bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of the surgical outcomes of the posterior approach, video-assisted thoracic surgery, and combined approach for thoracic dumbbell tumors based on a new classification: a retrospective study
Authors: Zilong Mao , Jinan Zhang , Weixin Li , Peng Wang , Wei Zuo
Published: January 2024

The appropriate surgical treatment strategy was based on the regions of tumor invasion. There is no classification to aid the surgeon in selection. A retrospective study of the clinical data of patients who underwent resection of thoracic dumbbell tumors at the Neurosurgery and Thoracic Surgery Department of Hospital between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2021 was conducted. Patient data, images, and surgical outcome data were collected. The thoracic spine was divided into areas A, B, and C with respect to the line through the middle of the intervertebral foramen and the line of the costo-transverse joint lateral margin in the horizontal plane. Type I tumors were located in areas A or A and B, type II tumors were located in areas B or B and C, and type III tumors were located in areas A, B, and C. Fifty-five patients with thoracic dumbbell tumors were surgically treated (mean age, 43.1 years; 22 (40%) female). The patients with type I and III tumors underwent the posterior approach, type III tumors had more bleeding during the operation and longer operation times than type I. Among the patients with type II tumors who underwent video-assisted thoracic surgery and the posterior approach, the posterior group had more bleeding and a longer operation time than the others. The patients with type III tumors underwent the combined approach and the posterior approach; although there was no clear difference in the bleeding volume or operation time, the combined approach group had a lower incidence of complications. The new classification of different types of thoracic dumbbell tumors can simply and effectively guide the selection of surgery.
Far from home: tracing the origin of non-native water frogs (genus Pelophylax) in Malta by molecular markers
Authors: Papežík Petr , Sciberras Arnold , Benovics Michal , Sciberras Jeffrey , Deidun Alain , Mikulíček Peter
Published: January 2024

One of the most frequently translocated species outside their native range in Europe are water frogs of the genus Pelophylax. Recently, water frogs belonging to the same genus have also been recorded on the island of Gozo in Malta. To trace their origin, we genetically examined 17 individuals from three Gozitan localities where water frogs have been recorded recently. We analysed one mitochondrial (NADH dehydrogenase 2, ND2) and one nuclear (serum albumin intron 1, SAI-1) fragment to identify the geographic origin of the frogs and a set of microsatellite markers to determine their population-genetic structure and the predicted number of source populations. Based on the ND2 and SAI-1 markers, the water frogs on the island of Gozo originate from southern Anatolia, Turkey. According to sequence variation in ND2, they were assigned to a caralitanus mtDNA clade, which is endemic to southern Anatolia and taxonomically represents either an evolutionary lineage within P. cf. bedriagae or a separate species P. caralitanus. All Gozo water frogs had only one haplotype in the ND2 and one allele in the SAI-1 fragment, indicating a recent and single introduction event. These results are supported by microsatellite analysis, which revealed low genetic variability and the absence of any population-genetic structure, suggesting that Gozo water frogs originate from only one source population.
CompTrails: comparing hypotheses across behavioral networks
Authors: Koopmann Tobias , Becker Martin , Lemmerich Florian , Hotho Andreas
Published: January 2024

The term Behavioral Networks describes networks that contain relational information on human behavior. This ranges from social networks that contain friendships or cooperations between individuals, to navigational networks that contain geographical or web navigation, and many more. Understanding the forces driving behavior within these networks can be beneficial to improving the underlying network, for example, by generating new hyperlinks on websites, or by proposing new connections and friends on social networks. Previous approaches considered different hypotheses on a single network and evaluated which hypothesis fits best. These hypotheses can represent human intuition and expert opinions or be based on previous insights. In this work, we extend these approaches to enable the comparison of a single hypothesis between multiple networks. We unveil several issues of naive approaches that potentially impact comparisons and lead to undesired results. Based on these findings, we propose a framework with five flexible components that allow addressing specific analysis goals tailored to the application scenario. We show the benefits and limits of our approach by applying it to synthetic data and several real-world datasets, including web navigation, bibliometric navigation, and geographic navigation. Our work supports practitioners and researchers with the aim of understanding similarities and differences in human behavior between environments.
Learning from Paradoxes
Authors: Bettini Alessandro
Published: January 2024

George Francis FitzGerald is well known to have proposed in 1889, three years before Lorentz, the (physical) contraction of bodies moving in the hypothetical ether, as an “explanation” the null result of the Michelson and Morley experiment. Less known is his proposal of an ether-drift experiment based on an electrostatic system. A simple charged condenser suspended by a wire would be subject to a torque due to the earth’s motion. The experiment was done by his pupil Trouton, with Noble, with null result. It was an important independent confirmation of the relativity principle, but it was substantially forgotten. It came back, under the form of a paradox, in the second half of the past century, usefully triggering an in-depth discussion on the electromagnetic energy and momentum flow in stationary systems, in which intuitively one thinks momentum should be zero, but it is not. The solution of the Trouton–Noble paradox, and similar ones, has led to a better understanding of the interplay between electromagnetic field and matter and to develop relevant examples for the university courses.
Functional properties of planktic microalgae determine their habitat selection
Authors: Görgényi Judit , T-Krasznai Enikő , Lukács Áron , Kókai Zsuzsanna , B-Béres Viktória , Várbíró Gábor , Ács Éva , Kiss Keve Tihamér , Tóthmérész Béla , Borics Gábor
Published: January 2024

