bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relationship between periodontitis and risk of cardiovascular disease: Insights from the Tromsø Study
Authors: Petrenya Natalia , Hopstock Laila Arnesdatter , Holde Gro Eirin , Oscarson Nils , Jönsson Birgitta
Published: May 2022

Background

Few large‐scale studies have investigated the association between periodontitis and cardiovascular risk estimated by risk assessment models; moreover, this association remains unexplored in never‐smokers. We aimed to examine the relationship between periodontitis and cardiovascular risk in a Norwegian general population, with a focus on never‐smokers and the impact of sex and age.

Methods

The present study included 2623 participants from the seventh survey of the Tromsø Study (Tromsø7, 2015–2016), aged 45–74 years, and without previous myocardial infarction or stroke. Periodontitis was defined according to the 2017 American Academy of Periodontology and the European Federation of Periodontology classification system. Participants were categorized by grade based on percentage bone loss/age as no periodontitis/Grade A (low progression rate) and Grade B/C (moderate‐rapid progression rate). Low, medium, and high cardiovascular risk was defined based on the Norwegian risk model NORRISK 2. We used ordered logistic regression analysis to examine the association between periodontitis and cardiovascular risk, adjusting for education, toothbrushing frequency, body mass index, and diabetes. Subanalyses included stratification by sex and age (45‒54, 55‒64, 65‒74 years) and a separate analysis of never‐smokers.

Results

Periodontitis Grade B/C was associated with higher cardiovascular risk than no periodontitis/Grade A (odds ratio [OR], 2.13; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.75‒2.61). This association was significant in both men and women, all age groups, and never‐smokers. However, when never‐smokers were stratified by age, the association remained significant only in those aged 65–74 years (OR, 3.00; 95% CI, 1.50‒5.99).

Conclusion

Periodontitis Grade B/C was associated with higher cardiovascular risk overall, and in never‐smokers aged 65–74 years.
Disability entrepreneurship research: Critical reflection through the lens of individual‐opportunity nexus
Authors: Klangboonkrong Te , Baines Ning
Published: May 2022

The individual‐opportunity (IO) nexus has been a highly influential perspective in entrepreneurship, but its market‐focused and variance‐deterministic character pose serious limitations where entrepreneurship is intended as a development policy for disabled people. The extant research in disability entrepreneurship converges in the recognition of structural barriers faced by disabled entrepreneurs, but in most cases, the multilevel challenges only translate to adaptive mechanisms at an individual level. When the IO nexus is adopted as a lens, its variance‐deterministic setup and market‐focused outcome definitions are in favor of entrepreneurs with conventional characteristics, but less helpful for a policy purpose where substantial non‐economic value could be overlooked. Two critical points for consideration in disability entrepreneurship research are the role of context in which the disabled entrepreneurs are embedded, and the influences of different levels of analysis.
Conflict, displacement, and economic revival: The case of the internally displaced minority entrepreneurs in Pakistan
Authors: Khan Muhammad Salman , Sepulveda Leandro
Published: May 2022

This article examines enterprise activities developed by internally displaced religious minorities (IDRM) and the role that social capital plays in supporting such activities. In particular, the article examines how social capital is linked to microenterprise development and the economic survival/revival of internally displaced religious minorities in Pakistan and why the link between entrepreneurship and social capital is critical for contexts with absent or poorly designed enterprise development policies. A three‐staged, sequential research design was adopted, which comprised the analysis of secondary data on IDRM, a face‐to‐face survey of entrepreneurs and interviews in two selected study sites. The evidence shows how the role of social capital in supporting entrepreneurial activities is determined by socioeconomic inequalities as well as the characteristics of the formal enterprise support infrastructure, that is, where formal institutions are weak, social capital is the main source of entrepreneurial support, with different types of social capital networks delivering different outcomes.
Could the Audiometric Criteria for Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss Miss Vestibular Schwannomas?
Authors: Shilo Shahaf , Hannaux Ouriel , Gilboa Dor , Ungar Omer Jacob , Handzel Ophir , Abu Eta Rani , Muhanna Nidal , Oron Yahav
Published: May 2022

Objective

To investigate the likelihood of missing a vestibular schwannoma (VS) diagnosis in patients who present with a sudden hearing loss (SHL) that does not meet the most accepted audiometric criteria for sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) (a decrease of ≥30 dB at three consecutive frequencies).

Methods

All adult patients (>18 years) diagnosed with SHL of any severity in a tertiary care referral medical center between 2015 and 2020 and who underwent an MRI scan to rule out VS were included. Statistical analyses were conducted to evaluate the difference between the rate of VS among patients with an initial audiogram, which met the abovementioned criteria, and those who did not. Other audiometric criteria for SNHL were also evaluated (≥10 dB at ≥2 frequencies and ≥ 15 dB at one frequency).

Results

Of the 332 patients included in the study, 152 met the audiometric criteria for SSNHL, and 180 did not. Both groups had a similar VS rate (8.6% vs. 8.9%, p = 0.914). Similar results were found when other audiometric criteria for asymmetric SNHL were analyzed. In a subgroup analysis of patients with VS‐associated SSNHL, neither the tumor size nor the Koos classification was associated with any of the audiometric criteria systems.

