bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Renewable energy incorporating short‐term optimal operation using oppositional grasshopper optimization
Authors: Hazra Sunanda , Kumar Roy Provas
Published: October 2021

Renewable energy‐based hydro‐thermal scheduling is a new assignment in solar‐wind‐hydro power structures including thermal plants with non‐convex fuel costs, a time delay of the multi‐reservoir cascaded hydro unit, generating units for wind power, and photo‐voltaic plant of the solar system. Renewable energy resources are used in immense quantity as they are naturally accessible and charge‐free. In this regard, this article presents a single‐objective economic replica of short‐term hydro‐thermal scheduling (HTS) problems having renewable solar and wind units. To speed up the convergence swiftness, of OBL is incorporated with the fundamental grasshopper optimization algorithm (GOA) method which is actively associated with the social communication of the grasshopper in the environment. Furthermore, HTS and hydro thermal scheduling incorporating solar and wind energy are considered for the benchmark test systems. Results presented by a few recent techniques (like fuzzy based evolutionary programming, teaching learning‐based optimization, etc.) have been compared with those obtained by the oppositional GOA (OGOA) to set up its effectiveness. Simulation results of OGOA technique clearly show that the renewable solar and wind units can significantly reduce the fuel cost of the power systems.
Side‐chain induced chirality in diketopyrrolopyrrole based polymers
Authors: Maity Soham , Bedi Anjan , Patil Satish
Published: October 2021

Chiral all‐π‐conjugated conducting polymers are of significant importance because of their promising aspects ranging from organic electronics, organic spin filters, efficient water splitting materials, magneto‐optic materials to circularly polarized light emitters. Here, we report the synthesis and characterization of the first series of diketopyrrolopyrrole based chiral low band‐gap alternating copolymers. Alongside characterizations by UV and CD spectroscopy, AFM and FESEM were further performed to understand the morphology of the optically active polymers. The stereochemistry of the side‐chains on TDPP unit played a pivotal role in determining chiroptical properties and supramolecular self‐assembly of the copolymers in solution which lead to layer‐by‐layer helical morphology in solid‐state. Interestingly, D‐A intramolecular charge transfer transition showed Cotton effect with bimodal nature, which is remarkably stronger than the π‐π* transition.
“Can You Search for Me?”: Understanding and ImprovingUser‐SystemDialogues for Complex Search Tasks
Authors: Ghosh Souvick
Published: October 2021

Most voice‐based personal assistants are suitable for simple tasks which are not conversational but single‐turn question‐answering. To address this limitation, we investigate the dialogue capabilities of commercial conversational systems and compare them to the standards expected by the users. We designed a set of moderately complex search tasks and used two popular personal assistants to evaluate the user‐system interaction. A laboratory‐based user study was conducted with twenty‐five users and seventy‐five search sessions to collect user‐system conversational dialogues (for three search tasks). Next, we show that using a set of simple rules, which could be implemented in the immediate future, it is possible to improve the users' interaction experience and make the system more anthropomorphic. Using a conceptual prototype where a human (Wizard) played the role of the system (unknowing to the users), we demonstrate the efficacy of the guidelines and provide design recommendations for future conversational search systems.
Image Position and Layout Effects on User Engagement of Multi‐image Tweets
Authors: Ma Xiaoyue , Meng Xiao
Published: October 2021

Current researchers pay less attention to the image position and layout of tweets containing multiple images. This study explored the impact of image position and layout on user engagement on the Weibo platform. The XGBoost model trained on single‐image tweet data was used to predict the “user engagement potential” of images in multi‐image tweets. Then, the image position and layout effects on user engagement were analyzed through correlation analysis and OLS regression. It was found that the right position was more important in tweets with less than or equal to 4 images, and the position effects became symmetric with image adding. Layouts with 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 images had positive effects on user engagement, while layouts with 7 and 9 or more images had negative effects. This study provides insights for user engagement with social media images and may help improve interaction.
Youth Information Interaction Research in the Pandemic: Adjustments, Innovations, Implications
Authors: Figueiredo Vanessa , Meyers Eric M. , Bilal Dania , Rutter Sophie , Magee Rachel M.
Published: October 2021

For over a year, the pandemic has forced youth to alter their routines and rely almost exclusively on technology to learn, play and connect with family and friends. Although some alterations in youth's routine seem to be temporary, some adaptations and appropriations resulting from interactions with technology will likely be forever altered. As this scenario develops, we must reflect on how these permanent changes will affect our approaches and inquiries on youth information interaction. This 90‐minute panel will convene scholars and members of the ASIS&T community interested in discussing the present and the future of digital youth research. Panelists will mediate focused conversations with participants to generate a collective account of experiences and reflections based on challenges and research plans for after the pandemic. As the implications of a global pandemic are unfolding, youth information interaction research will be critical to inform policies and programs in education and reduce digital divides.
What's Next for Information World Mapping?: International and Multidisciplinary Uses of the Method
Authors: Greyson Devon , Tsai Tien‐I , Kitzie Vanessa , Martzoukou Konstantina , Mabi Millicent
Published: October 2021

