bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ternary Lithium Nickel Boride with 1D Rapid‐Ion‐Diffusion Channels as an Anode for Use in Lithium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Liu Wei , Zong Kai , Ghani Usman , Saad Ali , Liu Dongqing , Deng Yonggui , Raza Waseem , Li Ying , Hussain Arshad , Ye Pengfei , Song Zhaoqi , Cai Xingke
Published: December 2023

Anode materials with high‐rate performances and good electrochemical stabilities are urgently required for the grid‐scale application of lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs). Theoretically, transition metal borides are desirable candidates because of their appropriate working potentials and good conductivities. However, the reported metal borides exhibit poor performances owing to their lack of favorable Li+ storage sites and poor structural stabilities during long‐term charging/discharging. In this work, a ternary alkali metal boride, Li1.2Ni2.5B2, which displays a high Li+ storage capacity and remarkable electrochemical stability and an excellent rate performance is studied. In contrast to conventional transition metal borides, the introduction of Li atoms facilitates the formation of 1D Ni/B‐based honeycomb channels during synthesis. This Ni/B framework successfully sustains the strain during Li+ intercalation and deintercalation, and thus, the optimized Li1.2Ni2.5B2 anode exhibits an excellent cycle stability over 500 charge/discharge cycles. This electrode also exhibits superior reversible capacities of 350, 183, and 80 mA h g−1 at 0.1, 1, and 5 A g−1, respectively, indicating the considerable potential of the 1D Ni/B framework as a commercially available fast‐charging LIB anode.
Ameliorating the Interfacial Mismatch of SnO2 and Perovskite Enabling High Mechanical Stability for Flexible Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Wang Chengyun , Jiang Yue , Li Yihui , Yang Zhengchi , Xu Zhengjie , Chen Cong , Wang Zhen , Zhou Guofu , Liu Jun‐Ming , Gao Jinwei
Published: December 2023

SnO2 has been a widely used electron transport layer, due to its high electron mobility and stable chemical properties in n–i–p type perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, the interfacial mismatch, especially on the residual strain and the different mechanical properties between SnO2 and perovskite films, leads to an obvious decrease in power conversion efficiency (PCE) and flexibility in the SnO2‐based PSCs. This limitation has severely hindered the large‐scale implementation of flexible PSCs. Herein, polydopamine is introduced in SnO2 as “depletion intermediary”, which significantly improves the interfacial contact and mitigates the inherent brittleness of SnO2 film. The obtained PSCs have achieved a PCE of 22.70% and 21.04% based on the rigid and flexible devices, respectively. Most importantly, the flexibility has been largely improved, that after 3000 bending cycles with a 5 mm bending radius, approximately 87% of its original efficiency has been retained.
Diet analysis of Père David's deer (Elaphurus davidianus) based on stable isotope analysis
Authors: Zha Jingjing , Wu Yongbo , An Yuting
Published: December 2023

Supplemental feed for free‐ranging deer is often advocated by managers to compensate for winter survival. However, providing extra food has great costs so it is important to know how essential supplemental feed is for deer populations. In our study, supplemental feed is supplied year round for free‐ranging Père David's deer Elaphurus davidianus since early 2019 to help them survive food shortages in the Jiangsu Dafeng Milu National Nature Reserve. To understand use of supplemental feed, we quantified the biomass contributions of C3 plants, C4 plants and supplemental feed consumed by free‐ranging deer by assessing their faecal carbon and nitrogen stable isotope values in May, July, October and December. The diet–faeces trophic shift of deer was assessed using semi‐captive animals. Faeces in both areas were collected and faecal δ13C values revealed more variable diets of free‐ranging deer than semi‐captive deer in different months. MixSIAR model showed that C4 plants contributed greatly to deer diet biomass (75.1, 82, 64.3, 79.4%, respectively in May, July, October and December) compared with C3 plants and supplemental feed. We suggest that managers should consider the efficiency of long‐term supplemental feed and consider the selection of C3 and C4 plants during restoration.
Quantifying animals' perception of environmental predictability using anticipatory behavior
Authors: Podturkin Aleksei A. , Krebs Bethany L. , Watters Jason V.
Published: December 2023

Animals under human care often experience predictable daily husbandry events, which can promote the development of anticipatory behavior. Previous research suggests even short delays in the arrival of a predictable, desired outcome can lead to negative welfare outcomes for animals. As such, providing reliable information to animals regarding the onset of important events may be a simple but useful method to support positive welfare. Here we evaluated the quantitative characteristics of anticipatory behavior of a California sea lion at the San Francisco Zoo in three situations (1) when the animal had accurate information about the occurrence of the event (temporally predictable training sessions), (2) when the information was semi‐reliable (unscheduled training session), and (3) when a reliable signal was offered before unscheduled sessions. Results showed that providing a reliable cue resulted in a stronger temporal correlation of anticipation before the beginning of the unscheduled session, similar to the temporally predictable training session. However, providing a reliable cue did not reduce the intensity of the anticipatory behavior. We propose to take into account two aspects of the quantitative characteristics of anticipatory behavior: correlation with time until a desired event (correlation) and intensity, where the correlation indicates the ability of an individual animal to predict the occurrence of an event, and the intensity indicates the degree of sensitivity of the animal to reward. We discuss the implications for animal welfare and husbandry.
Poetics and Politics of the Chronotropics: Introduction
Authors: Ferly Odile , Zimmerman Tegan , Deckman Joshua R.
Published: December 2023

