bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The trace space of anisotropic least gradient functions depends on the anisotropy
Authors: Górny Wojciech
Published: October 2022

We study the set of possible traces of anisotropic least gradient functions. We show that even on the unit disk it changes with the anisotropic norm: for two sufficiently regular strictly convex norms the trace spaces coincide if and only if the norms coincide. The example of a function in exactly one of the trace spaces is given by a characteristic function of a suitably chosen Cantor set.
From signal transduction to protein toxins—a narrative review about milestones on the research route of C. difficile toxins
Authors: Aktories Klaus
Published: October 2022

Selected findings about Clostridioides difficile (formerly Clostridium difficile) toxins are presented in a narrative review. Starting with a personal view on research about G proteins, adenylyl cyclase, and ADP-ribosylating toxins in the laboratory of Günter Schultz in Heidelberg, milestones of C. difficile toxin research are presented with the focus on toxin B (TcdB), covering toxin structure, receptor binding, toxin up-take and refolding, the intracellular actions of TcdB, and the treatment of C. difficile infection.
Identifying Key Stressors Driving Biological Impairment in Freshwater Streams in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, USA
Authors: Fanelli Rosemary M. , Cashman Matthew J. , Porter Aaron J.
Published: October 2022

Biological communities in freshwater streams are often impaired by multiple stressors (e.g., flow or water quality) originating from anthropogenic activities such as urbanization, agriculture, or energy extraction. Restoration efforts in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, USA seek to improve biological conditions in 10% of freshwater tributaries and to protect the biological integrity of existing healthy watersheds. To achieve these goals, resource managers need to better understand which stressors are most likely driving biological impairment. Our study addressed this knowledge gap through two approaches: 1) reviewing and synthesizing published multi-stressor studies, and 2) examining 303(d) listed impairments linked to biological impairment as identified by jurisdiction regulatory agencies (the states within the watershed and the District of Columbia). Results identified geomorphology (i.e., physical habitat), salinity, and toxic contaminants as important for explaining variability in benthic community metrics in the literature review. Geomorphology (i.e., physical habitat and sediment), salinity, and nutrients were the most reported stressors in the jurisdictional impairment analysis. Salinity is likely a major stressor in urban and mining settings, whereas geomorphology was commonly reported in agricultural settings. Toxic contaminants, such as pesticides, were rarely measured; more research is needed to quantify the extent of their effects in the region. Flow alteration was also highlighted as an important urban stressor in the literature review but was rarely measured in the literature or reported by jurisdictions as a cause of impairment. These results can be used to prioritize stressor monitoring by managers, and to improve stressor identification methods for identifying causes of biological impairment.
Diagnostic and prognostic value of miR-486-5p, miR-451a, miR-21-5p and monocyte to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio in patients with acute myocardial infarction
Authors: Xu Liwenjing , Tian Lu , Yan Zhenrong , Wang Jia , Xue Tingyun , Sun Qiyu
Published: October 2022

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is one of the most serious complications of coronary heart disease. Although morbidity and mortality have been decreasing year by year, acute coronary syndrome still has a high mortality rate and disability rate. To search for accurate and effective biomarkers, we explore the diagnostic and prognostic value of microRNAs (miRNAs) and the monocyte to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (MHR) in patients with AMI. By referring to the relevant literature, miR-486-5p, miR-451a and miR-21-5p were reportedly altered in the blood of patients with ischemic heart disease. These miRNAs were selected and validated in 40 AMI patients, 22 unstable angina pectoris (UAP) and 22 healthy groups (HC) by real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). All patients with AMI underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and were followed up 3 months after the operation. MHR and miR-451a expression were markedly elevated in plasma samples of AMI patients compared with the UAP and HC groups, but the expressions of miR-486-5p and miR-21-5p were significantly decreased. The expression level of miRNA-451a increased gradually among the three groups (p < 0.05). However, the expression of miRNA-21-5p showed a downward trend (p < 0.05). More importantly, MHR was significantly different before and after PCI in AMI patients (p < 0.05). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis indicated that MHR, miR-486-5p, miR-451a and miR-21-5p could diagnose and predict AMI. MiR-451a was a more reliable biomarker for AMI diagnosis among these miRNAs. Moreover, the combination of MHR and miRNAs had higher diagnostic value for AMI. We further demonstrated that miR-21-5p had a strong predictive ability for the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) after 3 months. The results showed that circulating miR-486-5p, miR-451a, miR-21-5p and MHR may play critical roles in the early phase of AMI, and may be used as potential predictors for AMI diagnosis. Importantly, miR-451a was a more reliable biomarker in diagnosing AMI patients. Circulating miR-21-5p may be used as a predictor of MACE occurrence.
A standardised protocol for neuro-endoscopic lavage for post-haemorrhagic ventricular dilatation: A Delphi consensus approach
Authors:   DOLPHIN-UK Collaborators, Aquilina Kristian , Mallucci Conor , Chari Aswin , Mediratta Saniya , Sivakumar Gnanamurthy , James Greg , Jalloh Ibrahim , Kitchen John , Kirkman Matthew A. , de Lacy Patricia , Leach Paul , Magdum Shailendra Ashok , Dawes William , Lo William B.
Published: October 2022

