bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rapid evaluation of capillary pressure and relative permeability for oil–water flow in tight sandstone based on a physics-informed neural network
Authors: Ji Lili , Xu Fengyang , Lin Mian , Jiang Wenbin , Cao Gaohui , Wu Songtao , Jiang Xiaohua
Published: August 2023

Efficient and accurate evaluation of capillary pressure and relative permeability of oil–water flow in tight sandstone with limited routinely obtainable parameters is a crucial problem in tight oil reservoir modeling and petroleum engineering. Due to the multiscale pore structure, there is complex nonlinear multiphase flow in tight sandstone. Additionally, wetting behavior caused by mineral components remarkably influences oil–water displacement in multiscale pores. All this makes predicting capillary pressure and relative permeability in tight sandstone extremely difficult. This paper proposes a physics-informed neural network, integrating five important physical models, the improved parallel genetic algorithm (PGA), and the neural network to simulate the two-phase capillary pressure and relative permeability of tight sandstone. To describe the nonlinear multiphase flow and the wettability behavior, five physical models, including the non-Darcy liquid flow rate formula, apparent permeability (AP) formula, and contact angle-capillary pressure relationship, are coupled into the neural network to improve the prediction accuracy. In addition, the input parameters and the structure of the physics-informed neural network are simplified based on analyzing the change rule of the oil–water flow with the main controlling factors, which can also save training time and improve the accuracy of the neural network. To obtain the data for training the coupled neural network, the dataset of tight sandstone in Ordos Basin is constructed with experimentally measured data and various fluid flow properties as constraints. The test results demonstrate that the estimated capillary pressure and relative permeability from the physics-informed neural network are in good agreement with the test ones. Finally, we have compared the physics-informed neural network with the quasi-static pore network model (QSPNM), dynamic pore network model (DPNM), and conventional artificial neural network (ANN). The calculation time of QSPNM and DPNM are hundreds of times longer than that of the physics-informed neural network. The coupled neural network has also performed much better than the conventional ANN. As the heterogeneity of pore spaces in tight sandstone increases, the advantages of the physics-informed neural network over ANN are more prominent. The prediction models generated in this study can estimate the capillary pressure and relative permeability based on only four routine parameters in a few seconds. Therefore, the physics-informed neural network in this paper can provide the potential parameters for large-scale reservoir simulation.
Petrophysical log-driven kerogen typing: unveiling the potential of hybrid machine learning
Authors: Azadivash Ahmad , Soleymani Hosseinali , Kadkhodaie Ali , Yahyaee Farshid , Rabbani Ahmad Reza
Published: August 2023

The importance of characterizing kerogen type in evaluating source rock and the nature of hydrocarbon yield is emphasized. However, traditional laboratory geochemical assessments can be time-intensive and costly. In this study, an innovative approach was taken to bridge this gap by utilizing machine learning techniques to ascertain key parameters—Organic Oxygen Index (OI), Hydrogen Index (HI), and kerogen type—from petrophysical logs of a well in the Perth Basin, Western Australia. This approach assembled geochemical data from 138 cutting samples of the Kockatea and Woodada formations and petrophysical log data. Subsequently, six machine learning algorithms were applied to predict the OI and HI parameters. The efficacy of these methods was assessed using statistical parameters, including Coefficient of Determination (R2), Average Percentage Relative Error, Average Absolute Percentage Relative Error, Root Mean Square Error, and Standard Deviation. The Support Vector Machines method emerged as the standout performer, with an R2 of 0.993 for the OI and 0.989 for the HI, establishing itself as an optimal tool for predicting these indices. Additionally, six classifiers were employed to determine kerogen types, with accuracy tested using precision, recall, F1-Score, and accuracy parameters.The study's findings highlight the superiority of the Gradient Boosting method in kerogen-type classification, achieving an impressive accuracy rate of 93.54%. It is concluded that when utilized with petrophysical logs, machine learning methodologies offer a powerful, efficient, and cost-effective alternative for determining OI, HI, and kerogen type. The novelty of this approach lies in its ability to accurately predict these crucial parameters using readily available well-log data, potentially revolutionizing traditional geochemical analysis practices.

Graphical abstract
Supercritical fluid (SCF)-assisted preparation of cyclodextrin-based poly(pseudo)rotaxanes for transdermal purposes
Authors: Cardoso Gleidson , Gonzalez Carlos A. García , Santos-Rosales Víctor , Taveira Stephania Fleury , Cunha-Filho Marcilio , Concheiro Angel , Alvarez-Lorenzo Carmen , Marreto Ricardo Neves
Published: August 2023

