bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Building blockchain‐driven dynamic capabilities for developing circular supply chain: Rethinking the role of sensing, seizing, and reconfiguring
Authors: Quayson Matthew , Bai Chunguang , Sun Lihua , Sarkis Joseph
Published: March 2023

Globally, firms face increasing pressure to efficiently utilize resources and minimize costs and may do so through sustainable supply chains and circular economy practices. Emerging technologies, such as blockchain, to enable a circular economy have become a new industrial paradigm. However, firms require building dynamic capabilities through blockchain, which can be key to realizing circular economy model. This study introduces a framework for building blockchain‐driven dynamic capabilities for a circular supply chain. We further use the Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method to evaluate three major dynamic capabilities and 18 sub‐dynamic capabilities and their interrelationships. The mining industry in Ghana sets the stage for this analysis. The study results show that although blockchain‐driven sensing dynamic capability, seizing dynamic capability, and reconfiguring dynamic capability are crucial for developing a circular supply chain, they do not strictly follow a sequence and overlap. We highlight various cause–effect relationships, providing insights into the role of sensing, seizing, and reconfiguring dynamic capabilities. That information is important to firms, stakeholders, and partners to draft an appropriate strategy to build blockchain‐driven dynamic capabilities for developing a circular supply chain.
Electrocatalytic Oxidative Coupling of Methane on NiFe Exsolved Perovskite Anode: Effect of Water
Authors: Kim Jaesung , Ferree Matthew , Gunduz Seval , Millet Jean‐Marc M. , Aouine Mimoun , Co Anne C. , Ozkan Umit S.
Published: March 2023

Oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) can be performed electrocatalytically by utilizing solid oxide cells, which provide a readily controlled oxygen supply through dense electrolytes. La0.7Sr0.2Ni0.2Fe0.8O3 (LSNF) perovskite is an effective anode for OCM. Its surface characteristics and electrocatalytic activity can be improved by reduction and the resultant exsolution of bimetallic NiFe nanoparticles from its bulk. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and environmental transmission electron microscopy proved that the evolution of hetero‐phases under reducing environment resulted in bimetallic NiFe nanoparticles being formed on the surface. A 36 % improvement in C2+ hydrocarbon production rate was achieved due to the reduction of LSNF with the exsolved NiFe nanoparticles. Co‐feeding of H2O enhanced selective conversion of CH4 resulting in the production rate of C2+ hydrocarbons being increased by 56 %. Analysis of impedance spectra and in‐situ DRIFTS under a CH4+H2O atmosphere provided an understanding for the enhancement on the electrocatalytic OCM.
Parallel streams of raphe VGLUT3‐positive inputs target the dorsal and ventral hippocampus in each hemisphere
Authors: Fortin‐Houde Justine , Henderson Fiona , Dumas Sylvie , Ducharme Guillaume , Amilhon Bénédicte
Published: March 2023

The hippocampus (HP) receives neurochemically diverse inputs from the raphe nuclei, including glutamatergic axons characterized by the expression of the vesicular glutamate transporter type 3 (VGLUT3). These raphe‐HP VGLUT3 projections have been suggested to play a critical role in HP functions, yet a complete anatomical overview of raphe VGLUT3 projections to the forebrain, and in particular to the HP, is lacking. Using anterograde viral tracing, we describe largely nonoverlapping VGLUT3‐positive projections from the dorsal raphe (DR) and median raphe (MnR) to the forebrain, with the HP receiving inputs from the MnR. A limited subset of forebrain regions such as the amygdaloid complex, claustrum, and hypothalamus receives projections from both the DR and MnR that remain largely segregated. This highly complementary anatomical pattern suggests contrasting roles for DR and MnR VGLUT3 neurons. To further analyze the topography of VGLUT3 raphe projections to the HP, we used retrograde tracing and found that HP‐projecting VGLUT3‐positive neurons (VGLUT3HP) distribute over several raphe subregions (including the MnR, paramedian raphe, and B9 cell group) and lack co‐expression of serotonergic markers. Strikingly, double retrograde tracing experiments unraveled two parallel streams of VGLUT3‐positive projections targeting the dorsal and ventral poles of the HP. These results demonstrate highly organized and segregated VGLUT3‐positive projections to the HP, suggesting independent modulation of HP functions such as spatial memory and emotion‐related behavior.
Study on the influence of water injection pressure on water absorption process and water injection effect of coal
Authors: Wang Lin , Chen Xiangjun , Wang Dezhang , An Fenghua
Published: March 2023

Rock burst disasters can be reduced and prevented with the help of coal dust water injection. In this study, the high‐pressure water injection device is used to examine how the water absorption rate changes over time under various water injection pressures. The results reveal that the water absorption rate of coal samples increases quickly initially before slowing down with water absorption time. Its change can be described using the Langmuir equation. In addition, the Langmuir equation is utilized to demonstrate how water injection pressure affects the maximum water absorption of coal samples. The effects of experimental findings and numerical analysis are investigated on water injection pressure. The breadth and extent of coal bodies with increased moisture are continuously expanding at the same water injection pressure and water injection time. The water absorption of coal close to the borehole remains relatively unchanged with an increase in water injection pressure, but the water absorption range of coal in the vicinity increases. Therefore, raising the water injection pressure and duration will improve the effective range of water injection. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Projections of hippocampal CA2 pyramidal neurons: Distinct innervation patterns of CA2 compared to CA3 in rodents
Authors: Shinohara Yoshiaki , Kohara Keigo
Published: March 2023