Conclusion

There should be a high index of suspicion for the presence of VS in patients with an SHL of any severity.

Level of Evidence

3 Laryngoscope, 133:670–675, 2023
Photoresponsive Polymer‐Based Biomimetic Contractile Units as Building Block for Artificial Muscles
Authors: Vitale Giulia , Grandinetti Bruno , Querceto Silvia , Martella Daniele , Tesi Chiara , Poggesi Corrado , Cerbai Elisabetta , Wiersma Diederik S. , Parmeggiani Camilla , Ferrantini Cecilia , Sacconi Leonardo
Published: May 2022

Loss of muscular mechanical function occurs in several diseases affecting millions of people worldwide, including heart failure, stroke, and neuromuscular disorders. To date, no medical or surgical treatments can restore muscular contractility, and the development of artificial muscles is of extreme interest. Mimicking biological muscles, which are optimized systems displaying quick reaction times, is not trivial; only few examples are reported, mainly focused on the use of biomimetic smart materials. Among them, liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs) can be biocompatible, show contraction parameters comparable to those of native striated muscles, and are able to effectively potentiate cardiac contraction in vitro. To go further and develop in vivo implantable devices, the integration of the stimulation system with the LCE material represents an essential step. Here, a light‐stimulated biomimetic contractile unit (BCU), combining ultra‐thin photoresponsive LCE films and mini‐LED (mLED) matrixes is described. BCU performance (in terms of extent and kinetics of contractile force and shortening) can be fine‐tuned by modulating both mLED light power and spatial stimulation patterns, allowing to reproduce mechanical dynamics of native muscles. These results pave the way for the development of novel LCE‐based contraction assist devices for cardiac, skeletal, or smooth muscle support by assembling multiple BCUs.
Structure–Property–Processing Relations of Short‐Chain Branched Poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) with Biobased Comonomers
Authors: Mielke Christian , Kuhnigk Justus , Pospiech Doris , Komber Hartmut , Boldt Regine , Lederer Albena , El Fray Miroslawa , Standau Tobias , Ruckdäschel Holger , Altstädt Volker , Voit Brigitte
Published: May 2022

Poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) is difficult to foam due to its unfavorable rheological behavior (low melt strength, no strain hardening). In particular, a high expansion and a homogeneous cell morphology are difficult to achieve. This can be altered successfully by addition of multifunctional chain extenders. Chain extenders cause nondefined and rarely understood changes in the polymer architecture usually described as branching. In this contribution, the synthesis of two series of PBT copolyesters with defined short‐chain branched units is presented. Dilinoleic derivatives with linear C9and C7alkyl side chains are employed to reflect short‐chain branches and are incorporated into PBT in various molar ratios. Characterization by NMR spectroscopy and size exclusion chromatography demonstrates the random chain structure and high molar masses of the terpolyesters. Incorporation of dilinoleic derivatives results in the reduction of PBT crystallinity, decreased glass transition temperatures, and altered rheological behavior, in particular of extensional rheology characterized by strain hardening. The comparison to control copolyesters without branches proves that strain hardening is caused by the branches. A higher concentration of branches induces stronger strain hardening, resulting in successful foaming. It is demonstrated that the new terpolyesters have properties comparable with PBT treated with chain extenders.
APA poll: Americans anxious, concerned about world events
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: May 2022

A poll released by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) this month found that 73% of adults feel anxious about current events happening around the world, compared with 50% who say they feel anxious about COVID‐19.
Gromov–Hausdorff stability of global attractors for 3D Brinkman–Forchheimer equations
Authors: Ai Chengfei , Tan Zhong
Published: May 2022

In this paper, using the Gromov–Hausdorff distances between two global attractors (which may be in disjoint phase spaces) and two semi‐dynamical systems introduced by Lee et al. (2020), we consider the continuous dependence of the global attractors and the stability of the semi‐dynamical systems on global attractors induced by the Brinkman–Forchheimer equation under variation of the domain. The results of this paper improve on previous results, which can compare any two systems in different phase spaces without the process of “pull‐backing” the perturbed systems to the original domain.
A design of broadband bandpass frequency selective surface
Authors: Li Meiling , Hong Mudan , Yang Qihao , Zheng Qi , Yang Xuexia , Yi Zixuan
Published: May 2022

In this paper, a broadband frequency selective surface (FSS) based on a multilayer coupling cascade is presented. The overall structure consists of three metallic layers and two dielectric substrates. In addition, a crosspatch terminated with an E‐shaped structure and a gradient cross structure with a slot is introduced in the middle metallic layer to control the transmission zero and extent of the current path, respectively. The unit cell periodicity is about 0.27 , and the overall thickness of the dielectric layer is about 0.087 . Prototypes of the proposed FSS are designed and simulated, and an equivalent circuit model is developed to explain the mechanism further. Finally, the FSS prototype works at the center frequency of 12.2 GHz with a relative −0.5 dB bandwidth of 70% and a relative −3dB bandwidth of 104%. The frequency responses are relatively stable with the variation of incidence angles from 0° to 60°.
Understanding Salmon Migration Dynamics in a Data-Limited Environment
Authors: Buchanan Rebecca A. , Whitlock Steven L.
Published: May 2022

