bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Management of Operational Parameters and Novel Spinneret Configurations for the Electrohydrodynamic Processing of Functional Polymers
Authors: Silva Pedro M. , Torres‐Giner Sergio , Vicente António A. , Cerqueira Miguel A.
Published: January 2022

Functional materials have become key drivers in the development of multiple high‐end technologies. Electrohydrodynamic processing (EHDP) is a straightforward method to generate polymer micro‐ and nanostructures that can be applied to the food, pharmaceutical, environmental, and biomedical areas, among others, since these can yield materials with higher performance. Some of the EHDP's advantages over other polymer processing technologies rely on its high versatility, by which the final assembly can be modified in different ways to combine materials with multiple properties and also in different morphological structures, and the use of room processing conditions, meaning that thermolabile ingredients can be incorporated with minimal activity loss. This review provides the historical background, process basics, and the state‐of‐the‐art of the most recent advances achieved in the EHDP technology dealing with the control of its operational parameters to optimize processability and achieve end‐product quality and homogeneity. It also focuses on the newly developed modes of operation and spinneret configurations that can lead to the formation of a wide range of micro‐ and nanostructures with different functionalities and solve some of its current technical limitations. Finally, it also further highlights the potential applications of the resultant hierarchical functional polymer‐based materials obtained by these novel EHDP methods.
An investigation of coupled solution algorithms for finite‐strain poroviscoelasticity applied to soft biological tissues
Authors: Klahr Bruno , Medeiros Thiesen José Luís , Teixeira Pinto Otávio , Carniel Thiago André , Fancello Eduardo Alberto
Published: January 2022

Poroviscoelastic models have been widely employed to the modeling of hydrated biological tissues, since they allow to investigate the biomechanical responses associated with the interstitial fluid flow. Such problems present strong physical couplings arising from material and geometrical nonlinearities. In this regard, the present study investigates the numerical performance of five biphasic solution algorithms within the context of soft biological tissues: monolithic, drained, undrained, fixed‐strain, and fixed‐stress scheme. To this end, two classical tests were studied within a finite element framework: confined and unconfined compression tests. Since these tests behave differently in terms of biphasic coupling, the sensitivity of different permeability values and time increments to the algorithms' performance were assessed. The results highlight that iterative techniques perform well over the monolithic one for weak coupling cases but suffer from lack of convergence when the coupling strength increases. This means that, in contrast to what is recommended in the vast majority of geomechanics papers, the iteratively‐coupled schemes are not always well‐suited methods for problems related to soft biological tissues mechanics. The monolithic scheme thus emerges as the most reliable choice to solve biphasic problems in a biomechanics context, specifically when high coupling strength problems and small time increments take place.
Gut microbiome and diet in populations with obesity: Role of the Na+/K+‐ATPase transporter signaling in severe COVID‐19
Authors: Khitan Zeid J. , Chin Khew‐Voon , Sodhi Komal , Kheetan Murad , Alsanani Ahlim , Shapiro Joseph I.
Published: January 2022

Objective

The triad of obesity, a high‐protein diet from animal sources, and disturbed gut microbiota have been linked to poor clinical outcomes in patients with COVID‐19. In this report, the effect of oxidative stress resulting from the Na+/K+‐ATPase transporter signaling cascade is explored as a driver of this poor clinical outcome.

Methods

Protein–protein interactions with the SARS‐CoV‐2 proteome were identified from the interactome data for Na+/K+‐transporting ATPase subunit α‐1 (ATP1A1), epidermal growth factor receptor, and ERB‐B2 receptor tyrosine kinase 2, using the curated data from the BioGRID Database of Protein Interactions. Data for the gene expression pattern of inflammatory response were from the Gene Expression Omnibus database for cardiomyocytes post SARS‐CoV‐2 infection (number GSE151879).

Results

The ATP1A1 subunit of the Na+/K+‐ATPase transporter is targeted by multiple SARS‐CoV‐2 proteins. Furthermore, receptor proteins associated with inflammatory response, including epidermal growth factor receptor and ERB‐B2 receptor tyrosine kinase 2 (which interact with ATP1A1), are also targeted by some SARS‐CoV‐2 proteins. This heightened interaction likely triggers a cytokine release that increases the severity of the viral infection in individuals with obesity.

Conclusions

The similarities between the effects of SARS‐CoV‐2 proteins and indoxyl sulphate on the Na+/K+‐ATPase transporter signaling cascade suggest the possibility of an augmentation of gene changes seen with COVID‐19 infection that can result in a hyperinduction of cytokine release in individuals with obesity.
State‐wide increase in prenatal diagnosis of klinefelter syndrome on amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling: Impact of non‐invasive prenatal testing for sex chromosome conditions
Authors: Loughry Lulu , Pynaker Cecilia , White Mary , Halliday Jane , Hui Lisa
Published: January 2022

Background

To analyze population‐based trends in the prenatal diagnosis of sex chromosome aneuploidy (SCA) since the availability of non‐invasive prenatal testing (NIPT).

