bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Aperture Synthesis Imaging of Ionospheric Irregularities Using Time Diversity MIMO Radar
Authors: Hysell D. L. , Chau J. L. 
Published: September 2023

AbstractAperture‐synthesis images of ionospheric irregularities in the equatorial electrojet are computed using multiple‐input multiple‐output (MIMO) radar methods at the Jicamarca Radio Observatory. MIMO methods increase the number of distinct interferometry baselines available for imaging (by a factor of essentially three in these experiments) as well as the overall size of the synthetic aperture. The particular method employed here involves time‐division multiplexing or time diversity to distinguish pulses transmitted from different quarters of the Jicamarca array. The method comes at the cost of a large increase in computation time and complexity and a reduced signal‐to‐noise ratio. We discuss the details involved in the signal processing and the trade space involved in image optimization.
New Space Companies Meet a “Normal” Solar Maximum
Authors: Lugaz Noé , Liu Huixin , Carter Brett A. , Gannon Jennifer , Zou Shasha , Morley Steven K. 
Published: September 2023

AbstractThe monthly mean sunspot number has been larger in June–July 2023 than the double peak of solar cycle 24 (146 in February 2014 and 139 in November 2011) and brings us back to the sunspot level of solar cycle 23. However, the number of rocket launches, satellites in orbit and private space companies has increased dramatically in the past 20 years. Additionally, there is a growing interest for space exploration beyond Earth's orbit, to the Moon and beyond, which comes with higher risk of being affected by space weather. Here, we discuss some of these trends and the role of the journal to improve awareness of space weather impacts.
A Blue Water Scarcity‐Based Method for Hydrologically Sustainable Agricultural Expansion Design
Authors: Galli Nikolas , Chiarelli Davide Danilo , Ricciardi Livia , Rulli Maria Cristina 
Published: September 2023

AbstractSustainable development and intergenerational responsibility entail the prudent use of natural resources. Water availability can constrain agriculture, a key sector in terms of resources consumed and goods and services provided. The sustainability of its intensification and expansion has been studied, often with a particular focus on water. Agricultural strategies have been based on local water availability, and some downstream effects have been evaluated. However, a method to identify and quantify hydrologically sustainable land use and crop use changes directly accounting for downstream effects is yet to be defined. We propose a framework to design land‐use and crop‐use changes preventing local and downstream effects. We apply it on of coffee plantations expansion in Kenya, a sector that is growing and planned to grow, given its agricultural, economic and social development potential, not without risks associated to hydroclimatic change. We use crop‐ and land‐use specific hydrological modeling to simulate water scarcity impacts of coffee plantation expansion onto available suitable areas, and use the results to iteratively identify and filter out expansion areas increasing water scarcity locally or downstream. This assessment proves effective in preserving water availability, identifying 10% of the suitable and available areas as hydrologically sustainable. Total water footprints are similar in these expansion areas and in currently used areas, but expansion areas have higher precipitation‐generated water availability. The proposed methodology locates and quantifies areas in a physically robust way, maintaining flexibility to the selected expansion scenario. Thus, the methodology is replicable for planning hydrologically agricultural development.
Clues to potential dipolar-Kondo and RKKY interactions in a polar metal
Authors: Yang Xiaohui , Hu Wanghua , Wang Jialu , Xu Zhuokai , Wang Tao , Lou Zhefeng , Lin Xiao 
Published: September 2023

AbstractThe coexistence of electric dipoles and itinerant electrons in a solid was postulated decades ago, before being experimentally established in several ‘polar metals’ during the last decade. Here, we report a concentration-driven polar-to-nonpolar phase transition in electron-doped BaTiO3. Comparing our case with other polar metals, we find a particular threshold concentration (n*) linked to the dipole density (nd). The universal ratio $$\frac{{n}_{{{{\rm{d}}}}}}{{n}^{* }}\approx 8.0(6)$$

n

d

n

*

≈
8.0

(

6

)

suggests a common mechanism across different polar systems, possibly explained by a dipolar Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida theory. Moreover, in BaTiO3, we observe enhanced thermopower and upturn on resistivity at low temperatures near n*, resembling the Kondo effect. We argue that local electric dipoles act as two-level-systems, whose fluctuations couple with surrounding electron clouds, giving rise to a potential dipolar-counterpart of the Kondo effect. Our findings unveil a mostly uncharted territory for exploring emerging physics associated with electron-dipole correlations, encouraging further theoretical work on dipolar-RKKY and Kondo interactions.
Immunomodulatory contribution of mast cells to the regenerative biomaterial microenvironment
Authors: Wang Raymond M. , Mesfin Joshua M. , Karkanitsa Maria , Ungerleider Jessica L. , Zelus Emma , Zhang Yuxue , Kawakami Yu , Kawakami Yuko , Kawakami Toshiaki , Christman Karen L. 
Published: September 2023