As use of arts‐involved and data visualization methods increases in information science, it is important to reflect on strengths and weaknesses of various methods. In this 90‐minute panel, an international lineup of information researchers will share their experiences using the participatory, visual elicitation technique information world mapping (IWM) in their work. Panelists will discuss ways to adapt the technique to different contexts, share their thoughts on what is next for IWM, and raise questions regarding challenges and new uses of IWM in information research. Presentations will be followed by an interactive discussion among panelists and Q&A period with the audience.
Examining Concepts of the Public: Who is Served by Information Services?
Authors: Montoya Robert D. , Abbott Jeremy , Caswell Michelle , Leazer Gregory H. , Noble Safiya , Soos Carlin
Published: October 2021

The goal of this panel is to define foundational social and epistemic “boundaries” within the “public sphere” that libraries and information institutions typically consider when defining their constituents of interest. Defining what we mean by the “public” or “communities” in “public libraries,” for example, is important, not only because the concept of a “public” is plural and contextually situated, but also because the boundaries of said public are often artificially outlined depending on social and cultural aims. To what degree do information services act like politics, strategically defining “community” to exclude as much as include? In politics, the “public” and its representative rights vary from state‐to‐state and county to county. Is this variation the same as regional differences in reading, described, for example, in The Geography of Reading (Wilson, 1938). Is it more overtly racial (e.g. Lipsitz 2011) or political (e.g. Bishop 2009)? What is a “citizen” in this space, and how does that differ from our construction of the public? Which publics are being denied their needs through the boundaries erected by these institutions and systems?
A Comparison of Search Functionalities in Several Tools Used for Searching within Digital Text Collections
Authors: Ball Liezl H. , Bothma Theo J.D.
Published: October 2021

The search functionalities that a search tool for a digital text collection offer, will determine how a user can interact with and search in such a collection. This poster considers the search functionalities in four tools that are used to search within digital text collections. Search functionalities that are well known in information science, namely basic word searching, phrase searching, wildcards, Boolean operators, proximity searching, field searching, case sensitive searching, filtering, as well as linguistic search functions will be considered. Knowledge about search functionalities can inform and improve the design of tools for digital text collections.
Impact of Gain‐Loss Message Framing on Bedtime Procrastination of College Students: From the Perspective of the Powerful Effect Theory
Authors: Liu Ziqi , Li Shijuan
Published: October 2021

Bedtime procrastination leads to hormonal and immune disruption, especially for college students who tend to stay up late on their own initiatives. Previous studies showed effectiveness of the message framing in smoking cessation and physical disorder by presenting gain and loss information. We try to explore the effect of message framing on college students' bedtime procrastination behavior, also the powerful effect theory was combined into our approach to augment the acceptance of gain and loss information. The ongoing study recruits 3 groups of participants (experimental group A, B and control group C), each group will be recorded of their information acceptance and behavior changes by bedtime procrastination scale for 4 weeks. Initial findings suggest that our research design is feasible and indicate the possibility of improvement in bedtime procrastination scale. This study shows light on combining communication theory and health behavior changes.
Written News Search Engines and Retrieval Systems of the Databases of Spanish Digital Newspapers
Authors: Muñoz‐García Francisco‐Javier , López‐Hernández María‐Ángeles , Domínguez‐Delgado Rubén
Published: October 2021

In light of the dearth of empirical studies of the quality of the databases of Spanish digital newspapers, this paper delves into the issue. Accordingly, the databases of 55 Spanish digital general newspapers were examined for the purpose of determining the quality of their retrospective written news search engines and retrieval systems. The results indicate the following: (1) the vast majority of the databases analysed employ search models based exclusively on a calendar or text box, thus hindering the selective retrieval of information; (b) a large proportion of these databases do not allow users to employ several fields in order to filter and narrow down their searches; and (3) all the online news databases lack search guides and controlled vocabularies or thesauruses. From these finding it is possible to infer that the majority of the databases of the Spanish digital press are, as a rule, rudimentary and inefficient.
Internet of Samples
Authors: Richard Stephen M. , Vieglais Dave , Cui Hong , Davies Neil , Deck John , Gan Quan , Kansa Eric C , Kansa Sarah Whitcher , Kunze John , Mandel Danny , Meyer Christopher , Orrell Thomas , Ramdeen Sarah , Snyder Rebecca , Walls Ramona L , Zhou Yuxuan , Lehnert Kerstin
Published: October 2021

