bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pore-Scale Imaging and Analysis of Wettability Order, Trapping and Displacement in Three-Phase Flow in Porous Media with Various Wettabilities
Authors: Alhosani Abdulla , Bijeljic Branko , Blunt Martin J.
Published: April 2021

Three-phase flow in porous media is encountered in many applications including subsurface carbon dioxide storage, enhanced oil recovery, groundwater remediation and the design of microfluidic devices. However, the pore-scale physics that controls three-phase flow under capillary dominated conditions is still not fully understood. Recent advances in three-dimensional pore-scale imaging have provided new insights into three-phase flow. Based on these findings, this paper describes the key pore-scale processes that control flow and trapping in a three-phase system, namely wettability order, spreading and wetting layers, and double/multiple displacement events. We show that in a porous medium containing water, oil and gas, the behaviour is controlled by wettability, which can either be water-wet, weakly oil-wet or strongly oil-wet, and by gas–oil miscibility. We provide evidence that, for the same wettability state, the three-phase pore-scale events are different under near-miscible conditions—where the gas–oil interfacial tension is ≤ 1 mN/m—compared to immiscible conditions. In a water-wet system, at immiscible conditions, water is the most-wetting phase residing in the corners of the pore space, gas is the most non-wetting phase occupying the centres, while oil is the intermediate-wet phase spreading in layers sandwiched between water and gas. This fluid configuration allows for double capillary trapping, which can result in more gas trapping than for two-phase flow. At near-miscible conditions, oil and gas appear to become neutrally wetting to each other, preventing oil from spreading in layers; instead, gas and oil compete to occupy the centre of the larger pores, while water remains connected in wetting layers in the corners. This allows for the rapid production of oil since it is no longer confined to movement in thin layers. In a weakly oil-wet system, at immiscible conditions, the wettability order is oil–water–gas, from most to least wetting, promoting capillary trapping of gas in the pore centres by oil and water during water-alternating-gas injection. This wettability order is altered under near-miscible conditions as gas becomes the intermediate-wet phase, spreading in layers between water in the centres and oil in the corners. This fluid configuration allows for a high oil recovery factor while restricting gas flow in the reservoir. Moreover, we show evidence of the predicted, but hitherto not reported, wettability order in strongly oil-wet systems at immiscible conditions, oil–gas–water, from most to least wetting. At these conditions, gas progresses through the pore space in disconnected clusters by double and multiple displacements; therefore, the injection of large amounts of water to disconnect the gas phase is unnecessary. We place the analysis in a practical context by discussing implications for carbon dioxide storage combined with enhanced oil recovery before suggesting topics for future work.
Dairy farming systems driven by the market and low-cost intensification in West Africa: the case of Burkina Faso
Authors: Vall Eric , Sib Ollo , Vidal Arielle , Delma Jethro Barkwende
Published: April 2021

The increase in demand for dairy products in Burkina Faso is encouraging livestock producers to develop milk production. Three types of dairy systems (pastoralists, agropastoralists and market-oriented dairy farms) have been characterised based on a sample of 60 producers operating in the West and centre of the country. Pastoralists’ dairy operations consist mainly of zebus, rely on pasture for feed, store little fodder, and recover little manure. Milk yields are low (1.4 l/tropical livestock unit (TLU)/day) and milk sales are limited, but mostly benefit women. Agropastoralists’ dairy operations consist mainly of zebus, store more fodder for feed, use more concentrate and recover manure better. Milk yields are higher (3.1 l/TLU/day) and milk sales are threefold those of pastoralists, but less of the money generated by milk sales goes to women. Market-oriented dairy farmers’ operations are mainly made up of crossbreds, reared indoors and fed on fodder and feeds, store much more fodder and recover manure even better. They generate the highest milk yields (7.3 l/TLU/day), and milk sales are 2.5-fold those of agropastoralists. However, money earned from milk sales mainly benefits men. The study shows that the improvement in dairy systems’ technical and economic performance, which mostly rests on genetics and cow feed, but also on better recycling of agricultural by-products, is driven by a low-cost intensification and market opportunity (raising processors demand).
Channel Selection Algorithm Optimized for Improved Performance in Cognitive Radio Networks
Authors: Tlouyamma Joseph , Velempini Mthulisi
Published: April 2021

A major concern in the recent past was the traditional static spectrum allocation which gave rise to spectrum underutilization and scarcity in wireless networks. In an attempt to solve this challenge, cognitive radios technology was proposed. It allows a spectrum to be accessed dynamically by Cognitive radio users or secondary users (SU). Dynamic access can efficiently be achieved by making necessary adjustment to some Medium access control (MAC) layer functionalities such as sensing and channel allocation. MAC protocols play a central role in scheduling sensing periods and channel allocation which ensure that the interference is reduced to a tolerable level. In order to improve the accuracy of sensing algorithm, necessary adjustments should be made at MAC layer. Sensing delays and errors are major challenges in the design of a more accurate spectrum sensing algorithm. This study focuses on designing a channel selection algorithm to efficiently utilize the spectrum. Channels are ordered and grouped to allow faster discovery of channel access opportunities. The ordering is based on descending order of channel’s idling probabilities. Grouping of channels ensured that channels are sensed simultaneously. These two techniques greatly reduce delays and maximized throughput of SU. Hence, Extended Generalized Predictive Channel Selection Algorithm, a proposed scheme has significantly performed better than its counterpart (Generalized Predictive Channel Selection Algorithm). Matlab simulation tool was used to simulate and plot the results of the proposed channel selection algorithm.
The digital leader: what one needs to master today’s organisational challenges
Authors: Klus Milan Frederik , Müller Julia
Published: April 2021

