bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Simulations of stand-off runaway electron beam termination by tungsten particulates for tokamak disruption mitigation
Authors: Lively Michael A. , Perez Danny , Uberuaga Blas P. , Zhang Yanzeng , Tang Xian-Zhu 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Stand-off runaway electron termination by injected tungsten particulates offers a plausible option in the toolbox of disruption mitigation. Tungsten is an attractive material choice for this application due to large electron stopping power and high melting point. To assess the feasibility of this scheme, we simulate runaway collisions with tungsten particulates using the MCNP program for incident runaway energies ranging from 1 to 10 MeV. We assess runaway termination from energetics and collisional kinematics perspectives. Energetically, the simulations show that 99% of runaway beam energy is removed by tungsten particulates on a timescale of 4–9 µs. Kinematically, the simulations show that 99% of runaways are terminated by absorption or backscattering on a timescale of 3–4 µs. By either metric, the runaway beam is effectively terminated before the onset of particulate melting. Furthermore, the simulations show that secondary radiation emission by tungsten particulates does not significantly impact the runaway termination efficacy of this scheme. Secondary radiation is emitted at lower particle energies than the incident runaways and with a broad angular distribution such that the majority of secondary electrons emitted will not experience efficient runaway re-acceleration. Overall, the stand-off runaway termination scheme is a promising concept as a last line of defense against runaway damage in ITER, SPARC, and other future burning-plasma tokamaks.
The Making of Felony Procedure in Middle English Literature
Authors: Wang Elise 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
The Making of Felony Procedure in Middle English Literature explores the literary inheritance of criminal procedure in thirteenth to fifteenth century English law, focusing on felony, the gravest common law offense. Left undefined in the law, felony’s definition was left to its practice. But professional lawmen found little of interest in criminal law and so were happy to leave its procedure—from investigation to conviction—fall to local communities who were generally untrained in the law. Left with many practical and ethical questions and few legal answers, they turned to cultural ones, archived in sermons they had heard, plays they had seen, and poetry they knew. This book reads the documents of criminal procedure—coroners’ reports, plea rolls, and gaol delivery records—alongside literary scenes of investigation, interrogation, and witnessing to tell a new intellectual history of criminal procedure’s beginnings. The Making of Felony in Procedure in Middle English Literature’s chapters guide the reader through the steps of a felony prosecution, from act to conviction. It argues that answers they found, and the sources that informed them, created the system that became modern criminal procedure.
Outbreak
Authors: Sarkar Natasha 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
This chapter discusses plague origins by engaging with economic considerations such as trade networks, and by recognizing the ecological environment in which plague flourished. It looks at the endemic southern Himalayas and draws parallels with previous Indian plague epidemics. Attention is given to people’s migratory habits and the chapter compares these details with patterns of the plague’s endemic origins and its subsequent spread. The official discovery of the disease in Bombay city, its progression in various parts of the Presidency, and its spread to other provinces from the main sites of infection receive special attention. The genesis of plague in Punjab and Bengal help in examining multiple entry points for the introduction of plague in an area and the extent to which the epidemic penetrated cities, towns, and villages. In most other countries the pandemic remained a coastal port-city phenomenon, while successfully penetrating deep into the rural interiors of India.
Remedies Aplenty
Authors: Sarkar Natasha 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
The chapter highlights two very different ways of treating patients, namely, indigenous medicine and Western biomedicine, and examines various perceptions of illness and the disease itself. At the time of the third plague pandemic, medicine had advanced to a considerable extent, and the chapter looks at the efficacy of and response to Yersin’s serum, Lustig’s serum, and Haffkine’s vaccine. It also discusses details of the general treatment that was provided to patients. Haffkine’s development of the plague vaccine and its reception receives much-needed attention as do other efforts at combating plague within the realm of Ayurveda. Attempts by Ayurvedic revivalists to regenerate their own system of medical practice by negotiating between tradition and modernity are also addressed. The accounts of popular medicine and even a plague goddess are revealing of the fascinating, intriguing, and even absurd non-biomedical alternatives that the masses took refuge in.
Not All Reproduction Involves Sex
Authors: Teather Kevin 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Reproduction was asexual for almost half the time that life existed on Earth. The first way organisms made copies of themselves was probably by splitting or fission, resulting in two identical cells. In some cases today, a bud grown from the parent forms a new individual, while in others, regeneration through fragmentation can result in multiple individuals. Spores refer to sexually or asexually produced reproductive stages often designed to withstand harsh conditions. Finally, plants exhibit an impressive array of ways to propagate, many not requiring any other individual. Variability in prokaryotes, needed for natural selection to operate, is produced by mutation and incorporating the genetic material of others through transformation, transduction, and conjugation. Parthenogenetic females have offspring that are often (but not always) identical to themselves, without any genetic material supplied by males. While parthenogenesis is a form of asexual reproduction, these species descend from sexual reproducers with whom they may share more characteristics.