Material samples are indispensable data sources in many natural science, social science, and humanity disciplines. More and more researchers recognize that samples collected in one discipline can be of great value for another. This has motivated organizations that manage a large number of samples to make their holdings accessible to the world. Currently, multiple projects are working to connect natural history and other samples managed by individual institutions or individuals into a universe of samples that follow FAIR principles. This poster reports the progress of the US NSF‐funded iSamples project, in the context of other efforts initiated by US DOE, DiSCCo, BCoN, and GBIF. By October 2021, we will also be able to present an iSamples prototype. We encourage individual organizations that hold material samples to get to know these projects and help shape these projects to realize the goal of a global linked sample cloud that connects all material samples and is accessible to all.
Static hazards of container filling
Authors: Britton Laurence G. , Walmsley Harold L.
Published: October 2021

The maximum filling rates recommended by IEC and NFPA for conductive intermediate bulk containers (IBC) conflict with each other and take no account of the filling pipe diameter. A model previously developed to predict maximum liquid surface potentials in medium tanks was re‐derived using analytical approximation rather than curve fitting techniques and modified for application to conductive containers. Physically consistent flow rate limits are given for all sizes of container. Relative to the 25 kV hazardous potential threshold, IEC's flow velocity limit of 2 m/s theoretically provides a large safety factor for IBC filling that increases linearly from 2 to 5 as the inside diameter of the filling pipe decreases from 78 to 27 mm. However, because potential varies with the inverse cube of pipe diameter, the safety factor provided by NFPA's flow rate limit of 225 L/min diminishes from 8 to 1/2 over the same range and surface potentials exceed 25 kV for filling pipe diameters below about 35 mm. The model is extended to address elevated dielectric constants and practical guidance is provided for different filling pipe options. We also warn of specific practices that could increase the likelihood of a fire or explosion.
How to make your dust hazard analysis make a difference
Authors: Jeffries Kevin N. , Wincek John C. , Stetsovsky Vladimir
Published: October 2021

The first true deadline for conducting dust hazard analyses (DHAs) has come and gone. But what has been learned, and how can the DHA be used to make a difference in safety? Successful strategies have been developed to fully utilize the lessons from a DHA to reduce the risks of combustible dust fires and explosions. Using the lessons already learned by others can reduce the resources required to successfully implement and sustain recommendations, as well as increase the efficiency with which the recommendations are resolved. This article will describe how to utilize the outcomes of a DHA to successfully improve the safety and management systems for your combustible dust process. Topics to be covered include: (1) solving problematic issues common in combustible dust processes; (2) using interim solutions; (3) prioritizing recommendations to address the highest risks first, balanced with achieving the largest risk reduction in the shortest amount of time; (4) developing pragmatic solutions to resolving DHA recommendations and reducing risk; and (5) documenting and managing information to prepare for your 5‐year DHA revalidation.
Effects of N‐Ion Implantation on the Electrical and Photoelectronic Properties of MoS2 Field Effect Transistors
Authors: Li Heyi , Liu Chaoming , Zhang Yanqing , Wang Tianqi , Zhang Hongqiang , Li Pengfei , Qi Chunhua , Huo Mingxue , Dong Shangli
Published: October 2021

Ion implantation is widely used in the semiconductor industry as an important method of controlling the performance of semiconductor materials. As a 2D material with fantastic physical characteristics, MoS2 has been receiving extensive attention for its potential applications in electronic devices. N element is an impurity objectively existing in semiconductors. It may come from the semiconductor manufacturing process or the environment. Therefore, the effect of N element implantation on the material, electrical, and photoelectronic properties of MoS2 field effect transistor (FET) is reported. The results of Raman and photoluminescence (PL) shows that N‐ion implant caused the expansion of the MoS2 lattice and the disappearance of the characteristic peaks of PL. The prepared MoS2 FET exhibits a slow photoelectric response to 254 nm UV, and a fast photoelectric response to 650 and 532 nm lasers. After ion implant and annealing, the electrical performance and photocurrent of the MoS2 FET are significantly degraded. The research has a guiding role in impurity control in the semiconductor manufacturing process.
Optimal robust formation control for heterogeneous multi‐agent systems based on reinforcement learning
Authors: Yan Bing , Shi Peng , Lim Cheng‐Chew , Shi Zhiyuan
Published: October 2021

In this article, a reinforcement learning (RL)‐based robust control strategy is proposed for uncertain heterogeneous multi‐agent systems to achieve optimal collision‐free time‐varying formations. Without using any global information, a fully distributed adaptive observer is developed to estimate both dynamics and states of the reference and disturbance systems. The observer parameters are found by an observed model‐based or a model‐free off‐policy RL algorithm. Using the internal model principle, a novel optimal robust formation control strategy is developed based on another proposed off‐policy RL algorithm. The algorithm addresses the nonquadratic optimization problem when the system model is completely unknown. Taking the bushfire edge tracking and patrolling task for an unmanned aerial vehicle‐unmanned ground vehicle heterogeneous system as an example, the effectiveness and robustness of the developed control strategy are verified by simulations.
Formal methods by stealth: The INSPEX experience
Authors: Banach Richard , Razavi Joseph , Debicki Oivier , Lesecq Suzanne
Published: October 2021

