bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Noninvasive CSF shunt patency evaluation by superb microvascular imaging
Authors: Putzer D. , Brawanski K. , Verius M. , Oberherber H. , Thome C. , Gizewski E. R. , Gruber H. 
Published: August 2023

AbstractOcclusion of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt system is a potentially life-threatening complication in patients suffering from hydrocephalus. However, there is no imaging established as standard approach in this acute setting. In the present study, we evaluate the use of superb microvascular imaging for investigation of the patency of ventriculoperitoneal shunt systems. Simulation of low flow rates of cerebrospinal fluid through a small diameter CSF shunt system was performed in a dedicated phantom in order to proof the principle of superb microvascular imaging (SMI) being feasible for the measurement of slow CSF flow through the dedicated CSF shunt system. SMI is able to detect low flow rates in CSF shunt systems effectively and fast. Visualization of a Duplex ultrasound flow and Doppler wave pattern in the VP shunt system after the reservoir has been pressed confirms patency. SMI is an effective method for evaluating CSF shunt patency and diagnosing shunt obstruction. This bears the potential to facilitate evaluation of clinically symptomatic VP shunt patients in an acute setting. Further evaluation of ultrasound flow patterns is granted.
Examples of surfaces with canonical maps of degree 12, 13, 15, 16 and 18
Authors: Fallucca Federico 
Published: August 2023

AbstractIn this note, we present examples of complex algebraic surfaces with canonical maps of degree 12, 13, 15, 16 and 18. They are constructed as quotients of a product of two curves of genus 10 and 19 using certain non-free actions of the group $$S_3\times {\mathbb {Z}}_3^2$$

S
3

×

Z
3
2

. To our knowledge, there are no other examples in the literature of surfaces with canonical map of degree 13, 15 and 18.
Comparison of short-term fertility intentions of albanian women in Italy with non-migrants in Albania and italian women
Authors: García-Pereiro Thaís , Paterno Ana 
Published: August 2023

AbstractThe central aim of this paper is to get a deeper understanding of short-term fertility intentions of native, migrant and non-migrant partnered women by testing for adaptation, socialization and selection theories while applying an origin-destination perspective. To find support for these hypotheses, data was drawn from several sources (FSS and SCIF for Italy, DHS for Albania), harmonized and merged into a unique dataset combining information on partnered women according to their migrant/non-migrant status. Binary regression models on positive fertility intentions, Average Marginal Effects, Adjusted Predictions for Prototypical Cases and multivariate non-linear decompositions are estimated to account for differences and/or similarities across groups of women. Results found that positive fertility intentions of Albanian migrant women resemble those of Italian women and are significantly lower than those of non-migrants, supporting adaptation theory. Findings also reported selection into migration, given that the gap in likelihood of being intended to have a child would be reduced if migrants were like non-migrants in terms of their educational attainment.
Seasonal variation in the diurnal activity pattern of Eurasian blackbirds (Turdus merula) in the forest
Authors: Schlindwein Xenia , Randler Christoph , Kalb Nadine , Dvorak Jan , Gottschalk Thomas K. 
Published: August 2023

AbstractCamera traps are increasingly used to estimate the density of animals as well as their activity patterns. As camera traps allow monitoring of animals over long periods of time without disturbance, they are especially useful to observe changes in diurnal activity patterns over time. In ornithology, camera trapping is still in its infancy. To our knowledge, no study has yet investigated the activity pattern of a songbird over the full annual cycle. We used camera traps in the Rammert, a small mountainous forest area near Rottenburg in Southwest Germany to monitor the diurnal activity pattern of forest-dwelling Eurasian blackbirds (Turdus merula). As the activity level of animals is known to be affected by day light, we used double-anchoring transformation of day times to account for the variation in sunrise and sunset across the different seasons. By generating activity models, we investigated the pattern of blackbird activity during the four seasons of the year and compared the patterns of male and female birds, respectively. A significant difference between a unimodal activity pattern in spring and a bimodal pattern for the rest of the year was found which might be related to breeding and territorial behaviour in spring. Moreover, we observed that the activity pattern of males and females overlapped greatly but still showed some variation in the number and timing of density peaks.
Meandering of instantaneous large-scale structures in open-channel flow over longitudinal ridges
Authors: Luo Qianyu , Stoesser Thorsten , Cameron Stuart , Nikora Vladimir , Zampiron Andrea , Patella Wada 
Published: August 2023

