bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Automated detection, categorisation and developers’ experience with the violations of honesty in mobile apps
Authors: Obie Humphrey O. , Du Hung , Madampe Kashumi , Shahin Mojtaba , Ilekura Idowu , Grundy John , Li Li , Whittle Jon , Turhan Burak , Khalajzadeh Hourieh
Published: September 2023

Human values such as honesty, social responsibility, fairness, privacy, and the like are things considered important by individuals and society. Software systems, including mobile software applications (apps), may ignore or violate such values, leading to negative effects in various ways for individuals and society. While some works have investigated different aspects of human values in software engineering, this mixed-methods study focuses on honesty as a critical human value. In particular, we studied (i) how to detect honesty violations in mobile apps, (ii) the types of honesty violations in mobile apps, and (iii) the perspectives of app developers on these detected honesty violations. We first develop and evaluate 7 machine learning (ML) models to automatically detect violations of the value of honesty in app reviews from an end-user perspective. The most promising was a Deep Neural Network model with F1 score of 0.921. We then conducted a manual analysis of 401 reviews containing honesty violations and characterised honesty violations in mobile apps into 10 categories: unfair cancellation and refund policies; false advertisements; delusive subscriptions; cheating systems; inaccurate information; unfair fees; no service; deletion of reviews; impersonation; and fraudulent-looking apps. A developer survey and interview study with mobile developers then identified 7 key causes behind honesty violations in mobile apps and 8 strategies to avoid or fix such violations. The findings of our developer study also articulate the negative consequences that honesty violations might bring for businesses, developers, and users. Finally, the app developers’ feedback shows that our prototype ML-based models can have promising benefits in practice.
Long-term effect of chemotherapy after ovarian decortication on the ovarian function in women surviving cancer
Authors: Ortiz Ester , Peña Carlos J. , Hidalgo Juan-José , Monllor-Tormos Aitana , Zolfaroli Irene , Vila María-José , Sánchez-Serrano María , Pellicer Antonio , Cano Antonio
Published: September 2023

Purpose

Ovarian decortication may affect ovarian function. We investigated the status of ovarian reserve after ovarian decortication plus chemotherapy at a stage of presumed stabilized recovery in women surviving cancer.

Methods

We searched our database for cancer survivors subjected to ovarian decortication and chemotherapy at least 3 years previously. Ovarian function was explored for levels of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and estradiol (E2), and menstrual pattern.

Results

Forty women (mean age 29.6 (SD, 6.1) years) were assessed at a mean of 4.7 (1.5) years after surgery. The predecortication levels of AMH and FSH changed at post-treatment from 2.2 (1.4) to 0.5 (1.3) ng/mL for AMH (p < 0.001) and from 4.7 (2.1) to 16.7 (21. 6) IU/L for FSH (p < 0.001). Amenorrhea consistent with primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) was diagnosed in 11 women, and normal ovarian reserve (AMH ≥ 1.0 ng/mL) was found in 4 of the 21 women who recovered regular cycles. Logistic regression confirmed AMH as an independent predictor of diminished ovarian reserve (OR = 0.24, 95% CI: 0.04-0.63, p = 0.025) and POI (OR = 0.11, 95% CI: 0.01–0.52, p = 0.027), and age was predictive of POI (OR = 1.36, 95% CI: 1.08–1.96, p = 0.035) and of irregular menstrual cycle (OR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.03–1.46, p = 0.034).

Conclusion

Ovarian decortication plus chemotherapy had a deleterious effect when assessed at a stage of stabilized ovarian recovery, but whether ovarian decortication had a specific impact cannot be revealed from our data.
What Helps Young People in Australia Create Healthy Relationships After Growing up in Domestic Violence?
Authors: Buchanan Fiona , Borgkvist Ashlee , Moulding Nicole
Published: September 2023

Purpose

This study aimed to discover what enables young people in Australia to create healthy relationships despite exposure to domestic violence (DV) in their families of origin during their formative years.

Method

Taking an ecological systems theory and mixed qualitative methods approach, a survey was designed to identify different factors that young people recalled as helpful when they were enduring DV as children and, later, as young adults. Two hundred and three young people aged 18–30 years completed the national online survey. In addition, to achieve richer insights and an understanding of the complexities in individual experiences, fourteen of the survey respondents then participated in in-depth life-history interviews.

Results

Although most participants believed they had been adversely affected by growing up in DV, empathetic family members and friends, achievements through school and sports, and gaining knowledge about DV and healthy relationships, often through social media, enabled many to distinguish the difference between healthy relationships and DV. These influences then affected how they approached partnership relationships as they matured.

