bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The water mass transformation framework and variability in hurricane activity
Authors: Harris Elizabeth A. , Marsh Robert , Grist Jeremy. P. , McCarthy Gerard. D.
Published: April 2022

Hurricane activity has been higher since 1995 than in the 1970s and 1980s. This rise in activity has been linked to a warming Atlantic. In this study, we consider variability of the volume of water warmer than 26.5 ºC, considered widely to be the temperature threshold crucial to hurricane development. We find the depth of the 26.5 ºC isotherm better correlated with seasonal hurricane counts than SST in the early part of the Atlantic hurricane season in some regions. The volume of water transformed by surface heat fluxes to temperatures above 26.5 ºC is directly calculated using the Water Mass Transformation framework. This volume is compared with the year-to-year changes in the volume of water of this temperature to see how much of the volume can be explained using this calculation. In some years, there is notable correspondence between transformed and observed volume anomalies, but anomalies in other years must be largely associated with other processes, such as the divergence of horizontal heat transport associated with the AMOC. This technique provides evidence that, in a given year, coordinated physical mechanisms are responsible for the build-up of anomalous ocean heat; not only net surface heat exchange but also the convergence of horizontal heat transport from ocean currents, to provide fuel for larger numbers of intense hurricanes.
Multicenter cohort study on the presentation and treatment of acute appendicitis during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Huijgen Demi , de Wijkerslooth Elisabeth M. L. , Janssen Josephine C. , Beverdam Frédérique H. , Boerma Evert-Jan G. , Dekker Jan Willem T. , Kitonga Sophia , van Rossem Charles C. , Schreurs Wilhelmina H. , Toorenvliet Boudewijn R. , Vermaas Maarten , Wijnhoven Bas P. L. , van den Boom Anne Loes
Published: April 2022

Purpose

Current studies have demonstrated conflicting results regarding surgical care for acute appendicitis during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to assess trends in diagnosis as well as treatment of acute appendicitis in the Netherlands during the first and second COVID-19 infection wave.

Methods

All consecutive patients that had an appendectomy for acute appendicitis in nine hospitals from January 2019 to December 2020 were included. The primary outcome was the number of appendectomies for acute appendicitis. Secondary outcomes included time between onset of symptoms and hospital admission, proportion of complex appendicitis, postoperative length of stay and postoperative infectious complications. Outcomes were compared between the pre-COVID group and COVID group.

Results

A total of 4401 patients were included. The mean weekly rate of appendectomies during the COVID period was 44.0, compared to 40.9 in the pre-COVID period. The proportion of patients with complex appendicitis and mean postoperative length of stay in days were similar in the pre-COVID and COVID group (respectively 35.5% vs 36.8%, p = 0.36 and 2.0 ± 2.2 vs 2.0 ± 2.6, p = 0.93). There were no differences in postoperative infectious complications. A computed tomography scan was used more frequently as a diagnostic tool after the onset of COVID-19 compared to pre-COVID (13.8% vs 9.8%, p < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusion

No differences were observed in number of appendectomies, proportion of complex appendicitis, postoperative length of stay or postoperative infectious complications before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. A CT scan was used more frequently during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Expression of DNA mismatch repair proteins in melanoma patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors
Authors: Gambichler T. , Finis C. , Abu Rached N. , Scheel C. H. , Becker J. C. , Lang K. , Käfferlein H. U. , Brüning T. , Abolmaali N. , Susok L.
Published: April 2022

Purpose

To investigate the protein expression of DNA mismatch repair (MMR) proteins in patients with cutaneous melanoma (CM) under immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy.

Methods

Immunohistochemistry was performed on tumor tissue for MMR proteins MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, and PMS2 in 50 metastatic CM patients treated with ICI (ipilimumab, nivolumab, pembrolizumab).

Results

Best overall response (BOR) rate was 48% (24/50). Reduced MMR protein expression (nuclear expression in < 80% of tumor cells) was observed in 8 patients (16%). Compared to other clinical parameters, baseline neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and reduced intratumoral MMR protein expression (P = 0.0033) were determined as the only parameters significantly associated with favorable BOR. However, in this small study population, reduced MMR protein expression did not reach statistical significance in multivariate analysis.

Conclusion

Reduced MMR protein expression is observed in CM and might predict favorable BOR in patients treated with ICI, as was observed for other entities. However, these findings need to be substantiated in larger patient cohorts.
Levamisole causes a transient increase in plasma creatinine levels but does not affect kidney function based on cystatin C
Authors: Veltkamp Floor , Bökenkamp Arend , Slaats Jeroen , Hamer Henrike , Bouts Antonia H. M. ,   on behalf of the LEARNS consortium
Published: April 2022

Background

In pediatric patients treated with levamisole to prevent relapses of idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS), a transient and non-progressive rise in creatinine levels has been observed. It has been suggested that levamisole affects tubular secretion of creatinine. However, other potential mechanisms — nephrotoxicity and interference with the analytical assay for creatinine — have never been thoroughly investigated.