Executives are increasingly facing various challenges associated with digitalisation, especially the simultaneous handling of many topics, loads of information flushing in via digital channels, rapid changes, and finding the right balance between the old and the new. Building on a growing body of research suggesting and systematising leadership skills, we conduct an online-survey with executives to investigate the connection between selected skills and the ability to cope with specific challenges. We find that a strong ability to think and act entrepreneurially, (self-)organisation and IT skills, a profound ability to motivate others, and a high degree of flexibility, commitment, and creativity are positively linked to the ability to cope with several digitalisation-related challenges. Surprisingly, being a strong team player does not seem to be necessarily advantageous. Moreover, many executives desire more calmness, which suggests that being able to decelerate is important in the digital age.
The Effect of Financial Incentives on Quality Measures in the Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus: a Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Meier Rahel , Chmiel Corinne , Valeri Fabio , Muheim Leander , Senn Oliver , Rosemann Thomas
Published: April 2021

Background

Financial incentives are often used to improve quality of care in chronic care patients. However, the evidence concerning the effect of financial incentives is still inconclusive.

Objective

To test the effect of financial incentives on quality measures (QMs) in the treatment of patients with diabetes mellitus in primary care. We incentivized a clinical QM and a process QM to test the effect of financial incentives on different types of QMs and to investigate the spill-over effect on non-incentivized QMs.

Design/Participants

Parallel cluster randomized controlled trial based on electronic medical records database involving Swiss general practitioners (GPs). Practices were randomly allocated.

Intervention

All participants received a bimonthly feedback report. The intervention group additionally received potential financial incentives on GP level depending on their performance.

Main Measures

Between-group differences in proportions of patients fulfilling incentivized QM (process QM of annual HbA1c measurement and clinical QM of blood pressure level below 140/95 mmHg) after 12 months.

Key Results

Seventy-one GPs (median age 52 years, 72% male) from 43 different practices and subsequently 3838 patients with diabetes mellitus (median age 70 years, 57% male) were included. Proportions of patients with annual HbA1c measurements remained unchanged (intervention group decreased from 79.0 to 78.3%, control group from 81.5 to 81.0%, OR 1.09, 95% CI 0.90–1.32, p = 0.39). Proportions of patients with blood pressure below 140/95 improved from 49.9 to 52.5% in the intervention group and decreased from 51.2 to 49.0% in the control group (OR 1.16, 95% CI 0.99–1.36, p = 0.06). Proportions of non-incentivized process QMs increased significantly in the intervention group.

Conclusion

GP level financial incentives did not result in more frequent HbA1c measurements or in improved blood pressure control. Interestingly, we could confirm a spill-over effect on non-incentivized process QMs. Yet, the mechanism of spill-over effects of financial incentives is largely unclear.

Trial Registration

ISRCTN13305645
Novel Method for Surface Tension Measurement: the Drop-Bounce Method
Authors: Sun Yifan , Muta Hiroaki , Ohishi Yuji
Published: April 2021

The surface tension of liquids at high temperatures is generally measured with the well-established oscillating drop method in a contactless environment. However, technical difficulties in surface tension measurements make it hard to apply the oscillating drop method to the aerodynamic levitation (ADL) system, the most reliable levitation technique for liquids with low electrical conductivity. In this study, we developed a novel drop–bounce method that can be used within an ADL system to measure the surface tension of liquids. A levitated molten sample was first dropped onto an inert substrate through a splittable nozzle. The rebounded sample’s oscillatory motion behaved as it would under microgravity conditions during its free-fall, and oscillations were obtained only in the l=2, m=0 mode. Fourier transformation of the oscillation pattern provided resonant frequency of the l=2, m=0 mode and enabled the calculation of the surface tension of the sample under knowledge of its mass. Furthermore, a short experimental duration of less than 50 ms significantly reduced the possibility of surface evaporation in the sample. Our measured surface tension data from 1354 K to 1827 K for gold exhibited a standard deviation of 13.4 mJ/m2 and were consistent with the data published by Egry et al. under microgravity conditions, with a maximum deviation of 1.5% between the two fitted linear equations.
Correction to: Mechanisms of UV-induced mutations and skin cancer
Authors: Pfeifer Gerd P.
Published: April 2021

A correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42764-021-00037-y
High hopes for 3D printing
Authors: Nickels Liz
Published: April 2021

A recent survey commissioned by industry start up Essentium suggests that 2021 could be the year in which additive manufacturing takes the big leap forward to large-scale production. Liz Nickels talked to one of its co-founders to find out more.
Maximal indexes of flag varieties for spin groups
Authors: Devyatov Rostislav A. , Karpenko Nikita A. , Merkurjev Alexander S.
Published: April 2021

We establish the sharp upper bounds on the indexes for most of the twisted flag varieties under the spin groups${\operatorname {\mathrm {Spin}}(n)}$.
Pure rotational Raman spectroscopy applied to N2/O2 analysis of air bubbles in polar firn
Authors: Ohno Hiroshi , Iizuka Yoshinori , Fujita Shuji
Published: April 2021