AbstractBioactive immunomodulatory biomaterials have shown promise for influencing the immune response to promote tissue repair and regeneration. Macrophages and T cells have been associated with this response; however, other immune cell types have been traditionally overlooked. In this study, we investigated the role of mast cells in the regulation of the immune response to decellularized biomaterial scaffolds using a subcutaneous implant model. In mast cell-deficient mice, there was dysregulation of the expected M1 to M2 macrophage transition typically induced by the biomaterial scaffold. Polarization progression deviated in a sex-specific manner with an early transition to an M2 profile in female mice, while the male response was unable to properly transition past a pro-inflammatory M1 state. Both were reversed with adoptive mast cell transfer. Further investigation of the later-stage immune response in male mice determined a greater sustained pro-inflammatory gene expression profile, including the IL-1 cytokine family, IL-6, alarmins, and chemokines. These results highlight mast cells as another important cell type that influences the immune response to pro-regenerative biomaterials.
Children perpetuate competence-based inequality when they help peers
Authors: Sierksma Jellie 
Published: September 2023

AbstractExchanges of help between children are common and often have positive consequences. But not all help is equally beneficial, for example because some help does not provide an opportunity to practice and develop skills. Here I examine whether young children might perpetuate competence-based inequality by providing incompetent peers with less opportunity to practice and improve their skills compared to competent peers. Study 1 (N = 253, 6–9 years) shows that young children understand not all help is equally beneficial: Children think that peers who receive empowerment (hints) vs. non-empowerment (correct answers) help can learn more. Study 2 (N = 80) and 3 (N = 41) then assessed children’s (7–9 years) actual helping behavior in a lab-based experiment. Through a cover story, participants were introduced to two unknown, same-age children whom they later overheard were either good or not good at solving puzzles (Study 2) or math (Study 3). Subsequently, participants got to help both of them with a puzzle-quiz (Study 2) or a math-quiz (Study 3) by providing either empowerment or non-empowerment when they asked for help. Across both studies, children were more likely to provide empowerment help to competent peers, and non-empowerment help to incompetent peers. This work suggests that when young children perceive differences in competence (e.g., based on stereotypes), they contribute to maintaining the status quo by providing the most vulnerable students, that would profit the most from improving their skills, less opportunity to do so.
Self-reproduction and doubling time limits of different cellular subsystems
Authors: Abner Kristo , Šverns Peter , Arold Janar , Morell Indrek , Lints Taivo , Medri Sander , Seiman Andrus , Adamberg Kaarel , Vilu Raivo 
Published: September 2023

AbstractRibosomes which can self-replicate themselves practically autonomously in beneficial physicochemical conditions have been recognized as the central organelles of cellular self-reproduction processes. The challenge of cell design is to understand and describe the rates and mechanisms of self-reproduction processes of cells as of coordinated functioning of ribosomes and the enzymatic networks of different functional complexity that support those ribosomes. We show that doubling times of proto-cells (ranging from simplest replicators up to those reaching the size of E. coli) increase rather with the number of different cell component species than with the total numbers of cell components. However, certain differences were observed between cell components in increasing the doubling times depending on the types of relationships between those cell components and ribosomes. Theoretical limits of doubling times of the self-reproducing proto-cells determined by the molecular parameters of cell components and cell processes were in the range between 6–40 min.
Points for energy renovation (PointER): A point cloud dataset of a million buildings linked to energy features
Authors: Krapf Sebastian , Mayer Kevin , Fischer Martin 
Published: September 2023