INSPEX is anINtegrated Smart sPatial EXplorationsystem. It relies on a family of sensors, like automated vehicles do, to provide enough information to a digital system for it to make reliable inferences about the location of obstacles and other impediments in its environment. Unlike the automated vehicle case, INSPEX is minaturised, because it is intended for lightweight applications and for portable use by humans, for example, visually impaired persons navigating outdoors (among many similar use cases). The complexity of this hardware‐focused system merited the introduction of formal methods during its (essentially conventionally structured) development. The aim was to improve the dependability of parts of the implemented system and to estimate system characteristics via modelling and calculation that could not be obtained experimentally within the scope of the project. The paper overviews the experience of the very much human‐in‐the‐loop use of formal techniques in the INSPEX Project and focuses particularly on the human issues that impacted the cooperation between the conventional techniques and formal methods.
Cover Image, Volume 8, Issue 6
Authors: Hasan Shahnoor , Evers Jaap , Verzijl Andres , Zwarteveen Margreet
Published: October 2021

The cover image is based on the Perspective Deltas in dialogue: Imagining policy transfer from the Netherlands to Vietnam and Bangladesh as a symmetrical conversation by Shahnoor Hasan et al., https://doi.org/10.1002/wat2.1559.

image
The diagrammatic coaction beyond one loop
Authors: Abreu Samuel , Britto Ruth , Duhr Claude , Gardi Einan , Matthew James
Published: October 2021

Abstract

The diagrammatic coaction maps any given Feynman graph into pairs of graphs and cut graphs such that, conjecturally, when these graphs are replaced by the corresponding Feynman integrals one obtains a coaction on the respective functions. The coaction on the functions is constructed by pairing a basis of differential forms, corresponding to master integrals, with a basis of integration contours, corresponding to independent cut integrals. At one loop, a general diagrammatic coaction was established using dimensional regularisation, which may be realised in terms of a global coaction on hypergeometric functions, or equivalently, order by order in the ϵ expansion, via a local coaction on multiple polylogarithms. The present paper takes the first steps in generalising the diagrammatic coaction beyond one loop. We first establish general properties that govern the diagrammatic coaction at any loop order. We then focus on examples of two-loop topologies for which all integrals expand into polylogarithms. In each case we determine bases of master integrals and cuts in terms of hypergeometric functions, and then use the global coaction to establish the diagrammatic coaction of all master integrals in the topology. The diagrammatic coaction encodes the complete set of discontinuities of Feynman integrals, as well as the differential equations they satisfy, providing a general tool to understand their physical and mathematical properties.
“I don't opt out of things because I think I will get a sore knee, but I don't expose myself to stupid risks either”: patients’ experiences of a second ACL injury—an interview study
Authors: Heijne Annette , Silbernagel Karin Grävare , Lundberg Mari
Published: October 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe women’s experiences with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) and a subsequent ACL rupture, and to identify potential facilitators and barriers for coping with rehabilitation after the second injury.

Methods

Eight women between 17 and 36 years (mean 26, SD 6.5) who had experienced ACLR, followed by another ACL rupture, participated in the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

Results

One overarching theme, “Rehabilitation after a second ACL injury—A lifelong adaptive coping process”, emerged from analyses. Undergoing a second rehabilitation is described as a process of adaptation, beginning with the first injury and still ongoing, more than 5 years later. Participants applied different coping strategies to adapt to these life-altering injuries, but the common denominator was of major life adjustments with no return to previous activity levels. Initially, after the reinjury, it was about coping with the catastrophe of the dreaded second injury. Over time, they accepted their “new” life and reset their recovery/rehabilitation goal not just as “return to sport” but rather as a “personal life goal”.

Conclusion

Undergoing a second ACL injury is a long process that challenges the patient’s coping skills. Given these results, rehabilitation programs need to be more person centred according to the patients-adjusted life goals.

Level of evidence

3.
Exploring the determinants of ethnic differences in insulin clearance between men of Black African and White European ethnicity
Authors: Ladwa Meera , Bello Oluwatoyosi , Hakim Olah , Boselli Maria Linda , Shojaee-Moradie Fariba , Umpleby A. Margot , Peacock Janet , Amiel Stephanie A. , Bonadonna Riccardo C. , Goff Louise M.
Published: October 2021

Aim

People of Black African ancestry, who are known to be at disproportionately high risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D), typically exhibit lower hepatic insulin clearance compared with White Europeans. However, the mechanisms underlying this metabolic characteristic are poorly understood. We explored whether low insulin clearance in Black African (BA) men could be explained by insulin resistance, subclinical inflammation or adiponectin concentrations.

