bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gum-based nanocomposites for the removal of metals and dyes from waste water
Authors: Usman Muhammad , Taj Muhammad Babar , Carabineiro Sónia Alexandra Correia
Published: September 2023

The importance of water for all living organisms is unquestionable and protecting its sources is crucial. In order to reduce water contaminants, like toxic metals and organic dyes, researchers are exploring different techniques, such as adsorption, photocatalytic degradation, and electrolysis. Novel materials are also being sought. In particular, biopolymers like guar gum and xanthan gum, that are eco-friendly, non-toxic, reusable, abundant and cost-effective, have enormous potential. Gum-based nanocomposites can be prepared and used for removing heavy metals and colored dyes by adsorption and degradation, respectively. This review explains the significance of gum-based nanomaterials in waste water treatment, including preparative steps, characterization techniques, kinetics models, and the degradation and adsorption mechanisms involved.
An innovative design approach for anchored wire meshes
Authors: Boschi Katia , di Prisco Claudio , Flessati Luca
Published: September 2023

Anchored wire meshes are commonly adopted to stabilize potentially unstable soil slopes. This reinforcement technique, employed either as an active or a passive anchoring system, is commonly designed according to ultimate limit state approaches. In this paper, an interaction model, useful for the design of anchored wire meshes, is proposed. The model is based on the results of a series of 3D large displacement finite element numerical analyses, in which the wire mesh mechanical behaviour is modelled as either an elastic or an elastic–plastic membrane. The model is inspired to standard load–displacement curves for shallow foundations, and the wire mesh presence is taken into account by suitably modifying the bearing capacity formula. The proposed model predictions are compared with experimental punching test results. The use of the model, only requiring the definition of geometry and soil–wire mesh mechanical properties, allows the pre-design of the reinforcement system without performing ad hoc finite element numerical analyses.
A simulation-based phantom model for generating synthetic mitral valve image data–application to MRI acquisition planning
Authors: Manini Chiara , Nemchyna Olena , Akansel Serdar , Walczak Lars , Tautz Lennart , Kolbitsch Christoph , Falk Volkmar , Sündermann Simon , Kühne Titus , Schulz-Menger Jeanette , Hennemuth Anja
Published: September 2023

Purpose

Numerical phantom methods are widely used in the development of medical imaging methods. They enable quantitative evaluation and direct comparison with controlled and known ground truth information. Cardiac magnetic resonance has the potential for a comprehensive evaluation of the mitral valve (MV). The goal of this work is the development of a numerical simulation framework that supports the investigation of MRI imaging strategies for the mitral valve.

Methods

We present a pipeline for synthetic image generation based on the combination of individual anatomical 3D models with a position-based dynamics simulation of the mitral valve closure. The corresponding images are generated using modality-specific intensity models and spatiotemporal sampling concepts. We test the applicability in the context of MRI imaging strategies for the assessment of the mitral valve. Synthetic images are generated with different strategies regarding image orientation (SAX and rLAX) and spatial sampling density.

Results

The suitability of the imaging strategy is evaluated by comparing MV segmentations against ground truth annotations. The generated synthetic images were compared to ones acquired with similar parameters, and the result is promising. The quantitative analysis of annotation results suggests that the rLAX sampling strategy is preferable for MV assessment, reaching accuracy values that are comparable to or even outperform literature values.

Conclusion

The proposed approach provides a valuable tool for the evaluation and optimization of cardiac valve image acquisition. Its application to the use case identifies the radial image sampling strategy as the most suitable for MV assessment through MRI.
How to account for tax planning and its uncertainty in firm valuation?
Authors: Knaisch Jonas
Published: September 2023

I compare two approaches from the recent literature on how to account for tax planning and its uncertainty in a valuation framework [the separate view of Drake et al. (J Account Audit Financ 34(1):151–176, 2019) vs. the composite view of Jacob and Schütt (Eur Account Rev 29(3):409–435, 2020)], emphasizing measurement issues of tax planning and firm heterogeneity. Replication analyses and extensive robustness tests suggest that only considering tax planning and it’s uncertainty jointly and connecting them to firm value via income leads to consistent results, implying that higher uncertainty-adjusted tax planning amplifies the positive association between pre-tax income and firm value. However, the economic magnitude of this association depends on the measurement approach, ranging between 0.8 and 12.91%. Conversely, the separate view produces inconsistent results in all tests. These conclusions are not affected by incorporating recent losses (Dyreng et al. in Tax avoidance or recent losses? Working Paper, 2021) when an appropriate tax planning measure is chosen. While the results become insignificant when effective tax rates are used, applying the measure of Henry and Sansing (Rev Account Stud 23:1042–1070, 2018) mitigates this problem. Moreover, the positive value implication of uncertainty-adjusted tax planning is particularly pronounced for firms with low leverage whose debt tax shield and debt overhang are relatively small. The logic of jointly measuring tax planning and its uncertainty seems to be extendable to a variety of measures and to provide a more suitable measure than traditional isolated effective tax rates in a valuation framework.
Degradation of crude oil and the pure hydrocarbon fractions by indigenous soil microorganisms
Authors: Mohammed Srwa Ali , Omar Zrary Taha Jalal , Hasan Ayad H.
Published: September 2023