Methods

Retrospective state‐wide data for all prenatal diagnoses performed <25 weeks gestation from 2005 to 2020 in Victoria, Australia. Non‐invasive prenatal testing became locally available from 2012. The prenatal diagnosis rates of SCA as proportions of all prenatal diagnostic tests and all births were calculated. Statistical significance was assessed with the χ2 test for trend, with p < 0.05 considered significant.

Results

46,518 amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling were performed during the study period, detecting 617 SCAs. There was a significant increase in the rate of prenatal SCAs from 5.8 per 10,000 births in 2005 to 8.7 per 10,000 births in 2020 (p < 0.0001). This increase was predominantly due to 47,XXY cases, 91% of which were ascertained via positive NIPT for this condition in 2020. The prenatal diagnosis rate of 47,XXY significantly increased from 0.8 per 10,000 births in 2005 to 4.3 per 10,000 births in 2020 (p < 0.0001).

Conclusion

Screening for SCAs using NIPT has directly led to an increase in their prenatal diagnosis on a population‐wide basis, especially 47,XXY. This has implications for clinician education, genetic counselling, and pediatric services.
R&D contribution to sustainable product attributes development: The complementarity of human capital
Authors: Ullah Zeeshan , Arslan Ahmad
Published: January 2022

The current article aims to study the role of organizational research and development (R&D) function in sustainable product attributes (SPA) development, using the knowledge‐based view (KBV) theoretical lens. Specifically, this study investigates the extent of R&D contribution in aggregate and disaggregated SPA development. Furthermore, this article analyzes the extent to which human capital complements R&D's contribution to aggregate and disaggregated SPA development. The analysis of 433 manufacturing firms' panel datasets (from 2002 to 2017) provides evidence of a positive influence of R&D on aggregate and disaggregated SPA development. The moderation analysis results confirm that human capital complements R&D's contribution to SPA development. By studying R&D under the KBV, this study provides coherence to the R&D‐sustainable product development relation and contributes to R&D‐sustainable product literature. This article further contributes to the R&D‐sustainable product relationship by analyzing the complementarity of human capital in R&D to develop aggregate and disaggregated SPA. This study clarifies to managers that regardless of resource constraints, a firm can develop SPA by capitalizing R&D knowledge relatedness to corporate social responsibility, and human capital complements R&D's contribution to SPA development.
Memristive Behaviors Dominated by Reversible Nucleation Dynamics of Phase‐Change Nanoclusters
Authors: Wan Qin , Zeng Fei , Sun Yiming , Chen Tongjin , Yu Junwei , Wu Huaqiang , Zhao Zhen , Cao Jiangli , Pan Feng
Published: January 2022

One of the important steps for realizing artificial intelligence is identifying elementary units that are beneficial for neural network construction. A type of memristive behavior in which phase‐change nanoclusters nucleate adaptively in two adjacent dielectric layers with distinct distribution patterns is demonstrated. This memristive system responds in potentiation to increased stimulation strength and fire action potential after threshold stimulation. Reversible nucleation of phase‐change nanoclusters is confirmed after both in situ and ex situ examinations using high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy. The dynamics at the nanoscale level dominates the actions of the two dielectric layers. The oscillation response over a long period is due to the competition between crystalline and amorphous phases in the layer near the bottom electrode. Weight mutation, that is, action potential firing, is caused by the blockage of the filament in the layer near the top electrode. The memristive system is compact and able to execute complicated functions of a complete neuron and performs an important role in neuromorphic computing.
Centrifugal Assembly of Helical Bijel Fibers for pH Responsive Composite Hydrogels
Authors: Kharal Shankar P. , Haase Martin F.
Published: January 2022

In microfluidics, centrifugal forces are important for centrifugal microfluidic chips and curved microchannels. Here, an unrecognized use of the centrifugal effect in microfluidics is introduced. The assembly of helical soft matter fibers in a rotating microcapillary is investigated. During assembly, the fibers undergo phase separation, generating particle stabilized bicontinuous interfacially jammed emulsions gels. This process is accompanied by a transition of the fiber density over time. As a result, the direction of the centrifugal force in the rotating microcapillary changes. The authors analyze this effect systematically with high‐speed video microscopy and complementary computer simulations. The resulting understanding enables the control of the helical fiber assembly into microropes. These microropes can be converted into pH responsive hydrogels that swell and shrink with potential applications in tissue engineering, soft robotics, controlled release, and sensing. More generally, the knowledge gained from this work shows that centrifugal forces potentially enable directed self‐assembly or separation of colloids, biological cells, and emulsions in microfluidics.
On linear power corrections in certain collider observables
Authors: Caola Fabrizio , Ravasio Silvia Ferrario , Limatola Giovanni , Melnikov Kirill , Nason Paolo
Published: January 2022

