bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Boron and Oxygen Dual‐Doped Carbon Nitride Nanotubes with Frustrated Lewis Pairs for Efficient Electrocatalytic Ammonia Synthesis
Authors: Jiang Meng , Zhu Yuxiang , Jia Zhengtao , Zhong Xiang , Sun Qiufan , Wang Yan , Yao Jianfeng
Published: December 2024

This work reports boron and oxygen dual‐doped carbon nitride nanotubes (B/O‐CNNTs) prepared via a copolymerization process for electrocatalytic ammonia synthesis from nitrogen gas (NRR) and nitrate (NO3RR) sources, respectively. By adjusting the dosage of boron oxide precursor, the texture and content of B/O dual dopants and the coordination environment in the resulting 1D CNNTs can be tuned. The best B/O‐CNNTs can achieve maximum Faradaic efficiencies of 35% and 96% at −1.1 V versus RHE with corresponding ammonia yields of 16.7 and 211.4 µg h−1 mg−1, respectively. A comparatively higher selectivity is achieved in the NRR process compared to NO3RR. The B/O‐induced coordinations boost electron transfer rates along the longitudinal axis. The presence of carbon vacancies and the unique 1D nanotubular structure enhance interactions among reactants. Concurrently, the formed frustrated Lewis pairs are pivotal in activating chemisorbed nitrogen gas or nitrate, resulting in notable accelerations of ammonia generation kinetics. In situ UV–vis spectroscopy reveals that the ideal potential of −1.1 V versus RHE facilitates the involvement of free electrons in the reaction, as it aligns with the conduction potential of B/O‐CNNTs. This study paves the way for the design of non‐metal‐based electrocatalysts with dual dopants for sustainable electrocatalysis toward ammonia synthesis.
Rb[SbO(OH)4]—A Novel Structural Setup for the Anion in Alkali Metal Hydroxidoantimonates(V)
Authors: Wolflehner Tobias , Stöger Berthold , Weil Matthias
Published: December 2024

Rb[SbO(OH)4] was prepared under hydrothermal conditions at pH ≈10. The crystal structure was determined at −173 °C on basis of X‐ray data from a twinned crystal (P21, Z = 2, a = 5.6579(4), b = 7.2961(5), c = 5.6472(5) Å, β = 92.032(6)°; R1 = 0.0309, wR2 = 0.0903 for all data). In comparison with the crystal structures of other alkali hydroxidoantimonates(V), a novel polymeric anion [SbO2/2(OH)4/1]− is present, which is made up of [SbO2(OH)4] octahedra vertex‐sharing the trans‐aligned O atoms. All OH groups act as donor and acceptor groups of inter‐ and intra‐chain hydrogen bonds of moderate strengths. The Rb+ cations are situated between the chains and are bound to twelve O atoms from two O2− and ten OH groups. The dehydration process of Rb[SbO(OH)4] starts at ≈280 °C and yields RbSbO3 as the final product at 900 °C. Vibrational spectra (infrared and Raman) show characteristic bands for the OH and SbO(H) vibrations.
Regeneration
Authors: Lula Mikolaj , Hanssen Kjersti Holt , Goude Martin , Hökkä Hannu , Valkonen Sauli , Brunner Andreas , Rautio Pasi , Erefur Charlotta , Granhus Aksel
Published: December 2024

In the context of continuous cover forestry (CCF), natural regeneration is the preferred form of regeneration, but it is a long-lasting and complex process. Shelter density has a large effect on the regeneration process and results.

The selection system, particularly suited for shade-tolerant species like Norway spruce, relies on continuous regeneration and ingrowth into larger size classes. Regeneration and ingrowth rates vary significantly among stands, influenced by site and historical factors, with no clear relationship to current stand conditions.

In the group system, edge trees influence regeneration by providing seeds, checking weed growth, and exerting competition. Regeneration in gaps is generally satisfactory for both Norway spruce and Scots pine. However, seedlings usually grow slower, especially close to the gap edges.

The shelterwood system promotes regeneration through a successive, uniform opening of the canopy. Shelter trees provide seeds, and reduce seedling damage and competition from ground vegetation. On the other hand, the remaining overstorey shelter trees reduce seedling growth.

Conversion to the selection system initiates regeneration in young stands, aiming for slow and steady regeneration. Given the rapid growth and crown closure in young stands, frequent manipulation of shelter density is essential during conversion, for example by opening small gaps.
Minimal eclectic flavor group Q8 ⋊ S3 and neutrino mixing
Authors: Li Cai-Chang , Lu Jun-Nan , Ding Gui-Jun
Published: December 2024

Abstract

We perform a comprehensive analysis of the minimal eclectic flavor group Q8 ⋊ S3 which is isomorphic to GL(2, 3), and all its irreducible representations are induced from the irreducible representations of Q8 and S3. The consistency conditions between EFG and generalized CP (gCP) symmetry are revisited, and we find the gCP symmetry compatible with the minimal EFG Q8 ⋊ S3. The most general forms of Kähler potential and superpotential based on Q8 ⋊ S3 are discussed, and the corresponding fermion mass matrices are presented. A concrete lepton model invariant under Q8 ⋊ S3 and gCP is constructed, in which the experimental data of all six lepton masses and six mixing parameters can be successfully described through seven real input parameters. The model predicts a vanishing effective mass mββ in neutrinoless double beta decay.
Spectral representation of cosmological correlators
Authors: Werth Denis
Published: December 2024

