bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synthesis, Characterization, and Potential Evaluation of Modified Cellulose Immobilized with Hydroxyquinoline as a Sorbent for Vanadium Ions
Authors: Mubark Amal E. , Eliwa Ahmed A. , Zaki Salah A. , Mohamed Basma T.
Published: June 2022

A considerable increase in the importance of vanadium globally and its common uses in many manufacturable alloys made it a target for much scientific research interested in extraction and recovery. A solid modified cellulose sorbent (GCIHQ) was prepared by simple grafting of cellulose, then immobilized with hydroxyquinoline, and examined as a sorbent for V(V) ions. FT-IR, TGA, BET, and SEM–EDX investigations were used to characterize the GCIHQ. A higher surface area for the synthesized GCIHQ resin has been recorded (65.8 m2/g) more than the used cellulose (21.7m2/g). Several vanadium sorption parameters using the modified GCIHQ from the sulfate medium were optimized namely contact time, pH, initial vanadium ions concentration, sorbent dose, and sorption temperature. The kinetics results revealed that the sorption of vanadium ions upon the synthesized sorbent followed the pseudo-second-order with R2 of > 0.99, which indicated that the sorption mechanism was chemical interaction. The sorption process was studied using Freundlich, Langmuir, Dubinin–Radushkevich, and Temkin isotherm models to describe the adsorbent-adsorbate interaction. The Langmuir model was the most fitting model with the experimental results; the experimental adsorption uptake of 113 mg/g was matched with that of the calculated results. The activation energy (Ea) for adsorption was 12.91 kJ.mol−1, indicating the process is to be chemisorption. Thermodynamic characteristics with ΔH of 13.46 kJ/mol and a ΔS 115.15 J/mol.K revealed the endothermic and spontaneous nature.
Production of Sentential Negation in German and Italian Non-fluent Aphasia
Authors: Fyndanis Valantis , Miceli Gabriele , Capasso Rita , Killmer Helene , Malefaki Sonia , Grohmann Kleanthes K.
Published: June 2022

The ability of persons with non-fluent aphasia (PWAs) to produce sentential negation has been investigated in several languages, but only in small samples. Accounts of (morpho)syntactic impairment in PWAs have emphasized various factors, such as whether the negative marker blocks or interferes with verb movement, the position of the Negation Phrase in the syntactic hierarchy or the interpretability of negation. This study investigates the ability of German- and Italian-speaking PWAs to construct negative sentences, as well as the role of verbal working memory (WM) capacity and education in task performance and production of sentential negation. German and Italian differ in the syntactic properties of the negative markers that are relevant here (nichtandnon, respectively). A sentence anagram task tapping into the construction of negative and affirmative declarative sentences was administered to 9 German- and 7 Italian-speaking PWAs, and to 14 German- and 11 Italian-speaking age- and education-matched healthy volunteers. We fitted generalized linear mixed-effects models to the datasets. There was no significant difference between negative and affirmative sentences in either group of PWAs. There was a main effect of verbal WM capacity on task performance, but no interaction between verbal WM capacity and production of negative vs. affirmative sentences. Education did not affect task performance. The results are discussed in light of different linguistically-informed accounts of (morpho)syntactic impairment in non-fluent aphasia.
Comparative experimental and modelling study of the thermal and thermo-mechanical properties of LLDPE/wax blends
Authors: Mosoabisane Mafereka F. T. , Luyt Adriaan S. , van Sittert Cornelia G. C. E.
Published: June 2022

The interactions and morphology of molecules in a polymer blend influence the physical properties of the blend. However, little is known about the influence of molecular interaction and morphology on the thermal and mechanical properties of LLDPE/wax blends. Although cooling rate can be used to investigate blends' thermal and mechanical properties, it is inadequate to determine interactions between the molecules in the LLDPE/wax blends. However, since the morphology is related to the thermal and mechanical properties of polymer blends and could be related to the cooling rate, LLDPE/wax samples prepared by melt mixing were cooled at different rates. The thermal and mechanical properties of the LLDPE/wax blends were modelled through molecular dynamic simulations. The modelled transitions were compared to experimentally determined mechanical relaxations of LLDPE/wax blends to investigate the effect of wax addition on the blend crystallinity. The crystallization behaviour of the blends was studied by differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical behaviour by dynamic mechanical analysis, and differences in crystallinity by X-ray diffraction. There were no significant differences between the results for the slow- and quench-cooled samples, confirming the rapid crystallization of both the LLDPE and the wax. Experiments and molecular dynamics simulations confirmed the cocrystallization of wax with LLDPE.
Event detection in surveillance videos: a review
Authors: Karbalaie Abdolamir , Abtahi Farhad , Sjöström Mårten
Published: June 2022