Abstract

We study linear power corrections $$ \mathcal{O} $$
O
(ΛQCD/Q) to certain collider observables. We present arguments that prove that such corrections cannot appear in observables that are inclusive with respect to QCD radiation, such as total cross sections as well as rapidity and transverse momentum distributions of color-neutral particles. Although our calculations are carried out in a simplified framework, our arguments and conclusions are applicable, with some reservations, to processes both at lepton and hadron colliders. We also show how an improved understanding of the origin of linear power corrections allows us to simplify their calculation. As an application, we compute the leading non-perturbative corrections to the C-parameter and the thrust in e+e− annihilation in a generic three-jet configuration.
Flow Diverter Treatment of Ruptured Basilar Artery Perforator Aneurysms
Authors: Elsheikh Samer , Möhlenbruch Markus , Seker Fatih , Berlis Ansgar , Maurer Christoph , Kocer Naci , Jamous Ala , Behme Daniel , Taschner Christian , Urbach Horst , Meckel Stephan
Published: January 2022

Purpose

Ruptured basilar artery perforator aneurysms (BAPAs) represent a very rare cause of subarachnoid hemorrhage and an under-reported subtype of cerebral aneurysm. There is no consensus for the optimal treatment strategy (conservative vs. surgical vs. various endovascular approaches). We aim to present a multicenter experience of BAPA treatment using flow-diverter (FD) stents.

Methods

At five tertiary neurovascular centers, all cases of ruptured BAPAs treated by FD were retrospectively collected. Baseline imaging and clinical characteristics, complications, as well as early and long-term angiographic and clinical outcome (mRS) were analyzed.

Results

Eighteen patients (mean age, 57 years; SD, ±10.7 years) with acute SAH related to a BAPA were treated using 18 FD stents. Aneurysms were detected on initial imaging study in 28%; delayed diagnosis was triggered by clinical deterioration due to rebleeding in 15%. No rebleeding after FD was seen, 28% developed FD-related ischemic complications. At long term (n = 16), overall mortality was 13% (2/16), and favorable outcome (mRS 0–2) was 81% (13/16). All BAPAs (n = 13) were completely occluded at long-term angiographic follow-up.

Conclusion

In our multicenter experience, FD treatment of ruptured BAPAs appears to have comparable safety and efficacy outcomes to FD treatment of other ruptured posterior circulation aneurysms as well as to the conservative management of BAPAs. This treatment strategy for a ruptured BAPA achieved a high rate of angiographic occlusion and favorable clinical outcome; however, as the conservative management also seems to offer similar clinical outcomes an individualized treatment decision is warranted. Future prospective studies comparing both approaches are required.
Development and Standardization of Testing Equipment and Methods for Spacer Fabrics
Authors: Schwager Carolin , Peiner Christoph , Bettermann Isa , Gries Thomas
Published: January 2022

Spacer fabrics are three-dimensional textile structures consisting of two textile cover surfaces and a spacer thread. Up to now, spacer fabrics have been tested according to standards for flat textiles or other non-textile materials. However, these standards do not take into account the special requirements for testing spacer fabrics. Some sample holders of the testing devices are not designed for the thickness of the spacer fabrics, so that the tests cannot be carried out. In other tests, the samples can be mounted, but the test results are falsified by the methodology, e.g. strong compression of the sample before testing. Therefore, objective comparisons among spacer fabrics or between spacer fabrics and conventional flat textiles or non-textile materials cannot be made in all areas of application. The focus of this paper is in the developing of testing devices for seven test setups (1. sample preparation, 2. maximum force, 3. thickness, 4. compression, 5. mass per unit area, 6. permeability to air, 7. abrasion resistance). The new testing devices and methods were designed and manufactured using the method of an iterative development process. The following steps were carried out identically for all seven test setups: deficit analysis, development of concepts, construction of test benches, evaluation, transfer into standards. As part of this research work the developed devices where both tested and evaluated by industrial partners as well as later translated into a standard by the German Institute for Standardization (DIN e.V.). As a central result, a first standard for the testing of spacer fabrics was created and published: DIN 60022–1 “Spacer textiles – Terms and definitions, sample preparation” [4]. For testing textiles, it is important that geometrically identical and structurally intact samples are prepared. Therefore, this standard provides measurement tools and methods for the evaluation of sample quality (e.g. roundness of circular samples, maximum offset and shearing of the surfaces). Two further test methods (determination of thickness and air permeability) were developed and are now being transferred to standards. Within the new test standards, the special properties of spacer fabrics are given special consideration. In addition to the test methods developed within this work, further research is necessary. In particular, the tilting stability (linked to the in-plane and out-of-plane shear measurement) as well as the compression behaviour of spacer fabrics are important tests that need to be analysed and further developed. Therefore, further research is planned for six test methods (1. compression hardness, 2. compression set, 3. tilting stability, 4. pressure point distribution, 5. abrasion resistance, 6. maximum force). This work enables standardized testing of spacer fabrics and thus objective comparisons not only between various spacer fabric constructions but also with conventional flat textiles and with non-textile materials.
Epistemic uncertainty of probabilistic building exposure compositions in scenario-based earthquake loss models
Authors: Gómez Zapata Juan Camilo , Pittore Massimiliano , Cotton Fabrice , Lilienkamp Henning , Shinde Simantini , Aguirre Paula , Santa María Hernán
Published: January 2022