This study aims to investigate the effect of the preparation of solid dispersions using supercritical CO2 (scCO2) on the physicochemical properties and the performance of supramolecular gels based on polymer-cyclodextrin (CD) interactions (named poly(pseudo)rotaxanes, PPR) envisaging a transdermal administration. Solid dispersions containing Soluplus®, the antihypertensive drug carvedilol (CAR), and CD (αCD or HPβCD) were prepared and characterized by HPLC, XRPD, FTIR, and DSC. PPRs prepared from solid dispersions (SCF gels) and the corresponding physical mixtures (PM gels) were analyzed regarding rheology, morphology, in vitro drug diffusion, and ex vivo drug skin permeation. The application of scCO2 led to the loss of the crystalline lattice of CAR while preserving its chemical identity. On the contrary, αCD crystals were still present in the SCF solid dispersions. SCF gels were more uniform than their corresponding PM, and the supercritical treatment resulted in changes in the rheological behavior, reducing the viscosity. CAR in vitro diffusion was significantly higher (p < 0.05) for the αCD-based SCF gel than its corresponding PM gel. Drug skin permeation showed a significant increase in drug flux from CD-based SCF gels (containing αCD or HPβCD) compared to corresponding PM gels. Additionally, the pretreatment of the skin with αCD exhibited increased CAR permeation, suggesting an interaction between αCD and the skin membrane. Results evidenced that SCF processing decisively modified the properties of the supramolecular gels, particularly those prepared with αCD.

Graphical Abstract
Fieldwork from A–Z? Exploring shifting identities in doctoral research in Australia and Zimbabwe
Authors: Harper Matthew , Smithers Kathleen
Published: August 2023

While research into PhD programs and doctoral students’ experiences has increased in recent years, fieldwork is overlooked as a source of learning and support. In education, the focus of this paper, fieldwork remains laced with notions of the anthropologist gathering data in a place that is not their own, which narrowly construct the role of the novice and their expectations around ‘doing’ research. To demonstrate the relevance of these issues and key ethical tensions that they underpin, we explored our recent PhD fieldwork experiences within classrooms in Australian and Zimbabwean schools. By analysing fieldnotes from our lived experiences, we identified similarities between conducting fieldwork ‘out there’ (in Zimbabwe) and ‘at home’ (in Australia). These similarities highlighted a multitude of roles and dynamics associated with the researcher presence, as well as the importance of balancing complex needs during fieldwork. Our analyses also revealed how daily in situ interactions with participants—and others—were crucial to the development of our identities and data gathering practices. We argue that ongoing efforts to demystify fieldwork experiences are critical for understanding that ‘the field’ is not simply ‘out there’ and offer practical suggestions for current and future doctoral students to consider.
Zirconia: More and More Translucent
Authors: Hjerppe Jenni , Özcan Mutlu
Published: August 2023

Purpose of Review

Yttria-stabilized zirconium dioxide, 3 mol% Y-TZP (zirconia, 3Y-TZP) was introduced as a prosthetic material to provide metal-free, tooth-colored, and durable material option for the patients. However, its optical properties are not ideal. This review describes the different strategies to increase translucency of zirconia material and summarizes the current knowledge of translucent zirconia for fixed prosthodontic applications.

Recent Findings

One of the most common ways of increasing the translucency of zirconia is to add the cubic phase by increasing Y2O3 content. Y2O3 4Y mol% and Y2O3 5Y mol% partially stabilized zirconia materials seem to have better optical properties compared to 3Y-TZP materials but with less favorable mechanical properties.

Despite the attempts to develop a translucent zirconia material, its optical properties are still far from those of natural tooth structures. Possible solution for achieving more translucent and durable zirconia material could be utilizing nanocrystalline zirconia. The production of nanocrystalline zirconia is yet very technique-sensitive, and the sintering process needs to be well controlled. Additional research in this field is needed before recommendation for clinical use. In the future, the challenge will be in achieving balance between improved translucency without sacrificing from mechanical properties. This would apply not only for subtractive but also additively manufactured zirconia ceramics.
Highly Selective Electrocatalytic CuEDTA Reduction by MoS2 Nanosheets for Efficient Pollutant Removal and Simultaneous Electric Power Output
Authors: Qin Hehe , Liu Xinru , Liu Xiangyun , Zhao Hongying , Mao Shun
Published: August 2023

Electrocatalytic reduction of ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid copper (CuEDTA), a typical refractory heavy metal complexation pollutant, is an environmental benign method that operates at mild condition. Unfortunately, the selective reduction of CuEDTA is still a big challenge in cathodic process. In this work, we report a MoS2 nanosheet/graphite felt (GF) cathode, which achieves an average Faraday efficiency of 29.6% and specific removal rate (SRR) of 0.042 mol/cm2/h for CuEDTA at − 0.65 V vs SCE (saturated calomel electrode), both of which are much higher than those of the commonly reported electrooxidation technology-based removal systems. Moreover, a proof-of-concept CuEDTA/Zn battery with Zn anode and MoS2/GF cathode is demonstrated, which has bifunctions of simultaneous CuEDTA removal and energy output. This is one of the pioneer studies on the electrocatalytic reduction of heavy metal complex and CuEDTA/Zn battery, which brings new insights in developing efficient electrocatalytic reduction system for pollution control and energy output.
Contrastive text summarization: a survey
Authors: Ströhle Thomas , Campos Ricardo , Jatowt Adam
Published: August 2023