Methods

In three steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome (SSNS) patients with elevated plasma creatinine levels, treated with levamisole 2.5 mg/kg every other day, serum cystatin C was determined. The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was estimated using the full age spectrum for creatinine and the full age spectrum for cystatin C equations. Interference of levamisole with the enzymatic creatinine assay was tested using spare human plasma of different creatinine concentrations spiked with levamisole (4, 20, and 100 µM).

Results

Three patients who received levamisole with elevated plasma creatinine levels had normal serum cystatin C levels and corresponding estimated GFR. There was no assay interference.

Conclusion

Levamisole increases plasma creatinine levels, which is most probably due to impaired tubular secretion of creatinine since there was no assay interference and patients had normal eGFR based on serum cystatin C. However, interference of metabolites of levamisole could not be excluded. To monitor GFR, cystatin C in addition to creatinine should be used and be measured before and during levamisole use.
Psychotherapeutische Versorgung in Österreich: Kassenfinanzierte Psychotherapie für Menschen mit chronisch psychischen Erkrankungen im Jahresvergleich 2017 bis 2020
Authors: Riffer Friedrich , Knopp Magdalena , Oppenauer Claudia , Sprung Manuel
Published: April 2022

In Österreich wird die psychotherapeutische Versorgung im niedergelassenen Bereich finanziell über die Kostenzuschussregelung und kassenfinanzierten Psychotherapiestunden geregelt. Die vorliegende Studie untersucht, inwiefern sich der Anteil an selbstfinanzierten und kassenfinanzierten Psychotherapieeinheiten über die Jahre 2017–2020 unter Berücksichtigung des sozioökonomischen/krankheitsbezogenen und behandlungsbezogenen Status verändert hat. Hierfür wurde eine Stichprobe von 6387 Patient*innen mit psychischen Störungen im Rahmen einer stationären Behandlung befragt.

Der größte Teil (70 %) der Patient*innen ist seit mehr als zwei Jahren an einer psychischen Störung erkrankt und hatte bereits einen stationären Aufenthalt (46 %) oder ambulante psychotherapeutische Behandlung (82 %) in Anspruch genommen. Im Zuge der ambulanten psychotherapeutischen Vorbehandlung haben 45 % der Patient*innen einen Kassenplatz für Psychotherapie erhalten. Von den Patient*innen, die die Psychotherapie privat finanziert haben, hat der Großteil der Patient*innen (72 %) für eine psychotherapeutische Behandlung bis zu 100 € bezahlt – bei einem Anteil von 70 % von Patient*innen, die vor der stationären Behandlung arbeitsunfähig waren und 39 % von Patient*innen, deren monatliches Einkommen weniger als 1000 € ausmacht. Die Studiendaten zeigen auch, dass sich der Anteil der Patient*innen, die eine kassenfinanzierte Psychotherapie in Anspruch nehmen konnten seit 2017 nicht erhöht hat.

Die vorliegende Studie verdeutlicht, dass die Inanspruchnahme von ambulanter Psychotherapie und Kassenplätzen für Psychotherapie bei Patient*innen mit chronisch psychischen Erkrankungen in den letzten vier Jahren, trotz Erhöhung des Kassenzuschuss im Jahr 2018 und etwaiger Aufstockungen an Kassenplätzen, unverändert geblieben ist. Angesichts der limitierten Kassenplätze ist deshalb ein transparentes System für die Zuteilung von Kassenplätzen zu fordern, um die Inanspruchnahme von ambulanter Psychotherapie bei allen Patient*innen mit chronischen psychischen Erkrankungen zu ermöglichen.
Systemischer Kompetenzerwerb durch das Transkribieren und Interpretieren psychotherapeutischer Sitzungen
Authors: Ahlers Corina , Kristandl Susanna , Walch Kathrin
Published: April 2022

Studierende transkribierten Psychotherapiesitzungen an der Ambulanz der ÖAS. Schlüsselszenen wurden in Interpretationsgruppen und mit der Projektleitung analysiert. Didaktische Effekte zeigen sich in der spezifischen Medialität der Textanalyse und dadurch vielseitigen Konstrukten zur therapeutischen Performanz, oder als Erwerb einer „Fehlerkultur“ und im Erkennen „besonderer Momente“ der therapeutischen Beziehung, v. a. im Vergleich der Kommunikation in Dyaden bzw. in Mehrpersonensystemen.
Consistency management in industrial continuous model-based development settings: a reality check
Authors: Jongeling Robbert , Ciccozzi Federico , Carlson Jan , Cicchetti Antonio
Published: April 2022

This article presents the state of practice of consistency management in thirteen industrial model-based development settings. Our analysis shows a tight coupling between adopting shorter development cycles and increasingly pressing consistency management challenges. We find that practitioners desire to adopt shorter development cycles, but immature modeling practices slow them down. We describe the different patterns that emerge from the various industrial settings. There is an opportunity for researchers to provide practitioners with a migration path toward practices that enable more automated consistency management, and ultimately, continuous model-based development.
KIT is dispensable for physiological organ vascularisation in the embryo
Authors: Tacconi Carlotta , Plein Alice , Colletto Chiara , Villa Emanuela , Denti Laura , Barone Cristiana , Javanmardi Yousef , Moeendarbary Emad , Azzoni Emanuele , Fantin Alessandro , Ruhrberg Christiana
Published: April 2022