In seismic risk assessment, the sources of uncertainty associated with building exposure modelling have not received as much attention as other components related to hazard and vulnerability. Conventional practices such as assuming absolute portfolio compositions (i.e., proportions per building class) from expert-based assumptions over aggregated data crudely disregard the contribution of uncertainty of the exposure upon earthquake loss models. In this work, we introduce the concept that the degree of knowledge of a building stock can be described within a Bayesian probabilistic approach that integrates both expert-based prior distributions and data collection on individual buildings. We investigate the impact of the epistemic uncertainty in the portfolio composition on scenario-based earthquake loss models through an exposure-oriented logic tree arrangement based on synthetic building portfolios. For illustrative purposes, we consider the residential building stock of Valparaíso (Chile) subjected to seismic ground-shaking from one subduction earthquake. We have found that building class reconnaissance, either from prior assumptions by desktop studies with aggregated data (top–down approach), or from building-by-building data collection (bottom–up approach), plays a fundamental role in the statistical modelling of exposure. To model the vulnerability of such a heterogeneous building stock, we require that their associated set of structural fragility functions handle multiple spectral periods. Thereby, we also discuss the relevance and specific uncertainty upon generating either uncorrelated or spatially cross-correlated ground motion fields within this framework. We successively show how various epistemic uncertainties embedded within these probabilistic exposure models are differently propagated throughout the computed direct financial losses. This work calls for further efforts to redesign desktop exposure studies, while also highlighting the importance of exposure data collection with standardized and iterative approaches.
Nociceptive Intra-epidermal Electric Stimulation Evokes Steady-State Responses in the Secondary Somatosensory Cortex
Authors: van den Berg Boudewijn , Manoochehri Mana , Schouten Alfred C. , van der Helm Frans C. T. , Buitenweg Jan R.
Published: January 2022

Recent studies have established the presence of nociceptive steady-state evoked potentials (SSEPs), generated in response to thermal or intra-epidermal electric stimuli. This study explores cortical sources and generation mechanisms of nociceptive SSEPs in response to intra-epidermal electric stimuli. Our method was to stimulate healthy volunteers (n = 22, all men) with 100 intra-epidermal pulse sequences. Each sequence had a duration of 8.5 s, and consisted of pulses with a pulse rate between 20 and 200 Hz, which was frequency modulated with a multisine waveform of 3, 7 and 13 Hz (n = 10, 1 excluded) or 3 and 7 Hz (n = 12, 1 excluded). As a result, evoked potentials in response to stimulation onset and contralateral SSEPs at 3 and 7 Hz were observed. The SSEPs at 3 and 7 Hz had an average time delay of 137 ms and 143 ms respectively. The evoked potential in response to stimulation onset had a contralateral minimum (N1) at 115 ms and a central maximum (P2) at 300 ms. Sources for the multisine SSEP at 3 and 7 Hz were found through beamforming near the primary and secondary somatosensory cortex. Sources for the N1 were found near the primary and secondary somatosensory cortex. Sources for the N2-P2 were found near the supplementary motor area. Harmonic and intermodulation frequencies in the SSEP power spectrum remained below a detectable level and no evidence for nonlinearity of nociceptive processing, i.e. processing of peripheral firing rate into cortical evoked potentials, was found.
Simulation of flow in deformable fractures using a quasi-Newton based partitioned coupling approach
Authors: Schmidt Patrick , Jaust Alexander , Steeb Holger , Schulte Miriam
Published: January 2022

We introduce a partitioned coupling approach for iterative coupling of flow processes in deformable fractures embedded in a poro-elastic medium that is enhanced by interface quasi-Newton (IQN) methods. In this scope, a unique computational decomposition into a fracture flow and a poro-elastic domain is developed, where communication and numerical coupling of the individual solvers are realized by consulting the open-source library preCICE. The underlying physical problem is introduced by a brief derivation of the governing equations and interface conditions of fracture flow and poro-elastic domain followed by a detailed discussion of the partitioned coupling scheme. We evaluate the proposed implementation and undertake a convergence study to compare a classical interface quasi-Newton inverse least-squares (IQN-ILS) with the more advanced interface quasi-Newton inverse multi-vector Jacobian (IQN-IMVJ) method. These coupling approaches are verified for an academic test case before the generality of the proposed strategy is demonstrated by simulations of two complex fracture networks. In contrast to the development of specific solvers, we promote the simplicity and computational efficiency of the proposed partitioned coupling approach using preCICE and FEniCS for parallel computations of hydro-mechanical processes in complex, three-dimensional fracture networks.
Analysing app reviews for software engineering: a systematic literature review
Authors: Dąbrowski Jacek , Letier Emmanuel , Perini Anna , Susi Angelo
Published: January 2022