In our data-flooded age, an enormous amount of redundant, but also disparate textual data is collected on a daily basis on a wide variety of topics. Much of this information refers to documents related to the same theme, that is, different versions of the same document, or different documents discussing the same topic. Being aware of such differences turns out to be an important aspect for those who want to perform a comparative task. However, as documents increase in size and volume, keeping up-to-date, detecting, and summarizing relevant changes between different documents or versions of it becomes unfeasible. This motivates the rise of the contrastive or comparative summarization task, which attempts to summarize the text of different documents related to the same topic in a way that highlights the relevant differences between them. Our research aims to provide a systematic literature review on contrastive or comparative summarization, highlighting the different methods, data sets, metrics, and applications. Overall, we found that contrastive summarization is most commonly used in controversial news articles, controversial opinions or sentiments on a topic, and reviews of a product. Despite the great interest in the topic, we note that standard data sets, as well as a competitive task dedicated to this topic, are yet to come to be proposed, eventually impeding the emergence of new methods. Moreover, the great breakthrough of using deep learning-based language models for abstract summaries in contrastive summarization is still missing.
Electro-magnetic Field Effect on an Elastic Thermo-microstretch Porous Media Immersed in an Infinite Inviscid Liquid via Three-Phase Lag Model
Authors: Othman Mohamed I. A. , Eraki Ebtesam E. M. , Atwa Sarhan Y. , Ismail Mohamed F.
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The aim of this work is to study porous thermo-elastic behavior in a half-space elastic micro-stretch media enveloped in an unbounded inviscid liquid with a magnetic field, utilizing three-phase lag model (3PHL) and Green–Naghdi theory of type III (G–N III).

Methods

The analytical technique used to obtain the ordinary differential equations was normal mode analysis. The Gauthier composite element is employed in an implementation to start comparing the observations—magnetic field on thermo-micro-stretch elastic porous medium completely covered in the endless fluid of G–N III theory with those for the model of 3PHL.

Results

The magnetic field has been observed to make a significant impact over all physical quantities. Also, comparisons have been made for four various frequency values which explained that the frequency has an important role on the physical quantities.

Conclusion

Overall, the research on the magnetic field effect on thermo-micro-stretch porous media immersed in a liquid has several potential practical implications and engineering applications in various fields, such as biomedical, environmental, chemical, and energy engineering.
Biochar-mediated Cd accumulation in rice grains through altering chemical forms, subcellular distribution, and physiological characteristics
Authors: Chen Le , Guo Lin , Xiong Qiangqiang , Liao Ping , Deng Xueyun , Pan Xiaohua , Tan Xueming , Xie Xiaobing , Dai Qigen , Gao Hui , Wei Haiyan , Zeng Yongjun , Zhang Hongcheng
Published: August 2023

Biochar can change the availability and morphology of soil Cd. However, the influence of biochar on Cd chemical form and subcellular fraction in rice is poorly understood, particularly under different irrigation methods. A pot experiment of biochar application combined with two irrigation methods (continuous flooding and intermittent irrigation, CF and II) was conducted. The Cd accumulation, chemical form and subcellular fraction in rice organs and the associated physiological responses were examined. Biochar significantly reduced soil available Cd (30.85–47.26% and 32.35–52.35%) under CF and II but increased the Cd content (30.4–63.88% and 13.03–18.59%) in brown rice. Additionally, the Cd content in shoots/grains under II was higher than that under CF. Biochar elevated the Cd soluble fraction in roots while lowered the cell wall fraction under both irrigation methods, whereas the opposite result was observed in leaves. Biochar increased water-, ethanol-, and NaCl-extractable Cd in roots meanwhile increased ethanol-extractable Cd in leaves under both irrigation methods. Moreover, the total amount of water-, ethanol-, and NaCl-extractable Cd in rice roots was higher under II than under CF. Related hormones and antioxidant enzymes may also be involved in biochar-mediated Cd accumulation in rice grains. Thus, changes in Cd chemical form and subcellular fraction in the root and leaf are the main mechanisms of biochar-induced rice grains Cd accumulation.

Graphical Abstract
Desert sand stabilization using biopolymers: review
Authors: Dagliya Monika , Satyam Neelima , Garg Ankit
Published: August 2023

Wind-driven sand erosion is the leading primary reason of earth deterioration in dry lands and a major global issue. Desert dust emissions and topsoil degradation caused by wind pose a global danger to the ecosystem, economy, and individual health. The aim of the current study is to critically analyze the different types of biopolymers and their interaction mechanism with sands for desert sand stabilization. Extensive experimental data with different percentages of biopolymers has been presented on various wind erosion studies using wind tunnel testing and their control rate on desert sand stabilization. Also, studies related to evaluating the engineering properties of sand using biopolymers were analyzed. Other biological approaches, namely Microbial-induced calcite precipitation (MICP) and Enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation (EICP), have been discussed to regulate wind-driven sand erosion in terms of percentage calcite formation at different compositions of urea and calcium chloride. Comparative analysis of MICP and EICP with biopolymer treatment and their limitations have been discussed. Biopolymers are not only demonstrated adeptness in engineering applications but are also helpful for environment safety. Biopolymers are suggested to be novel and nature-friendly soil-strengthening material. This review focuses on the fundamental mechanisms of biopolymer treatment to reduce wind-driven sand loss and its future scope as a binder for sand stabilization. The mechanism of soil-biopolymer interaction under various soil conditions (water content, density, and grain size distribution) and climatic circumstances (drying-wetting cycles) needs to be explored. Furthermore, before applying on a large scale, one should evaluate sand-biopolymer interaction in terms of durability and viability.
The next frontier: data-driven urban underground space planning orienting multiple development concepts
Authors: Peng Fang-Le , Dong Yun-Hao , Wang Wei-Xi , Ma Chen-Xiao
Published: August 2023