In this study, we aim to investigate how the functional properties of microalgae help to delineate the major groups of aquatic habitats. Using functional trait-based and Reynolds’ functional group-based approaches similarities of the microalgal flora of all aquatic habitats occurring in Hungary were compared. The habitats covered the whole size spectrum of standing waters (10-2–108 m2) and water currents (watershed: 102–1011 m2), , limnological and chemical properties. Both functional trait-based and functional group-based habitat classifications overrode the hydromorphology-based typology, however, functional group-based clusters showed closer resemblance to limnological-hydromorphological types than clusters created by trait-based approaches both for qualitative and quantitative data. Most of the aquatic habitats that have similar limnological characteristics showed resemblance in the functional properties of their microflora. Rivers and river-related habitats were the most diverse functionally. These were followed by standing waters with extended macrophyte coverage. The small, unique habitats displayed the lowest functional richness. The occurrence of several functional groups in some extreme habitats implies two alternative explanations: first, the habitat template of the groups is wider than defined in the original description; second, detailed information on the autecology of species assigned to a functional group necessitates the creation of new groups specific for the unique habitats.
GIS-based flash flooding susceptibility analysis and water management in arid mountain ranges: Safaga Region, Red Sea Mountains, Egypt
Authors: El-Rayes Ahmed E. , Arnous Mohamed O. , Helmy Ahmed M.
Published: January 2024

The Safaga Region (SR) is part of the Red Sea mountain range in Egypt. Catastrophic flash flooding is now an inescapable event, wreaking havoc and causing massive loss of life and property. The majority of the floodwater, however, has been wasted as runoff to the Red Sea, which, if used wisely, could meet a fraction of the water demands for a variety of applications in this area. The current work aims to use GIS techniques to integrate remote sensing data for evaluating, mitigating, and managing flash floods in SR. The data set comprised Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) thematic rainfall data, 1:50,000 scale topographical map sheets, geological maps, the ASTER Digital Elevation Model (ASTER GDEM), Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper” (ETM7+), and Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager. The flash flood risk model of SR is developed using ArcGIS-10.3 geoprocessing tools integrating all the causal factors thematic maps. The final flood risk model for the SR suggests that 57% of the total basins in the SR are at high risk of flooding. Almost 38% of all basins are at moderate flood risk. The remaining 5% of basins are less prone to flooding. Flood-prone zones were identified, suitable dam-building sites were located, and extremely probable areas for water recharge were recognized. On the basis of reliable scientific data, structural and non-structural mitigation strategies that might reduce the damage susceptibility, alleviate the sensitivity of the flash flood, and best utilize its water supply were recommended.
Atrophy patterns in hippocampus and amygdala subregions of depressed patients with Parkinson's disease
Authors: Qu Mingrui , Gao Bingbing , Jiang Yuhan , Li Yuan , Pei Chenhui , Xie Lizhi , Zhang Yukun , Song Qingwei , Miao Yanwei
Published: January 2024

We aimed to explore the subregional atrophy patterns of the amygdala and hippocampus in Parkinson's disease (PD) with depression and their correlation with the severity of the depressive symptom. MRI scans were obtained for 34 depressed PD patients (DPD), 22 nondepressed PD patients (NDPD), and 28 healthy controls (HC). Amygdala and hippocampal subregions were automatically segmented, and the intergroup volume difference was compared. The relationships between the volumes of the subregions and depression severity were investigated. Logistic analysis and Receiver operator characteristic curve were used to find independent predictors of DPD. Compared with the HC group, atrophy of the bilateral lateral nucleus, left accessory basal nucleus, right cortical nucleus, right central nucleus, and right medial nucleus subregions of the amygdala were visible in the DPD group, while the right lateral nucleus subregion of the amygdala was smaller in the DPD group than in the NDPD group. The DPD group showed significant atrophy in the left molecular layer, left GC-DG, left CA3, and left CA4 subregions compared with the HC group for hippocampal subregion volumes. Also, the right lateral nuclei volume and disease duration were independent predictors of DPD. To sum up, DPD patients showed atrophy in multiple amygdala subregions and left asymmetric hippocampal subregions. The decreased amygdala and hippocampal subregion volumes were correlated with the severity of depressive symptoms. The volume of right lateral nuclei and disease duration could be used as a biomarker to detect DPD.
Current Percutaneous Approaches to Treat Mitral Valve Regurgitation
Authors: Wunderlich Nina C. , Shechter Alon , Swaans Martin J. , Lehmann Ralf , Siegel Robert J.
Published: January 2024

Purpose of review

In recent years, our understanding of mitral regurgitation and its management has evolved substantially. In particular, as percutaneous mitral valve interventions have proven safe and effective, it has become possible to offer expanded therapeutic options to patients who are deemed inoperable or at high surgical risk. This review provides an overview of currently available transcatheter mitral valve interventions and summarizes recently published findings that may allow for better risk stratification, patient selection, and procedural safety and efficacy.