Abstract

Cosmological correlation functions are significantly more complex than their flat-space analogues, such as tree-level scattering amplitudes. While these amplitudes have simple analytic structure and clear factorisation properties, cosmological correlators often feature branch cuts and lack neat expressions. In this paper, we develop off-shell perturbative methods to study and compute cosmological correlators. We show that such approach not only makes the origin of the correlator singularity structure and factorisation manifest, but also renders practical analytical computations more tractable. Using a spectral representation of massive cosmological propagators that encodes particle production through a suitable iϵ prescription, we remove the need to ever perform nested time integrals as they only appear in a factorised form. This approach explicitly shows that complex correlators are constructed by gluing lower-point off-shell correlators, while performing the spectral integral sets the exchanged particles on shell. Notably, in the complex mass plane instead of energy, computing spectral integrals amounts to collecting towers of poles as the simple building blocks are meromorphic functions. We demonstrate this by deriving a new, simple, and partially resummed representation for the four-point function of conformally coupled scalars mediated by tree-level massive scalar exchange in de Sitter. Additionally, we establish cosmological largest-time equations that relate different channels on in-in branches via analytic continuation, analogous to crossing symmetry in flat space. These universal relations provide simple consistency checks and suggest that dispersive methods hold promise for developing cosmological recursion relations, further connecting techniques from modern scattering amplitudes to cosmology.
Distance-dependent interaction between cosmic strings inspired by higher-dimensional gauge theory
Authors: Hirose Takuya , Kanda Yukihiro
Published: December 2024

Abstract

We discuss Abrikosov-Nielsen-Olesen (ANO) strings with the one-loop effective potentials induced by higher-dimensional gauge theory. As our starting point, we consider a five-dimensional SU(2) gauge theory with an extra-dimensional space S1/Z2. We numerically show the properties of the strings in our model. Especially, we investigate the interaction force between two parallel strings. We find that the interaction force switches from attraction to repulsion as two strings approach each other at a certain parameter region. This interaction is not observed for the ANO strings with the Mexican hat potential. Furthermore, we find that each different factor determines the interaction between large and small interstring distances. We interpret this difference as the origin of the distance-dependent interaction. Our interpretation can also be applied to other scalar potentials. The results in our study give us a new perspective to understand the interaction between the ANO strings with various scalar potentials.
Bandlimited Multipliers on Matrix-Weighted $$L^p$$-Spaces
Authors: Nielsen Morten
Published: December 2024

We extend a classical result by Triebel on boundedness of bandlimited multipliers on

$$L^p({\mathbb R}^n)$$

L
p

(

R

n

)

,

$$0<p\le 1$$

0
<
p
≤
1

, to a vector-valued and matrix-weighted setting with boundedness of the bandlimited multipliers obtained on

$$L^p(W)$$

L
p

(
W
)

,

$$0<p\le 1$$

0
<
p
≤
1

, for matrix-weights

$$W:{\mathbb R}^n\rightarrow \mathbb {C}^{N\times N}$$

W
:

R

n

→

C

N
×
N

that satisfy a matrix Muckenhoupt

$$A_p$$

A
p

-condition.
The multisensory control of sequential actions
Authors: Säfström Daniel
Published: December 2024

Many motor tasks are comprised of sequentially linked action phases, as when reaching for, lifting, transporting, and replacing a cup of coffee. During such tasks, discrete visual, auditory and/or haptic feedback are typically associated with mechanical events at the completion of each action phase, as when breaking and subsequently making contact between the cup and the table. An emerging concept is that important sensorimotor control operations, that affect subsequent action phases, are centred on these discrete multisensory events. By predicting sensory feedback at the completion of action phases, and comparing with the actual feedback that arises, task performance can be continuously monitored. If errors are detected, the sensorimotor system can quickly respond with task-protective corrective actions. The aim of this study was to investigate how discrete multisensory feedback at the completion of action phases are used in these control operations. To investigate this question, 42 healthy human participants (both male and female) performed a visually guided sequential reaching task where auxiliary discrete visual, auditory and/or haptic feedback was associated with the completion of action phases. Occasionally however, this feedback was removed in one or two modalities. The results show that although the task was visually guided, its control was critically influenced by discrete auditory and haptic feedback. Multisensory integration effects occurred, that enhanced the corrective actions, when auditory feedback was unexpectedly removed along with haptic or visual feedback. This multisensory enhancement may facilitate the ability to detect errors during sequential actions and amplify task-protective corrective actions.
Optimum blue light exposure: a means to increase cell-specific productivity in Chinese hamster ovary cells
Authors: Föller Stefanie , Regett Niklas , Lataster Levin , Radziwill Gerald , Takors Ralf
Published: December 2024