Methods

BA and White European (WE) men, categorised as either normal glucose tolerant (NGT) or with T2D, were recruited to undergo the following: a mixed meal tolerance test with C-peptide modelling to determine endogenous insulin clearance; fasting serum adiponectin and cytokine profiles; a hyperinsulinaemic–euglycaemic clamp to measure whole-body insulin sensitivity; and magnetic resonance imaging to quantify visceral adipose tissue.

Results

Forty BA (20 NGT and 20 T2D) and 41 WE (23 NGT and 18 T2D) men were studied. BA men had significantly lower insulin clearance (P = 0.011) and lower plasma adiponectin (P = 0.031) compared with WE men. In multiple regression analysis, ethnicity, insulin sensitivity and plasma adiponectin were independent predictors of insulin clearance, while age, visceral adiposity and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) did not significantly contribute to the variation.

Conclusion

These data suggest that adiponectin may play a direct role in the upregulation of insulin clearance beyond its insulin-sensitising properties.
Climate change research and the search for solutions: rethinking interdisciplinarity
Authors: Schipper E. Lisa F. , Dubash Navroz K. , Mulugetta Yacob
Published: October 2021

Growing political pressure to find solutions to climate change is leading to increasing calls for multiple disciplines, in particular those that are not traditionally part of climate change research, to contribute new knowledge systems that can offer deeper and broader insights to address the problem. Recognition of the complexity of climate change compels researchers to draw on interdisciplinary knowledge that marries natural sciences with social sciences and humanities. Yet most interdisciplinary approaches fail to adequately merge the framings of the disparate disciplines, resulting in reductionist messages that are largely devoid of context, and hence provide incomplete and misleading analysis for decision-making. For different knowledge systems to work better together toward climate solutions, we need to reframe the way questions are asked and research pursued, in order to inform action without slipping into reductionism. We suggest that interdisciplinarity needs to be rethought. This will require accepting a plurality of narratives, embracing multiple disciplinary perspectives, and shifting expectations of public messaging, and above all looking to integrate the appropriate disciplines that can help understand human systems in order to better mediate action.
Modeling managerial search behavior based on Simon’s concept of satisficing
Authors: Wall Friederike
Published: October 2021

Computational models of managerial search often build on backward-looking search based on hill-climbing algorithms. Regardless of its prevalence, there is some evidence that this family of algorithms does not universally represent managers’ search behavior. Against this background, the paper proposes an alternative algorithm that captures key elements of Simon’s concept of satisficing which received considerable support in behavioral experiments. The paper contrasts the satisficing-based algorithm to two variants of hill-climbing search in an agent-based model of a simple decision-making organization. The model builds on the framework of NK fitness landscapes which allows controlling for the complexity of the decision problem to be solved. The results suggest that the model’s behavior may remarkably differ depending on whether satisficing or hill-climbing serves as an algorithmic representation for decision-makers’ search. Moreover, with the satisficing algorithm, results indicate oscillating aspiration levels, even to the negative, and intense—and potentially destabilizing—search activities when intra-organizational complexity increases. Findings may shed some new light on prior computational models of decision-making in organizations and point to avenues for future research.
Numerical Simulations of a Dispersive Model Approximating Free-Surface Euler Equations
Authors: Sánchez Cipriano Escalante , Fernández-Nieto Enrique D. , de Luna Tomás Morales , Penel Yohan , Sainte-Marie Jacques
Published: October 2021

In some configurations, dispersion effects must be taken into account to improve the simulation of complex fluid flows. A family of free-surface dispersive models has been derived in Fernández-Nieto et al. (Commun Math Sci 16(05):1169–1202, 2018). The hierarchy of models is based on a Galerkin approach and parameterised by the number of discrete layers along the vertical axis. In this paper we propose some numerical schemes designed for these models in a 1D open channel. The cornerstone of this family of models is the Serre – Green-Naghdi model which has been extensively studied in the literature from both theoretical and numerical points of view. More precisely, the goal is to propose a numerical method for the $$LDNH_2$$

L
D
N

H
2

model that is based on a projection method extended from the one-layer case to any number of layers. To do so, the one-layer case is addressed by means of a projection-correction method applied to a non-standard differential operator. A special attention is paid to boundary conditions. This case is extended to several layers thanks to an original relabelling of the unknowns. In the numerical tests we show the convergence of the method and its accuracy compared to the $$LDNH_0$$

L
D
N

H
0

model.
Drivers of academic engagement in public–private research collaboration: an empirical study
Authors: Abramo Giovanni , D’Angelo Ciriaco Andrea
Published: October 2021