Since 2008, a variety of systems have been designed to detect events in security cameras. There are also more than a hundred journal articles and conference papers published in this field. However, no survey has focused on recognizing events in the surveillance system. Thus, motivated us to provide a comprehensive review of the different developed event detection systems. We start our discussion with the pioneering methods that used the TRECVid-SED dataset and then developed methods using VIRAT dataset in TRECVid evaluation. To better understand the designed systems, we describe the components of each method and the modifications of the existing method separately. We have outlined the significant challenges related to untrimmed security video action detection. Suitable metrics are also presented for assessing the performance of the proposed models. Our study indicated that the majority of researchers classified events into two groups on the basis of the number of participants and the duration of the event for the TRECVid-SED Dataset. Depending on the group of events, one or more models to identify all the events were used. For the VIRAT dataset, object detection models to localize the first stage activities were used throughout the work. Except one study, a 3D convolutional neural network (3D-CNN) to extract Spatio-temporal features or classifying different activities were used. From the review that has been carried, it is possible to conclude that developing an automatic surveillance event detection system requires three factors: accurate and fast object detection in the first stage to localize the activities, and classification model to draw some conclusion from the input values.
Barrier Lyapunov function-based fixed-time FTC for high-order nonlinear systems with predefined tracking accuracy
Authors: Wang Xiaolin , Xu Jihui , Lv Maolong , Zhang Lei , Zhao Zilong
Published: June 2022

This article proposes a fixed-time adaptive fault-tolerant control methodology for a larger class of high-order (powers are positive odd integers) nonlinear systems subject to asymmetric time-varying state constraints and actuator faults. In contrast with the state-of-the-art control methodologies, the distinguishing features of this study lie in that: (a) high-order asymmetric time-varying tan-type barrier Lyapunov function (BLF) is devised such that the state variables can be convergent to the preassigned compact sets all the time provided their initial values remain therein, which not only preserves the constraints satisfaction, but warrants the validity of the adopted neural network approximator; (b) the proposed control design ensures the tracking errors converge to specified residual sets within fixed time and makes the size of the convergence regions of tracking errors adjustable a priori by means of a new BLF-based tuning function and a projection operator; (c) a variable-separable lemma is delicately embedded into the control design to extract the control terms in a “linear-like” fashion which not only overcomes the difficulty that virtual control signals appear in a non-affine manner, but also solves the problem of actuator faults. Comparative simulations results finally validate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
Teachers’ professional knowledge for teaching early literacy: conceptualization, measurement, and validation
Authors: König Johannes , Hanke Petra , Glutsch Nina , Jäger-Biela Daniela , Pohl Thorsten , Becker-Mrotzek Michael , Schabmann Alfred , Waschewski Tina
Published: June 2022

This study suggests a comprehensive conceptualization of teacher knowledge for teaching early literacy in primary schools. Following the discourse on the professional knowledge of teachers, we argue that teachers’ knowledge relevant to support reading and writing at the beginning of primary school education is multidimensional by nature: Teachers need content knowledge (CK), pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), and general pedagogical knowledge (GPK). Although research on teacher knowledge has made remarkable progress over the last decade, and in particular in domains such as mathematics, relevant empirical research using standardized assessment that would allow in-depth analyses of how teacher knowledge is acquired by pre-service teachers during teacher education and how teacher knowledge influences instructional quality and student learning in early literacy is very scarce. The following research questions are focused on: (1) Can teachers’ professional knowledge for teaching early literacy be conceptualized in terms of CK, PCK, and GPK allowing empirical measurement? (2) How do teachers acquire such knowledge during initial teacher education? (3) Is teachers’ professional knowledge a premise for instructional quality in teaching early literacy to students? We present the conceptualization of teacher knowledge for teaching early literacy in primary schools in Germany as the country of our study and specific measurement instruments recently developed by our research group. Assessment data of 386 pre-service teachers at different teacher education stages is used to analyze our research questions. Findings show (1) construct validity of the standardized tests related to the hypothesized structure, (2) curricular validity related to teacher education, and (3) predictive validity related to instructional quality. Implications for teacher education and the professional development of teachers are discussed.
Against commitment
Authors: Venkatesh Nikhil
Published: June 2022

In his famous ‘Integrity Objection’, Bernard Williams condemns utilitarianism for requiring us to regard our projects as dispensable, and thus precluding us from being properly committed to them. In this paper, I argue against commitment as Williams defines it, drawing upon insights from the socialist tradition as well as mainstream analytic moral philosophy. I show that given the mutual interdependence of individuals (a phenomenon emphasised by socialists) several appealing non-utilitarian moral principles also require us to regard our projects as dispensable. This means that those who endorse those principles cannot appeal to Williams’s argument against utilitarianism. It also puts pressure on his thought that moral theories ought to permit commitment – in fact, it suggests that they ought not.

Regarding one’s projects as dispensable may be alienating, and this may motivate us to hang onto commitment and reject these non-utilitarian principles along with utilitarianism. However, commitment also threatens a kind of alienation – from other people. Drawing upon the socialist tradition again, I argue that avoiding this form of alienation is necessary for proper engagement with our projects, and thereby with ourselves.
Development of mechanical soil stability in an initial homogeneous loam and sand planted with two maize (Zea mays L.) genotypes with contrasting root hair attributes under in-situ field conditions
Authors: Rosskopf U. , Uteau D. , Peth S.
Published: June 2022

Purpose

Soil structure evolving from physical and biological processes is closely related to soil mechanical characteristics and texture. We studied the influence of substrate and genotype on the initial development of mechanical traits, differences between depths, and changes over the course of two years in the field.