Research for biopharmaceutical production processes with mammalian cells steadily aims to enhance the cell-specific productivity as a means for optimizing total productivities of bioreactors. Whereas current technologies such as pH, temperature, and osmolality shift require modifications of the cultivation medium, the use of optogenetic switches in recombinant producer cells might be a promising contact-free alternative. However, the proper application of optogenetically engineered cells requires a detailed understanding of basic cellular responses of cells that do not yet contain the optogenetic switches. The knowhow of ideal light exposure to enable the optimum use of related approaches is missing so far. Consequently, the current study set out to find optimum conditions for IgG1 producing Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells which were exposed to blue LED light. Growth characteristics, cell-specific productivity using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, as well as cell cycle distribution using flow cytometry were analyzed. Whereas too harsh light exposure causes detrimental growth effects that could be compensated with antioxidants, a surprising boost of cell-specific productivity by 57% occurred at optimum high light doses. The increase coincided with an increased number of cells in the G1 phase of the cell cycle after 72 h of illumination. The results present a promising new approach to boost biopharmaceutical productivity of mammalian cells simply by proper light exposure without any further optogenetic engineering.

Key points

• Blue LED light hinders growth in CHO DP-12 cells

• Antioxidants protect to a certain degree from blue light effects

• Illumination with blue LED light raises cell-specific productivity
Magnetization-transfer flow-independent dark-blood delayed enhancement cardiac MRI optimizes discrimination of ST-elevation myocardial infarct borders
Authors: Poskaite Paulina , Kremser Christian , Pamminger Mathias , Troger Felix , Reiter Gert , Reinstadler Sebastian J. , Metzler Bernhard , Rehwald Wolfgang G. , Kim Raymond J. , Mayr Agnes
Published: December 2024

Objectives

To prospectively compare image quality and infarct sizing methods between magnetization-transfer “flow-independent dark-blood delayed enhancement” (MT-FIDDLE) and standard “bright-blood”-late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) cardiac-magnetic-resonance (CMR) sequence.

Methods

“Bright-blood”-LGE and MT-FIDDLE sequence were acquired in 110 patients at 4 days (n = 33), 4 months (n = 39) and 12 months (n = 38) after acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Subjective image quality, including confidence in infarct segmentation and blood-pool bordering, were each rated on a 4-point Likert scale. Objective image quality was assessed by the detectability index (DI). Infarct volumes derived via full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) and different number of standard deviations (“n-SD”) methods on MT-FIDDLE images were compared with FWHM and reference 5-SD results from “bright-blood-LGE images.

Results

Overall subjective median image quality was excellent for both LGE sequences. Qualitative analysis revealed a significantly higher confidence in infarct segmentation and in blood-pool bordering for MT-FIDDLE as compared to “bright-blood”-LGE (all p < 0.001). Infarct volumes assessed by the FWHM technique on MT-FIDDLE and “bright-blood”-LGE showed excellent agreement overall (Concordance correlation coefficient, CCC = 0.96). The 3-SD technique for MT-FIDDLE showed the best agreement with the 5-SD method for “bright-blood”-LGE overall (CCC = 0.94), as well as in the subgroup with excellent confidence in infarct segmentation on “bright-blood”-LGE (CCC = 0.96). DI of scar versus LV blood-pool was higher for MT-FIDDLE (8.9 ± 5.5) compared to “bright-blood”-LGE sequence (2.0 ± 1.5; p < 0.001).

Conclusion

MT-FIDDLE significantly optimizes the discrimination between myocardial infarction and adjacent blood-pool in STEMI patients. As compared to the established 5-SD technique on “bright-blood”-LGE, the 3-SD method on MT-FIDDLE results in consistent infarct volumes.

Key Points

QuestionDoes magnetization-transfer “flow-independent dark-blood delayed enhancement” (MT-FIDDLE) offer any benefits over standard “bright-blood”-late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) cardiac-magnetic-resonance (CMR) for identifying STEMI infarct borders?

FindingsMT-FIDDLE image quality was higher than LGE CMR and measured infarct volume comparability to the standard 5-SD-threshold-technique.

Clinical relevanceMT-FIDDLE facilitates the assessment of myocardial infarctions at the subendocardial border, improving the discrimination between myocardial infarction and adjacent blood-pool in STEMI patients.
Predictors of outcomes in infants with gastroschisis treated with a preformed silo
Authors: Lee Rebecca , Dassios Theodore , Ade-Ajayi Niyi , Davenport Mark , Hickey Ann , Greenough Anne
Published: December 2024

Purpose

To describe the outcomes of infants with gastroschisis treated with a preformed silo (PFS) and determine whether routinely measured early physiological parameters, sepsis (blood culture positive), gastroschisis complexity or location of birth influenced the length of stay (LOS) and duration of parenteral nutrition (PN).

Methods

Infants cared for in a tertiary surgical neonatal intensive care unit during a 10-year period were identified.

Results

Seventy-seven infants were assessed [median gestational age 36 + 6 (IQR 35 + 3 to 38 + 0)] weeks. All survived; 82% were inborn. The median LOS was 37 (IQR 28–76.5) days and duration of PN was 28 (IQR 21–53) days. In the first 72 h, the worst median lactate, base excess and ‘toe-core’ gap were 4.2 (IQR 3.0–5.8) mmol/l, -7.0 (IQR − 5.55 to − 9.35), 3.4 (IQR 3.0–4.2) °C respectively. There were no significant correlations between early physiological parameters or place of birth and LOS or PN days, but sepsis (n = 18 infants) and complex gastroschisis (n = 13 infants) were associated with an increased LOS and PN duration (both p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Survival was 100% in infants with gastroschisis who were managed with PFS, sepsis and gastroschisis complexity were associated with a longer hospital stay and duration of parenteral nutrition.