Twenty-first-century Caribbean women’s writing evidences an urge to start afresh, to transcend the lingering legacy of enslavement, coloniality, and patriarchy and reverse the damage of the extractive logic that rules an asymmetrical global order. This pan-Caribbean volume presents alternative conceptions of spacetime from across the region and its diaspora, what we call the “chronotropics.” Stemming from chronos (time) and tropos, “a turn,” this term does not merely designate a tropical chronotope, but points to a vocation for social justice and collective healing. The writers gathered here deconstruct the androcentric, western modern understanding of space as delimited, privatized, tamed, and exploitable and of time as quantified, linear, singular, and teleological. They propose instead a poetics and politics of the chronotropics that envisions the Caribbean landscape and temporality as anticolonial, gender inclusive, pluralistic, and non-anthropocentric. Their literary practices perform archival disruption, radical remapping, and epistemic marronnage.

Chronotropics: Caribbean Women Writing Spacetime offers critical perspectives on Julia Alvarez, Yolanda Arroyo Pizarro, Vashti Bowlah, Dionne Brand, Erna Brodber, Maryse Condé, Nalo Hopkinson, Rita Indiana, Fabienne Kanor, Karen Lord, Kettly Mars, Pauline Melville, Mayra Montero, Shani Mootoo, Elizabeth Nunez, Ingrid Persaud, Gisèle Pineau, Krystal M. Ramroop, and Mayra Santos-Febres.
Imagining Beyond Division, an Environmental Future: Pauline Melville’s The Ventriloquist’s Tale and Elizabeth Nunez’s Prospero’s Daughter.
Authors: Savory Elaine
Published: December 2023

Today we have access to models of thought developed by environmental scientists that demonstrate the vital interconnectedness of all life, which Donna Haraway calls “worlding.” Caribbean colonial cultures were built on division, ignorant, indifferent or hostile to the interconnected fabric by which all life exists. Those chickens have come home to roost in our present moment of environmental peril. Pauline Melville’s The Ventriloquist’s Tale (1997) and Elizabeth Nunez’ Prospero’s Daughter (2006) each represents how environmental consciousness becomes an ally in dissolving race, gender and class hierarchy and prejudice. The crossroad has been an important metaphor for the intersection of identities and experiences in Caribbean culture, as in West Africa, but is the central point where separate paths meet. Sympoesis, a term from biological science, embraces the idea of interactive and recreative existence: this is hard to demonstrate in linear argument, as innovative thinkers such as Sylvia Wynter and Kamau Brathwaite have discovered. But creative work can tell stories of transformation, utilizing multiple perspectives. These novels by Nunez and Melville represent a world in which human beings can find connections across difference and across the nonhuman world and in the process discover the nature of freedom.
Chronotopal Slave Ships, Corporeal Archives: Devoir de mémoire in Fabienne Kanor’s Humus and Yolanda Arroyo Pizarro’s las Negras
Authors: Ferly Odile
Published: December 2023

In Fabienne Kanor’s Humus and Yolanda Arroyo Pizarro’s las Negras, the slave ship constitutes a landmark that combines space and time: a chronotope, as Paul Gilroy articulates in The Black Atlantic. A liminal site both catalyst and witness to the collision between distinct worlds, the slave ship represents in the Afrodiasporic imaginary a new point of origin marked by colonial attempts of ontological and epistemic annihilation. Nevertheless, this motif holds the promise of renewal through a reconfiguration of spacetime that forges unforeseen alliances and fuels sociopolitical struggle. Furthermore, Arroyo Pizarro’s and Kanor’s accounts excavate the acts of resistance by Africans and Caribbean people, especially women, systematically expunged from official records. Turning instead to immaterial elements stored in the explicitly sexed body, a dynamic corporeal archive that unsettles the authority of the annals upholding dominant chronicles, these narratives amount to epistemic marronnage. The Martiniquan and Puerto Rican authors fulfil their devoir de mémoire (or obligation to remember) by elaborating a tangible (though fictional) alternative archive that withstands erasure.
Wreckognition: Archival Ruins in Dionne Brand’s The Blue Clerk
Authors: Johnson Erica L.
Published: December 2023

Dionne Brand’sThe Blue Clerk: Ars Poetica in 59 Versos(2018) is an exquisite address to the problem of the colonial archive and the challenges it poses to literature. Brand has long engaged this issue in her writing, and in her recent work of poetry she structures her interrogation with two figures, the “author” and the “clerk.” The author and clerk sometimes spar and sometimes mirror one another in their ongoing arguments and conversations about the poet’s writing and the clerk’s duty to the unwritten record of what is left out of the archive. The structuring debate between the clerk, the archivist and keeper of bales of paper, and the author, the keeper of memory and experience, addresses the fact that in a Caribbean context, archival records are not so much historical evidence as they are remains and ruins of histories untold. Remnants, ruins, and wrecks, colonial archives entice artists and writers to do counter-archival work that dives into the wreck, that does the work Brand does inThe Blue Clerk, of what I call in this chapter, wreckognition.
Results: Aspects of Modern Foreign Language Teaching in Higher Education
Authors: Schauer Gila A.
Published: December 2023

