bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cost, environmental impact, and resilience of renewable energy under a changing climate: a review
Authors: Osman Ahmed I. , Chen Lin , Yang Mingyu , Msigwa Goodluck , Farghali Mohamed , Fawzy Samer , Rooney David W. , Yap Pow-Seng
Published: October 2022

Energy derived from fossil fuels contributes significantly to global climate change, accounting for more than 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions and approximately 90% of all carbon dioxide emissions. Alternative energy from renewable sources must be utilized to decarbonize the energy sector. However, the adverse effects of climate change, such as increasing temperatures, extreme winds, rising sea levels, and decreased precipitation, may impact renewable energies. Here we review renewable energies with a focus on costs, the impact of climate on renewable energies, the impact of renewable energies on the environment, economy, and on decarbonization in different countries. We focus on solar, wind, biomass, hydropower, and geothermal energy. We observe that the price of solar photovoltaic energy has declined from $0.417 in 2010 to $0.048/kilowatt-hour in 2021. Similarly, prices have declined by 68% for onshore wind, 60% for offshore wind, 68% for concentrated solar power, and 14% for biomass energy. Wind energy and hydropower production could decrease by as much as 40% in some regions due to climate change, whereas solar energy appears the least impacted energy source. Climate change can also modify biomass productivity, growth, chemical composition, and soil microbial communities. Hydroelectric power plants are the most damaging to the environment; and solar photovoltaics must be carefully installed to reduce their impact. Wind turbines and biomass power plants have a minimal environmental impact; therefore, they should be implemented extensively. Renewable energy sources could decarbonize 90% of the electricity industry by 2050, drastically reducing carbon emissions, and contributing to climate change mitigation. By establishing the zero carbon emission decarbonization concept, the future of renewable energy is promising, with the potential to replace fossil fuel-derived energy and limit global temperature rise to 1.5 °C by 2050.
Der Einfluss der Fahrgassenpflege auf das Mikroklima in Schwarzen Johannisbeeren (Ribes nigrum L.)
Authors: Nagler Linda , Schwefler Jana , Käthner Jana , Giebel Antje , Kramer Eckart
Published: October 2022

Das Ziel der Untersuchung war es, den Einfluss der Fahrgassenpflegefrequenz auf die Lufttemperatur und die relative Luftfeuchte in Plantagen mit Schwarzen Johannisbeeren (Ribes nigrum L.) zu ermitteln. In der Praxis dient das Kurzhalten des Fahrgassenbewuchses als angewandte und präventive Methodik, um die Durchlüftung im Bestand zu verbessern und den Krankheitsdruck zu senken. Die On-Farm-Versuche fanden auf zwei ökologisch geführten Strauchbeerenbetrieben in Brandenburg (Weggun und Schöneiche) über einen Zeitraum von März bis Juni 2021 statt. Die Einflüsse der Pflegefrequenz auf das Mikroklima in den Fahrgassen wurden für praxisübliche Mahdfrequenz („business as usual“, BAU) und erhöhte Mahdfrequenz (TEST) ermittelt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass mit einem kontinuierlichen Kurzhalten der Fahrgassen eine nachweisbare Beeinflussung auf die bodennahe Lufttemperatur und Luftfeuchte stattfindet. Dabei führte eine erhöhte Mahdfrequenz (TEST) teils zu einer signifikant höheren mittleren Lufttemperatur als in praxisüblicher Pflege (BAU), wohingegen die mittlere relative Luftfeuchte signifikant geringer war. Die Effekte waren abhängig vom Zeitpunkt und vom Standort. Über die Versuchsperiode konnten maximale mittlere Lufttemperaturdifferenzen von 1,14 °C (Standort Weggun) bzw. 1,96 °C (Standort Schöneiche) sowie maximale mittlere relative Luftfeuchtedifferenzen von 3,69 % (Standort Weggun) bzw. 3,90 % (Standort Schöneiche) zwischen den Varianten TEST und BAU festgestellt werden. Vor allem in der Plantage mit dem geringeren Reihenabstand tritt dieser Effekt deutlicher auf. Die Ergebnisse lassen vermuten, dass die Plantagenstruktur einen Einfluss auf die Effekte hat, was in zukünftigen Versuchen untersucht werden sollte.
How to design virus containment policies? A joint analysis of economic and epidemic dynamics under the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Basurto Alessandro , Dawid Herbert , Harting Philipp , Hepp Jasper , Kohlweyer Dirk
Published: October 2022

We analyze the impact of different designs of COVID-19-related lockdown policies on economic loss and mortality using a micro-level simulation model, which combines a multi-sectoral closed economy with an epidemic transmission model. In particular, the model captures explicitly the (stochastic) effect of interactions between heterogeneous agents during different economic activities on virus transmissions. The empirical validity of the model is established using data on economic and pandemic dynamics in Germany in the first 6 months after the COVID-19 outbreak. We show that a policy-inducing switch between a strict lockdown and a full opening-up of economic activity based on a high incidence threshold is strictly dominated by alternative policies, which are based on a low incidence threshold combined with a light lockdown with weak restrictions of economic activity or even a continuous weak lockdown. Furthermore, also the ex ante variance of the economic loss suffered during the pandemic is substantially lower under these policies. Keeping the other policy parameters fixed, a variation of the consumption restrictions during the lockdown induces a trade-off between GDP loss and mortality. Furthermore, we study the robustness of these findings with respect to alternative pandemic scenarios and examine the optimal timing of lifting containment measures in light of a vaccination rollout in the population.
Nonlinear consolidation analysis of multilayered soil with coupled vertical-radial drainage using the spectral method
Authors: Xu Bin-Hua , Indraratna Buddhima , Rujikiatkamjorn Cholachat , Nguyen Thanh T. , He Ning
Published: October 2022