In recent years, the comprehensive and extensive development of urban underground space (UUS) has gained substantial popularity with the efficient guidance of UUS planning. This study discussed the research trends and paradigm shift in UUS planning over the past few decades. Bibliometric and comparative studies were conducted to identify the contributions of the research in this field. The analysis identified the overall temporal development trend of UUS planning and the research hot spots, namely, the primary use of UUS and UUS planning technology. Additionally, the study identified academic collaborative relationships through country and institution co-occurrence network analysis. The diversified development philosophy, planning systems, key planning scenarios, and data-driven technology pertaining to UUS planning have been extracted through keyword co-occurrence network analysis. Moreover, the planning systems, planning management, and planning practices for UUS in various countries, including Singapore, Japan, Finland, Canada, and China, were also systematically reviewed. By doing so, the worldwide UUS planning evolution has been identified. The paradigm shift for UUS planning has been clarified, involving technical method, result form, control mode, and control elements. Furthermore, the conceptual data-driven framework for UUS planning, which orients multiple development concepts, has been proposed to meet the requirement of next frontier development.
Vaginal leiomyoma: A case report
Authors: Muhammad Huda Muhaddien , Rashid Rezheen J. , Othman Snur , Ahmed Nahidah Hamah Ameen , Ali Rawa M. , Abdullah Ari M. , Yasseen Hadeel Adnan , Abdullah Fakher , Kakamad Fahmi H.
Published: August 2023

Abstract

Introduction and importance

Leiomyomas can affect 20–30% of women of reproductive age and are commonly observed in the uterus. Their occurrence in the vagina is exceedingly rare, representing the least common presentation among all locations. Herein, we report a case of vaginal leiomyomas in a 48-year-old lady.

Case presentation

A 48-year-old female presented to our gynecology clinic complaining of feeling a mass within her vagina. Physical examination revealed a round, smooth mass in the anterior vaginal wall with a normal-looking cervix. Ultrasound examination showed an enlarged anteverted uterus with an endometrial thickness of 14 mm and an endometrial polyp of 15 × 7mm arising from the left upper anterolateral wall. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a well-defined, fusiform, submucosal vaginal mass originating from the anterior vaginal wall, measuring 37× 22 × 36 mm. Hysteroscopy was performed, and the uterine and vaginal masses were resected. The masses were confirmed to be conventional leiomyomas.

Clinical discussion

The diagnosis is seldom established preoperatively and the preferred therapeutic approach for treating vaginal leiomyoma is surgical removal via the vaginal route. However, in the case of large tumors, the abdominoperineal route may be necessary.

Conclusion

Vaginal leiomyoma is a rare tumor with approximately 300 reported cases worldwide. It can be asymptomatic or cause to feel it within the vagina. Besides the necessity of surgical resection, colporrhaphy as a reconstructive surgery may be required.
Explaining Technology
Authors: Koppl Roger , Gatti Roberto Cazzolla , Devereaux Abigail , Fath Brian D. , Herriot James , Hordijk Wim , Kauffman Stuart , Ulanowicz Robert E. , Valverde Sergi
Published: August 2023

A long tradition explains technological change as recombination. Within this tradition, this Element develops an innovative combinatorial model of technological change and tests it with 2,000 years of global GDP data and with data from US patents filed between 1835 and 2010. The model explains 1) the pace of technological change for a least the past two millennia, 2) patent citations and 3) the increasing complexity of tools over time. It shows that combining and modifying pre-existing goods to produce new goods generates the observed historical pattern of technological change. A long period of stasis was followed by sudden super-exponential growth in the number of goods. In this model, the sudden explosion of about 250 years ago is a combinatorial explosion that was a long time in coming, but inevitable once the process began at least two thousand years ago. This Element models the Industrial Revolution as a combinatorial explosion.
Race and the Undeserving Poor
Authors: Shilliam Robbie
Published: August 2023

Over recent years, tabloid readers have become familiar with the concept of the 'white working class', those thought to have been 'left behind' by globalization, including immigration. Such sentiments were weaponized by politicians on all sides to fuel the anti-immigrant rhetoric of the Brexit campaign. And this racialized narrative has emerged repeatedly in mature democracies - in the political campaigns of Trump, Le Pen and others - and continues to gain traction in the guise of economic nationalism and populism. The need to understand the putative emergence of the white working class has become both intellectually significant and politically urgent.