Earlier gas measurements of firn air (atmosphere in open pore channels) at polar sites have revealed the occurrence of gas fractionation phenomena during bubble close-off, in addition to well-known thermal and gravitational gas separation. Nevertheless, because of difficulties posed by measurement, little is known about the distribution of air constituents in already closed pores (bubbles) in firn. Herein, we describe the application of high-sensitivity pure rotational Raman spectroscopy, combined with sample immersion in the fluorocarbon-based inert fluid for removing the optical disturbance by diffused reflection. That application efficiently elicits information about nitrogen and oxygen composition ratios (N2/O2 or O2/N2) for each air bubble in firn. The developed methodology presents important implications for elucidating how gas records are formed and modified in the course of pore close-off in polar firn.
Does Health Vulnerability Predict Voting for Right-Wing Populist Parties in Europe?
Authors: KAVANAGH NOLAN M. , MENON ANIL , HEINZE JUSTIN E.
Published: April 2021

Why do voters in developed democracies support right-wing populist parties? Existing research focuses on economic and cultural vulnerability as driving this phenomenon. We hypothesize that perceptions of personal health vulnerability might have a similar influence on voters. To test this argument, we analyzed all waves of the European Social Survey (2002–2020). Our findings suggest that voters with worse self-reported health were significantly more likely to vote for right-wing populist parties. The relationship persists even after accounting for measures of cultural and economic vulnerability, as well as voters’ satisfaction with both their personal lives and their country’s health system. The influence of health on support for right-wing populist parties appears to be greater than that of income and self-reported economic insecurity, while less than that of gender and attitudes about immigrants. Our findings suggest that policies affecting public health could shape not only health outcomes but also the political landscape.
Zircon U–Pb ages and petrogenesis of late Miocene adakitic rocks from the Sari Gunay gold deposit, NW Iran
Authors: Shahbazi Hossein , Taheri Maghami Yasaman , Azizi Hossein , Asahara Yoshihiro , Siebel Wolfgang , Maanijou Mohammad , Rezai Ali
Published: April 2021

Late Miocene volcanic rocks host the Sari Gunay epithermal gold deposit in NW Iran. These rocks are located within the Hamedan–Tabriz volcanic belt and occupy the northwestern part of the Sanandaj–Sirjan zone (SaSZ). The volcanic rocks span in composition from latite to dacite and rhyolite. Plagioclase, hornblende, biotite and quartz are the main phenocrysts in a fine-grained and glassy matrix. Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry zircon U–Pb dating yielded crystallization ages of 10.10 ± 0.01 Ma and 11.18 ± 0.14 Ma for rhyolite and dacite, respectively. High ratios of Sr/Y (> 20) and La/Yb (> 20), high contents of Sr (≥ 400 ppm), low contents of MgO (≤ 6 wt%), Y ≤ 18 ppm (c. 16.5 ppm), Yb ≤ 1.9 ppm (c. 1.53 ppm) and weak negative Eu anomalies (Eu*/Eu c. 0.81) are compatible with a high-silica adakitic signature of the rocks. Regarding the location of the study area nearly 100 km from the Zagros suture zone, we argue that delamination of lithospheric mantle beneath the SaSZ has played a key role in the development of the adakitic rocks in a post-collision tectonic regime. The adakitic melts are suggested to have formed by partial melting of delaminated continental lithosphere and/or lower crustal amphibolite following the collision of the Arabian and Iranian plates.
Willpower needs tactical skill
Authors: Bermúdez Juan Pablo
Published: April 2021

Ainslie advances our understanding of self-control by theoretically unifying multiple forms of willpower. But one crucial question remains unanswered: How do agents pick the right forms of willpower in each situation? I argue that willpower requirestactical skill, which detects willpower-demanding contexts, selects context-appropriate tactics, and monitors their implementation. Research on tactical skill will significantly advance our understanding of willpower.
Reply to commentaries to willpower with and without effort
Authors: Ainslie George
Published: April 2021

Twenty-six commentators from several disciplines have written on the assumption that choice is determined by comparative valuation in a common denominator of reward, the “competitive marketplace.” There was no apparent disagreement that prospective rewards are discounted hyperbolically, although some found that the resulting predictions could come just as well from other models, including the interpretation of delay as risk and analysis in terms of hot versus cold valuation systems. Several novel ideas emerged.
Integration of ethical considerations into HTA reports: an analysis of integration levels using a systematic review
Authors: Legault Georges-Auguste , Gagnon Hubert , Parent Monelle , Bellemare Christian A. , Béland Jean-Pierre , Kocsis-Bédard Suzanne , Bernier Louise , Dagenais Pierre , Daniel Charles-Étienne , Patenaude Johane
Published: April 2021

Objective

To describe the type and level of ethical integration in published health technology assessment (HTA) reports and systematically identify the ethical approaches utilized.

Methods

A literature search was conducted with the Google™ search engine using the keyword “ethic” between 1 January 2015 and 20 August 2019. Only HTA assessment reports with a section on ethics were retained and classified according to their level of ethical integration: no ethical analysis, ethical issues highlighted, assessments according to legal or social norms, and assessments from a moral or axiological perspective—using a qualitative methodology to distinguish such integration.

Results

This review yielded 188 reports with a section identified as being on ethics, produced by seventeen HTA agencies in eleven countries. One hundred and thirty-six reports did not develop an ethical analysis, thirty-one highlighted ethical issues, seventeen conducted a norm-based ethical assessment using a descriptive approach grounded in social norms, and four developed an assessment grounded in a moral or axiological perspective. The bioethical “four-principles” framework was used, but mainly for presenting ethical issues and not as a moral framework.