The nonlinear variation of soil compressibility and permeability with void ratio (i.e., e-log σ′ and e-log k) has been included in the consolidation theory to accurately predict the behavior of soft soil stabilized by vertical drains. However, most current nonlinear consolidation models incorporating the coupled radial-vertical flow are based on some simplified assumptions, while including some features such as the complex implementation of multilayered computations, time-dependent loading and stress distribution with depth. This study hence introduces a novel approach where the spectral method is used to analyze the nonlinear consolidation behavior of multilayered soil associated with coupled vertical-radial drainage. In addition, time- and depth-dependent stress and soil properties at each soil layer are incorporated into the proposed model. Subsequently, the solution is verified against experimental and field data with comparison to previous analytical solutions. The results show greater accuracy of the proposed method in predicting in-situ soil behavior. A parametric study based on the proposed solution indicates that the ratio between the compression and permeability indices (ω = Cc/Ck) has a great impact on the consolidation rate, i.e., the greater the ω, the smaller the consolidation rate. Increasing the load increment ratio and the absolute difference between unity and ω (i.e., |ω − 1|) can exacerbate prediction error if the conventional simplified methods are used.
Extension of the value function reformulation to multiobjective bilevel optimization
Authors: Lafhim Lahoussine , Zemkoho Alain
Published: October 2022

We consider a multiobjective bilevel optimization problem with vector-valued upper- and lower-level objective functions. Such problems have attracted a lot of interest in recent years. However, so far, scalarization has appeared to be the main approach used to deal with the lower-level problem. Here, we utilize the concept of frontier map that extends the notion of optimal value function to our parametric multiobjective lower-level problem. Based on this, we build a tractable constraint qualification that we use to derive necessary optimality conditions for the problem. Subsequently, we show that our resulting necessary optimality conditions represent a natural extension from standard optimistic bilevel programs with scalar objective functions.
Detection of apoptosis by [18F]ML-10 after cardiac ischemia–reperfusion injury in mice
Authors: Fischer Maximilian , Zacherl Mathias J. , Olivier Jessica , Lindner Simon , Massberg Steffen , Bartenstein Peter , Grawe Freba , Ziegler Sibylle , Brendel Matthias , Lehner Sebastian , Boening Guido , Todica Andrei
Published: October 2022

Objective

Myocardial infarction leads to ischemic heart disease and cell death, which is still a major obstacle in western society. In vivo imaging of apoptosis, a defined cascade of cell death, could identify myocardial tissue at risk.

Methods

Using 2-(5-[18F]fluoropentyl)-2-methyl-malonic acid ([18F]ML-10) in autoradiography and positron emission tomography (PET) visualized apoptosis in a mouse model of transient ligation of the left anterior descending (LAD) artery. 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose ([18F]FDG) PET imaging indicated the defect area. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) histology stain indicated cardiac apoptosis.

Results

[18F]ML-10 uptake was evident in the ischemic area after transient LAD ligation in ex vivo autoradiography and in vivo PET imaging. Detection of [18F]ML-10 is in line with the defect visualized by [18F]FDG and the histological approach of TUNEL staining.

Conclusion

The tracer [18F]ML-10 is suitable for detecting apoptosis after transient LAD ligation in mice.
Three-Dimensional Ultrasound Localization Microscopy with Bipartite Graph-Based Microbubble Pairing and Kalman-Filtering-Based Tracking on a 256-Channel Verasonics Ultrasound System with a 32 × 32 Matrix Array
Authors: Lok U-Wai , Huang Chengwu , Trzasko Joshua D. , Kim Yohan , Lucien Fabrice , Tang Shanshan , Gong Ping , Song Pengfei , Chen Shigao
Published: October 2022

Purpose

Three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound localization microscopy (ULM) using a 2-D matrix probe and microbubbles (MBs) has recently been proposed to visualize microvasculature in three spatial dimensions beyond the ultrasound diffraction limit. However, 3D ULM has several limitations, including: (1) high system complexity, (2) complex MB flow dynamics in 3D, and (3) extremely long acquisition time that had to be addressed.

Method

To reduce the system complexity while maintaining high image quality, we used a sub-aperture process to reduce received channel counts. To address the second issue, a 3D bipartite graph-based method with Kalman filtering-based tracking was used in this study for MB tracking. An MB separation approach was incorporated to separate high concentration MB data into multiple, sparser MB datasets, allowing better MB localization and tracking for a limited acquisition time.

Results

The proposed method was first validated in a flow channel phantom, showing improved spatial resolutions compared with the contrasted enhanced power Doppler image. Then the proposed method was evaluated with an in vivo chicken embryo brain dataset. Results showed that the reconstructed 3D super-resolution image achieved a spatial resolution of around 52 μm (smaller than the wavelength of around 200 μm).