The hippocampus is a center for spatial and episodic memory formation in rodents. Understanding the composition of subregions and circuitry maps of the hippocampus is essential for elucidating the mechanism of memory formation and recall. For decades, the trisynaptic circuit (entorhinal cortex layer II—dentate gyrus — CA3—CA1) has been considered the neural network substrate responsible for learning and memory. Recently, CA2 has emerged as an important area in the hippocampal circuitry, with distinct functions from those of CA3. In this article, we review the historical definition of the hippocampal area CA2 and the differential projection patterns between CA2 and CA3 pyramidal neurons. We provide a concise and comprehensive map of CA2 outputs by comparing (1) ipsi versus contra projections, (2) septal versus temporal projections, and (3) lamellar structures of CA2 and CA3 pyramidal neurons.
A systematic review to identify the challenges to achieving effective patient flow in public hospitals
Authors: Manning Larissa , Islam Md. Shahidul
Published: March 2023

This systematic review aims to uncover the challenges related to patient flow from a whole public hospital perspective and identify strategies to overcome these challenges. A search in Medline, Emcare and PubMed was conducted and 24 articles published in English, from 2015 to 2020, were selected in relation to patient flow challenges and strategies. Analysis of the articles was completed using a thematic approach to identify common themes in relation to the area of focus. Strategies from the literature were then aligned with the challenges to inform areas of potential improvement in relation to patient flow. The themes generated included Teamwork, Collaboration and Communication; Public Hospitals as complex systems; Timely discharge; Policy, Process and Decision‐making; and Resources‐capacity and demand. The key finding is that a whole system approach is required to improve patient flow in public hospitals. When effective patient flow is achieved, demand and capacity are matched, increasing patient access to the health service and enabling the resources required to provide high quality patient care. The findings will create a better understanding of improving patient flow in public hospitals.
Long‐term and seasonal variation of open‐surface water bodies in the Yellow River Basin during 1990–2020
Authors: Jiao Chentai , Wang Shuai , Song Shuang , Fu Bojie
Published: March 2023

Open‐surface water bodies are essential terrestrial water sources and ecosystem service providers, and their evaluation is necessary for effective water management. In this study, 36 000 Landsat images of the Yellow River Basin (YRB) were collected, and a multiple index (Modified Normalized Difference Water Index, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index and Enhanced Vegetation Index, i.e. MNDWI, NDVI and EVI) method was used to identify open‐surface water bodies in the flood and dry seasons during 1990–2020. Our results showed that during these 30 years, YRB surface waters were characterized by spatial and seasonal heterogeneities. The open‐surface water coverage in the upper and middle reaches of the YRB was 8.74‰ and 4.24‰, respectively, less than the average coverage in the whole YRB of 9.45‰. Surface water area was significant larger in flood seasons than in dry seasons, while during 1990–2020, the surface water area increased by 27.5% in the flood season and by 58.9% in the dry season, reaching 7239.2 km2 (flood season) and 6654.8 km2 (dry season) in 2020. Meanwhile the seasonal variation has decreased. Climate factors (winter temperature and summer precipitation) positively correlated with open‐surface water only in the source region of the YRB. In other regions, anthropic factors (e.g. water conservation projects) strongly affected open‐surface water bodies by increasing their spatial area overall and decreasing seasonal differences in their coverage.
Self‐report measure of parental reflective functioning: A study of reliability and validity across three samples of varying clinical risk
Authors: Carlone Christina , Milan Stephanie , Decoste Cindy , Borelli Jessica L. , McMahon Thomas J. , Suchman Nancy E.
Published: March 2023

The Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (PRFQ) provides an efficient way to measure a parent's capacity to recognize their child's mental states and to understand the relationship between underlying mental states and behavior. To date, limited work evaluates its psychometric properties beyond initial validation studies. Here we examined the reliability and validity of the PRFQ in three samples of varying clinical risk (e.g., community sample, previous mental health diagnosis, substance use disorder diagnosis). Across samples, the majority (e.g., 75%–78%) of mothers identified as White; all mothers were from the USA. We compared the PRFQ to task‐based measures of mentalization, the Parent Development Interview (PDI), and measures of the parent‐child relationship. The PRFQ was a reliable measure across samples, and it was associated in theoretically consistent ways with task‐based measures of mentalization. Parental RF across the PDI and PRFQ were not highly correlated in a sample of mothers with substance use disorders. Existing RF measures may be tapping into a different component of the broader construct of parental reflective functioning (PRF). The PRFQ was further validated by demonstrating relationships with parent‐report measures of the parent‐child relationship. Taken together, these findings provide additional support for the reliability and validity of the PRFQ.
Effect of Roux‐En‐Y Gastric Bypass in the Pharmacokinetics of (R)‐Carvedilol and (S)‐Carvedilol
Authors: Yamamoto Priscila Akemi , Cristofoletti Rodrigo , Vozmediano Valvanera , de Gaitani Cristiane Masetto , da Silva Rodrigo Moreira , Kemp Rafael , Sankarankutty Ajith Kumar , Salgado Junior Wilson , Santos Jose Sebastião dos , de Moraes Natalia Valadares
Published: March 2023