Methods

Plots were homogeneously filled with a loam and a sand and planted with two maize (Zea mays L.) genotypes (wild type (WT) and rth3 mutant) with contrasting root hair attributes. Undisturbed soil cores were taken in 2019 and 2020 at 14 and 34 cm depth. Confined uniaxial compression tests were performed to determine pre-compression stress (σpc), compressibility (Cc, Cs) and elasticity index (EI). Mechanical energy was calculated based on penetration resistance (PR) tests with a penetrometer needle resembling root geometries.

Results

σpc, Cc and Cs were significantly higher in loam as compared to sand, whereas the factor genotype proved to be negligible. Over time, σpc increased and Cc decreased in loam from 2019 to 2020 and Cs declined in both substrates. Higher mechanical energies were observed in loam and partially in WT. Required energy was higher at 14 cm than at 34 cm depth and decreased from 2019 to 2020 in sand. Airdry sand samples required four times as much energy than those at matric potential (Ψm) of -50 kPa.

Conclusion

For the development of the mechanical traits examined texture proved to be the dominating factor and changes in soil stability could be observed within a short period of time.
Affectivism about intuitions
Authors: Loev Slawa
Published: June 2022

This article provides an account of intuitions: Affectivism. Affectivism states that intuitions are emotional experiences. The article proceeds as follows: first, the features that intuitions are typically taken to have are introduced. Then some issues with extant theories are outlined. After that, emotional experiences and their central features are brought into view. This is followed by a comparison of intuitions and emotional experiences, yielding the result that emotional experiences fit and elucidate the feature profile of intuitions. Finally, it is specified what kind of emotional experiences intuitions are: intuitions are typically mild emotional experiences that belong to the subclass of epistemic feelings.
Changes in the resilience of resprouting juvenile tree populations in temperate forests due to coupled severe drought and fire
Authors: Bendall E. R. , Bedward M. , Boer M. , Clarke H. , Collins L. , Leigh A. , Bradstock R. A.
Published: June 2022

Elevated tree mortality and reduced recruitment of new trees linked to drought and fires has been reported across a range of forests over the last few decades. Forests that resprout new foliage epicormically from buds beneath the bark are considered highly resilient to disturbance, but are potentially at risk of elevated mortality, demographic shifts and changes to species composition due to synergistic effects of drought and fire. Despite this, the effects of drought-fire interactions on such forests remain largely unknown. We assessed the effects of drought severity and fire frequency on juvenile mortality, post-fire seedling recruitment and replacement of juvenile trees (balance of recruitment minus mortality) following fire. We compared dry ridgetops and wet gullies (i.e. two forest types that inhabit different topographic positions in the landscape) across a temperate forest in southern Australia. Both forest types experienced higher rates of fire-induced juvenile mortality in areas that had experienced severe drought compared to moderate drought, though mortality rates were generally low across all drought and fire combinations (e.g. < 15%). This result indicated that topographic position did little to reduce juvenile mortality when exposed to severe drought plus fire. In wet forest, severe drought also reduced recruitment and replacement of dead juveniles by post-fire seedlings compared to moderate drought. In dry forest net-negative replacement increased with the severity of drought. Across both forest types, the total pool of juveniles was reduced under severe drought (by 16–79 in DSF; 5–11 in WSF). Future increases in the frequency of coupled severe drought and fire could potentially increase the susceptibility of resilient temperate forests to major changes in structure and function.
The impact of patient preference in the treatment algorithm for recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Salvestrini Viola , Becherini Carlotta , Desideri Isacco , Caprara Luisa , Mariotti Matteo , Banini Marco , Pierossi Nicola , Scotti Vieri , Livi Lorenzo , Bonomo Pierluigi
Published: June 2022

The advent of immune checkpoint inhibitors for recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (RM-HNSCC) has revolutionized the standard of care approach in first-line treatment. The heterogeneity of disease presentation and treatment-related toxicities can be associated with suboptimal patient compliance to oncologic care. Hence, prioritizing quality of life and well-being are crucial aspects to be considered in tailoring the best treatment choice. The aim of our work is to present a short report on the topic of the patient’s preference in regard to treatment and its consequences on quality of life in the recurrent/metastatic setting. According to the literature, there’s an unmet need on how to assess patient attitude in respect to the choice of treatment. In view of the availability of different therapeutic strategies in first-line management of RM-HNSCC, increasing emphasis should be put on integrating patient preferences into the medical decision-making.
Cardiovascular Damage in COVID-19: What We Know Two Years Later
Authors: Nuzzi Vincenzo , Del Mestre Eva , Degrassi Alessia , Bromage Daniel I. , Manca Paolo , Piper Susan , Artico Jessica , Gentile Piero , Scott Paul A. , Chiatto Mario , Merlo Marco , Pareek Nilesh , Giacca Mauro , Sinagra Gianfranco , McDonagh Theresa A. , Cannata Antonio
Published: June 2022

Purpose of the Review

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has profoundly influenced cardiological clinical and basic research in the past two years. In the present review, we summarize the current knowledge on myocardial involvement in COVID-19, providing an overview on the incidence, the pathogenetic mechanisms, and the clinical implications of cardiac injury in this setting.