Level of Evidence (I-V): IV.
Exercise training-induced speeding of $${\dot{\text{V}}\text{O}}_{{2}}$$ kinetics is not intensity domain-specific or correlated with indices of exercise performance
Authors: Inglis Erin Calaine , Rasica Letizia , Iannetta Danilo , Sales Kate M. , Keir Daniel A. , MacInnis Martin J. , Murias Juan M.
Published: December 2024

Purpose

This study examined the effect of 3 and 6 weeks of intensity domain-based exercise training on $${\dot{\text{V}}\text{O}}_{{2}}$$

V
˙

O

2

kinetics changes and their relationship with indices of performance.

Methods

Eighty-four young healthy participants (42 M, 42 F) were randomly assigned to six groups (14 participants each, age and sex-matched) consisting of: continuous cycling in the (1) moderate (MOD)-, (2) lower heavy (HVY1)-, and (3) upper heavy-intensity (HVY2)- domain; interval cycling in the (4) severe-intensity domain (i.e., high-intensity interval training (HIIT), or (5) extreme-intensity domain (i.e., sprint-interval training (SIT)); or (6) control (CON). Training participants completed two three-week phases of three supervised sessions per week, with physiological evaluations performed at PRE, MID and POST intervention. All training protocols, except SIT, were work-matched.

Results

There was a significant time effect for the time constant ($$\tau {\dot{\text{V}}\text{O}}_{{2}}$$

τ

V
˙

O

2

) between PRE (31.6 ± 10.4 s) and MID (22.6 ± 6.9 s) (p < 0.05) and PRE and POST (21.8 ± 6.3 s) (p < 0.05), but no difference between MID and POST (p > 0.05) and no group or interaction effects (p > 0.05). There were no PRE to POST differences for CON (p < 0.05) in any variables. Despite significant increases in maximal $${\dot{\text{V}}\text{O}}_{{2}}$$

V
˙

O

2

($${\dot{\text{V}}\text{O}}_{{{\text{2max}}}}$$

V
˙

O

2max

), estimated lactate threshold (θLT), maximal metabolic steady state (MMSS), and peak power output (PPO) for the intervention groups (p < 0.05), there were no significant correlations from PRE to MID or MID to POST between $$\Delta \tau {\dot{\text{V}}\text{O}}_{{2}}$$

Δ
τ

V
˙

O

2

and $$\Delta {\dot{\text{V}}\text{O}}_{{{\text{2max}}}}$$

Δ

V
˙

O

2max

(r = – 0.221, r = 0.119), ΔPPO (r = – 0.112, r = – 0.017), ΔθLT (r = 0.083, r = 0.142) and ΔMMSS (r = – 0.213, r = 0.049)(p > 0.05).

Conclusion

This study demonstrated that (i) the rapid speeding of $${\dot{\text{V}}\text{O}}_{{2}}$$

V
˙

O

2

kinetics was not intensity-dependent; and (ii) changes in indices of performance were not significantly correlated with $$\Delta \tau {\dot{\text{V}}\text{O}}_{{2}}$$

Δ
τ

V
˙

O

2

.
Reappraisal of soft tissue myoepithelial tumors by DNA methylation profiling reveals an epigenetically distinct group of mostly fusion-driven neoplasms
Authors: Malik Faizan , Koo Selene C. , Din Nasir Ud , Tran Quynh T. , Lopez-Nunez Oscar , Barresi Sabina , Vallese Silvia , Milano Giuseppe , Miele Evelina , Clay Michael R. , Alaggio Rita , Orr Brent A.
Published: December 2024

Soft tissue myoepithelial tumors (METs) are diagnostically challenging tumors that require careful histologic and immunohistochemical characterization for accurate classification. Nearly half of METs show recurrent EWSR1 or FUS gene rearrangements with a diverse set of fusion partners. The diversity of fusion partners and lack of known driver abnormalities in many cases raises the question of whether METs represent a uniformly distinct tumor entity. To address this question, we performed careful histopathologic and molecular analysis, including DNA methylation profiling (DNA-MP) and fusion testing, on a cohort of 30 institutionally diagnosed METs from 29 patients. On histologic and immunophenotypic evaluation, 22 of 30 tumors diagnosed as MET fulfilled strict histologic and immunophenotypic criteria. Among those failing to meet criteria, most were reclassified as another tumor entity by DNA-MP. Seven tumors meeting criteria grouped with another sarcoma reference type by DNA-MP, with confirmation of the characteristic driver abnormality of that tumor in selected cases. The remaining tumors histologically “consistent” with METs (n = 15) formed a distinct epigenetic cluster, independent of other reference entities. Recurrent gene fusions were identified in 11 of 15 tumors in this epigenetically distinct group, including EWSR1::KLF15 (n = 4), EWSR1::PBX3 (n = 2), and EWSR1::POU5F1 (n = 1) rearrangements. Clinicopathologic correlation suggests that EWSR1::KLF15 tumors are enriched in pediatric patients with aggressive histology. Our work shows that at least a subset of METs falls within an epigenetically distinct but heterogenous group. Furthermore, DNA-MP provides a useful adjunct to other molecular testing to help distinguish METs from histologic mimics.
Transcriptional analysis of C. elegans fmos at different life stages and their roles in ageing
Authors: Said Mohamed , Ferrara Bill T. , Aprodu Andreea , Cabreiro Filipe , Thompson Elinor P. , Everett Jeremy
Published: December 2024