AbstractThe results of large-eddy simulations of open-channel flows over spanwise heterogeneous surface ridges at two representative spanwise spacings are presented. Flows at moderate Froude and Reynolds numbers over smooth channel beds with streamwise-orientated rectangular ridges are considered. The ridge spacing has a profound effect on the flow: at small spacing relatively small secondary cells occur, whilst at large ridge spacing secondary cells occupy the entire flow depth. The instantaneous flow features secondary flow instabilities and the meandering of alternating low- and high-momentum regions. The quasi-periodical nature of the meandering of the instantaneous large-scale motion is visualised and quantified for both ridge spacings. Although time-averaged clockwise and counter-clockwise secondary current cells are symmetrical about the ridge-axis, they exhibit quasi-periodical increase and decrease in size as well as lateral and vertical movement in space over the meandering period.
Salinisation of arid temporary pools alters crustacean hatching success but not phenology dynamics
Authors: Mungenge Chipo P. , Wasserman Ryan J. , Cuthbert Ross N. , Dondofema Farai , Dalu Tatenda 
Published: August 2023

AbstractThe widespread acceleration of freshwater salinisation due to human activities, such as pollution, resource extraction and urbanisation coupled with climate change, poses a significant threat to aquatic ecosystems. Limited work has been directed towards salinisation effects in temporary wetland systems. These systems are characterised by unique crustacean communities reliant on dormant egg production. We assessed salinisation effects on temporary wetland crustacean communities from semi–arid pans in the Khakhea–Bray Transboundary Aquifer region of South Africa using a laboratory–based approach. Sediment from pans containing crustacean resting eggs was exposed to water with varying salinities (0‒10 ppt), and emergent hatchlings were assessed over a 30–day hydroperiod. At salinities of 2.5 ppt and above, there were significant decreases in emergent taxa richness and abundance. Spinicaudata and Ostracoda were the most sensitive taxa to high salinities. Cladocera, Copepoda, Notostraca and Anostraca hatchlings had shallower decreases with salinity, but hatchability still fell rapidly. There was a limited effect on community hatching phenology dynamics from salinity, with all taxa showing reduced hatchability over time overall, with the exception of Cladocera which exhibited a clear unimodal response, peaking around 20 days post‒inundation. This suggests that the main impact of salinisation in these systems will be reductions in hatching success and hence reduced recruitment, leading to changes in predation pressures, food web structure and functioning of these ecosystems, with implications for associated ecosystem services.
Rhein methotrexate-decorated solid lipid nanoparticles altering adjuvant arthritis progression through endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated apoptosis
Authors: El-Refaie Wessam M. , Ghazy Mostafa S. , Ateyya Fady A. , Sheta Eman , Shafek Mohanad Y. , Ibrahim Mahmoud S. , Ismail Mahmoud MA. , Gowayed Mennatallah A. 
Published: August 2023

AbstractMethotrexate (MTX) and diacerein (DIA) are two of the most potent disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). DIA has reflected some GIT and hepatobiliary manifestations in numerous cases. It undergoes biotransformation in the liver into the active metabolite rhein (RH) which is characterized by its excellent anti-inflammatory activity and lower side effects. However, RH's hydrophobic nature and low bioavailability do not encourage its use in RA. The current study aims to use RH in combination with MTX in targeted solid lipid nanoparticles (RH-MTX-SLNs) for better effectiveness and shadowing light on its possible mechanistic pathways. RH-MTX-SLNs were prepared and assessed for their quality attributes. The effect of the formulation was assessed in-vivo in an adjuvant arthritis animal model investigating the role of the endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS)-induced apoptosis. Results revealed that RH-MTX-SLNs were in the suitable nanosized range with high negative zeta potential indicating good stability. In-vivo, RH-MTX-SLNs significantly improved all measured inflammatory and arthritic markers, confirmed by electron microscopy and histology examination of the joints. Besides, the formulation was able to alter the ERS-mediated apoptosis. In conclusion, RH-MTX-SLNs can represent a promising therapeutic approach for RA showing significant anti-arthritic activity.Graphical abstract
Resetting the baseline: using machine learning to find lost meadows
Authors: Cummings Adam K. , Pope Karen L. , Mak Gilbert 
Published: August 2023