Recent findings

In the last 1–2 years, numerous studies have provided important insights that help to better characterize patients in clinical practice and to select them more optimally for specific interventional mitral valve procedures.

The evolution of percutaneous MV therapy has been substantial and extremely beneficial for patient care. Nonetheless, this is an area underdevelopment and newer or enhanced devices are likely to emerge in the future.
Application of a GIS-Based Hydrological Model to Predict Surface Wetness of Blanket Bogs
Authors: Mackin Francis , Flynn Raymond , Fernandez-Valverde Fernando
Published: January 2024

Understanding hydrological processes operating on relatively intact blanket bogs provides a scientific basis for establishing achievable restoration targets for damaged sites. A GIS-based hydrological model, developed to assess restoration potential of Irish raised bogs, was adapted and applied to four relatively intact blanket bogs in Ireland. The Modified Flow Accumulation Capacity (MFAC) model utilised high-resolution topographic data to predict surface wetness, based on climatic conditions, contributing catchment and local surface slope. Modifications to MFAC parameters aimed to account for differences in hydrological processes between raised bogs and blanket bogs. Application of a climatic correction factor accounted for variations in effective rainfall between the four study sites, while monitoring of water table levels indicated a log-linear relationship between MFAC values and summer water table levels and range of water table fluctuations. Deviations from the observed relationship between MFAC and water table levels were associated with hydrological pressures, such as artificial drainage or the occurrence of subsurface macropores (peat pipes), which further lowered summer water tables. Despite being effective as a predictor of relative surface wetness, the relationship between MFAC and ecological variables such as Sphagnum spp. cover proved poor, pointing to the impact of past activities and damage caused by anthropogenic pressures. Findings demonstrated MFAC as an effective tool in predicting surface wetness within blanket bog-covered landscapes, thus proving useful to peatland practitioners in planning and prioritising areas for restoration.
Reasoning Disaster Chains with Bayesian Network Estimated Under Expert Prior Knowledge
Authors: Huang Lida , Chen Tao , Deng Qing , Zhou Yuli
Published: January 2024

With the acceleration of global climate change and urbanization, disaster chains are always connected to artificial systems like critical infrastructure. The complexity and uncertainty of the disaster chain development process and the severity of the consequences have brought great challenges to emergency decision makers. The Bayesian network (BN) was applied in this study to reason about disaster chain scenarios to support the choice of appropriate response strategies. To capture the interacting relationships among different factors, a scenario representation model of disaster chains was developed, followed by the determination of the BN structure. In deriving the conditional probability tables of the BN model, we found that, due to the lack of data and the significant uncertainty of disaster chains, parameter learning methodologies based on data or expert knowledge alone are insufficient. By integrating both sample data and expert knowledge with the maximum entropy principle, we proposed a parameter estimation algorithm under expert prior knowledge (PEUK). Taking the rainstorm disaster chain as an example, we demonstrated the superiority of the PEUK-built BN model over the traditional maximum a posterior (MAP) algorithm and the direct expert opinion elicitation method. The results also demonstrate the potential of our BN scenario reasoning paradigm to assist real-world disaster decisions.
Competing risk nomogram and risk classification system for evaluating overall and cancer-specific survival in neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix: a population-based retrospective study
Authors: Liu J. , Lyu Y. , He Y. , Ge J. , Zou W. , Liu S. , Yang H. , Li J. , Jiang K.
Published: January 2024

Objective

Neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix (NECC) is a rare malignancy with poor clinical prognosis due to limited therapeutic options. This study aimed to establish a risk-stratification score and nomogram models to predict prognosis in NECC patients.

Methods

Data on individuals diagnosed with NECC between 2000 and 2019 were retrieved from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database and then randomly classified into training and validation cohorts (7:3). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses evaluated independent indicators of prognosis. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis further assisted in confirming candidate variables. Based on these factors, cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) nomograms that predict survival over 1, 3, and 5 years were constructed. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, the concordance index (C-index), and the calibration curve estimated the precision and discriminability of the competing risk nomogram for both cohorts. Finally, we assessed the clinical value of the nomograms using decision curve analysis (DCA).