Neuro-endoscopic lavage (NEL) has shown promise as an emerging procedure for intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH) and post-haemorrhagic ventricular dilatation (PHVD). However, there is considerable variation with regard to the indications, objectives, and surgical technique in NEL. There is currently no randomised trial evidence that supports the use of NEL in the context of PHVD. This study aims to form a consensus on technical variations in the indications and procedural steps of NEL. A mixed-methods modified Delphi consensus process was conducted between consultant paediatric neurosurgeons across the UK. Stages involved literature review, survey, focused online consultation, and iterative revisions until > 80% consensus was achieved. Twelve consultant paediatric neurosurgeons from 10 centres participated. A standardised protocol including indications, a 3-phase operative workflow (pre-ventricular, intraventricular, post-ventricular), and post-operative care was agreed upon by 100% of participants. Case- and surgeon-specific variation was considered and included through delineation of mandatory, optional, and not recommended steps. Expert consensus on a standardised protocol for NEL was achieved, delineating the surgical workflow into three phases such as pre-ventricular, intraventricular, and post-ventricular, each consisting of mandatory, optional, and not recommended steps. The work provides a platform for future trials, training, and implementation of NEL.
Somatosensory evoked potentials and magnetic resonance imaging of the central nervous system in early multiple sclerosis
Authors: Wuschek Alexander , Bussas Matthias , El Husseini Malek , Harabacz Laura , Pineker Viktor , Pongratz Viola , Berthele Achim , Riederer Isabelle , Zimmer Claus , Hemmer Bernhard , Kirschke Jan S. , Mühlau Mark
Published: October 2022

Background

Somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP) are still broadly used, although not explicitly recommended, for the diagnostic work-up of suspected multiple sclerosis (MS).

Objective

To relate disability, SSEP, and lesions on T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with early MS.

Methods

In this monocentric retrospective study, we analyzed a cohort of patients with relapsing–remitting MS or clinically isolated syndrome, with a maximum disease duration of two years, as well as with available data on the score at the expanded disability status scale (EDSS), on SSEP, on whole spinal cord (SC) MRI, and on brain MRI.

Results

Complete data of 161 patients were available. Tibial nerve SSEP (tSSEP) were less frequently abnormal than SC MRI (22% vs. 68%,p < 0.001). However, higher EDSS scores were significantly associated with abnormal tSSEP (median, 2.0 vs. 1.0;p = 0.001) but not with abnormal SC MRI (i.e., at least one lesion; median, 1.5 vs. 1.5;p = 0.7). Of the 35 patients with abnormal tSSEP, 32 had lesions on SC MRI, and 2 had corresponding lesions on brain MRI.

Conclusion

Compared to tSSEP, SC MRI is the more sensitive diagnostic biomarker regarding SC involvement. In early MS, lesions as detectable by T2-weighted MRI are the main driver of abnormal tSSEP. However, tSSEP were more closely associated with disability, which is compatible with a potential role of tSSEP as prognostic biomarker in complementation of MRI.
Strömungstechnischer Funktionsnachweis für Verschlussbauwerke
Authors: Bauermeister Julius , Langefeld Oliver , Wilsnack Thomas , Glaubach Uwe , Müller-Hoeppe Nina
Published: October 2022

Die Errichtung von strömungstechnisch abdichtenden Streckenverschlussbauwerken ist im Salzbergbau eine wichtige Voraussetzung für die Absicherung der Produktion, die Minimierung von Auswirkungen auf die Umwelt und die Nutzung der vorhandenen Grubenräume für die Einlagerung von umweltgefährdenden Stoffen/radioaktiven Stoffen. In diesem Zusammenhang ist der Nachweis der Dichtfunktion der Streckenverschlussbauwerke eine wesentliche Voraussetzung für den Betrieb und/oder die Nutzung des untertägigen Hohlraumes. In diesem Beitrag wird ein Konzept vorgestellt, welches den Nachweis der Dichtfunktion erbringt ohne den Kontaktbereich zu beschädigen.
Comparing the latent space of generative models
Authors: Asperti Andrea , Tonelli Valerio
Published: October 2022

Different encodings of datapoints in the latent space of latent-vector generative models may result in more or less effective and disentangled characterizations of the different explanatory factors of variation behind the data. Many works have been recently devoted to the exploration of the latent space of specific models, mostly focused on the study of how features are disentangled and of how trajectories producing desired alterations of data in the visible space can be found. In this work we address the more general problem of comparing the latent spaces of different models, looking for transformations between them. We confined the investigation to the familiar and largely investigated case of generative models for the data manifold of human faces. The surprising, preliminary result reported in this article is that (provided models have not been taught or explicitly conceived to act differently) a simple linear mapping is enough to pass from a latent space to another while preserving most of the information. This is full of consequences for representation learning, potentially paving the way to the transformation of editing trajectories from one space to another, or the adaptation of disentanglement techniques between different generative domains.
SARS CoV-2 infections in animals, two years into the pandemic
Authors: Frazzini Sara , Amadori Massimo , Turin Lauretta , Riva Federica
Published: October 2022