Roux‐en‐Y gastric bypass is one of the most common surgical treatments for obesity due to the effective long‐term weight loss and remission of associated comorbidities. Carvedilol, a third‐generation β‐blocker, is prescribed to treat cardiovascular diseases. This drug is a weak base with low and pH‐dependent solubility and dissolution and high permeability. As the changes in the gastrointestinal tract anatomy and physiology after roux‐en‐Y gastric bypass can potentially affect drug pharmacokinetics, this study aimed to assess the effect of roux‐en‐Y gastric bypass on the pharmacokinetics of carvedilol enantiomers. Nonobese (n = 15, body mass index < 25 kg/m2), obese (n = 19, body mass index ≥ 30), and post‐roux‐en‐Y gastric bypass subjects submitted to surgery for at least 6 months (n = 19) were investigated. All subjects were administered a single oral dose of 25‐mg racemic carvedilol, and blood was sampled for up to 24 hours. Plasma concentrations of (R)‐ and (S)‐carvedilol were determined by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. The maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) and the area under the plasma concentration‐time curve (AUC) of (R)‐carvedilol were 2‐ to 3‐fold higher than (S)‐carvedilol in all groups. Obese subjects have shown reduced Cmax of (R)‐ and (S)‐carvedilol without changing the AUC. Post‐roux‐en‐Y gastric bypass subjects presented a 3.5‐fold reduction in the Cmax of the active (S)‐carvedilol and a 1.9 reduction in the AUC from time 0 to infinity compared to nonobese subjects. The time to reach Cmax of (S)‐carvedilol increased 2.5‐fold in post‐roux‐en‐Y gastric bypass subjects compared to obese or nonobese. Although the β‐blockade response was not assessed, the reduced exposure to carvedilol in subjects post‐roux‐en‐Y gastric bypass may be clinically relevant and require dose adjustment.
Nutrition, multidimensional poverty and income: The case of Nepal
Authors: Yang Fan , Paudel Krishna P.
Published: March 2023

This study aims to assess the multidimensional poverty index (MPI) of farm households in Nepal and investigate the influence of various forms of livelihood capital on their income. The calculation of MPI incorporates the nutrition dimension along with health, education, and living standards using the Alkire‐Foster method. The results show that farm households in Nepal face severe multidimensional poverty (MPI = 0.433, using poverty cut‐off criterion = 0.3). The incidence of income poverty for Nepali farm households is around 20%, which indicates that income‐based poverty may mask the true poverty of farm households in Nepal.
Disseminated Blastomycosis Mimicking Metastatic Head and Neck Cancer in a 70‐year‐Old Man
Authors: Braman Brooke C , Amin Khalid , Khaja Sobia F
Published: March 2023

Blastomycosis is a fungal infection known to mimic many disease processes, including malignancy. A 70‐year‐old man presented with an enlarging neck mass and, incidentally found on preliminary imaging, a lung mass. The initial biopsy of the neck mass demonstrating cytologic atypia and mitotic figures was suggestive of malignancy. Whole body positron emission tomography (PET)/CT revealed hypermetabolic lesions in multiple sites, including the neck, lung, and soft tissue, raising concern for metastatic disease. Repeat sampling from multiple lesions, however, demonstrated granuloma. Microbiological studies were collected, and Blastomyces dermatitidis was isolated in culture. The diagnosis of disseminated blastomycosis was made, and the patient received antifungal therapy with good response. A high degree of suspicion for blastomycosis in endemic areas is required to ensure patients receive appropriate and timely treatment. Laryngoscope, 133:2237–2239, 2023
Shifts in soil nitrogen availability and associated microbial drivers during stand development of Mongolian pine plantations
Authors: Zhang Yansong , Zeng De‐Hui , Wang Guochen , Li Xin , Lin Guigang
Published: March 2023

Afforestation on degraded lands is an effective measure to control desertification and soil erosion, but these functions are often constrained by soil nitrogen (N) availability. Moreover, soil N availability usually shifts along plantation development, yet we have a limited understanding of factors driving this shift. Here, we examined dynamics of soil N mineralization and nitrification rates along plantation development, and explored mechanisms behind these dynamics from the perspective of N‐cycling microbes. We measured needle litter quality, N‐hydrolyzing enzyme activity, biomass and community composition of soil microbes (phospholipid fatty acid analysis) and ammonia oxidizers (real‐time quantitative PCR and high‐throughput sequencing), and net N mineralization and nitrification rates along a chronosequence of Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica stands with six age classes ranging from 15‐ to 61‐year‐old in the Three‐North region of China. Results showed that stand development increased net N mineralization rate by 54%, nitrate‐N concentration by 106%, and nitrate‐N:ammonium‐N ratio from 1.09 to 2.63. Gram‐positive:gram‐negative bacterial ratio and β‐N‐acetylglucosaminidase activity initially increased and subsequently decreased along stand development with the highest values in 40‐year‐old stands, while fungal:bacterial ratio showed the opposite pattern with the lowest value in 40‐year‐old stands. These shifts in soil microbial properties were associated with age‐related changes in needle litter C:N ratio and soil pH. Net N mineralization rate was positively related to β‐N‐acetylglucosaminidase activities, but not to soil microbial biomass and community composition. Net nitrification rate was negatively correlated with ammonia‐oxidizing archaeal abundances and positively with ammonia‐oxidizing bacterial abundances. Collectively, our results indicate that soil N availability increases and N cycling accelerates with plantation growth, and suggest that microbial N recycling driven by β‐N‐acetylglucosaminidase is tightly related to soil N dynamics along stand development.
Aged Garlic Extract Prevents Alcohol‐Induced Cytotoxicity through Induction of Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 2 in the Liver of Mice
Authors: Kitakaze Tomoya , Inoue Masako , Ashida Hitoshi
Published: March 2023

Scope

Acetaldehyde is a highly toxic primary metabolite of ethanol, and converts to nontoxic acetic acid by aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH). Accumulation of acetaldehyde causes significant damage to human body. Aged garlic extract (AGE) is a functional food material and possesses various health beneficial effects. This study investigates whether AGE contributes to acetaldehyde detoxification through ALDH induction and its underlying mechanism.