Blood vessels form vast networks in all vertebrate organs to sustain tissue growth, repair and homeostatic metabolism, but they also contribute to a range of diseases with neovascularisation. It is, therefore, important to define the molecular mechanisms that underpin blood vessel growth. The receptor tyrosine kinase KIT is required for the normal expansion of hematopoietic progenitors that arise during embryogenesis from hemogenic endothelium in the yolk sac and dorsal aorta. Additionally, KIT has been reported to be expressed in endothelial cells during embryonic brain vascularisation and has been implicated in pathological angiogenesis. However, it is neither known whether KIT expression is widespread in normal organ endothelium nor whether it promotes blood vessel growth in developing organs. Here, we have used single-cell analyses to show that KIT is expressed in endothelial cell subsets of several organs, both in the adult and in the developing embryo. Knockout mouse analyses revealed that KIT is dispensable for vascularisation of growing organs in the midgestation embryo, including the lung, liver and brain. By contrast, vascular changes emerged during late-stage embryogenesis in these organs from KIT-deficient embryos, concurrent with severe erythrocyte deficiency and growth retardation. These findings suggest that KIT is not required for developmental tissue vascularisation in physiological conditions, but that KIT deficiency causes foetal anaemia at late gestation and thereby pathological vascular remodelling.
Does a Carbon Tax Reduce CO2 Emissions? Evidence from British Columbia
Authors: Pretis Felix
Published: April 2022

Using difference-in-differences, synthetic control, and introducing a new break-detection approach, I show that the introduction of North America’s first major carbon tax has reduced transportation emissions but not ‘yet’ led to large statistically significant reductions in aggregate CO2emissions. Proposing a new method to assess policy based on breaks in difference-in-differences using machine learning, I demonstrate that neither carbon pricing nor trading schemes in other provinces are detected as large and statistically significant interventions. Instead, closures and efficiency-improvements in emission-intense industries in untaxed provinces have reduced emissions. Overall, the results show that existing carbon taxes (and prices) are likely too low to be effective in the time frame since their introduction.
Movement patterns of juvenile green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris) in the San Francisco Bay Estuary
Authors: Thomas Michael J. , Rypel Andrew L. , Singer Gabriel P. , Klimley A. Peter , Pagel Matthew D. , Chapman Eric D. , Fangue Nann A.
Published: April 2022

Little is known about the distribution and ecology of juvenile green sturgeon throughout their range and specifically within California’s Central Valley and the San Francisco Bay Estuary. The objective of our study was to identify rearing movement patterns of juvenile green sturgeon and their interaction with Delta and Bay habitats. Acoustic biotelemetry was used to record juvenile movements and residence within different regions of this highly modified watershed. We document a diversity of movements exhibited by 31 acoustically tagged juvenile green sturgeon monitored over a 9-month period. The juvenile sturgeon either (1) remained in the Delta or moved (2) into the Carquinez Straits, (3) into San Pablo Bay, (4) into San Pablo Bay but returned to Delta, (5) through the estuary and likely left through the mouth of the bay, (6) or left the estuary only to return later. Spatiotemporal habitat quality varies within and between Delta and Bay habitats. Variation in water year and hydrologic connectivity are likely to influence habitat quality and quantity, and behaviors may be differentially optimized for fitness in response to environmental variation. Our results provide initial evidence supporting multiple behavioral movement patterns and a broad use of regional habitats for green sturgeon in the California Central Valley. This apparent behavioral diversity observed through movement patterns may ensure long-term success of all population segments over time in an extremely variable environment, ultimately supporting overall population stability (i.e., the portfolio effect). Enhanced conservation efforts may be needed to protect juvenile green sturgeon and the habitats they rely upon.
Assessment of microalgae species, biomass, and distribution from spectral images using a convolution neural network
Authors: Salmi Pauliina , Calderini Marco , Pääkkönen Salli , Taipale Sami , Pölönen Ilkka
Published: April 2022

Effective monitoring of microalgae growth is crucial for environmental observation, while the applications of this monitoring could also be expanded to commercial and research-focused microalgae cultivation. Currently, the distinctive optical properties of different microalgae groups are targeted for monitoring. Since different microalgae can grow together, their spectral signals are mixed with ambient properties, making estimations of species biomasses a challenging task. In this study, we cultured five different microalgae and monitored their growth with a mobile spectral imager in three separate experiments. We trained and validated a one-dimensional convolution neural network by introducing absorbance spectra of the cultured microalgae and simulated pairwise mixtures of them. We then tested the model with samples of microalgae (monocultures and their pairwise mixtures) that were not part of the training or validation data. The convolution neural network classified microalgae accurately in the monocultures (test accuracy = 95%, SD = 4) and in the pairwise mixtures (test accuracy = 100%, SD = 0). Median prediction errors for biomasses were 17% (mean = 22%, SD = 18) for the monocultures and 17% (mean 24%, SD = 28) for the pairwise mixtures. As the spectral camera produced spatial information of the imaged target, we also demonstrated here the spatial distribution of microalgae biomass by applying the model across 5 × 5 pixel areas of the spectral images. The results of this study encourage the application of a one-dimensional convolution neural network to solve classification, regression, and distribution problems related to microalgae observation, simultaneously.
Cutting tool condition monitoring using eigenfaces
Authors: König Wolfgang , Möhring Hans-Christian
Published: April 2022