In December 2019, several cases of pneumonia caused by a novel coronavirus, later identified as SARS-CoV-2, were detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan. Due to its rapid worldwide spread, on 11 March 2020 the World Health Organization declared a pandemic state. Since this new virus is genetically similar to the coronaviruses of bats, SARS-CoV-2 was hypothesized to have a zoonotic origin. Within a year of the appearance of SARS-CoV-2, several cases of infection were also reported in animals, suggesting human-to-animal and animal-to-animal transmission among mammals. Natural infection has been found in companion animals as well as captive animals such as lions, tigers, and gorillas. Among farm animals, so far, minks have been found to be susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection, whereas not all the relevant studies agree on the susceptibility of pigs. Experimental infections have documented the susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 of further animal species, including mice, hamsters, cats, dogs, ferrets, raccoon dogs, cattle, and non-human primates. Experimental infections have proven crucial for clarifying the role of animals in transmission and developing models for viral pathogenesis and immunotherapy. On the whole, this review aims to update and critically revise the current information on natural and experimental SARS-CoV-2 infections in animals.
A direct method for constructing distribution-free tolerance regions
Authors: Amerise Ilaria Lucrezia
Published: October 2022

Distribution-free tolerance regions are hyper-rectangles in terms of the number of variables that include at least a pre-specified proportion of normal subjects with a confidence bounded from below by a prescribed probability. This paper has two main goals. The first is to propose an innovative method for constructing multidimensional tolerance regions that work well when the only assumption that can be made about the underlying distribution is that it is continuous. Although our proposal is, in essence, an extension of the Wilks-Wald method to higher dimensions, this research is far less immediate and straightforward than it has appeared to many authors, who, moreover, have not really used it in practical work. In particular, the order statistics dividing the regions are not fixed beforehand, but are determined by an optimization procedure. The second goal is to suggest a way of overcoming a problem of practical importance concerning the order in which the variables are included, which has remained unsolved since the introduction of the argument almost eighty years ago. This device facilitates the search for a good solution while avoiding being drawn away into the black hole of combinatorial computations. Simulation and applications to laboratory medicine data illustrate the advantages of using the method presented in this paper.
Encounters: East/West dialogs on existence
Authors: Ferencz-Flatz Christian , Cistelecan Alex
Published: October 2022

The article discusses the historical background and transnational context of the dialogue between East-European communist philosophy and Western existentialism. It does so by first outlining the exchanges between Lukács, Sartre and Merleau-Ponty between the late 1940s and the early 1960s. Subsequently three major forums of East–West philosophical dialogue are surveyed, that took place during the 1960s: the ‘Morals and Society’ colloquium, organized by Instituto Gramsci in Rome in May 1964; the Korčula summer school, organized by the Praxis group between 1964 and 1975; and the International Congress for Philosophy organized in Vienna in September 1968. This series of events and the dialogue and confrontations that they engendered prove that, contrary to the exclusively negative reception of existentialism in the socialist camp in the 1950s, but also contrary to the distorted representation, which can be found in dissidents’ recollections and which became dominant after the fall of communism, which excluded any possibility of dialogue between the two sides during socialism, such a dialogue has taken place, and led to mutual appropriations on both sides.
Review of the limitations and potential empirical improvements of the parametric group method of data handling for rainfall modelling
Authors: Lake Ronald William , Shaeri Saeed , Senevirathna STMLD
Published: October 2022

This study furthers the utilisation of the parametric group method of data handling (GMDH) in assessing the possibility of rainfall modelling and prediction, using publicly available temperature and rainfall data. In using ordinary GMDH approaches, the modelling is inconclusive with no clear consistency demonstrated through coefficients of determination and analysis of variance. Hence, an empirical assessment has been undertaken to provide an explanation of the inconsistency. In doing so, state variable distribution, their classification within the fuzzy context, and the need to integrate the principle of incompatibility into the GMDH modelling format are all assessed. The mathematical foundations of GMDH are discussed within the heuristic framework of data partitioning, partial description synthesis, the limitations of the least-squares coefficient of determination, incompleteness theorem, and the necessity for an external criterion in the selection procedure for polynomials. Methods for modelling improvement include the potential for hybridisation with least square support vector machines (LSSVM), the application of filters for parameter estimation, and the combination with signal processing techniques, ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD), wavelet transformation (WT), and wavelet packet transformation (WPT). These have been investigated in addition to the implementation of enhanced GMDH (eGMDH) and fuzzy GMDH (FGMDH). The inclusion of exogenous data and its application within the GMDH modelling paradigm are also discussed. The study concludes with recommendations to enhance the potential for future rainfall modelling study success using parametric GMDH.
Micro-foundations of environmental entrepreneurship resistance in SMEs
Authors: Pierscieniak Agata , Krawczyk-Sokolowska Izabela , Caputa Wieslawa
Published: October 2022