Methods and results

C57BL/6J mice are orally administrated 10–1000 mg kg−1 body weight (BW) of AGE for 1 week before ethanol administration. AGE suppresses ethanol‐caused accumulation of acetaldehyde level in the plasma through inducing mitochondrial ALDH2 but not cytosolic ALDH1A1. AGE also induces antioxidant enzymes, heme oxygenase‐1, and NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1, resulting in prevention of lipid peroxidation in the liver. In HepG2 cells, AGE prevents ethanol‐ and acetaldehyde‐caused cytotoxicity. AGE induces mitochondrial ALDH2 through activating nuclear factor‐erythroid 2‐related factor 2 (Nrf2). AGE inhibits protein degradation of Nrf2 and enhances protein degradation of kelch‐like ECH‐associated protein 1. Furthermore, S‐allyl cysteine and S‐allyl mercaptocysteine as the bioactive compounds in AGE also induce ALDH2 and Nrf2.

Conclusion

AGE prevents acetaldehyde‐induced hepatotoxicity through enhancing acetaldehyde detoxification through Nrf2‐dependent induction of mitochondrial ALDH2.
Deep learning‐based dominant index lesion segmentation for MR‐guided radiation therapy of prostate cancer
Authors: Simeth Josiah , Jiang Jue , Nosov Anton , Wibmer Andreas , Zelefsky Michael , Tyagi Neelam , Veeraraghavan Harini
Published: March 2023

Background

Dose escalation radiotherapy enables increased control of prostate cancer (PCa) but requires segmentation of dominant index lesions (DIL). This motivates the development of automated methods for fast, accurate, and consistent segmentation of PCa DIL.

Purpose

To construct and validate a model for deep‐learning‐based automatic segmentation of PCa DIL defined by Gleason score (GS) ≥3+4 from MR images applied to MR‐guided radiation therapy. Validate generalizability of constructed models across scanner and acquisition differences.

Methods

Five deep‐learning networks were evaluated on apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) MRI from 500 lesions in 365 patients arising from internal training Dataset 1 (156 lesions in 125 patients, 1.5Tesla GE MR with endorectal coil), testing using Dataset 1 (35 lesions in 26 patients), external ProstateX Dataset 2 (299 lesions in 204 patients, 3Tesla Siemens MR), and internal inter‐rater Dataset 3 (10 lesions in 10 patients, 3Tesla Philips MR). The five networks include: multiple resolution residually connected network (MRRN) and MRRN regularized in training with deep supervision implemented into the last convolutional block (MRRN‐DS), Unet, Unet++, ResUnet, and fast panoptic segmentation (FPSnet) as well as fast panoptic segmentation with smoothed labels (FPSnet‐SL). Models were evaluated by volumetric DIL segmentation accuracy using Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and the balanced F1 measure of detection accuracy, as a function of lesion aggressiveness and size (Dataset 1 and 2), and accuracy with respect to two‐raters (on Dataset 3). Upon acceptance for publication segmentation models will be made available in an open‐source GitHub repository.

Results

In general, MRRN‐DS more accurately segmented tumors than other methods on the testing datasets. MRRN‐DS significantly outperformed ResUnet in Dataset2 (DSC of 0.54 vs. 0.44, p < 0.001) and the Unet++ in Dataset3 (DSC of 0.45 vs. p = 0.04). FPSnet‐SL was similarly accurate as MRRN‐DS in Dataset2 (p = 0.30), but MRRN‐DS significantly outperformed FPSnet and FPSnet‐SL in both Dataset1 (0.60 vs. 0.51 [p = 0.01] and 0.54 [p = 0.049] respectively) and Dataset3 (0.45 vs. 0.06 [p = 0.002] and 0.24 [p = 0.004] respectively). Finally, MRRN‐DS produced slightly higher agreement with experienced radiologist than two radiologists in Dataset 3 (DSC of 0.45 vs. 0.41).

Conclusions

MRRN‐DS was generalizable to different MR testing datasets acquired using different scanners. It produced slightly higher agreement with an experienced radiologist than that between two radiologists. Finally, MRRN‐DS more accurately segmented aggressive lesions, which are generally candidates for radiative dose ablation.
Ein kaum bekanntes Naturphänomen
Authors: Suhr Wilfried , Schlichting Hans Joachim
Published: March 2023

Auf fließenden Bächen und auf Wasserpfützen, die dem Wind ausgesetzt sind, findet man zuweilen eine winzige wellenartige Erhebung, die quer über das Gewässer verläuft. Diese Thoreau‐Reynolds‐Welle entpuppt sich als Grenze zu einem aufgestauten hauchdünnen Film, zum Beispiel aus natürlichen Tensiden. Sie kommt dadurch zustande, dass die oberflächennahe Strömung der Grenzschicht ausweichen muss, die das Strömungsgeschehen unter dem Film generiert.
Geschmolzenes Spineis
Authors: Wosnitza Jochen
Published: March 2023

