bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Orbit determination of Sentinel-6A using the Galileo high accuracy service test signal
Authors: Hauschild André , Montenbruck Oliver , Steigenberger Peter , Martini Ilaria , Fernandez-Hernandez Ignacio
Published: August 2022

The High Accuracy Service (HAS) is an upcoming addition to the Galileo service portfolio that offers free correction data for precise point positioning in real-time. Beyond terrestrial and aeronautical applications, precise orbit determination (POD) of satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) has been proposed as a potential use case for HAS corrections in view of their global availability. Based on HAS data collected during a test campaign in September 2021, the benefit of HAS corrections is assessed for real-time, onboard navigation as well as near real-time POD on the ground using GNSS observations of the Sentinel-6A LEO satellite. Compared to real-time POD using only broadcast ephemerides, performance improvements of about 40%, 10%, and 5% in terms of 3D position error can already be achieved for GPS-only, GPS + Galileo, and Galileo-only navigation. While Galileo processing benefits only moderately from the HAS correction data during the early tests in view of an already excellent Open Service performance, their use is highly advantageous for GPS processing and enables dual-constellation navigation with balanced contributions of both GNSSs for improved robustness. For near real-time offline POD, HAS corrections offer reduced latency or accuracy compared to established ultra-rapid GNSS orbit and clock products as well as independence from external sources.
Umbilical venous catheter- and peripherally inserted central catheter-associated complications in preterm infants with birth weight < 1250 g
Authors: Hess Steffi , Poryo Martin , Böttger Ralf , Franz Axel , Klotz Daniel , Linnemann Knud , Ott Torsten , Pöschl Johannes , Schroth Michael , Stein Anja , Ralser Elisabeth , Reutter Heiko , Thome Ulrich H. , Wieg Christian , Ehrlich Anne , Ruckes Christian , Wagenpfeil Stefan , Zemlin Michael , Papan Cihan , Simon Arne , Bay Johannes , Meyer Sascha
Published: August 2022

Background and objective

Umbilical venous catheters (UVC) and peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC) are commonly used in preterm infants but have been associated with a number of serious complications. We performed a survey in Austria and Germany to assess the use of UVCs and PICCs in preterm infants with a birth weight < 1250 g and associated rates of catheter-related adverse events.

Methods

Electronic survey of participating centers of the NeoVitaA trial. Main outcome parameter was the reported rates of UVC- and PICC-associated complications (infection, thrombosis, emboli, organ injury, arrhythmia, dislocation, miscellaneous).

Results

In total, 20 neonatal intensive care units (NICU) providing maximal intensive care in Austria and Germany (level I) were contacted, with a senior neonatologist response rate of 12/20 (60%). The reported rates for UVC with a dwell time of 1–10 days were bacterial infection: 4.2 ± 3.4% (range 0–10%); thrombosis: 7.3 ± 7.1% (0–20%); emboli: 0.9 ± 2.0% (0–5%); organ injury: 1.1 ± 1.9% (0–5%); cardiac arrhythmia: 2.2 ± 2.5% (0–5%); and dislocation: 5.4 ± 8.7% (0–30%); and for PICCs with a dwell time of 1–14 days bacterial infection: 15.0 ± 3.4% (range 2.5–30%); thrombosis; 4.3 ± 3.5% (0–10%); emboli: 0.8 ± 1.6% (0–5%); organ injury: 1.5 ± 2.3% (0–5%); cardiac arrhythmia: 1.5 ± 2.3% (0–5%), and dislocation: 8.5 ± 4.6% (0–30%).

Conclusion

The catheter-related complication rates reported in this survey differed between UVCs and PICCs and were higher than those reported in the literature. To generate more reliable data on this clinically important issue, we plan to perform a large prospective multicenter randomized controlled trial investigating the non-inferiority of a prolonged UVC dwell time (up to 10 days) against the early change (up to 5 days) to a PICC.
Clinical research review: usefulness of bovine lactoferrin in child health
Authors: Miyakawa Momoko , Oda Hirotsugu , Tanaka Miyuki
Published: August 2022

