bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Generalized data-driven optimal path planning framework for uniform coverage missions using crop spraying UAVs
Authors: Nanavati Rohit V. , Meng Yanhua , Coombes Matthew , Liu Cunjia
Published: March 2023

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) based crop spraying has become a popular alternative in the field of precision agriculture. One of the key goals of UAV based spraying is achieving spray coverage that is as uniform as possible to ensure maximum spray efficacy. Most of the existing studies in the literature focus on analysing the effects of spraying parameters on the uniformity of coverage distribution using experimental studies. However, in this work, we propose a novel generalized data-driven optimal path-planning framework aimed at finding the optimal operational flight parameters (flight speed and pass widths) for a lawnmower coverage path plan to meet the specified spray coverage rate while ensuring the uniformity. The framework takes a spray distribution model as an input and computes the optimal operational parameters for the coverage path plan to minimize coverage non-uniformity without making any assumptions on the UAV type. Furthermore, we also propose a neural network structure using Gaussian kernel neurons to design the spraying model using experimental data. The neural network structure makes no assumption about the type of UAV, onboard nozzle placement, or the flight parameters. The accuracy of the modelling solution only depends on the quality of the training data. In other words, higher diversity of the training data in terms of the flight and spraying parameters would result in a modelling solution that is more representative of the spraying distribution and consequently improve the quality of the operational parameters obtained from the proposed optimization framework. In this work, we present a case study to demonstrate the use case and test the performance of the proposed framework via simulation and experiments using the DJI AGRAS-T10 drone. The results showed that the optimal pass-width solutions for low forward speeds were similar to optimizing the positioning of the nozzles on a boom sprayer to achieve uniform coverage. Whereas, at high speeds, the pass-width was comparatively higher as the spread of the effective coverage over each pass increased. A discussion contextualized in the case study is provided to highlight the salient features and limitations of the proposed framework.
Exploring what matters to residents of Australian aged care facilities with the Happy Life Index: comparison of qualitative responses between pre- and mid-Covid-19 pandemic time points
Authors: Murray Carolyn M. , Milanese Steve , Guerin Michelle , Bilton Rebecca , Baldock Katherine L. , Parfitt Gaynor
Published: March 2023

Purpose

This study analysed data from a national survey of people living in Australian Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACFs) reporting on what is the best thing about where they live and suggestions for improvement. Data from prior to the Covid-19 pandemic were compared with data during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Methods

Qualitative data from the Happy Life Index Survey were analysed using summative content analysis to code the responses in the data sets and then organise them into categories. Once categorised, the pre-Covid-19 and mid-Covid-19 data sets were compared using descriptive statistics.

Results

A total of 4745 residents, from over 100 RACFs, provided 8512 open-text responses to at least one of the two survey questions. Pre-Covid-19 responses were compared with mid-Covid-19 responses and those trending towards relevance (5–10% change) were identified. There were both positive and negative relevant percent changes for staff number, food (general comments), and friendliness. A trending positive percentage change was observed for staff quality and the internal environment. There was a trending negative relevant percentage change for lifestyle activities, staff generally, level of contentedness, the general environment, general choice, and general views about the service.

Conclusion

People living in RACFs notice the changes in staffing levels and visitors during restrictions imposed during infectious outbreaks. During these times, they appreciate the quality of the staff attending to their needs and the quality of their food. Further exploration is needed of the value of lifestyle activities and strategies to promote feelings of contentedness and general wellbeing during times of restriction.
Polyfunctional argument markers in Ket
Authors: Carter Matthew
Published: March 2023

Polyfunctionalityrefers to cases in which the same formal material is systematically reused with different functions. It represents a type ofcomplexity of exponence, wherein there is a non-one-to-one mapping between function and form. Much recent work in morphology has emphasized the role ofimplicative structurein resolving the communicative challenges associated with complex form-function mappings. However, previous work has focused almost entirely on complexity of exponence as a challenge for the speaker predicting novel forms (knowing how to encode information), and very little on the challenge for the listener in decoding novel forms. It also has focused almost exclusively on inflectional paradigms, and has not explored how other types of implicative structure might be important in languages with diverse morphological systems. This paper investigates the role of syntagmatic (i.e. word-internal) implicative structure in Ket (Yeniseian, Siberia), a polysynthetic language with numerous polyfunctional markers. It is shown that such markers are organized into networks of implicative relations with one another, wherein less polyfunctional markers along a scale of polyfunctionality disambiguate the function of more polyfunctional markers. This allows uncertainty with regard to their function in any particular instance to remain low. The Ket data make wider typological predictions for the relationship between complexity of exponence and implicative structure.
Almost symmetric good semigroups
Authors: Casabella L. , D’Anna M.
Published: March 2023

The class of good semigroups is a class of subsemigroups of $${\mathbb {N}}^h$$

N

h

, that includes the value semigroups of rings associated to curve singularities and their blowups, and allows to study combinatorically the properties of these rings. In this paper we give a characterization of almost symmetric good subsemigroups of $${\mathbb {N}}^h$$