In this chapter, I analyse the results of questions 1, 4, 5 and 6 on the survey about intercultural competence and pragmatics that was given to the language teachers; these relate directly to teaching, and were answered using a five-point Likert scale from very unimportant to very important. I begin with question 1: How important is it for you to teach the following skills and competencesin L2language teaching? This features nine skills and competences to be evaluated separately, mainly academic skills but also including pragmatic and intercultural aspects of teaching. I then discuss the findings of question 6: How important is it for you to teach the following language aspects when teaching a foreign language? This includes 19 items from acronyms and abbreviations to specific vocabulary, as well as some pragmatic items. Then I analyse the responses to question 4, which includes 16 items covering a variety of non-linguistic aspects: How important is it for you to teach the following facts/information about the countries and cultures in which the L2 is an official language or native language? Question 5 focuses on materials used in classes and features 11 items including texts on culture shock, study abroad and diversity issues.
Integrated correlators with a Wilson line in $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 4 SYM
Authors: Billò M. , Galvagno F. , Frau M. , Lerda A.
Published: December 2023

Abstract

In the context of integrated correlators in $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 4 SYM, we study the 2-point functions of local operators with a superconformal line defect. Starting from the mass-deformed $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 2* theory in presence of a $$ \frac{1}{2} $$

1
2

-BPS Wilson line, we exploit the residual superconformal symmetry after the defect insertion, and show that the massive deformation corresponds to integrated insertions of the superconformal primaries belonging to the stress tensor multiplet with a specific integration measure which is explicitly derived after enforcing the superconformal Ward identities. Finally, we show how the Wilson line integrated correlator can be computed by the $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 2* Wilson loop vacuum expectation value on a 4-sphere in terms of a matrix model using supersymmetric localization. In particular, we reformulate previous matrix model computations by making use of recursion relations and Bessel kernels, providing a direct link with more general localization computations in $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 2 theories.
Higher orders for cosmological phase transitions: a global study in a Yukawa model
Authors: Gould Oliver , Xie Cheng
Published: December 2023

Abstract

We perform a state-of-the-art global study of the cosmological thermal histories of a simple Yukawa model, and find higher perturbative orders to be important for determining both the presence and strength of strong first-order phase transitions. Using high-temperature effective field theory, we calculate the free energy density of the model up to $$ \mathcal{O} $$
O
(y5T4), where y is the Yukawa coupling and T is the temperature. The locations of phase transitions are found using the results of lattice Monte-Carlo simulations, and the strength of first-order transitions are evaluated within perturbation theory, to 3-loop order. This is the first global study of any model at this order. Compared to a vanilla 1-loop analysis, accurate to $$ \mathcal{O} $$
O
(y2T4), reaching such accuracy enables on average a five-fold reduction in the relative uncertainty in the predicted critical temperature Tc, and an additional ∼ 50% strong first-order transitions with latent heat $$ L/{T}_c^4 $$
L
/

T
c
4

> 0.1 to be identified in our scan.
Crosscap contribution to late-time two-point correlators
Authors: Yan Cynthia
Published: December 2023

Abstract

We show that in Jackiw-Teitelboim (JT) gravity, late-time two-point functions can get a leading non-decaying contribution from a spacetime with the topology of a Möbius strip (a disk with one crosscap). There is an interesting interplay between this contribution and the standard “plateau”. The two can add together or cancel, depending on topological weighting factors. We match this behavior to Random Matrix Theory (RMT) and the N mod 8 periodicity of Sachdev-Kitaev-Ye (SYK) results.
Remarks on Wright-convex functions
Authors: Olbryś Andrzej
Published: December 2023

In the present paper we prove a generalized version of the famous decomposition theorem of Ng. We also focus on the problem posed by Zsolt Páles concerning the Wright-convex functions.
Medical Extended Reality in der digitalen Notfallmedizin
Authors: Sauter Thomas C. , Krummrey Gert , Hautz Wolf E. , Birrenbach Tanja
Published: December 2023

Hintergrund

Die Notfallmedizin steht vor der Herausforderung, mit begrenzten Ressourcen eine optimale Versorgung zu gewährleisten. Insbesondere in seltenen, aber kritischen Situationen (High-acuity-low-occurrence[HALO]-Situationen) ist fundiertes Fachwissen essenziell. Bisherige Ausbildungsansätze sind zeitlich begrenzt und ressourcenintensiv.

Ziel der Arbeit

Medical Extended Reality (MXR) bietet vielversprechende Lösungsansätze. Diese Arbeit gibt einen Einblick in die verschiedenen Bereiche von MXR und zeigt am Beispiel des HALO-MXR-Konzepts die Anwendung von MXR in der Notfallmedizin.

Ergebnisse und Diskussion

Die MXR umfasst Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR) und Mixed Reality (MR). Die AR überlagert die reale Welt mit digitalen Informationen, verbessert die Wahrnehmung und ermöglicht interaktive Elemente. Die VR erzeugt eine künstliche 3D-Umgebung, in die der Nutzer eintaucht. Die MR kombiniert reale und virtuelle Elemente. Die MXR bietet Vorteile wie ortsunabhängiges Lernen, virtuelle Betreuung und Skalierbarkeit. Sie kann jedoch bestehende Ausbildungsformate nicht ersetzen, sondern sollte in ein Gesamtkonzept eingebettet werden.

