop yields, and also plays a critical role in many industrial processes and consumer products. In the past decade, there have been numerous calls for innovative approaches to manage P more sustainably, as it is a nonrenewable resource that can adversely impact aquatic ecosystems from runoff and inefficiencies in P use. To develop more sustainable solutions that will ultimately be adopted, diverse stakeholder perspectives must be recognized, including those in industry, government, academia, non-governmental organizations, and other civil groups. This study responds to this need by identifying stakeholder views, needs, concerns, and challenges regarding P sustainability. An online survey was developed and deployed to individuals identified as P sustainability experts and professionals in the U.S. and abroad. Based on responses from 96 stakeholder participants from a range of sectors, areas of expertise, and geographies, we found that the vast majority of stakeholders considered current P use to be unsustainable and were very concerned about the ability to manage P sustainably. Stakeholder participants did not distinguish between urgent and long-term challenges, and perceived financial and regulatory issues to be of greatest importance. Stakeholder participants expressed a range of needs to improve P management systems, including improved management practices, new technologies, enhanced regulations, and better approaches for engagement. Outcomes from this work can help inform future research, engagement, and policy priorities to ensure sustainable P management solutions based on stakeholder-identified perspectives and needs.
Contextualizing inclusion policy: views from Jordanian special education teachers
Authors: Benson Sarah K.
Published: May 2023

Jordan’s 2017 Public Law No. 20, Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act has given rise to a renewed focus on inclusive education. Using a qualitative comparative case study design, the purpose of this study was to examine factors impacting how schools in Jordan are defining, interpreting and enacting inclusion. Four shadow teachers working in schools to promote inclusive education participated in interviews and weekly journaling prompts. Data were analyzed using cultural–historical activity theory (CHAT) and sensemaking. Results showed support for inclusion by the community when there are adequate resources and supportive administration. Additionally, the shadow teachers have taken on a progressive role as coaches to general education teachers, while promoting social inclusion. This study establishes the utility of CHAT and sensemaking in global research on inclusive practices. The results provide areas of strength in Jordanian schools that should be built on to increase inclusion of students with disabilities.
Non-uniform sampling of similar NMR spectra and its application to studies of the interaction between alpha-synuclein and liposomes
Authors: Shchukina Alexandra , Schwarz Thomas C. , Nowakowski Michał , Konrat Robert , Kazimierczuk Krzysztof
Published: May 2023

The accelerated acquisition of multidimensional NMR spectra using sparse non-uniform sampling (NUS) has been widely adopted in recent years. The key concept in NUS is that a major part of the data is omitted during measurement, and then reconstructed using, for example, compressed sensing (CS) methods. CS requires spectra to be compressible, that is, they should contain relatively few “significant” points. The more compressible the spectrum, the fewer experimental NUS points needed in order for it to be accurately reconstructed. In this paper we show that the CS processing of similar spectra can be enhanced by reconstructing only the differences between them. Accurate reconstruction can be obtained at lower sampling levels as the difference is sparser than the spectrum itself. In many situations this method is superior to “conventional” compressed sensing. We exemplify the concept of “difference CS” with one such case—the study of alpha-synuclein binding to liposomes and its dependence on temperature. To obtain information on temperature-dependent transitions between different states, we need to acquire several dozen spectra at various temperatures, with and without the presence of liposomes. Our detailed investigation reveals that changes in the binding modes of the alpha-synuclein ensemble are not only temperature-dependent but also show non-linear behavior in their transitions. Our proposed CS processing approach dramatically reduces the number of NUS points required and thus significantly shortens the experimental time.
Homing and Nest Recognition in Nocturnal Blue Petrels: What Scent May Attract Birds to their Burrows?
Authors: Zidat Timothée , Gabirot Marianne , Bonadonna Francesco , Müller Carsten T.
Published: May 2023

Hypogean petrels return to the same nest burrow to breed on remote islands during the summer months. Their nocturnal behavior at the colony, strong musky odor and olfactory anatomy suggest an important role of olfaction in homing behavior and nest recognition. Behavioral experiments showed that olfactory cues are sufficient to allow nest identification, suggesting a stabile chemical signature emanating from burrows and facilitating nest recognition. However, the chemical nature and sources of this odor remain unknown. To better understand the nest odor composition, we analyzed volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of nests of blue petrels (Halobaena caerulea) derived from three different odor sources: nest air, nest material and feather samples. We also compared, during two successive years, VOCs from burrows with an incubating breeder on the nest, and burrows used during the breeding season by blue petrels but shortly temporally unoccupied by breeders. We found that the nest air odor was mainly formed by the owners’ odor, which provided an individual chemical label for nests that appeared stabile over the breeding season. These findings, together with the previous homing behavioral studies showing an essential role of the sense of smell in blue petrels, strongly suggest that the scent emanating from burrows of blue petrels provides the information that facilitates nest recognition and homing.
Agricultural Intensification and the Evidence from Offsite Survey Archaeology
Authors: Bintliff John
Published: May 2023