Effective management of natural resources and migratory fish populations depends on understanding the relationship between life cycle parameters, management decisions, and environmental conditions. However, the difficulty of data collection can result in small or nonrepresentative data sets, thus limiting the accuracy and utility of modeling results. This is especially true for studies of migratory species in changing environments. In such situations, reevaluating previous results in light of new data is an essential exercise. We used three additional years of acoustic telemetry data to assess and update previous statistical models of survival of juvenile fall-run Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha smolts emigrating through the southern portion of the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta (hereafter, “Delta”) in California. Some previously identified relationships were maintained with the additional data, including the significance of water flow measures in areas outside the main-stem migration route and the role of water temperature and river discharge into the system for upstream reaches. The net downstream-directed discharge in the interior Delta was associated with fish movement to a large water pumping facility, but its perceived importance in the original analysis depended on a single dominant study year. Survival in dry years was predicted to be higher in the upstream region of the main-stem San Joaquin River when a temporary rock barrier limited entry of fish and river flow to the first distributary encountered in the Delta. In normal and wet years, through-Delta survival was predicted to be higher for fish that departed the main-stem river at that distributary. However, considerable uncertainty remains in the modeling results. Additional monitoring will be necessary to further reduce uncertainty and ensure that the modeling results reflect the system as it responds to climate change.
Assessment of myocardial lipomatous metaplasia using an optimized out‐of‐phase cine steady‐state free‐precession sequence: Validation and clinical implementation
Authors: Azevedo Clerio F. , Jenista Elizabeth R. , Kaolawanich Yodying , Kim Han W. , Wendell David C. , Alenezi Fawaz , Chen Enn‐ling , Parker Michele A. , Judd Robert M. , Kim Raymond J.
Published: May 2022

Myocardial lipomatous metaplasia, which can serve as substrate for ventricular arrhythmias, is usually composed of regions in which there is an admixture of fat and nonfat tissue. Although dedicated sequences for the detection of fat are available, it would be time‐consuming and burdensome to routinely use these techniques to image the entire heart of all patients as part of a typical cardiac MRI exam. Conventional steady‐state free‐precession (SSFP) cine imaging is insensitive to detecting myocardial regions with partial fatty infiltration. We developed an optimization process for SSFP imaging to set fat signal consistently “out‐of‐phase” with water throughout the heart, so that intramyocardial regions with partial volume fat would be detected as paradoxically dark regions. The optimized SSFP sequence was evaluated using a fat phantom, through simulations, and in 50 consecutive patients undergoing clinical cardiac MRI. Findings were validated using standard Dixon gradient‐recalled‐echo (GRE) imaging as the reference. Phantom studies of test tubes with diverse fat concentrations demonstrated good agreement between measured signal intensity and simulated values calculated using Bloch equations. In patients, a line of signal cancellation at the interface between myocardium and epicardial fat was noted in all cases, confirming that SSFP images were consistently out‐of‐phase throughout the entire heart. Intramyocardial dark regions identified on out‐of‐phase SSFP images were entirely dark throughout in 33 patients (66%) and displayed an India‐ink pattern in 17 (34%). In all cases, dark intramyocardial regions were also seen in the same locations on out‐of‐phase GRE and were absent on in‐phase GRE, confirming that these regions represent areas with partial fat. In conclusion, if appropriately optimized, SSFP cine imaging allows for consistent detection of myocardial fatty metaplasia in patients undergoing routine clinical cardiac MRI without the need for additional image acquisitions using dedicated fat‐specific sequences.
Content Media Retrieval using Virtual Network Functions in Multi‐access Edge Computing architecture
Authors: Bastos Ian Vilar , Moraes Igor Monteiro , Nguyen Thi‐Mai‐Trang , Pujolle Guy
Published: May 2022

The mobile traffic grows every year. Resource requirements of mobile applications, as processing power and storage capacity, transformed the architecture of cellular networks into a centralized infrastructure, the C‐RANs. On the other hand, providing resources close to base stations, as the multi‐access edge computing suggests, allows an immediate processing for delay sensitive applications. In this work, we formulate as a mixed integer linear programming the retrieval of media contents through caches acting as virtual network functions. The optimization model minimizes both the media contents' retrieval cost and the number of instantiated virtual network functions. Results show that the characteristic that has most impact on caching is the high throughput between the node that stores the virtual network function images and the virtualized environment that hosts the image, where up to 70% of the requests are satisfied. When caches have low storage capacity and incurs high transferring delay cost for deployment, the most important characteristic is the throughput distribution between the virtualized environment and the base stations.
Stabilized formulation for phase‐field fracture in nearly incompressible hyperelasticity
Authors: Ang Ida , Bouklas Nikolaos , Li Bin
Published: May 2022