AbstractContextMountain meadows occur in specific geomorphological conditions where low-gradient topography promotes fine sediment accumulation and high groundwater tables. Over 150 years of human-caused hydrological degradation of meadows along with fire suppression has resulted in decreased groundwater elevations and encroachment of upland vegetation, greatly diminishing the ecological value of meadows for water storage, baseflow, sediment capture, wildfire resistance, wildlife habitat, and carbon storage.ObjectivesWe aimed to understand where and how frequently meadows historically occurred to reset the baseline condition and provide insight into their restoration potential. We trained machine learning algorithms to identify potential meadow areas with similar hydrogeomorphic conditions to extant meadows while ignoring their unique vegetative characteristics because we hypothesized that vegetation would change but geomorphology would remain.MethodsWe used a publicly available dataset of over 11,000 hand-digitized meadow polygons occurring within a 25,300 km2, 60-watershed region in the Sierra Nevada, California USA to train random forest models to detect meadow-like hydrogeomorphic conditions. Predictor variables represented topographical position, flow accumulation, snowpack, and topographical relief at differing spatial scales. We assessed model performance and produced maps delineating high probability meadow polygons.ResultsOur findings showed that there is nearly three times more potential meadow habitat than currently documented. The predicted area includes a mixture of existing but undocumented meadows, non-meadowlands that may have converted from meadows due to lost function and forest encroachment, and areas with meadow-like geomorphology that may never have been meadow. The polygons encompassing predicted meadows often expanded existing meadows habitats into adjacent areas with continuous topography, but with upland vegetation and incised channels.ConclusionsUsing readily available data and accessible statistical techniques, we demonstrated the accuracy of a tool to detect about three times more historical meadows than currently recognized within a complex, mountainous landscape. This “found” area greatly increased the potential area that could be subject to meadow restoration with benefits for biodiversity, wildfire management, carbon sequestration, and water storage.
Turán inequalities for infinite product generating functions
Authors: Heim Bernhard , Neuhauser Markus 
Published: August 2023

AbstractIn the 1970s, Nicolas proved that the partition function p(n) is log-concave for $$ n > 25$$

n
>
25

. In Heim et al. (Ann Comb 27(1):87–108, 2023), a precise conjecture on the log-concavity for the plane partition function $${{\textrm{pp}}}(n)$$

pp
(
n
)

for $$n >11$$

n
>
11

was stated. This was recently proven by Ono, Pujahari, and Rolen. In this paper, we provide a general picture. We associate to double sequences $$\{g_d(n)\}_{d,n}$$

{

g
d

(
n
)

}

d
,
n

with $$g_d(1)=1$$

g
d

(
1
)

=
1

and $$\begin{aligned} 0 \le g_{d}\left( n\right) -n^{d}\le g_{1}\left( n\right) \left( n-1\right) ^{d-1}, \end{aligned}$$

0
≤

g
d

n

-

n
d

≤

g
1

n

n
-
1

d
-
1

,

polynomials $$\{P_n^{g_d}(x)\}_{d,n}$$

{

P
n

g
d

(
x
)

}

d
,
n

given by $$\begin{aligned} \sum _{n=0}^{\infty } P_n^{g_d}(x) \, q^n := {{\textrm{exp}}}\left( x \sum _{n=1}^{\infty } g_d(n) \frac{q^n}{n} \right) =\prod _{n=1}^{\infty } \left( 1 - q^n \right) ^{-x f_d(n)}. \end{aligned}$$

∑

n
=
0

∞

P
n

g
d

(
x
)

q
n

:
=
exp

x

∑

n
=
1

∞

g
d

(
n
)

q
n

n

=

∏

n
=
1

∞

1
-

q
n

-
x

f
d

(
n
)

.

We recover $$ p(n)= P_n^{\sigma _1}(1)$$

p

(
n
)

=

P
n

σ
1

(
1
)

and $${{\textrm{pp}}}\left( n\right) = P_n^{\sigma _2}(1)$$

pp

n

=

P
n

σ
2

(
1
)

, where $$\sigma _d (n):= \sum _{\ell \mid n} \ell ^d$$

σ
d

(
n
)

:
=

∑

ℓ
∣
n

ℓ
d

and $$f_d(n)= n^{d-1}$$

f
d

(
n
)

=

n

d
-
1

. Let $$n \ge 6$$

n
≥
6

. Then the sequence $$\{P_n^{\sigma _d}(1)\}_d$$

{

P
n

σ
d

(
1
)

}

d

is log-concave for almost all d if and only if n is divisible by 3. Let $${{\textrm{id}}}(n)=n$$

id
(
n
)
=
n

. Then $$P_n^{{{\textrm{id}}}}(x) = \frac{x}{n} L_{n-1}^{(1)}(-x)$$

P
n
id

(
x
)