Das HALO-MXR-Konzept am Inselspital Bern beinhaltet E‑Learning, simulationsbasiertes Training in VR und den HALO-Assist-Support durch AR. Der HALO-Assist bietet rund um die Uhr AR-Unterstützung bei HALO-Prozeduren mit Kommunikation über Audio und Video mit eingeblendeten Annotationen und Flowcharts.

Schlussfolgerung

Die Integration von MXR in die Notfallmedizin verspricht eine effizientere Ressourcennutzung und erweiterte Trainingsmöglichkeiten. Das HALO-MXR-Konzept zeigt, wie MXR-simulationsbasiertes Training VR und AR effektiv kombiniert und die Anwendung von HALO-Prozeduren verbessert.
Imaging of supratentorial intraventricular masses in children: a pictorial review—part 2
Authors: Goncalves Fabricio Guimaraes , Mahecha-Carvajal Mario E. , Desa Aishwary , Yildiz Harun , Talbeya Jawabreh Kassem , Moreno Luz Angela , Viaene Angela N. , Vossough Arastoo
Published: December 2023

Purpose

This article is the second in a two-part series aimed at exploring the spectrum of supratentorial intraventricular masses in children. In particular, this part delves into masses originating from cells of the ventricular lining, those within the septum pellucidum, and brain parenchyma cells extending into the ventricles. The aim of this series is to offer a comprehensive understanding of these supratentorial intraventricular masses, encompassing their primary clinical findings and histological definitions.

Methods

We conducted a review and analysis of relevant epidemiological data, the current genetics/molecular classifications as per the fifth edition of the World Health Organization (WHO) Classification of Tumors of the Central Nervous System (WHO CNS5), and imaging findings. Each supratentorial intraventricular mass was individually evaluated, with a detailed discussion on its clinical and histological features.

Results

This article covers a range of supratentorial intraventricular masses observed in children. These include colloid cysts, subependymal giant cell astrocytomas, ependymomas, gangliogliomas, myxoid glioneuronal tumors, central neurocytomas, high-grade gliomas, pilocytic astrocytomas, cavernous malformations, and other embryonal tumors. Each mass type is characterized both clinically and histologically, offering an in-depth review of their individual imaging characteristics.

Conclusion

The WHO CNS5 introduces notable changes, emphasizing the vital importance of molecular diagnostics in classifying pediatric central nervous system tumors. These foundational shifts have significant potential to impact management strategies and, as a result, the outcomes of intraventricular masses in children.
Mapping of density-dependent material properties of dry manufactured snow using $$\mu$$CT
Authors: Bahaloo Hassan , Forsberg Fredrik , Casselgren Johan , Lycksam Henrik , Sjödahl Mikael
Published: December 2023

Despite the significance of snow in various cryospheric, polar, and construction contexts, more comprehensive studies are required on its mechanical properties. In recent years, the utilization of $$\mu$$
μ
CT has yielded valuable insights into snow analysis. Our objective is to establish a methodology for mapping density-dependent material properties for dry manufactured snow within the density range of 400–600 kg/m$$^3$$

3

utilizing $$\mu$$
μ
CT imaging and step-wise, quasi-static, mechanical loading. We also aim to investigate the variations in the structural parameters of snow during loading. The three-dimensional (3D) structure of snow is captured using $$\mu$$
μ
CT with 801 projections at the beginning of the experiments and at the end of each loading step. The sample is compressed at a temperature of − 18 $$\mathrm {^o}$$

o

C using a constant rate of deformation (0.2 mm/min) in multiple steps. The relative density of the snow is determined at each load step using binary image segmentation. It varies from 0.44 in the beginning to nearly 0.65 at the end of the loading, which corresponds to a density range of 400–600 kg/m$$^3$$

3

. The estimated modulus and viscosity terms, obtained from the Burger’s model, show an increasing trend with density. The values of the Maxwell and Kelvin–Voigt moduli were found to range from 60 to 320 MPa and from 6 to 40 MPa, respectively. Meanwhile, the viscosity values for the Maxwell and Kelvin–Voigt models varied from 0.4 to 3.5 GPa-s, and 0.3–3.2 GPa-s, respectively, within the considered density range. In addition, Digital Volume Correlation (DVC) was used to calculate the full-field strain distribution in the specimen at each load step. The image analysis results show that, the particle size and specific surface area (SSA) do not change significantly within the studied range of loading and densities, while the sphericity of the particles is increased. The grain diameter ranges from approximately 100 $$\upmu$$
μ
m to nearly 400 $$\upmu$$
μ
m, with a mode of nearly 200 $$\upmu$$
μ
m. The methodology presented in this study opens up a path for an extensive statistical analysis of the material properties by experimenting more snow samples.
Risk of obstructive sleep apnea among health workers: results of a screening in a large Italian University Hospital
Authors: Spiteri Gianluca , Monaco Maria Grazia Lourdes , Carta Angela , Taus Francesco , Torroni Lorena , Verlato Giuseppe , Porru Stefano
Published: December 2023

Purpose

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common respiratory sleep disorder, related to increased mortality, poor quality of life, and higher risk of work accidents and injuries. Studies on the risk of OSA (rOSA) among health workers (HW) are scant. The aims of this study were to investigate this issue in a large University Hospital and to assess the effectiveness of a screening program.