This work presents a stabilized formulation for phase‐field fracture of hyperelastic materials near the limit of incompressibility. At this limit, traditional mixed displacement and pressure formulations must satisfy the inf‐sup condition for solution stability. The mixed formulation coupled with the damage field can lead to an inhibition of crack opening as volumetric changes are severely penalized effectively creating a pressure‐bubble. To overcome this bottleneck, we utilize a mixed formulation with a perturbed Lagrangian formulation which enforces the incompressibility constraint in the undamaged material and reduces the pressure effect in the damaged material. A mesh‐dependent stabilization technique based on the residuals of the Euler–Lagrange equations multiplied with a differential operator acting on the weight space is used, allowing for linear interpolation of all field variables of the elastic subproblem. This formulation was validated with three examples at finite deformations: a plane‐stress pure‐shear test, a two‐dimensional geometry in plane‐stress, and a three‐dimensional notched sample. In the last example, we incorporate a hybrid formulation with an additive strain energy decomposition to account for different behaviors in tension and compression. The results show close agreement with analytical solutions for crack tip opening displacements and performs well at the limit of incompressibility.
Flaw classification and detection in thin‐plate structures based on scaled boundary finite element method and deep learning
Authors: Jiang Shouyan , Wan Chen , Sun Liguo , Du Chengbin
Published: May 2022

The identification of internal structural flaws is an important research topic in structural health monitoring. At present, structural safety inspections based on nondestructive testing procedures mainly focus on qualitative analysis; hence, it is difficult to identify the scale of flaws quantitatively. In this article, an inversion model that can realize quantitative detection is proposed by combing the scaled boundary finite element method (SBFEM) with deep learning. First, the lamb wave propagation processes in thin structures containing flaws were simulated using the SBFEM, and the echo wave signal at an observation point was recorded and paired with the flaw information. Then, the paired SBFEM datasets were used to train the deep learning model employing a convolutional neural network. A flaw classification and identification model based on SBFEM datasets was established. For a thin structure with unknown flaw information, and by using the measured observation point signals, the established deep learning model can predict flaw information in real time. Finally, the model performance was verified using several numerical examples. The results show that the proposed model can accurately predict flaw information and is robust against noise; thus, it offers an advantage over existing nondestructive testing procedures and a development in the field of structural health monitoring.
Geophysical monitoring of a laboratory‐scale internal erosion experiment
Authors: Maalouf Yara , Bièvre Grégory , Voisin Christophe , Khoury Naji
Published: May 2022

Earth dams are structures used worldwide for water management. Their failure over time is notably due to water seepage generating internal erosion. There is a growing need to detect the processes at work as early as possible. This study presents a controlled laboratory experiment aimed at detecting and monitoring water seepage into a soil sample. The experiment was monitored with electrical resistivity tomography, velocimeters and video recording. The video recording of the downstream side of the soil sample shows successive episodes of mass movements associated with a progressive water flow increase. The electrical resistivity tomography, limited by a low temporal resolution, shows an evolution of the resistivity in agreement with the evolution of the soil sample (e.g., saturation and mass movements), but with strong limitations regarding the robustness of the results. The continuous seismic recording reveals extra rupture episodes that occur inside the volume of the soil sample, which were not recorded by the video. Their distribution in time and energy illustrates strongly nonlinear changes in the soil sample, with several phases of acceleration. A controlled source monitoring using external repetitive events allows probing the medium with an enhanced temporal resolution compared to electrical resistivity tomography. The apparent seismic velocity of the soil sample reveals a nonlinear decrease, high at the beginning of the experiment, and then stalled until the different mass movements enlarge the amount of water inside the sample along with the water flow. The different techniques used, especially seismic monitoring, describe a complex and strongly nonlinear process of internal erosion centred around the coupling between water flow and internal damage. Finally, these findings suggest that seismic methods could be able to distinguish the four different phases of internal erosion (namely, initiation, continuation, progression and failure) discussed in the geotechnical literature.
Responses to Bt toxin Vip3Aa by pink bollworm larvae resistant or susceptible to Cry toxins
Authors: Tabashnik Bruce E , Unnithan Gopalan Chandran , Yelich Alexander J , Fabrick Jeffrey A , Dennehy Timothy J , Carrière Yves
Published: May 2022

BACKGROUND

Transgenic crops that make insecticidal proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) have revolutionized management of some pests. However, evolution of resistance to Bt toxins by pests diminishes the efficacy of Bt crops. Resistance to crystalline (Cry) Bt toxins has spurred adoption of crops genetically engineered to produce the Bt vegetative insecticidal protein Vip3Aa. Here we used laboratory diet bioassays to evaluate responses to Vip3Aa by pink bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella), one of the world's most damaging pests of cotton.

RESULTS

Against pink bollworm larvae susceptible to Cry toxins, Vip3Aa was less potent than Cry1Ac or Cry2Ab. Conversely, Vip3Aa was more potent than Cry1Ac or Cry2Ab against laboratory strains highly resistant to those Cry toxins. Five Cry‐susceptible field populations were less susceptible to Vip3Aa than a Cry‐susceptible laboratory strain (APHIS‐S). Relative to APHIS‐S, significant resistance to Vip3Aa did not occur in strains selected in the laboratory for > 700‐fold resistance to Cry1Ac or both Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab.