The Road to Sexual Reproduction
Authors: Teather Kevin 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Living organisms are divided into two superkingdoms: the prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Prokaryotes consist of eubacteria and archaebacteria, are single-celled, and breed asexually. All other organisms comprise eukaryotes. These are larger, more complex, often multicellular, and, with some exceptions, reproduce sexually. About two billion years ago, eukaryotes evolved from prokaryotes by incorporating oxygen-using eubacteria into anaerobic archaeans. This development was accompanied by increased oxidative metabolism using the newly acquired bacteria, or mitochondria. The mitochondrial genome interacts with the nuclear genome to provide the proteins necessary for energy production. While using oxygen is more efficient when producing energy for the cell, it also results in extensive DNA damage by releasing free oxygen radicals. Meiosis is an integral part of sexual reproduction and is present in nearly all organisms that reproduce sexually. It likely evolved during the transition between the prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Of significant importance, crossing-over during an early stage of meiosis provided the capacity to repair DNA and resulted in increased levels of variability in progeny. Both of these factors may be important in the evolution of sex.
Two Sexes
Authors: Teather Kevin 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Males and females of a particular species may differ in many ways. Such differences may include hormone levels, genotypes, and various anatomical and physiological characteristics. However, the only consistent difference across all species having two sexes is gamete size; females have larger, stationary eggs, while males have smaller, mobile sperm or pollen. Models suggest that having two sizes of gametes, especially when the larger is stationary and sends out signals, has been selected because the ability to find each other is high. Although a few species remain isogamous (having gametes of the same size), even these have differences between mating types that permit recognition. In addition, a few species have more than one mating type, potentially increasing the encounter rate of a mating partner. These conditions are, however, rare. While the ability to produce male and female gametes is most often found in different individuals, hermaphrodites can contain both types of sex cells within one body. Regardless, self-fertilization is uncommon. After male and female gametes come together, they undergo a series of physiological processes, enabling them to recognize one another and ultimately combine their genetic material.
The Epistemology of Desire and the Problem of Nihilism
Authors: Hazlett Allan 
Published: March 2024

AbstractMost people have wondered whether anything really matters, some have temporarily thought that nothing really matters, and some philosophers have defended the view that nothing really matters. However, if someone thinks that nothing matters—if they are a “nihilist about value”—then it seems that it is irrational for them to care about anything. It seems that nihilism about value mandates total indifference. However, it is not irrational to care about something that you believe does not matter. Defending this conclusion requires an examination of the nature of desire. It is argued that goodness is the accuracy condition for desire, in the same way that truth is the accuracy condition for belief; that desires, like beliefs, can amount to knowledge; and that that desires, like beliefs, can be irrational. Despite these similarities between desire and belief, and even though it is obviously irrational to believe something that you believe is not true, it is not irrational to desire something you believe is not good. This reveals that nihilism about value does not mandate total indifference. It also shows that nihilism about value can coherently be combined with the anti-Humean view that desire is a species of evaluation.
Empirical Imagination in Perception and Experience
Authors: Matherne Samantha 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
This chapter’s aim is to clarify Kant’s account of the empirical contribution that imagination makes in perception and experience. It situates this contribution in an interpretation of Kant’s theory of experience as involving three stages: the sense stage that involves sensing, the imagination stage that involves perceiving, and the understanding stage that involves judging. Part of the chapter is devoted to an analysis of the imagination stage and Kant’s claim that imagination is a ‘necessary ingredient of perception’, and the other part to a discussion of how the imagination stage relates to the sense and understanding stages. It makes the case that, on Kant’s view, whereas the sensing involved in the sense stage does not depend on concepts, the perceiving at issue in the imagination stage does. However, the chapter also proposes that the role that concepts play in perception differs from the role that they play in the judging required for the understanding stage of experience.
Between the Lines
Authors: Bennett Michael Y 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
To investigate theatre and its in-between spaces, Between the Lines: A Philosophy of Theatre introduces some basic ideas about coherence and correspondence and, much more prominently, conversations surrounding subsumption and distinctness to better describe theatre as an art form. Instead of limiting the concept and use of subsumption to suggest that constituent parts are subsumed within a distinct whole (as is done in philosophical semantics, from where subsumption comes), in this book, the concept is broadened to claim that many of the properties of a theatrical character and/or a theatrical world are subsumed within the text. Unlike how fiction has a narrator that generally describes the properties of literary characters, theatre (particularly for the theatregoer) is largely devoid of distinct properties attributed to theatrical characters. Outside of the fact that character x says “_______” and does _______, with its corresponding properties being, character x has the properties of being-the-speaker-of-“_______” and being-the-doer-of-_______, there are little-to-no specified properties regarding theatrical characters and/or theatrical worlds. In thinking about the conceptual empty spaces of theatre, this book investigates three main topics: (1) theatre as an art form, (2) the properties of theatrical characters and theatrical worlds (i.e., distinct properties, subsumed properties, and truthful properties), and (3) the difference between truth and truthfulness in the theatre. Ultimately, this book aims to offer the first (contemporary) systematic account of theatre—thinking about theatre metaphysically, epistemologically, and ethically (the last, only in terms of value).