Methods

The STOP-BANG questionnaire (SBQ) was sent via e-mail to the 5031 HW employed at the University Hospital of Verona. HW who completed the SBQ were classified at low, moderate, and high rOSA. HW at high rOSA were invited to undergo nocturnal polygraphy. The determinants of rOSA were studied by non-parametric Kruskal–Wallis test, Pearson's chi-squared, and multinomial logistic model.

Results

Of 5031 HW, 1564 (31.1%) completed the online questionnaire. Responders with low, moderate, and high rOSA were 72.7%, 13.7%, and 13.6%. Male gender, older age, and higher body mass index (BMI) were significant predictors of high rOSA, as expected. Physicians had the lowest probability of being in the high-risk category. Polygraphy was performed in 64 subjects. The positive predictive value of the self-administered SBQ was 68.8% (95%C.I. 55.9–79.8%) but raised to 96.9% (95%C.I. 89.2–99.6%) when re-administered by medical staff.

Conclusion

SBQ showed its effectiveness as a screening tool in detecting undiagnosed OSA in HW. Systematic screening for OSA in work settings could allow early diagnosis and treatment, reducing short- and long-term health effects of OSA.
Orthogonal Dissection into Few Rectangles
Authors: Eppstein David
Published: December 2023

We describe a polynomial time algorithm that takes as input a polygon with axis-parallel sides but irrational vertex coordinates, and outputs a set of as few rectangles as possible into which it can be dissected by axis-parallel cuts and translations. The number of rectangles is the rank of the Dehn invariant of the polygon. The same method can also be used to dissect an axis-parallel polygon into a simple polygon with the minimum possible number of edges. When rotations or reflections are allowed, we can approximate the minimum number of rectangles to within a factor of two.
Satisfaction of surgeons with the current state of training in minimally invasive surgery: a survey among German surgeons
Authors: von Bechtolsheim Felix , Schneider Alfred , Schmidt Sofia , Al-Aqiqi Omar , Radulova-Mauersberger Olga , Krause-Jüttler Grit , Weitz Jürgen , Distler Marius , Oehme Florian
Published: December 2023

Background

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) requires intense education and training with structured supervision and feedback. However, a standardized training structure is lacking in Germany. This nationwide survey aimed to assess the current state of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) training and factors impacting surgeons' satisfaction.

Methods

Between July and October 2021, an online survey was conducted among general, abdominal, and thoracic surgeons in Germany. The survey collected data on department size, individual operative experience, availability of MIS training equipment and curricula, and individual satisfaction with training. A linear regression analysis was conducted to investigate factors influencing the surgeons’ satisfaction with the MIS training.

Results

A total of 1008 surgeons participated in the survey, including residents (26.1%), fellows (14.6%), attendings (43.8%), and heads of departments (15.2%). Of the respondents, 57.4% reported having access to MIS training equipment, 29.8% and 26% had a curriculum for skills lab MIS training and intraoperative MIS training, respectively. In multivariate linear regression analysis, strongest predictors for surgeons’ satisfaction with skills lab MIS training and intraoperative training were the availability of respective training curricula (skills lab: β 12.572; p < 0.001 & intraoperative: β 16.541; p < 0.001), and equipment (β 5.246; p = 0.012 & β 4.295; p = 0.037), and experience as a first surgeon in laparoscopy (β 12.572; p < 0.001 & β 3.748; p = 0.007). Additionally, trainees and teachers differed in their satisfaction factors.

Conclusion

Germany lacks standardized training curricula and sufficient access to MIS training equipment. Trainees and teachers have distinct factors influencing their satisfaction with MIS training. Standardized curricula, equipment accessibility, and surgical experience are crucial for improving surgeons’ satisfaction with training.
Interdisziplinärer Ansatz zur Implementierung von BIM im Tunnelbau
Authors: Moser Karoline , Schmelz Julia , Weitering Lucas , Zeni Philipp
Published: December 2023

Das Projekt „Interdisziplinärer Ansatz zur Implementierung von BIM im Tunnelbau“ erforscht die Integration von Building Information Modeling (BIM) im Tunnelbau. Ziel ist die bessere Zusammenarbeit und Koordination durch die Nutzung von BIM-Technologien. Durch Fallstudien und Untersuchungen sollen wertvolle Erkenntnisse für die Integration von BIM in zukünftige Tunnelbauprojekte gewonnen werden.

In Zusammenarbeit mit verschiedenen Lehrstühlen an der Montanuniversität Leoben konzentriert sich das Projekt auf das Tunnelsystem ZaB – Zentrum am Berg, eine Untertage Forschungsanlage der Montanuniversität Leoben am steirischen Erzberg, das die Einführung eines BIM-fähigen Standards für zukünftige Tunnelprojekte anstrebt.

Die Digitalisierung im Tunnelbau ist aufgrund fehlender effizienter Infrastrukturtechnik notwendig. Dieses Projekt zielt darauf ab, durch die Kombination von Fachwissen aus verschiedenen Bereichen umfassende Lösungen für die Digitalisierung im Tunnelbau zu schaffen.