Conclusions

The majority of reports featuring a section on ethics mention ethical considerations without ethical analysis. Ethical issues are grouped with legal, social, and organizational issues and treated as contextual considerations that decision makers should be aware of. When reports present systematic norm-based ethical assessments from a descriptive perspective or ethical assessment based on a moral or axiological perspective, there is a tendency to ground these analyses in frameworks created for the purpose and reliant on a concept of ethics supporting them.
A prediction model of vessel trajectory based on generative adversarial network
Authors: Wang Senjie , He Zhengwei
Published: April 2021

Trajectory prediction is an important support for analysing the vessel motion behaviour, judging the vessel traffic risk and collision avoidance route planning of intelligent ships. To improve the accuracy of trajectory prediction in complex situations, a Generative Adversarial Network with Attention Module and Interaction Module (GAN-AI) is proposed to predict the trajectories of multiple vessels. Firstly, GAN-AI can infer all vessels’ future trajectories simultaneously when in the same local area. Secondly, GAN-AI is based on adversarial architecture and trained by competition for better convergence. Thirdly, an interactive module is designed to extract the group motion features of the multiple vessels, to achieve better performance at the ship encounter situations. GAN-AI has been tested on the historical trajectory data of Zhoushan port in China; the experimental results show that the GAN-AI model improves the prediction accuracy by 20%, 24% and 72% compared with sequence to sequence (seq2seq), plain GAN, and the Kalman model. It is of great significance to improve the safety management level of the vessel traffic service system and judge the degree of ship traffic risk.
Assessing Bias in Cognitive Testing for Older Adults with Sensory Impairment: An Analysis of Differential Item Functioning in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study on Aging (BLSA) and the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Neurocognitive Study (ARIC-NCS)
Authors: Nichols E. , Deal J.A. , Swenor B.K. , Abraham A.G. , Armstrong N.M. , Carlson M.C. , Griswold M. , Lin F.R. , Mosley T.H. , Ramulu P.Y. , Reed N.S. , Resnick S.M. , Sharrett A.R. , Gross A.L.
Published: April 2021

Objectives:

Vision and hearing impairments affect 55% of people aged 60+ years and are associated with lower cognitive test performance; however, tests rely on vision, hearing, or both. We hypothesized that scores on tests that depend on vision or hearing are different among those with vision or hearing impairments, respectively, controlling for underlying cognition.

Methods:

Leveraging cross-sectional data from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA) and the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Neurocognitive Study (ARIC-NCS), we used item response theory to test for differential item functioning (DIF) by vision impairment (better eye presenting visual acuity worse than 20/40) and hearing impairment (better ear .5–4 kHz pure-tone average > 25 decibels).

Results:

We identified DIF by vision impairment for tests whose administrations do not rely on vision [e.g., Delayed Word Recall both in ARIC-NCS: .50 logit difference between impaired and unimpaired (p = .04) and in BLSA: .62 logits (p = .02)] and DIF by hearing impairment for tests whose administrations do not rely on hearing [Digit Symbol Substitution test in BLSA: 1.25 logits (p = .001) and Incidental Learning test in ARIC-NCS: .35 logits (p = .001)]. However, no individuals had differences between unadjusted and DIF-adjusted measures of greater than the standard error of measurement.

Conclusions:

DIF by sensory impairment in cognitive tests was independent of administration characteristics, which could indicate that elevated cognitive load among persons with sensory impairment plays a larger role in test performance than previously acknowledged. While these results were unexpected, neither of these samples are nationally representative and each has unique selection factors; thus, replication is critical.
Adverse childhood experiences and obesity over time
Authors: Schiff Miriam , Helton Jess , Fu John
Published: April 2021

Objective:

The effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACE) on children and adolescents’ health status such as obesity are understudied. The current study addressed the effect of ACE on obesity status during childhood utilising multiple waves of national panel data.

Design:

Longitudinal survey.

Setting:

Data were drawn from three waves of the second cohort of the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW II). NSCAW II study sampled cases from Child Protective Services investigations that were closed between February 2008 and April 2009 nationwide. We measured ACE cumulatively and as separate events and stratified by gender.

Participants:

Totally, 3170 youth births to 14 years of age at baseline.

Results:

A count measure of ACE is indeed associated with greater odds of obesity during childhood. Differential effects for different types of ACE were also found, most notably neglect. For girls, physical and psychological neglect increased odds of obesity.