Flavin-containing monooxygenases (FMOs) are present in most organisms including plants, fungi, bacteria, invertebrates and vertebrates, where they catalyse the oxidative metabolism of a range of xenobiotics and endogenous metabolites. FMOs have been associated with ageing and longevity in the mouse and in C. elegans. As all five FMOs of C. elegans share an evolutionary root with mouse and human FMO5, it was of interest to discover if effects on ageing and longevity persisted across the whole group. We therefore investigated the impact of fmo gene knockout (KO) in C. elegans. We found that fmo-1, fmo-3 and fmo-4 KO significantly extended C. elegans lifespan relative to wild type and, as previously reported, FMO-2 over-expression did likewise. The transcription levels of C. elegans fmo genes were determined throughout the life cycle (embryo, larva and adult) in wild type and in each mutant to discover if their expression was related to stages in ageing, and expression levels were compared to those in human and mouse. In wild type worms, fmo-1 and fmo-4 were the mostly highly transcribed genes (especially at the larval stage), whereas fmo-2 and fmo-3 were the least transcribed, at all stages. Notably, the knockout of fmo-4 led to a 17- to 30-fold up-regulation of fmo-2, along with significantly increased levels of the other fmos. This parallels recent findings in the long-lived C. elegans tald-1 mutant where fmo-2 was also significantly up-regulated and reinforces its importance in lifespan extension.
Hyperspectral imaging reveals that sapropelic mud therapy may improve local tissue oxygenation in elderly
Authors: Calin Mihaela Antonina , Manea Dragos , Parasca Sorin Viorel , Popescu Cristina , Ionescu Elena-Valentina , Munteanu Constantin
Published: December 2024

Sapropelic muds have been used for centuries to treat various illnesses, but their effects and mechanisms are still under research. In this study the effects of Techirghiol sapropelic mud on tissue oxygenation in elderly patients diagnosed with neuromuscular disorders were investigated using spatial and spectral information provided by hyperspectral imaging technique. A group of 38 elderly patients with neuromuscular disorders for which they received mud therapy was studied. Sapropelic mud was applied to the lumbar region of each patient for 30 min, directly on the skin in a thick layer, while a symmetrical area of ​​15 × 10 cm in the same region was covered with a medical patch to serve as the control area. The mud is typically heated to a temperature of 40–45 °C before application. Hyperspectral images were taken before, after the first day of therapy, and at day seven. Oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin concentrations and oxygen saturation values were calculated from the hyperspectral images and compared to control areas. The results revealed that, in the treated area, the mean oxyhemoglobin concentration increased with + 0.2127 ± 0.1096 mol cm∕L, while deoxyhemoglobin concentration decreased by -0.0509 ± 0.0558 mol cm∕L. Local tissue oxygen saturation raised to over 98% in all patients. Lesser improvements were recorded for the control areas: oxyhemoglobin increased with + 0.1673 ± 0.1059 mol cm∕L, and deoxyhemoglobin decreased with − 0.0525 ± 0.0578 mol cm∕L. A good level of agreement was found between values of oxygen saturation measured with hyperspectral imaging method and the classical pulse oximetry method. Thus, improvement in local circulation was demonstrated after mud therapy. In conclusion, therapy with Techirghiol sapropelic mud improved local tissue oxygenation, hyperspectral imaging being a reliable and non-invasive tool for monitoring these changes.
Sea level rise threatens Florida’s insular vertebrate biodiversity
Authors: Koen Erin L. , Barichivich William J. , Braun de Torrez Elizabeth C. , Walls Susan C.
Published: December 2024

Islands are some of the most biodiverse places on earth, but they are also hotspots of biodiversity loss. The coastline of Florida, U.S.A., is surrounded by thousands of islands, many of which are home to species that occur nowhere else. A rapidly emerging threat to these low-lying islands is inundation as sea levels rise. The capacity of island-dwelling species to adapt to climate change and sea level rise may be limited because many species do not have the ability to shift their distribution off the island to track favorable conditions. We assessed the vulnerability of Florida’s islands to inundation from sea level rise and estimated the terrestrial biodiversity on Florida’s islands that could be lost. Our models predicted that by 2100, over 80% and up to 90% of Florida’s islands could be completely inundated from sea level rise, depending on the sea level rise projection (1.2 m or 2.2 m). Of the 85 mammalian, reptilian, and amphibian species on our subset list of Florida’s Species of Greatest Conservation Need, over half occur on Florida’s islands for at least part of their range, highlighting the importance of these islands for housing Florida’s rich biodiversity. Notably, at least 12 mammal species and 7 reptile species have their entire distribution on Florida’s islands, and this count is likely an underestimate. Projections of future sea level rise mean that these island-endemic species face the threat of extinction in the wild if their island habitat is submerged.
The size of myocardial infarction and peri-infarction edema are not major determinants of diastolic impairment after acute myocardial infarction
Authors: Sundqvist Martin G. , Verouhis Dinos , Sörensson Peder , Henareh Loghman , Persson Jonas , Saleh Nawzad , Settergren Magnus , Witt Nils , Böhm Felix , Pernow John , Tornvall Per , Ugander Martin
Published: December 2024