CONCLUSIONS

Resistance to Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab did not cause strong cross‐resistance to Vip3Aa in pink bollworm, which is consistent with predictions based on the lack of shared midgut receptors between these toxins and previous results from other lepidopterans. Comparison of the Bt toxin concentration in plants relative to the median lethal concentration (LC50) from bioassays may be useful for estimating efficacy. The moderate potency of Vip3Aa against Cry1Ac‐ and Cry2Ab‐resistant and susceptible pink bollworm larvae suggests that Bt cotton producing this toxin together with novel Cry toxins might be useful as one component of integrated pest management. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.
Reinvestigation of the Thermoelectric Properties of Fe‐Substituted Icosahedral Al–Pd–Re Quasicrystals
Authors: Takagiwa Yoshiki , Kimura Kaoru
Published: May 2022

Icosahedral quasicrystals (QCs) have a glass‐like, low thermal conductivity because of their complex crystal structures, and a moderate power factor because of deep pseudogap formation in their electronic density of states (DOS) at the Fermi level originating from icosahedral symmetry and covalent bonding nature. These features are beneficial for high‐performance thermoelectric materials. Densified bulk samples of icosahedral Al–Pd–Re–Fe QCs are synthesized by arc‐melting, annealing, and spark plasma sintering methods. It is found that a 2/1‐approximant crystal (AC) can be produced by higher Fe substitution [Al71Pd20(Re1–xFex)9 ()]. The thermoelectric properties of Al71Pd20(Re1–xFex)9 (where x = 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.65, 0.7, and 0.75) are evaluated between 373 and 973 K. Fe substitution enhances the power factor and reduces the phonon thermal conductivity by a concept of “weakly bonded rigid heavy clusters” (WBRHCs) and an increase in the carrier concentration, enhancing the dimensionless figure of merit (zT). The 2/1‐AC phase has a much higher electrical conductivity and a moderate Seebeck coefficient in the mid‐temperature region due to a considerable increase in carrier concentration; this results in the highest power factor of 900 μW m−1 K−2, and zT value for the 2/1‐Al−Pd−Re−Fe AC is 0.26 at 573 K.
Impact of all‐sky water vapour channel radiance from INSAT‐3D/3DR satellite over South Asia region using WRF model
Authors: Kumar Prashant , Shukla Munn V. , Varma A. K.
Published: May 2022

The objective of this study is to explore and present a methodology to assimilate all‐sky water vapour (WV) radiance from Indian geostationary satellites (INSAT‐3D and INSAT‐3DR) in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. For all‐sky assimilation, hydrometeors are considered as control variables by adding in background error covariance. Additionally, this study uses the application of Global Satellite based Inter‐Calibration System (GSICS) based bias correction mechanism on WV radiances before their assimilation. To fulfil these objectives, three sets of experiments have been performed with and without WV radiance assimilation for the month of July 2018 over the South Asia region. The impact assessment of assimilation has been performed by comparing radiative transfer (RT) model‐simulated analysed and predicted brightness temperature against independent satellite observations from SAPHIR (Sondeur Atmosphérique du Profil d'Humidité Intertropicale par Radiométrie) and MHS (Microwave Humidity Sounder) sensors. Results not only show the number of assimilated observations increased significantly (∼250%) in all‐sky assimilation compared to clear‐sky assimilation but also present that the all‐sky analyses are closer to actual satellite observations. Due to the multivariate nature of variational data assimilation, noteworthy changes are also noticed in hydrometeors analyses in all‐sky assimilation. The short‐range forecasts confirm the positive impact of all‐sky assimilation as compared to clear‐sky assimilation when verified against SAPHIR and MHS measurements.
Venous Malformation of the Penis Treated with a Combined Nd:YAG Laser and Sclerotherapy Technique
Authors: Fresa Marco , Mazzolai Lucia
Published: May 2022

Venous malformations are the commonest vascular anomalies and can be found everywhere in the body. Those of the external genitalia are quite rare. Although they can be small, they may give rise to psychological discomfort and functional impairment and their management can be delicate and challenging. We present a case of a large and infiltrating venous malformation of the glans penis successfully treated with a combined strategy using sclerotherapy and Nd:YAG laser.
The Emergence of 2D MXenes Based Zn‐Ion Batteries: Recent Development and Prospects
Authors: Javed Muhammad Sufyan , Mateen Abdul , Ali Salamat , Zhang Xiaofeng , Hussain Iftikhar , Imran Muhammad , Shah Syed Shoaib Ahmad , Han Weihua
Published: May 2022