AbstractRapid renovation of Europe’s inefficient buildings is required to reduce climate change. However, evaluating buildings at scale is challenging because every building is unique. In current practice, the energy performance of buildings is assessed during on-site visits, which are slow, costly, and local. This paper presents a building point cloud dataset that promotes a data-driven, large-scale understanding of the 3D representation of buildings and their energy characteristics. We generate building point clouds by intersecting building footprints with geo-referenced LiDAR data and link them with attributes from UK’s energy performance database via the Unique Property Reference Number (UPRN). To mimic England’s building stock’s features well, we select one million buildings from a range of rural and urban regions, of which half a million are linked to energy characteristics. Building point clouds in new regions can be generated with our published open-source code. The dataset enables novel research in building energy modeling and can be easily expanded to other research fields by adding building features via the UPRN or geo-location.
How to transform urban institutional green spaces into Ancillary Botanic Gardens to expand informal botanical learning opportunities in cities
Authors: Melhem M. , Forrest A. , Abunnasr Y. , Abi Ali R. , Talhouk S. N. 
Published: September 2023

AbstractSince many cities lack botanical gardens, we introduced the concept of Ancillary Botanic Gardens (ABG), which builds on the premise that organizations can expand informal botanical learning by adding a secondary function to their institutional green spaces. This study guides the application of the ABG concept in various spatial and functional contexts by offering practical and interpretive tools to organizations who are less used to working with nature but are interested in mitigating urban residents’ detachment from nature. Online maps of 220 botanic gardens were reviewed to define types of plant collections and produce an exhaustive list of physical botanic garden elements. The collected information was developed into an ABG field checklist that was tested on three case studies in Lebanon and then used to develop guidelines for ABG establishment. The guidelines and checklist are meant to empower and guide organizations interested in establishing an ABG.
A novel biochar-based composite hydrogel for removing heavy metals in water and alleviating cadmium stress in tobacco seedlings
Authors: Du Fu , Liu Liping , Pan Yong , Wu Chuang , Wang Ronghao , Zhao Zeyu , Fan Wenpeng , Song Hao , Shi Youzhi , Wang Jian 
Published: September 2023

AbstractA novel composite hydrogel (AM/CMC/B) synthesized from peanut shell biochar effectively adsorbs heavy metal Cd in water and reduces its toxicity to tobacco seedlings. The hydrogel, prepared via hydrothermal polymerization using acrylamide (AM), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and peanut shell biochar (B), exhibited a maximum adsorption capacity of 164.83 mg g−1 for Cd2+ and followed a pseudo-second-order kinetic model. In pot experiments, the application of exogenous AM/CMC/B mitigated the inhibitory effects of Cd-contaminated soil on tobacco seedling growth. Addition of 10 mg kg−1 Cd resulted in improved phenotype, root system development, enhanced photosynthetic capacity, stomatal conductance (Gs), stomatal number, and increased antioxidant activity while reducing MDA content and leaf cell death. These findings highlight the potential of AM/CMC/B as an environmentally friendly adsorbent for Cd removal from water and for reducing Cd stress toxicity in tobacco and other plants.
Comprehensive analysis of chemokine gene polymorphisms in Korean children with autoimmune thyroid disease
Authors: Shin Chungwoo , Baek In-Cheol , Cho Won Kyoung , Kim Tai-Gyu , Suh Byung-Kyu 
Published: September 2023

AbstractChemokines are chemotactic cytokines that can cause directed migration of leukocytes. The aim of this study was to examine differences in single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of chemokine in AITD patients compared to normal controls. A total of 86 Korean pediatric patients were included in the patient group and 183 adults were included in the normal control group. To compare influences of several chemokine gene polymorphisms, 25 SNPs in 16 chemokine genes were analyzed. Genotype frequencies of CCL11(rs3744508)AA(OR = 6.9) and CCR2(rs1799864)AA(OR = 3.8) were higher in the AITD patients than in the controls, whereas CCL17(rs223828)CC was lower in the AITD patients than in the controls(OR = 0.4). In comparison between Graves' disease (GD) patients and controls, genotype frequency of CCL17(rs223828)CC(OR = 0.4) was lower in the GD group, whereas those of CCR2(rs1799864)AA(OR = 4.8) were higher in the GD group. The genotype frequency of CCL11(rs3744508)AA(OR = 11.3) was higher in Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) patients, whereas that of CXCL8(rs2227306)CC(OR = 0.4) was lower in HT patients. Polymorphisms of CCL11(rs3744508), CCL17(rs223828), and CCR2(rs1799864) might be associated with AITD, with CCL17(rs223828), CCR2(rs1799864) and CXCR2(rs2230054, rs1126579) affecting GD and CCL11(rs3744508) and CXCL8(rs2227306) affecting HT in Korean children.
Numerical examination of concentration-dependent wastewater sludge ejected into a drinking water source
Authors: Adesanya S. O. , Adeosun T. A. , Yusuf T. A. , Adeyemi A. A. , Bamigboye J. S. , Ogunlaja A. , Lebelo R. S. , Unuabonah E. I. 
Published: September 2023