N

h

, extending known results in numerical semigroup theory and in one-dimensional ring theory, and we apply these results to obtain new results on almost Gorenstein one-dimensional analytically unramified rings.
The Right to Protest During a Pandemic: Using Public Health Ethics to Bridge the Divide Between Public Health Goals and Human Rights
Authors: Wood Stephanie L.
Published: March 2023

Public protest continued to represent a prominent form of social activism in democratic societies during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Australia, a lack of specific legislation articulating protest rights has meant that, in the context of pandemic restrictions, such events have been treated as illegal mass gatherings. Numerous large protests in major cities have, indeed, stirred significant public debate regarding rights of assembly during COVID-19 outbreaks. The ethics of infringing on protest rights continues to be controversial, with opinion divided as to whether public health goals or human rights should take precedence. This paper applies public health ethical theory to an in-depth analysis of arguments on both sides of the debate. Using the Nuffield Council on Bioethics framework as a backdrop, proportionality and necessity of restrictions are understood as key concepts that are common to both public health and human rights perspectives. The analysis presented here finds a middle-ground between the prevailing arguments on opposing sides and is further able to rationalize the use of protest itself as an important element of a mature public health ethics response to restrictive policy. Thus, this paper aims to influence public health policy and legislation regarding protest rights during public health emergencies.
Digital-based production: introduction and fields of application
Authors: Metternich J. , Kreß A.
Published: March 2023

This special issue on “digital-based production” gives an overview about the current research on the integration of digital technologies into production processes and their fields of application. It covers topics from Industry 4.0, artificial intelligence and data analytics to the Industrial Internet of Things and Cyber-Physical Production Systems. This issue offers valuable insights for those interested in improving production efficiency, quality, and sustainability through digital technologies. In this foreword, we describe promising application fields of digital-based production and classify the submitted articles accordingly.
Digitalization, entrepreneurship and competitiveness: an analysis from 19 European countries
Authors: Galindo-Martín Miguel-Ángel , Castaño-Martínez María-Soledad , Méndez-Picazo María-Teresa
Published: March 2023

In light of the economic situation resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, economists have claimed that an improvement in competitiveness can enhance economic growth. A greater degree of competitiveness allows the relevant actors to engage in entrepreneurial activity in new markets and to create market niches that promote job creation. Among the factors that can stimulate competitiveness, entrepreneurship and digitalization play relevant roles. Digital technologies have generated new business opportunities for entrepreneurs; likewise, digital entrepreneurship allows different entrepreneurs to connect via a platform, thus facilitating access to global markets with growth potential. The fundamental objective of this paper is to study the relationships among digitalization, entrepreneurship and competitiveness in light of the factors that influence the digitalization process. An empirical analysis of 19 European countries is conducted, and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis is used to obtain the combinations of economic and social variables that affect competitiveness and entrepreneurship. The results of the empirical analysis show that to stimulate entrepreneurial activity, a country must exhibit an environment that is favourable to digitalization as well as an investment in talent that allows the relevant actors to take advantage of the benefits of digital technologies.
An Unexpected Cyclic Symmetry of $$I{\mathfrak u}_n$$
Authors: Bar-Natan Dror , Veen Roland van der
Published: March 2023

We find and discuss an unexpected (to us) order n cyclic group of automorphisms of the Lie algebra $$I{\mathfrak u}_n{:}{=}{\mathfrak u}_n < imes {\mathfrak u}_n^*$$

I

u
n

:
=

u
n

⋉

u
n
∗

, where $${\mathfrak u}_n$$

u
n

is the Lie algebra of upper triangular $$n\times n$$

n
×
n

matrices. Our results also extend to $$\mathfrak {gl}_{n+}^\epsilon $$

gl

n
+

ϵ

, a “solvable approximation” of $$\mathfrak {gl}_n$$

gl
n

, as defined within.
Effectiveness of H5P in improving student learning outcomes in an online tertiary education setting
Authors: Jacob Tarosh , Centofanti Stephanie
Published: March 2023

Innovative, pedagogically informed instructional design is instrumental in increasing student engagement and improving learning outcomes in online learning environments. Interactive learning resources provide students with the opportunity to engage with content in a more personalised manner. H5P (HTML 5 Package) is a collaborative platform that allows developers to create interactive content and has been regularly used in education settings. Some evidence suggests using interactive H5P resources in online education courses could lead to greater student engagement. However, to date, there has been little investigation into whether H5P resources can improve student learning outcomes. The current study aimed to assess whether using interactive H5P resources improved assessed learning outcomes in an online undergraduate psychology course. A randomized cross-over design was utilized to test whether students exposed to H5P interactive videos had improved assessment results when compared to a control group. This study found no meaningful differences in assessment scores between students exposed to H5P versus those that were not. There was low overall engagement with the interactive content. However, students who did engage with the resources reported a positive experience and indicated a preference for more interactive elements in future courses. Future research should extend on the instructional design obstacles identified in this study, for example, by examining whether improved accessibility and education on the benefits of interactive resources would increase engagement and grades.
MTHPP monoacetic ester: unexpected formation, zinc metalation, thermal and photophysical properties
Authors: Sweed Ayman M. K. , Shaker Yasser M. , Ragab Sherif S.
Published: March 2023

In the current investigation we report an unexpected methyl esterification occurred during the coupling reaction of mTHPP monoacetic acid 2 with 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole in the presence of HBTU/DIPEA. The mechanism of this unexpected methyl esterification was studied, and the structure of the formed methyl ester 5 was confirmed by the means of 1H, 13C NMR in addition to (MALDI-TOF and ESI-HRMS) spectrometry. The formation of 5 during the coupling reaction was also chemically supported by an alternative synthetic method involving a direct monosubstitution reaction of mTHPP 1 with methyl bromoacetate. We also investigated the metalation of 5 with zinc and studied the thermal properties along with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) of the zinc porphyrin 6. The photophysical properties of porphyrin methyl ester 5 and its zinc complex 6 were also investigated.