This article characterizes theoretical problems regarding the essence of environmental entrepreneurship resistance. The objective of the current research was to search for micro-foundations of environmental entrepreneurship resistance occurring in SME. We relate the concept of resistance in entrepreneurship with the idea of micro-foundations, thus creating new opportunities for analysis in two areas: conceptual view that interprets the phenomenon of resistance in relation to the organization's activities in the field of entrepreneurship, and cognitive supplementary knowledge of micro-foundations, which affect the entrepreneurial behavior of employees. Environmental entrepreneurship resistance in SMEs has been defined in our interpretation as targeted individual or collective daily activities, implemented from the perspective of various intentions, motivations and other internal and external premises, which are in opposition to commonly used pro-environmental activities constituting the CER component of small and medium business. In addition, we identified a group of 20 micro-foundations, which from the level of an individual or organization may constitute the initiation of entrepreneurial activities, focused on environmental protection in SME. The indicated group was examined on a sample of 122 employees of the SME sector in Poland. After performing qualitative and quantitative analyses, it turned out that eight elements could be considered as micro-foundations of environmental entrepreneurship resistance.
Unanticipated Changes in Drug Overdose Death Rates in Canada During the Opioid Crisis
Authors: Snowdon John , Choi Namkee
Published: October 2022

Escalating drug overdose death rates in Canada are of ever-increasing concern. To better understand the extent of this health threat, we obtained mortality statistics and population figures for the years 2000 to 2020, and examined rates of overdose deaths, coded (using ICD-10) as accidental, suicide or “undetermined intent.” The drug deemed as primarily responsible for the death was categorized as opioid, non-opioid, or unspecified. Age patterns of drug deaths were graphed. Joinpoint analysis was used to test the significance of changes in death rates. Accidental opioid and stimulant overdose death rates in Canada have climbed faster since 2011, though not as high as corresponding US rates. Unknown cause death rates have increased. However, opioid and non-opioid suicide rates have decreased significantly since 2011, and there have been fewer drug deaths of undetermined intent. Increased attention to the possibility that some suicides are being misclassified is warranted.
A novel arthroscopic transosseous suture-button fixation technique for anterior glenoid fractures
Authors: Wafaisade Arasch , Karwatzke Andreas , Pfeiffer Thomas R. , Lages Alex , Poggenborg Jörg , Kallenberg Moritz , Kappel Paola
Published: October 2022

Background

This study evaluated the clinical and radiological results of a new transosseous suture-button fixation technique for anterior glenoid fractures.

Methods

From March 2017 to May 2021, 23 patients with anterior glenoid fractures were treated with the new technique. Demographic data, active shoulder function, and several shoulder scores were evaluated after a minimum of 6 months. Fracture reduction and button placement were assessed via computed tomography, while fracture healing and onset or progression of glenohumeral osteoarthritis were evaluated with X‑rays.

Results

Overall, 57% of the patients had relevant concomitant intra-articular injury. Clinical follow-up was performed for 22 patients (19 male, 3 female) at 15 months (6.0–34.5) after surgery. The average Constant Score was 83.2 ± 16.7 points (93.4% ± 18.8% vs. the contralateral side), the Rowe Score, 90.7 ± 10.4 points, the Melbourne Instability Shoulder Score (/100), 88.3 ± 14.5 points, the Western Ontario Shoulder Instability Index (%), 82.9 ± 16.7, and the Subjective Shoulder Value (%), 86.9 ± 16.1. Average range of motion was 171.4 ° ± 22.7 ° of flexion (contralateral side, 180 ° ± 0 °; p = 0.11) and 170.5 ° ± 23.6 ° of abduction (contralateral side, 179.6 ± 2.1; p = 0.07). No complications occurred and no revision surgery was required. The postoperative step-off of the glenoid averaged 1.55 ± 1.05 mm (0–4 mm). Radiological follow-up of 19 patients showed fracture consolidation in all cases, without secondary dislocation of the fracture or of heterotopic ossification. There was no sign hardware impingement or dislocation. There was new-onset osteoarthritis in 3 cases (15.8%). We found no correlation between the step-off and radiological signs of osteoarthritis.