University-industry research collaboration is one of the major research policy priorities of advanced economies. In this study, we try to identify the main drivers that could influence the propensity of academics to engage in research collaborations with the private sector, in order to better inform policies and initiatives to foster such collaborations. At this purpose, we apply an inferential model to a dataset of 32,792 Italian professors in order to analyze the relative impact of individual and contextual factors affecting the propensity of academics to engage in collaboration with industry, at overall level and across disciplines. The outcomes reveal that the typical profile of the professor collaborating with industry is a male under age 40, full professor, very high performer, with highly diversified research, and who has a certain tradition in collaborating with industry. This professor is likely to be part of a staff used to collaborating with industry, in a small university, typically a polytechnic, located in the north of the country.
Clemastine Enhances Myelination, Delays Axonal Loss and Promotes Functional Recovery in Spinal Cord Injury
Authors: Du Weihong , Deng Yongbing , Jiang Rong , Tong Luyao , Li Ruixue , Jiang Xue
Published: October 2021

Recent evidence has shown that demyelination occurs along with axonal degeneration in spinal cord injury (SCI) during the secondary injury phase. Oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPC) are present in the lesions but fail to differentiate into mature oligodendrocytes and form new myelin. Given the limited recovery of neuronal functions after SCI in adults without effective treatment available so far, it remains unknown whether enhancing OPC differentiation and myelination could benefit the recovery of SCI. To show the significance of myelin regeneration after SCI, the injury was treated with clemastine in the rat model. Clemastine is an FDA-approved drug that is potent in promoting oligodendrocyte differentiation and myelination in vivo, for four weeks following SCI. Motor function was assessed using sloping boards and grid walking tests and scored according to the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan protocol. The myelin integrity and protein expression were evaluated using transmission electron microscopy and immunofluorescence, respectively. The results indicated that clemastine treatment preserves myelin integrity, decreases loss of axons and improves functional recovery in the rat SCI model. The presented data suggest that myelination-enhancing strategies may serve as a potential therapeutic approach for the functional recovery in SCI.
Symbolic revolutions. Mobilizing a neglected Bourdieusian concept for historical sociology
Authors: Petzke Martin
Published: October 2021

The article builds on a recent literature that has sought to underscore the relevance of Bourdieu’s field theory for historical-sociological analysis. It draws attention to symbolic revolutions, a concept that has been given short shrift in this literature and even in Bourdieu’s own expositions of his field-theoretical apparatus. The article argues that symbolic revolutions denote a universal mechanism of field-internal change which extends and complements a conceptual battery of mostly structural universals of fields. In a synoptic reading of Bourdieu’s field-theoretical work, the article fleshes out an ideal type of symbolic revolutions, with special regard to its dialectical features. It adds further analytical purchase to the concept by highlighting continuities and parallels with the work of Thomas Kuhn and Karl Mannheim. Finally, it argues that more recent studies by other authors on transformations in the psychiatric field, the field of social and human sciences, and the political field are in fact discussing instances of symbolic revolutions. It thus shows how the concept can help identify common properties among highly heterogeneous phenomena, opening up new avenues for historical-sociological investigations that can more systematically relate the general and the particular.
VentQsys: Low-cost open IoT system for $$CO_2$$ monitoring in classrooms
Authors: Fayos-Jordan Rafael , Segura-Garcia Jaume , Soriano-Asensi Antonio , Felici-Castell Santiago , Felisi Jose M. , Alcaraz-Calero Jose M.
Published: October 2021

In educational context, a source of nuisance for students is carbon dioxide ($$CO_2$$

C

O
2

) concentration due to closed rooms and lack of ventilation or circulatory air. Also, in the pandemic context, ventilation in indoor environments has been proven as a good tool to control the COVID-19 infections. In this work, it is presented a low cost IoT-based open-hardware and open-software monitoring system to control ventilation, by measuring carbon dioxide ($$CO_2$$

C

O
2

), temperature and relative humidity. This system provides also support for automatic updating, auto-self calibration and adds some Cloud and Edge offloading of computational features for mapping functionalities. From the tests carried out, it is observed a good performance in terms of functionality, battery durability, compared to other measuring devices, more expensive than our proposal.
A miniaturized method for fast, simple, and sensitive pesticide analysis in soils
Authors: Simon Marcel Pierre , Knuth Dennis , Böhm Leonard , Wiltschka Katrin , Schatz Marlene , Düring Rolf-Alexander
Published: October 2021

Purpose

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) like lindane and DDT have been used extensively after World War II until the 1990s. Still, residues of these pesticides can be found in agricultural soils all over the world, especially in developing countries. Often, they occur in extensive areas and elevated concentrations so that food safety is jeopardized. Hence, simple, cheap, and fast analytical methods are needed for a straight-forward assessment of risks. A miniaturized solid–liquid extraction combined with solid-phase microextraction (SPME) based on a proven ISO method is presented.

Methods

The performance of the method is evaluated by extracting three different soils which were spiked with HCH and DDT congeners, and trifluralin, and aged for 35 days. The results are compared with those of a modified quick, easy, cheap, efficient, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) method. For further validation, both methods are applied to three environmental soil samples.