Conclusion

A lower system complexity of 3D ULM has been proposed. In addition, our proposed 3D ULM provided the capability of 3D motion compensation and MB tracking. Microvessels that cannot be resolved clearly using localization only, can be well identified with the proposed method.
Age specific life table of mulberry silkworm, Bombyx mori’Linn. race NB4D2 x SH6 at two different temperatures ranges under laboratory conditions
Authors: Kumar Shani , Singh Hem , Verma Ankur Prakash , Kumar Vinod , Patel Aditya
Published: October 2022

The study on age specific life table of Bombyx mori Linn. race NB4D2 x SH6 reared on leaves of mulberry (Morus alba) plant variety S-1 at two different temperatures viz. control temperature (25 ± 1 °C) with 75 ± 5% relative humidity and room temperature in the laboratory of Sericulture Research, Demonstration and Training Unit, Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture & Technology, Meerut-250110 (Uttar Pradesh), India. Data revealed that Bombyx mori Linn. race NB4D2 x SH6 required 37 and 40 days to complete its life cycle at control temperature (25 ± 1 °C) with 75 ± 5% relative humidity and room temperature, respectively. At control temperature, the highest mortality 85.19 per cent was exhibited at 36th day followed by 49.06 per cent at 35th day and the lowest mortality 1.12 per cent was recorded on 5th day followed by 1.14 per cent on 6th day. In case of room temperature, the highest mortality 88.89 per cent was recorded at 39th day followed by 66.67 per cent at 38th day and lowest mortality 1.20 per cent was recorded at 8th day followed by 1.35 per cent at 15th day. There an initial drop in survivorship (lx) was seen followed by an intermittent steady decline with long pauses till the formation of adult and sharp decline was observed at adult stage in both the conditions viz., control temperature (25 ± 1 °C) with 75 ± 5% relative humidity as well as at room temperature till the end of generation.
Infectious Diseases Impact on Biomedical Devices and Materials
Authors: Brigmon Matthew M. , Brigmon Robin L.
Published: October 2022

Infectious diseases and nosocomial infections may play a significant role in healthcare issues associated with biomedical materials and devices. Many current polymer materials employed are inadequate for resisting microbial growth. The increase in microbial antibiotic resistance is also a factor in problematic biomedical implants. In this work, the difficulty in diagnosing biomedical device-related infections is reviewed and how this leads to an increase in microbial antibiotic resistance. A conceptualization of device-related infection pathogenesis and current and future treatments is made. Within this conceptualization, we focus specifically on biofilm formation and the role of host immune and antimicrobial therapies. Using this framework, we describe how current and developing preventative strategies target infectious disease. In light of the significant increase in antimicrobial resistance, we also emphasize the need for parallel development of improved treatment strategies. We also review potential production methods for manufacturing specific nanostructured materials with antimicrobial functionality for implantable devices. Specific examples of both preventative and novel treatments and how they align with the improved care with biomedical devices are described.
Understanding Life in the Universe
Authors: Arthur Wallace
Published: October 2022

The two most fascinating questions about extraterrestrial life are where it is found and what it is like. In particular, from our Earth-based vantage point, we are keen to know where the closest life to us is, and how similar it might be to life on our home planet. This book deals with both of these key issues. It considers possible homes for life, with a focus on Earth-like exoplanets. And it examines the possibility that life elsewhere might be similar to life here, due to the existence of parallel environments, which may result in Darwinian selection producing parallel trees of life between one planet and another. Understanding Life in the Universe provides an engaging and myth-busting overview for any reader interested in the existence and nature of extraterrestrial life, and the realistic possibility of discovering credible evidence for it in the near future.
The effect of abusive supervision on turnover intentions: on-the-job embeddedness versus traditional attitudinal constructs
Authors: Ampofo Emmanuel Twumasi , Karatepe Osman M.
Published: October 2022

Our paper examines whether the impact of abusive supervision on on-the-job embeddedness (JEM) is stronger than on job satisfaction (JSAT), affective organizational commitment (AOC), and turnover intentions. We also examine whether the mediation impact of on-the-JEM in the linkage between abusive supervision and turnover intentions is stronger than the mediation impacts of JSAT and AOC. Data gathered from restaurant service workers in three waves in Ghana were used to test the abovementioned linkages via structural equation modeling. The findings illustrate that all hypotheses are supported. Specifically, the influence of abusive supervision on on-the-JEM is stronger than on traditional attitudinal variables. Additional findings demonstrate that the mediation effect of on-the-JEM in the relationship between abusive supervision and proclivity to quit is stronger than the mediation effects of JSAT and AOC. Implications for theory and managers are offered in our paper.
“Other Germans”: Exceptions and Rules in the Memory of Rescuing Jews in Postwar Germany
Authors: Kabalek Kobi
Published: October 2022

The rising German interest in rescuers of Jews during the Holocaust has been accompanied by an emphasis on their exceptionality among the wartime German population. Seen as aberrations, rescuers are used to present a simplified generalization of the German majority’s wartime conduct by defining what it was not. This article argues that this view, as well as the common claim that rescue and rescuers of Jews were “forgotten” in the postwar Germanys, are based on a certain interpretative model concerning the relationship between exception and rule. I trace the different uses of this model and show that from 1945 to the present, many Jewish and non-Jewish Germans employed variously defined exceptions to trace and determine one's preferred image of the majority—as an object of desire or critique. The article presents the different conceptualizations and idealizations of rescue and their functions in imagining a collective self in commemorative and historiographical portrayals of past and current German societies.
Hidden Figures: The Holy Roman Empire as a “Realm of Ladies”
Authors: Keller Katrin
Published: October 2022