Results

Data from 2348 patients were obtained from the SEER database. Age, tumor stage, T stage, N stage, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery predicted OS. Additionally, histological type was another standalone indicator of CSS prognosis. For predicting CSS, the C-index was 0.751 (95% CI 0.731 ~ 0.770) and 0.740 (95% CI 0.710 ~ 0.770) for the training and validation cohorts, respectively. Furthermore, the C-index in OS prediction was 0.757 (95% CI 0.738 ~ 0.776) and 0.747 (95% CI 0.718 ~ 0.776) for both cohorts. The proposed model had an excellent discriminative ability. Good accuracy and discriminability were also demonstrated using the AUC and calibration curves. Additionally, DCA demonstrated the high clinical potential of the nomograms for CSS and OS prediction. We constructed a corresponding risk classification system using nomogram scores. For the whole cohort, the median CSS times for the low-, moderate-, and high-risk groups were 59.3, 19.5, and 7.4 months, respectively.

Conclusion

New competing risk nomograms and a risk classification system were successfully developed to predict the 1-, 3-, and 5-year CSS and OS of NECC patients. The models are internally accurate and reliable and may guide clinicians toward better clinical decisions and the development of personalized treatment plans.
An evaluation method of open-pit slope stability based on Poset theory
Authors: Jiang Juyu , Sun Jianxiong , Wang Dong , Wang Laigui , Cao Lanzhu , Cai Mingxiang
Published: January 2024

To achieve an objective and reasonable judgment on slope stability, the partially ordered set (Poset) theory is applied to the slope stability evaluation against the engineering background of an open pit slope. From the four aspects of rock mass structural characteristics, slope morphology, environment conditions and engineering conditions, 24 typical evaluation indices such as cohesion, internal friction angle, elastic modulus and Poisson’s ratio are selected. Based on the Poset theory, a Poset evaluation model is established. According to the slope stability evaluation indices and the risk grade classification criteria, the slope stability risk grade is divided into four grades: stable (Grade I), generally stable (Grade II), slightly stable (Grade III) and unstable (Grade IV). The index data are normalized and the weight ranking information is used. Implicit weighting is carried out by means of accumulation. The comparison relation matrix, the Hasse matrix and the Hasse diagram are constructed for each factor layer and comprehensive index layer, respectively. This method was utilized to evaluate the risk grade of an engineering example, determine the slope risk grade, and compare with the actual situation. The results show that the slope to be evaluated is generally stable (Grade II) under the comprehensive evaluation indices of various factors, and the assessed stability condition is consistent with the actual situation. These verify the rationality and applicability of the proposed method and provide a new insight for accurately identifying the stability condition of open-pit slopes.
Advantages of natural fiber composites for biomedical applications: a review of recent advances
Authors: Faheed Noor K.
Published: January 2024

Currently, the use of natural fibers as reinforcements in composites offers several advantages, such as a decline in materials derived from non-renewable resources and a reduction in the effects on the environment. These substances have been effectively utilized in the fields of tissue engineering, wound care, drug delivery, and nanotechnology as hydrogels, scaffolding, matrices, and implantation. In terms of implants and other medical technology, biomaterials significantly contribute to the revolutionizing of human existence. Fundamentally, these materials must be extremely biocompatible and unaffected by physiological conditions in humans. Nevertheless, biodegradability is also a drawback of natural materials, as they cannot be as long-lasting as conventional artificial substances and are more prone to wear and tear because of their close contact with human tissue. Because the efficacy of a medical device depends on its suitability and capacity to perform the desired operation, selecting the appropriate material is crucial when developing a medical device. Therefore, by emphasizing modern advances in natural materials and applications, this study aims to emphasize both the fundamental characteristics of natural fibers and recent developments in the biomedical field. Finally, the impact of these implant materials on improving human life is also discussed.
Pediatric Market Access: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Maas Lieke , Joos Angelika , Hiligsmann Mickael
Published: January 2024

Objectives

This qualitative study aims to analyze current PM regulation and market access requirements and proposes potential solutions to mitigate current challenges.

Methods

Twenty-two semi-structured interviews were conducted with experts from pharmaceutical industry, regulatory authorities, national health technology assessment (HTA) bodies, pediatricians, and academia from the Netherlands (NL), Germany (DE), the United Kingdom (UK), and France (FR) to get insight into the pediatric research, the regulatory and reimbursement processes, challenges, and solutions. Themes for further testing were developed on how to facilitate pediatric market access. Atlas.ti 9 was used to analyze the findings.

Results

Heterogeneity in requirements for the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and HTA approvals are noted. By example, DE grants direct reimbursement after regulatory approval, the other countries require additional reimbursement which generate delays and challenges in patient access after marketing authorization. Key components in facilitating PM market access include multi-stakeholder collaboration, transparency, patient representatives, informed consent guidance, real-world evidence, and appropriate clinical trial designs. Pricing models based on the economic capabilities of individual countries could further reduce delays and challenges in market access. The additional specific pediatric incentives should be taken as best practice to encourage innovation in pediatric conditions.