App reviews found in app stores can provide critically valuable information to help software engineers understand user requirements and to design, debug, and evolve software products. Over the last ten years, a vast amount of research has been produced to study what useful information might be found in app reviews, and how to mine and organise such information as efficiently as possible. This paper presents a comprehensive survey of this research, covering 182 papers published between 2012 and 2020. This survey classifies app review analysis not only in terms of mined information and applied data mining techniques but also, and most importantly, in terms of supported software engineering activities. The survey also reports on the quality and results of empirical evaluation of existing techniques and identifies important avenues for further research. This survey can be of interest to researchers and commercial organisations developing app review analysis techniques and to software engineers considering to use app review analysis.
Reimagining Gender Through Equality Law: What Legal Thoughtways Do Religion and Disability Offer?
Authors: Renz Flora , Cooper Davina
Published: January 2022

British equality law protections for sex and gender reassignment have grown fraught as activists tussle over legal and social categories of gender, gender transitioning, and sex. This article considers the future of gender-related equality protections in relation to ‘decertification’—an imagined reform that would detach sex and gender from legal personhood. One criticism of decertification is that de-formalising gender membership would undermine equality law protections. This article explores how gender-based equality law could operate in conditions of decertification, drawing on legal thoughtways developed for two other protected characteristics in equality law—religion and belief, and disability—to explore the legal responses and imaginaries that these two grounds make available. Religious equality law focuses on beliefs, communities, and practices, deemed to be stable, multivarious, and subject to deep personal commitment. Disability equality law focuses on embodied disadvantage, approached as social, relational, and fluctuating. While these two equality frameworks have considerable limitations, they offer legal thoughtways for gender oriented to both its hierarchies and its expression, including as disavowal.
Parent Activation Measure for Developmental Disabilities (PAM-DD) in Caregivers of Individuals With ASD
Authors: Yu Yue , Ruble Lisa , McGrew John , Murray Donna
Published: January 2022

Activation refers to patients’ belief, knowledge, ability, and persistence to manage care. The concept is adapted to parent activation in developmental disorders. This study examined the psychometrics of the Parent Activation Measure for Developmental Disabilities (PAM-DD) and factors related to parent activation in ASD. Data from 658 caregivers of children with ASD in the Autism Treatment Network Registry Call Back Assessment study were analyzed. The actual ordering of the scale items was inconsistent with the assumptions of a Guttman scaling. Factor analysis revealed two PAM-DD factors. Lower child symptom severity was related to higher Factor 1 and lower Factor 2 activation. Future studies should use caution when treating PAM-DD as a Guttman and unidimensional scale.
Usability of the SedLine® electroencephalographic monitor of depth of anaesthesia in pigs: a pilot study
Authors: Mirra A. , Casoni D. , Barge P. , Hight D. , Levionnois O. , Spadavecchia C.
Published: January 2022

To investigate the usability of the SedLine® monitor in anaesthetized pigs. Five juvenile healthy pigs underwent balanced isoflurane-based general anaesthesia for surgical placement of a subcutaneous jugular venous port. The SedLine® was applied to continuously monitor electroencephalographic (EEG) activity and its modulation during anaesthesia. Computer tomography and magnetic resonance were performed to investigate the relationship between electrodes’ positioning and anatomical structures. The pediatric SedLine® EEG-sensor could be easily applied and SedLine®-generated variables collected. An EEG Density Spectral Array (DS) was displayed over the whole procedure. During surgery, the EEG signal was dominated by elevated power in the delta range (0.5–4 Hz), with an underlying broadband signal (where power decreased with increasing frequency). The emergence period was marked by a decrease in delta power, and a more evenly distributed power over the 4–40 Hz frequency range. From incision to end of surgery, mean SedLine®-generated values (± standard deviation) were overall stable [23.0 (± 2.8) Patient State Index (PSI), 1.0% (± 3.8%) Suppression Ratio (SR), 8.8 Hz (± 2.5 Hz) Spectral Edge Frequency 95% (SEF) left, 7.7 Hz (± 2.4 Hz) SEF right], quickly changing during emergence [75.3 (± 11.1) PSI, 0.0 (± 0.0) SR, 12.5 (± 6.6) SEF left 10.4 (± 6.6) SEF right]. Based on the imaging performed, the sensor does not record EEG signals from the same brain areas as in humans. SedLine®-DSA and -generated variables seemed to reflect variations in depth of anaesthesia in pigs. Further studies are needed to investigate this correlation, as well as to define the species-specific brain structures monitored by the EEG-sensor.
Energy efficiency optimization in adaptive massive MIMO networks for 5G applications using genetic algorithm
Authors: Salah Ibrahim , Mabrook M. Mourad , Rahouma Kamel Hussein , Hussein Aziza I.
Published: January 2022