In magnetischen Materialien „frieren“ die magnetischen Momente üblicherweise in wohlgeordneten oder glasartigen Strukturen ein. Quanteneffekte können dazu führen, dass diese Strukturen „schmelzen“ und die Spinflüssigkeit selbst am absoluten Nullpunkt nicht ordnet.
Plasma catalytic removal of VOCs using cycled storage‐discharge (CSD) mode: Tandem effect of zeolite adsorbents and Au catalysts on complete oxidation of toluene
Authors: Zhou Amin , Liu Jing‐Lin , Zhu Bin , Di Lanbo , Li Xiao‐Song , Zhu Ai‐Min
Published: March 2023

High‐silica zeolite adsorbents (ZAs) are employed for plasma catalytic removal of toluene with cycled storage‐discharge mode in this work. At 5 min discharge time of the discharge stage in air plasma (20% O2 in N2), toluene conversion attains 100%, obtaining 22% CO and 26% CO2 selectivities. After 20 min discharge time, the air plasma gives the selectivities to CO of ~30% and CO2 of ~60%. For complete oxidation of toluene to CO2, ZA and Au catalysts are combined and a tandem effect of in‐plasma ZA and postplasma Au catalysts is achieved, featuring nearly 100% CO2 selectivity at 100% toluene conversion. Dependences of the tandem effect on Au loading and space velocity ratio of ZA to Au catalyst are investigated.
Synthesis of Highly Thermostable and Transparent Colorless Polyimides Based on a Semi‐aromatic Tetracarboxylic Anhydride
Authors: Zhou Di , Peng Qing , Kong Ling‐lu , Liu Shu‐mei , Yuan Yan‐chao , Ma Yu‐guang , Mo Yue‐qi , Qin Dong‐huan , Zhao Jian‐qing
Published: March 2023

A semi‐aromatic tetracarboxylic dianhydide, 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8‐octahydroanthracene‐2,3,6,7‐tetracarboxylic dianhydride (OHADA), was successfully synthesized via a Diels Alder reaction. Two polyimides (OHADA‐TFDB and OHADA‐BAFL) were obtained via one‐step polycondensation of OHADA with 2,2′‐Bis(trifluoromethyl)benzidine (TFDB) and 9,9‐bis(4‐aminophenyl)fluorene (BAFL) in m‐cresol, respectively. OHADA‐TFDB has better solubility and processibilty than OHADA‐BAFL, but colorless OHADA‐BAFL exhibits higher thermal stability and lighter color. OHADA‐TFDB and OHADA‐BAFL display high glass transition temperatures (Tgs) of 339 °C/385 °C from DSC curves and 335 °C/395 °C from TMA trances, respectively. Their decomposition temperatures at 5 % weight loss (Td5) are above 537 °C/546 °C under nitrogen. These results are much better than those from wholly alicyclic tetracarboxylic dianhydride‐based polyimides (PIs), which can be attributed to the benzene moiety in OHADA. Furthermore, OHADA‐TFDB and OHADA‐BAFL exhibit good optical transparency with the cutoff wavelength of 315 nm/305 nm, light transmittance over 74 %/72 % at 400 nm and 84 %/80 % at 500 nm, which indicates it is an effectively way to suppress the formation of charge transfer complex (CTC) by introducing alicyclic moieties in OHADA. Their mechanical properties are also characterized in this study.
Effect of Substitutional Oxygen on Properties of Ti3C2Tx MXene Produced Using Recycled TiO2 Source
Authors: Iqbal Aamir , Kim Hyerim , Oh Jung‐Min , Chae Jikwang , Kim Jiwoong , Kim Myungjae , Hassan Tufail , Gao Zhenguo , Lee Juyun , Kim Seon Joon , Kim Daesin , Gogotsi Yury , Kwon Hanjung , Koo Chong Min
Published: March 2023

MXenes are an emerging class of 2D materials with unique properties including metallic conductivity, mechanical flexibility, and surface tunability, which ensure their utility for diverse applications. However, the synthesis of MXenes with high crystallinity and atomic stoichiometry in a low‐cost process is still challenging because of the difficulty in controlling the oxygen substitute in the precursors and final products of MXenes, which limits their academic understanding and practical applications. Here, a novel cost‐effective method is reported to synthesize a highly crystalline and stoichiometric Ti3C2Tx MXene with minimum substitutional oxygen impurities by controlling the amount of excess carbon and time of high‐energy milling in carbothermal reduction of recycled TiO2 source. The highest used content (2 wt%) of excess‐carbon yields TiC with the highest carbon content and minimal oxygen substitutes, which leads to the Ti3AlC2 MAX phase with improved crystallinity and atomic stoichiometry, and finally Ti3C2Tx MXene with the highest electrical conductivity (11738 S cm−1) and superior electromagnetic shielding effectiveness. Additionally, the effects of carbon content and substitutional oxygen on the physical properties of TiC and Ti3AlC2 are elucidated by density‐functional‐theory calculations. This inexpensive TiO2‐based method of synthesizing high‐quality Ti3C2Tx MXene can facilitate large‐scale production and thus accelerate global research on MXenes.
Dual analysis for helping developers to find collaborators based on co‐changed files: An empirical study
Authors: Constantino Kattiana , Belém Fabiano , Figueiredo Eduardo
Published: March 2023