Petroleum hydrocarbons are a major concern due to their widespread distribution in the environment, and their harmful effects on humans. The use of biodegradation methods to clean soil that has been contaminated by spilt petroleum can be an effective remediation strategy. Therefore, in this study, the presence of indigenous microorganisms in soil contaminated with crude oil was investigated and their ability to degrade petroleum in vitro was studied. Three methods were used to detect crude oil and pure hydrocarbon degradation by bacterial and fungal isolates. Spectrophotometric method, 2,6-Dichlorophenol indophenol (DCPIP) method and hydrocarbon analysis was performed by GC–MS. Furthermore, PCR was carried out to detect the genes AlkB and PMO in the microbial communities. Seventeen bacterial isolates and 5 fungal isolates were recovered from 19 soil culture samples obtained from three different oil-contaminated sites at Taq-taq (TTOPCO) oil field and from a control site without oil contamination. The bacterial samples were identified culturally and morphologically, and the results were validated by genetic analysis. The results of this study revealed that the indigenous bacterial and fungal isolates had a high capacity to degrade crude oil and pure hydrocarbon fractions. Our results provide insight into the great abilities of Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus cereus, Achromobacter sp., Aspergillus lentulus and Rhizopus arrhizus to degrade crude oil and pure hydrocarbon fractions, and these data are supported by the presence of the PMO and AlkB genes in the isolated microorganisms.
Climate change risk and adaptation for fisher communities in Ghana
Authors: Townhill Bryony , Harrod Olivia , Painting Suzanne , Acheampong Emmanuel , Bell James , Nyarko Benjamin Kofi , Engelhard Georg
Published: September 2023

Artisanal fisheries in Ghana account for more than two-thirds of the country’s food fish production and employ or support up to 2 million people. However, many fish stocks are close to collapse through overexploitation, especially stocks such as sardinella that are a staple food for Ghanaians. Climate change is expected to affect the fish themselves as well as fishing activities, increasing the already high risk to fishers’ livelihoods and Ghana’s food security. Here, we use a climate change risk assessment framework to assess vulnerability of Ghanaian fisheries, considering climate hazards, fish species sensitivity and socio-economic vulnerability of different fisheries sectors and regions. The results show that some of the species that constitute the highest catches in Ghana are highly sensitive to climate change, such as snappers, Congo dentex and groupers. Some species assessed as having low sensitivity to climate change in the region are migratory pelagic fish, including tuna. Species caught by artisanal fleets are typically more sensitive than those captured by semi-industrial and industrial fleets. Regionally, the highest climate risk is found for Volta in the east, and the lowest for the Greater Accra region, along the central part of the coastline. This information can be used to identify, with stakeholders, the climate adaptation actions that are most suitable for the different regions and fisheries sectors. Actions can be tailored to the different aspects of climate risk, helping the country to achieve its aims of restoring fish stocks, safeguarding livelihoods and improving climate resilience for Ghana’s artisanal fishers.
The connections between citizenship education and mathematics education
Authors: Geiger Vince , Gal Iddo , Graven Mellony
Published: September 2023

The connections between citizenship education and mathematics education have been the focus of theoretical development and attention by educators interested in issues of justice, equity, power, criticality, and citizen engagement with societal issues, across schools, universities, and adult education levels. In this survey article, we contribute to new knowledge in the field by identifying and describing three interconnected layers of influence on the praxis of teaching and learning: (1) perspectives from citizenship education and mathematics education (e.g., kinds of citizenship, critical thinking in mathematics education); (2) institutional factors (e.g., policy, curricula, implementation within education systems); and (3) emerging influences (e.g., changing skill demands, innovations from communities of practice). In exploring the connections between citizenship education and mathematics education, we go beyond extant theory development and point to influences such as global disruptions, societal changes, systemic structures at the national and local levels, messaging in the media, and the role of teachers and learners. The holistic analysis of these influences enables identification of tensions and dilemmas, and issues of identity, autonomy, adoption, and systemic change. Together these point to multiple implications for educators, policy makers, and researchers aiming to enable informed and engaged citizens.
Bevordering van patiëntenparticipatie
Authors: Romme Sjim , Bosveld Matthijs Hugo , Mulder Dante , van den Besselaar Hélène , Sehlbach Carolin , van Bokhoven Marloes Amantia
Published: September 2023

Samenvatting

Collectieve participatie van burgers/cliënten/patiënten is cruciaal voor het bevorderen van persoonsgericht handelen in het zorg- en welzijnsdomein. In de praktijk blijken niet alle deelnemers aan collectieve participatie te beschikken over voldoende competenties, waardoor de opbrengst suboptimaal is. De Mens Achter de Patiënt Academie leidt mensen met ervaring rond ziekte, zorg en/of verminderd welzijn op tot patiëntconsultants of partnerconsultants die hun ervaringen constructief kunnen inzetten en zo bijdragen aan persoonsgericht handelen in de ziekenhuiszorg, bijvoorbeeld als lid van een cliiëntenraad. Dit artikel beschrijft het programma en gaat in op belangrijke aandachtspunten voor verdere doorontwikkeling van collectieve patiëntenparticipatie.
Where supply and demand meet: how consumer and vendor interactions create a market, a Nigerian example
Authors: Nordhagen Stella , Lee James , Monterrosa Eva , Onuigbo-Chatta Nwando , Okoruwa Augustine , Lambertini Elisabetta , Pelto Gretel H.
Published: September 2023