In Race and the Undeserving Poor, Robbie Shilliam does just this. He charts the development over the past 200 years of a shifting postcolonial settlement that has produced a racialized distinction between the 'deserving' and 'undeserving' poor, the latest incarnation of which is a distinction between a deserving, neglected white working class and 'others' who are undeserving, not indigenous, and not white. Shilliam's analysis shows that the white working class are not an indigenous constituency, but a product of the struggles to consolidate and defend imperial order that have shaped British society since the abolition of slavery.
The Economy's Other Half
Authors: Heintz James
Published: August 2023

Choices made in macroeconomic policies - such as government spending, taxation, monetary policy and financial regulation - have distinct distributive consequences for women and men. They also shape the constraints within which efforts to advance gender equality must operate. The implications of gender dynamics for macroeconomics extends beyond consideration of distributive outcomes. The unpaid and non-market work that women perform - running a household, bringing up children - is unrecognized and uncounted in macroeconomic variables used to formulate policy. Yet the economic consequences of these unpaid activities are far-reaching: contributing to the well-being of society, affecting productive activities in the market economy and creating the foundation for the long-run sustainability of our economies.

It has long been assumed that economic growth and women's growing participation in the paid workforce would eventually take care of gender inequalities, and yet there is little evidence that faster growth will achieve this. In addition it ignores the valuable and quantifiable role that the unpaid work of women for their families contributes to the economy.

James Heintz tackles the shortcomings of macroeconomics in relation to gender dynamics and challenges the dominant methods and measurements, suggesting new ways of framing macroeconomic concepts. He concludes by considering implications for how this new way of thinking could transform policymaking in the future.
The Political Economy of Housing Financialization
Authors: Fuller Gregory W.
Published: August 2023

The US subprime mortgage crisis, by nearly causing the collapse of the global financial system during the 2007-08 financial crisis, clearly revealed that household debt management is critical to the stability of the international economy. The configuration of mortgage finance systems of European economies, from the UK to Sweden to Spain, have profound effects on national macroeconomic and political outcomes.

In this book, Gregory Fuller reveals how national housing systems diverge in terms of their commodification and financialization: mortgages are far more common in some systems than others; some encourage families to treat housing as a tradeable asset while others do not; and certain states provide extensive social housing programmes while others offer virtually none. These differences are shown to have an impact on households' economic precarity, macroeconomic volatility, and ultimately on their political preferences. Drawing on these comparisons, Fuller offers a number of policy suggestions intended to weaken the links between housing, economic instability, and inequality.
The Italian Economy
Authors: Zamagni Vera
Published: August 2023

The world's eighth largest economy has a unique shape and structure. Characterized by strong social networks and a niche capitalism built on successful small and medium-sized enterprises, the Italian economy has a nature distinct from its European neighbours.

Vera Zamagni charts Italy's recent economic history from the postwar years of reconstruction through to the present day and the legacy of the financial crisis. Combining illustrative data with qualitative analysis, she provides a clear and rigorous presentation of the main features of the country's economy. The country's regional imbalances, political instability and corruption are situated alongside its strengths in social capital, its flourishing industrial districts and its high ranking in well-being indicators. Throughout, the contours of a much longer history are shown to have shaped the contemporary economy as much as recent trends, such as migration.

The book provides a concise survey suitable for a range of introductory readerships seeking to understand the nature of recent Italian economic performance.
The Resource Curse
Authors: Murshed Syed Mansoob
Published: August 2023

The resource curse, or paradox of plenty, refers to the long-established notion central in development economics that countries rich in natural resources, particularly minerals and fuels, perform less well economically than countries with fewer natural resources. In other words, resources are an economic curse rather than a blessing.

This short primer explores the complexities of this idea and the debates that surround it, in particular under what conditions the resource curse might operate, if not universal. Discussion ranges over the nature of resource booms, the benefits and costs of export-led growth, the problems of deindustrialization and manufacturing base erosion, rent-seeking behaviour and corruption and the empirical evidence of the effects of natural resource dependence on growth. The book also considers the links between resource rents and the risk of conflict and civil war.

The treatment draws throughout on a range of illustrative examples from across the developed and developing world and offers an authoritative introduction to one of the most perplexing issues for economic growth.
Reflections on the Future of the Left
Authors: Coates David
Published: August 2023

What is the future for progressive politics in advanced capitalism? With its political fortunes so low, how might the Left move forward?

These essays from leading left intellectuals - Dean Baker, Fred Block, David Coates, Hilary Wainwright, Colin Crouch, Wolfgang Streeck, Leo Panitch, Sam Gindin and Matthew Watson - reflect on the scale and nature of the task that the Left now faces and consider the following questions: (1) What in modern capitalism has brought the Left to this impasse?; (2) What role has the Left played in its own failings?; (3) What lessons can be learnt for progressive politics going forward?; and (4) What are the immediate options and how can they best be pursued?