Software developers must collaborate at all stages of the software life‐cycle to create successful complex software systems. To enable this collaboration, social coding platforms, for example, GitHub, include an increasing number of tools to support collaboration. However, for large projects with hundreds of dynamic developers, such as several successful open–source projects, it can be complex to find developers with the same interest and familiarity and thus, gain suitable collaborations and new insights. In this context, resources and efforts may be wasted, discouraging many developers from contributing. Moreover, it can be costly to manage many contributions, which is another challenge for the maintainer who wants to take advantage of this small, timid, but valuable contribution made by a volunteer developer in a short time. In this context, this paper presents an empirical study aiming to evaluate two strategies to recommend collaborators based on co‐changed files. Inspired in the TF–IDF (Term Frequency–Inverse Document Frequency) weighting scheme established in the Information Retrieval field, these strategies first estimate the importance of relevant files modified by developers and use these estimates to represent each developer “profile”. As a second step, they estimate the similarity between developers using the Cosine metric, providing top‐ranked developers according to this measure as recommendations. We evaluated these strategies based on an extensive survey with 102 real–world developers. We observed that developers have interest and familiarity with the co‐changed files for all strategies evaluated. These considerations are of relevance because many opportunities for contributions to the project are linked to coding. Thus, theses results may indicate one less barrier for improving collaboration among developers. Overall, the strategies present an acceptance rate of up to 81%, contributing to the discovery of further collaborators.
A reinforcement learning approach to system modularization under constraints
Authors: Sanaei Roozbeh , Otto Kevin , Hölttä‐Otto Katja , Wood Kristin
Published: March 2023

Modularization is an approach for system architecting and design simplification by encapsulating complex interactions among components within modules and reducing dependencies across modules. Design structure matrix (DSM) based clustering algorithms have proven helpful for such analysis, owing to their convenience in manipulating a large number of elements using conventional software. However, there are problems where constraints must be maintained in the modularization, for example, coping with functions or systems that either cannot or must be performed in regions with excessive heat, pressure, magnetic or other fields. Excluding such field boundary considerations can result in DSM computed modular architectural solutions that bundle field‐incompatible functions or components that are not practical. Such regional field constraint considerations are not taken into account using conventional DSM clustering algorithms. We introduce a DSM‐based clustering algorithm that incorporates these practical embodiment constraints through a constraint matrix indicating which elements can or cannot be placed in the same field region. We then employ reinforcement learning to allow the clustering algorithm to exploit its learnings from the previous attempts and during the clustering to facilitate the optimization under constraints. We demonstrate two examples of a medical contrast injector and the controller board of a three‐phase pump motor.
Threshold Determination Method for Detecting the Gazing Areas on a PC Screen While Silent Reading Japanese Texts
Authors: Ito Yudai , Ishizawa Chikako , Kageyama Yoichi
Published: March 2023

This study aims to develop a method that can detect the areas of Japanese texts that are difficult to read on a PC screen by analyzing eye movements. An effective method for detecting the areas of text that are difficult to read is to create a heatmap and consider the areas where the eye stays for longer than a fixation duration threshold (threshold). Usually, the threshold is determined through a 50 ms step search. However, since the eye stay time (fixation duration) for difficult‐to‐read text is longer than the fixation duration when reading smoothly, it is expected that steps that last longer than 50 ms are more effective at detecting the threshold. Furthermore, there are individual differences in the speed at which we comprehend text. In this study, we proposed a method that considers both the efficient search and individual differences among each subject. The experimental results showed that the threshold determined by the proposed method is more useful than the thresholds of 1000 and 800 ms that were used in a previous study, as well as the usual fixation duration of 250 ms. © 2023 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Foundations of Inquisitive Logic
Authors: Ciardelli Ivano
Published: March 2023

In this chapter, we lay the foundations for our enterprise. In particular, we explain how an information-based semantics,inquisitive semantics, allows us to interpret statements and questions in a uniform way and to define a general notion of entailment in which questions can occur as premises and conclusions. We explore in detail the significance of this generalized notion of entailment, showing in particular that it captures as a special case an important logical notion that we calldependency. We explain how questions can be viewed as denotinginformation types and how inquisitive entailment can thus be seen as generalizing entailment from a notion relating pieces of informations to one relating information types. We also show how a logic based on inquisitive semantics can be equipped in a canonical way with an implication connective that internalizes, in a precise sense, the meta-language entailment relations into the object language. At the end of the section we motivate in more detail some of our setup choices and we relate our approach to previous work on questions in logic.
Inferences with First-Order Questions
Authors: Ciardelli Ivano
Published: March 2023

In the previous chapter, we saw how classical first-order logic can be enriched with questions, resulting in the system $$\textsf {InqBQ}$$
InqBQ
of inquisitive first-order logic.
Gender and the Imaginary of Forestry in Boreal Ecosystems
Authors: Reed Maureen G. , Lidestav Gun
Published: March 2023

In this chapter, we examine forestry work in two boreal regions—Canada and Sweden—where gender mainstreaming has long been established in government policy. Despite having policies that support gender equality in both countries, the roles, opportunities, remuneration, and expectations of women and men engaged in forestry work are highly differentiated by gender. We explain this discrepancy by considering the way in which forestry work has been and continues to be imagined. The narrow interpretation of forestry as “tree cutting” has reduced the visibility of women and continues to narrow the range of activities deemed valuable to the forestry sector. By asking questions about how forestry has been imagined, we seek to catalyze fresh thinking about the nature of forestry work and the capacity of the forest industry in both countries to adapt to climate change.
Modeling the Impacts of Climate Change on Ecosystem Services in Boreal Forests
Authors: Hof Anouschka R. , Lundström Johanna , Duveneck Matthew J.
Published: March 2023