Conclusion

Analysis of survey and interview data led us to consider that all strata of the ecosystem could, through applying prevention and early intervention strategies, support children and young people to identify and choose healthy relationships rather than accept prescriptive, pathologizing predictions for their future.
Relieving the Gambling Itch Through Alcohol Consumption: The Impact of COVID-19 Restrictions on Australian Casino Patrons
Authors: Zhang Tenghao , Seet Pi-Shen , Redmond Janice , Sharafizad Jalleh
Published: September 2023

This paper extends our understanding of how casino patrons are affected by COVID-19 restrictions and how they cope by substituting gambling with alcohol consumption. We conducted two studies using a nationwide survey sample collected in Australia during the pandemic lockdown. Study 1 compares the casino patrons with two reference groups (other gambling patrons and non-gambling individuals) and investigates the lockdown restrictions on respondents’ relational strength, and their potential impact on mental health and future prospects. Study 2 applies the stress-response dampening model (SRD) and tests how respondents used alcohol consumption to cope with the lack of access to casinos during the lockdown. The results from Study 1 suggest that lockdown restrictions on respondents’ relational strength have significant negative impacts on anxiety, life satisfaction and post-pandemic outlook. Study 2 finds that casino patrons substituted gambling with alcohol consumption during the lockdown, with increased alcohol consumption negatively related to life satisfaction. Paradoxically, Australian gambling venue owners may not be adversely affected as many also run liquor retail operations.
REBT with Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Authors: Nielsen Stevan Lars , Brown Brodrick T. , Abegg Dane D. B. , Nielsen Dianne L.
Published: September 2023

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy’s (REBT’s) ABC model proposes that it is B, Beliefs about A, Activating events, not A, Activating events themselves, that create and control C, emotional Consequences. Codified beliefs such as scriptures and creeds are prominent in most religions. Integrating codified religious beliefs with REBT to help D, Dispute irrational beliefs has been studied in REBT for more than 50 years. Broad knowledge of religious cultures, scriptures, creeds, and wisdom literature is likely to help REBTers and other cognitive behavior therapists (CBTers) more effectively treat religious clients. We give a brief overview of the history, culture, doctrine, and scriptures of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, then give examples of REBT Disputations excerpted from religion integrative sessions with practicing Latter-day Saint clients. We present practice-based evidence for the effectiveness of this approach and offer suggestions for future study and research in integrating religion with REBT and CBT.
Model-based trajectory stitching for improved behavioural cloning and its applications
Authors: Hepburn Charles A. , Montana Giovanni
Published: September 2023

Behavioural cloning (BC) is a commonly used imitation learning method to infer a sequential decision-making policy from expert demonstrations. However, when the quality of the data is not optimal, the resulting behavioural policy also performs sub-optimally once deployed. Recently, there has been a surge in offline reinforcement learning methods that hold the promise to extract high-quality policies from sub-optimal historical data. A common approach is to perform regularisation during training, encouraging updates during policy evaluation and/or policy improvement to stay close to the underlying data. In this work, we investigate whether an offline approach to improving the quality of the existing data can lead to improved behavioural policies without any changes in the BC algorithm. The proposed data improvement approach - Model-Based Trajectory Stitching (MBTS) - generates new trajectories (sequences of states and actions) by ‘stitching’ pairs of states that were disconnected in the original data and generating their connecting new action. By construction, these new transitions are guaranteed to be highly plausible according to probabilistic models of the environment, and to improve a state-value function. We demonstrate that the iterative process of replacing old trajectories with new ones incrementally improves the underlying behavioural policy. Extensive experimental results show that significant performance gains can be achieved using MBTS over BC policies extracted from the original data. Furthermore, using the D4RL benchmarking suite, we demonstrate that state-of-the-art results are obtained by combining MBTS with two existing offline learning methodologies reliant on BC, model-based offline planning (MBOP) and policy constraint (TD3+BC).
Clinical manifestations and outcomes in tubulointerstitial nephritis and uveitis syndrome: a case report and a systematic review in China
Authors: Shi Jiazhen , Xu Shaoyan , Chen Jianxiang , Wu Henglan
Published: September 2023

Purpose

Tubulointerstitial nephritis and uveitis (TINU) syndrome is an uncommon disease. We present a confirmed case of TINU syndrome, and a systematic review of epidemiological characteristics, clinical manifestations, management, and outcomes in Chinese patients.

Methods

A systematic search was carried out using defined terms and updated up to September 2022, in PubMed, Web of Science, Wanfang, CNKI, and VIP, to identify reported cases of TINU in China, according to PRISMA guidelines.

Results

An 18-year-old boy presented with elevated serum creatinine and 24-h urine protein level of > 2 g. Inspection result revealed acute tubulointerstitial nephritis, and bilateral uveitis. The patient was diagnosed with TINU syndrome and received treatment with methylprednisolone sodium succinate, which resulted in a significant decrease in creatinine and urinary protein levels. Systematic review identified 35 publications that met the inclusion criteria. A total of 71 cases were included in this article, of which 70 were from publications and 1 was from our hospital. The median age at onset was 42 years and was significantly lower in males than females (P < 0.05). The symptoms of uveitis often occurred after kidney injury (54%) and most uveitis was anterior (55%) and bilateral (75%). Among the 51 patients who were followed up for more than 6 months, 24 had recurrent ocular symptoms or progression to chronic uveitis. Twenty patients experienced chronic or progressive kidney disease.

Conclusion

TINU syndrome is prone to misdiagnosis because kidney damage may not occur simultaneously with uveitis. The incidence of kidney sequelae in children is lower than that in adults, and glucocorticoids are the preferred treatment.