Conclusions:

Findings support evidence for the importance of using both a count measure of ACE as well as separating out single events by gender.
Blatant electoral fraud and the value of a vote
Authors: Higashijima Masaaki
Published: April 2021

This paper explores the relationship between malapportionment and blatant electoral fraud. Although blatant electoral fraud enables incumbents to win elections, it may undermine legitimacy and provoke protests. Malapportionment also helps the incumbent succeed by assigning larger portions of seats to party strongholds, yet its key features differ from electoral fraud. Because malapportionment neither involves coercion nor overt fraud, it is less likely to be followed by reactionary protests. But, it is an inflexible electioneering strategy, because reapportionment leads to difficult coordination problems among ruling legislators. Cross-national statistical analyses of 98 countries (1993–2012) show that, although malapportionment does not affect whether leaders use election violence and electoral cheating, political leaders become less dependent upon the simultaneous use of these fraudulent strategies when high levels of malapportionment are already endowed. The results suggest that although governments might continue to use specific types of blatant electoral fraud even when the levels of malapportionment are high, malapportionment allows governments to be more selective with combining different methods of blatant electoral fraud.
Twin Types: Variations and Common Themes/Twin Research Reviews: Birth Weight and Brain Development; Twinning and Vocabulary Knowledge; Fetal Loss in Twin Pregnancy; Twin-Family Olympic Medal Winners/Human Interest: Young Twin Soldiers; Twin-Run Laundry; Male-Female Pair and Politics; Twin-Based Graphic Novel; Twin Sisters’ Deliveries
Authors: Segal Nancy L.
Published: April 2021

Modern reproductive technology and revisions of conventional family structures have yielded a curious array of twin-like sibships. Many of these pairings pose the same rearing questions and educational issues for parents and teachers as do ordinary monozygotic and dizygotic twins. This article considers how we classify these sibships, given the important implications for the pair members, their families, their friends and the professionals who care for them. Next, reviews of research on twins’ birth weight and brain development, twinning and vocabulary knowledge, fetal loss in twin pregnancy and twin-family Olympic medal winners are presented. The final topic covers recent media attention to young twin soldiers, a twin-run laundry, a male-female pair’s political differences, a twin-based graphic novel and twin sisters’ deliveries.
Ascending Volcanic Fluids Portended by Spatiotemporal Variations of the Earthquake Mechanisms in the Tatun Volcano Group in Northern Taiwan
Authors: Pu Hsin‐Chieh , Lin Cheng‐Horng , Lee Hsiao‐Fen , Lai Ya‐Chuan , Chang Li‐Chin , Shih Min‐Hung
Published: April 2021

To investigate the possible precursors of surface volcanism, we examined 2,473 earthquake focal mechanisms and the relative abundance of total sulfur (St) to carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Tatun Volcano Group in the northern Taiwan, where various reports have indicated ongoing volcanic activities. We analyzed three time‐dependent observations: the occurrence rate of both shallower (0–2 km) reverse‐type earthquakes and deeper (2–4 km) normal‐type earthquakes, as well as the surface St/CO2 ratio. Among these observations, we found a series of similar variations, which progressed in a stepwise manner as the depth range of the observation decreased. To interpret the spatiotemporal variations of three observations, we construct a model involving the ascending volcanic fluids in the conduit and hydrothermal layer. The significant variations in deeper and shallower faulting behaviors portend a double warning of surface volcanism associated with the ascending fluids at ∼4 and ∼1 month(s) ago, respectively.
Reduction in Riverine Freshwater Supply Changes Inorganic and Organic Carbon Dynamics and Air‐Water CO2 Fluxes in a Tropical Mangrove Dominated Estuary
Authors: Akhand Anirban , Chanda Abhra , Watanabe Kenta , Das Sourav , Tokoro Tatsuki , Hazra Sugata , Kuwae Tomohiro
Published: April 2021

Reduction in riverine freshwater supply due to climate change as well as anthropogenic activities are documented throughout the globe. How river discontinuity in upstream reaches and the subsequent reduction in freshwater influx alter inorganic and organic carbon dynamics in downstream estuaries adjacent to mangroves has been rarely reported. We investigated the dynamics of the inorganic carbon system and organic matter (OM) in two Indian estuaries near mangroves; riverine freshwater supply to the Matla Estuary was reduced and that to the Dhamra Estuary was uninterrupted. Seasonal sampling was conducted over an annual cycle. We used elemental and stable isotope signatures to delineate the sources of OM and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). We found that compared to the Dhamra, the reduced riverine freshwater supply to the Matla increased the marine influence in the estuary on the OM degradation pathways and decreased CO2 emissions to the atmosphere. In the Dhamra, higher seasonal variability in biogeochemical pathways, facilitated high internal carbonate buffering capacity; in contrast in the Matla, the greater marine influence increased the carbonate buffering capacity, resulting in retention of higher DIC concentrations and low CO2 emissions. Dissolved and particulate organic carbon concentrations were higher in the Dhamra than the Matla, indicating higher riverine supply of these. The present study can contribute an overlooked effect of long‐term changes in riverine freshwater supply on the carbon dynamics of mangrove‐dominated estuaries, which might help to improve the understanding of coastal carbon budgets in a changing world.
Evaluation of Five Reanalysis Products With Radiosonde Observations Over the Central Taklimakan Desert During Summer
Authors: Huang Jie , Yin Jinfang , Wang Minzhong , He Qing , Guo Jianping , Zhang Jiantao , Liang Xudong , Xie Yanxin
Published: April 2021