Recent Findings

The possibility of heart involvement in patients with COVID-19 has received great attention since the beginning of the pandemic. After more than two years, several steps have been taken in understanding the mechanisms and the incidence of cardiac injury during COVID-19 infection. Similarly, studies globally have clarified the implications of co-existing heart disease and COVID-19.

Severe COVID-19 infection may be complicated by myocardial injury. To date, a direct damage from the virus has not been demonstrated. The presence of myocardial injury should be systematically assessed for a prognostication purpose and for possible therapeutic implications.
Somatostatin receptor-directed molecular imaging for therapeutic decision-making in patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma
Authors: Serfling Sebastian E. , Zhi Yingjun , Megerle Felix , Fassnacht Martin , Buck Andreas K. , Lapa Constantin , Werner Rudolf A.
Published: June 2022

Background

Somatostatin receptor (SSTR) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) is increasingly deployed in the diagnostic algorithm of patients affected with medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). We aimed to assess the role of SSTR-PET/CT for therapeutic decision making upon restaging.

Methods

23 pretreated MTC patients underwent SSTR-PET/CT and were discussed in our interdisciplinary tumor board. Treatment plans were initiated based on scan results. By comparing the therapeutic regimen before and after the scan, we assessed the impact of molecular imaging on therapy decision. SSTR-PET was also compared to CT portion of the SSTR-PET/CT (as part of hybrid imaging).

Results

SSTR-PET/CT was superior in 9/23 (39.1%) subjects when compared to conventional CT and equivalent in 14/23 (60.9%). Those findings were further corroborated on a lesion-based level with 27/73 (37%) metastases identified only by functional imaging (equivalent to CT in the remaining 46/73 (63%)). Investigating therapeutic decision making, no change in treatment was initiated after PET/CT in 7/23 (30.4%) patients (tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), 4/7 (57.2%); surveillance, 3/7 (42.8%)). Imaging altered therapy in the remaining 16/23 (69.6%). Treatment prior to PET/CT included surgery in 6/16 (37.5%) cases, followed by TKI in 4/16 (25%), active surveillance in 4/16 (25%), and radiation therapy (RTx) in 2/16 (12.5%) subjects. After SSTR-PET/CT, the therapeutic regimen was changed as follows: In the surgery group, 4/6 (66.7%) patients underwent additional surgery, and 1/6 (16.7%) underwent surveillance and TKI, respectively. In the TKI group, 3/4 (75%) individuals received another TKI and the remaining subject (1/4, 25%) underwent peptide receptor radionuclide therapy. In the surveillance group, 3/4 (75%) underwent surgery (1/4, (25%), RTx). In the RTx group, one patient was switched to TKI and another individual was actively monitored (1/2, 50%, respectively). Moreover, in the 16 patients in whom treatment was changed by molecular imaging, control disease rate was achieved in 12/16 (75%) during follow-up.

Conclusions

In patients with MTC, SSTR-PET/CT was superior to CT alone and provided relevant support in therapeutic decision-making in more than two thirds of cases, with most patients being switched to surgical interventions or systemic treatment with TKI. As such, SSTR-PET/CT can guide the referring treating physician towards disease-directed treatment in various clinical scenarios.
Glycosylation and its research progress in endometrial cancer
Authors: Pu Congli , Biyuan  , Xu Kai , Zhao Yingchao
Published: June 2022

Endometrial cancer (EC) is one of the most common tumors in the female reproductive system, which seriously threatens women's health, particularly in developed countries. 13% of the patients with EC have a poor prognosis due to recurrence and metastasis. Therefore, identifying good predictive biomarkers and therapeutic targets is critical to enable the early detection of metastasis and improve the prognosis. For decades, extensive studies had focused on glycans and glycoproteins in the progression of cancer. The types of glycans that are covalently attached to the polypeptide backbone, usually via nitrogen or oxygen linkages, are known as N‑glycans or O‑glycans, respectively. The degree of protein glycosylation and the aberrant changes in the carbohydrate structures have been implicated in the extent of tumorigenesis and reported to play a critical role in regulating tumor invasion, metabolism, and immunity. This review summarizes the essential biological role of glycosylation in EC, with a focus on the recent advances in glycomics and glycosylation markers, highlighting their implications in the diagnosis and treatment of EC.
Gloomy and out of control? Consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on momentary optimism in daily lives of adolescents
Authors: Wieczorek Larissa L. , Bleckmann Eva , Brandt Naemi D. , Wagner Jenny
Published: June 2022