The enhancement of crop yields through manuring has been attested since early farming prehistory in many parts of the world. This article reviews the history of research into the potential archaeological evidence for this practice in Europe, the Mediterranean lands and the Near East. The focus is on the interpretation of ceramic data recovered in surface field surveys conducted since 1950 and what sorts of activities may be plausibly inferred from them. The article examines the origins of the model, objections to it, and recent analyses which again strengthen it. A particular case-study analyses the evidence for the protohistoric and early historic periods in Greece. The methodological and empirical arguments tend to strongly reaffirm the importance of artificial manuring in agrarian regimes of all periods, and its significance in furthering understandings of economic and demographic history and prehistory.
Upper Secondary School Science Teachers' Values in Sweden:
Authors: Nordqvist Ola , Jidesjö Anders
Published: May 2023

There is a substantial literature in science education research showing that many students experience a lack of relevance in science education. For this reason, science teachers’ selection of content and the way content is treated when exposed to students for learning purposes is an important part of the problem. In this connection, research show that science teachers’ values strongly influence several aspects of teaching and learning science. Therefore, science teachers’ values are important to investigate, to be empirically informed and to be able to develop science education. Accordingly, there is an increased volume of research studies about teachers’ values in science education and their effects. The study presented here is part of a larger national exploration of biotechnology education in upper secondary schools in Sweden and contributes by showing variation in teachers’ values and relations with practice. Theoretically, the study is rooted in a philosophy of science recognizing the potential importance of teachers’ non-epistemic values. Empirically, it is based on surveyed upper secondary school biology teachers’ views of the importance of including value-laden topics in their science teaching. Their responses were analyzed by latent profile analysis and non-parametric testing, to assess the variation in their views and explore associations with several explanatory factors. The results show that the surveyed teachers could be divided into two distinct groups: one favoring inclusion of value-laden topics in their teaching and another (smaller group) opposed to it. The result also shows a variation in teachers’ selection of topics to teach and their teaching approach, as the former group were more inclined than the latter to include value-laden aspects in their teaching which contributes to the research literature. Furthermore, experienced science teachers were overrepresented in the group holding more negative views, a result not reported elsewhere in the research literature. The importance of the results is discussed in relation with the theoretical framing of non-epistemic values and points out the importance to further investigate underlying causes to science teachers’ expressed values and ways that they might vary temporally together with ways that they cluster, as they are shown to be grouped. The result is also discussed in relation with practice in being able to make use of the evidence to develop science education.
Frege on the introduction of real and complex numbers by abstraction and cross-sortal identity claims
Authors: Schirn Matthias
Published: May 2023

In this article, I try to shed new light on Frege’s envisaged definitional introduction of real and complex numbers inDie Grundlagen der Arithmetik(1884) and the status of cross-sortal identity claims with side glances atGrundgesetze der Arithmetik(vol. I 1893, vol. II 1903). As far as I can see, this topic has not yet been discussed in the context ofGrundlagen. I show why Frege’s strategy in the case of the projected definitions of real and complex numbers inGrundlagenis modelled on his definitional introduction of cardinal numbers in two steps, tentatively via a contextual definition and finally and definitively via an explicit definition. I argue that the strategy leaves a few important questions open, in particular one relating to the status of the envisioned abstraction principles for the real and complex numbers and another concerning the proper handling of cross-sortal identity claims.
PseudoSegRT: efficient pseudo-labelling for intraoperative OCT segmentation
Authors: Huang Yu , Asaria Riaz , Stoyanov Danail , Sarunic Marinko , Bano Sophia
Published: May 2023

Purpose

Robotic ophthalmic microsurgery has significant potential to help improve the success of challenging procedures and overcome the physical limitations of the surgeon. Intraoperative optical coherence tomography (iOCT) has been reported for the visualisation of ophthalmic surgical manoeuvres, where deep learning methods can be used for real-time tissue segmentation and surgical tool tracking. However, many of these methods rely heavily on labelled datasets, where producing annotated segmentation datasets is a time-consuming and tedious task.

Methods

To address this challenge, we propose a robust and efficient semi-supervised method for boundary segmentation in retinal OCT to guide a robotic surgical system. The proposed method uses U-Net as the base model and implements a pseudo-labelling strategy which combines the labelled data with unlabelled OCT scans during training. After training, the model is optimised and accelerated with the use of TensorRT.

Results

Compared with fully supervised learning, the pseudo-labelling method can improve the generalisability of the model and show better performance for unseen data from a different distribution using only 2% of labelled training samples. The accelerated GPU inference takes less than 1 millisecond per frame with FP16 precision.