To provide guidance for the use of reanalysis data in the Central Taklimakan Desert (CTD), five reanalysis products are evaluated based on the radiosonde data obtained from two field experiments during summer for the first time in the CTD, including the European Center for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Reanalysis version 5 (ERA5), ECMWF Reanalysis‐Interim (ERA‐Interim), Japanese 55‐years Reanalysis (JRA55), Modern‐Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications version 2 (MERRA2), and the National Centers for Environmental Prediction‐Department of Energy Reanalysis version 2 (NCEP2). The results show that reanalysis temperature (T), specific humidity (Q), geopotential height (GPH), and wind field (U and V components) are consistent with the radiosonde observations in terms of the vertical distribution. In general, ERA5 has the best performance in the CTD during the study period, followed closely by ERA‐Interim. However, NCEP2 produces the largest error. The errors of all the reanalysis data show significant diurnal variations, and the diurnal variations differ from each other. Moreover, the results indicate that the reanalysis datasets have the largest deviation at 850 hPa (near the ground), which means that in the desert region complex interactions may exist between the land surface and the atmosphere. Therefore, more attention should be paid to the description of complex interactions between land and atmosphere over the moving‐sand desert region in the numerical models.
Optimal Climate Normals for North Atlantic Hurricane Activity
Authors: Schreck Carl J. , Klotzbach Philip J. , Bell Michael M.
Published: April 2021

Most climatologies use 30‐year epochs that are updated at the start of each decade. They will shift from 1981–2010 to 1991–2020 in 2021. North Atlantic hurricane activity has large interdecadal variability that may lead to biases in a 30‐year climatology. A previous inactive hurricane period included 1981–1990, while 2011–2020 is a part of the ongoing active era. As a result, the 1991–2020 normals are more active than the 1981–2010 normals, with the median accumulated cyclone energy increasing by ∼40%. A 50‐year epoch would be more likely to capture a full cycle of multidecadal variability, and this study demonstrates that 50‐year climatologies have historically been better predictors of the subsequent decade's hurricane activity. This paper argues that the 1971–2020 climatology should, therefore, be the baseline for hurricane activity for the next decade with a possible adjustment for the non‐climatic increase in observed short‐lived tropical cyclones.
Statistics of Jet Drop Production
Authors: Berny A. , Popinet S. , Séon T. , Deike L.
Published: April 2021

Bubbles bursting at the ocean surface are an important source of sea‐spray aerosol. We describe jet drop production, from ensembles of high fidelity numerical simulations of bubble bursting, validated against experimental results. The number of jet drops, their size, and velocity are controlled by the ratio of the bubble size, Rb, and the visco‐capillary length, , where γ is the surface tension, ρw, μw the water density and viscosity. The mean drop size follows and the ejected number of drops , accounting for temperature variations. We confirm that submicrons jet drops are produced by bubbles in the 10–40 microns range. We compute the distribution of jet drops formed by a range of bubbles present under a breaking wave which compares well against laboratory experiments. We discuss the applicability of the proposed formulation in the context of sea spray generation function.
Energy Spectra Near Ganymede From Juno Data
Authors: Paranicas C. , Szalay J. R. , Mauk B. H. , Clark G. , Kollmann P. , Haggerty D. K. , Westlake J. , Allegrini F. , Ebert R. W. , Connerney J. E. P. , Bolton S.
Published: April 2021

The moon Ganymede has a strong internally generated magnetic field that separates the surface into two regions, with the polar surface magnetically connected to the Jovian environment. Consequently, the weathering of Ganymede's surface by plasma and energetic charged particles trapped in the Jovian magnetosphere is not uniform. At the same time, optical data suggest differences in the surface ice between the poles and the equator, with further refinements in the equatorial surface that have a longitudinal dependence. Here, we use Juno spacecraft data to characterize the charged particle environment along Ganymede's orbit (from about 50 eV to 1 MeV for electrons and 10 eV to 6 MeV for protons). These results put us into a better position to test the hypothesis that space weathering by electrons causes the brighter poles of Ganymede, given that electron fluxes are likely to be more clearly separated between the polar and equatorial regions.
Continuous presence of proto-cereals in Anatolia since 2.3 Ma, and their possible co-evolution with large herbivores and hominins
Authors: Andrieu-Ponel Valérie , Rochette Pierre , Demory François , Alçiçek Hülya , Boulbes Nicolas , Bourlès Didier , Helvacı Cahit , Lebatard Anne-Elisabeth , Mayda Serdar , Michaud Henri , Moigne Anne-Marie , Nomade Sébastien , Perrin Mireille , Ponel Philippe , Rambeau Claire , Vialet Amélie , Gambin Belinda , Alçiçek Mehmet Cihat
Published: April 2021

Cereals are a central resource for the human diet and are traditionally assumed to have evolved from wild grasses at the onset of the Neolithic under the pressure of agriculture. Here we demonstrate that cereals may have a significantly longer and more diverse lineage, based on the study of a 0–2.3 Ma, 601 m long sedimentary core from Lake Acıgöl (South-West Anatolia). Pollen characteristic of cereals is abundant throughout the sedimentary sequence. The presence of large lakes within this arid bioclimatic zone led to the concentration of large herbivore herds, as indicated by the continuous occurrence of coprophilous fungi spores in the record. Our hypothesis is that the effects of overgrazing on soils and herbaceous stratum, during this long period, led to genetic modifications of the Poaceae taxa and to the appearance of proto-cereals. The simultaneous presence of hominins is attested as early as about 1.4 Ma in the lake vicinity, and 1.8 Ma in Georgia and Levant. These ancient hominins probably benefited from the availability of these proto-cereals, rich in nutrients, as well as various other edible plants, opening the way, in this region of the Middle East, to a process of domestication, which reached its full development during the Neolithic.
The TLR-2/TonEBP signaling pathway regulates 29-kDa fibronectin fragment-dependent expression of matrix metalloproteinases
Authors: Hwang Hyun Sook , Lee Mi Hyun , Kim Hyun Ah
Published: April 2021