With the increasing effects of climate change, a rapid development of effective approaches and tools are needed to maintain forest biodiversity and ecosystem functions. The response, or lack thereof, of forest managers to climate change and its impacts on ecosystem services will have broad ramifications. Here we give an overview of approaches used to predict impacts of climate change and management scenarios for a range of ecosystem services provided by the boreal forest, including timber supply, carbon sequestration, bioenergy provision, and habitat for wildlife and biodiversity. We provide examples of research in the field and summarize the outstanding challenges.
Network Framework for Forest Ecology and Management
Authors: Filotas Élise , Witté Isabelle , Aquilué Núria , Brimacombe Chris , Drapeau Pierre , Keeton William S. , Kneeshaw Daniel , Messier Christian , Fortin Marie-Josée
Published: March 2023

Applications of network science to forest ecology and management are rapidly being adopted as important conceptualization and quantitative tools. This chapter highlights the potential of network analysis to help forest managers develop strategies that foster forest resilience in our changing environment. We describe how networks have been used to represent different types of associations within forest ecosystems by providing examples of species interaction networks, spatial and spatiotemporal networks, and social and social-ecological networks. We then review basic measures used to describe their topology and explain their relevance to different management situations. We conclude by presenting the challenges and potential opportunities for an effective integration of network analysis with forest ecology and management.
Land and Freshwater Complex Interactions in Boreal Forests: A Neglected Topic in Forest Management
Authors: Grosbois Guillaume , Lau Danny Chun Pong , Berggren Martin , Girona Miguel Montoro , Goedkoop Willem , Messier Christian , Hjältén Joakim , del Giorgio Paul
Published: March 2023

Aquatic and terrestrial habitats are interdependent components of the boreal forest landscape involving multiple dynamic interactions; these are manifested particularly in riparian areas, which are key components in the forest landscape. However, this interdependence between aquatic and terrestrial habitats is not adequately accounted for in the current management of forest ecosystems. Here we review the impacts of land disturbances on the optical and physicochemical properties of water bodies, aquatic food web health, and the ecological functioning of these freshwaters. We also describe how freshwaters influence the adjacent terrestrial ecosystems. A better understanding of these dynamic biotic and abiotic interactions between land and freshwater of the boreal forest is a first step toward including these freshwaters in the sustainable management of the boreal forest.
Current Symptoms of Climate Change in Boreal Forest Trees and Wildlife
Authors: D’Orangeville Loïc , St-Laurent Martin-Hugues , Boisvert-Marsh Laura , Zhang Xianliang , Bastille-Rousseau Guillaume , Itter Malcolm
Published: March 2023

Measuring climate change impacts on forest ecosystems can be challenging, as many of these changes are imperceptible within the typical time scale of short-term (e.g., 3–4 years) funding of research projects. Boreal trees are notoriously imperturbable, given their tolerance to harsh conditions and their adaptability. However, the buildup of decades of warming should now translate into measurable alterations of boreal ecosystem processes. The boreal forest is host to numerous northern animals; therefore, any change in boreal forest dynamics should affect wildlife. In this chapter, we aim to provide a nonexhaustive synthesis of documented impacts of climate change on selected key processes driving boreal forest ecosystem dynamics. We focus on the themes of plant and wildlife range shifts and stand growth and death, as they are keystone parameters of boreal forest ecosystem health that are symptomatic of climate change impacts on the boreal biota. For each theme, we introduce the general concepts and processes, convey some of the limitations of current assessments, and suggest future pressing challenges.
Living Trees and Biodiversity
Authors: Hämäläinen Aino , Runnel Kadri , Mikusiński Grzegorz , Himelbrant Dmitry , Fenton Nicole J. , Lõhmus Piret
Published: March 2023

Living trees are fundamental for boreal forest biodiversity. They contribute to stand structural diversity, which determines the range of habitat niches available for forest-dwelling species. Specific characteristics of living trees, such as species, age, and presence of microhabitats, determine how species utilize trees for food, as nesting places, or as growing substrates. This chapter explores the associations between living trees and aboveground biodiversity, reviews the factors such as soil productivity, hydrological regime, stand successional stage, and forestry activities that influence the characteristics of living trees and stand structural diversity, and presents the consequences of current and future climate change on boreal biodiversity.
Deadwood Biodiversity
Authors: Löfroth Therese , Birkemoe Tone , Shorohova Ekaterina , Dynesius Mats , Fenton Nicole J. , Drapeau Pierre , Tremblay Junior A.
Published: March 2023

Deadwood is a key component for biodiversity and ecosystem services in boreal forests; however, the abundance of this critical element is declining worldwide. In natural forests, deadwood is produced by tree death due to physical disturbances, senescence, or pathogens. Timber harvesting, fire suppression, and salvage logging reduce deadwood abundance and diversity, and climate change is expected to bring further modifications. Although the effects of these changes are not yet fully understood, restoring a continuous supply of deadwood in boreal forest ecosystems is vital to reverse the negative trends in species richness and distribution. Increasing the availability of deadwood offers a path to building resilient forest ecosystems for the future.
Marine Governance as a Process of Reflexive Institutionalization? Illustrated by Arctic Shipping
Authors: van Tatenhove Jan P. M.
Published: March 2023