Conclusion

Anterior glenoid fractures were treated safely and reproducibly with the novel arthroscopic double-button-suture technique, but long-term results are still needed.
In-vitro biocompatibility evaluation of cast Ni–Ti alloy produced by vacuum arc melting technique for biomedical and dental applications
Authors: Ibrahim Khaled M. , Safwat Engie M. , Ghayad Ibrahim M. , El-Hadad Shimaa
Published: October 2022

The investigated cast Ni50–Ti50 shape memory alloy was prepared using a vacuum arc furnace. The cast samples were subjected to in-vitro biocompatibility studies according to ISO 10993-12:2004, and compared to other samples Ni–Ti orthodontic wires commercially available at the dental market. The cast samples were hydroxyapatite-coated using the electrodeposition technique. The effect of surface treatment on the coating quality was addressed. The hydroxyapatite-coated samples were investigated using electrochemical impedance (EIS) and potentiodynamic techniques. Coated samples were also examined using a scanning electron microscope to inspect the coating morphology. Cytotoxicity tests on MG63 and H9C2 cell lines showed the safety and biocompatibility of the cast NiTi alloy, with a direct relationship between the incubation period of the tested samples and cell viability. Well-adhered hydroxyapatite coating was obtained on the surface-treated NiTi samples using the electrodeposition technique. EDS analysis showed a hydroxyapatite coating having a calcium to phosphorus ratio close to that of the natural bone. Electrochemical tests indicated that the highest corrosion resistance was obtained for the uncoated samples followed by the anodized sample and finally the hydroxyapatite-coated samples due to their high porosity.
Cellular and ultrastructural alterations of Arabidopsis thaliana roots in response to exogenous trans-aconitic acid
Authors: Kern-Cardoso Kátia Aparecida , Mito Marcio Shigueaki , Sánchez-Moreiras Adela María , Reigosa Manuel Joaquín , Ishii-Iwamoto Emy Luiza
Published: October 2022

In this work, the responses of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh to trans-aconitic acid (TAA) were investigated. A. thaliana was grown in the presence of TAA in a concentration range of 400–1200 µM for 7 or 15 days. Changes in the morphoanatomy, cellular ultrastructure, and micromorphology of the roots were evaluated by light and transmission electron (TEM) microscopy. At concentrations below 1000 µM, TAA reduced the length of the primary roots, but induced an early appearance of lateral roots and root hairs. At a concentration of 1200 µM, TAA suppressed the growth of seedlings. The images of longitudinal sections of root tips of seedlings treated with IC50 of TAA (684 µM) revealed a reduced elongation zone with an increased differentiation zone. TEM images showed an increase in the number and volume of vacuoles, an increase in vesicles containing electron-dense material derived from plasmalemma, and electron-dense granules attached to the cell wall. Trans-aconitic acid induced an early differentiation of A. thaliana seedlings suggesting an interference in the auxin action. Changes in the cellular ultrastructure may represent vacuolar and extracellular accumulation of TAA, to remove excess TAA in the cytosol and mitochondria. An inhibition of aconitase and the chelation of intracellular cations may have contributed to cytotoxicity of TAA at 1200 µM concentration.
Quantifying the impact of a smart farming system application on local-scale air quality of smallhold farms in Greece
Authors: Fragkou Evangelia , Tsegas George , Karagkounis Athanasios , Barmpas Fotios , Moussiopoulos Nicolas
Published: October 2022

Smart farming (SF) has emerged as a scientific approach exploiting technology advances for the management of agricultural practices, focusing on the control of resources and chemicals used. There is still limited evidence in the scientific literature in regard to the efficiency of SF, particularly for targeted environmental issues, such as air pollutant emissions from agricultural activities. The present paper expoits quantitative data collected from questionnaires to farmers of 6 pilot areas in Greece, participating in the LIFE GAIA Sense project. Emissions and pollutant levels were calculated for two consecutive years in these pilot areas, namely 2019 (baseline year) and 2020, which is the first SF application year. The methodology for calculating realistic emissions data, following a combined tier 1/tier2 approach is presented. To this purpose, detailed activity data of the specific SF application areas related to agricultural activities were acquired, based on the responses of participating farmers to targeted questionnaires. Calculated emissions were used as input data for air quality modeling simulations to examine the efficiency of SF in reducing local pollutant concentrations. The results show significant emissions and concentrations reductions in five out of the six pilot areas, for all pollutants and greenhouse gases studied, due to the decrease in fuel consumption and N fertilizer applied, as a result of the farmers following the SF advice. Particularly for NH3, which is an agricultural air pollutant of concern due to its health and environmental impacts, emission reductions of around 30% (and by up to almost 60%) were calculated.
Application of six sigma and the system thinking approach in COVID-19 operation management: a case study of the victorian aged care response centre (VACRC) in Australia
Authors: Jadhav Sandeep , Imran Ahmed , Haque Marjia
Published: October 2022