Effective monitoring of the tool wear condition within a machining process can be very challenging. Depending on the sensors used, often only a part of the relevant wear information can be detected. In the case of milling processes data acquisition is made even more difficult by the fact that the process working point is inaccessible for sensor applications due to the physical tool, the machining process itself, the chipping and used cooling-lubricants. By using a variety of sensors and different measuring principles, sensor data fusion strategies can counteract this problem. An approach to this is the eigenface algorithm. This approach, a face recognition technique, is tested for its suitability on tool condition monitoring in milling processes by using multi-sensor process data.
Parity and the Resolution of Value Conflicts in Design
Authors: Kozlovski Atay
Published: April 2022

Recent developments in theories for responsible innovation have focused on the importance of actively accounting for values in our technological designs. Leading among these theories is that of Value Sensitive Design (VSD) which attempts to guide the design process on the basis of evaluative analysis. However, values often come into conflict and VSD has been criticized for not providing a proper method to resolve such inevitable conflicts. This paper examines three such methods and argues that although each has its merits, they all fail to account for a common source of value conflicts known as value incommensurability. Drawing on literature from the field of axiology, this paper argues that by incorporating the evaluative relation of ‘parity’ each of these three methods, and the VSD framework in general, will be able to properly understand the relation which holds between conflicting design options stemming from the incommensurable of values and be able to guide designers in making rational decision in the face of such conflicts.
Serpin Signatures in Prion and Alzheimer’s Diseases
Authors: Zattoni Marco , Mearelli Marika , Vanni Silvia , Colini Baldeschi Arianna , Tran Thanh Hoa , Ferracin Chiara , Catania Marcella , Moda Fabio , Di Fede Giuseppe , Giaccone Giorgio , Tagliavini Fabrizio , Zanusso Gianluigi , Ironside James W. , Ferrer Isidre , Legname Giuseppe
Published: April 2022

Serpins represent the most broadly distributed superfamily of proteases inhibitors. They contribute to a variety of physiological functions and any alteration of the serpin-protease equilibrium can lead to severe consequences. SERPINA3 dysregulation has been associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and prion diseases. In this study, we investigated the differential expression of serpin superfamily members in neurodegenerative diseases. SERPIN expression was analyzed in human frontal cortex samples from cases of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD), patients at early stages of AD–related pathology, and age-matched controls not affected by neurodegenerative disorders. In addition, we studied whether Serpin expression was dysregulated in two animal models of prion disease and AD.

Our analysis revealed that, besides the already observed upregulation of SERPINA3 in patients with prion disease and AD, SERPINB1, SERPINB6, SERPING1, SERPINH1, and SERPINI1 were dysregulated in sCJD individuals compared to controls, while only SERPINB1 was upregulated in AD patients. Furthermore, we analyzed whether other serpin members were differentially expressed in prion-infected mice compared to controls and, together with SerpinA3n, SerpinF2 increased levels were observed. Interestingly, SerpinA3n transcript and protein were upregulated in a mouse model of AD. The SERPINA3/SerpinA3nincreased anti-protease activity found in post-mortem brain tissue of AD and prion disease samples suggest its involvement in the neurodegenerative processes. A SERPINA3/SerpinA3n role in neurodegenerative disease-related protein aggregation was further corroborated by in vitro SerpinA3n-dependent prion accumulation changes. Our results indicate SERPINA3/SerpinA3n is a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of prion and prion-like neurodegenerative diseases.
A building energy models calibration methodology based on inverse modelling approach
Authors: González Vicente Gutiérrez , Bandera Carlos Fernández
Published: April 2022

Nowadays, building energy models (BEMs) are widely used, particularly in the assessment of energy consumption in buildings to address the potential savings that can be generated. The realisation of a dynamic energy model based on high-fidelity physics (white-box models) requires a tuning process to fit the model to reality, due to many uncertainties involved. Currently some research trends try to reduce this performance gap by modulating different types of experimental parameters such as: capacitances or infiltration. The EnergyPlus simulation software, in its latest versions, has implemented an object: HybridModel:Zone that calculates the infiltration and internal mass of buildings using an inverse modelling approach that employs only the measured indoor temperature data to invert the heat balance equation for the zone under study. The main objective of this paper is to reduce the execution time and uncertainties in the development of quality energy models by generating a new calibration methodology that implements this approach. This uses, as a starting point, a research created by the authors of this study, which was empirically and comparatively validated against the energy models developed by the participants in Annex 58. It is also worth highlighting the empirical validation of the HybridModel:Zone object, since it was activated in all scenarios where its execution is possible: periods of seven days or more of free oscillation and periods in which the building is under load. The findings are promising. The data generated with the new methodology, if compared with those produced by the baseline model, improve their resemblance to the real ones by 22.9%. While those of its predecessor did it by 15.6%. For this study, the two dwellings foreseen in Annex 58 of the IEA ECB project have been modelled and their real monitoring data have been used.
Vitiligo
Authors: Harpain Lucie , Radakovic Sonja
Published: April 2022