Graphical Abstract
Dual-mode colorimetric/fluorescent chemosensor for Cu2+/Zn2+ and fingerprint imaging based on rhodamine ethylenediamine bis(triazolyl silsesquioxane)
Authors: Dare Enock O. , Akinhanmi Temilade F. , Aremu J. A. , Adetunji Olayide R. , Bamgbose Janet T. , Vendrell-Criado Victoria , Jiménez M. Consuelo , Pérez-Ruiz Raúl , Bonardd Sebastian , Díaz Díaz David
Published: March 2023

A novel dual functional and visual rhodamine ethylenediamine bis(triazolyl silsesquioxane) (RBS) chemosensor was successfully synthesized using “click” chemistry. The results have unambiguously demonstrated that RBS can act in fluorescent and colorimetric sensing of Cu2+ and Zn2+ by their respective coordination with triazole structures and, more importantly, it has also been found that triazole-amide of RBS could turn on chelation-enhanced fluorescence (CHEF) of Cu2+. Remarkably, the addition of Cu2+ triggered an enhanced fluorescent emission by 63.3-fold (ϕF = 0.41), while Zn2+ enhanced it 48.3-fold (ϕF = 0.29) relative to the original RBS (ϕF = 0.006) in acetonitrile (MeCN) solvent. The fluorescent limit of detection for Cu2+ and Zn2+ is similar and fall within 3.0 nM, while under colorimetric sensing the responses were 2.14 × 10–8 and 4.0 × 10–8 mol L−1, respectively. Moreover, the effective sensing profile of RBS and extended applications of RBS–Cu2+ and RBS–Zn2+ for fingerprinting detection and imaging were observed with adequate sensitivity, stability and legibility under the dual visual responses.

Graphical abstract
Divine foreknowledge and human freedom: exploring a gap-theoretic account
Authors: DeVito Michael
Published: March 2023

The recent work of logician Jc Beall marks a paradigm shift within the fields of analytic theology and philosophy of religion. Thanks to Beall’s work, the long held (and generally unquestioned) assumption that theology is governed by (or closed under) the classical account of logic, is no longer free for the assumption. More importantly, by dropping this unquestioned commitment to the classical account, Beall’s work has uncovered natural and well-motivated solutions to some of monotheistic theologies’ most difficult and longstanding problems. That said, much of Beall’s work (and the work of others who have followed his lead) has been paraconsistent, utilizing glut-theoretic (contradictory) models to solve theologies problems. In this essay, my plan is to go paracomplete, with the aim of exploring a yet to be explored solution to the infamous foreknowledge and freedom problem. My solution finds its roots in the recent work Jc Beall and Aaron Cotnoir (‘God of the Gaps’, Analysis, 2017). Specifically, in this essay I will explore a gap-theoretic solution to the foreknowledge and freedom problem; one in which it is neither true nor false that God has foreknowledge. By utilizing Beall’s and Cotnoir’s model — which sees limit claims on God’s omni-properties as either just false or gappy — a natural and well-motivated solution to the foreknowledge and freedom problem emerges. Moreover, by utilizing the Beall-Cotnoir gap-theoretic model, not only is the foreknowledge and freedom problem circumvented, but an interesting and novel account of divine omniscience emerges.
Korean Grammar
Authors: Kim Mira , Martin J. R. , Shin Gi-Hyun , Choi Gyung Hee
Published: March 2023

Using the framework of Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), this pioneering book provides the first comprehensive account of Korean grammar, building foundations for an engagement with Korean texts across a range of spoken and written registers and genres. It treats grammar as a meaning-making resource, comprising experiential resources for construing reality, interpersonal resources for enacting social relations, textual resources for composing coherent discourse, and logical resources for linking clauses. It deals not only with clause systems and structures but also focuses on their realisation as groups and phrases (and clause rank particles), and the realisation of these groups and phrases in words (including clitics and relevant suffixation). Its concluding chapter demonstrates how this grammar can be applied – for teaching Korean as a foreign language and for translation and interpreting studies. This book is essential reading for scholars and students of Asian languages and linguistics and functional approaches to grammar description.
Schooling the Nation
Authors: Sobhy Hania
Published: March 2023