COVID-19 has posed many unique and critical challenges in various contexts and circumstances. This often led the stakeholders and decision-makers to depart from traditional thinking and the business-as-usual processes and to come up with innovative approaches to tackle various mission-critical situations within a short time frame. In this paper, a real-life case study of COVID-19 operation management following a multi-disciplinary, multi-stakeholder novel integrated approach in aged care facilities in Victoria, Australia, is presented which yielded significant and positive outcomes. The purpose of the intervention was to develop an integrated system performance approach through the application of various quality management tools and techniques to achieve organizational excellence at the aged care centers. The case involved the use of mathematical models along with statistical tools and techniques to address the specific problem scenario. A system-wide management plan was proposed, involving various agencies across several residential aged care facilities during the pandemic. A three-step methodological framework was developed, where Six Sigma, a system thinking approach, and a holistic metric were proposed to manage the value chain of the pandemic management system. The experimental result analyses showed significant improvement in the management process, suggesting the validity and potential of this holistic approach to stabilize the situation and subsequently set the conditions for operations excellence within the sectors. The model offers new insight into the existing body of knowledge and offers an efficient approach to achieving operational excellence in any organization or business regardless of its type, shape and complexity, which can help practitioners in managing complex, mission-critical situations like a pandemic.
Profiles of emerging adults’ resilience facing the negative impact of COVID-19 across six countries
Authors: Angela Sorgente , Fonseca Gabriela , Lep Žan , Li Lijun , Serido Joyce , Vosylis Rimantas , Crespo Carla , Relvas Ana Paula , Zupančič Maja , Lanz Margherita
Published: October 2022

Although emerging adults (i.e., individuals aged 18–29 years old) may be at a lesser risk of COVID-19 severe illness and mortality, studies have found that the negative impact of COVID-19 on mental health and well-being is higher among emerging adults when compared to other age groups. The current study aimed to identify profile(s) based on resilience resources, which could help emerging adults in managing the disruptions to their lives following the pandemic. A cross-national sample of 1,768 emerging adults from China, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Slovenia, and the US was utilized to identify profiles based on different resilience dimensions (ego-resiliency, positivity, religiosity, socioeconomic status, family support, peer support). Results of the Latent Profile Analysis suggest the presence of four different profiles: no resources, only peer, only family, and well-equipped. The association of these profiles with demographic variables, adulthood markers, self-perceived COVID-19 impact, present well-being, and future life perception was investigated. Implications for resilience theory as well as for future interventions are discussed.
Application of remote sensing techniques to identify iron ore deposits in the Central Eastern Desert, Egypt: a case study at Wadi Karim and Gabal El-Hadid areas
Authors: Ghoneim Sobhi Mahmoud , Salem Salem Mohamed , El-Wahid Kareem Hamed Abd , Anwar Mohamed , Hegab Mahmoud Abd El-Rahman , Soliman Nehal Mohamed , Ali Hala Fouad
Published: October 2022

The integration of remote sensing, spectral measurements and field verification helped in discriminating new iron occurrences hosted in the metavolcanic rocks at Wadi Karim and Gabal El-Hadid areas in the Central Eastern Desert (CED) of Egypt. The iron host rocks were carefully recognized through different image processing techniques that were applied on Landsat-8 satellite image data with the implementation of the spectral signatures of the various iron minerals and host rocks. The detected iron ore is found in the form of Banded Iron Formation (BIF), veins and lenses of varied thicknesses ranging from a few centimetres to 5 m. They are composed mainly of magnetite and hematite, as well as accessories of aluminium, iron silicates and quartz. Moreover, the structure controls on iron ore occurrences were also illustrated in the investigated areas. The alignment of the iron forms with the primary and secondary structural planes of their host rocks may indicate the origin and mode of occurrence of the explored iron ore, as contemporaneous and syngenetic deposition with the solidification of the host metavolcanics. Several remote sensing techniques including Crosta principal component analysis (CPCA), constrained energy minimization (CEM) supervised classification technique and a newly proposed Landsat-8 band ratio (band6/band2) were applied for discriminating the iron-rich localities within the studied areas. These techniques showed high efficiency and applicability in the accurate delineation of the iron-enriched areas; this was validated through the field study.
Monkeypox virus: past and present
Authors: Dou Ya-Mei , Yuan Hang , Tian Hou-Wen
Published: October 2022

Background

The objective of this paper is to analyze the current status of monkeypox worldwide. In the face of this public health threat, our purpose is to elucidate the clinical characteristics and epidemiology of monkeypox, the developmental progress of monkeypox-related drugs and the vaccines available.

Data sources

The literature review was performed in databases including PubMed, Science Direct and Google Scholar up to July 2022.

Results

Since May 2022, the World Health Organization has reported more than 45,000 confirmed cases from 92 nonendemic countries, including nine deaths. Although some women and children have been infected so far, most cases have occurred among men who have sex with other men, especially those with multiple sexual partners or anonymous sex.