Conclusion

This study highlights differences in requirements for regulatory and reimbursement approval, along with international differences in pricing and reimbursement procedures for pediatric market access.
Carrageenans as biostimulants and bio-elicitors: plant growth and defense responses
Authors: Hossain Md. Motaher , Sultana Farjana , Khan Sabia , Nayeema Jannatun , Mostafa Mahabuba , Ferdus Humayra , Tran Lam-Son Phan , Mostofa Mohammad Golam
Published: January 2024

In the context of climate change, the need to ensure food security and safety has taken center stage. Chemical fertilizers and pesticides are traditionally used to achieve higher plant productivity and improved plant protection from biotic stresses. However, the widespread use of fertilizers and pesticides has led to significant risks to human health and the environment, which are further compounded by the emissions of greenhouse gases during fertilizer and pesticide production and application, contributing to global warming and climate change. The naturally occurring sulfated linear polysaccharides obtained from edible red seaweeds (Rhodophyta), carrageenans, could offer climate-friendly substitutes for these inputs due to their bi-functional activities. Carrageenans and their derivatives, known as oligo-carrageenans, facilitate plant growth through a multitude of metabolic courses, including chlorophyll metabolism, carbon fixation, photosynthesis, protein synthesis, secondary metabolite generation, and detoxification of reactive oxygen species. In parallel, these compounds suppress pathogens by their direct antimicrobial activities and/or improve plant resilience against pathogens by modulating biochemical changes via salicylate (SA) and/or jasmonate (JA) and ethylene (ET) signaling pathways, resulting in increased production of secondary metabolites, defense-related proteins, and antioxidants. The present review summarizes the usage of carrageenans for increasing plant development and defense responses to pathogenic challenges under climate change. In addition, the current state of knowledge regarding molecular mechanisms and metabolic alterations in plants during carrageenan-stimulated plant growth and plant disease defense responses has been discussed. This evaluation will highlight the potential use of these new biostimulants in increasing agricultural productivity under climate change.
The neuropsychopharmacology of acetyl-L-carnitine (LAC): basic, translational and therapeutic implications
Authors: Bigio Benedetta , Azam Shofiul , Mathé Aleksander A. , Nasca Carla
Published: January 2024

Mitochondrial metabolism can contribute to nuclear histone acetylation among other epigenetic mechanisms. A central aspect of this signaling pathway is acetyl-L-carnitine (LAC), a pivotal mitochondrial metabolite best known for its role in fatty acid oxidation. Work from our and other groups suggested LAC as a novel epigenetic modulator of brain plasticity and a therapeutic target for clinical phenotypes of depression linked to childhood trauma. Aberrant mitochondrial metabolism of LAC has also been implicated in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease. Furthermore, mitochondrial dysfunction is linked to other processes implicated in the pathophysiology of both major depressive disorders and Alzheimer’s disease, such as oxidative stress, inflammation, and insulin resistance. In addition to the rapid epigenetic modulation of glutamatergic function, preclinical studies showed that boosting mitochondrial metabolism of LAC protects against oxidative stress, rapidly ameliorates insulin resistance, and reduces neuroinflammation by decreasing proinflammatory pathways such as NFkB in hippocampal and cortical neurons. These basic and translational neuroscience findings point to this mitochondrial signaling pathway as a potential target to identify novel mechanisms of brain plasticity and potential unique targets for therapeutic intervention targeted to specific clinical phenotypes.
Solving Traveling Salesman Problem Using Parallel River Formation Dynamics Optimization Algorithm on Multi-core Architecture Using Apache Spark
Authors: Alhenawi Esra’a , Khurma Ruba Abu , Damaševic̆ius Robertas , Hussien Abdelazim G.
Published: January 2024

According to Moore’s law, computer processing hardware technology performance is doubled every year. To make effective use of this technological development, the algorithmic solutions have to be developed at the same speed. Consequently, it is necessary to design parallel algorithms to be implemented on parallel machines. This helps to exploit the multi-core environment by executing multiple instructions simultaneously on multiple processors. Traveling Salesman (TSP) is a challenging non-deterministic-hard optimization problem that has exponential running time using brute-force methods. TSP is concerned with finding the shortest path starting with a point and returning to that point after visiting the list of points, provided that these points are visited only once. Meta-heuristic optimization algorithms have been used to tackle TSP and find near-optimal solutions in a reasonable time. This paper proposes a parallel River Formation Dynamics Optimization Algorithm (RFD) to solve the TSP problem. The parallelization technique depends on dividing the population into different processors using the Map-Reduce framework in Apache Spark. The experiments are accomplished in three phases. The first phase compares the speedup, running time, and efficiency of RFD on 1 (sequential RFD), 4, 8, and 16 cores. The second phase compares the proposed parallel RFD with three parallel water-based algorithms, namely the Water Flow algorithm, Intelligent Water Drops, and the Water Cycle Algorithm. To achieve fairness, all algorithms are implemented using the same system specifications and the same values for shared parameters. The third phase compares the proposed parallel RFD with the reported results of metaheuristic algorithms that were used to solve TSP in the literature. The results demonstrate that the RFD algorithm has the best performance for the majority of problem instances, achieving the lowest running times across different core counts. Our findings highlight the importance of selecting the most suitable algorithm and core count based on the problem characteristics to achieve optimal performance in parallel optimization.
Heat transfer in drop-laden turbulence
Authors: Mangani Francesca , Roccon Alessio , Zonta Francesco , Soldati Alfredo
Published: January 2024