To study the relationship between myocardial infarction size (IS), myocardial edema, and diastolic dysfunction after acute myocardial infarction (MI) both in the acute phase, and in the development of diastolic dysfunction in the follow-up setting. A further purpose is to study diastolic function using a mechanistic model as well as conventional parameters. Patients underwent cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging and echocardiography including mechanistic analysis using the parameterized diastolic filling method within 4–7 days (acute) and 6 months after a first acute anterior MI (n = 74). Linear regression modeling of echocardiographic diastolic parameters using CMR IS with and without inclusion of the myocardium at risk (MAR) and model comparisons with likelihood ratio tests were performed. Diastolic parameters at 6 months follow-up were modelled using final IS. For most parameters there was no association with acute IS, except for deceleration time (R2 = 0.24, p < 0.001), left atrial volume index (R2 = 0.13, p = 0.01) and the mechanistic stiffness parameter (R2 = 0.21, p < 0.001). Adding MAR improved only the e′ model (adjusted R2 increase: 0.08, p = 0.02). At 6 months follow-up, final IS was only associated with viscoelastic energy loss (R2 = 0.22, p = 0.001). In acute MI, both IS and MAR are related to diastolic function but only to a limited extent. At 6 months after infarction, increasing IS is related to less viscoelastic energy loss, albeit also to a limited extent. The relationship between IS and diastolic dysfunction seems to be mediated by mechanisms beyond simply the spatial extent of ischemia or infarction.
Some results and questions on r-amenability
Authors: Blanco A.
Published: December 2024

The notion of an r-amenable Banach lattice algebra was introduced by M. Roelands as an order counterpart to the well-known notion of amenability for Banach algebras. In this note, we consider the implications of r-amenability for various classes of Banach lattice algebras, and in particular, the question of whether r-amenability implies amenability. We also pose some questions arising from this research.
Comparative analysis of accuracy and computational complexity across 21 swarm intelligence algorithms
Authors: Warnakulasooriya Kolitha , Segev Aviv
Published: December 2024

Nonlinear, complex optimization problems are prevalent in many scientific and engineering fields. Traditional algorithms often struggle with these problems due to their high dimensionality and intricate nature, making them time-consuming. Many researchers have proposed new metaheuristic algorithms inspired by biological behaviors in nature, which comparatively show higher performance and accuracy than traditional optimization algorithms. Nature-inspired algorithms, particularly those based on swarm intelligence, offer adaptable and efficient solutions to these challenges. In recent years, swarm intelligence algorithms have made significant advancements. Classical and CEC benchmark suits are immersively useful for studying the performance of optimization algorithms. According to our literature survey, we identified that many algorithms were evaluated based on accuracy. Currently, swarm intelligence algorithms are used in many applications, and efficiency and computational complexity need to be evaluated. A broad-level study of the computational complexity and accuracy of popular swarm intelligence algorithms has not been done recently. Therefore this study we comprehensively evaluate and compare 21 bio-inspired swarm intelligence algorithms on eight non-separable unimodal, eight separable unimodal, five non-separable multimodal, seven separable multimodal functions, and two CEC 2018 many objective functions. We study the structure and mathematical model of the selected algorithms. Then we categorized selected algorithms into six different behavioral groups. We calculated the root mean square error between expected and actual values. Then we performed an RMSE cross-validation statistical test to understand how accurately an algorithm resolves an average problem. We found that Artificial Lizard Search Optimization (ALSO) is the most prominent algorithm in accuracy and efficiency. Besides that, Cat Swarm Optimization (CSO), Squirrel Search Algorithm (SSA), and Chimp Optimization Algorithm (CHOA-B) are also considered more universal algorithms. The Squirrel Search Algorithm (SSA) is ALSO’s second-best algorithm in time complexity. Wasp Swarm Algorithm (WSO), and Bat-Inspired Algorithm (BA) presented the lowest time complexity. Finally, several important issues and research directions are discussed.
Numerical simulation of the shear rate in the fused filament fabrication process of poly-ether-ether-ketone (PEEK)
Authors: Bakrani Balani Shahriar , Mokhtarian Hossein , Salmi Tiina , Coatanéa Eric
Published: December 2024