INPLASY registration number

INPLASY202350050.
Protectionism and its Impact on MNC Subsidiaries’ Performance
Authors: Ghauri Pervez N. , Xiao Shufeng Simon , Park Byung Il , Choi Seong-Jin
Published: September 2023

This study investigates the relationship between local protectionism and performance of multinational corporation (MNC) subsidiaries in China. We integrate overarching theories (i.e., institutional theory and extended resource-based view) to investigate a model for identifying whether local protectionism at the subnational level is beneficial or detrimental for foreign subsidiary operations or functions as a double-edged sword. We also examine whether or not internal organizational capabilities and relational capital with government moderate the effects. On the basis of regression analyses, our empirical findings reveal that the positive or negative effects of subnational protectionism in China depend on performance types. Moreover, performance contribution is considerably moderated by various internal capabilities of MNC subsidiaries. Findings offer valuable and practical implications for MNCs intending to invest in emerging economies.
Informal Tyre Dealers in South Africa: an Assessment of Their Contributions to a Circular Economy
Authors: Schenck C. J. , Blaauw D. , Theodore N. , Niyobuhungiro R.
Published: September 2023

Faced with extraordinarily high unemployment, the long-term unemployed in South Africa increasingly have been securing livelihoods outside of standard waged work. Many are establishing unregistered, micro-enterprises that provide low-cost goods and services to low-income households. This paper presents the results of an exploratory study of unregistered (informal) second-hand tyre dealers in three South African cities to better assess their role in urban economies. Interviews with informal tyre dealers were conducted to understand how their businesses are positioned along the waste tyre value chain, their prospects for generating employment, and their potential to contribute to product reuse and repurposing. By extending the useful lives of tyres, informal dealerships can be analysed through a circular economy framework that acknowledges their varied environmental, economic, and social benefits. Concerns, however, are raised about the unregulated sale of second-hand tyres, some of which are unsafe and pose risks for road users. This in turn gives rise to difficult trade-offs between on the one hand the economic and environmental benefits of informal tyre sales and road safety on the other.
Die äußere Chloroplastenmembran–kein passives Sieb für Metabolite!
Authors: Bölter Bettina , Hagn Franz
Published: September 2023

Chloroplasts are essential for energy production and metabolism in plants. Metabolites need to be transported across the two envelope membranes of the chloroplast. In contrast to the inner envelope, we know little about the properties of the outer envelope. We here summarize structural and functional insights on the prototype outer envelope channel OEP21 suggesting that these channels have a distinct level of selectivity, opposing the idea of acting as more simple and passive molecular sieves.
Chlamydien als Risikofaktoren für Eierstock- und Gebärmutterhalskrebs
Authors: Vollmuth Nadine , Rudel Thomas
Published: September 2023

Epidemiological studies provide the first indications of a connection between cervical and ovarian cancer and infections with Chlamydia trachomatis. Chlamydia is the most common bacterial cause of sexually transmitted diseases. These obligate intracellular bacteria manipulate their host cells to support progeny formation. In this article, we present possible mechanisms that allow the bacteria to survive in the host cell, but at the same time may contribute to the development of cancer.
Herzenzunder
Authors: Berger Michael
Published: September 2023

Die Forderung nach einer imitatio, die Legenden als erbauliche Texte an ihr Publikum stellen, bleibt in der Regel relativ unspezifisch und bezieht sich sehr allgemein auf die moralische Integrität des Heiligen. Dieser Beitrag untersucht, wie Konrad von Würzburg diesen legendentypischen Appell im Pantaleon für sein Publikum konkretisiert, indem er ihn auf ein Rezeptionsideal hin auslegt. Durch die direkte Ansprache an das Publikum im Prolog und durch die Schilderung von Erkenntnisprozessen der Figuren skizziert er die Modalitäten, die eine gewinnbringende Wirkung einer guten Lehre ermöglichen. Dabei kommen Literarisierungsstrategien zum Einsatz, um auf die Erwartungen und Bedürfnisse eines literaturaffinen Publikums zu reagieren und bekannte Muster für die Interpretation legendarischer Texte aufzurufen. Indem die angemessene Rezeption der Legende für die erfolgreiche Entfaltung ihres ethischen Potentials vorausgesetzt wird, wird die Verantwortung für das Gelingen des erbaulichen Anspruches der Legende letztlich dem Publikum selbst zugeschrieben.
Assessment of biochar developed via torrefaction of food waste as feedstock for steam gasification to produce hydrogen rich gas
Authors: Yadav Sanjeev , Singh Dharminder
Published: September 2023

In this study, the torrefaction of food waste was carried out using a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) to produce biochar and assess its suitability as feedstock for steam gasification. Torrefaction was conducted at temperature from 230 to 290 °C and the heating rate from 10 °C/min to 30 °C/min. Subsequently, the detailed characterization was conducted using proximate, elemental, lignocellulosic, nutrient analysis, and TGA analysis. The proximate and elemental analysis showed that biochar had the highest fixed and elemental carbon at the highest temperature (290 °C) and lowest heating rate (10 °C/min). Similarly, TGA indicated that increase in temperature increased the mass loss, however, increase in heating rate did not yield much change in mass loss. Additionally, lignocellulosic and nutrient analysis showed that lignin fraction increased (up to 80%) with increases in severity of the torrefaction due to significant decomposition of hemicellulose, cellulose, starch, proteins, and lipids. Thereafter, the kinetic parameters (activation energy, pre-exponential factor) of torrefaction of food waste were determined using the two-step decomposition model which showed a good fit with experimental data. Finally, the biochar developed was used for energy production using steam gasification which produced syngas with maximum yield of 3.75 m3/Kg and having hydrogen fraction of around 65% at the optimal conditions (temperature: 290 °C, heating rate: 10 °C/min).