Given that, the exponential pace of growth in wireless traffic has continued for more than a century, wireless communication is one of the most influential innovations in recent years. Massive Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (M-MIMO) is a promising technology for meeting the world's exponential growth in mobile data traffic, particularly in 5G networks. The most critical metrics in the massive MIMO scheme are Spectral Efficiency (SE) and Energy Efficiency (EE). For single-cell M-MIMO uplink transmission, energy and spectral-efficiency trade-offs have to be estimated by optimizing the number of base station antennas versus the number of active users. This paper proposes an adaptive optimization technique focusing on maximizing Energy Efficiency at full spectral efficiency using a Genetic Algorithm (GA) optimizer. The number of active antennas is determined according to the change in the number of active users based on the proposed GA scheme that optimizes the EE in the M-MIMO system. Simulation results show that the GA optimization technique achieved the maximum energy efficiency of the 5G M-MIMO platform and the maximum efficiency in the trade-off process.
Study of coliforms and Clostridium bacteria inactivation in wastewaters by a pilot photolysis process and by the maturation lagoons of a low-cost nature-based WWTP
Authors: García-Prieto Juan Carlos , Núñez-Núñez Cynthia Manuela , Proal-Nájera José Bernardo , García-Roig Manuel
Published: January 2022

The inactivation processes of coliform bacteria (total and fecal) and sulphito-reducing Clostridium bacteria (vegetative species and spores) in water maturation lagoon of a low-cost nature-based wastewater treatment plant using constructed wetlands and through processes of photolysis in a pilot photoreactor have been comparatively studied. The different inactivation mechanisms by photolysis of these bacteria have been studied following the criteria of different statistical and kinetic models. Clostridium disinfection treatments fit models in which two types of bacteria populations coexist, one sensitive (vegetative species) and the other (spores) resistant to the treatment, the sensitive one (94%) with an inactivation rate of k = 0.24 ± 0.07 min−1 and the resistant one (6%) with k = 0.11 ± 0.05 min−1. Total coliform photolytic disinfection also shows two populations with different physiological state. The time required to reduce the first logarithmic decimal cycle of the different types of bacteria (physiological states) are δ1 = 4.2 ± 0.9 and δ2 = 8.3 ± 1.1 min, respectively. For fecal coliform photolytic disinfection, only bacteria population, with k = 1.15 ± 0.19 min−1, is found. The results obtained confirm the photolytic disinfection processes and maturation lagoon are effective systems for Clostridia bacteria removal after water treatment by nature-based systems. Total removal of coliform bacteria is not achieved by maturation lagoons, but their reduction is significant using low doses of cumulative radiation.
Democratising Measurement: or Why Thick Concepts Call for Coproduction
Authors: Alexandrova Anna , Fabian Mark
Published: January 2022

Thick concepts, namely those concepts that describe and evaluate simultaneously, present a challenge to science. Since science does not have a monopoly on value judgments, what is responsible research involving such concepts? Using measurement of wellbeing as an example, we first present the options open to researchers wishing to study phenomena denoted by such concepts. We argue that while it is possible to treat these concepts as technical terms, or to make the relevant value judgment in-house, the responsible thing to do, especially in the context of public policy, is to make this value judgment through a legitimate political process that includes all the stakeholders of this research. We then develop a participatory model of measurement based on the ideal of co-production. To show that this model is feasible and realistic, we illustrate it with a case study of co-production of a concept of thriving conducted by the authors in collaboration with a UK anti-poverty charity Turn2us.
Growth and survival of Bifidobacterium breve and Bifidobacterium longum in various sugar systems with fructooligosaccharide supplementation
Authors: Parhi Priyanka , Song Keang Peng , Choo Wee Sim
Published: January 2022

This study aims to investigate the effect of fructooligosaccharide (FOS) (0.5, 1, 2, 3, and 4%) supplementation on the growth and survival of Bifidobacterium breve and Bifidobacterium longum in glucose, fructose, lactose, and sucrose (2, 3, and 4%) systems with 24-h growth and 10-day survival assays at 37 °C. FOS supplementation showed a higher growth-promoting effect on B. longum than B. breve in various sugar systems. The highest percentage of increase in growth index, 78.5%, was observed with 4% sucrose supplemented with 0.5% FOS in B. longum. In comparison, the highest percentage increase in growth index, 5.6 and 6.6%, was observed in the presence of 2% glucose and 4% lactose supplemented with 0.5% FOS in B. breve. In survival assay, FOS supplementation (0.5–4%) in a 2% lactose system showed the highest positive effect on the cell viability of B. longum on day-10. As for B. breve, FOS supplementation (1 and 2%) in the 2% sucrose system showed the highest positive effect on the cell viability, followed by FOS supplementation (0.5, 3, and 4%) in 2% sucrose and FOS supplementation (3 and 4%) in 2% lactose on day-10. This study demonstrated that the efficacy of FOS supplementation was depended on its concentration, sugar system and its concentration, and Bifidobacterium strain.
Information and Democracy
Authors: Soroka Stuart N. , Wlezien Christopher
Published: January 2022

Around the world, there are increasing concerns about the accuracy of media coverage. It is vital in representative democracies that citizens have access to reliable information about what is happening in government policy, so that they can form meaningful preferences and hold politicians accountable. Yet much research and conventional wisdom questions whether the necessary information is available, consumed, and understood. This study is the first large-scale empirical investigation into the frequency and reliability of media coverage in five policy domains, and it provides tools that can be exported to other areas, in the US and elsewhere. Examining decades of government spending, media coverage, and public opinion in the US, this book assesses the accuracy of media coverage, and measures its direct impact on citizens' preferences for policy. This innovative study has far-reaching implications for those studying and teaching politics as well as for reporters and citizens.
New War Technologies and International Law
Authors: Leins Kobi
Published: January 2022