Gas Exchange Rates and Sucrose Concentrations Affect Development in Microstumps of Eucalyptus urophylla Grown In Vitro
Authors: Miranda Natane A , Xavier Aloisio , de Moura Luciana C , Otoni Wagner C 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Micropropagation enables the efficient clonal propagation of plants, bringing advantages to the Eucalyptus plantlet process. Herein, the influence of gas exchange rates and sucrose concentrations on the development of microstumps of a Eucalyptus urophylla S. T. Blake clone for microcutting production was evaluated. The microstumps were cultured under three gas exchange systems using caps with membrane, caps without membrane or a combination of the above, and also supplemented with 0, 7, 15 and 30 g L-1 sucrose. Gas exchange and sucrose supplementation affected the development of microstumps in vitro and the survival of microcuttings ex vitro. Lower sucrose concentrations were necessary under higher gas exchange rate conditions to improve the development and production of microstumps. Higher survival rates of ex vitro microcuttings were also observed under higher gas exchange rate. Sucrose is important in the initial plant development, but it can be reduced after the culture is established, depending on the gas exchange rate used. Thus, our findings show that reducing sucrose and increasing the gas exchange rates are efficient strategies for establishing microstumps of the Eucalyptus urophylla clone maintained under an in vitro condition.
Study Implications: Photoautotrophic micropropagation can promote significant growth of Eucalyptus, and in this system, environmental factors need to be adequately controlled. This study has revealed efficient combinations of sucrose concentrations and gas exchange systems that promote greater in vitro production and greater ex vitro survival of microcuttings. Plants grown under higher gas exchange conditions show better acclimatization with higher survival rate during the ex vitro stage and require lower sucrose concentration during in vitro cultivation. This approach is useful in enhancing micropropagation techniques and indicates its potential application for scaling up large culture vessels to aseptic culture rooms for closed microcutting production systems.
Piloting a Community-Based, Culturally Adapted Health Promotion Program for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Developmental Disabilities in First-Generation Korean Immigrant Families
Authors: Son Esther , Alford Sabretta 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Children with autism spectrum disorder and developmental disabilities (ASD/DD) face barriers to participation in health promotion programs due to the lack of available and/or affordable programs and trained staff at recreation centers. Children with ASD/DD in Korean immigrant families are one of the most underserved minority groups due to language, racial/ethnic discrimination, and stigma and shame within their own ethnic community. However, little research is available on development, implementation, and evaluation of a culturally adapted community health promotion program in this population. The purpose of this study is to assess effectiveness of a pilot program for children with ASD/DD from first-generation Korean immigrant families. The pilot study used a quantitative, quasiexperimental design (one-group design with pre- and posttest) following a seven-week health promotion program. We recruited 15 children with ASD/DD, ages nine through 16, from first-generation Korean immigrant families. The findings of the study suggest that the pilot program was effective in gaining nutrition knowledge and increasing physical involvement among participants. Given the fact that Asian immigrants are a fast-growing population and that nearly 75 percent of them were born abroad, development and evaluation of a community-based, culturally adapted health promotion program is urgently needed.
Pushed to Breaking Point? The Prohibition of ‘Constructive’ or ‘Disguised’ Refoulement under International Law
Authors: Rodenhäuser Tilman 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
The cornerstone of international refugee law is the principle of non-refoulement, which protects refugees, asylum seekers, and other persons with protection needs from being returned against their will to a place where they risk facing persecution or other fundamental rights violations. A person who is protected against refoulement may, however, return voluntarily. Determining when such returns are truly voluntary is an issue increasingly at the heart of discussions about the lawfulness of returns, including recently in the Lake Chad Basin, East Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Europe, and Australia.
Today, there does not appear to be a generally agreed legal standard to determine when a return is truly voluntary. Likewise, international law does not define a clear line at which State action to ‘incentivize’ or ‘induce’ returns amounts to refoulement or an unlawful expulsion. However, recent publications by international law expert bodies and ensuing debate among States have provided some indications as to where international law stands on the issue and the direction in which it might develop. Thus, this article first examines the interplay between voluntary returns and the principle of non-refoulement. Secondly, it analyses recent positions taken by the International Law Commission and the United Nations Committee against Torture concerning legal limits on the measures that States may take to incentivize or induce returns. Thirdly, the article considers certain measures taken by States to incentivize or induce the ‘voluntary’ return of a person and indicates when such measures may amount to acts of coercion or force in violation of international law.