Langfristig strebt das Projekt die Etablierung einer integrierten Softwarelösung für den Tunnelbau an. Es setzt auf Kollaboration und interdisziplinäres Wissen, um die Implementierung von BIM im Tunnelbau zu erleichtern.
Need for a protocol for performance evaluation of the gas analyzers used in biomethane conformity assessment
Authors: Arrhenius Karine , Culleton Lucy , Nwaboh Javis , Li Jianrong
Published: December 2023

Biomethane may contain trace components that can have adverse effects on gas vehicles performances and on the pipelines when injected in the gas grid. Biomethane quality assurance against specifications is therefore crucial for the integrity of the end-users’ appliances. Analytical methods used to assess biomethane conformity assessment must be validated properly and possibly, new methods specifically for biomethane should be developed. This paper provides an overview of the biomethane quality assurance infrastructure and the challenges faced with focus on sampling, analysis methods, reference gas mixtures, and performance evaluation. Currently, requirements for analytical method validation and fit-for-purpose assessments do not exist for biomethane. The industry is in urgent need of a protocol to evaluate the fit-for-purpose of methods in a harmonized manner. Reference gas mixtures to check the accuracy of the instrument and to determine the traceability of the measurement are also urgently required.
A computational insight on the aromatic amino acids conjugation with [Cp*Rh(H2O)3]2+ by using the meta-dynamics/FMO3 approach
Authors: Paciotti Roberto , Marrone Alessandro
Published: December 2023

Context

Rh(III) complexes demonstrated to exert promising pharmacological effects with potential applications as anti-cancer, anti-bacterial, and antimicrobial agents. One important Rh(III)-ligand is the pentamethylcyclopentadienyl (Cp*) group forming in water the [Cp*Rh(H2O)3]2+ complex. Among of its attractive chemical properties is the ability to react specifically with Tyr amino acid side chain of G-protein–coupled receptor (GPCR) peptides by means of highly chemoselective bioconjugation reaction, at room temperature and at pH 5–6. In this computational work, in order to deepen the mechanism of this chemoselective conjugation, we study the ligand exchange reaction between [Cp*Rh(H2O)3]2+ and three small molecules, namely p-cresol, 3-methylimidazole, and toluene, selected as mimetic of aromatic side chains of tyrosine (Tyr), tryptophan (Trp) and phenylalanine (Phe), respectively. Our outcomes suggest that the high selectivity for Tyr side chain might be related to OH group able to affect both thermodynamic and kinetic of ligand exchange reaction, due to its ability to act as both H bond acceptor and donor. These mechanistic aspects can be used to design new metal drugs containing the [Cp*Rh]2+ scaffold targeting specifically Tyr residues involved in biological/pathological processes such as phosphorylation by means of Tyr-kinase enzyme and protein–protein interactions.

Methods

The geometry of three encounter complexes and product adducts were optimized at the B3LYP//CPCM/ωB97X-D level of theory, adopting the 6-311+G(d,p) basis set for all non-metal atoms and the LANL2DZ pseudopotential for the Rh atom. Meta-dynamics RMSD (MTD(RMSD)) calculations at GFN2-xTB level of theory were performed in NVT conditions at 298.15 K to investigate the bioconjugation reactions (simulation time: 100 ps; integration step 2.0; implicit solvent model: GBSA). The MTD(RMSD) simulation was performed in two replicates for each encounter complex. Final representative subsets of 100 structures for each run were gained with a sampling rate of 1 ps and analyzed by performing single point calculations using the FMO3 method at RI-MP2/6-311G//PCM[1] level of theory, adopting the MCP-TZP core potential for Rh atom.
Influence of crown and canopy structure on light absorption, light use efficiency, and growth in mixed and pure Pseudotsuga menziesii and Fagus sylvatica forests
Authors: Plaga Benjamin N. E. , Bauhus Jürgen , Pretzsch Hans , Pereira Mário Gonzalez , Forrester David I.
Published: December 2023

Mixed-species forests can provide higher levels of ecosystem functions and services and can be more resistant and resilient in the face of global change. While many studies focus on the growth and yield of mixed forests, fewer have examined the underlying processes. Inter- or intra-specific differences and interactions influence tree- and stand-level light absorption by determining the vertical structure of stratified canopies, stand density, leaf area index, and the size or allometry of trees. While canopy light absorption is a very important process, it is difficult to quantify it for individual species within a mixture and is rarely examined. A detailed tree-level model (MAESTRA) was used in combination with measurements of tree sizes and stand structures to examine effects of mixing on absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (APAR) in 41–63-year-old stands of Pseudotsuga menziesii and Fagus sylvatica at three sites in Bavaria, Germany. The effects of initial stand density on APAR were analysed in 46-year-old P. menziesii stands of a spacing experiment at two sites. At the tree level, mixing increased mean height and leaf area, growth (185% higher) and APAR (85% higher) of P. menziesii at all sites. Mean tree heights and crown sizes of F. sylvatica were larger in mixtures, while recent growth rates and APAR were not significantly different to monocultures. Planting density did not influence mean tree variables (e.g. height, leaf area, crown volume), because any initial spacing effects had been gradually removed by thinning across all treatments. At the stand level, there were no differences in growth, basal area or in the annual growth per annual APAR (light use efficiency, LUE) between monocultures and mixtures. The highest APAR values were observed in P. menziesii monocultures, while the lowest APAR values were observed in F. sylvatica monocultures. While mixing these species may not increase stand-level growth during later phases of development, mixing accelerated initial growth of individual trees and reduced the time to reach target diameters, which are both important aspects in adapting forests to global change.
The effects of energy consumption of alumina production in the environmental impacts using life cycle assessment
Authors: Sáez-Guinoa Javier , García-Franco Enrique , Llera-Sastresa Eva , Romeo Luis M.
Published: December 2023

Purpose

Aluminium industry emits around 1–2% of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions. Up to one-third of those are linked to the thermal energy consumed during its initial process: the alumina refining (Bayer process). Previous studies consider the Bayer process a single stage despite its being made of several reaction stages. This work presents a disaggregated energy analysis of the Bayer process that facilitates to find relationships between the main variables in regular alumina production and the environmental impacts.