Graphical Abstract
Progress on high-temperature protective coatings for aero-engines
Authors: Guo Lei , He Wenting , Chen Wenbo , Xue Zhaolu , He Jian , Guo Yiqian , Wu Yang , Gao Lihua , Li Dongqing , Zhang Zhao , Wei Liangliang , Gao Yuyi , Zhang Tiehao , Qiao Jiao , Li Qianhui , Guo Hongbo
Published: September 2023

Aero-engine is a key part of aircraft, the operating temperature of which is being pushed to unprecedented levels for higher engine efficiency and performance. To accomplish higher gas-inlet temperature of aero-engines, applying thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) on hot-section metallic components, or even replacing some of the metallic components in aero-engines with ceramic-matrix composites (CMCs) and applying environmental-barrier coatings (EBCs) on them, are effective methods and have been widely accepted. On the other hand, increasing aero-engines operating temperature causes the aircraft more easily be detected, thus stealth coatings are necessary for engines. Except the hottest part in aero-engines, other parts may not need TBCs or EBCs due to the relatively low operating temperature, but they still need protection from oxidation and corrosion. Hence, corrosion-resistant coatings are essential. In this paper, the latest progress of the above high-temperature protective coatings, i.e., TBCs, EBCs, stealth coatings and corrosion-resistant coatings is reviewed, mainly including their materials, fabrication technologies and performance. In addition, due to the harsh operating environment, these protective coatings face many threats such as calcia-magnesia-aluminosilicates (CMAS) attack, causing premature failure of the coatings, which is also concerned in this paper. The work would provide a comprehensive understanding on the high-temperature protective coatings in aero-engines and guidance for developing advanced protective coatings for next-generation aero-engines.
Color Vision in the Mountains
Authors: Lankford Harvey V. , Hovis Jeffery K.
Published: September 2023

This Lessons from History article uses science, aviation, medicine, and mountaineering sources to describe some of the effects of hypoxia, illumination, and other environmental conditions on the eye, the central nervous system, and light and color perception. The historical perspective is augmented by an analysis of an informal observation of the altered perception of red color on a deck of playing cards while climbing Mera Peak in the Himalaya. The appearance of a grayer red color on the cards was initially attributed to the effects of hypoxia alone. Instead, analysis of cards in combination with the low incidence of protan color vision defects at altitude indicated that glare and contrast effects in the extremely bright lighting environment combined with hypoxia likely caused the perception of a grayer red. The incident provides an educational opportunity for review, analysis, and commentary about some of the complex elements that impact color vision.
Collapse and diffusion in harmonic activation and transport
Authors: Calvert Jacob , Ganguly Shirshendu , Hammond Alan
Published: September 2023

For an n-element subset U of

$\mathbb {Z}^2$

, select x from U according to harmonic measure from infinity, remove x from U and start a random walk from x. If the walk leaves from y when it first enters the rest of U, add y to it. Iterating this procedure constitutes the process we call harmonic activation and transport (HAT).

HAT exhibits a phenomenon we refer to as collapse: Informally, the diameter shrinks to its logarithm over a number of steps which is comparable to this logarithm. Collapse implies the existence of the stationary distribution of HAT, where configurations are viewed up to translation, and the exponential tightness of diameter at stationarity. Additionally, collapse produces a renewal structure with which we establish that the center of mass process, properly rescaled, converges in distribution to two-dimensional Brownian motion.

To characterize the phenomenon of collapse, we address fundamental questions about the extremal behavior of harmonic measure and escape probabilities. Among n-element subsets of

$\mathbb {Z}^2$

, what is the least positive value of harmonic measure? What is the probability of escape from the set to a distance of, say, d? Concerning the former, examples abound for which the harmonic measure is exponentially small in n. We prove that it can be no smaller than exponential in

$n \log n$

. Regarding the latter, the escape probability is at most the reciprocal of

$\log d$

, up to a constant factor. We prove it is always at least this much, up to an n-dependent factor.
The impact of outside option saliency and product descriptions on consumer wine tasting behavior
Authors: Streletskaya Nadia A. , Weerasekara Nadeeka , Li Jie
Published: September 2023

Consumer choice of differentiated products, such as wine, depends on the composition of the choice set consumers are choosing from. However, choice sets are often situationally defined through wine-tasting lists or displayed wines in a particular tasting and sales environment. In this paper, we use an experiment to explicitly modify the saliency of wine options available outside the tasting room choice set and the amount of sensory information available about the wines before wine tasting. We explicitly test whether consumer regret and fear of missing out on alternative options or consumer search costs are more likely to drive behavior around large choice sets. We find that increasing the saliency of outside options decreases one's propensity to taste the wines available for tasting and purchase immediately, while changing search costs through sensory descriptions does not affect tasting behavior. This provides support for the anticipated regret and fear of missing out motivations for behavior around large wine-tasting lists.
Non-Orientable Lagrangian Fillings of Legendrian Knots
Authors: CHEN LINYI , CRIDER-PHILLIPS GRANT , REINOSO BRAEDEN , SABLOFF JOSHUA , YAO LEYU
Published: September 2023