Conclusion

Our approach demonstrates the potential of using pseudo-labelling strategies in real-time OCT segmentation tasks to guide robotic systems. Furthermore, the accelerated GPU inference of our network is highly promising for segmenting OCT images and guiding the position of a surgical tool (e.g. needle) for sub-retinal injections.
Impact of Hydrogenous Gas Injection on the Blast Furnace Process: A Numerical Investigation
Authors: Mauret Florent , Baniasadi Mehdi , Saxén Henrik , Feiterna Andreas , Hojda Stephan
Published: May 2023

Intensifying hydrogen use in the blast furnace is a key technology for significant coke and CO2 emissions reductions. The most straightforward approach is the implementation of high hydrogenous gas injection rates in the BF tuyeres. Yet this solution has not been widely implemented due to a lack of understanding of the impact on the furnace’s internal state. In this paper, a newly developed BF mathematical model is presented and validated on operation data. The model is next applied to investigate the effect of hydrogenous gas injection on the overall performance and internal state of the furnace. The current state of an industrial BF is used as a starting point, increasing the injection of coke oven gas, natural gas or pure H2 to the maximum where the limits for a safe and stable process are still obeyed. All three gases were found capable of significantly decreasing the coke rate, but only coke oven gas and pure H2 allowed for a significant reduction of the CO2 emissions. It was found that the indirect reduction of H2 is intensified by hydrogen enrichment partially at the expense of indirect reduction by CO. Furthermore, the water gas shift reaction is intensified at increased hydrogenous gas injection, affecting the CO and H2 utilization of the top gas. The study gives an insight into the feasibility of BF processes with high hydrogenous gases injection into the tuyeres and the resulting coke savings.
Effect of Pr3+ Addition on the Electrical Properties of 0.94(Bi0.5Na0.5)TiO3-0.06(Ba0.9Ca0.1)TiO3 Ceramic Obtained by Pechini Method
Authors: Villanueva-Vega Eric , Pradal-Velázquez Emilio , González Federico , Vivar-Ocampo Rodrigo , Díaz-Trujillo Gerardo-César , Reyes-Montero Armando
Published: May 2023

The influence of Pr3+ addition on the structure and electrical properties of (Bi,Na)TiO3-(Ba,Ca)TiO3 solid solution was investigated. In this work, 0.94(Bi0.5−xNa0.5)TiO3-0.06(Ba0.9Ca0.1)TiO3:xPr3+ (BNBCT6:xPr) with x = 0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7 mol% ceramics were prepared via a polymeric complex synthesis (Pechini method). Optimal sintering parameters were chosen in order to obtain dense ceramic microstructures. X-ray diffraction confirmed the presence of a perovskite-like structure in all the synthetized powders and sintered samples. As Pr3+ content increased, a large reduction in grain size was observed. BNBCT6:xPr ceramics showed a phase transition from the field-induced ferroelectric to the relaxor phase at ~ 110 °C and a local maximum around 250 °C. Dielectric permittivity was reduced as Pr3+ doping increased. For x = 0.5 mol%, maximum piezoelectric values (d33 = 115 pC/N, − d31 = 27 pC/N, kp = 25%, and kt = 34%) were obtained, while for x = 0.7 mol%, ferroelectric characteristics (Pr = 14 µC/cm2, and Ec = 34.7 kV/cm) were enhanced. Bulk conductivities extracted from the impedance spectra for BNBCT6:xPr were low, consistent with the insulating characteristic of (Bi,Na)TiO3. The achieved electrical properties suggest that BNBCT6:xPr ceramics are a potential candidate for energy transition applications.
Loop coproduct in Morse and Floer homology
Authors: Cieliebak Kai , Hingston Nancy , Oancea Alexandru
Published: May 2023

By a well-known theorem of Viterbo, the symplectic homology of the cotangent bundle of a closed manifold is isomorphic to the homology of its loop space. In this paper, we extend the scope of this isomorphism in several directions. First, we give a direct definition of Rabinowitz loop homology in terms of Morse theory on the loop space and prove that its product agrees with the pair-of-pants product on Rabinowitz Floer homology. The proof uses compactified moduli spaces of punctured annuli. Second, we prove that, when restricted to positive Floer homology, resp. loop space homology relative to the constant loops, the Viterbo isomorphism intertwines various constructions of secondary pair-of-pants coproducts with the loop homology coproduct. Third, we introduce reduced loop homology, which is a common domain of definition for a canonical reduction of the loop product and for extensions of the loop homology coproduct which together define the structure of a commutative cocommutative unital infinitesimal anti-symmetric bialgebra. Along the way, we show that the Abbondandolo–Schwarz quasi-isomorphism going from the Floer complex of quadratic Hamiltonians to the Morse complex of the energy functional can be turned into a filtered chain isomorphism using linear Hamiltonians and the square root of the energy functional.
Reflections on Putting AI Ethics into Practice: How Three AI Ethics Approaches Conceptualize Theory and Practice
Authors: Bleher Hannah , Braun Matthias
Published: May 2023