Weltweit sind ca. 0,06–2,28 % der Menschen von Vitiligo betroffen. Etwa 25 % der Patienten geben einen Krankheitsbeginn vor dem 10. Lebensjahr an. Vitiligo-Hautläsionen sind sichtbare Krankheitszeichen, daher ist der Einfluss der Erkrankung auf die Lebensqualität von betroffenen Patienten immens. Klinisch präsentiert sich die Vitiligo in nichtschuppenden, scharf begrenzten kreideweißen Flecken, die aus einem selektiven Melanozytenverlust der Haut resultieren und unter langwelligem UVA-Licht (Wood-Licht) bläulich-weiß fluoreszieren. Eingeteilt wird die Vitiligo in zwei Hauptformen: eine nichtsegmentale Form (NSV), welche lokalisiert oder generalisiert auftritt, sowie eine segmentale Form (SV), die seltener ist und lokalisiert auftritt. Vitiligo ist eine autoimmunologische Hauterkrankung, deren Pathomechanismus zunehmend, jedoch noch nicht vollständig aufgeklärt ist. Die derzeitigen verfügbaren Therapien zielen primär darauf ab, das Fortschreiten der Krankheit zu stoppen und wenn möglich eine Repigmentierung zu erzielen. Zu den geläufigsten Therapien der Vitiligo zählen topische Kortikosteroide und Kalzineurin-Inhibitoren sowie Phototherapie, insbesondere Schmalband-UVB. Rezente vielversprechende Ergebnisse aus klinischen Studien mit Januskinase-Inhibitoren (JAK-Inhibitoren) deuten darauf hin, dass wir in naher Zukunft über weitere wirksame Behandlungen der Vitiligo verfügen werden.
Mapping of Reservoir Properties using Model-based Seismic Inversion and Neural Network Architecture in Raniganj Basin, India
Authors: Banerjee Abir , Chatterjee Rima
Published: April 2022

Reservoir characterization is necessary to compute reservoir parameters for hydrocarbon potential and production optimization. The limitation of robust data and the presence of cultural noise is a constraint for reservoir characterization in the Raniganj basin located in India. Based on available well logs and two-dimensional post-stack seismic data, a model-based seismic inversion is executed to generate acoustic impedance by converting acoustic reflectivity into rock elastic parameters. Moreover, the seismic attributes obtained from the inversion are implemented in neural network architectures to map shale volume, Young’s modulus, and Poisson’s ratio. Error analysis between predicted and actual results demonstrate multi-layered feed-forward or probabilistic neural network display a better result in obtaining reservoir parameters. The mapped reservoir section shows the acoustic impedance varying from 5000 to 16,000 (g/cc)*(m/s), shale volume ranging from 15% to 55%, Young’s modulus, and Poisson’s ratio vary from 0.5-9.5 GPa and 0.23-0.27 respectively. Cross-plot between Young’s modulus versus Poisson’s ratio classifies lithology from brittleness and it increases with depth. Neural network architectures help to identify the best model in delineating shale barriers for designing hydraulic fracturing treatments. Results from this study have added significant values in engineering application and will help in ongoing coalbed methane exploration and future geomechanical studies. However, limitations exist in resolving thin coal seams as the seismic resolution depends on the wavelength, velocity, and frequency of waves in the formation.
Balanced Cross Sections and Kinematic Evolution Across Digboi Oil Field, Northeast India
Authors: Monika Saini D. P. , Mukhopadhyay Dilip K. , Mishra Premanand
Published: April 2022

Digboi oil field, the oldest continuously producing oil field in India, is known to occur in an anticlinal trap (Digboi anticline) in the hanging wall of the frontal most thrust (Naga thrust) of Assam Arakan fold thrust belt. Since its discovery in 1890, about a thousand wells have been drilled in the Digboi anticline. The kinematic evolution of the Digboi anticline, however, is not well understood. In this article a geometrically valid balanced cross section and derive an internally consistent evolutionary model for the Naga thrust and related Digboi anticline are presented. It is shown that the Digboi anticline is a ramp anticline and can be best modelled as a fault-propagation fold with a high-angle breakthrough. There are two possible solutions (Model 1 and Model 2) to model the seismic events (sub-thrust high) in the footwall of Naga thrust. Model 1 considers the sub-thrust high to be real and conjectures a buried ramp anticline (Kusijan Anticline). Model 2 considers sub-thrust high to be a velocity pull up and the footwall rocks are undeformed. Both the models are geometrically and kinematically valid. Model 1 accommodates a total shortening of 32.9% while Model 2 accommodates a total shortening of 30.1%. From the present structural work and interpretation of seismic profiles, possible loci of branch line of Naga thrust along Digboi oil field is also traced.
Organic Geochemical Assessment and Characterisation of Extra-Peninsular Gondwana Coal From Kalijhora Basin, Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India
Authors: Kar Ranjeeta , Phukan Sarat , Baruah Hrishikesh
Published: April 2022