Traditional food markets in lower-income countries are constructed through the interactions of their participants: those who sell food and those who buy it. Their joint actions and motivations interact to determine what is sold, to whom, and at which price; these actions are shaped by interpersonal relationships and cultural norms. Understanding these dynamics is useful for crafting equitable and impactful policies and program interventions that leverage, rather than oppose, market actors’ initial motivations. This paper examines this process of “making a market” through a case study of vendors and consumers in Birnin Kebbi, Nigeria. It answers four interrelated research questions through a series of in-depth interviews with consumers (n = 47) and vendors (n = 37) using methods drawn from focused ethnography. The results demonstrate that market transactions are influenced by a complex interaction of vendors’ norms on competition and collaboration, consumers’ needs for credit amid unpredictable prices and restrictive gender norms, and a “moral economy” that appears to guide market actors’ behavior. Based on this, it is suggested that the conceptualization of which characteristics shape consumer choices within food environments should be broadened to include factors such as credit access and bargaining ability, and the trusted interpersonal relationships that enable them.
A bibliometric review on the Water Framework Directive twenty years after its birth
Authors: Copetti Diego , Erba Stefania
Published: September 2023

The European Water Framework Directive (WFD) is one of the most studied environmental legislations and recently turned twenty. The paper deals with a literature search and analysis of 4120 references related to this Directive. After a period of strong increase in article production (2002–2012) WFD scientific productivity is currently still high (~ 260 papers year−1), suggesting a persistent interest of the scientific community on this issue. Most research supporting the WFD was on water sciences, but contributions were also from governance and socio-economic disciplines. Studies on biological quality elements and rivers were prominent. The WFD implementation has seen a strong participation of scientists from all EU countries, and partially also from outside-EU nations. To improve the EU water policy and management, the paper suggests a greater interconnection between WFD and other EU Directives and indicates some emerging environmental issues to which the Directive should address.
ATM-Mediated translocation of RanBPM regulates DNA damage response by stabilizing p21 in non-small cell lung cancer cells
Authors: Deng Tanggang , Xie Lin , Xiaofang Chen , Zhang Zhenbin , Xiao Yugang , Peng Yuchong , Yin Linglong , Fu Yongming , Li Xiong
Published: September 2023

Purpose

Platinum-based chemotherapy remains a standard-of-care for most patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). DNA damage response (DDR) induced by platinum or Etoposide activated a panel of cell cycle-regulatory proteins including p21 through p53 pathway. Previous studies have reported that RanBPM has been involved in various cellular processes such as DDR by interacting with multiple proteins. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear.

Methods

NSCLC tissue microarrays were used for assessing the expression of RanBPM by immunohistochemical staining. The roles of RanBPM in the DDR of NSCLC progression was examined in in vitro cell lines and in vivo animal models. The regulation of RanBPM on protein stability and ubiquitination levels were investigated by immunoblots and in vivo ubiquitylation assay.

Results

The level of p21 or RanBPM is lower in NSCLC than non-malignant tissues and has a highly positive correlation. Mechanistically, RanBPM protein physically interacts with p21, and RanBPM deubiquitinates p21 by recruiting a deubiquitinase USP11 to maintain protein stability of p21. RanBPM silencing significantly decreased p21 protein level. Conversely, RanBPM overexpression led to the accumulation of endogenous p21 protein regardless of p53 status. Functionally, RanBPM regulates DDR in a p21-dependent manner. Furthermore, DNA damage significantly promoted the nuclear translocation of RanBPM protein through ATM signaling pathways.

Conclusion

RanBPM is a novel regulator of P21 protein stability, and plays a critical role in the regulation of DDR.
Förderung der professionellen Unterrichtswahrnehmung und der Selbstwirksamkeitsüberzeugungen von Masterstudierenden bzgl. sprachsensibler Maßnahmen im naturwissenschaftlichen Sachunterricht
Authors: Grewe Oliver , Zucker Verena , Todorova Maria , Möller Kornelia , Meschede Nicola
Published: September 2023