Fused filament fabrication (FFF) is a material extrusion-based process and one of the most popular additive manufacturing processes, widely used for rapid prototyping and manufacturing of polymeric parts. Despite the simplicity of the process, the polymer undergoes complex rheological properties’ transformation in this process. Understanding the rheological properties of the polymer during deposition is of paramount importance to model and improve the quality of the final product. In this study, for the first time, a two-phase flow numerical simulation approach with a Level Set equation has been used to model the shear rate in the FFF process after polymer exiting from the nozzle. The rheological properties of the raw PEEK as the feedstock were measured at low frequency by parallel-plate rheometer, and at high shear rate using an extensional die. Influence of travel speed, inlet velocity, nozzle diameter, and layer height on the shear rate of the deposited bead has been investigated. Obtained results revealed that the inlet velocity, nozzle diameter, and layer height highly influence the shear rate of the bead after exiting from the nozzle, while the influence of travel speed on the shear rate is negligible. Increasing the inlet velocity leads to an increase in velocity field and consequently maximum shear rate during deposition. Polymer melt tends to relax stress and become at steady state after existing from the nozzle rapidly, thus, it is required to reduce the inlet velocity using bigger nozzle diameter or smaller diameter raw filament or increase layer height to reduce the induced shear rate during deposition. Finally, multiple equations have been proposed to predict the maximum shear rate during the deposition based on the printing parameters.
Geospatial Assessment of Healthcare Accessibility and Equity in Qatar in Preparation for the 2022 FIFA World Cup
Authors: Abulibdeh Ammar , Alshammari Huda , Al-Hajri Najlaa , Al-Shamari Alanoud , Al-Naimi Fakhra
Published: December 2024

Accessibility to healthcare is one of the significant components of social determinants of public healthcare and is integral to societies’ overall well-being and economic prosperity. This study intends to assess changes in spatial distributions and accessibility of healthcare services within Qatar for 2010–2020, specifically concerning preparation for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Assessment of the healthcare infrastructure is made using various techniques within a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) framework, like kernel density estimation, network analysis, and proximity analysis. The results show that access to healthcare has significantly improved, especially in urban centers such as Doha, besides a significant reduction in the length one travels to access healthcare facilities. However, despite improvements, many areas outside Doha still lag, requiring further investment in strategic planning. This study underscores how effective the health policies in Qatar and the Qatar National Master Plan (QNMP) have been in furthering principles of equity in access to healthcare services. The policy implications are that healthcare service planning should be integrated with urban development and transport networks for sustainable improvement in healthcare access. Thus, investment in infrastructure, strategic planning of locations, and addressing residual disparities are crucial for the long-term healthcare equity and system resilience of Qatar’s healthcare system.
Vulnerability assessment of major urban tunnel subjected to fire induced by traffic incidents - a case study
Authors: Yao Kaisen , Chen Suren
Published: December 2024

As a type of critical transportation infrastructures, safety of major tunnels in urban transportation corridors has become unprecedentedly crucial. In various fire incidents with high temperature environment, the ceiling and wall of a tunnel would risk spalling, strength reduction, and even structural failure. In addition to risks of structural damage, high temperature and thick smoke in fire incidents will increase the risk of severe injury and even death due to burning, lack of oxygen, inhaling smoke and reduced visibility for people inside the tunnel. Limited mobility of evacuees would delay the evacuation process by endangering the safety of both evacuees and first responders. A comprehensive simulation-based case study is conducted to look into the fire and smoke simulation as well as potential threats to structural integrity and human health caused by fire in typical traffic incidents of three types of vehicles. Fire and smoke simulation are conducted using the Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS), followed by the thermal and structural analyses with ANSYS. The comprehensive parametric study provides insights in terms of the impacts of different parameters including various typical traffic fire incidents on the structural performance and potential threats to evacuees.
Metaphysics of Race
Authors: Kalewold Kal H.
Published: December 2024

Are races real? Is race a biological or social category? What role, if any, does race play in scientific explanations? This Cambridge Element addresses these and other core questions in the metaphysics of race. It discusses prominent accounts of race such as biological racial realism, social constructivism about race, and racial anti-realism. If anti-realists are right, our societies find themselves in thrall to a concept that is scarcely more veridical than 'witch' or 'werewolf'. Social constructionism grounds race in factors ultimately controlled by human thought and action. Biological racial realists argue that race is too quickly dismissed as biologically meaningful, and that it has a role to play in contemporary life sciences. The Element explores these views and shows their virtues and shortcomings. In particular, it advances an argument against biological racial realism that draws on the metaphysics of naturalness and philosophy of biology and medicine.
God and the Problem of Epistemic Defeaters
Authors: Thurow Joshua
Published: December 2024

Any modern, moderately intellectually mature (MMIM) believer in God faces a variety of epistemic defeaters of their belief in God. Epistemic defeaters challenge the rationality of a belief. After explaining the notion of a defeater and discussing various ways and targets of defeat, this Element categorizes the many defeaters of belief in God into four classes: rebutting, undercutting, base defeaters, and competence defeaters. Then, several general defeaters of theistic belief are examined in some detail: the superfluity argument, the problem of unpossessed evidence, various forms of debunking arguments, and a cumulative case competence defeater. The typical MMIM believer, it is argued, has resources to resist these defeaters, although the cumulative case competence defeater has some force. The strength of its force depends on the strength of grounds for theistic belief and of various defeaters and deflectors for the competence defeater. No easy general defeater of theistic belief is found.
Language Policy in Action
Authors: Savski Kristof
Published: December 2024