=

x
n

L

n
-
1

(
1
)

(
-
x
)

, where $$L_{n}^{\left( \alpha \right) }\left( x\right) $$

L

n

α

x

denotes the $$\alpha $$
α
-associated Laguerre polynomial. In this paper, we investigate Turán inequalities $$\begin{aligned} \Delta _{n}^{g_d}(x) := \left( P_n^{g_d}(x) \right) ^2 - P_{n-1}^{g_d}(x) \, P_{n+1}^{g_d}(x) \ge 0. \end{aligned}$$

Δ

n

g
d

(
x
)

:
=

P
n

g
d

(
x
)

2

-

P

n
-
1

g
d

(
x
)

P

n
+
1

g
d

(
x
)

≥
0
.

Let $$n \ge 6$$

n
≥
6

and $$0 \le x < 2 - \frac{12}{n+4}$$

0
≤
x
<
2
-

12

n
+
4

. Then n is divisible by 3 if and only if $$\Delta _{n}^{g_d}(x) \ge 0$$

Δ

n

g
d

(
x
)

≥
0

for almost all d. Let $$n \ge 6$$

n
≥
6

and $$n \not \equiv 2 \pmod {3}$$

n
≢
2

(
mod

3
)

. Then the condition on x can be reduced to $$x \ge 0$$

x
≥
0

. We determine explicit bounds. As an analogue to Nicolas’ result, we have for $$g_1= {{\textrm{id}}}$$

g
1

=
id

that $$\Delta _{n}^{{{\textrm{id}}}}(x) \ge 0$$

Δ

n

id

(
x
)

≥
0

for all $$x \ge 0 $$

x
≥
0

and all n.
The role of fields of study for the effects of higher education institutions on regional firm location
Authors: Schlegel Tobias , Backes-Gellner Uschi 
Published: August 2023

AbstractThe literature on knowledge spillovers provides evidence that higher education institutions (HEIs) positively affect regional firm location (i.e., start-ups or firms located in a region). However, less is known about how HEIs in different fields of study impact regional firm location in different industries. To investigate this question, we exploit the establishment of universities of applied sciences (UASs)—bachelor’s degree-granting three-year HEIs in Switzerland. We find that the effects of UASs are heterogeneous across fields of study and industries. UASs specializing in “chemistry and the life sciences” and “business, management, and services” are the only UASs that positively affect regional firm location across several industries. Positive effects emerge in service industries characterized by radical service, incremental product, or process innovations. Thus, UASs are not a one-size-fits-all solution for increasing regional firm location. Instead, only UASs specializing in particular fields of study positively influence firm location in certain industries.
Estimation of the desert dust balance and its relationship with environmental factors in the southern Baja California Peninsula
Authors: Morales-Acuña Enrique De Jesús , Aguíñiga-García Sergio , Cervantes-Duarte Rafael , Linero-Cueto Jean 
Published: August 2023

AbstractThe emission, transport, and deposition of desert dust are influenced by environmental factors evaluated mainly as a function of precipitation, air temperature, and wind. The present study estimates the desert dust balance and its relationship with environmental factors for the period 1981–2020 in the Baja California Sur region, Mexico. Monthly data on wind, air temperature, precipitation, dust emission and deposition from in situ measurements, reanalysis, satellite estimates and a numerical parameterization scheme are used. First, the in-situ time series were reconstructed with a non-linear principal component analysis based on an autoassociative neural network. We then evaluated the performance of the satellite estimates and the reanalysis data using the matching technique, after which we quantified the dust emission in three source zones. To estimate the state of the climate, we obtained the annual cycle of monthly climatologies, and yearly averages. The effect of climate on the dust budget is estimated by means of non-parametric associations between the variables of interest. Finally, we estimate climate trends using Pettitt, Modified Man-Kendall and Theil-Sen tests. The results show that the data sets used represent the mean and variability of in situ measurements. There are three seasons with transitional periods for precipitation and air temperature. The wind shows a longitudinal west–east gradient. Its maximum intensity is from April to September. Northern zone was dominated by highest emissions. Dry deposition mechanism was the most representative. Emissions and dry deposition are controlled by wind intensity and precipitation, while precipitation controls wet deposition. The Pettitt test showed that abrupt changes in the time series coincide with periods where positive sunspot anomalies converge with negative PDO and SOI anomalies. Finally, trend analyses identified a temporal broadening of the dry season, warmer winters, and summers with increases of ~ 0.02 °C, predominantly increasing trends in dust emissions and wind intensity, and a progressive decrease in dust deposition mechanisms.
The Role of Submarine Groundwater Discharge to the Input of Macronutrients Within a Macrotidal Subpolar Estuary
Authors: Haag Josianne , Dulai Henrietta , Burt William 
Published: August 2023