We investigate when a Legendrian knot in the standard contact
${{\mathbb{R}}}^3$
has a non-orientable exact Lagrangian filling. We prove analogs of several results in the orientable setting, develop new combinatorial obstructions to fillability, and determine when several families of knots have such fillings. In particular, we completely determine when an alternating knot (and more generally a plus-adequate knot) is decomposably non-orientably fillable and classify the fillability of most torus and 3-strand pretzel knots. We also describe rigidity phenomena of decomposable non-orientable fillings, including finiteness of the possible normal Euler numbers of fillings and the minimisation of crosscap numbers of fillings, obtaining results which contrast in interesting ways with the smooth setting.
Immigration Clashes, Party Polarization, and Republican Radicalization: Tracking Shifts in State and National Party Platforms since 1980
Authors: Walters Kirsten , Skocpol Theda
Published: September 2023

Studies of U.S. politics increasingly aim to make sense of two key trends: party polarization and Republican Party radicalization. Surprisingly, however, party divergences on immigration have been largely overlooked. Drawing on state and national political party platforms since 1980, we document the rise of attention to immigration, the polarization of substantive party positions, and the sharp GOP turn toward restrictive measures. After pinpointing the timing and relative trajectories of national and state-level agenda shifts, we explore potential drivers and establish two sets of flashpoint events worth further study: highly visible and mostly deadlocked congressional battles over immigration grand bargains, and bottom-up reverberations from the widespread 2006 immigrant rights protests and post-2008 Tea Party organizing. We find that grassroots Tea Party efforts were intervening accelerators rather than original causes of the Republican embrace of tough immigration restrictions. The article concludes by stressing the chronological layering of successive party polarizations—from 1960s divergences around civil rights, through clashes about abortion and LGBTQ rights from the late 1970s to the 1990s, and followed by immigration polarization in the 2000s. This process of layering polarizations on top of one another may have supercharged recent GOP turns toward ethnonationalism and tolerance for threats of violence.
The Excluded Tree Minor Theorem Revisited
Authors: Dujmović Vida , Hickingbotham Robert , Joret Gwenaël , Micek Piotr , Morin Pat , Wood David R.
Published: September 2023

We prove that for every tree
$T$
of radius
$h$
, there is an integer
$c$
such that every
$T$
-minor-free graph is contained in
$H\boxtimes K_c$
for some graph
$H$
with pathwidth at most
$2h-1$
. This is a qualitative strengthening of the Excluded Tree Minor Theorem of Robertson and Seymour (GM I). We show that radius is the right parameter to consider in this setting, and
$2h-1$
is the best possible bound.
Momordica charantia L. var. muricata Willd is a donor for higher fruit number and yield in bitter gourd breeding
Authors: Lavale Shivaji Ajinath , Mathew Deepu , Prasad Shri Hari , Feba Jacob Thoppurathu
Published: September 2023

The potential of Momordica charantia var. muricata, a little-known wild form, as a source of favourable alleles in breeding and improvement of bitter melons (M. charantia var. charantia), is demonstrated. The M. charantia var. charantia cultivar Priyanka and M. charantia var. muricata accession IC634896 were crossed with each other and cross ability and performance of F1 plants were studied. These botanical varieties were fully cross-compatible on either direction. Surprisingly, cross of Priyanka × IC634896 produced 80.0 fruits compared to 17.0 in Priyanka and fruit yield per plant (2287.4 g) was more than double that in Priyanka (1042.3 g). This hybrid has to be back crossed with commercial cultivar to improve its fruit size, with no compromise on fruit number. This is the first study showing the promise of M. charantia var. muricata as a potential donor in bitter melon breeding.
Leveraging emerging technologies to enable environmental monitoring and accountability in conflict zones
Authors: Zwijnenburg Wim , Ballinger Ollie
Published: September 2023

The growth of access to the internet, wide availability of smart phones and increased public access to remote sensing data from hundreds of satellite systems have spurred a revolution in tracking the linkages between armed conflict and environmental damage. Over the last decade, a growing community of open-source investigative experts, environmentalists, academics and civil society groups have applied these methods to document war crimes, human rights violations and environmental degradation. These developments have created new opportunities for building accountability and transparency. The wealth of data on conflict-linked environmental damage has already been successfully leveraged to address acute and long-term environmental health risks and inform humanitarian response and post-conflict environmental assessments in Iraq, Syria and Ukraine. There are, however, larger questions on how to best make use of these data streams and information layers, and how to navigate the opportunities and limitations of these developments. This article will outline the new developments in this field and provide recommendations to ensure that data is used responsibly and effectively to strengthen accountability for environmental damages as a result of armed conflict.
Translation and Validation of the Spanish Version of the MAPS20 and ISRI Scales
Authors: López-Madrigal Claudia , Fernández-Duval Gonzalo , García-Manglano Javier , Schwartz Seth
Published: September 2023