Critics currently argue that applied ethics approaches to artificial intelligence (AI) are too principles-oriented and entail a theory–practice gap. Several applied ethical approaches try to prevent such a gap by conceptually translating ethical theory into practice. In this article, we explore how the currently most prominent approaches of AI ethics translate ethics into practice. Therefore, we examine three approaches to applied AI ethics: the embedded ethics approach, the ethically aligned approach, and the Value Sensitive Design (VSD) approach. We analyze each of these three approaches by asking how they understand and conceptualize theory and practice. We outline the conceptual strengths as well as their shortcomings: an embedded ethics approach is context-oriented but risks being biased by it; ethically aligned approaches are principles-oriented but lack justification theories to deal with trade-offs between competing principles; and the interdisciplinary Value Sensitive Design approach is based on stakeholder values but needs linkage to political, legal, or social governance aspects. Against this background, we develop a meta-framework for applied AI ethics conceptions with three dimensions. Based on critical theory, we suggest these dimensions as starting points to critically reflect on the conceptualization of theory and practice. We claim, first, that the inclusion of the dimension of affects and emotions in the ethical decision-making process stimulates reflections on vulnerabilities, experiences of disregard, and marginalization already within the AI development process. Second, we derive from our analysis that considering the dimension of justifying normative background theories provides both standards and criteria as well as guidance for prioritizing or evaluating competing principles in cases of conflict. Third, we argue that reflecting the governance dimension in ethical decision-making is an important factor to reveal power structures as well as to realize ethical AI and its application because this dimension seeks to combine social, legal, technical, and political concerns. This meta-framework can thus serve as a reflective tool for understanding, mapping, and assessing the theory–practice conceptualizations within AI ethics approaches to address and overcome their blind spots.
Double-sided self-pierce riveting: rivet geometry optimization
Authors: Afonso Rafael M. , Alves Luís M.
Published: May 2023

Important developments have been achieved for self-pierce riveting with the utilization of a double-sided tubular rivet that is able to join sheets of similar and dissimilar materials with different and larger thicknesses, while remaining hidden in-between the sheets after the joining process is completed. Nevertheless, the performance of those joints can still be improved by an optimization of the rivet parameters, mainly the chamfered angle of the rivet ends and the ratio between the initial height and thickness of the rivet. In this paper, the correct parameter combination is established by the performance of the obtained joint to shear destructive tests, the requirements of force and energy, as well as the dimension of the protuberance produced above the sheets surface. The influence of the introduction of an additional rivet in the overall performance of the mechanical joint is also discussed. Joints of different thinner and thicker sheets are analysed, as well as the combination between those thicknesses, to extend the range of applications of the new joining by forming process.
A comparative analysis of the CP and CG using 2D and 3D visualisation approaches
Authors: Boulton Matthew , Kwa Faith , Al-Rubaie Ali
Published: May 2023

Investigations on the structural variations in the cribriform plate (CP), olfactory foramina and the Crista Galli showcase the benefits of using 3D imaging on smaller structures. These techniques reveal accurate details about bone morphology and density. Comparing different techniques, this project aims to examine the correlation between the CP, olfactory foramina, and Crista Galli. Computed tomography was used to translate and apply the findings acquired from the samples in radiographic studies on CPs for potential clinical significance. The findings show that the surface area measurements were significantly larger when using 3D imaging techniques in comparison with the 2D counterpart. Using 2D imaging, the maximum surface area of the CPs was 239.54 mm2, however, paired 3D samples showed the maximum surface area was 355.51 mm2. The findings show that Crista Galli’s dimensions varied greatly, with length ranging from 15 to 26 mm, height ranging from 5 to 18 mm, and width ranging from 2 to 7 mm. The 3D imaging allowed for surface area measurements on the Crista Galli, and the surface area ranged from 130 to 390 mm2. When 3D imaging was used, significant correlations were found between the surface area of the CP and the length of the Crista Galli (p = 0.001). The findings show that measurements on the Crista Galli using 2D and 3D reconstructed radiographic imaging reflect similar ranges of dimensions to 3D imaging measurements. The findings also suggest that the Crista Galli may increase in length with the CP to support the latter and olfactory bulb during trauma which may be used by clinicians alongside 2D CT scans for optimal diagnosis.
The role of leisure-time physical activity in youth for lifelong activity—a latent profile analysis with retrospective life course data
Authors: Lenze Lars , Klostermann Claudia , Schmid Julia , Lamprecht Markus , Nagel Siegfried
Published: May 2023