AbstractOne of the significant water-related health challenges globally is due to pollutant fate. Contaminants endanger the lives of humans, animals, and even plants. The present mathematical analysis explains reactive wastewater sludge ejected into a drinking water source from wastewater treatment plants. The assumption that wastewater sludge follows a power-law constitutive relation leads to nonlinear momentum and concentration equations. The contaminants are assumed to follow a nonlinear irreversible first-order sorption model. The numerical solution of the coupled problem is solved using the Bivariate Spectral Local Linearization Method and validated with the spectral Chebyshev weighted residual method. Profiles are presented for dimensionless flow velocity and concentration. Comprehensive explanations for the obtained results are provided with relevant applications.
CRP, but not fibrinogen, is associated with gait speed as early as middle age, in females but not males
Authors: Ahmed-Yousef Noha Shekh , Dilian Omer , Iktilat Khalil , Agmon Maayan 
Published: September 2023

AbstractLow grade systemic inflammation and age-related gait speed decline are known to be related in older adults, but their relations in the early stages of the aging process are yet to be fully described. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between gait speed and two inflammation markers—c-reactive protein (CRP) and fibrinogen—in a cohort of middle-aged adults in Israel. 326 healthy, middle-aged, Muslim-Arabs from three villages in northern Israel participated in this cross-sectional study. Serum CRP and fibrinogen were measured via blood tests, and gait speed was assessed with the 6-min walk test (6MWT). After adjusting for sex, age, height, BMI, systolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose and triglycerides, executive function, smoking status and aerobic physical activity, gait speed was negatively and significantly associated with CRP (b = − 0.01, p = 0.029). When stratifying by gender, this link remained significant only among females (b = − 0.012, p = 0.041), such as that an increase of one SD unit of CRP was associated with a 0.047 m/s decrease in gait speed. No significant link was found between fibrinogen levels and gait speed. Blood CRP levels are associated with a slower walking speed already in middle age, independent of age, executive function and cardio-metabolic factors, among female Arab-Muslims in Israel. Future studies should examine this relationship longitudinally and investigate a broader array of inflammation markers. Systemic inflammation may serve as an early marker for people at risk of decreased walking or accelerated aging; Early identification and intervention among at-risk individuals may help prevent or slow gait speed decline, and promote healthier aging.
A prospective cohort study on post COVID syndrome from a tertiary care centre in Sri Lanka
Authors: Jayasekera M. M. P. T. , De Silva N. L. , Edirisinghe E. M. D. T. , Samarawickrama T. , Sirimanna S. W. D. R. C. , Govindapala B. G. D. S. , Senanayake G. , Wickramaratne D. L. N. , Hettigoda K. , Gunawaradana U. D. I. B. , Wijayananda K. D. P. B. , Wijesinghe R. A. N. K. 
Published: September 2023