Methods

Two different thermodynamic simulations of the Bayer process were carried out using Aspen V11 software. The results of these simulations were validated with referenced data, and afterwards, they were used to perform a life cycle assessment. ISO 14040 and 14,044 standards were followed during the analysis. LCA was implemented on SimaPro 9.0, and ReCiPe 2016 Midpoint (H) method was used to calculate environmental impacts. The influence of bauxite mineral form, type of fuel (energy input), and the distance from the mine to the plant was analysed throughout the study.

Results and discussion

As expected, the type of fuel was revealed as the most crucial factor in the environmental impact of alumina production, with potential savings of up to 75.5% of CO2-equivalent emissions. Nonetheless, the tendency is diverse for other indicators, such as marine eutrophication or terrestrial acidification. On the other hand, while bauxite transportation always has the same impact on the different environmental indicators, bauxite mineral form affects differently depending on the fuel, causing variations in the CO2-eq emissions from 7.7 to 51.3%.

Conclusions

Results indicated that the electrification of heat-demanding processes and the use of renewable power is the most effective approach for reducing environmental impacts. This strategy, however, must be considered in combination with others, as interdependent effects exist on the type of mineral used. These results provide strong evidence of the potential for environmentally friendly strategies in the metal industry, including new processes, alternative fuels, or mineral switching to promote more sustainable aluminium production.
On an Interpolation Problem for the Classical Weighted Harmonic Bergman Space
Authors: El Aïdi Mohammed
Published: December 2023

We provide sufficient conditions for interpolating a sequence by a function belonging to the classical weighted harmonic Bergman space defined on the unit real ball.
Conditional Knockout of IL-1R1 in Endothelial Cells Attenuates Seizures and Neurodegeneration via Inhibiting Neuroinflammation Mediated by Nrf2/HO-1/NLRP3 Signaling in Status Epilepticus Model
Authors: Wu Lianlian , Zhu Yuhua , Qin Ying , Yuan Honghua , Zhang Lingzhi , Lu Tianyuan , Chen Quangang , Hu Ankang
Published: December 2023

Studies on the bench and at bedside have demonstrated that the process of epileptogenesis is involved in neuroinflammatory responses. As the receptor of proinflammatory cytokine IL-1β, IL-1β type 1 receptor (IL-1R1) is reported to express abundantly in the endothelial cells in epileptic brains, which is deemed to be implicated in the epileptogenic process. However, whether and how endothelial IL-1R1 modulates neuroinflammatory responses in the pathological process of epileptic seizures and/or status epilepticus (SE) remains obscure. Here, we indicated endothelial IL-1R1 is involved in neuroinflammation, facilitating epilepsy progress via Nrf2/HO-1/NLRP3. In vitro, we observed upregulation of inflammatory cytokines in co-culture model under IL-1β challenge, as well as in BV2 cells after stimulation with conditional medium (CM) from IL-1β-stimulated bEnd.3 cells. In vivo, mice with conditional knockout of endothelial IL-1R1 (IL-1R1-CKO) were generated by hybrid IL-1R1flox/flox mice with Tek-Cre mice. IL-1R1-CKO reduced seizure susceptibility in kainic acid (KA)-induced SE model. In addition, IL-1R1-CKO KA mice exhibited lessened hippocampal neuroinflammation, mitigated neuronal damage, and decreased abnormal neurogenesis. In cognitive behavioral tests, IL-1R1-CKO KA mice presented improvement in learning and memory. Furthermore, we also indicated blockage of endothelial IL-1R1 downregulated the expressions of Nrf2/HO-1/NLRP3 pathway-related proteins. Nrf2-siRNA reversed the downregulation of HO-1, NLRP3, caspase-1, and IL-1β. These results demonstrated CKO of endothelial IL-1R1 reduces seizure susceptibility and attenuates SE-related neurobehavioral damage by suppressing hippocampal neuroinflammation via Nrf2/HO-1/NLRP3.
Estimating the causal impact of non-traditional household structures on children’s educational performance using a machine learning propensity score
Authors: Shang Li-Dan , Rowe Francisco , Lin Eric S.
Published: December 2023