AbstractThe major sources of macronutrients (nitrate, ammonium, phosphate, and silicic acid) in Jakolof Bay, Alaska are submarine groundwater discharge (SGD), rivers, and offshore water. We estimated SGD using natural geochemical tracers (radon and radium), a salt mass balance, and a two-component salinity mixing equation based on the change in groundwater salinity on falling lower low tide. Previous studies have hypothesized that the major macronutrient input into Jakolof Bay is offshore water. This study challenges that assumption by determining the relative contribution of macronutrients from SGD relative to offshore water and rivers. Here, SGD is tidally driven and, as the Northern Gulf of Alaska experiences some of the largest tidal ranges in the world, the SGD fluxes from this region are high relative to the global average regardless of local sediment type. The fluxes ranged from 596 ± 85 cm day−1 at low tide to 97 ± 83 cm day−1 at high tide and are predominantly composed of recirculated seawater (89%) rather than freshwater (11%). The major macronutrients in seawater had different input mechanisms into the semi-enclosed bay. SGD and offshore waters contend as the primary sources of nitrate, which is shown to be the limiting nutrient in this coastal area, while SGD dominates the input of silicic acid. Conversely, the aquifer is found to be a sink for phosphate, indicating that the nutrient is primarily sourced from offshore water.
Possible high COVID-19 airborne infection risk in deep and poorly ventilated 2D street canyons
Authors: Lavor Vitor , Coceal Omduth , Grimmond Sue , Hang Jian , Luo Zhiwen 
Published: August 2023

AbstractDespite the widespread assumption that outdoor environments provide sufficient ventilation and dilution capacity to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 infection, there is little understanding of airborne infection risk in outdoor urban areas with poor ventilation. To address this gap, we propose a modified Wells-Riley model based on the purging flow rate (QPFR), by using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. The model quantifies the outdoor risk in 2D street canyons with different approaching wind speeds, urban heating patterns and aspect ratios (building height to street width). We show that urban morphology plays a critical role in controlling airborne infectious disease transmission in outdoor environments, especially under calm winds; with deep street canyons (aspect ratio > 3) having a similar infection risk as typical indoor environments. While ground and leeward wall heating could reduce the risk, windward heating (e.g., windward wall ~10 K warmer than the ambient air) can increase the infection risk by up to 75%. Our research highlights the importance of considering outdoor infection risk and the critical role of urban morphology in mitigating airborne infection risk. By identifying and addressing these risks, we can inform measures that may enhance public health and safety, particularly in densely populated urban environments.
A newly designed BIPV system with enhanced passive cooling and ventilation
Authors: Ahmadi Moghaddam Hadi , Tkachenko Svetlana , Yeoh Guan Heng , Timchenko Victoria 
Published: August 2023

AbstractNowadays, the application of renewable energies such as solar energy in the building sector has increased notably considering the adverse impacts of climate change on human life; hence many studies have focused on the application of photovoltaic panels in buildings. In the current study, a 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model has been developed to evaluate the performance of a newly designed building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) system. Given the negative influence of overheating on the lifespan and performance of PV panels, their passive air cooling has been studied. Further, the potential of rooftop-mounted solar panels in passive ventilation of buildings by generating natural convective currents has been explored. The developed CFD model takes into consideration the effects of radiation, conduction, and buoyancy-driven natural convective currents generated by solar PV panels which are heated due to the exposure to solar radiation heat flux. The results suggest that applying a high surface emissivity for the part of the roof beneath the PV panels intensifies the natural convective currents which in turn provides better cooling for PV panels with higher cooling effects at higher solar heat fluxes. Up to a 34% increase in the convective mass flow rate and a 3 K decrease in the mean temperature of the panels were attained by modifying the emissivity of roof surface. Such a 3 K decrease in the operating temperature of the PV panels can enhance their efficiency and lifespan by about 1.56% and 21 %, respectively. Based on the operating conditions and system characteristics, the BIPV system yielded an air change rate (ACH) in the range of 3–13 which was considered to be highly prevalent in providing the required passive ventilation for a wide range of applications. It was also observed that the flow dynamics inside the building were affected by both the amount of solar heat load incident on the solar panels and the emissivity of the roof surface behind the panels.