The objective of this chapter is to give insight in marine governance challenges, illustrated by Arctic shipping. To do this, this chapter presents a theory of marine governance as reflexive institutionalization, in which the structural properties of marine governance arrangements are (re)produced in interactions between governmental actors, maritime sectors and civil society actors within the structural conditions of the networked polity at sea. Based on an analysis of the institutionalization of shipping governance arrangements of three (possible) Arctic shipping routes; The Northwest Passage (NWP), the Northeast Passage and Northern Sea Route (NEP/NSR), and the Transpolar Sea Route (TSR) the following question will be answered, “What are the enabling and constraining conditions of marine governance as reflexive institutionalization?” In other words, what are the possibilities for public and private actors to challenge discursive spaces and to change the rules of the game, in order to find solutions for environmental, spatial, economic, and social problems at the Arctic Ocean? The analysis shows forms of institutionalization as structural reflectiveness in which the dominant discourse ‘shipping is allowed in the Arctic’ is not challenged. However, this form of reflectiveness showed how actors, such as China and Russia, are able the use rules from different institutional settings to strengthen their position.
Towards Just and Sustainable Blue Futures: Small-Scale Fisher Movements and Food Sovereignty
Authors: Ertör Irmak , Ertör-Akyazi Pinar
Published: March 2023

Oceans and seas have been vital food sources for both coastal and terrestrial communities for thousands of years. Traditionally, the main actors were small-scale fishers adopting more ecologically-benign fishing practices either for their own subsistence or small-scale commercial use and livelihood. Members of small-scale fishing communities frequently combine other socioeconomic activities such as small-scale agriculture and animal husbandry with their fishing activity as well. Thus, they usually have broader and different understandings and narratives regarding their relations and interdependency with the fish and the seas compared with industrial capture fisheries targeting the most profitable commercial fish species using more destructive gears and high technological capacities. In this chapter, we aim to shed light on their past and present—as well as highlight their existence as a rather neglected and marginalized social group, their political agency and their global movement for food sovereignty in order to uncover their social, political and ecological roles for the future of oceans, coastal communities, and the society in general. Our research methodology relies on participant observation and action methods based on 3 years of continuous work with small-scale fishing cooperatives in Turkey, Spain and Europe, as well as following and collaborating with the WFFP (World Forum of Fisher People) members both in Europe and globally. We conducted more than 80 interviews with key actors from fisheries sector including policy makers, NGOs, members of fishing cooperatives, and fisheries and marine scientists that inform this investigation. We claim that even though small-scale fishing communities are usually neglected actors of the ‘present’ in most mainstream marine policies, narratives and agendas such as the Blue Economy, their ‘presence’ in ocean governance is of utmost importance and their future existence needs to be ensured for an ecologically, socially and economically just ocean governance.
The Past, Present and Future of Ocean Governance: Snapshots from Fisheries, Area-Based Management Tools and International Seabed Mineral Resources
Authors: Singh Pradeep A. , Araujo Fernanda C. B.
Published: March 2023

Ocean governance comprises the law of the sea as well as all related policy and normative dimensions that relate to the regulation of human activity at sea and increasingly places a strong focus on marine environmental protection and the conservation of marine resources, with the aim of ensuring a healthy and productive ocean while sustaining a resilient ocean-based economy. Premised on this observation, this chapter aims to reflect on the past, present and future of ocean governance using three case studies as snapshot examples, namely, fisheries at sea, marine area-based management tools and international seabed mineral resources. Put together, these three case studies will demonstrate how the law of the sea has evolved when considered from the dimension of ocean governance, particularly with respect to the challenge of protecting and preserving the marine environment through the sustainable use of marine resources.
In silico Investigation of Sex-Specific Osteoarthritis in Human Articular Chondrocytes
Authors: Ngo Khoa , Herrera Nathaniel T , Folkmanaite Milda , Yamamoto Kei , Maleckar Mary M
Published: March 2023

Osteoarthritis (OA), a progressive degenerative disease of cartilage in joints, is the most common cause of chronic disability in older adults. While OA is mostly considered an age-related pathology, women have a 1.5-fold higher risk of developing OA relative to men and experience more severe symptoms. Yet, they remain underrepresented in musculoskeletal research and clinical trials. Responsible for cartilage formation, articular chondrocytes experience physiological changes in OA, but the functional implications of such alterations remain largely unexplored due to difficulties in acquiring the data experimentally. Through reparameterization, we expand a mathematical chondrocyte model to investigate sex-specific OA pathogenesis. We performed sensitivity analysis to address the impact of ion channel activity in healthy and OA chondrocyte populations. Simulations show that in healthy female chondrocytes, the resting membrane potential is more depolarized than in healthy male chondrocytes, suggesting potential sex-specific emergent physiological differences in articular chondrocytes. In both sexes, the resting membrane potential of healthy chondrocytes is most sensitive to 𝐼𝐶𝑎−𝐴𝑇𝑃, 𝐼𝑁𝑎−𝑏, 𝐼𝑁𝑎𝐾 and 𝐼𝐾−𝑏, but in OA it depolarizes and becomes sensitive to 𝐼𝐾𝐷𝑅, 𝐼𝑁𝑎𝐾 and 𝐼𝐾−𝑏. Developed and evaluated against experimental data, our articular chondrocyte OA electrophysiological model can be used to further study OA pathology and sex-specific pathological OA changes.