Abstract: Emerging adulthood has been defined as a critical life stage. According to Erikson’s psychosocial theory, developing a sense of self and a personal identity is a critical task of adolescence and emerging adulthood. A well-integrated identity is critical for emerging adults because such identity provides a meaningful and consistent self-structure despite the inevitable events encountered in life. The aim of the present study was to translate and validate the Multi-Measure Agentic Personality Scale (MAPS20) and Identity Stage Resolution Index (ISRI) scales into Spanish. Both scales are key measures to assess identity capital, which refers to the assumption of identity commitments and adult roles during emerging adulthood. Back-translation procedures were performed to create Spanish versions of both scales. The scales were administered to a nationally representative sample of 1,200 Spanish emerging adults aged 18–32 years ( M = 25.3, SD = 4.13). Confirmatory factor analyses (CFI) were conducted to assess the factor structure, validity, and reliability of scores generated by these measures. The results suggested adequate model fit [MAPS20 (RMSEA = .066, CFI = .953, and TLI = .945); ISRI (RMSEA = .052, CFI = .999 and TLI = .997)] and evidence for convergent and discriminant validity. We therefore concluded that the Spanish versions of the MAPS20 and ISRI scales are valid and reliable for evaluating intangible agentic resources and identity resolution in emerging adults. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed.
Uranus: Time to Boldly Go
Authors: Cartier Kimberly
Published: September 2023

Scientists say now is the time to unlock the secrets of Uranus and suggest a low-cost, low-risk way to do so.
Investigating Spatial and Temporal Structuring of E‐Region Coherent Scattering Regions Over Northern Norway
Authors: Huyghebaert Devin , Chau Jorge L. , Spicher Andres , Ivarsen Magnus F. , Clahsen Matthias , Latteck Ralph , Vierinen Juha
Published: September 2023

Recently, it has been shown that the Spread Spectrum Interferometric Multistatic meteor radar Observing Network radar system located in northern Norway is capable of measuring ionospheric E‐region coherent scatter with spatial and temporal resolutions on the order of 1.5 km and 2 s, respectively. Four different events from June and July of 2022 are examined in the present study, where the coherent scatter measurements are used as a tracer for large‐scale ionospheric phenomena such as plasma density enhancements and ionospheric electric fields. By applying a two‐dimensional Fourier analysis to range‐time‐intensity data, we perform a multi‐scale spatial and temporal investigation to determine the change in range over time of large‐scale ionospheric structures (>3 km) which are compared with line‐of‐sight velocities of the small scale structures (∼5 m) determined from the Doppler shift of the coherent scatter. The spectral characteristics of the large‐scale structures are also investigated and logarithmic spectral slopes for scale sizes of 100–10 km were found to be between −3.0 and −1.5. This agrees with much of the previous work on the spatial spectra scaling for ionospheric electric fields. This analysis aids in characterizing the source of the plasma turbulence and provides crucial information about how energy is redistributed from large to small scales in the E‐region ionosphere.
On the Propagation of Whistler‐Mode Waves in the Magnetic Ducts
Authors: Nejad Salman A. , Streltsov Anatoly V.
Published: September 2023

This paper studies extremely low frequency (ELF) whistler‐mode waves' behavior within small‐scale magnetic field irregularities in the Earth's magnetosphere, known as magnetic ducts. Based on the magnetic fields' magnitude inside and outside these ducts, they are categorized as high‐magnetic ducts and low‐magnetic ducts (LBD). Using the whistler‐mode dispersion relation analysis, our primary focus is to show that LBDs are prone to leak electromagnetic energy outside the duct. We further investigate the hypothesis that whistlers can propagate within LBDs without any signal loss when the width of the duct corresponds to an integer multiple of the perpendicular wavelengths of the waves inside it. This condition offers a straightforward and effective method for identifying non‐leaking eigenmodes of LBDs. Our analysis of this non‐leaking condition reveals that every LBD possesses a finite number of non‐leaking eigenmodes directly proportional to the duct's width and the magnitude of the ambient magnetic field within it. The analytical results are then validated using two‐dimensional, time‐dependent simulations of the electron‐Magnetohydrodynamics model. Also, we model the non‐leaking propagation of an ELF whistler‐mode wave observed inside the LBD by the NASA Magnetospheric Multiscale mission satellites.
Investigating Future Arctic Sea Ice Loss and Near‐Surface Wind Speed Changes Related to Surface Roughness Using the Community Earth System Model
Authors: DuVivier Alice K. , Vavrus Stephen J. , Holland Marika M. , Landrum Laura , Shields Christine A. , Thaker Rudradutt
Published: September 2023