Telling the story of the Egyptian uprising through the lens of education, Hania Sobhy explores the everyday realities of citizens in the years before and after the so-called 'Arab Spring'. With vivid narratives from students and staff from Egyptian schools, Sobhy offers novel insights on the years that led to and followed the unrest of 2011. Drawing a holistic portrait of education in Egypt, she reveals the constellations of violence, neglect and marketization that pervaded schools, and shows how young people negotiated the state and national belonging. By approaching schools as key disciplinary and nation-building institutions, this book outlines the various ways in which citizenship was produced, lived, and imagined during those critical years. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.
SG-APSIC1035: Prospective safety surveillance study of ACAM2000 smallpox vaccine in deployed military personnel
Authors: Yeo Kevin , Gordon Daniel , Perry Lori , Raymond-Loher Ilfra , Tati Nita , Yeo Kevin , Lin Grace , DiPietro Gina , Selmani Alex , Decker Michael
Published: March 2023

Objectives: We compared rates of myopericarditis adverse events and evaluated potential risk factors of development. We compared rates of dermatological–neurological adverse events (severe and serious) with other adverse events in a specific population of deployed US military personnel who received or did not receive ACAM2000 vaccine (ie, Vaccinia smallpox live vaccine). Methods: Up to 20,000 military personnel recipients were enrolled in a prospective observational cohort study: up to 15,000 ACAM2000 recipients in cohort 1 and up to 5,000 military personnel who were eligible for ACAM2000 vaccination but were not vaccinated due to recent vaccination or characteristics of their contacts in cohort 2. Enrollment was at a 3:1 ratio, respectively. Serum specimens and data were collected at the initial visit and 10 days later (cf, window of 6–17 days). Study participants with evidence, either clinical or laboratory, of possible myopericarditis were referred to a blinded independent review committee for further evaluation and adjudication. The primary analysis was logistic regression with adjudicated myopericarditis as the dependent variable and age, sex, race, and exercise regimen as the independent variables. Results: Initial data and serum specimens were obtained from 14,667 participants (cohort 1, N = 10,825; cohort 2, N = 3,842). According to protocol, 2 visits were completed by 12,110 participants (cohort 1, N = 8,945; cohort 2, N = 3,165), and 125 participants (cohort 1, N = 111; cohort 2, N = 14) were referred for myopericarditis adjudication, of whom 1 had confirmed myocarditis, 5 had suspected myocarditis, 1 had suspected pericarditis, and 54 (cohort 1, N = 44; cohort 2, N = 10) had subclinical myopericarditis. The unadjusted myopericarditis rates were 5.7 per 1,000 (95% CI, 4.3–7.5) for cohort 1 and 3.2 per 1,000 (95% CI, 1.7–5.8) for cohort 2. The unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios for myopericarditis for cohort 1 and cohort 2 were 1.8 (95% CI, 0.9–3.6) and 1.3 (95% CI, 0.6–2.6), respectively. At least 1 serious adverse event was experienced by 117 participants (1.1%) in cohort 1 and 13 (0.3%) in cohort 2. No serious and severe neurological or dermatological adverse events were reported. Conclusions: ACAM2000 vaccination was associated with a modest but nonsignificant increase in the risk of myopericarditis in this prudently screened, young and healthy service-member population. The adjusted OR was 1.3 and the unadjusted OR was 1.8. Overall, all but 7 cases were subclinical. Citation: Faix DJ, Gordon DM, Perry LN, et al. Prospective safety surveillance study of ACAM2000 smallpox vaccine in deploying military personnel. Vaccine 2020;38:7323–7330.
A Pharmacological Perspective on Technology-Induced Organised Immaturity: The Care-giving Role of the Arts
Authors: Alacovska Ana , Booth Peter , Fieseler Christian
Published: March 2023

Digital technologies induce organised immaturity by generating toxic sociotechnical conditions that lead us to delegate autonomous, individual, and responsible thoughts and actions to external technological systems. Aiming to move beyond a diagnostic critical reading of the toxicity of digitalisation, we bring Bernard Stiegler’s pharmacological analysis of technology into dialogue with the ethics of care to speculatively explore how the socially engaged arts—a type of artistic practice emphasising audience co-production and processual collective responses to social challenges—play a care-giving role that helps counter technology-induced organised immaturity. We outline and illustrate two modes by which the socially engaged arts play this role: 1) disorganising immaturity through artivism, most notably anti-surveillance art, that imparts savoir vivre, that is, shared knowledge and meaning to counter the toxic side of technologies while enabling the imagination of alternative worlds in which humans coexist harmoniously with digital technologies, and 2) organising maturity through arts-based hacking that imparts savoir faire, that is, hands-on knowledge for experimental creation and practical enactment of better technological worlds.
Exploration–Exploitation Duality with Both Tradeoff and Synergy: The Curvilinear Interaction Effects of Learning Modes on Innovation Types
Authors: Li Peter Ping , Liu Heng , Li Yuan , Wang Haifeng
Published: March 2023