Rechargeable zinc‐ion batteries (ZIBs) with exceptional theoretical capacity have garnered significant interest in large‐scale electrochemical energy storage devices due to their low cost, abundant material, inherent safety, high specific energy, and ecofriendly nature. Metal carbides/nitrides, known as MXenes, have emerged as a large family of 2D transition metal carbides or carbonitrides with excellent properties, e.g., high electrical conductivity, large surface functional groups (e.g., F, O, and OH), low energy barriers for the diffusion of electrolyte ions with wide interlayer spaces. After a decade of effort, significant development has been achieved in the synthesis, properties, and applications of MXenes. Thus, it has opened up various exciting opportunities to construct advanced MXene‐based nanostructures for ZIBs with excellent specific energy and power. Herein, this review summarizes the advances across multiple synthesis routes, related properties, morphological and structural characteristics, and chemistries of MXenes for ZIBs. The recent development of MXene‐based electrodes is introduced, and electrolytes for ZIBs are elucidated in detail. MXene‐based rocking chair ZIBs, strategies to enhance the performance of MXene‐based cathodes, suppress the dendrites in MXene‐based anodes, and MXene‐based flexible ZIBs are pointed out. A rational design and modification of the MXenes as well as the production of composites with metal oxides exhibits promise in solving issues and enhancing the electrochemical performance of ZIBs. Finally, the present challenges and future prospects for MXene‐based ZIBs are discussed.
Dynamic Biomolecular “Mask” Stabilizes Zn Anode
Authors: Li Yanmei , Wang Yingyu , Xu Yuan , Tian Wenhuai , Wang Jiawei , Cheng Liwei , Yue Honglei , Ji Runa , Zhu Qiaonan , Yuan Hao , Wang Hua
Published: May 2022

Zn anode is confronted with serious Zn dendrite growth and water‐induced parasitic reactions, which severely hinders the rapid development and practical application of aqueous zinc metal batteries (AZMBs). Herein, inspired by sodium hyaluronate (SH) biomolecules in living organisms featured with the functions of water retention, ion‐transport regulation, and film‐formation, the SH working as a dynamic and self‐adaptive “mask” is proposed to stabilize Zn anode. Benefiting from the abundant functional groups with high hydrophilicity and zincophilicity, SH molecule can constrain active water molecules on the Zn‐electrolyte interface and participate in Zn2+ solvation structure to suppress parasitic reactions. Furthermore, the dynamical adsorption of SH with high‐density negative charge on the Zn surface could serve as Zn2+ reservoirs to guide uniform Zn deposition. Consequently, stable Zn plating and an ultrahigh cumulative plating capacity (CPC) of 4.8 Ah cm‐2 are achieved even at 20 mA cm‐2 (20 mAh cm‐2) in a Zn||Zn symmetric battery, reaching a record level in AZMBs. In addition, the Zn||β‐MnO2 full battery exhibits a substantially improved cycle stability. This work presents a route to realize a highly reversible and stable Zn metal anode by learning from nature.
State and citizen responsiveness in fighting a pandemic crisis: A systems thinking perspective
Authors: Sunder M Vijaya , Prashar Anupama
Published: May 2022

Management scholars have recognized organizational responsiveness among the essential capabilities of social organizations. It becomes essential for a social change to occur during a crisis, where the uncertainty or environmental dynamism is high. However, a social change cannot be successful unless constituent subsystems of a social organization exhibit responsiveness. Using systems theory, we conceptualize ‘nation’ as a social system and examine its responsiveness towards environmental uncertainly, taking an example of the COVID‐19 pandemic. How can state and citizen community responsiveness help fight a pandemic crisis? We test these direct and moderating effects on data representing 14 countries. We perform a hierarchical regression analysis on the restructured, balanced country‐wise panel data. Our findings highlight the importance of state and community interaction effects in controlling pandemic growth. Accordingly, we claim that only a collaborative approach by citizen communities with the respective governments will enable handling an uncertain situation.
Modeling Chinook Salmon Run Timing in the Gulkana River, Alaska Using Environmental Indices
Authors: Ransbury Shane R. , Maclean Scott , Schwanke Corey J. , Hansen Tracy , Savereide James W.
Published: May 2022

Environmental data from the Gulkana River, in conjunction with in‐season Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha passage numbers, are among the many tools used by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to assess in‐season run strength and timing in the upper Copper River drainage. In this study, we refine the modeling of Chinook Salmon run timing by comparing methods based on linear, exponential, and polynomial regressions of marine and freshwater environmental indices for the Gulkana River stock. A range of temporal subsets and measurement techniques for coastal upwelling, air temperature, river discharge, and water temperature was analyzed in a stepwise process to update the in‐season forecast model. Ultimately, Gulkana River water temperature proved to be the most important variable in predicting run timing. A model considering daily maximum water temperature and river discharge can accurately estimate the proportion of the total run that swam upriver before July (pseudo‐R2 = 0.97), allowing for efficient Chinook Salmon fishery management through the latter portion of the run.
Anti‐Freezing Strategies of Electrolyte and their Application in Electrochemical Energy Devices
Authors: Liu Yao , Li Wenzheng , Cheng Lukuan , Liu Qingjiang , Wei Jun , Huang Yan
Published: May 2022