Kalijhora in Darjeeling district of West Bengal is one of the few places in India where extra-peninsular Gondwana rocks are exposed. The Kalijhora lithostratigraphic column which is correlatable with part of Damuda Formation, Bhutan and with fining upward Upper Barakar Formation of peninsular Lower Gondwanas, exudes imprints of Himalayan geodynamism and is largely arenaceous with minor carbonaceous shale, sandy shale and coal. The present study primarily entails the organic geochemical assessment of the coal therein to ascertain their hydrocarbon generating potential through physico-chemical methods like proximate analysis, utimate/elemental analysis and rock eval pyrolysis along with an appraisal of significant organic petrographic attributes. The study reveals that Kalijhora coals are vitrinite rich with higher vitrinite reflectance values and depict the dominance of vitrite microlithotype indicating coal formation under fluvial control. They are bituminous in rank having low moisture and relatively high ash content along with moderately high sulphur, depicting marine influence in a near shore depositional environment. The organic matter in sediments is primarily subjugated by type-III kerogen matter which has the potential to expel gaseous hydrocarbon on liquefaction. Although the TOC and S2 values are high, lower values of S1 indicate poor source rocks, fact also supported by genetic potential findings. HI and atomic H/C analyses indicate the oil generation chances to be low. Source rocks are found to be over mature with presence of inert material. A higher level conversion or expulsion is also reflected from the findings. Kalijhora coal can be categorised as dominantly bituminous medium volatile ones and, para-bituminous as per Seyler’s classification. Overall analyses indicate poor preservation of the Kalijhora coal which was also impacted by increase in terrigenous input due to near shore deposition of Kalijhora sediments under fluctuating sea levels resulting in a lower level of hydrocarbon generating potential.
Understanding the Interrelationship of Aquifer Parameters and Sedimentary Characteristics of an Aquifer: A Case Study of WRD Watershed, Chandrapur District, Maharashtra
Authors: Murkute Y. A.
Published: April 2022

The main focus of the present study was to ascertain close interrelationship between aquifer parameters and textural parameters of sedimentary aquifer-rock. Previously, such type of investigations were either not carried out comprehensively or carried out in restricted way and data were presented locally. The sandstones representing the aquifers from WRD watershed (Lat. 20°15'15"-20°21'05" N and Long. 79°53'55"-79°03'35" E), Chandrapur district, Maharashtra, central India, have been selected for the study. The aquifer performance was evaluated by estimation of aquifer parameters, viz., specific yield, porosity, specific capacity of well, discharge of well and transmissivity. Similarly, their correlations were carried out in relation with the percentages of primary grains (quartz grains) and matrix present in the aquifer-rock. Based upon percentage of matrix rocks were classified into arenites and wackes. The range of specific yield values for the arenites is 19.23% to 37.46% and for wackes it varies between 7.91% and 13.66%. Correspondingly, the transmissivity values are higher in arenites (82.90 to 316.05m2/ day) and lower in wackes (26.93 to 67.72m2/day). The average discharges from the wells penetrating arenite and wackes 649.19 m3/day and 181.71m3/day respectively. The higher values of specific yield and transmissivity in arenite aquifers are due to high percentage of detrital quartz grains, lesser amount of matrix and moderate sorting of the grains. Conversely, the lower percentage of detrital grains, higher amount of matrix and poor sorting of the grains are found responsible for low values of specific yield and transmissivity in the wacke aquifer.
Stilbenoids of Norway spruce bark: does the variability caused by raw-material processing offset the biological variability?
Authors: Jyske Tuula , Brännström Hanna , Halmemies Eelis , Laakso Tapio , Kilpeläinen Petri , Hyvönen Juha , Kärkkäinen Katri , Saranpää Pekka
Published: April 2022

Polyphenolic stilbene glucosides are abundant in the fresh bark of Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) trees. Stilbene-rich bark extracts could be industrially utilized as preservatives due to their antioxidative, antifungal, and antibacterial properties. The postharvesting conditions, especially industrial debarking, influence the chemical properties of bark. Inherent variation in high-value compounds of bark is assumed to be offset by modifications within the bark supply chain; however, essential quantitative information is still rare. This study elucidated the magnitude of variation in the stilbenoid content and composition of Norway spruce bark due to (1) the geographical origin of Norway spruce seeds, (2) the geographical location of the growing site, (3) within-tree variability, and (4) industrial handling and pilot-scale extraction and fractioning processes. The inherent variation in stilbenoid content was large: the total average stilbenoid content of the inner bark varied from 70 to 110 mg/g of dry weight (DW). Sampling position in the stem and growing site explained over 50% of the total variance in stilbenoid content. Trees with a northern origin of seeds had a higher isorhapontin/astringin ratio than the trees with a southern origin of seeds, regardless of their growing site. Industrial bark from sawmills showed a significantly higher total stilbenoid content in winter than in summer, 22 mg/g and 1–3 mg/g DW, respectively. The inherent variation in the stilbenoid content was offset by the variation caused by the debarking process and experimental pilot-scale processing. To optimize the yield of stilbenoids from spruce bark, sampling of northern forests and short handling times in the supply chain are recommended.
Antibiotics residues in pig slurry and manure and its environmental contamination potential. A meta-analysis
Authors: Frey Larissa , Tanunchai Benjawan , Glaser Bruno
Published: April 2022