Selbstwirksamkeitsüberzeugungen und die professionelle Unterrichtswahrnehmung stellen wichtige Voraussetzungen für das Lehrkräftehandeln dar. Dies kann auch für das sprachsensible Handeln im naturwissenschaftlichen Sachunterricht angenommen werden. Eine frühzeitige Förderung in der universitären Ausbildung wird deshalb als relevant erachtet. Empirische Befunde aus anderen Domänen betonen dafür das Potenzial von Unterrichtsvideos. Vor diesem Hintergrund zielte die Studie zunächst auf die Entwicklung eines Lehrkonzepts mit fremden und eigenen Videos zur Förderung der professionellen Unterrichtswahrnehmung und Selbstwirksamkeitsüberzeugungen von Masterstudierenden hinsichtlich sprachsensibler Maßnahmen im naturwissenschaftlichen Sachunterricht. Das Konzept wurde in einem Prä-Post-Kontrollgruppendesign (Interventionsgruppe 1: n = 94, Kontrollgruppe: n = 46) evaluiert. Um zusätzlich Erkenntnisse über die Bedeutsamkeit einzelner Gestaltungselemente videobasierter Lehrkonzepte zu gewinnen, wurde im Weiteren die Wirkung von Variationen des Lehrkonzepts bzgl. der Gestaltungselemente Planung, Durchführung und videobasierte Analyse des eigenen Unterrichts untersucht. Hierzu wurde das initiale Lehrkonzept mit zwei Adaptionen verglichen, in denen die Planungszeit erweitert und die Durchführung stellvertretend durch eine fremde Lehrkraft (Interventionsgruppe 2: n = 35) bzw. im Microteaching (Interventionsgruppe 3: n = 36) erfolgte und somit zu einer videobasierten Reflexion fremden (Interventionsgruppe 2) bzw. eigenen Unterrichts (Interventionsgruppe 3) führte. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass alle drei Interventionen zur Förderung der professionellen Unterrichtswahrnehmung und Selbstwirksamkeitsüberzeugungen beitragen. Hinsichtlich der Bedeutung der untersuchten Gestaltungselemente zeigen sich jedoch differentielle Effekte. Während sich bzgl. der professionellen Unterrichtswahrnehmung keine Unterschiede zwischen den Interventionen ergeben, zeigt sich in Bezug auf die Selbstwirksamkeitsüberzeugungen zum Planen und Durchführen sprachsensiblen Unterrichts eine Überlegenheit des Microteachings (Interventionsgruppe 3) im Vergleich zur Umsetzung im Klassenverband (Interventionsgruppe 1). Die Ergebnisse liefern wichtige Erkenntnisse für die Gestaltung videobasierter Lehrkonzepte und zukünftige Forschung.
Trichomes affect grapevine leaf optical properties and thermoregulation
Authors: Domanda Corrado , Nuzzo Vitale , Montanaro Giuseppe , Failla Osvaldo , Rustioni Laura
Published: September 2023

In the context of climate change, the optical properties of grapevine leaves have been used in imaging technologies to screen grapevine phenotypes tolerant to water deficit and heat waves in field conditions. Image-based plant phenotyping is challenging because the adaxial and the abaxial sides of the leaf present different morphology. This study investigated the effect of trichomes of the abaxial epidermis on the spectral responses in the two grapevine leaf sides. It was also examined the effect of pubescence on leaf thermoregulation, either during water deficiency or not. For this study, 99 Vitis spp. genotypes were categorised for their prostrate trichome density between main veins on the abaxial side of the leaves (using the descriptor OIV 084). In the first week of 2022, August, reflectance spectra from 400 to 700 nm and color indexes CIELAB and RGB were recorded in five leaves (both abaxial and adaxial sides) per genotype. During three days in midsummer, crop water stress index (CWSI) was also determined in each genotype. The abaxial leaf side was more reflective than the adaxial one in all visible color bands. Values of CIELAB (except for component a*) and RGB were higher for the abaxial leaf side than the adaxial one. The different spectral and color responses between leaf sides positively correlated with the descriptor OIV 084. Trichomes, which mainly occur on the abaxial side in grapevine, significantly contribute to the different optical properties between the two leaf sides. Correlation between OIV 084 and CWSI values was significantly positive (p < 0.05) only when vines were under drought, indicating that trichomes rise leaf temperature by probably reducing evaporative cooling under dry conditions. Therefore, pubescence could be a promising trait to consider when selecting varieties for drought tolerance.
Effect of surface retaining elements on rock stability: laboratory investigation with sand powder 3D printing
Authors: Feng Hao , Jiang Lishuai , Wang Qingwei , Tang Peng , Sainoki Atsushi , Mitri Hani S.
Published: September 2023

This study aims to investigate the beneficial effects of surface retaining elements (SREs) on the mechanical behaviors of bolted rock and roadway stability. 3D printing (3DP) technology is utilized to create rock analogue prismatic specimens for conducting this investigation. Uniaxial compression tests with acoustic emission (AE) and digital image correlation techniques have been conducted on 3DP specimens bolted with different SREs. The results demonstrate that the strength and modulus of elasticity of the bolted specimens show a positive correlation with the area of the SRE; the AE characteristics of the bolted specimens are higher than those of the unbolted specimen, but they decrease with an increase in SRE area, thus further improving the integrity of the bolted specimens. The reinforcement effect of SREs on the surrounding rock of roadways is further analyzed using numerical modelling and field test. The results provide a better understanding of the role of SREs in rock bolting and the optimization of rock bolting design. Furthermore, they verify the feasibility of 3DP for rock analogues in rock mechanics tests.
Bento Almeida d’Eça: Hydraulic Agriculture under the umbrella of Engineers in Nineteenth Century Portugal
Authors: Rodrigues Ana Duarte , Pireddu Pier Luigi , Monteiro Patricia Trindade
Published: September 2023