Wider scenes of human's activities under low temperature demand promising performance of anti‐freezing electrochemical energy devices, and the promotion of performance is mainly limited by electrolyte. However, despite many relevant research works reported, there are still few reviews that systematically and comprehensively summarize these modified approaches and applications. In this focus review, we classify the prominent anti‐freezing strategies as high concentration aqueous electrolyte, organic additives, organic electrolyte and others. Relevant research works have been put to clarify their anti‐freezing mechanisms and exhibit the modification effects. Besides, various energy devices including metal‐air batteries, non‐gas batteries and supercapacitors which employed aforementioned strategies are discussed and their key low‐temperature performance indexes are summarized to exhibit the advanced research progress. Finally, we put forward some remaining challenges of these modification strategies toward practical application and propose prospects on future development of low‐temperature electrochemical energy devices.
A Content Analysis of Chinese American Contemporary Realistic Fiction Books
Authors: Wang Yang , Guo Wenyu , Sui Xiaoling
Published: May 2022

This paper reviews a corpus of 40 Chinese American contemporary realistic fiction picturebooks published in the United States. These picturebooks feature Chinese immigrants adjusting to American culture, Chinese American celebrating heritage culture, bridging two cultures, and connecting with their home country. The findings reveal that these picturebooks authentically reflect the Chinese American's lived experiences, celebrate their heritage culture, and emphasize their value of family and intergenerational relationships. Some picturebooks depict the tension of the language barrier. Other than immigrant life and poverty, none of these picturebooks witnesses issues around race, gender, and same‐sex families, although most picturebooks feature female main characters. Instructional implications are provided for teachers to use Chinese American picturebooks.
Gut inflammation induced by drugs: Can pathology help to differentiate from inflammatory bowel disease?
Authors: Herlihy Naoimh , Feakins Roger
Published: May 2022

Drug‐induced mucosal injury (DIMI) in the gastrointestinal tract is important to recognise, partly because cessation of the culprit agent alone may result in resolution of symptoms. An ever‐growing list of medications, including newer immunotherapeutic agents and targeted therapies, can cause gastrointestinal inflammation of varying severity. However, the diagnosis of DIMI is challenging, as a single drug can induce a variety of histopathological patterns of injury including acute colitis, chronic colitis, microscopic colitis, apoptotic colopathy, and ischaemic‐type colitis. An additional consideration is the potential clinical, endoscopic and histological overlap of DIMI with gastrointestinal mucosal injury secondary to other entities such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We discuss DIMI of the gastrointestinal tract with an emphasis on histological patterns that mimic IBD, histological features which may distinguish the two entities, and the diagnostic role and limitations of the pathologist.
Perceptions and attitudes towards companion animal brain banking in pet owners: A UK pilot study
Authors: Cardy Thomas J. A. , Jewth‐Ahuja Daniel , Crawford Abbe H.
Published: May 2022

Background

Detailed analysis of archived brain tissue is fundamental to advancing the understanding of neurological disease. The development of the UK Brain Bank Network (UBBN) has provided an invaluable resource to facilitate such research in the human medical field. Similar resources are needed in veterinary medicine. However, collection and archiving of companion animal brain tissue is a potentially sensitive area for pet owners and veterinary professionals.

Methods

Using an online survey, we aimed to study pet owners’ perceptions of brain banking. The survey included information on respondents, their views on organ donation, the UBBN and the Royal Veterinary College's Companion Animal Brain Bank (RVC CABB).

Results

In total 185 respondents were included. The use of brain tissue from pets for research was supported by 87% of respondents, and 66% of respondents felt that they were highly likely or likely to donate their pet's brain tissue to a CABB. Furthermore, 94% felt that more information on tissue banking in companion animals should be readily available.

Conclusions

We found that the perceptions of companion animal brain banking were positive in our respondents. Open dialogue and clear information provision on the process and benefits of the CABB could enhance awareness and thus facilitate brain donation for translational research.
Livestock, methane, and climate change: The politics of global assessments
Authors: Scoones Ian
Published: May 2022

The relationship between livestock production and climate change is the subject of hot debate, with arguments for major shifts in diets and a reduction in livestock production. This Perspective examines how global assessments of livestock‐derived methane emissions are framed, identifying assumptions and data gaps that influence standard life‐cycle analysis approaches. These include inadequate data due to a focus on industrial not extensive systems; errors arising due to inappropriate emission factors being applied; questions of how global warming potentials are derived for different greenhouse gases and debates about what baselines are appropriate. The article argues for a holistic systems approach that takes account of diverse livestock systems—both intensive and extensive—including both positive and negative impacts. In particular, the potential benefits of extensive livestock systems are highlighted, including supporting livelihoods, providing high‐quality nutrition, enhancing biodiversity, protecting landscapes, and sequestering carbon. By failing to differentiate between livestock systems, global assessments may mislead. Inappropriate measurement, verification and reporting processes linked to global climate change policy may in turn result in interventions that can undermine the livelihoods of extensive livestock‐keepers in marginal areas, including mobile pastoralists. In the politics of global assessments, certain interests promote framings of the livestock‐climate challenge in favour of contained, intensive systems, and the conversion of extensive rangelands into conservation investments. Emerging from a narrow, aggregated scientific framing, global assessments therefore can have political consequences. A more disaggregated, nuanced approach is required if the future of food and climate change is to be effectively addressed.