Conclusions

Pediatric monkeypox infection has been associated with a higher likelihood of severe illness and mortality than in adults. Severe monkeypox illness in pediatrics often requires adjunctive antiviral therapy. It is crucial for all countries to establish sound monitoring and testing systems and be prepared with emergency preparedness.
A working likelihood approach to support vector regression with a data-driven insensitivity parameter
Authors: Wu Jinran , Wang You-Gan
Published: October 2022

The insensitivity parameter in support vector regression determines the set of support vectors that greatly impacts the prediction. A data-driven approach is proposed to determine an approximate value for this insensitivity parameter by minimizing a generalized loss function originating from the likelihood principle. This data-driven support vector regression also statistically standardizes samples using the scale of noises different from conventional response scaling method. Statistical standardization together with probabilistic regularization based on a working likelihood function produces data-dependent values for the hyperparameters including the insensitivity parameter. The exact asymptotical solutions are provided when the noises are normally distributed. Nonlinear and linear numerical simulations with three types of noises ($$\epsilon$$
ϵ
-Laplacian distribution, normal distribution, and uniform distribution), and in addition, five real benchmark data sets, are used to test the capacity of the proposed method. Based on all the simulations and the five case studies, the proposed support vector regression using a working likelihood, data-driven insensitivity parameter is superior and has lower computational costs.
Shaping the Future of Shared Services Centers: Insights from a Delphi Study About SSC Transformation Towards 2030
Authors: Ferreira Cicero , Janssen Marijn
Published: October 2022

In recent years, shared services centers (SSCs) have been central to organizational transformation strategies of many large firms and governments to reduce costs, improve service quality, and innovate services. SSCs are undergoing significant transformations due to the advancement of technologies. To better understand the technologies’ impact on SSCs in 2030, a Delphi panel with over 30 experts, executives, and researchers was conducted in the first half of 2020. Panelists pointed out six recent technologies potentially impacting SSCs by 2030: AI/ML, internet/package-based automation, BPMS/RPA, business analytics, blockchain, and cloud computing. The experts expect that these technologies will cause a transformation in the SSC business model and disruptive changes in SSC employees’ and managers’ profiles. Managers cannot merely continue their regular efforts and should refocus from automating repetitive functions towards intensifying the use of technology in value-adding services. The outcomes should help public and private sector managers to be ahead of change and prepare their organizations for the future of SSCs.
Soil Carbon within the Mangrove Landscape in Rufiji River Delta, Tanzania
Authors: Dai Zhaohua , Trettin Carl C. , Mangora Mwita M. , Tang Wenwu
Published: October 2022

Mangroves are among the most carbon-rich terrestrial ecosystems, primarily attributable to the soil pool. There are substantial differences in soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) due to the disparities in geomorphic settings and ecological drivers, but this insight is drawn primarily from observational studies. An objective inventory of carbon stocks in mangroves of the Rufiji River Delta, Tanzania was conducted. Seventy-five soil cores were collected within a 12,164 ha inventory area, comprising the northern portion of the delta. Cores were collected from intact and dwarf mangroves, agricultural fields, and mudflats. The spatial mean soil organic carbon (SOC) density in mangroves was 16.35 ± 6.25 mg C cm−3. Mean SOC density in non-vegetated mudflats was 12.16 ± 4.57 mg C cm−3, demonstrating that mangroves develop on soils with a substantial soil C stock. However, long-established mangroves had had a higher C density (17.27 ± 5.87 mg C cm−3). Using a δ13C mixing model, the source of soil organic matter in mudflats was primarily marine, while long-established mangroves was predominantly mangrove. There were small differences in SOC among long-established mangrove sites in different geomorphic settings. The proportion of marine-sourced SOC increased with soil depth in mangroves. The SOC and nitrogen of agricultural sites resemble those of mudflats, suggesting those sites are developed from relatively young forests. The SOC and nitrogen density in dwarf mangrove sites were lower than others, perhaps reflecting past disturbances.
Design and direct preparation of a novel silicon carbide support for zeolite membrane
Authors: Chen Gangling , Zhang Jianying , Geng Miaomiao , Sunarso Jaka , Wong Ngie Hing , Ma Tianlin , Wang Yujie , Chen Guihua
Published: October 2022

The support for the membrane is the basis for the preparation and application of the zeolite membrane. Moreover, its cost and properties directly determine the performance of the zeolite membrane and its industrial applications. A novel porous silicon carbide (SiC) support for zeolite membrane bonded with needle-like mullite (3Al2O3·2SiO2) was prepared using SiC powders as the raw material and kaolin, Al(OH)3, and AlF3 as the needle-like mullite precursor additives via an in situ high-temperature reactions in an air atmosphere. Effects of the support material composition and the sintering temperature on the sintering behavior, pore structure, permeability, and microstructure of the resultant supports were extensively investigated. The needle-like mullite formation consumed silicon oxide (SiO2) and generated a rigid skeleton structure with a good pore structure and bonding phase. Hence, the porous SiC support exhibited high porosity, with relatively large pore size and mechanical strength, which helped improve the support performance. Notably, the porous SiC support sintered at 1480 °C with in situ inter-particle needle-like mullite bonding exhibited excellent filtration and permeability performance. The porous support materials and methods used in this work are suitable for designing and preparing a novel porous SiC support for zeolite membranes.
Religious Attendance and Health Behavior in Cross-National Perspective: The Role of Religious Context
Authors: Jung Jong Hyun
Published: October 2022

Background

A substantial body of evidence shows that individuals with higher levels of religious attendance are more likely to avoid risky health behaviors and adopt beneficial health behaviors. Yet, less is known about the extent to which these patterns vary across national context.