How can a firm apply the appropriate interaction between exploration and exploitation with the goal of either radical or incremental innovation? In this study, we seek to answer this puzzling question by reframing exploitation and exploration as adualityof learning (i.e., two modes that are partial complementary forsynergyas well as partial conflicting fortradeoff). Specifically, rather than assuming either apositiveornegativeinteraction between exploration and exploitation as prior literature has done, our study highlights a novel pattern ofinverted U-shaped interactionbetween exploration and exploitation for both radical and incremental innovations. With a Chinese sample of 508 firms, our empirical evidence supports our prediction of two patterns of inverted U-shaped interaction of exploration and exploitation. Such unique findings showcase the unique value of reframing paradox into duality from the meta-perspective of yin-yang balancing to shed new light on organizational ambidexterity and innovation management.
The cluster of differentiation 36 (CD36) rs1761667 polymorphism interacts with dietary patterns to affect cardiometabolic risk factors and metabolic syndrome risk in apparently healthy individuals
Authors: Yazdanpanah Zeinab , Salehi-Abargouei Amin , Mollahosseini Mehdi , Sheikhha Mohammad Hasan , Mirzaei Masoud , Mozaffari-Khosravi Hassan
Published: March 2023

Several studies have examined the association between CD36 rs1761667 polymorphism with cardiometabolic risk factors and metabolic syndrome (MetS). This study aimed to investigate the interactions between rs1761667 polymorphism and dietary patterns on the cardiometabolic risk factors and the risk of MetS in apparently healthy individuals aged 20–70 years. Food consumption data were acquired using a validated semi-quantitative FFQ. Dietary patterns were identified by factor analysis. CD36 rs1761667 was genotyped by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism. The gene–diet interaction was detected by the general linear model or logistic regression. Significant or marginally significant interactions were observed between healthy dietary pattern (HDP) and CD36 rs1761667 on weight (P = 0·006), BMI (P = 0·009), waist circumference (P = 0·005), hip circumference (P = 0·06), body muscle percentage (P = 0·02), body fat percentage (P = 0·09), TAG-glucose index (P = 0·057), atherogenic index of plasma (P = 0·07), the risk of MetS (P = 0·02), risk of abdominal obesity (P = 0·02) and elevated blood pressure (P = 0·07). Besides, a gene–diet interaction was detected between the traditional dietary pattern and rs1761667 variants on odds of hypertriglyceridaemia (P = 0·02). The adherence to HDP was associated with a lower weight, BMI and higher odds of HDL-cholesterol only in A-allele carriers. In conclusion, adherence to HDP (a diet with high fibre, fish and dairy products) can be more effective on some cardiometabolic risk factors and risk of MetS components in the A-allele carrier than the GG genotype of rs1761667 polymorphism. However, future studies are required to shed light on this issue.
Landholding Inequality and the Consolidation of Democracy: Evidence from Nineteenth-Century France
Authors: Montalbo Adrien
Published: March 2023

In this article, I investigate the effect of landholding inequalities on the democratization process in nineteenth-century France. I focus on the 1849 election, which followed the establishment of the Second Republic (1848–1851), and on the first six elections of the Third Republic (1870–1940), which took place between 1876 and 1893. I find that stronger landholding inequalities were associated to a lower support for the Republicans, and therefore constituted a threat to the consolidation of democracy. I provide evidence that large landowners resisted the establishment of democracy by influencing the electoral behavior of economically dependent agricultural workers.
Towards democratic intelligence oversight: Limits, practices, struggles
Authors: Kniep Ronja , Ewert Lina , Reyes Bernardino Léon , Tréguer Félix , Cluskey Emma Mc , Aradau Claudia
Published: March 2023

Despite its common usage, the meaning of ‘democratic’ in democratic intelligence oversight has rarely been spelled out. In this article, we situate questions regarding intelligence oversight within broader debates about the meanings and practices of democracy. We argue that the literature on intelligence oversight has tended to implicitly or explicitly follow liberal and technocratic ideas of democracy, which have limited the understanding of oversight both in academia and in practice. Thus, oversight is mostly understood as an expert, institutional and partially exclusive arrangement that is supposed to strike a balance between individual freedom and collective security, with the goal of establishing the legitimacy of and trust in intelligence work in a national setting. ‘Healthy’ or ‘efficient’ democratic oversight then becomes a matter of technical expertise, non-partisanship, and the ability to guard secrets. By analysing three moments of struggle around what counts as intelligence oversight across Germany, the UK, and the US, this article elucidates their democratic stakes. Through a practice-based approach, we argue that oversight takes much more agonistic, contentious, transnational, and public forms. However, these democratic practices reconfiguring oversight remain contested or contained by dominant views on what constitutes legitimate and effective intelligence oversight.
From social networks to bird enthusiasts: reporting interactions between plastic waste and birds in Peru
Authors: Ayala Félix , Vizcarra Jhonson K. , Castillo-Morales Karen , Torres-Zevallos Uriel , Cordero-Maldonado Cristel , Ampuero-Merino Lyanne , Herrera-Peralta Kárlom , De-la-Torre Gabriel Enrique , Angulo Fernando , Cárdenas-Alayza Susana
Published: March 2023