Considering the positive health effects of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA), youth is an important life stage to promote lifelong LTPA. However, the stability of LTPA over the life course is low, and specific predictors of LTPA in youth for lifelong activity have some shortcomings, e.g. neglecting the interacting factors of LTPA within individuals. Therefore, from a person-oriented approach, patterns of LTPA behaviour in youth considering time- and context-related aspects and their relationships with lifelong LTPA were investigated. Life course data from n = 1519 Swiss inhabitants aged between 25 and 76 years were recorded retrospectively using a validated questionnaire (CATI method). Latent profile analyses were used to find the optimal profile solution and for the association with lifelong LTPA auxiliary conditional effect models (controlled for age) were applied. Six distinct patterns emerged. Overall, mostly inactive youth are also the least active in adulthood, whereas several other patterns are associated with a mainly continuous LTPA throughout adulthood. More precisely, multiple constellations in youth occurred to be physically active in at least 80% of the years in adulthood: (1) early starters regarding LTPA in a rather self-organised setting but not with many different LTPAs; (2) late entrants with a variety of different activities and organisational settings; or (3) a high expression in every variable investigated. Consequently, there is not just one type of LTPA behaviour in youth linked to lifelong activity, which indicates that certain aspects of LTPA in youth can be compensated by each other. Implications for LTPA promotion can be derived.
Hyperthermia promotes M1 polarization of macrophages via exosome-mediated HSPB8 transfer in triple negative breast cancer
Authors: Xu Di , Liu Zhen , Liang Ming-Xing , Chen Wen-Quan , Fei Yin‑Jiao , Yang Su-Jin , Wu Yang , Zhang Wei , Tang Jin-Hai
Published: May 2023

Purpose

To investigate the mechanism underlying the modulation of M1 macrophage polarization by exosomes released from hyperthermia-treated triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells.

Materials and methods

In this study, the effects of hyperthermia on TNBC cells were examined using cell counting kit-8, apoptosis, and cell cycle assays. Transmission electron microscopy was used to identify the structure of exosomes, while bicinchoninic acid and nanoparticle tracking analysis were used to detect particle size and amounts of exosomes released after hyperthermia. The polarization of macrophages incubated with exosomes derived by hyperthermia-pretreated TNBC cells were assessed by RT-qPCR and flow cytometry analysis. Next, RNA sequencing was performed to determine the targeting molecules changed in hyperthermia-treated TNBC cells in vitro. Finally, the mechanism underlying the modulation of macrophage polarization by exosomes derived from hyperthermia-treated TNBC cells was examined by using RT-qPCR, immunofluorescence and flow cytometry analysis.

Results

Hyperthermia markedly reduced cell viability in TNBC cells and promoted the secretion of TNBC cell-derived exosomes. The hub genes of hyperthermia-treated TNBC cells were significantly correlated with macrophage infiltration. Additionally, hyperthermia-treated TNBC cell-derived exosomes promoted M1 macrophage polarization. Furthermore, the expression levels of heat shock proteins, including HSPA1A, HSPA1B, HSPA6, and HSPB8, were significantly upregulated upon hyperthermia treatment, with HSPB8 exhibiting the highest upregulation. Moreover, hyperthermia can induce M1 macrophage polarization by promoting exosome-mediated HSPB8 transfer.

Conclusion

This study demonstrated a novel mechanism that hyperthermia can induce M1 polarization of macrophages via exosome-mediated HSPB8 transfer. These results will help with future development of an optimized hyperthermia treatment regime for clinical application, especially for combination treatment with immunotherapy.
Optical music recognition for homophonic scores with neural networks and synthetic music generation
Authors: Alfaro-Contreras María , Iñesta José M. , Calvo-Zaragoza Jorge
Published: May 2023

The recognition of patterns that have a time dependency is common in areas like speech recognition or natural language processing. The equivalent situation in image analysis is present in tasks like text or video recognition. Recently, Convolutional Recurrent Neural Networks (CRNN) have been broadly applied to solve these tasks in an end-to-end fashion with successful performance. However, its application to Optical Music Recognition (OMR) is not so straightforward due to the presence of different elements sharing the same horizontal position, disrupting the linear flow of the timeline. In this paper, we study the ability of the state-of-the-art CRNN approach to learn codes that represent this disruption in homophonic scores. In our experiments, we study the lower bounds in the recognition task of real scores when the models are trained with synthetic data. Two relevant conclusions are drawn: (1) Our serialized ways of encoding the music content are appropriate for CRNN-based OMR; (2) the learning process is possible with synthetic data, but there exists a glass ceiling when recognizing real sheet music.
A particle swarm optimization algorithm based on diversity-driven fusion of opposing phase selection strategies
Authors: Xu Jiucheng , Xu Shihui , Zhang Lei , Zhou Changshun , Han Ziqin
Published: May 2023

Opposition-based learning (OBL) is often embedded in intelligent optimization algorithms to solve practical engineering and mathematical problems, but the combinatorial problems among different OBL variants are rarely studied. To this end, we propose a novel OBL variant based on the principle of optical imaging, which combines two novel types of quasi-opposite learning and extended opposite learning, called diversity-driven fused opposition learning (SQOBL). First, a density center based on a neighborhood model is proposed. Based on the rapid convergence of the centroid, combined the advantages of density and centroid to construct a double mean center (DMC) to replace the original center point in quasi-opposite learning based on the principle of refraction. Secondly, an extended opposite learning method based on optical refraction imaging is proposed. Diversity is then exploited to drive different opposing learning strategies at different stages of evolution, thus controlling the exploration and utilization of the algorithm. Finally, SQOBL was embedded in the PSO with eight others representative OBL variants to find the most optimal solution for a test suite. In addition, 8 novel intelligent optimization algorithms and the first three algorithms were selected to evaluate the performance of the latest CEC2022 benchmark test set and realistic constrained optimization problems. Experiments with 56 test functions and 3 real-world constraint optimization problems show that the proposed SQOBL has good integrative properties in CEC2015, CEC2017, CEC2020, and CEC2022 test suites.
The impact of labour market shocks on mental health: evidence from the Covid-19 first wave
Authors: Bogliacino Francesco , Codagnone Cristiano , Folkvord Frans , Lupiáñez-Villanueva Francisco
Published: May 2023