Heat transfer by large deformable drops in a turbulent flow is a complex and rich-in-physics system, in which drop deformation, breakage and coalescence influence the transport of heat. We study this problem by coupling direct numerical simulation (DNS) of turbulence with a phase-field method for the interface description. Simulations are run at fixed-shear Reynolds and Weber numbers. To evaluate the influence of microscopic flow properties, like momentum/thermal diffusivity, on macroscopic flow properties, like mean temperature or heat transfer rates, we consider four different values of the Prandtl number, which is the momentum to thermal diffusivity ratio:

$Pr=1$

,

$Pr=2$

,

$Pr=4$

and

$Pr=8$

. The drop volume fraction is

$\varPhi \simeq 5.4\,\%$

for all cases. Drops are initially warmer than the turbulent carrier fluid and release heat at different rates depending on the value of

$Pr$

, but also on their size and on their own dynamics (topology, breakage, drop–drop interaction). Computing the time behaviour of the drops and carrier fluid average temperatures, we clearly show that an increase of

$Pr$

slows down the heat transfer process. We explain our results by a simplified phenomenological model: we show that the time behaviour of the drop average temperature is self-similar, and a universal behaviour can be found upon rescaling by

$t/Pr^{2/3}$

. Accordingly, the heat transfer coefficient

$\mathcal {H}$

(respectively its dimensionless counterpart, the Nusselt number

$Nu$

) scales as

$\mathcal {H}\sim Pr^{-2/3}$

(respectively

$Nu\sim Pr^{1/3}$

) at the beginning of the simulation, and tends to

$\mathcal {H}\sim Pr^{-1/2}$

(respectively

$Nu\sim Pr^{1/2}$

) at later times. These different scalings can be explained via the boundary layer theory and are consistent with previous theoretical/numerical predictions.
ADAM SMITH AND THE BANKERS: RETROSPECT AND PROSPECT
Authors: Duncan Alfred , Nolan Charles
Published: January 2024

Adam Smith promoted free banking—private, competitive, convertible banknotes. He also supported restrictions on banks. We study Smith’s views and the era in which they developed, suggesting his ‘regulations’ were a backstop against banks’ risks to depositors but primarily monetary stability. In modern parlance, Smith supported macroprudential regulations to underpin monetary stability, as did Friedman and Schwartz the US FDIC. We discuss why Smith’s vision for banking went unrealised. Bank regulation became microprudential and ran aground in 2008/2009. The prominence of macroprudential regulation now provides a chance to reorientate regulation to support monetary stability. Early signs are not promising.
INTRODUCTION TO THE SPECIAL ISSUE ON ADAM SMITH@300
Authors: Ghosal Sayantan , Muscatelli Anton , Roy Graeme
Published: January 2024

2023 marks the tercentenary of the birth of Adam Smith. A towering figure of the Scottish Enlightenment, his writings helped to establish the discipline we now refer to as Political Economy. Indeed, many of his ideas remain the foundation of economic theories still in use today. It is this ongoing relevance, and the lessons we can take from Smith’s methods, that binds the papers in this Special Issue together. The Special Issue draws upon excellent contributions from renowned scholars covering a wide array of Smith’s contributions to economics and political economy.
A Tale of Three Brothers: Ezra, Meʾir, and Hayyawi Sawdaʾi and the History of an Iraqi Jewish Cinema Business
Authors: Olsen Pelle Valentin
Published: January 2024

In Iraq, like elsewhere in the region, cinemagoing became a popular form of leisure in the 1920s and 1930s. The emergence of permanent indoor and outdoor cinemas during this period gave rise to new consumption practices, ways of inhabiting the city, opportunities for investors and entrepreneurs, and the creation of a leisure and entertainment economy that was both modern, international, and Iraqi. In the early 1930s, three Jewish brothers, Ezra, Meʾir, and Hayyawi Sawdaʾi, began transforming their family's wealth from one based in regional trading to a modern cinema business. During the period of British colonial rule, Iraq was forcefully integrated into a global, Western dominated market economy and the brothers tried their hands at several import and local businesses before eventually finding their niche in entertainment. They rented movie theaters, built cinemas, established themselves as prime importers of foreign movies, and left a deep imprint on the Iraqi film industry.
Morphological and molecular characterization of plagiorchiid trematodes (Plagiorchis: Plagiorchiidae, Digenea) from bats with redescription of Plagiorchis mordovii Shaldybin, 1958
Authors: Kirillova N.Y. , Kirillov A.A. , Shchenkov S.V. , Knyazev A.E. , Vekhnik V.A.
Published: January 2024