Language is part of social life, and efforts to control it can be viewed in light of broader struggles for social power around issues like migration, education, class and race. This book explores how people act within institutions and communities to try and control the language of others. It conceptualises language policy as a form of discourse management, involving attempts to reorder hierarchies of knowledge, reframe social relationships, control what identities and ideologies may be expressed, and limit who can access particular social spaces. Real-life case studies are included, allowing readers to understand the functioning of language policy in different contexts. A holistic framework is also introduced, showing how language policies are enacted though five key actions: creating, debating, interpreting, enforcing and resisting. Each action is explained with reference to current theories in applied linguistics and sociolinguistics, and methodological suggestions, discussion questions and examples of further reading are also provided.
The Politics of Bathroom Access and Exclusion in the United States
Authors: Chatfield Sara
Published: December 2024

The past twenty years have seen an explosion of state laws focused on bathroom access, including laws that both restrict and expand the ability of people to access basic needs in public. Through an analysis of several distinct state-level policies that regulate bathrooms along the dimensions of gender and gender roles, gender identity, and disability, the author argues that bathroom access is an important aspect of citizenship, signaling both physical and symbolic exclusion and inclusion. Social citizenship requires that individuals and groups be able to fully take part in the public sphere, yet denying toilet access means that individuals can only exist in public for as long as they can 'hold it.' Thus, ensuring equal access to bathrooms – or denying it to targeted groups – becomes a powerful way for society to define who is a full citizen and to indicate who belongs and who doesn't in public spaces.
Charles Darwin
Authors: Ruse Michael
Published: December 2024

Charles Darwin's theory of evolution was one of the most significant revolutions in the history of science. Widely debated after the publication of the Origin of Species in 1859, it continues to be controversial.  In this volume, Michael Ruse offers the definitive history of the theory of evolution through natural selection. Tracing Darwin's intellectual journey and experiences that lead him to his novel insights, Ruse explores his scientific contributions as well as their relationship to philosophical issues and religious implications, as well as being both inspiration and challenge to novelists and poets. He also shows how the Darwin's ideas continue to have contemporary relevance, as they shed light on social issues and problems, such as race, sexual orientation and the connections between Darwin's thinking to that of Sigmund Freud, and the status of women, including the possibility and desirability of social change. Written in an engaging, non-technical style, Ruse's volume serves as an ideal introduction to the ideas of one of the key figures in the history of modern science.
The Constitution of Science
Authors: Mantzavinos C.
Published: December 2024

How can science be protected, by whom and at what level? If science is valued positively as the incubator of the most successful solutions to representational problems of reality as well as the basis of the most effective interventions in the natural and social world, then its constitutional foundations must be protected. This book develops a specific normative outlook on science by introducing the idea of a 'Constitution of Science'. Scientific activities are special kinds of epistemic problem-solving activities unfolding in an institutional context. The scientific enterprise is a social process unfolding within an intricate institutional framework that structures the daily activities of scientists and shapes their outcomes. Those institutions of science which are of the highest generality make up the 'Constitution of Science' and are of fundamental importance for channelling the scientific process effectively.
Mormonism
Authors: Bowman Matthew
Published: December 2024

This Element will focus on the various denominations in the Mormon tradition, collectively sometimes referred to as 'Mormonism.' They include the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as the several sects of Mormon fundamentalism and multiple other denominations. Often described as the quintessential new religious movement, Mormonism is useful for studying the dynamics of new religious formation, evolution, schism, and adaptation to American culture more broadly. It emerged in the heat of the Second Great Awakening, the flourishing of religious creativity and innovation that followed American disestablishment, inspired by the visionary ideas of Joseph Smith, Jr., a New York farmer who adopted a particular style of restorationism, a form of Christianity popular in the period. Since that time, the various branches of Mormonism have embraced different relationships with the broader stream of American culture. Some have sought integration with America's Protestant majority; others have emphasized sectarian distinctiveness.
Power Laws in Astrophysics
Authors: Aschwanden Markus
Published: December 2024

Research applications of complex systems and nonlinear physics are rapidly expanding across various scientific disciplines. A common theme among them is the concept of “self-organized criticality systems”, which this volume presents in detail for observed astrophysical phenomena, such as solar flares, coronal mass ejections, solar energetic particles, solar wind, stellar flares, magnetospheric events, planetary systems, galactic and black-hole systems. The author explores fundamental questions: Why do power laws, the hallmarks of self-organized criticality, exist? What power law index is predicted for each astrophysical phenomenon? Which size distributions have universality? What can waiting time distributions tell us about random processes? This is the first monograph that tests comprehensively astrophysical observations of self-organized criticality systems for students, post-docs, and researchers. A highlight is a paradigm shift from microscopic concepts, such as the traditional cellular automaton algorithms, to macroscopic concepts formulated in terms of physical scaling laws.
Scott Thornbury's 66 Essentials of Lesson Design
Authors: Thornbury Scott
Published: December 2024

In this concise and accessible book, Scott Thornbury draws on decades of research and his own experience to provide a guide to developing effective lessons. The book begins with a discussion of the factors which influence lesson design, before offering guidance on a wide range of topics including using online resources and AI in lesson planning, designing learner-centred lessons, lesson implementation and testing and evaluation. Scott Thornbury's 66 Essentials of Lesson Design is an essential reference for teachers of all levels of experience, working in all contexts.