Peru has the second-highest diversity of birds in the world, but little is known about the interactions between birds and plastic waste. To fill this knowledge gap, we searched the scientific literature, collected information from social networks such as Facebook and databases such as Macaulay Library and iNaturalist and solicited records through messaging with researchers and bird enthusiasts. We found 119 bird interactions with plastic debris involving 39 species from 20 families, with the red-legged cormorant Phalacrocorax gaimardi and the neotropical cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus being the most affected species. By type of interaction category, plastic waste in nests was the most abundant, followed by entanglement, capture and handling and ingestion. Ropes, nets and soft plastics such as bags were the most frequently reported types of waste. As our methodology has limitations, it is probable that other species that also interact with plastic waste have not been reported, so we recommend further study.
Towards diverse and contextually anchored paraphrase modeling: A dataset and baselines for Finnish
Authors: Kanerva Jenna , Ginter Filip , Chang Li-Hsin , Rastas Iiro , Skantsi Valtteri , Kilpeläinen Jemina , Kupari Hanna-Mari , Piirto Aurora , Saarni Jenna , Sevón Maija , Tarkka Otto
Published: March 2023

In this paper, we study natural language paraphrasing from both corpus creation and modeling points of view. We focus in particular on the methodology that allows the extraction of challenging examples of paraphrase pairs in their natural textual context, leading to a dataset potentially more suitable for evaluating the models’ ability to represent meaning, especially in document context, when compared with those gathered using various sentence-level heuristics. To this end, we introduce the Turku Paraphrase Corpus, the first large-scale, fully manually annotated corpus of paraphrases in Finnish. The corpus contains 104,645 manually labeled paraphrase pairs, of which 98% are verified to be true paraphrases, either universally or within their present context. In order to control the diversity of the paraphrase pairs and avoid certain biases easily introduced in automatic candidate extraction, the paraphrases are manually collected from different paraphrase-rich text sources. This allows us to create a challenging dataset including longer and more lexically diverse paraphrases than can be expected from those collected through heuristics. In addition to quality, this also allows us to keep the original document context for each pair, making it possible to study paraphrasing in context. To our knowledge, this is the first paraphrase corpus which provides the original document context for the annotated pairs.

We also study several paraphrase models trained and evaluated on the new data. Our initial paraphrase classification experiments indicate a challenging nature of the dataset when classifying using the detailed labeling scheme used in the corpus annotation, the accuracy substantially lacking behind human performance. However, when evaluating the models on a large scale paraphrase retrieval task on almost 400M candidate sentences, the results are highly encouraging, 29–53% of the pairs being ranked in the top 10 depending on the paraphrase type. The Turku Paraphrase Corpus is available at github.com/TurkuNLP/Turku-paraphrase-corpus as well as through the popular HuggingFace datasets under the CC-BY-SA license.
Drivers and Potential Consequences of Observed Extreme Hypoxia Along the Canadian Pacific Continental Shelf
Authors: Franco Ana C. , Ianson Debby , Ross Tetjana , Hannah Charles , Sastri Akash , Tortell Philippe D.
Published: March 2023

Bottom waters of the northeast Pacific continental shelf naturally experience localized hypoxic conditions, with significant influences on food webs and biogeochemical cycling. In August 2021, extreme hypoxia was detected from several measurement platforms along the southern British Columbia continental shelf, with oxygen concentration <60 μmol kg−1, and a difference from the seasonal climatology of more than 2 standard deviations. Early and intense remote upwelling and local density shifts were associated with an anomalously strong spring phytoplankton bloom, which likely stimulated localized respiration of subsurface organic matter. This event was concurrent with unsuitable habitat for Pacific halibut and calcite and aragonite undersaturation throughout most of the water column. The drivers of this extreme low oxygen event could be enhanced under future climate change, with potentially significant impacts on marine ecology and biogeochemistry.
Modeling the Impact of Geomagnetically Induced Currents on Electrified Railway Signaling Systems in the United Kingdom
Authors: Patterson C. J. , Wild J. A. , Boteler D. H.
Published: March 2023

Studies of space weather impacts on ground‐based infrastructure have been largely focused on power networks and pipelines, but railway signaling systems are also affected, with misoperations observed in several countries. This paper advances recent theoretical work on geomagnetically induced currents in railway signaling systems by modeling realistic railway lines with parameters from current industrial standards. Focusing on two example lines in the United Kingdom with different locations and orientation, a range of uniform electric fields are simulated along each modeled line. The results show that misoperations could be caused by geomagnetic interference at disturbance levels expected to recur over timescales of several decades. We also demonstrate that the UK estimate for the geoelectric field induced by a 1 in 100‐year extreme storm would be strong enough to cause widespread signal misoperations in both lines studied.
Clinical case study meets population cohort: identification of a BRCA1 pathogenic founder variant in Orcadians
Authors: Kerr Shona M. , Cowan Emma , Klaric Lucija , Bell Christine , O’Sullivan Dawn , Buchanan David , Grzymski Joseph J. , van Hout Cristopher V. , Tzoneva Gannie , Shuldiner Alan R. , Wilson James F. , Miedzybrodzka Zosia
Published: March 2023