In mid-nineteenth century Portugal, the practice of irrigation was deemed to be completely backwards in comparison with the prevailing European standards. Distant were the times of Al-Andalus, when a so-called green revolution occurred on the Iberian Peninsula. Within this context, Agricultural Hydraulics gained momentum as a scientific field. Although water governance had a long run, the ‘politicisation’ of water issues clearly intensified in the Regeneration political regime. From 1851 onwards, the stability required for national material progress was ensured. The country had been struggling to build roads, railways, telegraphs, ports and, therefore, the Ministry of Public Works was established in 1852 to undertake these architectural and engineering projects. This paper argues that not only due to rivers’ manipulation for agriculture, but also to the rising status of engineers, Agricultural Hydraulics was under the Ministry of Public Works and, consequently, on the sphere of engineers rather than agronomists. Focusing on the making of a military engineer as an expert on Agricultural Hydraulics by sending him abroad and fostering his literary education, this paper reveals how this knowledge was appropriated and transformed into new projects for the Tagus River. Moreover, contrary to recent review that Hydraulic Services were launched in Portugal by 1884, based on the “Plan for Organization of Hydrographic Services on the mainland of Portugal”, this paper highlights the crucial role played by the Portuguese engineer Bento Fortunato Almeida d’Eça through his work as Superintendent of the Tagus River and its Tributaries, twenty years earlier.
Producing of alkali-activated artificial aggregates by pelletization of fly ash, slag, and seashell powder
Authors: Bekkeri Gopal Bharamappa , Shetty Kiran K. , Nayak Gopinatha
Published: September 2023

In the construction sector, the material supply chain of aggregates is frequently disturbed due to seasonal unavailability, quarrying issues, and environmental norms. The production of artificial aggregates has gained prominence to conserve natural resources and promote green construction practices. The current study encompasses the production of alkali-activated artificial aggregates through cold-bonding pelletization technique using three different raw materials, including fly ash, ground granulated blast furnace slag, and seashell powder in binary and ternary blending combinations. The cold bonding was achieved by alkali activation of binders with the aid of a sodium-based alkaline solution, which acts as an activator and hydrating liquid. The fresh artificial aggregates were subjected to surface treatment using the same alkaline solution to enhance their characteristics. The mechanical properties of artificial aggregates confirmed their potential as a substitute for conventional aggregates by exhibiting crushing and impact values of 18.19–27.53% and 12.06–18.85%, respectively. The microstructural and mineralogical characteristics depicted dense microstructure and compact matrix. The study concludes that artificial aggregates can effectively replace natural coarse aggregate in making structural concrete with many economic, environmental, and technical advantages.
The World Psychiatric Association Telepsychiatry Global Guidelines
Authors: Mucic Davor , Shore Jay , Hilty Donald M.
Published: September 2023

Psychiatry is the branch of medicine that deals with the causation, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of mental and behavioral disorders. Telepsychiatry, in the form of live interactive videoconferencing, has emerged as a promising approach to improve access to mental health care, particularly in underserved populations across the world. However, the use of telepsychiatry also raises unique clinical, ethical, legal, and technological challenges. Pre-pandemic, the vast majority of mental health professionals had little to no experience with telepsychiatry, so they were forced to quickly adapt to the use of telepsychiatry to continue provide ongoing care to patients or new services. To address these challenges, the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) developed Telepsychiatry Global Guidelines in 2020 via outreach to and input from as many countries as possible, with intent to support all countries with intent to specifically assist low- and middle-income countries in adopting and establishing telepsychiatry services amid the COVID-19 outbreak. The guidelines make suggestions for clinical practice, technological challenges, education and training, research, and specific populations and settings, with an emphasis on international and cross-cultural dimensions. The WPA guidelines specifically emphasize the importance of providing cultural fit to patient-centered care, ensuring confidentiality and security of patient information, and ongoing evaluation and quality improvement. The guidelines offer an appendix with a comprehensive collection of tools, templates, and resources. The guidelines highlight the importance of collaboration between policymakers, clinicians, and patients in the development and implementation of telepsychiatry programs.
Circulation in Seventeenth-Century Lisbon (Portugal): Traffic Signs and Traffic Rules
Authors: Castro Inês , Santos Joel , Casimiro Tânia Manuel
Published: September 2023

By the 17th century, Lisbon was a large and complex city—the capital of a large empire in which thousands of people and goods originating from different places around the world circulated. Yet the city was still organized according to its medieval footprint, one consequence of which was numerous documented traffic problems. In 1686, King Pedro II decreed that places in Lisbon where the problems were most recurrent should be marked with signs establishing circulation rules. Consequently, 24 such signs were put up in different parts of the city, three of which still survive today, even after the destruction of the 1755 earthquake. Based on archaeological, historical, cartographic, and geographic information, this article aims to discuss how these signs are a reflection of medieval Lisbon’s circulatory patterns and how the narrow streets were not able to adequately support the circulation of large vehicles introduced in the 17th century. The combination of this information not only allows the recreation of Lisbon’s circulation patterns, but also parts of the city’s social and cultural landscape as well.
A Bionic Starfish Adsorption Crawling Soft Robot
Authors: Huang Xiangang , Zhang Chenghao , Feng Wenqi , Zhang Xiangye , Zhang Deyuan , Liu Yanqiang
Published: September 2023