The views and opinions expressed vary, but all offer searching insights into the task the Left now faces. All point to the intellectual and practical experience on which the Left now needs to draw as it deals with its contemporary challenges. These essays represent a major statement on the future for centre-left politics and offer a frank appraisal of the Left's current capacity to keep conservatism at bay and to strengthen radical politics again.
The influence of inter-annual temperature variability on the Greenland Ice Sheet volume
Authors: Lauritzen Mikkel , Aðalgeirsdóttir Guðfinna , Rathmann Nicholas , Grinsted Aslak , Noël Brice , Hvidberg Christine S.
Published: August 2023

The Greenland Ice Sheet has become an increasingly larger contributor to sea level rise in the past two decades and is projected to continue to lose mass. Climate variability is expected to increase under future warming, but the effect of climate variability on the Greenland Ice Sheet volume is poorly understood and is adding to the uncertainty of the projected mass loss. Here we quantify the influence of inter-annual temperature variability on mass loss from the Greenland Ice Sheet using the PISM model. We construct an ensemble of temperature-forcing fields that accounts for inter-annual variability in temperature using reanalysis data from NOAA-CIRES over the period 1851–2014. We investigate the steady-state and transient response of the Greenland Ice Sheet. We find that the simulated steady-state ice-sheet volume decreases by 1.9 ± 0.4 cm of sea level equivalent when forced with a varying temperature forcing compared to a constant temperature forcing, and by 11.5 ± 1.4 cm when the variability is doubled. The northern basins are particularly sensitive with a change in volume of 0.9–1.1%. Our results emphasize the importance of including temperature variability in projections of future mass loss.
Determination of Sentences in India: Policy and Practice
Authors: Singh Parth
Published: August 2023

Judiciary and litigation are the two most prominent types of activities within the legal profession. The judicial aspect of the profession entails the interpretation of laws and the administration of justice in a fair and impartial manner. As a concept, justice entails protecting society from offenders and evildoers who deviate from society’s norms and engage in illegal behaviour by punishing and sentencing them. Due to the predominance of the human factor in the legal profession, which has such a significant impact on the lives of all members of society, it is crucial to investigate whether there is a guiding force behind dispensing justice and, if so, how effective these guidelines or policy measures have been. As crime rates rise and societal standards fall in the contemporary era, the legal profession grapples with the complexities of modern criminal behaviour. Particularly in the realm of judicial sentencing, there is a need for guidelines that account for the diversity of crimes and their individualistic nature. In India, long pungencies in court cases and a decline in the State’s conviction rate further exacerbate these issues. This paper examines the pressing need for comprehensive, well-structured sentencing guidelines that promote transparency, fairness and efficiency in the judicial process. Through a detailed review of recent high-profile court cases and an analysis of current practices and policies, this paper highlights the urgency of reform in the sentencing process to enhance public trust in the legal system. This article provides additional information on the subject.
Evolved galaxies in high-density environments across 2.0 ≤ z < 4.2 using the ZFOURGE survey
Authors: Hartzenberg Georgia R. , Cowley Michael J. , Hopkins Andrew M. , Allen Rebecca J.
Published: August 2023

To explore the role environment plays in influencing galaxy evolution at high redshifts, we study

$2.0\leq z<4.2$

environments using the FourStar Galaxy Evolution (ZFOURGE) survey. Using galaxies from the COSMOS legacy field with

${\rm log(M_{*}/M_{\odot})}\geq9.5$

, we use a seventh nearest neighbour density estimator to quantify galaxy environment, dividing this into bins of low-, intermediate-, and high-density. We discover new high-density environment candidates across

$2.0\leq z<2.4$

and

$3.1\leq z<4.2$

. We analyse the quiescent fraction, stellar mass and specific star formation rate (sSFR) of our galaxies to understand how these vary with redshift and environment. Our results reveal that, across

$2.0\leq z<2.4$

, the high-density environments are the most significant regions, which consist of elevated quiescent fractions,

${\rm log(M_{*}/M_{\odot})}\geq10.2$

massive galaxies and suppressed star formation activity. At

$3.1\leq z<4.2$

, we find that high-density regions consist of elevated stellar masses but require more complete samples of quiescent and sSFR data to study the effects of environment in more detail at these higher redshifts. Overall, our results suggest that well-evolved, passive galaxies are already in place in high-density environments at

$z\sim2.4$

, and that the Butcher–Oemler effect and SFR-density relation may not reverse towards higher redshifts as previously thought.
Does the primate face cue personality?
Authors: Wilson Vanessa A D , Masilkova Michaela
Published: August 2023

When looking at others, primates primarily focus on the face – detecting the face first and looking at it longer than other parts of the body. This is because primate faces, even without expression, convey trait information crucial for navigating social relationships. Recent studies on primates, including humans, have linked facial features, specifically facial width-to-height ratio (fWHR), to rank and Dominance-related personality traits, suggesting these links’ potential role in social decisions. However, studies on the association between dominance and fWHR report contradictory results in humans and variable patterns in nonhuman primates. It is also not clear whether and how nonhuman primates perceive different facial cues to personality traits and whether these may have evolved as social signals. This review summarises the variable facial-personality links, their underlying proximate and evolutionary mechanisms and their perception across primates. We emphasise the importance of employing comparative research, including various primate species and human populations, to disentangle phylogeny from socio-ecological drivers and to understand the selection pressures driving the facial-personality links in humans. Finally, we encourage researchers to move away from single facial measures and towards holistic measures and to complement perception studies using neuroscientific methods.
The Western Design Revised: Death, Dissent, and Discontent on the Gloucester, 1654–1656
Authors: Redding Benjamin W. D.
Published: August 2023