The desire for humanity and the desire for security have co-existed as long as humans have been alive. As science has become increasingly sophisticated, so have the methods of self-defence by States. Nanotechnology is already changing warfare by increasing capabilities upon which armed forces are heavily reliant: more efficient energy storage, advanced photovoltaics, and improved military protective equipment, to name a few of these developments. Some applications of nanomaterials by the military are both powerful and subtle, and have neurological and biological applications. The advance of the use or contemplation of use of these types of nanoscale applications by the military requires urgent analysis in light of existing international law, particularly in light of their potential effects on humans and on the environment.
Dimension Groups and Dynamical Systems
Authors: Durand Fabien , Perrin Dominique
Published: January 2022

This book is the first self-contained exposition of the fascinating link between dynamical systems and dimension groups. The authors explore the rich interplay between topological properties of dynamical systems and the algebraic structures associated with them, with an emphasis on symbolic systems, particularly substitution systems. It is recommended for anybody with an interest in topological and symbolic dynamics, automata theory or combinatorics on words. Intended to serve as an introduction for graduate students and other newcomers to the field as well as a reference for established researchers, the book includes a thorough account of the background notions as well as detailed exposition – with full proofs – of the major results of the subject. A wealth of examples and exercises, with solutions, serve to build intuition, while the many open problems collected at the end provide jumping-off points for future research.
Actions of symplectic homeomorphisms/diffeomorphisms on foliations by curves in dimension 2
Authors: ARNAUD MARIE-CLAUDE , ZAVIDOVIQUE MAXIME
Published: January 2022

The two main results in this paper concern the regularity of the invariant foliation of a
$C^0$
-integrable symplectic twist diffeomorphism of the two-dimensional annulus, namely that (i) the generating function of such a foliation is
$C^1$
, and (ii) the foliation is Hölder with exponent
$\tfrac 12$
. We also characterize foliations by graphs that are straightenable via a symplectic homeomorphism and prove that every symplectic homeomorphism that leaves invariant all the leaves of a straightenable foliation has Arnol’d–Liouville coordinates, in which the dynamics restricted to the leaves is conjugate to a rotation. We deduce that every Lipschitz integrable symplectic twist diffeomorphisms of the two-dimensional annulus has Arnol’d–Liouville coordinates and then provide examples of ‘strange’ Lipschitz foliations by smooth curves that cannot be straightened by a symplectic homeomorphism and cannot be invariant by a symplectic twist diffeomorphism.
Law Production in Multiparty Presidentialism: Veto Player Theory and its Application to Korea
Authors: Moon Woojin
Published: January 2022

In this article, I offer a theory of lawmaking in multiparty presidential systems with different legislative institutions. I present a model that combines Krehbiel's pivotal politics theory with Tsebelis's veto players theory. This model simplifies various institutional veto players into the de facto veto players. I analyze the model to explain how the government type (unified versus divided governments), the legislative rules (majoritarian versus supermajoritarian rules), and the party system (two-party versus multiparty systems) affect legislative productivity. I apply the theoretical results obtained to solve the puzzle about the nondifferential legislative performance between unified and divided governments in the National Assembly. I test a hypothesis stating that the distance between the ideological positions of the agenda-setter and the de facto veto players has a negative effect on the proportion of controversial bills enacted between the 16th and the early 21st National Assemblies.
Coalition inclusion probabilities: a party-strategic measure for predicting policy and politics
Authors: Kayser Mark A. , Orlowski Matthias , Rehmert Jochen
Published: January 2022

Policy in coalition governments (a) depends on negotiations between parties that (b) continue between elections. No extant means of predicting policy—bargaining power indices, vote shares, seat shares, polling, veto players or measures of electoral competitiveness—recognizes both of these facts. We conceptualize, estimate and validate the first dynamic measure of parties’ bargaining leverage intended to predict policy and politics. We argue that those parties with the greatest leverage in policy negotiations are those with the highest probability of participating in an alternative government, were one to form. Combining a large set of political polls and an empirical coalition formation model developed with out-of-sample testing, we estimate coalition inclusion probabilities for parties in a sample of 21 parliamentary democracies at a monthly frequency over four decades. Applications to government spending and to the stringency of environmental policy show leverage from coalition inclusion probabilities to be strongly predictive while the primary alternatives—vote shares, seat shares and polls—are not.
Secondary frequency control stabilising voltage dynamics
Authors: TCHUISSEU EDER BATISTA TCHAWOU , DONGMO ERIC-DONALD , PROCHÁZKA PAVEL , WOAFO PAUL , COLET PERE , SCHÄFER BENJAMIN
Published: January 2022