The Arctic is undergoing a pronounced and rapid transformation in response to changing greenhouse gasses, including reduction in sea ice extent and thickness. There are also projected increases in near‐surface Arctic wind. This study addresses how the winds trends may be driven by changing surface roughness and/or stability in different Arctic regions and seasons, something that has not yet been thoroughly investigated. We analyze 50 experiments from the Community Earth System Model Version 2 (CESM2) Large Ensemble and five experiments using CESM2 with an artificially decreased sea ice roughness to match that of the open ocean. We find that with a smoother surface there are higher mean wind speeds and slower mean ice speeds in the autumn, winter, and spring. The artificially reduced surface roughness also strongly impacts the wind speed trends in autumn and winter, and we find that atmospheric stability changes are also important contributors to driving wind trends in both experiments. In contrast to the clear impacts on winds, the sea ice mean state and trends are statistically indistinguishable, suggesting that near‐surface winds are not major drivers of Arctic sea ice loss. Two major results of this work are: (a) the near‐surface wind trends are driven by changes in both surface roughness and near‐surface atmospheric stability that are themselves changing from sea ice loss, and (b) the sea ice mean state and trends are driven by the overall warming trend due to increasing greenhouse gas emissions and not significantly impacted by coupled feedbacks with the surface winds.
Classification of Turbulent Mixing Driven Sources in Marine Atmospheric Boundary Layer With Use of Shipborne Coherent Doppler Lidar Observations
Authors: Wang Xiaoye , Dai Guangyao , Wu Songhua , Zhu Peizhi , Li Ziwang , Song Xiaoquan , Zhang Suping , Xu Jing , Yin Jiaping , Qin Shengguang , Wang Xitao
Published: September 2023

A method to identify the turbulent mixing sources within the marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL) based on the shipborne coherent Doppler lidar measurements is introduced in this paper. Combining with the coherent Doppler lidar signal‐to‐noise ratio, vertical velocity skewness, turbulence kinetic energy dissipation rate, and wind shear intensity, the categories of turbulent mixing sources and the specific turbulent mixing sources could be determined. The method is applied into two voyages of MABL observation during May 2021 in the South China Sea and during April 2022 in the Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea. The turbulent mixing processes are captured and the classification of the turbulence driven sources within the MABL are realized. The temporal‐spatial evolution characteristics of the turbulence mixing process in the MABL are investigated under different weather conditions containing clear‐sky day, cloudy‐sky day, and sea‐fog day. The convective mixing process is recognized in the daytime of the clear‐sky day and the intermittent cloud‐driven turbulence exists below the cloud layer. Additionally, the turbulent mixing is weak which could not act as the main driven source during the sea‐fog day. Furthermore, the dominant turbulence scale analyses of different turbulence sources are conducted based on the cospectra of the vertical velocity and the horizontal speed measurements. The turbulence parameters of different turbulence sources are statistical analyzed and compared in different sea areas. The classification method has the broad application prospects on the study of the air‐sea interaction.
Tropical Pacific Modulation of the Asian Summer Monsoon Over the Last Millennium in Paleoclimate Data Assimilation Reconstructions
Authors: Hu Jun , Dee Sylvia , Parajuli Grant , Thirumalai Kaustubh
Published: September 2023

Large uncertainties exist in climate model projections of the Asian summer monsoon (ASM). The El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is an important modulator of the ASM, but the ENSO‐ASM teleconnection is not stationary. Furthermore, teleconnections between ENSO and the East Asian versus South Asian subcomponents of the ASM exhibit distinct characteristics. Therefore, understanding the variability of the ENSO‐ASM teleconnection is critical for anticipating future variations in ASM intensity. To this end, we here use paleoclimate records to extend temporal coverage beyond the instrumental era by millennia. Recently, data assimilation techniques have been applied for the last millennium, which facilitates physically consistent, globally gridded climate reconstructions informed by paleoclimate observations. We use these novel data assimilation products to investigate variations in the ENSO‐ASM relationship over the last 1,000 years. We find that correlations between ENSO and ASM indices are mostly negative in the last millennium, suggesting that strong ASM years are often associated with La Niña events. During periods of weak correlations between ENSO and the East Asian summer monsoon, we observe an El Niño‐like sea surface temperature (SST) pattern in the Pacific. Additionally, SST patterns associated with periods of weak correlations between ENSO and South Asian summer monsoon rainfall are not consistent among data assimilation products. This underscores the importance of developing more precipitation‐sensitive paleoclimate proxies in the Indian subcontinental realm over the last millennium. Our study serves as a baseline for future appraisals of paleoclimate assimilation products and an example of informing our understanding of decadal‐scale ENSO‐ASM teleconnection variability using paleoclimate data sets.
Grey-matter correlates of empathy in 4-Repeat Tauopathies
Authors: Tafuri Benedetta , Urso Daniele , Nigro Salvatore , Macchitella Luigi , De Blasi Roberto , Ray Chaudhuri K. , Logroscino Giancarlo
Published: September 2023

Loss of empathy is an early and central symptom of frontotemporal lobar degeneration spectrum diseases. We aimed to investigate the topographical distribution of morphometric brain changes associated with empathy in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) and Corticobasal Syndrome (CBS) patients. Twenty-seven participants with CBS and 31 with PSP were evaluated using Interpersonal Reactivity Index scales in correlation with gray matter atrophy using a voxel-based morphometry approach. Lower levels of empathy were associated with an increased atrophy in fronto-temporal cortical structures. At subcortical level, empathy scores were positively correlated with gray matter volume in the amygdala, hippocampus and the cerebellum. These findings allow to extend the traditional cortico-centric view of cognitive empathy to the cerebellar regions in patients with neurodegenerative disorders and suggest that the cerebellum may play a more prominent role in social cognition than previously appreciated.
Towards metropolitan free-space quantum networks
Authors: Kržič Andrej , Sharma Sakshi , Spiess Christopher , Chandrashekara Uday , Töpfer Sebastian , Sauer Gregor , González-Martín del Campo Luis Javier , Kopf Teresa , Petscharnig Stefan , Grafenauer Thomas , Lieger Roland , Ömer Bernhard , Pacher Christoph , Berlich René , Peschel Thomas , Damm Christoph , Risse Stefan , Goy Matthias , Rieländer Daniel , Tünnermann Andreas , Steinlechner Fabian
Published: September 2023