Livestock excrements are used as natural fertilizer, in the form of manure or slurry, to provide nutrients and organic matter to arable soils. However, it is potentially contaminated with antibiotics residues, used in livestock farming to prevent diseases (and thus animal losses), as well as to increase animals’ body weight. This poses a contamination risk to surrounding environments. Therefore, we quantitatively evaluated data from 57 peer-reviewed articles published over the past 20 years to generate an overview of antibiotics residues in manure, slurry, soils, plants, and water. Our results revealed that pig manure and slurry, mostly from European countries, contained fluoroquinolones, sulfonamides, and tetracyclines. Furthermore, antibiotics used in animal husbandry are found to contaminate surrounding environments, exceeding the proposed EU threshold value for maximal environmental contamination by veterinary antibiotics in soil in many countries. In soil samples, the highest contents of tetracyclines and sulfonamides were detected in the UK (41 ± 18 μg/kg and 300 ± 10 μg/kg, respectively) and in Austria (370 μg/kg) for fluoroquinolones. In water environments, antibiotics contents were detected in low amounts in most countries (< 2 μg/L), with the highest content of fluoroquinolones and tetracyclines detected in the USA (3 ± 0.7 μg/L and 1.3 ± 0.6 μg/L, respectively) and of sulfonamides in the USA and Germany (0.3 ± 0.8 μg/L and 0.2 ± 2 μg/L, respectively). In plants, an accumulation of tetracyclines and sulfonamides was found in China, Germany, and Spain (> 50 μg/kg). However, no significant specificity of these antibiotics residues to country or continent could be observed. It is urgent that the use of veterinary antibiotics be significantly reduced in order to diminish their residues in slurry, and thus their contamination potential to the surrounding environments.
Developing a management strategy based on the relationships between brown rot and codling moth in two apple production systems
Authors: Holb Imre J. , Dremák Péter , Barkaszi Imre , Abonyi Ferenc , Lakatos Péter , Gáll József M. , Vasileiadis Vasileios P. , Gonda István
Published: April 2022

Brown rot (BR) in relation to codling moth damage (CMD) is a key issue in apple production but the impact of these pests has not been assessed jointly. In addition, categorising cultivar reaction to these two pests for sustainable production systems could be essential for improving pest management. Therefore, in a 12-year study, 27 apple cultivars (9 scab-resistant, 9 commercial, and 9 old) were assessed for their reactions to BR in relation to CMD in integrated and organic production systems, and classified into 3 categories (“low”, “medium”, and “high”) based on their season-long BR and CMD incidences. Then the 12-year temporal BR and CMD progresses in each category were analysed by fitting three-parameter logistic functions to process data and then by deriving 5 model variables for BR and CMD incidences. Here, we showed BR-CMD relationships in both production systems, which indicated that final BR and CMD incidences were significantly higher in organic systems. Our results show that season-long BR and CMD incidences were “low” for most resistant cultivars, and “medium” or “high” for most commercial and old ones. The area under the disease and pest progress curves indicated consistent differences among all categories in both production systems; and they were used to differentiate cultivar reactions to BR and CMD. Based on these categories and BR-CMD relationships, here we developed a new brown rot and codling moth forecasting and management strategy (BRCM-FMS). BRCM-FMS and general pest management programme (GPMP) were then compared in an additional 4-year study. This was the first study to show that the BRCM-FMS reduced annual spray applications by 21.4–41.7% in integrated and 12.5–31.3% in organic production system compared to GPMP. Disease incidences in the two programmes were similar in all years, production systems and classification categories. Less sprays and similar disease incidences provide economic and environmental benefits for growers.
Accurate and efficient privacy-preserving string matching
Authors: Vaiwsri Sirintra , Ranbaduge Thilina , Christen Peter
Published: April 2022

The task of calculating similarities between strings held by different organisations without revealing these strings is an increasingly important problem in areas such as health informatics, national censuses, genomics, and fraud detection. Most existing privacy-preserving string matching approaches are either based on comparing sets of encoded characters allowing only exact matching of encoded strings, or they are aimed at long genomics sequences that have a small alphabet. The set-based privacy-preserving similarity functions that are commonly used to compare name and address strings in the context of privacy-preserving record linkage do not take the positions of sub-strings into account. As a result, two very different strings can potentially be considered as a match leading to wrongly linked records. Furthermore, existing set-based techniques cannot identify the length of the longest common sub-string across two strings. In this paper, we propose two new approaches for accurate and efficient privacy-preserving string matching that provide privacy against various attacks. In the first approach we apply hashing-based encoding on sub-strings (q-grams) to compare sensitive strings, while in the second approach we generate one-bit array from the sub-strings of a string to identify the longest common bit sequences. We evaluate our approaches on several data sets with different types of strings, and validate their privacy, accuracy, and complexity compared to three baseline techniques, showing that they outperform all baselines.
A Common Tracking Software Project
Authors: Ai Xiaocong , Allaire Corentin , Calace Noemi , Czirkos Angéla , Elsing Markus , Ene Irina , Farkas Ralf , Gagnon Louis-Guillaume , Garg Rocky , Gessinger Paul , Grasland Hadrien , Gray Heather M. , Gumpert Christian , Hrdinka Julia , Huth Benjamin , Kiehn Moritz , Klimpel Fabian , Kolbinger Bernadette , Krasznahorkay Attila , Langenberg Robert , Leggett Charles , Mania Georgiana , Moyse Edward , Niermann Joana , Osborn Joseph D. , Rousseau David , Salzburger Andreas , Schlag Bastian , Tompkins Lauren , Yamazaki Tomohiro , Yeo Beomki , Zhang Jin
Published: April 2022