Purpose

The current study aims to examine how religious attendance is associated with health behavior cross-nationally. More importantly, it assesses the ways that country-level religiosity moderates this association. In this endeavor, the current study focuses on five health behaviors—smoking, drinking, eating fruit, eating vegetables, and participating in physical activity.

Methods

The current study uses multilevel modeling with data from the seventh round of the European Social Survey (2014).

Results

The multilevel analyses demonstrate that religious attendance is negatively associated with drinking and smoking whereas it is positively associated with eating fruit, eating vegetables, and participating in physical activity cross-nationally. In addition, religious context moderates these associations in a way that lends support to the moral communities thesis. Specifically, the negative association between religious attendance and smoking behavior is stronger in countries with higher levels of religiosity. In a similar vein, the positive association between religious attendance and participating in physical activity is stronger in countries with higher levels of religiosity. However, the positive association between religious attendance and eating fruit is weaker in countries with higher levels of religiosity, which runs counter to the moral communities thesis.

Conclusions and Implications

The results in the study suggest that religious attendance has beneficial effects on health behavior. By analyzing a large, cross-national dataset, the current study lays a firmer basis for the generalization that religious attendance may discourage negative health behavior and promote positive health behavior. In addition, the current study elaborates on this pattern by documenting the moderating role of national religious context. The findings in the study implicate the importance of considering national context in research on religious involvement and health behavior.
Photoinduced electron transfer in host–guest complexes of double nanohoops
Authors: Stasyuk O. A. , Stasyuk A. J. , Solà M. , Voityuk A. A.
Published: October 2022

The chemistry of hoop-shaped π-conjugated molecules has increased dramatically in recent years. We present here a computational modeling of photoinduced electron transfer processes in a series of host–guest complexes of Twin1, Twin2, and Twin3 double nanohoops with C60 fullerene. According to our findings, charge transfer from cycloparaphenylene (CPP) fragments to C60 is energetically favorable and occurs on a sub-nanosecond time scale. The slow decay of the generated charge-separated state suggests that the complexes may be of interest for organic photovoltaics.

Graphical abstract
Multi-objective evolutionary design of central pattern generator network for biomimetic robotic fish
Authors: Li Wei Kun , Chen Hao , Cui Wei Cheng , Song Chang Hui , Chen Lin Ke
Published: October 2022

Fish-inspired motion is an important research area with many applications in real-world tasks such as underwater vehicles or robotic fish control design. Owing to robust, smooth, and coordinated oscillatory signals generated by Central Pattern Generators (CPGs) for locomotion control of robots with multiple degrees of freedom, CPGs are the most versatile solution for robotic control systems, especially in robotic fish. However, tuning central pattern generator parameters is difficult for complex mechanical system designs. Besides, most current CPG-based methods only consider one aspect (e.g., speed), which widens the gap between theory and practice in robotic fish design. Also, it may affect the practical applicability of the designed motion model to a certain extent. This paper addresses this problem by constructing a multi-objective evolutionary design of a central pattern generator network to control the proposed biomimetic robotic fish. A new CPG model is proposed to help biomimetic robotic fish swim efficiently. In addition, an efficient multi-objective evolutionary algorithm proposed in our previous work is also applied to assist the biomimetic robotic fish in obtaining faster-swimming speed, good stability of the head, and higher propulsive efficiency simultaneously. Considering that the result of multi-objective optimization is a set of non-dominated solutions rather than a solution, a screening method based on fuzzy theory is adopted to assist decision-makers in selecting the most appropriate solution. Based on this, the control model of biomimetic robotic fish is constructed. The proposed control model is simulated and compared with seven well-known algorithms and a series of robotic fish designs. After that, the proposed control model is validated with extensive experiments on the actual biomimetic robotic fish. Simulations and experiments demonstrate the proposed control model’s effectiveness and good performance, especially when the control model has been applied to the real biomimetic robotic fish.
Implementation and Validation of Casting Simulation Methodology for Diagnostics of Lamellar Graphite Iron
Authors: Domeij Björn , Belov Ilja , Fourlakidis Vasilios , Dioszegi Attila
Published: October 2022

This paper describes and validates a methodology for implementation of full-scale sand-casting simulation in a general-purpose finite element software, including mold filling, heat transport, solidification kinetics, chemical microsegregation and prediction of microstructure and material properties. The solidification model, customized for gray cast iron, includes novel methods for handling interaction between parallel dendritic and eutectic solidification modes and its impact of their interaction on the final microstructure. The validation involves a previously published gray iron casting experiment and involves comparison of simulated and experimental cooling curves, microstructure parameters and tensile strength. We believe that this is valuable to researchers and engineers seeking to improve the state of the art of casting simulation tools.