The aim of this article is to make clear that, although men largely dominated the institutions of the Holy Roman Empire, beyond these constitutional institutions we can find many examples of women's agency. In particular, women of noble and princely families assumed political roles, both in relation to territories and to the empire as a whole. While it would not be correct to reinterpret the Holy Roman Empire as a “realm of ladies,” it seems clear that the empire, as a communicative context and dynastic network, was constituted with the participation of elite women, and that women were important for the ritual perpetuation of the constitution of the empire. In short, it was not only law and the constitution and the actions of men that held the empire together, but also the actions of women, who helped shape networks and politics just as they influenced the transfer of knowledge and culture.
The Illusion of Abstraction
Authors: Lampland Martha
Published: October 2022

This article constitutes a critique of abstraction as an analytic tool. The argument advances the idea that formalizing practices are indexical; that is, the way abstractions are realized necessarily incorporates features of the context in which they are produced. The expression formalizing practices refers to a series of actions or operations that make quantification, rationalization, and standardization possible. Entailed in all these procedures is an attempt to select and isolate features that exemplify a specific phenomenon or social process, or in the case of standardization, that stipulate its contours and dimensions. These features are presumed to be immanent from the start, but in fact, formal representations are carefully crafted, finely tuned instruments. In order to clarify these practices, I delineate three phases of their construction: the conceptual phrase, the choice of analytic strategy, and the specification of its formal representation. In other words, this approach suggests the value of examining formalizing projects as crucibles where cultural assumptions and practical reasoning are condensed into formulae. These ideas are explored in relation to the use of time and motion studies employed in early socialist Hungary to determine the new socialist wage system. While a decidedly local story, the implications of the analysis are much broader. The possibility of adopting this approach to the study of other formalizing practices, such as algorithmic systems and digital databases, is suggested. The analysis also raises questions about the commensurability of long-held concepts in social theory.
Global Territorialization and Mining Frontiers in Nineteenth-Century Brazil: Capitalist Anxieties and the Circulation of Knowledge between British and Habsburgian Imperial Spaces, ca. 1820–1850
Authors: Bartoletti Tomás
Published: October 2022

The rumors of Brazil’s mineral riches reaching London and Vienna in the first half of the nineteenth century, started by enslaved Africans mining clandestinely in unexplored regions and later through geological surveys by mining engineers from the Habsburg Empire, prompted aspirations to wealth which circulated fluidly in the transatlantic context. This article examines the distinct but convergent agencies of garimpeiros, enslaved miners and prospectors, and of Habsburgian mining engineers in the territorialization process of Minas Gerais during the nineteenth-century expansion of global capitalism. It analyses the degree of connectivity and cooperation across British and Habsburgian imperial spaces in Brazilian mining ventures, focusing on the case of the mining engineer Virgil von Helmreichen, who arrived in Minas Gerais in 1836, under contract to the British-financed Imperial Brazilian Mining Association. The Habsburgian expert elite of which Helmreichen was a part played a crucial role in the expansion of the commodity frontier in this region, providing proficient knowledge in mining and geology. This expert community collaborated with the logistics networks of British free-trade imperialism and the Brazilian slave system inherited from the colonial period. The territorialization of Minas Gerais shows the global dynamics at play between British interests in the discovery of new mines, the need to produce expert knowledge at the local level, and the Brazilian government’s desire to control the hinterland region and profit from its mineral wealth.
Null, recursively starlike-equivalent decompositions shrink
Authors: Meier Jeffrey , Orson Patrick , Ray Arunima
Published: October 2022

A subset E of a metric space X is said to be starlike-equivalent if it has a neighbourhood which is mapped homeomorphically into
$\mathbb{R}^n$
for some n, sending E to a starlike set. A subset
$E\subset X$
is said to be recursively starlike-equivalent if it can be expressed as a finite nested union of closed subsets
$\{E_i\}_{i=0}^{N+1}$
such that
$E_{i}/E_{i+1}\subset X/E_{i+1}$
is starlike-equivalent for each i and
$E_{N+1}$
is a point. A decomposition
$\mathcal{D}$
of a metric space X is said to be recursively starlike-equivalent, if there exists
$N\geq 0$
such that each element of
$\mathcal{D}$
is recursively starlike-equivalent of filtration length N. We prove that any null, recursively starlike-equivalent decomposition
$\mathcal{D}$
of a compact metric space X shrinks, that is, the quotient map
$X\to X/\mathcal{D}$
is the limit of a sequence of homeomorphisms. This is a strong generalisation of results of Denman–Starbird and Freedman and is applicable to the proof of Freedman’s celebrated disc embedding theorem. The latter leads to a multitude of foundational results for topological 4-manifolds, including the four-dimensional Poincaré conjecture.
French-speaking teenagers’ mastery of connectives: the role of vocabulary size and exposure to print
Authors: Tskhovrebova Ekaterina , Zufferey Sandrine , Tribushinina Elena
Published: October 2022

Connectives such as however and since play an important role for marking coherence relations in discourse and therefore are crucial for reading comprehension, which in turn is a strong predictor of academic success. Most research on the acquisition of connectives targeted younger children. Yet there is evidence that connective development extends well into adolescence and even adult speakers have difficulties with some coherence relations when they are conveyed by infrequent connectives bound to the written mode. In this paper, we tested the use of connectives encoding different coherence relations and bound to either the oral or the written modes. We studied the performance of native French-speaking teenagers (N = 154, Mage = 14.43, range: 12–19) in a cloze task and also assessed whether teenagers’ vocabulary level and degree of exposure to print predicted the accuracy of connective use. Our findings show that the ability to use connectives appropriately increases with age. However, age played a lesser role compared to vocabulary knowledge and degree of exposure to print, thus indicating that lexicon size and reading habits are important factors explaining individual differences in the acquisition of connectives.
SUPERCONSISTENCY OF TESTS IN HIGH DIMENSIONS
Authors: Bredahl Kock Anders , Preinerstorfer David
Published: October 2022