In the global COVID-19 pandemic, adolescents are regarded as especially burdened due to school closures and leisure activities being banned, often reducing peer contacts to zero. Experiencing restrictions while being uninvolved in decision-making processes left them with little control over their daily lives. Meanwhile, research highlights that optimism can act as a buffer against the impact of daily hassles and is considered an important resource for mental health. To understand the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for adolescents' lives, this study examined how momentary perceived control and perceived personal and societal consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic relate to momentary optimism. Using experience-sampling data from N = 242 (Mage = 15.89; 86% female) adolescents assessed during the second pandemic wave in Germany, multilevel modeling revealed positive associations between adolescents’ momentary perceived control and their momentary optimism at both the within- and between-person level. Additionally, perceived consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic showed specific associations with momentary optimism: Whereas perceived societal consequences were directly related to lower momentary optimism, perceived personal consequences strengthened the relationship between momentary perceived control and optimism. These findings highlight the role of perceived control as an important resource for optimism both as a general tendency and within specific situations in daily life. This way, our results may shed light on how to support adolescent optimism during states of emergency, such as a worldwide pandemic.
Localised solid-state nanopore fabrication via controlled breakdown using on-chip electrodes
Authors: Fried Jasper P. , Swett Jacob L. , Nadappuram Binoy Paulose , Fedosyuk Aleksandra , Gee Alex , Dyck Ondrej E. , Yates James R. , Ivanov Aleksandar P. , Edel Joshua B. , Mol Jan A.
Published: June 2022

Controlled breakdown has recently emerged as a highly accessible technique to fabricate solid-state nanopores. However, in its most common form, controlled breakdown creates a single nanopore at an arbitrary location in the membrane. Here, we introduce a new strategy whereby breakdown is performed by applying the electric field between an on-chip electrode and an electrolyte solution in contact with the opposite side of the membrane. We demonstrate two advantages of this method. First, we can independently fabricate multiple nanopores at given positions in the membrane by localising the applied field to the electrode. Second, we can create nanopores that are self-aligned with complementary nanoelectrodes by applying voltages to the on-chip electrodes to locally heat the membrane during controlled breakdown. This new controlled breakdown method provides a path towards the affordable, rapid, and automatable fabrication of arrays of nanopores self-aligned with complementary on-chip nanostructures.
Combining collagen extraction with mineral Zn isotope analyses from a single sample for robust palaeoecological investigations
Authors: McCormack Jeremy , Bourgon Nicolas , Sinet-Mathiot Virginie , Rezek Zeljko , Smith Geoff M. , Hublin Jean-Jacques , Dabain Mohammed , Fewlass Helen
Published: June 2022

Collagen extraction from bones or dentine, commonly used for radiocarbon (14C) dating and stable carbon and nitrogen isotope (δ13C and δ15N) analyses, involves the dissolution of the bioapatite of skeletal elements. This fraction is typically disposed of during pretreatment. Here, we test the possibility of utilising this dissolved mineral solution for analysis of the bioapatite zinc isotope composition (δ66Zn). Bioapatite δ66Zn is a novel trophic level indicator similar to collagen δ15N but with isotopic fractionation independent from nitrogen, thus providing additional dietary information. We tested ways to minimise Zn contamination of the dissolved mineral phase during collagen extraction. We then used archaeological bone samples from Ain Difla (Jordan) and Ranis (Germany) to compare δ66Zn values of dissolved bioapatite following our collagen extraction protocol with δ66Zn values from the same sample material dissolved in a metal-free cleanroom. Our results demonstrate that with only minor adjustments to minimise Zn contamination, the dissolved mineral solution from collagen extraction protocols commonly employed for 14C dating and (palaeo)dietary analysis can be used for additional δ66Zn analyses even when collagen extraction does not take place in a cleanroom. Our protocol allows us to gain an additional dietary proxy to complement δ15N trophic level interpretations and perform more robust (palaeo)ecological investigations without further destructive sampling.
Organization and Priming of Long-term Memory Representations with Two-phase Plasticity
Authors: Luboeinski Jannik , Tetzlaff Christian
Published: June 2022

Background / Introduction

In recurrent neural networks in the brain, memories are represented by so-called Hebbian cell assemblies. Such assemblies are groups of neurons with particularly strong synaptic connections formed by synaptic plasticity and consolidated by synaptic tagging and capture (STC). To link these synaptic mechanisms to long-term memory on the level of cognition and behavior, their functional implications on the level of neural networks have to be understood.

Methods

We employ a biologically detailed recurrent network of spiking neurons featuring synaptic plasticity and STC to model the learning and consolidation of long-term memory representations. Using this, we investigate the effects of different organizational paradigms, and of priming stimulation, on the functionality of multiple memory representations. We quantify these effects by the spontaneous activation of memory representations driven by background noise.

Results

We find that the learning order of the memory representations significantly biases the likelihood of activation towards more recently learned representations, and that hub-like overlap structure counters this effect. We identify long-term depression as the mechanism underlying these findings. Finally, we demonstrate that STC has functional consequences for the interaction of long-term memory representations: 1. intermediate consolidation in between learning the individual representations strongly alters the previously described effects, and 2. STC enables the priming of a long-term memory representation on a timescale of minutes to hours.