In December 1654 a large naval force departed from Portsmouth and sailed across the Atlantic. Its goal was to expand the English Commonwealth in the Caribbean at the expense of Spanish colonies. The Gloucester, a third-rate frigate recently constructed as part of Oliver Cromwell's ambitious shipbuilding programme, was one of the largest and most heavily armed warships of the expedition. Combining analysis of courts martial accounts, inventories, journals, letters, sailing instructions, and wills, this article argues for the Gloucester's importance as a case study and microcosm for understanding the economic, political, religious, and social problems that the navy and wider Protectorate faced. It revises traditional historiography about the topic that has underestimated the significance of the naval context to the Western Design. Crucial to this new history is that the extreme hardships and religious divisions created tensions that targeted the leadership of Admiral William Goodsonn. Of particular importance in this narrative is Benjamin Blake, captain of the Gloucester, who clashed with Goodsonn over key policies. By focusing on the Gloucester and exploring its crew's experiences, this article shows that the English navy was a restricted and internally conflicted force when operating at the peripheries of the state network.
Leishmania (L.) amazonensis LaLRR17 increases parasite entry in macrophage by a mechanism dependent on GRP78
Authors: Peña Mauricio S. , Tang Fenny Hui Fen , Franco Fernando Alves de Lima , Rodrigues Alessandro Taunay , Carrara Guilherme Moreira Paiva , Araujo Thaís Larissa Silva , Giordano Ricardo José , Palmisano Giuseppe , de Camargo Maristela Martins , Uliana Silvia Reni Bortolin , Stolf Beatriz Simonsen
Published: August 2023

Leishmaniases affect 12 million people worldwide. They are caused by Leishmania spp., protozoan parasites transmitted to mammals by female phlebotomine flies. During the life cycle, promastigote forms of the parasite live in the gut of infected sandflies and convert into amastigotes inside the vertebrate macrophages. The parasite evades macrophage's microbicidal responses due to virulence factors that affect parasite phagocytosis, survival and/or proliferation. The interaction between Leishmania and macrophage molecules is essential to phagocytosis and parasite survival. Proteins containing leucine-rich repeats (LRRs) are common in several organisms, and these motifs are usually involved in protein–protein interactions. We have identified the LRR17 gene, which encodes a protein with 6 LRR domains, in the genomes of several Leishmania species. We show here that promastigotes of Leishmania (L.) amazonensis overexpressing LaLRR17 are more infective in vitro. We produced recombinant LaLRR17 protein and identified macrophage 78 kDa glucose-regulated protein (GRP78) as a ligand for LaLRR17 employing affinity chromatography followed by mass spectrometry. We showed that GRP78 binds to LaLRR17 and that its blocking precludes the increase of infection conferred by LaLRR17. Our results are the first to report LRR17 gene and protein, and we hope they stimulate further studies on how this protein increases phagocytosis of Leishmania.
Associations between polygenic risk scores and accelerated brain ageing in smokers
Authors: Yang Zeyu , Zhao Wei , Linli Zeqiang , Guo Shuixia , Feng Jianfeng
Published: August 2023

Background

Smoking contributes to a variety of neurodegenerative diseases and neurobiological abnormalities, suggesting that smoking is associated with accelerated brain aging. However, the neurobiological mechanisms affected by smoking, and whether they are genetically influenced, remain to be investigated.

Methods

Using structural magnetic resonance imaging data from the UK Biobank (n = 33 293), a brain age predictor was trained on non-smoking healthy groups and tested on smokers to obtain the BrainAge Gap (BAG). The cumulative effect of multiple common genetic variants associated with smoking was then calculated to acquire a polygenic risk score (PRS). The relationship between PRS, BAG, total gray matter volume (tGMV), and smoking parameters was explored and further genes included in the PRS were annotated to identify potential molecular mechanisms affected by smoking.

Results

The BrainAge in smokers was predicted with very high accuracy (r = 0.725, MAE = 4.16). Smokers had a greater BAG (Cohen's d = 0.074, p < 0.0001) and higher PRS (Cohen's d = 0.63, p < 0.0001) than non-smokers. A higher PRS was associated with increased amount of smoking, mediated by BAG and tGMV. Several neurotransmitters and ion channel pathways were enriched in the group of smoking-related genes involved in addiction, brain synaptic plasticity, and some neurological disorders.