A variety of soft wall-climbing robots have been developed that can move in certain patterns. Most of these soft robots can only move on conventional surfaces and lack adaptability to complex surfaces. Improving the adaptability of soft robots on complex surfaces is still a challenging problem. To this end, we study the layered structure of the starfish tube foot and the valve flap structure in the water vascular system, and use an ultrasonic stress detector to study the stiffness distribution of the arm structure. Inspired by the motion of the starfish, we present a bionic soft wall-climbing robot, which is driven by two groups of pneumatic feet and achieves body bending through active adaptation layers. We design the structure of the foot to flex to provide driving force, and there are suction cups at the end of the foot to provide suction. The soft foot has a simple structure design, adapts to a variety of surfaces, and does not damage the surface of the substrate. Variable stiffness layers achieve stiffness changes by the principle of line blocking. The Central Pattern Generator theory is introduced to coordinately control the multiple feet of the robot. After experiments, we verify the adaptability of the soft robot to curved surfaces. The research may provide a reference for the design and development of crawling soft robots on complex surfaces.
Friedensbildung otherwise?
Authors: Krohn Juliana , Pauls Christina
Published: September 2023

Auf Basis dekolonialer Theorien wird in diesem Beitrag ausgelotet, ob und wie Friedensbildung eine dekoloniale Ausrichtung erfahren kann. Hierzu werden die Kontexte und Implikationen des decolonial turn in der Friedens- und Konfliktforschung und der Friedensbildung nachgezeichnet. Im Fokus des Beitrags steht die Konturierung einer dekolonial informierten Friedensbildung als Wegbereiterin für eine Friedensbildung otherwise. Eine dekolonial informierte Friedensbildung nimmt die Möglichkeiten und Herausforderungen von Friedensbildung in den Blick und beruht auf der Kritik des dominanten modern-liberalen Friedensbegriffes, auf der Erweiterung des Gewaltbegriffs um eine onto-epistemische Ebene, sowie auf einer Pluriversalisierung von Friedensverständnissen vor dem Hintergrund der Auseinandersetzung mit (De)Kolonialität. Die Analyse und Hinterfragung eines von kolonialen Herrschafts‑, Gewalt- und Machtverhältnissen geprägten Status Quo ist dabei grundlegend, um diese Verhältnisse in der Friedensbildung einer Bearbeitung zugänglich zu machen.
Whole-Exome Sequencing Analysis of Idiopathic Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism: Comparison of Varicocele and Nonobstructive Azoospermia
Authors: Ma Ziyang , Dai Yi , Jin Lei , Luo Yi , Guo Chen , Qu Rui , He Shengyin , Liu Yugao , Xia Yu , Liu Huan , Kong Lingnan , Xu Miaomiao , Zhang Lanlan , Zhao Yue , Suliya Yushanjiang , Yuan Dongzhi , Yang Luo
Published: September 2023

As a rare disease leading to male infertility, idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH) has strong heterogeneity of clinical phenotype and gene mutation. At present, there is no effective diagnosis and treatment method for this disease. This study is to explore the possible new pathogenic gene of idiopathic hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism and the pathological mechanism affecting its occurrence. We performed a whole-exome sequencing on 9 patients with normosmic idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (nIHH), 19 varicocele patients with asthenospermia, oligospermia, or azoospermia, 5 patients with simple nonobstructive azoospermia, and 13 normal healthy adult males and carried out comparative analysis, channel analysis, etc. After preliminary sequencing screening, 309–431 genes harbouring variants, including SNPs and indels, were predicted to be harmful per single patient in each group. In genetic variations of nIHH patients’ analysis, variants were detected in 10 loci and nine genes in nine patients. And in co-analysis of the three patient groups, nine nIHH patients, 19 VC patients, and five SN patients shared 116 variants, with 28 variant-harbouring genes detected in five or more patients. We found that the NEFH, CCDC177, and PCLO genes and the Gene Ontology pathways GO:0051301: cell division and GO:0090066: regulation of anatomical structure size may be key factors in the pathogenic mechanism of IHH. Our results suggest that the pathogenic mechanism of IHH is not limited to the central nervous system effects of GnRH but may involve other heterogeneous pathogenic genetic variants that affect peripheral organs.
Pten knockout affects drug resistance differently in melanoma and kidney cancer
Authors: Brodaczewska Klaudia , Majewska Aleksandra , Filipiak-Duliban Aleksandra , Kieda Claudine
Published: September 2023

Background

PTEN is a tumor suppressor that is often mutated and nonfunctional in many types of cancer. The high heterogeneity of PTEN function between tumor types makes new Pten knockout models necessary to assess its impact on cancer progression and/or treatment outcomes.

Methods

We aimed to show the effect of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated Pten knockout on murine melanoma (B16 F10) and kidney cancer (Renca) cells. We evaluated the effect of PTEN deregulation on tumor progression in vivo and in vitro, as well as on the effectiveness of drug treatment in vitro. In addition, we studied the molecular changes induced by Pten knockout.

Results

In both models, Pten mutation did not cause significant changes in cell proliferation in vitro or in vivo. Cells with Pten knockout differed in sensitivity to cisplatin treatment: in B16 F10 cells, the lack of PTEN induced sensitivity and, in Renca cells, resistance to drug treatment. Accumulation of pAKT was observed in both cell lines, but only Renca cells showed upregulation of the p53 level after Pten knockout. PTEN deregulation also varied in the way that it altered PAI-1 secretion in the tested models, showing a decrease in PAI-1 in B16 F10 Pten/KO and an increase in Renca Pten/KO cells. In kidney cancer cells, Pten knockout caused changes in epithelial to mesenchymal transition marker expression, with downregulation of E-cadherin and upregulation of Snail, Mmp9, and Acta2 (α-SMA).