We multiply ascertained the BRCA1 pathogenic missense variant c.5207T > C; p.Val1736Ala (V1736A) in clinical investigation of breast and ovarian cancer families from Orkney in the Northern Isles of Scotland, UK. We sought to investigate the frequency and clinical relevance of this variant in those of Orcadian ancestry as an exemplar of the value of population cohorts in clinical care, especially in isolated populations. Oral history and birth, marriage and death registrations indicated genealogical linkage of the clinical cases to ancestors from the Isle of Westray, Orkney. Further clinical cases were identified through targeted testing for V1736A in women of Orcadian ancestry attending National Health Service (NHS) genetic clinics for breast and ovarian cancer family risk assessments. The variant segregates with female breast and ovarian cancer in clinically ascertained cases. Separately, exome sequence data from 2088 volunteer participants with three or more Orcadian grandparents, in the ORCADES research cohort, was interrogated to estimate the population prevalence of V1736A in Orcadians. The effects of the variant were assessed using Electronic Health Record (EHR) linkage. Twenty out of 2088 ORCADES research volunteers (~1%) carry V1736A, with a common haplotype around the variant. This allele frequency is ~480-fold higher than in UK Biobank participants. Cost-effectiveness of population screening for BRCA1 founder pathogenic variants has been demonstrated at a carrier frequency below the ~1% observed here. Thus we suggest that Orcadian women should be offered testing for the BRCA1 V1736A founder pathogenic variant, starting with those with known Westray ancestry.
MafB-restricted local monocyte proliferation precedes lung interstitial macrophage differentiation
Authors: Vanneste Domien , Bai Qiang , Hasan Shakir , Peng Wen , Pirottin Dimitri , Schyns Joey , Maréchal Pauline , Ruscitti Cecilia , Meunier Margot , Liu Zhaoyuan , Legrand Céline , Fievez Laurence , Ginhoux Florent , Radermecker Coraline , Bureau Fabrice , Marichal Thomas
Published: March 2023

Resident tissue macrophages (RTMs) are differentiated immune cells that populate distinct niches and exert important tissue-supportive functions. RTM maintenance is thought to rely either on differentiation from monocytes or on RTM self-renewal. Here, we used a mouse model of inducible lung interstitial macrophage (IM) niche depletion and refilling to investigate the development of IMs in vivo. Using time-course single-cell RNA-sequencing analyses, bone marrow chimeras and gene targeting, we found that engrafted Ly6C+ classical monocytes proliferated locally in a Csf1 receptor-dependent manner before differentiating into IMs. The transition from monocyte proliferation toward IM subset specification was controlled by the transcription factor MafB, while c-Maf specifically regulated the identity of the CD206+ IM subset. Our data provide evidence that, in the mononuclear phagocyte system, the ability to proliferate is not merely restricted to myeloid progenitor cells and mature RTMs but is also a tightly regulated capability of monocytes developing into RTMs in vivo.
Modelling daily plant growth response to environmental conditions in Chinese solar greenhouse using Bayesian neural network
Authors: Mohmed Gadelhag , Heynes Xanthea , Naser Abdallah , Sun Weituo , Hardy Katherine , Grundy Steven , Lu Chungui
Published: March 2023

Understanding how plants respond to environmental conditions such as temperature, CO2, humidity, and light radiation is essential for plant growth. This paper proposes an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model to predict plant response to environmental conditions to enhance crop production systems that improve plant performance and resource use efficiency (e.g. light, fertiliser and water) in a Chinese Solar Greenhouse. Comprehensive data collection has been conducted in a greenhouse environment to validate the proposed prediction model. Specifically, the data has been collected from the CSG in warm and cold weather. This paper confirms that CSG’s passive insulation and heating system was effective in providing adequate protection during the winter. In particular, the CSG average indoor temperature was 18 $$^{\circ }$$

∘

C higher than the outdoor temperature. The difference in environmental conditions led to a yield of 320.8g per head in the winter after 60 growing days compared to 258.9g in the spring experiment after just 35 days. Three different architectures of Bayesian Neural Networks (BNN) models have been evaluated to predict plant response to environmental conditions. The results show that the BNN network is accurate in modelling and predicting crop performance.
Gut microbiome signatures of Yorkshire Terrier enteropathy during disease and remission
Authors: Doulidis Pavlos G. , Galler Alexandra I. , Hausmann Bela , Berry David , Rodríguez-Rojas Alexandro , Burgener Iwan A.
Published: March 2023

The role of the gut microbiome in developing Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) in humans and dogs has received attention in recent years. Evidence suggests that IBD is associated with alterations in gut microbial composition, but further research is needed in veterinary medicine. The impact of IBD treatment on the gut microbiome needs to be better understood, especially in a breed-specific form of IBD in Yorkshire Terriers known as Yorkshire Terrier Enteropathy (YTE). This study aimed to investigate the difference in gut microbiome composition between YTE dogs during disease and remission and healthy Yorkshire Terriers. Our results showed a significant increase in specific taxa such as Clostridium sensu stricto 1, Escherichia-Shigella, and Streptococcus, and a decrease in Bacteroides, Prevotella, Alloprevotella, and Phascolarctobacterium in YTE dogs compared to healthy controls. No significant difference was found between the microbiome of dogs in remission and those with active disease, suggesting that the gut microbiome is affected beyond clinical recovery.
Rotation and transportation of liquid crystal droplets for visualizing electric properties of microstructured electrodes
Authors: Bono Shinji , Konishi Satoshi
Published: March 2023