Conclusion

By using a simplified single indicator of the entire brain (BAG) in combination with the PRS, this study highlights the greater BAG in smokers and its linkage with genes and smoking behavior, providing insight into the neurobiological underpinnings and potential features of smoking-related aging.
Predicting long-term outcome in anorexia nervosa: a machine learning analysis of brain structure at different stages of weight recovery
Authors: Arold Dominic , Bernardoni Fabio , Geisler Daniel , Doose Arne , Uen Volkan , Boehm Ilka , Roessner Veit , King Joseph A. , Ehrlich Stefan
Published: August 2023

Background

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is characterized by sizable, widespread gray matter (GM) reductions in the acutely underweight state. However, evidence for persistent alterations after weight-restoration has been surprisingly scarce despite high relapse rates, frequent transitions to other psychiatric disorders, and generally unfavorable outcome. While most studies investigated brain regions separately (univariate analysis), psychiatric disorders can be conceptualized as brain network disorders characterized by multivariate alterations with only subtle local effects. We tested for persistent multivariate structural brain alterations in weight-restored individuals with a history of AN, investigated their putative biological substrate and relation with 1-year treatment outcome.

Methods

We trained machine learning models on regional GM measures to classify healthy controls (HC) (N = 289) from individuals at three stages of AN: underweight patients starting intensive treatment (N = 165, used as baseline), patients after partial weight-restoration (N = 115), and former patients after stable and full weight-restoration (N = 89). Alterations after weight-restoration were related to treatment outcome and characterized both anatomically and functionally.

Results

Patients could be classified from HC when underweight (ROC-AUC = 0.90) but also after partial weight-restoration (ROC-AUC = 0.64). Alterations after partial weight-restoration were more pronounced in patients with worse outcome and were not detected in long-term weight-recovered individuals, i.e. those with favorable outcome. These alterations were more pronounced in regions with greater functional connectivity, not merely explained by body mass index, and even increases in cortical thickness were observed (insula, lateral orbitofrontal, temporal pole).

Conclusions

Analyzing persistent multivariate brain structural alterations after weight-restoration might help to develop personalized interventions after discharge from inpatient treatment.
Differences in metacognitive functioning between obsessive–compulsive disorder patients and highly compulsive individuals from the general population
Authors: Hoven Monja , Rouault Marion , van Holst Ruth , Luigjes Judy
Published: August 2023

Background

Our confidence, a form of metacognition, guides our behavior. Confidence abnormalities have been found in obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). A first notion based on clinical case–control studies suggests lower confidence in OCD patients compared to healthy controls. Contrarily, studies in highly compulsive individuals from general population samples showed that obsessive–compulsive symptoms related positively or not at all to confidence. A second notion suggests that an impairment in confidence estimation and usage is related to compulsive behavior, which is more often supported by studies in general population samples. These opposite findings call into question whether findings from highly compulsive individuals from the general population are generalizable to OCD patient populations.

Methods

To test this, we investigated confidence at three hierarchical levels: local confidence in single decisions, global confidence in task performance and higher-order self-beliefs in 40 OCD patients (medication-free, no comorbid diagnoses), 40 controls, and 40 matched highly compulsive individuals from the general population (HComp).

Results

In line with the first notion we found that OCD patients exhibited relative underconfidence at all three hierarchical levels. In contrast, HComp individuals showed local and global overconfidence and worsened metacognitive sensitivity compared with OCD patients, in line with the second notion.

Conclusions

Metacognitive functioning observed in a general highly compulsive population, often used as an analog for OCD, is distinct from that in a clinical OCD population, suggesting that OC symptoms in these two groups relate differently to (meta)cognitive processes. These findings call for caution in generalizing (meta)cognitive findings from general population to clinical samples.
Sticky criticism? Affective and neural responses to parental criticism and praise in adolescents with depression
Authors: van Houtum Lisanne A.E.M. , Wever Mirjam C.M. , van Schie Charlotte C. , Janssen Loes H.C. , Wentholt Wilma G.M. , Tollenaar Marieke S. , Will Geert-Jan , Elzinga Bernet M.
Published: August 2023

Background

Parent-adolescent interactions, particularly parental criticism and praise, have previously been identified as factors relevant to self-concept development and, when negative, to adolescent depression. Yet, whether adolescents with depression show aberrant emotional and neural reactivity to parental criticism and praise is understudied.

Methods

Adolescents with depression (n = 20) and healthy controls (n = 59) received feedback supposedly provided by their mother or father in the form of negative (‘untrustworthy’), neutral (‘chaotic’), and positive (‘respectful’) personality evaluations while in an MRI-scanner. After each feedback word, adolescents reported their mood. Beforehand, adolescents had rated whether these personality evaluations matched their self-views.

Results

In both groups, mood decreased after criticism and increased after praise. Adolescents with depression reported blunted mood responses after praise, whereas there were no mood differences after criticism. Neuroimaging analyses revealed that adolescents with depression (v. healthy controls) exhibited increased activity in response to criticism in the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex, temporal pole, hippocampus, and parahippocampal gyrus. Praise consistent with adolescents' self-views improved mood independent of depression status, while criticism matching self-views resulted in smaller mood increases in adolescents with depression (v. healthy controls). Exploratory analyses indicated that adolescents with depression recalled criticism (v. praise) more.

Conclusions

Adolescents with depression might be especially attentive to parental criticism, as indexed by increased sgACC and hippocampus activity, and memorize this criticism more. Together with lower positive impact of praise, these findings suggest that cognitive biases in adolescent depression may affect how parental feedback is processed, and may be fed into their self-views.