To assess whether there is some signal in a big database, aggregate tests for the global null hypothesis of no effect are routinely applied in practice before more specialized analysis is carried out. Although a plethora of aggregate tests is available, each test has its strengths but also its blind spots. In a Gaussian sequence model, we study whether it is possible to obtain a test with substantially better consistency properties than the likelihood ratio (LR; i.e., Euclidean norm-based) test. We establish an impossibility result, showing that in the high-dimensional framework we consider, the set of alternatives for which a test may improve upon the LR test (i.e., its superconsistency points) is always asymptotically negligible in a relative volume sense.
TESTING FOR HOMOGENEOUS THRESHOLDS IN THRESHOLD REGRESSION MODELS
Authors: Lee Yoonseok , Wang Yulong
Published: October 2022

This paper develops a test for homogeneity of the threshold parameter in threshold regression models. The test has a natural interpretation from time series perspectives and can also be applied to test for additional change points in the structural break models. The limiting distribution of the test statistic is derived, and the finite sample properties are studied in Monte Carlo simulations. We apply the new test to the tipping point problem studied by Card, Mas, and Rothstein (2008, Quarterly Journal of Economics 123, 177–218) and statistically justify that the location of the tipping point varies across tracts.
The use of the indefinite pronoun keegi ‘someone’ in Estonian dialects
Authors: Pook Hanna , Lindström Liina
Published: October 2022

The Estonian indefinite pronouns keegi ‘someone’ and miski ‘something’ are distinguished by being able to refer to animate or inanimate entities, respectively. However, in certain Estonian dialects, keegi is used to refer to inanimate entities as well. The aim of this paper is to describe the functions and use of keegi based on the data in the Corpus of Estonian Dialects. We used statistical analyses to determine which dialects typically use keegi to refer to inanimate entities and which variables (polarity, function, position in the clause, case marking) contribute most to this variation. The results show that there are significant differences between the dialects: keegi is mostly used to refer to inanimate entities in the northern dialects (most frequently in the Western, Mid, and Eastern dialects), but this phenomenon is rare or non-existent in the southern dialects. All of the variables studied contribute to this variation: keegi is most likely to refer to an inanimate being when it is in the partitive case, functions as an object, a partitive subject, or a negative polarity item, and is positioned at the end of a negative clause.
The Financial Accelerator in the Euro Area: New Evidence Using a Mixture VAR Model
Authors: Bennani Hamza , Burgard Jan Pablo , Neuenkirch Matthias
Published: October 2022

We estimate a logit mixture vector autoregressive model describing monetary policy transmission in the euro area with a special emphasis on credit conditions. With the help of this model, monetary policy transmission can be described as mixture of two states, using an underlying logit model determining the relative state weights over time. We show that a widening of the credit spread and a tightening of credit standards directly lead to a reduction of real GDP growth, whereas shocks to the quantity of credit are less important in explaining growth fluctuations. The credit spread and—to some extent—credit standards are also the key determinants of the underlying state of the economy; the prevalence of the crisis state is more pronounced in times of adverse credit conditions. Together with a stronger shock transmission in the crisis state, this provides further evidence for a financial accelerator in the euro area.
Food industry donations to patient advocacy organisations focussed on non-communicable diseases
Authors: Del Giudice Inés M , Tsai Krystle A , Arshonsky Josh , Bond Sara , Bragg Marie A
Published: October 2022

Objective:

This study used publicly available Form 990 tax documents to quantify food industry donations to patient advocacy organisations (PAO) dedicated to supporting patients with non-communicable diseases.

Design:

Observational, cross-sectional assessment of significant national and international food industry donations to US-based non-communicable disease-focussed PAO between 2000 and 2018. Researchers recorded and categorised the: (1) frequency and value of donations; (2) reason for donation; (3) name and type of PAO recipient and (4) non-communicable disease focus of the PAO.

Setting:

Form 990 tax documents.

Participants:

Nine food and beverage companies that donated to non-communicable disease-focussed PAO.

Results:

Adjusting for inflation, nine food and beverage companies collectively donated $10 672 093 (n 2709) to the PAO between 2001 and 2018. The largest category of donations was ‘matching gifts’ (67·9 %, median amount = $115·16), followed by ‘general operations support’ (25·8 %, median amount = $107·79). Organisations focussing on cancer received the largest number and amount of donations ($6 265 861, n 1968). Eight of the nine companies made their largest monetary value of donation to PAO focussed on cancer.