Conclusion

Our findings show how synaptic and neuronal mechanisms can provide an explanatory basis for known cognitive effects.
Dynamics and sedimentary assessment of a rock-bounded estuary: a case study—Tina Mayor (NW Spain, Iberian Peninsula)
Authors: Flor-Blanco G. , Flor G. , Pando L.
Published: June 2022

Based on a comprehensive study of the Tina Mayor estuary, a conceptual morphosedimentary model is proposed for one of the best-preserved limestone sectors of the Iberian Peninsula. This mesotidal and rock-bounded estuary consists of a significant proportion of quartzitic gravel fractions, which is distinctive compared to the other nearby estuaries of Northwest Spain on the Iberian Peninsula. Fluvial discharges allow for high coarse fraction inputs to be distributed to all the geomorphological estuarine zones, particularly the mouth, the bay and the inner areas. Moreover, the narrowing of the rocky boundary affects the outermost sector of the mouth of the estuary, developing two coarse grain spits; the inner being much more extensive, while tidal flats occupy a greater reclaimed area than the natural ones. The dominant sedimentary flow regime was established based on tidal and current records during a tidal cycle. The flood currents crossing the bay change trajectory at the mouth boundary as a result of rocky narrowing from the western mouth to the eastern inner side in a reverse response to the Coriolis effect. Estuarine morphosedimentary units are mapped, including the large and minor bedforms in each estuarine zone. These have been characterised according to the average values of the granulometric parameters (coarsest 1-percentile grain size or centile, mean size, sorting, skewness and kurtosis), as well as the carbonate (bioclast) percentage, including the trend maps of the mean size, sorting and biogenic carbonate content. Furthermore, taking into account the mean tidal amplitude and mixing waters (QF/QT), a suitable classification can be established for any type of estuary, including the characteristics of the confinement of the estuary mouth.
The effect of anastomotic leak on postoperative pelvic function and quality of life in rectal cancer patients
Authors: Plastiras Aris , Korkolis Dimitrios , Frountzas Maximos , Theodoropoulos George
Published: June 2022

Aim

The aim of this review was to collect all available literature data analysing the effects of the anastomotic leak (AL) on post-sphincter preserving rectal cancer surgery bowel and urogenital function as well as to quality of life (QoL) dimensions.

Methods

A literature search of the PubMed and Embase electronic databases was conducted by two independent investigators and all studies using either functional parameters or QoL as a primary or secondary endpoint after a rectal cancer surgery AL were included.

Results

Amongst the 13 identified studies focusing on the post-AL neorecto-anal function, 3 case-matched studies,3 comparative studies and 1 population-based study supported the deleterious effects of the AL on bowel function, with disturbances of the types of high bowel movement frequency, urgency and increased incontinent episodes to predominate. At one case-matched study the Low Anterior Resection Syndrome (LARS) score was inferior in the AL patients. At limited under-powered studies, urinary frequency, reduced male sexual activity and female dyspareunia may be linked to a prior AL. According to two QoL-targeted detailed studies, QoL disturbances, such as physical and emotional function difficulties may persist up to 3 years after the AL occurrence.

Conclusions

AL may have adverse effects on postoperative pelvic function and QoL in rectal cancer patients. As evidenced by this literature review, the limited reports on this intriguing topic may trigger the initiative for planning and undertaking larger, multicentre studies on rectal cancer patients with varying degrees of AL severity.
A review of tracer testing techniques in porous media specially attributed to the oil and gas industry
Authors: Patidar Atul Kumar , Joshi Dev , Dristant Utkarsh , Choudhury Tanupriya
Published: June 2022

The significance of the tracer testing technique is widely accepted in reservoir performance analysis in hydrology as well as in hydrocarbon exploration and production. The subsurface reservoir delineation for hydrocarbon exploration and optimum production is one of the most critical aspects of petroleum system analysis. The quality of the reservoir and its performance prediction require extensive knowledge of qualitative reservoir geology, its depositional environment, facies heterogeneity and engineering properties of subsurface formations. Tracer testing is amongst the few techniques available in the oil and gas (O&G) industry, which stands up to these expectations and is successfully used for quantitative determination and analysis of sub-seismic scale structural and stratigraphic heterogeneities. Tracer testing is also being utilized in determining residual oil saturation (Sor) and lateral correlation of reservoir properties in the subsurface. Apart from the O&G industry, the concentration-based applications of tracer testing have been proved in hydrology, geothermal and medical science. A comprehensive review is presented to explain the application of tracer testing technique to investigate porous media, mainly in O&G industry. The type of tracers used, their selection criteria, concentration, and natural versus gradient and qualitative to a quantitative application are discussed in the current review. Generally, two types of tracers (chemical and radioactive) are preferred in the petroleum industry for gas/fluid flow assessment, waterflood optimization and establishing connectivity between multiple wells. The current paper reviews both types of tracer tests, namely single well and inter well, in detail discussing the objectives, calculations, designing, injection, sampling, laboratory analysis and knowledge integration. The preliminary aim was to provide a review of the tracer testing technique used in reservoir evaluation and well-to-well connectivity analysis.
Genomic and transcriptomic analysis of Korean colorectal cancer patients
Authors: Jeon Sol A , Ha Ye Jin , Kim Jong-Hwan , Kim Jeong-Hwan , Kim Seon-Kyu , Kim Yong Sung , Kim Seon-Young , Kim Jin Cheon
Published: June 2022

Background

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common type of diagnosed cancer in the world and has the second-highest mortality rate. Meanwhile, South Korea has the second-highest incidence rate for CRC in the world.