Five Plagiorchis spp. parasitize bats in European Russia: Plagiorchis elegans, Plagiorchis koreanus, Plagiorchis mordovii, Plagiorchis muelleri, and Plagiorchis vespertilionis. Their identification is difficult due to a high morphological similarity. The morphological variability of these species is poorly studied. The taxonomic position of P. mordovii remains debatable. The purpose of our study was to analyse Plagiorchis spp. from European bats using a combination of morphological and molecular-phylogenetic approaches and to establish the taxonomic position of the problematic species P. mordovii.Plagiorchis spp. were shown to be variable morphologically and morphometrically both from various host species and from different specimens of the same species. We presented a new taxonomic key for identification of the Plagiorchis spp. from European bats, provided a complete description of Plagiorchis mordovii, and confirmed the validity and the generic affiliation of this species.
Slovenian Historiography in the Post-1989 Period
Authors: Kosi Jernej
Published: January 2024

In 1999, a roundtable entitled ‘The Problems of Slovenian Historiography in the Twentieth Century’ took place at the Institute for Contemporary History (Inštitut za novejšo zgodovino) in Ljubljana. The event was envisioned as a moment where Slovenian historians could collectively confront the state of Slovenian historiography. The organisers asked the invited participants to reflect on the main shortcomings of Slovenian historiography produced in and about the twentieth century. In particular, the following themes and issues were placed at the centre of reflection: research pitfalls in Slovenian historiography; historical processes and problems that should urgently be put on the research agenda; methodological and epistemological quandaries; and, last but not least, external pressures on historiography and the interference of civil society and political actors in the work of professional historiography. As a starting point for the discussion, participants presented written position papers that were later published as a thin booklet.1
Lawyers as Lobbyists: Regulatory Advocacy in American Finance
Authors: Libgober Brian , Carpenter Daniel
Published: January 2024

Administrative agencies have undertaken an increasingly substantial role in policymaking. Yet the influence-seeking that targets these agencies remains poorly understood. Reporting exceptions under the Lobbying Disclosure Act allow many of the most powerful advocates to characterize their activity as lawyering, not lobbying, and thereby fly under the radar. Using agency-generated records on lobbying activity, financial reporting, and personnel databases specific to lawyers, as well as LinkedIn, we describe a vast subterranean world of regulatory influence-seeking that the social-science literature has (mostly) ignored. Regulatory lobbying is systematically different from legislative lobbying. It involves different kinds of people and different lobbying firms that bring specific forms of expertise and distinct networks. Our key findings about how regulatory lobbying differs include the following: (1) the regulatory lobbying sector is highly segregated from the reported lobbying sector, with many regulatory advocates failing to consistently register or report earnings commensurate with their activity level, (2) the number of unregistered regulatory advocates working on the implementation of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act plausibly exceeds 150% of the registered lobbyists working on that law, (3) the most effective regulatory lobbyists and law firms involved with regulatory lobbying have incomes that dramatically outpace leading reported lobbying firms (which are also mostly law firms), and (4) back-of-the-envelope calculations and more sophisticated decomposition regressions imply that aggregate expenditure on lawyer-lobbying is several multiples of reported lobbying spending. We introduce the case of a particular lawyer-lobbyist and provide a theoretical discussion to situate and contextualize these findings. Collectively, this work opens a window into neglected domains of politics and reveals an important and understudied form of political inequality.
Morphometry of Tidal Meander Cutoffs Indicates Similarity to Fluvial Morphodynamics
Authors: Gao C. , Lazarus E. D. , D’Alpaos A. , Ghinassi M. , Ielpi A. , Parker G. , Rinaldo A. , Gao P. , Wang Y. P. , Tognin D. , Finotello A.
Published: January 2024

Sinuous channels wandering through coastal wetlands have been thought to lack lateral‐migration features like meander cutoffs and oxbows, spurring the broad interpretation that tidal and fluvial meanders differ morphodynamically. Motivated by recent work showing similarities in planform dynamics between tidal and fluvial meandering channels, we analyzed meander neck cutoffs from diverse tidal and fluvial environments worldwide, and show that tidal cutoffs are widespread. Their perceived paucity stems from pronounced channel density and hydrological connectivity in coastal wetlands, comparatively small size of most tidal channels, and typically dense vegetation cover. Although these factors do not efface tidal meander cutoffs, they collectively inhibit oxbow formation and make tidal cutoffs ephemeral features that can escape detection. We argue that similar morphodynamic processes drive cutoff formation in tidal and fluvial landscapes, with differences arising only during post‐cutoff evolution. Such process similarity has important implications for understanding coastal wetland ecomorphodynamics and predicting their long‐term evolution.
Slab Subduction and Pull Link Magmatism at Active and Passive Continental Margins
Authors: Dai Li‐Qun , Zhao Kai , Zhao Zi‐Fu , Sun Guo‐Chao , Gong Bing , Ma Li‐Tao
Published: January 2024