Conclusions:

Publicly available tax data provide robust information on food industry donation practices. Our findings document the food industry’s role in supporting patient advocacy organisations and raise questions regarding conflicts of interest. Increased awareness of food industry donation practices involving PAO may generate pressure for policies mandating transparency or encourage donors and recipients to voluntarily disclose donations. If public disclosure becomes widespread, constituents, advocates, researchers and policymakers can better supervise and address potential conflicts of interest.
Redistricting and Incarceration: Examining the Electoral Consequences of New York’s Prohibition on Prison Gerrymandering
Authors: Williamson Ryan D. , King Bridgett A.
Published: October 2022

During the most recent round of redistricting, many states have enacted a number of reforms to their mapmaking practices. One reform that has received increased attention in recent years is a ban on prison gerrymandering—the practice of counting incarcerated individuals in prisons instead of their home addresses. Eleven states drew districts while counting incarcerated persons in their homes after the 2020 Census. Though substantial research has investigated redistricting practices, far less attention has been paid to empirically examining the effect of prison gerrymandering on elections. We seek to fill this void by evaluating the effect of New York’s ban on prison gerrymandering on state legislative elections between 2002 and 2020. We find that altering how the prison population is counted, indeed, altered the electoral dynamics across the state.
Lyme-Borreliose
Authors: Martin Yonas , Zimmerli Stefan
Published: October 2022

Zusammenfassung. Die Lyme-Borreliose ist eine von der Spirochäte Borrelia burgdorferi verursachte Zoonose, die in ganz Europa und in Nordamerika auftritt. Der Hauptvektor ist in Europa die Zecke Ixodes ricinus. Ihre drei Entwicklungsformen (Larve, Nymphe, Erwachsene) saugen Blut von Nagetieren, Vögeln und Rehen welche auch Wirte von B. burgdorferi sein können. Die Übertragung der Erreger von infizierten Zecken auf einen Wirt erfolgt über den Speichelfluss bei der Blutmahlzeit. Diese löst in den im Zeckendarm vorhandenen Borrelien phänotypische Veränderungen aus, die die Migration in die Speicheldrüsen und das Überleben im Wirt ermöglichen. Sowohl der Zeckenspeichel als auch die umgestalteten Oberflächenproteine der Borrelien vermitteln Schutz vor der Immunantwort des Wirts. Die Dissemination im Wirt erfolgt vorwiegend hämatogen. Für die Migration im Gewebe ist die Motilität der Borrelien wichtig. Ein speziesabhängiger Tropismus für Haut, Gelenke und neuronale Strukturen scheint auf der selektiven Interaktion zwischen Proteinen von Bakterien und Wirt zu beruhen. Obwohl die hochgerechneten Borreliose Fälle in der Schweiz in den letzten Jahren stabil geblieben sind, dehnen sich die Gebiete aus, in welchen mit Borrelien infizierte Zecken anzutreffen sind. Neben dem Schutz vor Zeckenstichen können in Zukunft möglicherweise auch Impfstoffe zur Verhinderung der Borreliose beitragen. Ein multivalenter Protein-basierter Impfstoff scheint vielversprechenden Schutz vor mehrere Subspezies von B. burgdorferi zu vermitteln.
Lyme-Borreliose
Authors: Marchesi Martina , Zbinden Andrea
Published: October 2022

Zusammenfassung. Für die Diagnostik einer Lyme-Borreliose, welche durch Borrelia burgdorferi verursacht wird, ist nebst der Klinik die Borrelien-Serologie zentral. Die Borrelien-Serologie besteht aus zwei Stufen: einem sensitiven Suchtest wie einem Enzym-Immuno-Assay und einem spezifischen Bestätigungstest wie zum Beispiel einem Immunoblot. Bei einem Suchtest können Borrelien-spezifische IgM- und IgG-Antikörper, aber auch unspezifische Antikörper nachgewiesen werden, beispielsweise kreuzreagierende Antikörper gegen Treponema pallidum (Erreger der Lues). Deshalb müssen reaktive Suchtestresultate mit einem spezifischen Test wie einem Immunoblot bestätigt werden. Dabei werden die Antikörper gegen die verschiedenen Borrelien-Antigene aufgeschlüsselt, was eine Beurteilung über eine mögliche Kreuzreaktion und gegebenenfalls eine Einteilung in ein Früh- oder Spätstadium der Lyme-Borreliose erlaubt. Für die Diagnostik der Neuroborreliose wird die Borrelien-spezifische, intrathekale Antikörperbildung bestimmt, wobei zwingend eine Serum- und eine Liquorprobe vom gleichen Entnahmezeitpunkt analysiert werden müssen. Die Diagnose der Lyme-Borreliose erfordert eine Gesamtschau der serologischen Befunde zusammen mit der Klinik.
Klinik und Therapie der Lyme-Borreliose
Authors: Akers Isabel , Burkhardt Sara , Reinhold Ilana , Nemeth Johannes
Published: October 2022

Zusammenfassung. Die Lyme-Borreliose wird durch Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato hervorgerufen und ist eine Zecken-übertragene Infektion, die vor allem in der nördlichen Hemisphäre vorkommt. Die Infektion beginnt typischerweise mit einer lokalisierten Infektion, die sich als expandierende Hautläsion mit zentraler Aufhellung manifestiert, dem sogenannten Erythema migrans. Unbehandelt kann es zu einer frühen disseminierten Form führen, welche häufig zu einem Befall des ZNS und weniger häufig zu Karditis führt. Späte Infektionsmanifestationen sind typischerweise die Arthritis und ein charakteristischer Hautbefall, die Acrodermatitis atrophicans. Die chronologische Abfolge der Stadien ist jedoch nicht zwingend und auch isolierte «späte» Manifestationen können der Erstpräsentation der Infektion entsprechen. Mit der Ausnahme des Erythema migrans, welches eine Blickdiagnose und keine Serologie erfordert, basiert die Diagnose aller anderen Infektionsmanifestationen auf einer Kombination der typischen klinischen Präsentation und dem serologischen Nachweis einer Borrelien-Infektion. Alle Stadien der Borrelien Infektion sprechen gut auf Antibiotika an, allen voran beta-Lactam-Derivate und Tetracycline. In einer Minderheit der Patienten kann es zu persistierenden, postinfektiösen Syndromen kommen.
FSME
Authors: Vlad Benjamin , Jelcic Ilijas
Published: October 2022