Objective

To assess the possible influence of ethnicity on the molecular profile of colorectal cancer, we compared genomic and transcriptomic features of South Korean CRCs with European CRCs.

Methods

We assembled a genomic and transcriptomic dataset of South Korean CRC patients (KOCRC; n = 126) from previous studies and European cases (EUCRC; n = 245) selected from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Then, we compared the two datasets in terms of clinical data, driver genes, mutational signature, gene sets, consensus molecular subtype, and fusion genes.

Results

These two cohorts showed similar profiles in driver mutations but differences in the mutation frequencies of some driver genes (including APC, TP53, PABPC1, FAT4, MUC7, HSPG2, GNAS, DENND5B, and BRAF). Analysis of hallmark pathways using genomic data sets revealed further differences between these populations in the WNT, TP53, and NOTCH signaling pathways. In consensus molecular subtype (CMS) analyses of the study cases, no BRAF mutations were found in the CMS1 subtype of KOCRC, which contrasts with previous findings. Fusion gene analysis identified oncogenic fusion of PTPRK-RSPO3 in a subset of KOCRC patients without APC mutations.

Conclusions

This study presents insights into the genomic landscape of KOCRCs and reveals some similarities and differences with EUCRCs at the molecular level.
Progressive Collapse Assessment and Retrofit of a Multistory Steel Braced Office Building
Authors: Ferraioli Massimiliano , Lavino Angelo , Mandara Alberto
Published: June 2022

The progressive collapse of the building structures due to abnormal loads has attracted global attention in recent years. Many studies in the literature have been dedicated to the analysis and design procedures for progressive collapse resistance, and several technological solutions have been developed for progressive collapse retrofit. However, many studies are based on simple models and their validity and possibility to generalize the research results to current practice are rather limited. Moreover, there are still not many case studies developed based on full-scale real buildings. The present paper contributes to filling this gap by investigating the robustness of a quite complex real case study, namely a steel braced frame building erected in the early ‘60 s in Naples-Italy to house the Civil Engineering Authority. To this aim, different column removal scenarios have been considered and both nonlinear static and dynamic analyses have been carried out. The results have highlighted that the simple braced frames are susceptible to progressive collapse due to the weak brace connections. However, joint strengthening is not a viable solution, because it would prevent the full functionality of this strategic building during the implementation of the progressive collapse retrofit. As an alternative, an outrigger-belt truss system has been developed that applies the concept of Vierendeel truss system to redistribute the loads due to the column removal. The effectiveness of the proposed retrofit strategy to improve the progressive collapse resistance of the building has been verified through nonlinear dynamic analyses, proving its feasibility for practical applications.
Aurocyanide adsorption onto granular activated carbon impregnated with SDS anionic surfactant
Authors: Vargas C. , Navarro P. , Mejía E. , Hernández P.
Published: June 2022

The impregnation of granular activated carbon with the anionic surfactant sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) was studied and the influence on aurocyanide adsorption was evaluated. Thermodynamic and kinetic parameters were also determined. The impregnation of activated carbon with SDS improves gold adsorption by 10%, showing a cleansing effect on the carbon surface which was displayed in a higher specific surface area. Specific pore volume and average pore diameter did not undergo important changes. Increasing the temperature decreases gold adsorption on modified carbon. The standard enthalpy of adsorption and the activation energy were calculated, getting values of − 41.3 kJ/mol and 15.0 kJ/mol, respectively.
Feature recommendation for structural equation model discovery in process mining
Authors: Qafari Mahnaz Sadat , van der Aalst Wil M. P.
Published: June 2022

Process mining techniques can help organizations to improve their operational processes. Organizations can benefit from process mining techniques in finding and amending the root causes of performance or compliance problems. Considering the volume of the data and the number of features captured by the information system of today’s companies, the task of discovering the set of features that should be considered in causal analysis can be quite involving. In this paper, we propose a method for finding the set of (aggregated) features with a possible causal effect on the problem. The causal analysis task is usually done by applying a machine learning technique to the data gathered from the information system supporting the processes. To prevent mixing up correlation and causation, which may happen because of interpreting the findings of machine learning techniques as causal, we propose a method for discovering the structural equation model of the process that can be used for causal analysis. We have implemented the proposed method as a plugin in ProM, and we have evaluated it using real and synthetic event logs. These experiments show the validity and effectiveness of the proposed methods.
Serum calcium levels are associated with cognitive function in hypoparathyroidism: a neuropsychological and biochemical study in an Italian cohort of patients with chronic post-surgical hypoparathyroidism
Authors: Saponaro F. , Alfi G. , Cetani F. , Matrone A. , Mazoni L. , Apicella M. , Pardi E. , Borsari S. , Laurino M. , Lai E. , Gemignani A. , Marcocci C.
Published: June 2022

Purpose

Hypoparathyroidism (HypoPT) is a rare endocrine disease and conventional therapy is based on calcium and vitamin D analogues. Conventional therapy does not restore calcium homeostasis and patients complain with neuropsychological symptoms, which have been evaluated with nonspecific self-administered questionnaires. This study aims to evaluate cognitive functions of patients with chronic post-surgical (PS)-HypoPT compared to a control population, using a standardized neuropsychological approach and evaluating the relationship with serum calcium (Alb-Ca).