The ongoing energy transition challenges the stability of the electrical power system. Stable operation of the electrical power grid requires both the voltage (amplitude) and the frequency to stay within operational bounds. While much research has focused on frequency dynamics and stability, the voltage dynamics has been neglected. Here, we study frequency and voltage stability in the case of simple networks via linear stability and bulk analysis. In particular, our linear stability analysis of the network shows that the frequency secondary control guarantees the stability of a particular electric network. Even more interesting, while we only consider secondary frequency control, we observe a stabilising effect on the voltage dynamics, especially in our numerical bulk analysis.
Canadian Arctic Neogene Temperatures Reconstructed From Hydrogen Isotopes of Lignin‐Methoxy Groups From Sub‐Fossil Wood
Authors: Porter Trevor J. , Anhäuser Tobias , Halfar Jochen , Keppler Frank , Csank Adam Z. , Williams Christopher J.
Published: January 2022

Proxy‐based reconstructions of Neogene warm climates are a valuable data source for helping to understand what a future, warmer world may look like. Such insights are especially critical in the Arctic where the fastest rates of warming are underway and likely to continue. In this study, hydrogen isotopes of lignin‐methoxy groups (δ2HLM) from Miocene and Pliocene sub‐fossil wood samples (N = 43) at six high‐latitude sites (73–80°N) in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago were used to estimate mean δ2H values of precipitation and temperature anomalies (ΔT) relative to present. The ΔT estimates ranged from +9.7 to +16.7°C depending on site and epoch and are corroborated by a suite of independent proxy data for most sites, and for one site (Prince Patrick Island) this study provides the first quantitative ΔT estimates. These are conservative estimates as they do not account for the more negative δ2Hseawater values during the Neogene. These ΔT estimates, along with independent proxy and vegetation data, depict a dramatically warmer version of the Arctic. Some of this warming was likely driven by global atmospheric change and feedbacks that are possible in the modern‐day Arctic. However, transformation of the once‐contiguous Arctic landmass into a dissected archipelago has undoubtedly changed the nature and future warming potential of the Canadian Arctic region. Investigations aimed at disentangling the relative contribution of global versus regional boundary conditions to Neogene Arctic climate warming are needed to understand the extent to which these reconstructions may foreshadow conditions in the future.
Common and specific large-scale brain changes in major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, and chronic pain: a transdiagnostic multimodal meta-analysis of structural and functional MRI studies
Authors: Brandl Felix , Weise Benedikt , Mulej Bratec Satja , Jassim Nazia , Hoffmann Ayala Daniel , Bertram Teresa , Ploner Markus , Sorg Christian
Published: January 2022

Major depressive disorder (MDD), anxiety disorders (ANX), and chronic pain (CP) are closely-related disorders with both high degrees of comorbidity among them and shared risk factors. Considering this multi-level overlap, but also the distinct phenotypes of the disorders, we hypothesized both common and disorder-specific changes of large-scale brain systems, which mediate neural mechanisms and impaired behavioral traits, in MDD, ANX, and CP. To identify such common and disorder-specific brain changes, we conducted a transdiagnostic, multimodal meta-analysis of structural and functional MRI-studies investigating changes of gray matter volume (GMV) and intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC) of large-scale intrinsic brain networks across MDD, ANX, and CP. The study was preregistered at PROSPERO (CRD42019119709). 320 studies comprising 10,931 patients and 11,135 healthy controls were included. Across disorders, common changes focused on GMV-decrease in insular and medial-prefrontal cortices, located mainly within the so-called default-mode and salience networks. Disorder-specific changes comprised hyperconnectivity between default-mode and frontoparietal networks and hypoconnectivity between limbic and salience networks in MDD; limbic network hyperconnectivity and GMV-decrease in insular and medial-temporal cortices in ANX; and hypoconnectivity between salience and default-mode networks and GMV-increase in medial temporal lobes in CP. Common changes suggested a neural correlate for comorbidity and possibly shared neuro-behavioral chronification mechanisms. Disorder-specific changes might underlie distinct phenotypes and possibly additional disorder-specific mechanisms.
Significant changes in macrophage and CD8 T cell densities in primary prostate tumors 2 weeks after SBRT
Authors: Kane Nathanael , Romero Tahmineh , Diaz-Perez Silvia , Rettig Matthew B. , Steinberg Michael L. , Kishan Amar U. , Schaue Dorthe , Reiter Robert E. , Knudsen Beatrice S. , Nickols Nicholas G.
Published: January 2022

Background

Radiotherapy impacts the local immune response to cancers. Prostate Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) is a highly focused method to deliver radiotherapy often used to treat prostate cancer. This is the first direct comparison of immune cells within prostate cancers before and after SBRT in patients.

Methods

Prostate cancers before and 2 weeks after SBRT are interrogated by multiplex immune fluorescence targeting various T cells and macrophages markers and analyzed by cell and pixel density, as part of a clinical trial of SBRT neoadjuvant to radical prostatectomy.

Results

Two weeks after SBRT, CD68, and CD163 macrophages are significantly increased while CD8 T cells are decreased. SBRT markedly alters the immune environment within prostate cancers.