Tonicity-responsive enhancer-binding protein (TonEBP; nuclear factor of activated T cells 5) is a transcription factor that responds to changes in osmolality. However, recent studies have shown that it also modulates immune responses under inflammatory conditions independently of hyperosmolality. Fibronectin fragments (FN-fs), which are abundant in the synovial fluid of patients with osteoarthritis (OA), induce expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) via the toll-like receptor-2 (TLR-2) signaling pathway. In this study we examined whether TonEBP is involved in 29-kDa FN-f-induced expression of MMPs. The expression of TonEBP was significantly higher in human osteoarthritis compared with normal cartilage samples. 29-kDa FN-f affected the expression of MMPs 1, 3, and 13 via TonEBP, and expression and nuclear accumulation of TonEBP were induced by activation of the phospholipase C/NF-κB/MAPK signaling pathway and, in particular, modulated by TLR-2. In addition, 29-kDa FN-f induced the expression of osmoregulatory genes, including Tau-T, SMIT, and AR, as well as voltage-dependent calcium channels via the TonEBP/TLR-2 signaling pathway. These results show that 29-kDa FN-f upregulates MMPs in chondrocytes via the TLR-2/TonEBP signaling pathway.
Effects of elevated CO2 on resistant and susceptible rice cultivar and its primary host, brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens (Stål)
Authors: Senthil-Nathan Sengottayan
Published: April 2021

The elevated CO2(eCO2) has positive response on plant growth and negative response on insect pests. As a contemplation, the feeding pattern of the brown plant hopper,Nilaparvata lugensStål on susceptible and resistant rice cultivars and their growth rates exposed toeCO2conditions were analyzed. TheeCO2treatment showed significant differences in percentage of emergence and rice biomass that were consistent across the rice cultivars, when compared to the ambient conditions. Similarly, increase in carbon and decrese in nitrogen ratio of leaves and alterations in defensive peroxidase enzyme levels were observed, but was non-linear among the cultivars tested. Lower survivorship and nutritional indices ofN. lugenswere observed in conditions ofeCO2levels over ambient conditions. Results were nonlinear in manner. We conclude that the plant carbon accumulation increased due toeCO2, causing physiological changes that decreased nitrogen content. Similarly,eCO2increased insect feeding, and did alter other variables such as their biology or reproduction.
Intraocular pressure and choroidal thickness postural changes in multiple system atrophy and Parkinson’s disease
Authors: De Bernardo Maddalena , Salerno Giulio , Gioia Marco , Capasso Luigi , Russillo Maria Claudia , Picillo Marina , Erro Roberto , Amboni Marianna , Barone Paolo , Rosa Nicola , Pellecchia Maria Teresa
Published: April 2021

To evaluate intraocular pressure (IOP) and choroidal thickness (ChT) postural changes in multiple system atrophy (MSA), Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients and healthy controls (HC). 20 MSA patients, 21 PD patients and 14 HC, were examined. All subjects underwent a complete examination, including corneal thickness, ChT, IOP and axial length (AL) measurements. IOP measurement was performed in supine, sitting, and standing positions, whereas ChT in sitting and standing positions. Supine to standing IOP variations were significantly higher in MSA vs PD(p = 0.01) and in MSA vs HC (p < 0.0001), whereas no significant differences were observed between PD and HC (p = 0.397). Mean sub-foveal ChT in MSA was 240 ± 92 μm in sitting position, and 215 ± 94 μm in standing position with a significant reduction (p = 0.008). Mean sub-foveal ChT in PD was 258 ± 79 μm in sitting position, and 259 ± 76 μm in standing position (p = 0.887). In HC it was 244 ± 36 μm in sitting position, and 256 ± 37 μm in standing position with a significant increase (p = 0.007). The significant IOP and ChT postural changes can be considered additional hallmarks of autonomic dysfunction in MSA and further studies are needed to consider them as biomarkers in the differential diagnosis with PD.
Numerical approach towards gyrotactic microorganisms hybrid nanoliquid flow with the hall current and magnetic field over a spinning disk
Authors: Lv Yu-Pei , Algehyne Ebrahem A. , Alshehri Maryam G. , Alzahrani Ebraheem , Bilal Muhammad , Khan Muhammad Altaf , Shuaib Muhammad
Published: April 2021

The article explores the effect of Hall current, thermal radiation, and magnetic field on hybrid nanofluid flow over the surface of a spinning disk. The motive of the present effort is to upgrade the heat transmission rate for engineering and industrial purposes. The hybrid nanofluids as compared to the conventional fluids have higher thermal properties. Therefore, in the present article, a special class of nanoparticles known as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and iron ferrite nanoparticles are used in the base fluid. The system of modeled equations is depleted into dimensionless differential equations through similarity transformation. The transform equations are further solved through the Parametric Continuation method (PCM). For the parametric study, the physical parameters impact on velocity, energy, mass transmission, and motile microorganism’s concentration profiles have been sketched. The obtained results are compared with the existing literature, which shows the best settlement. It concluded that the heat transmission rate reduces for Hall current and rises with radiative parameter. The results perceived that the addition of CNTs in carrier fluid is more efficacious than any other types of nanoparticles, due to its C–C bond. CNTs nanofluid can be more functionalized for the desired achievement, which can be utilized for a variety of applications by functionalization of non-covalent and covalent modification.
Author Correction: Animal model of assessing cerebrovascular functional reserve by imaging photoplethysmography
Authors: Mamontov Oleg V. , Sokolov Alexey Y. , Volynsky Maxim A. , Osipchuk Anastasija V. , Zaytsev Valery V. , Romashko Roman V. , Kamshilin Alexei A.
Published: April 2021