In this study, we estimate the effect of a negative labour market shock on individuals’ levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. We use a dataset collected during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, on a representative sample of citizens from Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom, interviewed on three occasions. We measure stress, anxiety and depression and labour shocks using validated scales. Our research design is a standard difference-in-differences model: we leverage the differential timing of shocks to identify the impact on mental health. In our estimations, a negative labour shock increases the measure of stress, anxiety, and depression by 16% of a standard deviation computed from the baseline.
Additively Manufactured 2D Matrix Code Direct Part-Marking Casting Requirements
Authors: Uyan Tekin Ç. , Jalava Kalle , Orkas Juhani , Otto Kevin
Published: May 2023

Direct part-markings (DPMs) can be formed into metal castings, using additively manufactured two-dimensional matrix encoded tags (AM2D) placed in a sand or shell mold. It has been unclear how thin a part can be and yet form a readable DPM. There must be sufficient molten metal to burn away the tag, and sufficient feeding pressure to form the 2D matrix code dot pattern. Here the formability limit for the casting of any AM2D (polymer) tag is shown to be the smallest heat energy from the latent heat of condensation needed to raise the temperature of the tag to ignition to burn the tag from the mold. The minimal part thickness that can be utilized is thereby derived. The minimum thickness is calculated to predict a part of various materials and compared positively with experiments. This provides a means to compute required part metal thickness to positively form a DPM tag before casting.
Maritime transport and regional climate change impacts in large EU islands and archipelagos
Authors: Zittis George , Ahrens Bodo , Obermann-Hellhund Anika , Giannakis Elias , Risto Danny , Agulles Gamez Miguel , Jorda Gabriel , Quesada Peña Mónica , Lora Rodríguez Veronica , Guersi Sauret Jose Luis , Lionello Piero , Briche Elodie , Collignan Julie , Grätz Matthias , Arikas Damian , Stylianou Constantinos , Neophytou Haris , Serghides Despina
Published: May 2023

Maritime transport is a vital sector for global trade and the world economy. Particularly for islands, there is also an important social dimension of this sector, since island communities strongly rely on it for a connection with the mainland and the transportation of goods and passengers. Furthermore, islands are exceptionally vulnerable to climate change, as the rising sea level and extreme events are expected to induce severe impacts. Such hazards are anticipated to also affect the operations of the maritime transport sector by affecting either the port infrastructure or ships en route. The present study is an effort to better comprehend and assess the future risk of maritime transport disruption in six European islands and archipelagos, and it aims at supporting regional to local policy and decision-making. We employ state-of-the-art regional climate datasets and the widely used impact chain approach to identify the different components that might drive such risks. Larger islands (e.g., Corsica, Cyprus and Crete) are found to be more resilient to the impacts of climate change on maritime operations. Our findings also highlight the importance of adopting a low-emission pathway, since this will keep the risk of maritime transport disruption similar to present levels or even slightly decreased for some islands because of an enhanced adaptation capacity and advantageous demographic changes.
Das Mikrobiom der Frau
Authors: Feigl Sarah
Published: May 2023

Der menschliche Körper wird von Milliarden Mikroorganismen besiedelt. In den verschiedenen Körperregionen wie Mundhöhle, Darm, Genitalbereich oder Haut herrschen unterschiedliche Umgebungsbedingungen, die durch spezifische Mikroorganismen in Zusammenarbeit mit Körperfunktionen wie Immunreaktion und Zellfunktionen reguliert werden. Diese hochspezifischen Bedingungen, zusammen mit den vorherrschenden Mikroorganismen und Molekülen, nennt man „Mikrobiom“. Dieses Mikrobiom verändert sich im Laufe des Lebens und ist bei Frauen den hormonellen Veränderungen unterschiedlicher Körperregionen unterworfen. Besonders das Darm- und vaginale Mikrobiom sind in dieser Hinsicht gut untersucht. Bei der Geburt werden Gastrointestinaltrakt, Haut und Genitalbereich durch Mikroorganismen besiedelt. In den ersten Lebensjahren wird das Darmmikrobiom geformt. Das vaginale Mikrobiom wird ab der Pubertät durch Lactobacillus spp. dominiert, die für die reproduktive Gesundheit der Frau eine wichtige Rolle spielen. Mit zunehmendem Alter nimmt die Vielfalt der Mikroorganismen im Darm ab und nach der Menopause im Genitalbereich wieder zu. Unabhängig von der Körperregion ist das Mikrobiom ein individueller Fingerabdruck, der durch genetische Prädisposition, Umweltbedingungen und Lebensalter geformt wird.
Seismic response modification, over-strength, and displacement amplification factors of steel special truss moment frames
Authors: Nekouei Ghazal , Vatani Oskouei Asghar , Gharehbaghi Sadjad , Plevris Vagelis
Published: May 2023