Methods

Observational, monocentric study on 33 patients with PS-HypoPT and 24 controls, in whom biochemical testing and a standardized neuropsychological assessment by a trained psychologist were performed.

Results

In patients with PS-HypoPT, low Alb-Ca correlated with a worse performance on semantic memory abilities and executive function, as suggested by a significant inverse correlation between Alb-Ca and Trail Making Test A (TMT-A) scores (r = − 0.423; p = 0.014) and by a positive correlation with Semantic Fluency Test scores (SF)(r = 0.510; p = 0.002). PS-HypoPT patients with Alb-Ca ≤ 8.9 mg/dl had a significantly lower test performance compared with PS-HypoPT patients with Alb-Ca > 8.9 mg/dl, both at the TMT-A test (mean score: 34.53–18.55; p < 0.0001) and at SF test (mean score: 41.94–48.68; p = 0.01) and also a significantly lower test performance compared with control patients’ group at TMT-A (mean score: 34.53–25.5; p = 0.0057).

Conclusions

Patients with chronic PS-HypoPT in conventional therapy do not show a severe cognitive impairment; however, cognitive functions namely visuo-spatial attention, executive function and semantic memory appear to be modulated by Alb-Ca and impaired by its low levels.
Low-Thrust Orbit Dynamics and Periodic Trajectories in the Earth–Moon System
Authors: De Leo L. , Pontani M.
Published: June 2022

This study employs the circular restricted three-body problem (CR3BP) as the dynamical framework, for the purpose of investigating low-thrust orbit dynamics in the Earth–Moon system. First, the effect of low thrust on some dynamical structures that exist in the CR3BP is analyzed. Low-thrust capture and escape dynamics in the proximity of the Moon is investigated for preliminary mission analysis. Then, low-thrust periodic orbits—with potential practical application—are detected. To do this, the theorem of mirror trajectories, proven 6 decades ago, is extended to low-thrust trajectories. This represents the theoretical premise for the definition and use of a numerical search methodology based on modified Poincaré maps. This approach leads to identifying several low-thrust periodic orbits in the Earth–Moon system that are infeasible if only unpowered paths are considered. Two possible applications of low-thrust periodic orbits are described: (a) cycling transfer trajectories that connect Earth and Moon continuously, and (b) non-Keplerian periodic paths about the Moon, with potential use as operational orbits for satellite constellations.
The Authenticity of Digital News Coverage in the Mainstream Media in Japan
Authors: Miyazoe Terumi , Sato Shinichi
Published: June 2022

This research examines the authenticity of digital news coverage in the mainstream media in Japan via a specific case study, namely ‘Doctoral Students Have Decreased by Half’. In research, ‘fake news’ comprises two elements, facticity and intentionality; this study focuses on facticity or misinformation. Studies regarding ‘fake news’ are abundant, but those focussing on the mainstream digital media and Japan are highly scarce. This study applied a gap analysis, a comparison between the expected original information and the actual news coverage in a reversed direction. The study first detected and examined the original governmental data and announcements on which a series of news reports were based. Next, it drew a compare and contrast between the news on selective mainstream media and the original information. The reported drop in the number of doctoral students could be a ‘false alarm’ for prospective target audiences, implying that digital news portals may disseminate misinformation. The analysis also revealed that the current structure of digital news making, segmented into multiformat comprising headlines, texts, videos, captions, and others, may make the information verification process more complex and obstructed for individuals. The study also points at the risk of spread of misinformation and of memory retention, amplified by the use of culture-specific symbolic numbers, which weakens our reasoning ability. The findings emphasise the importance of updating our digital media literacy and making collaborative efforts to make local research internationally sharable to advance the understanding of ‘fake news’ research in this multimedia era.
Disruption of three polyamine uptake transporter genes in rice by CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing confers tolerance to herbicide paraquat
Authors: Lyu Yu-Shu , Cao Li-Miao , Huang Wen-Qian , Liu Jian-Xiang , Lu Hai-Ping
Published: June 2022

Weeds are a major biotic constraint that can cause dramatic crop production losses. Herbicide technology has been widely used by farmers as the most cost-effective weed control measure, and development of new strategy to improve herbicide tolerance in plants is urgently needed. The CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing tool has been used in diverse applications related to agricultural technology for crop improvement. Here we identified three polyamine uptake transporter (PUT) genes in rice that are homologous to the Arabidopsis AtRMV1. We successfully demonstrate that CRISPR/Cas9-targeted mutagenesis of OsPUT1/2/3 greatly improves paraquat resistance in rice without obvious yield penalty. Therefore, manipulation of these loci could be valuable for producing transgene-free rice with improved herbicide resistance in future.