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Exploring the spatial heterogeneity and temporal homogeneity of ambient PM10 in nine core cities of China
Authors: Feng Rui , Zhou Rong , Shi Weiwei , Shi Nanjing , Fang Xuekun
Published: April 2021

We focus on the causes of fluctuations in wintertime PM10 in nine regional core cities of China using two machine learning models, Random Forest (RF) and Recurrent Neural Network (RNN). RF and RNN both show high performance in predicting hourly PM10 using only gaseous air pollutants (SO2, NO2 and CO) as inputs, showing the predominance of the secondary inorganic aerosol and implying the existence of thermodynamic equilibrium between gaseous air pollutants and PM10. Also, we find the following results. The correlation of gaseous air pollutants and PM10 were more relevant than that of meteorological conditions and PM10. CO was the predominant factor for PM10 in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Plain and the Yangtze River Delta while SO2 and NO2 were also important features for PM10 in the Pearl River Delta and Sichuan Basin. The spatial heterogeneity and temporal homogeneity of PM10 in China are revealed. The long-range transported PM10 was substantiated to be insignificant, except in the sandstorms. The severity of PM10 was attributable to the lopsided shift of thermodynamic equilibrium and the phenology of indigenous flora.
Measurement of the effective electric field radius on digital ion trap spectrometer
Authors: Xu Fuxing , Wang Weimin , Jin Liuyu , Qian Bingjun , Ding Chuan-Fan
Published: April 2021

The effective electric field radius is a fundamental parameter of ion traps, and it has a significant influence on ion-trapping capability, signal intensity, mass range and some other properties of the ion trap.
Visualization of third-level information in latent fingerprints by a new fluorogenicl-tyrosine analogue
Authors: Singh Harminder , Verma Sandeep
Published: April 2021

We describe the design of two fluorescentl-tyrosine analogues, exhibiting the AIE-coupled ESIPT mechanism, for fluorescent reporting of third-level information of latent fingerprints at one of the lowest reported concentrations of 25 μM.
Linear group 13 EE triple bonds
Authors: Cui Zhong-hua , Liu Yu-qian , Huang Runfeng , Wang Meng-hui , Yan Bing , Zhao Lili
Published: April 2021

The surrounding Na5 motifs suppress the nonbonded electron density of E atoms, effectively resulting in two degenerate π bonds and one multicenter σ bond in the unprecedented linear heavier group 13 EE triple bonds.
Gaseous cyclodextrin-closo-dodecaborate complexes χCD·B12X122− (χ = α, β, and γ; X = F, Cl, Br, and I): electronic structures and intramolecular interactions
Authors: Jiang Yanrong , Yuan Qinqin , Cao Wenjin , Rohdenburg Markus , Nierstenhöfer Marc C. , Li Zhipeng , Yang Yan , Zhong Cheng , Jenne Carsten , Warneke Jonas , Sun Haitao , Sun Zhenrong , Wang Xue-Bin
Published: April 2021

A fundamental understanding of cyclodextrin-closo-dodecaborate inclusion complexes is of great interest in supramolecular chemistry.
Ionisation of PF3: absolute partial electron ionisation cross sections and the formation and reactivity of dication states
Authors: Ellis-Gibbings Lilian K. , Fortune William G. , Cooper Bridgette , Tennyson Jonathan , Price Stephen D.
Published: April 2021

Single and multiple electron ionization of PF3is characterized and quantified by a joint computational and experimental investigation. Absolute cross sections are presented and the properties of two low-lying dication states revealed.
Spiers Memorial Lecture: CO2 utilization: why, why now, and how?
Authors: Sick Volker
Published: April 2021

This overview on carbon dioxide utilization (CDU) provides a framework for the opportunities, boundary conditions, potential pitfalls, and critical needs to advance technologies rapidly to deploy CDU as a mainstream climate-relevant solution.
Optimization of irradiation parameters for 40Ar/39Ar dating by Argus VI multi-collector mass spectrometry
Authors: Zhang Wan-Feng , Zheng De-Wen , Liu Guo-Qing , Xu Yi-Gang , Jiang Ying-De
Published: April 2021

In 40Ar/39Ar dating, 39ArK generated is dependent on irradiation conditions, and the accumulation fast neutron fluence is a critical parameter for 40Ar/39Ar dating.
A colloidal gold immunochromatographic strip for quantitative detection of azoxystrobin in vegetables
Authors: Lin Lu , Xu Xinxin , Song Shanshan , Liu Liqiang , Kuang Hua , Wang Zhengyou , Xu Chuanlai
Published: April 2021

Develop the immunochromatographic strip assay for rapid on-site screening of azoxystrobin in vegetables.
Self-induced synthesis under neutral conditions and novel visible light photocatalytic activity of Ag4V2O7 polyoxometalate
Authors: Zhou Dan , Chen Yi-Xiang , Yuan Xiao-Yu , Lu Yi , Zhang Min , Liu Jin-Ku
Published: April 2021

Ag4V2O7 POM with a nanorod-bundle structure was designed under neutral conditions, which showed good visible photodegradation performance against chloramphenicol.