In this paper, the seismic design parameters of steel special truss moment frames (STMFs), including the response modification factor (R), over-strength factor (Ω) and displacement modification factor (Cd) are evaluated for two performance levels, namely life safety (LS) and collapse prevention (CP). The effects of geometrical dimensions of the special segment located at the middle part of truss girder and the number of stories are investigated. Twelve steel STMFs with 3, 5, 7, and 9 stories with three bays are considered to evaluate the parameters. In addition, three special segment lengths are considered for each STMF. The truss-girder members are made of hollow structural sections (HSSs) and W-sections are used for columns, which are designed based on ASCE7-16 recommendations. The results show that the number of stories and the different special segment lengths affect the seismic parameters significantly. Moreover, the values obtained forR,ΩandCdshow some differences compared to the ones recommended by ASCE7-16.
Correlation Between PAPP-A Levels Determined During the First Trimester and Birth Weight at Full-Term
Authors: Turrado Sánchez E. M. , De Miguel Sánchez V. , Macía Cortiñas M.
Published: May 2023

Foetal birth weight is an important determinant of perinatal health. For this reason, various methods have been investigated for estimating this weight during pregnancy. The aim of this study is to evaluate the possible relationship between full-term birth weight and pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) levels determined during the first trimester as part of combined screening for aneuploidy carried out in pregnant women. We carried out a single-centre study including pregnant women who were being followed up by the Obstetrics Service Care Units of the XXI de Santiago de Compostela e Barbanza Foundation, who gave birth from March 1, 2015, to March 1, 2017, and who had undergone their first-trimester combined chromosomopathy screening. The sample included a total of 2794 women. We found a significant correlation between MoM PAPP-A and foetal birth weight. When MoM PAPP-A was measured at extremely low levels (< 0.3) during the first trimester, the OR for giving birth to a foetus with weight < p10, adjusting for gestational age and sex, was 2.74. For low levels of MoM PAPP-A (0.3–0.44), the OR was 1.52. With regard to the value of MOM PAPP-A levels as a predictor of foetal macrosomia, a correlation could be observed with elevated levels, although this was not statistically significant. PAPP-A determined during the first trimester acts as a predictor of foetal weight at term as well as for foetal growth disorders.
Immune receptor mimicking hormone receptors: a new guarding strategy
Authors: Liu Xueru , Li Josh , Peng Tony ShengZhe , Li Xin
Published: May 2023

Plant intracellular nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat (NLR) receptors play crucial roles in immune responses against pathogens. How diverse NLRs recognize different pathogen effectors remains a significant question. A recent study published in Nature uncovered how pepper NLR Tsw detects phytohormone receptors’ interference caused by tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) effector, triggering a robust immune response, showcasing a new manner of NLR guarding.
Exploring Environmental Nanoplastics Research: Networks and Evolutionary Trends
Authors: Yu Qisheng , Chuang Chia-Ying Anderin , Jiang Yuelu , Zhong Huan , Cundy Andrew , Kwong Raymond W. M. , Min Chao , Zhu Xiaoshan , Ji Rong
Published: May 2023

Analyzing scientific advances and networks in NPs research can provide valuable insights into the evolving trends, research gaps, and priorities for future research efforts, highlighting the importance of scientific research in pollution control and risk management of uncontrolled and unknown nanoplastics (NPs) that pose a potential global threat, and have raised concerns in the scientific community and media. A total of 2055 nanoplastics (NPs) studies published from 1995 onwards were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database. Bibliometric methods were applied to assess evolving scientific advances and networks. The general term, “nanoplastics,” was first introduced in 1995 as “intelligent” materials. Before 2009, defined as the ambiguous stage, NPs were produced and applied in many different manufacturing areas and processes. The first research referring to nano-scale plastic particles/debris as potential hazardous contaminants appeared in 2010. Thereafter, the number of annual publications on NPs has increased rapidly, particularly from 2018 onwards. Results showed China published 822 scientific papers, overtaking the United States’ 229 papers, whereas European researches, i.e., the Netherlands, Portugal, German, and the United Kingdom, led in quality and citation with extensive international collaborations. Furthermore, we concluded three main research themes from keyword cluster analysis: environmental monitoring (identification, quantification, fresh-water, marine-environment); environmental behaviors (fate, adsorption, aggregation, transport); and toxicology (toxicity, exposure, ingestion, oxidative stress). Toxicology and environmental behaviors of NPs were the leading themes. An overview of the current understanding of NPs in the above three major themes provides perspectives to identify future research directions based on knowledge gaps, e.g., advancing analytical methods, and exploring the mobility and fate of NPs in different ecosystems. Scientific research on NPs is a key fundamental requirement for their pollution control and risk management. To bridge the gap between research and reality, future efforts are required to promote the dissemination of scientific research findings and encourage actions in engineering, policy, education, etc., to support a sustainable society.