The reconstruction of the trajectories of charged particles, or track reconstruction, is a key computational challenge for particle and nuclear physics experiments. While the tuning of track reconstruction algorithms can depend strongly on details of the detector geometry, the algorithms currently in use by experiments share many common features. At the same time, the intense environment of the High-Luminosity LHC accelerator and other future experiments is expected to put even greater computational stress on track reconstruction software, motivating the development of more performant algorithms. We present here A Common Tracking Software (ACTS) toolkit, which draws on the experience with track reconstruction algorithms in the ATLAS experiment and presents them in an experiment-independent and framework-independent toolkit. It provides a set of high-level track reconstruction tools which are agnostic to the details of the detection technologies and magnetic field configuration and tested for strict thread-safety to support multi-threaded event processing. We discuss the conceptual design and technical implementation of ACTS, selected applications and performance of ACTS, and the lessons learned.
A preliminary mineralogical and physicochemical characterization of the Neogene clays from the Timgad Basin (Massif of Aurès, NE Algeria): potential use in the manufacturing of bricks and ceramic industry
Authors: Lamouri Bachir , Labadi Sedik Abdallah , Boukoffa Mechati , Chouaf Ibtissem , Djouder Hocine , Djaiz Fouad , Bouabsa Lakhdar
Published: April 2022

This study aims at the mineralogical and physicochemical characterization of the clay formations of the Miocene age from the Timgad Basin (Massif of Aurès, NE Algeria), in order to evaluate their possible valorization, notably for their potential use in the manufacturing of bricks and ceramic industry. For this purpose, four samples were taken from a clay-dominated formation that outcrops 5 km east of the Timgad city. Each sample was collected, prepared, and analyzed by the appropriate analytical methods of characterization such as X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, and scanning electron microscopy. Moreover, other complementary analyses are performed in this study such as laser granulometry and geotechnical tests. The results of the different tests revealed that the clay formations of the Timgad Basin are non-refractory clays and characterized by medium plasticity. These clays are constituted of more than 50% of fine fraction, mainly represented by kaolinite in association with non-negligible proportions of illite, chlorite, mixed-layer clay minerals, and traces of smectite. Besides, this clayey assemblage is accompanied by some proportion of quartz and calcite, as well as traces of hematite, feldspar, and gypsum. In the light of these results and in combination with the particle size distribution, as well as the results of geotechnical tests, it is concluded that the Neogene clays of the Timgad Basin present high limits of Atterberg. Consequently, their use in the field of manufacturing of bricks and terra cotta ‘Terre Cuite’ products is subordinated to a preliminary treatment with addition of a degreasing agent, in the form of coarse sand, in order to improve their plasticity.

Article Highlights

Mineralogical and physicochemical properties of the Neogene clays from the Timgad Basin have been investigated.

The studied clays have ideal mineralogical composition and physicochemical properties thus making them applicable in the manufacturing of bricks and ceramic industry.

Addition of coarse sand to the Neogene clays will greatly improve the plasticity of these raw materials.
Particle shape characterizations for energetic materials by computational geometry and stereology method
Authors: Jia Xianzhen , Liu Ruipeng , Ren Haichao , Han Yutong , Ouyang Jian , Zheng Hang , Peng Cao , Zheng Junxing
Published: April 2022

Particle shapes significantly affect viscosity and flow behavior of energetic materials, and therefore affect their packability and processability. This study presents a computational geometry framework for automatically quantifying two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) particle shapes of energetic materials. A specimen by mixing three typical energetic materials including HMX (octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine), RDX (1,3,5-Trinitroperhydro-1,3,5-triazine) and AP (Ammonium Perchlorate) particles is used in this study. This specimen is scanned by high-resolution X-ray computed tomography (X-ray CT), yielding a volumetric image. An improved watershed analysis algorithm is used to process the volumetric image to identify individual 3D particles. The stereology sampling method is used to obtain 2D projections of 3D particles. Computational geometry techniques are developed by this study to analyze 2D particle projections and 3D particle geometries to compute seven commonly used shape descriptors, including convexity, circularity, intercept sphericity, area sphericity, diameter sphericity, circle ratio sphericity, and surface area sphericity. Results show that those different shape descriptors of energetic materials can be divided into three groups based on their numerical ranges. This study also evaluates the effectiveness and accuracy of 2D shape descriptors for quantifying the true 3D shapes. The inconsistent characterization results between 2D and 3D shape descriptors suggest that researchers should be cautious when using 2D images to characterize 3D particle shapes of energetic materials. The computational geometry framework and particle shape analysis results presented in this study can be potentially useful in numerical modeling, experimental analysis, and theoretical investigation for energetic materials.