Zusammenfassung. Die Frühsommer-Meningoenzephalitis (FSME) ist eine akute entzündliche Erkrankung des zentralen Nervensystems, die durch Zecken übertragen und durch das FSME-Virus verursacht wird, das in immer mehr Teilen Europas und Asiens vorkommt. Nur 2–30% der Infektionen verlaufen symptomatisch, dabei ist im Prodromalstadium ein zweigipfliger Fieberverlauf typisch. Klinisch-neurologisch entwickeln 50% der Fälle eine Meningitis, 40% eine Meningoenzephalitis und 10% eine Meningoenzephalomyelitis. Letztere ist häufig mit einer gefürchteten Beteiligung des Hirnstamms vergesellschaftet. Bei der Enzephalitis stehen Bewusstseinsstörungen, Fatigue, emotionale Labilität und neurokognitive Defizite im Vordergrund, bei der Myelitis schlaffe Paresen an Armen oder Beinen. Zur Diagnosesicherung ist der gleichzeitige Nachweis FSME-spezifischer IgM- und IgG-Antikörper im Serum und eines passenden entzündlichen Liquorsyndroms erforderlich. Die Meningitis heilt ohne Folgen aus, 80% der Fälle von Enzephalitis und nur 20% der Fälle von Myelitis erholen sich vollständig. Die Gesamtletalität liegt bei 1%. Bei immungeschwächten, älteren und myelitischen Patienten besteht ein höheres Risiko für einen schweren Krankheitsverlauf und eine höhere Sterblichkeit. Da keine spezifische antivirale Therapie zur Verfügung steht, bleibt die aktive FSME-Impfung für alle Menschen ab 6 Jahren mit Aufenthalt in Risikogebieten die wichtigste Präventivmassnahme.
The Influence of Magnetic Topology on Ionospheric Structure at Mars: Observations of Localized ‘Magnetic Depletions’
Authors: Fowler C. M. , Ortiz J. Z. , Xu S. , Mitchell D. , Hanley K. G. , Espley J. , Andersson L. , McFadden J. , Luhmann J. , Curry S.
Published: October 2022

The interaction between Mars' crustal magnetic fields and the solar wind produces a variety of magnetic topologies whose characteristics depend upon the plasma regions that the magnetic field is embedded in. We utilize in‐situ Mars Atmosphere And Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) measurements to identify localized ionospheric structures, observed as the spacecraft flies through this patchwork of different magnetic topologies. Events are characterized by sharp ‘drop outs’ in magnetic field strength that we term ‘magnetic depletions’. The plasma pressure dominates within magnetic depletions, while the magnetic pressure typically dominates outside of them. Abrupt changes in magnetic topology are coincident with the depletion boundaries. A preliminary statistical study spanning 3 months shows that events occur on ∼4% of MAVEN orbits, between altitudes of 170–360 km. Ionospheric electrons are collisionless and thus magnetized at these altitudes, and combined with the fact that magnetic diffusion timescales range from minutes to an hour, these characteristics suggest that such structures can be observed sporadically by MAVEN on its ∼4.5 hr orbit before being smeared out by magnetic diffusion. At lower altitudes high collision rates lead to diffusion timescales of seconds, while at higher altitudes electromagnetic waves, instabilities and other transport processes driven by the Mars‐solar wind interaction can distort the magnetic field, making magnetic depletion events difficult to identify. Magnetic depletions highlight the ability of magnetic topology to drive localized ionospheric structure at Mars, a result that stems from the unique interaction between the solar wind, Mars' crustal magnetic fields, and it's ionosphere.
Dynamo Simulations of Jupiter's Magnetic Field: The Role of Stable Stratification and a Dilute Core
Authors: Moore K. M. , Barik A. , Stanley S. , Stevenson D. J. , Nettelmann N. , Helled R. , Guillot T. , Militzer B. , Bolton S.
Published: October 2022

Understanding Jupiter's present‐day interior structure and dynamics is key to constraining planetary accretion models. In particular, the extent of stable stratification (i.e., non‐convective regions) in the planet strongly influences long‐term cooling processes, and may record primordial heavy element gradients from early in a planet's formation. Because the Galileo entry probe measured a subsolar helium abundance, Jupiter interior models often invoke an outer stably stratified region due to helium rain. Additionally, Juno gravity data suggest a deeper, potentially stratified dilute core extending halfway through the planet. However, fits to Jupiter's gravitational data are non‐unique, and outstanding uncertainty over the equations of state for hydrogen and helium remain. Here, we use high‐resolution numerical magnetohydrodynamic simulations of Jupiter's magnetic field to place constraints on the extent of stable stratification within the planet. We find that compared to traditional interior models, an upper stably stratified layer between 0.9 and 0.95 Jupiter radii (RJ) helps to explain both Jupiter's dipolar magnetic field and zonal winds. In contrast, an extended dilute core that is entirely stably stratified (no convective layers) yields significantly worse fits to both. However, our models with extended deep stratification still generate dipolar magnetic fields if an upper stratified region is also present. Overall, we find that a planet with a dilute core i.e., strongly stably stratified is increasingly challenging to reconcile with Jupiter's magnetic field and winds. Thus if a dilute core is present, alternative modalities such as a fully convective dilute core, a complex multilayered interior structure, or double diffusive convection may be required.
Capillary Water in 2‐D Drying—Cracking Sub‐Grain Scale Soil Models: Dynamics and Instabilities of Haines Jumps
Authors: Hueckel T. , Mielniczuk B. , Guével A. , Veveakis M.
Published: October 2022