This article is categorized under:

Integrated Assessment of Climate Change > Assessing Climate Change in the Context of Other Issues

Climate and Development > Social Justice and the Politics of Development
Imagination and social cognition in childhood
Authors: Kushnir Tamar
Published: May 2022

Imagination is a cognitive process used to generate new ideas from old, not just in the service of creativity and fantasy, but also in our ordinary thoughts about alternatives to current reality. In this article, I argue for the central function of imagination in the development of social cognition in infancy and childhood. In Section 1, I review a work showing that even in the first year of life, social cognition can be viewed through a nascent ability to imagine the physical possibilities and physical limits on action. In Section 2, I discuss how imagination of what should happen is appropriately constrained by what can happen, and how this influences children's moral evaluations. In the final section, I suggest developmental changes in imagination—especially the ability to imagine improbable events—may have implications for social inference, leading children to learn that inner motives can conflict. These examples point to a flexible and domain‐general process that operates on knowledge to make social meaning.

This article is categorized under:

Psychology > Development and Aging

Cognitive Biology > Cognitive Development

Philosophy > Knowledge and Belief
Immunoglobulin Gene Mutational Status Assessment by Next Generation Sequencing in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
Authors: Langlois de Septenville Anne , Boudjoghra Myriam , Bravetti Clotilde , Armand Marine , Salson Mikaël , Giraud Mathieu , Davi Frederic
Published: May 2022

B cell receptor (BcR) immunoglobulins (IG) display a tremendous diversity due to complex DNA rearrangements, the V(D)J recombination, further enhanced by the somatic hypermutation process. In chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the mutational load of the clonal BcR IG expressed by the leukemic cells constitutes an important prognostic and predictive biomarker. Here, we provide a reliable methodology capable of determining the mutational status of IG genes in CLL using high-throughput sequencing, starting from leukemic cell DNA or RNA.
Targeted Locus Amplification as Marker Screening Approach to Detect Immunoglobulin (IG) Translocations in B-Cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas
Authors: Genuardi Elisa , Alessandria Beatrice , Civita Aurora Maria , Ferrero Simone
Published: May 2022

Although MRD monitoring by the classic polymerase chain reaction (PCR) approach is a powerful outcome predictor, about 20% of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) and 50% of follicular lymphoma (FL) patients still lack a molecular marker and are thus resulting not eligible for MRD monitoring. Targeted locus amplification (TLA), a new NGS technology, has been revealed as a feasible marker screening approach able to identify uncommon B-cell leukemia/lymphoma 1 (BCL1) and B-cell leukemia/lymphoma 2 (BCL2) rearrangements in MCL and FL cases defined as having “no marker” by the classic PCR approach.
Vision Zero: How It All Started
Authors: Tingvall Claes
Published: May 2022

This is a presentation of how I remember the first steps of Vision Zero, the Swedish reorientation of traffic safety policy that took place from the mid-1990s and onwards. It is not an objective text that would be impossible to write as one of the initiators of the policy change. But it brings up some of the steps of the process and presents some hypotheses on how policy change might happen.

It is claimed that there was no planned process, not even an ideology or well-developed idea, behind VZ from the very beginning. But there were opportunities and events where one thing led to another. The most fundamental being the immediate acceptance from the Swedish Minister of Infrastructure back in January 1995.

The most prominent ideas behind VZ are that firstly safety is a matter of how the providers of the road transport system design and build and manage the system. The second idea is that a professional provider cannot trade off the citizens’ life and health for benefits to the society and its citizens. The underlying hypothesis is that tradition and road traffic rules for the road users have been used as an excuse for not undertaking necessary system changes and modifications. The users have always been blamed for crashes and its consequences by the legal system as well as general approach from the society.

The last part of the paper reflects on what is necessary to do in the future to eradicate amateurism, populism, and trade-offs from the road traffic safety field. Maybe a “duty of care” legislation needs to be introduced, protecting the citizen from poor design and operations.
Economics of Oil and Gas Production
Authors: Bret-Rouzaut Nadine
Published: May 2022

In this chapter, Nadine Bret-Rouzaut analyzes the technical and economic aspects of hydrocarbon exploration and production. The chapter begins with a presentation of the different actors in order to understand their respective roles. Then a focus is made on the different phases of an exploration-production project in order to highlight the cost structure and the nature of the risks related to each phase. Finally, an analysis of rent sharing according to the different taxation systems points out the profitability problems of this capital-intensive industry, which is facing many challenges related to climate change.
The Trading and Price Discovery of Oil Products
Authors: Bossley Liz
Published: May 2022

While crude oil is one of the biggest markets in the world the consumer has little interest in the raw material that comes out of the ground. It is the refined products that can be extracted from the crude oil that the end-user wants to know about. This chapter explains which hydrocarbons are mixed up inside a barrel of crude oil and how the refining process separates, treats and upgrades the composite to extract the usable products needed. It looks at whole crude properties and what these mean for handling and transporting the oil. It defines the different types of refinery processes, from primary distillation to reforming right through to cracking and coking. It describes the range of products that result from refining crude oil and the use to which each product is put.