The spatial resolution of typical sensor probes is sufficient for measuring the average electric properties of microelectrical devices, but they are unable to measure the distribution with a spatial precision. Liquid crystal droplets (LCDs) are promising candidate for visualizing the distribution. When voltage is applied, the LCDs show rotational and translational behaviors which depend on the location of LCDs within the devices. We demonstrate that by comparing the experimental and numerical results, the electric field and electrostatic energy distribution are visualized by rotating and transporting LCDs, with a spatial resolution of 10 µm and a detection accuracy of 5 µV/µm. In addition, we produced an array of LCDs by designing periodic modulation of the electrostatic energy density in the model device. These findings show that the LCDs serve as a periodic modulator of the refractive index as well as a sensor for the observation of electric properties of microelectrical devices.
A network analysis on biopsychosocial factors and pain-related outcomes assessed during a COVID-19 lockdown
Authors: Gevers-Montoro Carlos , Liew Bernard X. W. , Deldar Zoha , Conesa-Buendia Francisco Miguel , Ortega-De Mues Arantxa , Falla Deborah , Khatibi Ali
Published: March 2023

Psychological stress, social isolation, physical inactivity, and reduced access to care during lockdowns throughout a pandemic negatively impact pain and function. In the context of the first COVID-19 lockdown in Spain, we aimed to investigate how different biopsychosocial factors influence chiropractic patients’ pain-related outcomes and vice-versa. A total of 648 chiropractic patients completed online questionnaires including variables from the following categories: demographics, pain outcomes, pain beliefs, impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, stress/anxiety and self-efficacy. Twenty-eight variables were considered in a cross-sectional network analysis to examine bidirectional associations between biopsychosocial factors and pain outcomes. Subgroup analyses were conducted to estimate differences according to gender and symptom duration. The greatest associations were observed between pain duration and pain evolution during lockdown. Participants’ age, pain symptoms’ evolution during lockdown, and generalized anxiety were the variables with the strongest influence over the whole network. Negative emotions evoked by the pandemic were indirectly associated with pain outcomes, possibly via pain catastrophizing. The network structure of patients reporting acute pain showed important differences when compared to patients with chronic pain. These findings will contribute to identify which factors explain the deleterious effects of both the pandemic and the restrictions on patients living with pain.
Liver tissues oxidative status, epigenetic and molecular characteristics in rats administered magnetic and microwave treated water
Authors: Elmoslemany Amira M. , Ghamry Heba I. , Awad Abdelrahman A. , EL-Kholy Ragab I. , Almami Ibtesam S. M. , Alyamani Najiah M. , Zedan Amina M. G.
Published: March 2023

Physical and chemical changes in the natural of water may affect biological organisms. In this study, we highlight the effect of magnetized-water and microwave-water on rats’ liver tissues. Three groups of albino rats were separated. The first, rats were administered tap-water. The second, rats were administered magnetized-water. The third, rats were administered microwave-water. After two months, the results revealed a significant increase in liver functioning enzymes’ levels and bilirubin in rats administered microwave-water, compared to tap- and magnetic-water. In relation to oxidative stress, there was a significant increase and decrease in oxidative and antioxidant parameters respectively in liver tissues of rat's administrated microwave-water. At the molecular level, there was a significant down-regulation in Metallothionein, CYP genes in magnetic-water compared to tap-water. Rats administered microwave-water have shown a significant down-regulation in GST, Metallothionein and CYP genes’ expression, however, Amylase and HDAC3 genes were significantly up-regulated, compared to the other groups. The intake of microwave-water resulted in notable histopathological changes in liver tissues. Rats administered magnetic-water showed no clear changes in their liver tissues. In summary, microwave-water induced stress and epigenetic effects compared with magnetic-water and tap-water. Also, magnetic-water produced from the higher magnetic power had no side effect on liver tissues.
Ingestion and excretion dynamics of microplastics by black soldier fly larvae and correlation with mouth opening size
Authors: Lievens Siebe , Vervoort Evelynn , Bruno Daniele , Van der Donck Tom , Tettamanti Gianluca , Seo Jin Won , Poma Giulia , Covaci Adrian , De Smet Jeroen , Van Der Borght Mik
Published: March 2023

Black soldier fly (BSF) larvae (Hermetia illucens) are voracious feeders that can be reared on food waste streams originating from the food industry and retailers. Because these food waste streams are automatically being unpacked in substantial amounts, they can contain microplastics, potentially jeopardising the larvae’s chemical safety when applied as compound feed ingredients. During this study, the dynamics of ingestion and excretion of microplastics by BSF larvae reared on substrates containing different contents (wMP = 0.00, 0.01, 0.10, 0.50, 1.00, 3.00%) of fluorescent blue-labelled microplastics (median size, Dv(50) = 61.5 µm) were monitored. To correlate the particle size with their uptake, larval mouth opening dimensions were measured during the rearing process. In conclusion, it appeared that ingestion of microplastics by BSF larvae depends on initial particle load, mouth size, and consequently also age. The larvae took up between 131 (wMP = 0.01%) and 4866 (wMP = 3.00%) particles leading to bioaccumulation factors (BAF) between 0.12 (wMP = 3.00%) and 1.07 (wMP = 0.01%). Larvae also appeared to excrete the microplastics, lowering the BAFs to values between 0.01 (wMP = 3.00%) and 0.54 (wMP = 0.01%).