Results

Validation results show limits of detection and quantification as well as recovery rates in good agreement with standard requirements. The new method was found to be quicker than QuEChERS, which requires time-consuming preparation of reagents.

Conclusion

Merits include low time and sample volume requirements (0.5 g) and the possibility to extract many samples simultaneously, which allows the screening of large sample sizes to determine the pollution status of whole landscape regions. However, access to an automated SPME apparatus is assumed. The authors can recommend this method as a cheap and fast alternative where SPME is available.
Structure-based docking, pharmacokinetic evaluation, and molecular dynamics-guided evaluation of traditional formulation against SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor bind domain and ACE2 receptor complex
Authors: kumar B. Harish , Manandhar Suman , Mehta Chetan H. , Nayak Usha Y. , Pai K. Sreedhara Ranganath
Published: October 2021

There is an urgent need for reliable cure and preventive measures in this hour of the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2. Siddha- and Ayurvedic-based classical formulations have antiviral properties and great potential therapeutic choice in this pandemic situation. In the current study, in silico-based analysis for the binding potential of phytoconstituents from the classical formulations suggested by the Ministry of Ayush (Kabasura Kudineer, Shwas Kuthar Rasa with Kantakari and pippali churna, Talisadi churna) to the interface domain of the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 was performed. Maestro software from Schrodinger and tools like Glide Docking, induced fit docking, MM-GBSA, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, and thermal MM-GBSA was used to analyze the binding of protein PDB ID:6VW1 and the selected 133 ligands in comparison with drug molecules like favipiravir and ribavirin. QikProp-based ADMET evaluation of all the phytoconstituents found them nontoxic and with drug-like properties. Selection of top ten ligands was made based on docking score for further MM-GBSA analysis. After performing IFD of top five molecules iso-chlorogenic acid, taxiphyllin, vasicine, catechin and caffeic acid, MD simulation and thermal MM-GBSA were done. Iso-chlorogenic acid had formed more stable interaction with key residue among all phytoconstituents. Computational-based study has highlighted the potential of the many constituents of traditional medicine to interact with the SARS-CoV-2 RBD and ACE2, which might stop the viral entry into the cell. However, in vivo experiments and clinical trials are necessary for supporting this claim.
Neo-deterministic seismic hazard assessment of Corsica-Sardinia block
Authors: Brandmayr Enrico , Vaccari Franco , Panza Giuliano Francesco
Published: October 2021

The Corsica-Sardinia lithospheric block is commonly considered as a region of very low seismicity and the scarce reported seismicity for the area has till now precluded the reliable assessment of its seismic hazard. The time-honored assumption has been recently questioned and the historical seismicity of Sardinia has been reevaluated. Even more, several seismogenic nodes capable of M5 + have been recognized in the Corsica-Sardinia block exploiting the morphostructural zonation technique, calibrated to earlier results obtained for the Iberian peninsula, which has structural lithospheric affinities with the Corsica-Sardinia block. All this allows now for the computation of reliable earthquake hazard maps at bedrock conditions exploiting the power of Neo Deterministic Seismic Hazard Assessment (NDSHA) evaluation. NDSHA relies upon the fundamental physics of wave generation and propagation in complex geologic structures and generates realistic time series from which several earthquake ground motion parameters can be readily extracted. NDSHA exploits in an optimized way all the available knowledge about lithospheric mechanical parameters, seismic history, seismogenic zones and nodes. In accordance with continuum mechanics, the tensor nature of earthquake ground motion is preserved computing realistic signals using structural models obtained by tomographic inversion and earthquake source information readily available in literature. The way to this approach has been open by studies focused on continental Italy and Sicily, where the agreement between hazard maps obtained using seismogenic zones, informed by earthquake catalog data, and the maps obtained using only seismogenic nodes are very good.
Improved analysis method of neuromuscular junction in Drosophila larvae by transmission electron microscopy
Authors: Guangming Gan , Mei Chen , Chenchen Zhang , Wei Xie , Junhua Geng
Published: October 2021

The Drosophila neuromuscular junction is an excellent model for neuroscience research. However, the distribution of neuromuscular junctions is very diffuse, and it is not easy to accurately locate during ultrathin sectioning, which seriously interferes with the ultrastructural analysis under electron microscopy that only has a small field of view. Here, we reported an efficient method for acquiring the ultrastructural picture of neuromuscular junctions in Drosophila larva under electron microscopy. The procedure was as follows: first, the larval sample of body wall muscle was placed between the metal mesh and was dehydrated with alcohol and infiltrated with epoxy resin to prevent the sample from curling or bending, after it was dissected and fixed into thin slices. Second, the sample was embedded in resin into a flat sheet to facilitate the positioning of the muscles. Third, carefully and gradually remove the excess resin and the cuticle of the larvae, cut off both ends of the special body segment, and trim the excess specific muscles according to the recommended ratio of trimming muscles, which would reduce the workload exponentially. At last, the trimmed sample were prepared into serial about 1000 ultrathin sections that was about total 80 microns thickness, and 30–40 sections were gathered into a grid to stain with lead citrate and uranyl acetate. This method could also be applied to the other small and thin samples such as the Drosophila embryo, ventral nerve cord and brain.
Autophagy plays a double-edged sword role in liver diseases
Authors: Zhou Jing-chao , Wang Jing-lin , Ren Hao-zhen , Shi Xiao-lei
Published: October 2021