Over the past two decades, family structures have diversified. International migration has led to a rise in the number of families in which at least one parent is foreign-born. Increases have also been observed in both the rate of partnership separation, leading to a greater number of single-parent households and an increase in the number of families where grandparents have assumed caring responsibilities for their grandchildren. Evidence indicates a strong relationship between family structure and children’s educational outcomes. Parental involvement is well documented as a key ingredient for the educational success of children. Drawing on Taiwanese multi-wave survey data (Taiwan Assessment of Student Achievement) and a machine-learning-based propensity score algorithm for multiple treatments, this paper aims to determine the various relationships between children from different household structures (two-parent households, skipped generation households, single-parent households, and immigrant households) and their cognitive knowledge (measured by test scores). Key findings reveal that children from skipped generation households achieve the lowest performance scores and that those from immigrant households tend to perform even better than children from traditional two-parent households in certain disciplines. Our results suggest that policy interventions targeted at providing remedial education and/or financial assistance are needed to support children from skipped generation families to redress existing educational disadvantages in Taiwan.
Effects of Compaction and Thermal Pre-treatments on Generation of Dross and Off-Gases in Aluminium Recycling
Authors: Vallejo-Olivares Alicia , Gertjegerdes Tom , Høgåsen Solveig , Friedrich Bernd , Tranell Gabriella
Published: December 2023

Organic coatings are a challenge for aluminium packaging recycling since they tend to increase the re-melting metal losses. A solution is de-coating the scrap via a thermal pre-treatment to burn-off the organics before re-melting. Due to logistic benefits, the scrap is often pressed into bales. This study evaluates the influence of compaction on the de-coating efficiency and off-gas emissions, and its consequences for dross formation and recycling metal yield. Loose chips and two types of briquettes, one loosely compacted by uniaxial pressure and the other compacted by moderated-pressure-torsion to higher densities, were heated to 550 °C while analysing the off-gas emissions using FTIR. The briquettes were subsequently re-melted into a molten heel. Re-melting coated scrap multiplied the % wt of dross by a factor of 2 or 3, depending on the compaction pre-treatment, compared to re-melting uncoated aluminium. The densest briquettes emitted less than half the CO2 and CO gases during de-coating and formed significantly more dross. Compaction to the lower densities showed no tangible effects. The effect of de-coating compacted materials or not was small (± 2% wt dross), which was attributed to carbonaceous residues remaining after the thermal treatment. In conclusion, high compactions by torsion limit the de-coating reactions, which depend on factors such as temperature and gas transport. A complete removal of the organic residues is critical for a more sustainable recycling with less dross generated.

Graphical Abstract
Foundations of Statistical Mechanics
Authors: Frigg Roman , Werndl Charlotte
Published: December 2023

Statistical mechanics is the third pillar of modern physics, next to quantum theory and relativity theory. It aims to account for the behaviour of macroscopic systems in terms of the dynamical laws that govern their microscopic constituents and probabilistic assumptions about them. In this Element, the authors investigate the philosophical and foundational issues that arise in SM. The authors introduce the two main theoretical approaches in SM, Boltzmannian SM and Gibbsian SM, and discuss how they conceptualise equilibrium and explain the approach to it. In doing so, the authors examine how probabilities are introduced into the theories, how they deal with irreversibility, how they understand the relation between the micro and the macro level, and how the two approaches relate to each other. Throughout, the authors also pinpoint open problems that can be subject of future research. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.
Philosophy, Bullshit, and Peer Review
Authors: Levy Neil
Published: December 2023

Peer review is supposed to ensure that published work, in philosophy and in other disciplines, meets high standards of rigor and interest. But many people fear that it no longer is fit to play this role. This Element examines some of their concerns. It uses evidence that critics of peer review sometimes cite to show its failures, as well as empirical literature on the reception of bullshit, to advance positive claims about how the assessment of scholarly work is appropriately influenced by features of the context in which it appears: for example, by readers' knowledge of authorship or of publication venue. Reader attitude makes an appropriate and sometimes decisive difference to perceptions of argument quality. This Element finishes by considering the difference that author attitudes to their own arguments can appropriately make to their reception. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.
Characterization of antibiotic overuse for common infectious disease states at hospital discharge
Authors: Zodrow Rebecca , Olson Andrew , Willis Stephanie , Grauer Dennis , Klatt Megan
Published: December 2023

Objective:

To evaluate rates of and outcomes associated with antibiotic overuse at hospital discharge for patients with common infectious diseases states.

Design:

Single-center, respective cohort study.

Setting:

A large, academic medical center in the Midwest United States.

Patients:

Adult patients who received antibiotics for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), uncomplicated cystitis, or mild, non-purulent cellulitis. Patients were excluded if they did not receive antibiotic(s) upon hospital discharge, were pregnant, severely immunocompromised, had concomitant infections, died during hospitalization, or were transferred to another hospital or to an intensive care unit.

Methods:

Data were abstracted from the electronic medical record of ambulatory antibiotic orders for included patients based on inpatient encounters from August 1, 2021 through July 31, 2022.

Results:

Of the 182 patients included in the study, antibiotic overuse was common for all three infectious disease states: CAP (n = 87/125, 69.6%), uncomplicated cystitis (n = 21/28, 75.0%), mild, non-purulent cellulitis (n = 28/29, 96.6%). The prevailing reason for overuse was excessive antibiotic duration (n = 127/182, 69.8%; mean antibiotic duration 5.39 vs. 8.32 days, p = 0.001). Antibiotic overuse was associated with approximately one additional day in the hospital (2.48 vs. 3.32 days, p = 0.001), and an increase in emergency department visits within 30 days after discharge (1 vs. 31, p = 0.001) compared to patients without antibiotic overuse at discharge.

Conclusion:

Antibiotic overuse was prevalent upon hospital discharge for these three common infectious disease states. Transitions of care should be prioritized as an area for antimicrobial stewardship intervention.