Conclusions

The results confirmed heterogenous cell responses to PTEN loss, which may lead to a better understanding of the role of PTEN in particular types of tumors and points to PTEN as a therapeutic target for personalized medicine.
Distributional Semantics
Authors: Lenci Alessandro , Sahlgren Magnus
Published: September 2023

Distributional semantics develops theories and methods to represent the meaning of natural language expressions, with vectors encoding their statistical distribution in linguistic contexts. It is at once a theoretical model to express meaning, a practical methodology to construct semantic representations, a computational framework for acquiring meaning from language data, and a cognitive hypothesis about the role of language usage in shaping meaning. This book aims to build a common understanding of the theoretical and methodological foundations of distributional semantics. Beginning with its historical origins, the text exemplifies how the distributional approach is implemented in distributional semantic models. The main types of computational models, including modern deep learning ones, are described and evaluated, demonstrating how various types of semantic issues are addressed by those models. Open problems and challenges are also analyzed. Students and researchers in natural language processing, artificial intelligence, and cognitive science will appreciate this book.
A Second Course in Probability
Authors: Ross Sheldon M. , Peköz Erol A.
Published: September 2023

Written by Sheldon Ross and Erol Peköz, this text familiarises you with advanced topics in probability while keeping the mathematical prerequisites to a minimum. Topics covered include measure theory, limit theorems, bounding probabilities and expectations, coupling and Stein's method, martingales, Markov chains, renewal theory, and Brownian motion. No other text covers all these topics rigorously but at such an accessible level - all you need is an undergraduate-level understanding of calculus and probability. New to this edition are sections on the gambler's ruin problem, Stein's method as applied to exponential approximations, and applications of the martingale stopping theorem. Extra end-of-chapter exercises have also been added, with selected solutions available.This is an ideal textbook for students taking an advanced undergraduate or graduate course in probability. It also represents a useful resource for professionals in relevant application domains, from finance to machine learning.
Management Across Cultures
Authors: Steers Richard M. , Osland Joyce S. , Szkudlarek Betina
Published: September 2023

In today's highly competitive global economy, it is said that most managers are - or soon will be - global managers. Whether they work abroad or in their home country, their work is influenced by global events and people from different cultural backgrounds. Success depends on knowing how to work effectively with people and companies worldwide and requires both intercultural competence and global management skills. This revised fifth edition presents the latest theories, research, and practices in global management. It contains a rich assortment of management applications that feature the experiences of one hundred companies, plus fifty global managers from thirty different countries. The book is organized around a new Skills Development Model designed to enhance students' acquisition of global knowledge and competencies. This book is designed for courses in cross-cultural and international management at both undergraduate and graduate levels.
The Heterogeneity of Social Network and Institutional Covariance in the American Southeast
Authors: Holland-Lulewicz Jacob
Published: September 2023

Social, political, and economic institutions covary with one another in heterogenous ways across space and time. Social Network Analysis (SNA) offers a set of analytical tools and conceptual frameworks that have allowed for formal comparisons of interactions, affiliations, and relationships in reconstructing historical trajectories of institutional change. Although archaeologists have made full use of a range of metrics that describe the structural variation of social networks, formal approaches to analyzing the covariance of networks, and the institutions that structured networks in the past, remain undertheorized. In most cases, descriptive metrics are compared between networks built from different datasets or networks separated in time. Using quadratic assignment procedure (QAP) correlations to compare matrices of archaeological data, I draw on a ceramic dataset of approximately 350,000 sherds from the Southern Appalachian region to investigate how decisions related to manufacture choice and to stylistic design covaried with one another between roughly AD 800 and 1650. I explore how material attributes may or may not vary independently of one another and what that means for our analyses of the institutions they reflect. The results contribute to broader comparative analyses of institutional change and perennial discussions of social evolution.
Validation of the STERIS Amsco 630LS steam sterilizer autoclave for inactivation of category a medical waste from patients with high-consequence infectious diseases
Authors: Tarabay Jessica A. , Morgan Jill S. , Kraft Colleen S. , Sexton Mary Elizabeth
Published: September 2023

Hospitals caring for patients with high-consequence pathogens may need to safely manage large volumes of category A waste. Using biological indicators to assess for successful sterilization, autoclave cycle parameters that would inactivate 4 categories of waste were identified and validated utilizing a STERIS Amsco 630LS Steam Sterilizer.
Elongate Ediacaran fronds from the Flinders Ranges, South Australia
Authors: Grimes Kelsey F. , Narbonne Guy M. , Gehling James G. , Trusler Peter W. , Dececchi T. Alexander
Published: September 2023