The impact of elective surgery postponement during COVID-19 on emergency bellwether procedures in a large tertiary centre in Singapore
Authors: Chan Sze Ling , Zhang Alwin Yaoxian , Lam Sean Shao Wei , Rao Vijaya , Kanagalingam Devendra , Tan Hiang Khoon , Chow Pierce Kah Hoe , Mathur Sachin 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic drove many healthcare systems worldwide to postpone elective surgery to increase healthcare capacity, manpower, and reduce infection risk to staff. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of an elective surgery postponement policy in response to the COVID-19 pandemic on surgical volumes and patient outcomes for three emergency bellwether procedures. A retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent any of the three emergency procedures [Caesarean section (CS), emergency laparotomy (EL), and open fracture (OF) fixation] between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2021 was conducted using clinical and surgical data from electronic medical records. The volumes and outcomes of each surgery were compared across four time periods: pre-COVID (January 2018–January 2020), elective postponement (February–May 2020), recovery (June–November 2020), and postrecovery (December 2020–December 2021) using Kruskal–Wallis test and segmented negative binomial regression. There was a total of 3886, 1396, and 299 EL, CS, and OF, respectively. There was no change in weekly volumes of CS and OF fixations across the four time periods. However, the volume of EL increased by 47% [95% confidence interval: 26–71%, P = 9.13 × 10–7) and 52% (95% confidence interval: 25–85%, P = 3.80 × 10–5) in the recovery and postrecovery period, respectively. Outcomes did not worsen throughout the four time periods for all three procedures and some actually improved for EL from elective postponement onwards. Elective surgery postponement in the early COVID-19 pandemic did not affect volumes of emergency CS and OF fixations but led to an increase in volume for EL after the postponement without any worsening of outcomes.
Investigating eco-evolutionary processes of microbial community assembly in the wild using a model leaf litter system
Authors: Barbour Kristin M , Martiny Jennifer B H 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Microbial communities are not the easiest to manipulate experimentally in natural ecosystems. However, leaf litter—topmost layer of surface soil—is uniquely suitable to investigate the complexities of community assembly. Here, we reflect on over a decade of collaborative work to address this topic using leaf litter as a model system in Southern California ecosystems. By leveraging a number of methodological advantages of the system, we have worked to demonstrate how four processes—selection, dispersal, drift, and diversification—contribute to bacterial and fungal community assembly and ultimately impact community functioning. Although many dimensions remain to be investigated, our initial results demonstrate that both ecological and evolutionary processes occur simultaneously to influence microbial community assembly. We propose that the development of additional and experimentally tractable microbial systems will be enormously valuable to test the role of eco-evolutionary processes in natural settings and their implications in the face of rapid global change.
Exploring the biocontrol potential of rocket (Eruca sativa) extracts and associated microorganisms against Verticillium wilt
Authors: Poulaki Eirini G , Karamichali Ioanna , Lianos Orestis , Alexopoulos Vasilis , Dimitrakas Vasilis , Amourgis Grigorios G , Tjamos Sotirios E 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Aims
This study aimed to assess the impact of rocket (Eruca sativa) extract on Verticillium wilt in eggplants, explore rhizospheric microorganisms for disease biocontrol, and evaluate selected strains' induced systemic resistance (ISR) potential while characterizing their genomic and biosynthetic profiles.

Methods and results
Rocket extract application led to a significant reduction in Verticillium wilt symptoms in eggplants compared to controls. Isolated microorganisms from treated soil, including Paraburkholderia oxyphila EP1, Pseudomonas citronellolis EP2, Paraburkholderia eburnea EP3, and P. oxyphila EP4 and EP5, displayed efficacy against Verticillium dahliae, decreasing disease severity and incidence in planta. Notably, strains EP3 and EP4 triggered ISR in eggplants against V. dahliae. Genomic analysis unveiled shared biosynthetic gene clusters, such as ranthipeptide and non-ribosomal peptide synthetase-metallophore types, among the isolated strains. Additionally, metabolomic profiling of EP2 revealed the production of metabolites associated with amino acid metabolism, putative antibiotics, and phytohormones.

Conclusions
The application of rocket extract resulted in a significant reduction in Verticillium wilt symptoms in eggplants, while the isolated microorganisms displayed efficacy against V. dahliae, inducing systemic resistance and revealing shared biosynthetic gene clusters, with metabolomic profiling highlighting potential disease-suppressing metabolites.