AbstractThere is a scarcity of follow-up data on post-COVID syndrome and its physical, psychological, and quality of life attributes, particularly from South Asian populations. This study was conducted to assess the prevalence, associations, and impact of the post-COVID syndrome among patients treated at a dedicated COVID-19 treatment unit. A prospective cohort study was conducted to follow-up patients with moderate to severe disease or mild disease with co-morbidities at 2 and 6 weeks, 3 and 6 months and 1 year from discharge. Clinical notes, an interviewer-administered questionnaire and six-item cognitive impairment, Montreal Cognitive Assessment, Fatigue (11-item Chalder) and EQ5D5L questionnaires were used for data collection. All patients had follow-up echocardiograms and symptomatic patients had biochemical and haematological investigations, chest x-rays, high-resolution computed tomography of chest and lung function tests. Among 153 patients {mean age 57.2 ± 16.3 years (83 (54.2% males)}, 92 (60.1%) got the severe disease. At least a single post-COVID symptom was reported by 119 (77.3%), 92 (60.1%), 54 (35.3%) and 25 (16.3%) at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months and 1 year respectively. Post-COVID symptoms were significantly associated with disease severity (p = 0.004). Fatigue was found in 139 (90.3%), 97 (63.4%) and 66 (43.1%) patients at 2, 6 and 12 weeks respectively. Dyspnoea {OR 1.136 (CI 95% 0.525–2.455)}, arthralgia {OR 1.83(CI 95% 0.96–3.503)} and unsteadiness {OR 1.34 (CI 95% 0.607–2.957)}were strongly associated with age above 60 years. Both genders were equally affected. In multivariable logistic regression, fatigue and anxiety/depression were associated with poor quality of life (QoL) (p = 0.014, p ≤ 0.001) in 6 weeks. In cardiac assessments, diastolic dysfunction (DD) was detected in 110 (72%) patients at 2 weeks and this number reduced to 64 (41.8%) at 12 weeks. The decline in diastolic dysfunction in elderly patients was significantly higher compared to young patients (p = 0.012). Most post-COVID symptoms, QoL and cognition improve during the first few months. The severity of the disease and older age are associated with post-COVID symptoms. Transient DD may contribute to cardiac symptoms of post-COVID syndrome, especially in elderly patients.
Using pupae as appetitive reinforcement to study visual and tactile associative learning in the Ponerine ant Diacamma indicum
Authors: Chandak Parth , Chakraborti Udipta , Annagiri Sumana 
Published: September 2023

AbstractAssociative learning is of great importance to animals, as it enhances their ability to navigate, forage, evade predation and improve fitness. Even though associative learning abilities of Hymenopterans have been explored, many of these studies offered food as appetitive reinforcement. In the current study, we focus on tactile and visual cue learning in an ant Diacamma indicum using a Y-maze setup with pupa as a positive reinforcement. Using pupa as a reward resulted in a significantly higher proportion of ants completing the training in a shorter time as compared to using food as reinforcement. Ants spent significantly more time in the conditioned arm for both visual cues (white dots or black dots) and tactile cues (rough or smooth surfaces) presented on the floor when associated with pupa, thus showing that they were capable of associative learning. On encountering a conflict between visual and tactile cues during the test, ants chose to spend significantly more time on the arm with the tactile cues indicating that they had made a stronger association between pupa and the tactile cue as compared to the visual cue during training. Using pupa as an ecologically relevant reward, we show that these solitary foraging ants living in small colonies are capable of visual and tactile associative learning and are likely to learn tactile cues over visual cues in association with pupa.
Numerical simulations of heat generation, thermal radiation and thermal transport in water-based nanoparticles: OHAM study
Authors: Waseem Farwa , Sohail Muhammad , Lone Showkat Ahmad , Chambashi Gilbert 
Published: September 2023

AbstractThis study investigates the 3D flow properties and heat transfer of copper, titanium/ water nanofluids across a bidirectional surface under the impact of MHD. The thermophysical features of nanofluid are employed using the Tiwari and Das model. Boundary layer theory has simplified the resulting physical principles. By using the proper transformations, the complicated sets of connected PDEs have evolved into ODEs. Equations that have been modify by using OHAM. For various dimensionless component ranges between $$2\le M\le 10$$

2
≤
M
≤
10

.$$0\le a\le 3$$

0
≤
a
≤
3

, $$0.05\le \varphi \le 0.08$$

0.05
≤
φ
≤
0.08

, $$3\le \mathrm{Pr}\le 8$$

3
≤
Pr
≤
8

, $$0\le Rd\le 6$$

0
≤
R
d
≤
6

, and $$2\le \lambda \le 4$$

2
≤
λ
≤
4

the results are investigated computationally and graphically. It is observed that fluid parameters improve; they react differently from temperature and velocity profile. Additionally, thermal profiles decrease in comparison to greater Eckert and Prandtl numbers.