Decimeter-scale, elongate, fossil fronds from the Ediacara Range in South Australia were formally described as Rangea longa Glaessner and Wade, 1966, but the disparate nature of documented specimens has hindered their inclusion in global syntheses and has resulted in these fossils being assigned to at least five different genera in two different clades since their discovery. Detailed study of the type material from the Ediacara Range and the few specimens subsequently collected elsewhere in the Flinders Ranges reaffirms that these specimens represent a single species, with the apparent morphological variation between specimens entirely taphonomic and reflecting the obverse and reverse surfaces of these fronds coupled with the orientation of the frond axis and petaloids at different angles relative to the sea bottom on which they were preserved. The preserved architecture of these fronds constitutes three orders of branching microstructure that are strictly orthogonal to immediately higher and lower orders. This implies affinities with the arboreomorphs, but representing a new frond genus herein named Akrophyllas. Akrophyllas n. gen. differs from all other Ediacaran fronds in exhibiting a stalk that is visible only on one side of the frond and is internal to the other side where the first-order branches instead meet at a zigzag axial trace. Akrophyllas n. gen. was attached to a bulbous holdfast on the sea bottom, and evidence for current scours that formed in the lee of the fronds and for a strong current alignment of felled fronds with depositional overlap of adjacent fronds imply an upright, epibenthic lifestyle for Akrophyllas longa new combination.

UUID: http://zoobank.org/86e26477-7b1e-45da-870c-1b5d28fc510c
The interpretation of policies in administrative law: the significance of audience
Authors: Mills Alistair
Published: September 2023

The interpretation of administrative policies is of great importance in contemporary public law. The correct approach to policy interpretation has, however, been subject to insufficient academic scrutiny. The effect of policies is to provide guidance: not only to decision-makers, but also to stakeholders in the decision. Obvious stakeholders include the applicant or the individual who is the subject of the administrative decision, but the scope of potential legitimate stakeholders may go far beyond this. In matters of general interest, the broader public may be guided by policy (for instance, whether to object to a proposal during a consultation exercise, or on what basis to object). When considering how policy should be interpreted, the court should have regard to the extent of the appropriate audience of the policy, specifically considering how the least expert reader of the policy would interpret it. This ‘least expert reader principle’ will assist in answering difficult questions, such as whether the court should have regard to the underlying evidence base when interpreting a policy. The courts should rely upon, and express their reasoning by reference to, the least expert reader principle, in order to increase the transparency of judgments in the field of policy interpretation.
Constrained by Localized Attention Focus: The Negative Effect of Firm-Specific Knowledge on Exploratory Firm Innovation
Authors: Sullivan Bilian Ni , Mao Kaixian , Wang Heli
Published: September 2023

Integrating the resource-based view (RBV) and attention-based view (ABV), this study explores the impact of firm-specific knowledge (FSK) on a firm's exploratory innovation and the role of government support in this process. We argue that firms with a high degree of specificity in their knowledge assets tend to have a more localized attention focus, leading to those firms with less exposure to distant and diverse information and knowledge. Consequently, such firms are likely to have reduced exploratory innovative outputs. However, government resource support could expand a firm's attention focus beyond local searches, mitigating its negative effects. Based on a unique combined two-wave survey and archival data from over 500 firms in China, we find that the level of FSK is negatively related to a firm's exploratory innovation output. We provide evidence that localized attention focus partially mediates the negative effect of FSK on firms’ exploratory innovation. We further reveal that state ownership and state financial support for firm innovation weaken the negative main effect. This study makes important contributions to the literatures on the RBV, FSK, and firm innovation.
TILINGS OF THE SPHERE BY CONGRUENT QUADRILATERALS II: EDGE COMBINATION WITH RATIONAL ANGLES
Authors: LIAO YIXI , WANG ERXIAO
Published: September 2023

Edge-to-edge tilings of the sphere by congruent quadrilaterals are completely classified in a series of three papers. This second one applies the powerful tool of trigonometric Diophantine equations to classify the case of
$a^3b$
-quadrilaterals with all angles being rational degrees. There are
$12$
sporadic and
$3$
infinite sequences of quadrilaterals admitting the two-layer earth map tilings together with their modifications, and
$3$
sporadic quadrilaterals admitting
$4$
exceptional tilings. Among them only three quadrilaterals are convex. New interesting non-edge-to-edge triangular tilings are obtained as a byproduct.
MULTIPLIERS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF THE DUAL OF NEVANLINNA-TYPE SPACES
Authors: MASTYŁO MIECZYSŁAW , STANIÓW BARTOSZ
Published: September 2023

The Nevanlinna-type spaces
$N_\varphi $
of analytic functions on the disk in the complex plane generated by strongly convex functions
$\varphi $
in the sense of Rudin are studied. We show for some special class of strongly convex functions asymptotic bounds on the growth of the Taylor coefficients of a function in
$N_\varphi $
and use these to characterize the coefficient multipliers from
$N_\varphi $
into the Hardy spaces
$H^p$
with
$0<p\leqslant \infty $
. As a by-product, we prove a representation of continuous linear functionals on
$N_\varphi $
.
Hypothesis Tests under Separation
Authors: Rainey Carlisle
Published: September 2023

Separation commonly occurs in political science, usually when a binary explanatory variable perfectly predicts a binary outcome. In these situations, methodologists often recommend penalized maximum likelihood or Bayesian estimation. But researchers might struggle to identify an appropriate penalty or prior distribution. Fortunately, I show that researchers can easily test hypotheses about the model coefficients with standard frequentist tools. While the popular Wald test produces misleading (even nonsensical) p-values under separation, I show that likelihood ratio tests and score tests behave in the usual manner. Therefore, researchers can produce meaningful p-values with standard frequentist tools under separation without the use of penalties or prior information.