Quantum communication has seen rapid progress towards practical large-scale networks, with quantum key distribution (QKD) spearheading this development. While fibre-based systems have been shown to be well suited for metropolitan scales, suitable fibre infrastructure may not always be in place. Here, we make the case for an entanglement-based free-space quantum network as a practical and efficient alternative for metropolitan applications. We developed a deployable free-space QKD system and demonstrated its use in realistic scenarios. For a representative 1.7-km free-space link, we showcase its ad hoc deployability and achieve secure key rates of up to 5.7 kbps, with 2.5 kbps in direct noon sunlight. By extrapolating experimental data, we show that kbps key rates are achievable even for 10-km distances and multi-user scenarios. We anticipate that our work will establish free-space networks as a viable solution for metropolitan applications and an indispensable complementary building block in the future global quantum internet.
Role of translational noise on current reversals of active particles on ratchet
Authors: Chugh Anshika , Ganesh Rajaraman
Published: September 2023

In this study, we explore using Langevin dynamics simulations, the role of thermal fluctuations on the rectification of non-interacting inertial active (self-propelled) particles in a rocking ratchet setup in the absence and in the presence of the external time periodic drive. The system is first studied in the absence of the external drive. It is found that the average velocity is always positive and a peaked function of the translational noise, indicating that the asymmetry effects dominate at intermediate values of the strength of the thermal noise. In the second part of this work, we study the effect of the external drive on the dynamics of the system by exploring a phase diagram in the parameter space of translational noise and driving frequency for two different strengths of rotational diffusion. For a given constant amplitude of the active force and amplitude of external drive less than the maximum force due to the potential, the average velocity magnitude as well as the direction ($$+ {\hat{x}}/- {\hat{x}}$$

+

x
^

/
-

x
^

) is found to depend on the rotational diffusion, frequency of the external drive and the strength of the translational noise. We discover certain critical parameters in the phase space at which current reversals happen. It is found that when the average particle energy is lower than the potential energy of the barrier, symmetry breaking dominates and the currents are in the ‘easy’ direction of the ratchet. On the other hand, when the energy available per particle crosses the potential energy of the barrier, the competition between inertial effects and diffusion effects decides the direction of currents. We explain our findings by constructing phase difference datum, velocity probability distribution, and current probability analyses. Our results provide a novel method for controlling the direction of transport of inertial active particles.
Ab initio study of mechanical and thermal properties of GeTe-based and PbSe-based high-entropy chalcogenides
Authors: Hasan Sahib , Adhikari Puja , San Saro , Ching Wai-Yim
Published: September 2023

GeTe-based and PbSe-based high-entropy compounds have outstanding thermoelectric (TE) performance and crucial applications in mid and high temperatures. Recently, the optimization of TE performance of high-entropy compounds has been focused on reducing thermal conductivity by strengthening the phonon scattering process to improve TE performance. We report a first-principles investigation on nine GeTe-based high-entropy chalcogenide solid solutions constituted of eight metallic elements (Ag, Pb, Sb, Bi, Cu, Cd, Mn, and Sn) and 13 PbSe-based high-entropy chalcogenide solid solutions: Pb0.99-ySb0.012SnySe1-2xTexSx (x = 0.1, 0.2, 0.25, 0.3, 0.35, 0.4, 0.45, and y = 0) and Pb0.99-ySb0.012SnySe1-2xTexSx (y = 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, 0.25 and x = 0.25). We have investigated the mechanical properties focusing on Debye temperature (ΘD), thermal conductivity (κ), Grüneisen parameter (γα), dominant phonon wavelength (λdom), and melting temperature (Tm). We find that the lattice thermal conductivity is significantly reduced when GeTe is alloyed into the following compositions: Ge0.75Sb0.13Pb0.12Te, Ge0.61Ag0.11Sb0.13Pb0.12Bi0.01Te, and Ge0.61Ag0.11Sb0.13Pb0.12Mn0.05Bi0.01Te. This reduction is due to the mass increase and strain fluctuations. The results also show that Ge0.61Ag0.11Sb0.13Pb0.12Bi0.01Te solid solution has the lowest Young’s modulus (30.362 GPa), bulk and shear moduli (18.626 and 12.359 GPa), average sound velocity (1653.128 m/sec), Debye temperature (151.689 K), lattice thermal conductivity (0.574 W.m–1.K–1), dominant phonon wavelength (0.692 Å), and melting temperature (535.91 K). Moreover, Ge0.61Ag0.11Sb0.13Pb0.12Bi0.01Te has the highest Grüneisen parameter with a reduced and temperature-independent lattice thermal conductivity. The positive correlation between ΘD and κ is revealed. Alloying of PbSe-based high-entropy by Sb, Sn, Te, and S atoms at the Se and Pb sites resulted in much higher shear strains resulted in the reduction of phonon velocity, a reduced ΘD, and a lower lattice thermal conductivity.