Graphical Abstract
Multi-screening analysis of single nanoparticles by the first multi-quadrupole ICPMS/MS
Authors: Gupta Soumya , Allal Ahmed , Preud’Homme Hugues
Published: May 2023

The recent expansion in the use of nanomaterials in various fields has led to a growing concern over their impacts on environmental systems. Accurate detection, quantification, characterization, and tracking of the nanoparticles are essential for assessing the ecological risks and their implications for environmental health. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) operated in single-particle mode is an attractive analytical tool for quantification and sizing very small nanoparticles in aqueous suspensions. The ICP-MultiQuad-MS/MS can rapidly detect (including highly interfered elements) and characterize a large number of particles, determine size and size distributions, the particle number concentration in a sample, and the elemental mass concentration of both dissolved and particulate species. This paper provides the first systematic review of the ICP-MultiQuad-MS/MS to perform NPs analysis applied to different structures and compositions while simultaneously comparing them with the current state of the art of ICP-(CRC)-MS available. This study is done on composite nanomaterials with different shapes for elements with high sensitivity and no interference, like Au, Ag, and Pt, and elements with high interferences and lower sensitivity, like Fe, Si, and Ti.
Quality Control
Authors: Hart Austin Ray , Matthews J Scott
Published: May 2023

Conventional models of voting behavior depict individuals who judge governments for how the world unfolds during their time in office. This phenomenon of retrospective voting requires that individuals integrate and appraise streams of performance information over time. Yet past experimental studies short-circuit this 'integration-appraisal' process. In this Element, we develop a new framework for studying retrospective voting and present eleven experiments building on that framework. Notably, when we allow integration and appraisal to unfold freely, we find little support for models of 'blind retrospection.' Although we observe clear recency bias, we find respondents who are quick to appraise and who make reasonable use of information cues. Critically, they regularly employ benchmarking strategies to manage complex, variable, and even confounded streams of performance information. The results highlight the importance of centering the integration-appraisal challenge in both theoretical models and experimental designs and begin to uncover the cognitive foundations of retrospective voting.
The UK Pay Transparency Regulations: apparent transparency without accountability?
Authors: Benedi Lahuerta Sara , Rejchrt Peter , Patrick Alex
Published: May 2023

The UK enacted its first legal measure to address gender pay inequity, the Equal Pay Act 1970, more than 50 years ago. Yet, in 2021, the gender pay gap (GPG) still stood at 15.4%. Departing from the remedial and individual approach that characterises equal pay legislation, the 2017 Gender Pay Gap Information Regulations (the Regulations) require private and voluntary sector organisations with 250+ employees to annually publish pay data broken down by gender. The long-term aspiration of the Regulations is to contribute to closing the GPG within a generation. It is also hoped that they will encourage the public disclosure of pay data and changes in workplace policies to reduce organisational GPGs (immediate aims) and improve employers’ accountability (underlying aim). This paper considers whether the Regulations have what it takes to meet those immediate and underlying aims. Our assessment framework is built on the premise that for public disclosure to be useful and for employers to tackle the causes of the GPG, the information reported must be of sufficient quality, meaningful and relevant. The paper draws on both doctrinal analysis and empirical data reported by FTSE 100 Index companies to assess the Regulations and determine whether they hold the potential to meet those aims.
Giardia duodenalis and dysentery in Iron Age Jerusalem (7th–6th century BCE)
Authors: Mitchell Piers D. , Wang Tianyi , Billig Ya'akov , Gadot Yuval , Warnock Peter , Langgut Dafna
Published: May 2023

The aim of this study was to determine if the protozoa that cause dysentery might have been present in Jerusalem, the capital of the Kingdom of Judah, during the Iron Age. Sediments from 2 latrines pertaining to this time period were obtained, 1 dating from the 7th century BCE and another from the 7th to early 6th century BCE. Microscopic investigations have previously shown that the users were infected by whipworm (Trichuris trichiura), roundworm (Ascaris lumbricoides), Taenia sp. tapeworm and pinworm (Enterobius vermicularis). However, the protozoa that cause dysentery are fragile and do not survive well in ancient samples in a form recognizable using light microscopy. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits designed to detect the antigens of Entamoeba histolytica, Cryptosporidium sp. and Giardia duodenalis were used. Results for Entamoeba and Cryptosporidium were negative, while Giardia was positive for both latrine sediments when the analysis was repeated three times. This provides our first microbiological evidence for infective diarrhoeal illnesses that would have affected the populations of the ancient near east. When we integrate descriptions from 2nd and 1st millennium BCE Mesopotamian medical texts, it seems likely that outbreaks of dysentery due to giardiasis may have caused ill health throughout early towns across the region.