Subduction leads to voluminous arc magmatism at active continental margins; however, the potential far‐field geodynamic connections with coeval magmatism along opposing passive margins, are rarely investigated. Here we report large‐scale and parallel mafic dike swarms on the South Qinling passive margin, whose geochemical features record the thick and cold subcontinental lithospheric mantle beneath passive margin was gradually replaced by thin and hot one during the early Paleozoic. The subduction of the Proto‐Tethys oceanic lithosphere led to arc magmatism along the active margin, shortly after the rift‐related mafic dike swarms occurred along the passive margin. Subsequent to the continuous oceanic subduction including the ridge‐margin collision, mantle upwelling and slab rollback eventually triggered large‐scale rift‐related magmatism and the opening of new ocean basin at passive margin, and also back‐arc magmatism on the active margin. We highlight slab subduction and pull link the geodynamic processes at active and passive continental margins, which improves our understanding of plate tectonics.
Imaging Step Formation in In‐Cloud Lightning Initial Development With VHF Interferometry
Authors: Pu Yunjiao , Cummer Steven A.
Published: January 2024

We investigate sequential processes underlying the initial development of in‐cloud lightning flashes in the form of initial breakdown pulses (IBPs) between 7.4 and 9.0 km altitudes, using a 30–250 MHz VHF interferometer. When resolved, IBPs exhibit typical stepped leader features but are notably extensive (>500 m) and infrequent (∼1 millisecond intervals). Particularly, we observed four distinct phases within an IBP stepping cycle: the emergence of VHF sources forming edge structures at previous streamer zone edges (interpreted as space stem/leader development), the fast propagation of VHF along the edge structure (interpreted as the main leader connecting the space leader), the fast extension of VHF beyond the edge structure (interpreted as fast breakdown), and a decaying corona fan. These measurements illustrate clearly the processes involved in the initial development of in‐cloud lightning flashes, evidence the conducting main leader forming, and provide insights into other processes known to occur simultaneously, such as terrestrial gamma ray flashes.
Exact Alpha‐Beta Mapping of IGRF Magnetic Field in the Ionosphere
Authors: Romashets E. , Vandas M.
Published: January 2024

Finding the magnetic flux mapping in the ionosphere is very important. It would not only divide the surface into the elements with the same flux, but also indicate locations of conjugated points. It is important for studies of field aligned currents and bouncing of energetic charged particles and their precipitation. The existing methods involve numerical magnetic field lines tracing in the entire volume of the magnetosphere or numerical integration along assumed contour lines of the Euler potentials on the surface of the ionosphere. It is possible to determine the mapping with these methods near the magnetic equator, but not on middle latitudes and near and inside the polar caps. Our approach is to search for the Euler potentials as a sum of basic functions with their coefficients. Each basic function is a product of a sine or cosine of longitude multiplied by m and the Legendre polynomial of the colatitude angle cosine and of the order n. Maxima of m and n in this calculation were set to 13. The difference between the radial component from the cross product of the Euler potentials gradients and from International Geomagnetic Reference Field is less than 0.01 percent. We discuss the possibility of using orthogonal coordinates defined on the sphere's surface, which remain finite functions of θ and φ everywhere except for the vicinities of the North and South poles. The issues with numerical errors accumulated on long tracing are avoided when using this approach.
3D Crustal Architecture and Along‐Strike Variation in the Mid‐Northern South China Sea Rifted Margin
Authors: Hao Shihao , Mei Lianfu , Ranero César R. , Zhou Zhichao , Pang Xiong , Zheng Jinyun
Published: January 2024

Rifted margins often show apparent along‐strike variations at the continent‐ocean transition (COT) region, typically occurring gradually over hundreds‐to‐thousands of km between the “magma‐rich” and “magma‐poor” endmembers. In contrast, comparatively smaller‐scale lateral variabilities of rifting structure and faulting style in hyper‐thinned continental crust are not yet well described. The South China Sea (SCS) was recently defined as the archetype of a new “intermediate‐type” margin with neither excess magmatism nor mantle exhumation. However, along‐strike crustal variations along this new type of margin are still little explored. Based on previously unpublished 2D grid of seismic reflection lines and overlapping 3D seismic volumes, we have investigated the crustal structure, faulting style, and the lower crustal reflectivity along ∼400 km of the mid‐northern SCS margin. Our new maps of crystalline‐crust thickness and top basement show that the SCS extension developed in two segments with contrasting tectonic styles separated by a narrow boundary. The eastern domain, resembling a wide‐rift model, displays low‐angle detachment faults and high‐velocity lower crust mainly associated with syn‐rift magmatism indicating weak crustal rheology. The neighboring western domain, resembling a narrow rift model, displays steep crustal‐scale faults indicating comparatively strong rheology. The change from wide to narrow rift—or weak to strong rheology—occurs abruptly, which appears at odds with the current conventional wisdom of mostly gradual transitions over a long distance between rift models. We speculate that the inherited heterogeneity in mantle composition and 3D melt focusing effect may drive this abrupt along‐strike variability in the mid‐northern SCS.