As a highly evolutionarily conserved process, autophagy can be found in all types of eukaryotic cells. Such a constitutive process maintains cellular homeostasis in a wide variety of cell types through the encapsulation of damaged proteins or organelles into double-membrane vesicles. Autophagy not only simply eliminates materials but also serves as a dynamic recycling system that produces new building blocks and energy for cellular renovation and homeostasis. Previous studies have primarily recognized the role of autophagy in the degradation of dysfunctional proteins and unwanted organelles. However, there are findings of autophagy in physiological and pathological processes. In hepatocytes, autophagy is not only essential for homeostatic functions but also implicated in some diseases, such as viral hepatitis, alcoholic hepatitis, and hepatic failure. In the present review, we summarized the molecular mechanisms of autophagy and its role in several liver diseases and put forward several new strategies for the treatment of liver disease.
Environmental sustainability assessment of organic vineyard practices from a life cycle perspective
Authors: Volanti Mirco , Cubillas Martínez C. , Cespi D. , Lopez-Baeza E. , Vassura I. , Passarini F.
Published: October 2021

Due to increased awareness of the current and future issues with the environment, sustainable development has become a well-known concept and goal in the last decades. Based on this idea, organic agriculture is now fairly generalized in many farms and grape processing factories. Life cycle assessment (LCA) represents a valuable and standardized technique to evaluate how sustainable a crop can become, determining the potential impacts that the complete-life product causes on the environment and on the management/conservation of resources. Although LCA can be applied to any product, this work focusses on organic grapevine crops as the subject of study, in order to improve energy and water efficiency and minimizing issues such as the use of pesticides. This paper, collecting primary data from three Spanish grape processing factories, quantifies the reduction of the overall impact related to the avoidance of artificial irrigation, amounting to 10%, and the saving of resources (− 4.3 kg oil eq. per ha) due to the replacement of chemical fertilisers with animal manure. On the other hand, the use of manure has shown some controversy from an environmental point of view as it contributes to global warming, resulting in an increase in the total impact of the organic vineyard. As predictable, the application of conventional practices as well as the use of water for irrigation could both result in a higher overall yield, and in a contemporary growth of environmental impacts; a discussion about the quantification of this aspect is also inserted.
Changes in cognitive and behavioral control after lamotrigine and intensive dialectical behavioral therapy for severe, multi-impulsive bulimia nervosa: an fMRI case study
Authors: Berner Laura A. , Reilly Erin E. , Yu Xinze , Krueger Angeline , Trunko Mary Ellen , Anderson Leslie K. , Chen Joanna , Simmons Alan N. , Kaye Walter H.
Published: October 2021

Purpose

Adults with bulimia nervosa (BN) and co-occurring emotional dysregulation and multiple impulsive behaviors are less responsive to existing interventions. Initial data suggest that the combination of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and a mood stabilizer, lamotrigine, significantly reduces symptoms of affective and behavioral dysregulation in these patients. Identifying candidate neurobiological mechanisms of change for this novel treatment combination may help guide future randomized controlled trials and inform new and targeted treatment development. Here, we examined neurocognitive and symptom changes in a female patient with BN and severe affective and behavioral dysregulation who received DBT and lamotrigine.

Methods

Go/no-go task performance data and resting-state functional MRI scans were acquired before the initiation of lamotrigine (after 6 weeks in an intensive DBT program), and again after reaching and maintaining a stable dose of lamotrigine. The patient completed a battery of symptom measures biweekly for 18 weeks over the course of treatment.

Results

After lamotrigine initiation, the patient made fewer errors on a response inhibition task and showed increased and new connectivity within frontoparietal and frontolimbic networks involved in behavioral and affective control. Accompanying this symptom improvement, the patient reported marked reductions in bulimic symptoms, behavioral dysregulation, and reactivity to negative affect, along with increases in DBT skills use.

Conclusion

Improved response inhibition and cognitive control network connectivity should be further investigated as neurocognitive mechanisms of change with combined DBT and lamotrigine for eating disorders. Longitudinal, controlled trials integrating neuroimaging and symptom measures are needed to fully evaluate the effects of this treatment.

Level of Evidence

IV: Evidence obtained from multiple time series with or without the intervention, such as case studies.