Changes in capillary water morphology in a cluster of three wet long cylindrical grains as reported in Mielniczuk and Hueckel (2022, https://doi.org/10.1029/2022wr031938) affect capillary forces evolving during drying. The paper focuses on a stable motion of menisci (air/liquid interfaces) and their unstable (Haines) jumps. The meniscus instabilities were shown in the past to be a trigger of soil drying‐cracking. The forces considered are Laplace pressure and surface tension resultants deduced from the menisci imaged every 10 s. The Laplace pressure for cylindrical clusters depends on a single curvature of the meniscus. Several known criteria the capillary body instability are examined using the experimental data. An extended Gibbs criterion points to a source of the instability. The instability is lost when the meniscus approaches the throat between the grains and when the balance is lost between the changes of forces of the Laplace pressure and of the surface tension acting at the meniscus. The presence of the surface tension forces in the instability considerations in addition to the Laplace pressure distinguishes Gibbs criterion from other criteria. Gibbs meniscus energy estimate also provides an inertia force arising to maintain the linear momentum balance for the meniscus, and a duration of the jump.
Experimental Evaluation of Fluid Connectivity in Two‐Phase Flow in Porous Media During Drainage
Authors: Vahid Dastjerdi Samaneh , Karadimitriou Nikolaos , Hassanizadeh S. Majid , Steeb Holger
Published: October 2022

This study aims to experimentally investigate the possibility of combining two extended continuum theories for two‐phase flow. One of these theories considers interfacial area as a separate state variable, and the other explicitly discriminates between connected and disconnected phases. This combination enhances our potential to effectively model the apparent hysteresis, which generally dominates two‐phase flow. Using optical microscopy, we perform microfluidic experiments in quasi‐2D artificial porous media for various cyclic displacement processes and boundary conditions. Specifically for a number of sequential drainage processes, with detailed image (post‐)processing, pore‐scale parameters such as the interfacial area between the phases (wetting, non‐wetting, and solid), and local capillary pressure, as well as macroscopic parameters like saturation, are estimated. We show that discriminating between connected and disconnected clusters and the concept of the interfacial area as a separate state variable can be an appropriate way of modeling hysteresis in a two‐phase flow scheme. The drainage datasets of capillary pressure, saturation, and specific interfacial area, are plotted as a surface, given by f (Pc, sw, awn) = 0. These surfaces accommodate all data points within a reasonable experimental error, irrespective of the boundary conditions, as long as the corresponding liquid is connected to its inlet. However, this concept also shows signs of reduced efficiency as a modeling approach in datasets gathered through combining experiments with higher volumetric fluxes. We attribute this observation to the effect of the porous medium geometry on the phase distribution. This yields further elaboration, in which this speculation is thoroughly studied and analyzed.
Runx1 is a key regulator of articular cartilage homeostasis by orchestrating YAP, TGFβ, and Wnt signaling in articular cartilage formation and osteoarthritis
Authors: Zhang Yan , Zuo Tao , McVicar Abigail , Yang Hui-Lin , Li Yi-Ping , Chen Wei
Published: October 2022

Runt-related transcription factor 1 (Runx1) plays a key role in cartilage formation, but its function in articular cartilage formation is unclear. We generated non-inducible and inducible Runx1-deficient mice (Runx1f/fCol2α1-Cre and Runx1f/fCol2α1-CreER mice) and found that chondrocyte-specific Runx1-deficient mice developed a spontaneous osteoarthritis (OA)-like phenotype and showed exacerbated articular cartilage destruction under OA, characterized by articular cartilage degradation and cartilage ossification, with decreased Col2α1 expression and increased Mmp13 and Adamts5 expression. RNA-sequencing analysis of hip articular cartilage from the Runx1f/fCol2α1-Cre mice compared to that from wild-type mice and subsequent validation analyses demonstrated that Runx1 is a central regulator in multiple signaling pathways, converging signals of the Hippo/Yap, TGFβ/Smad, and Wnt/β-catenin pathways into a complex network to regulate the expression of downstream genes, thereby controlling a series of osteoarthritic pathological processes. RNA-sequencing analysis of mutant knee joints showed that Runx1’s role in signaling pathways in articular cartilage is different from that in whole knee joints, indicating that Runx1 regulation is tissue-specific. Histopathologic analysis confirmed that Runx1 deficiency decreased the levels of YAP and p-Smad2/3 and increased the levels of active β-catenin. Overexpression of Runx1 dramatically increased YAP expression in chondrocytes. Adeno-associated virus-mediated Runx1 overexpression in the knee joints of osteoarthritic mice showed the protective effect of Runx1 on articular cartilage damaged in OA. Our results notably showed that Runx1 is a central regulator of articular cartilage homeostasis by orchestrating the YAP, TGFβ, and Wnt signaling pathways in the formation of articular cartilage and OA, and targeting Runx1 and its downstream genes may facilitate the design of novel therapeutic approaches for OA.