Lactoferrin (LF) is abundant in human milk and plays an important role in the health of children. Bovine LF (bLF) has high homology with human LF and has been reported to have multiple biological functions. Several clinical studies have been conducted considering these properties, which reported the usefulness of bLF. This review was aimed to provide an overview of the clinical evidence in children. We searched clinical reports investigating the effects of bLF in children and identified 36 studies on the role of bLF in infections, iron metabolism, body growth, cerebral development, and fecal microbiome. Considering the accumulated evidence, bLF may contribute to the child health, particularly by suppressing or alleviating gastrointestinal and respiratory symptoms, and improving the iron status of children with anemia or those at high risk of anemia. The dose of bLF varies depending on the expected effect and target age, but may not necessarily have to be as high as human LF in human milk. Some of the beneficial effects of bLF have not been fully validated due to limited clinical evidence or being observed in the secondary analysis of some studies. Further clinical evidence would add significant value to the use of bLF in child health.
Crisis and policy imaginaries: higher education reform during a pandemic
Authors: Molla Tebeje , Cuthbert Denise
Published: August 2022

Crisis makes bold policy actions possible. In responding to socioeconomic and technological ruptures, policymakers create new imaginaries or revitalise existing ones. With the Australian Government’s Job-Ready Graduates (JRG) reform during the COVID-19 pandemic as an empirical case, this paper shows how crisis instrumentalism and policy imaginaries intersect to effect swift policy changes. Drawing on a thematic analysis of key documents that constitute the JRG reform, we highlight three findings. First, the reformers used a new crisis context to repackage pre-existing policy agendas. Second, in justifying the timeliness of the reform, rather than constructing new imaginaries, the Government reactivated old neoliberal visions of society and the economy. Finally, the reform agendas are characterised by reductionist accounts of the value of university education, a nativist view of the future workforce, and the omissions of key issues: research training, social justice, and the urgency of decarbonising the economy. We close the paper by arguing that crisis makes swift reform possible to the extent that key actors can mobilise new or pre-existing policy imaginaries.
How does obtaining a permanent employment contract affect the job satisfaction of doctoral graduates inside and outside academia?
Authors: Goldan Lea , Jaksztat Steffen , Gross Christiane
Published: August 2022

Previous research has shown that temporary employment is negatively associated with many psychological and job-related outcomes, such as well-being, health, wages, organisational commitment, and job satisfaction. Among recent doctoral graduates, the proportion of temporary contracts is particularly high. However, research on the association between contract type and job satisfaction specifically among doctoral graduates is scarce. Therefore, whether and how obtaining permanent employment affects doctoral graduates’ job satisfaction remains a notable research gap that we intend to narrow by using panel data from a recent doctoral graduation cohort and by adopting a panel research design. We examine what effect obtaining permanent employment has on doctoral graduates’ job satisfaction and whether this effect differs by labour market sector. We use panel data that are representative of the 2014 doctoral graduation cohort in Germany and their career trajectories up to five years after graduation. We apply fixed-effects regression to approximate the within-effect of obtaining a permanent employment contract on job satisfaction. The analyses indicate that obtaining permanent employment increases doctoral graduates’ job satisfaction and that this increase is not driven by time-varying confounders. We also find that doctoral graduates’ labour market sector moderates the effect: the increase in job satisfaction is highest in the academic sector and statistically significantly different from that in the private sector. Overall, this paper offers new insights into the effect of obtaining a permanent contract on the job satisfaction of recent doctoral graduates throughout their first years after graduation, when they are often employed on temporary contracts.
Silver linings of the Covid-19 pandemic… for some! Comparing Experiences and Social demographic characteristics of autistic and non-autistic children with SEND in England
Authors: Castro-Kemp Susana , ORCID Arif Mahmud
Published: August 2022

Several studies on the impact of Covid-19 on children’s wellbeing have been published, including for those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. However, limited evidence is available on who these children may be, their socioeconomic background, age, gender or type of school attended. This study examines the role of socio-demographic characteristics on the experiences of Autistic Children, compared to non-Autistic children, to assess the detrimental impact of the pandemic, but also potential silver linings. Primary-school aged Autistic children were more likely to mention a silver lining (for mental health), as well as younger non-Autistic children from more affluent backgrounds. Similar effects were observed for older non-Autistic boys with special needs attending mainstream settings (regarding physical health).
Gamma irradiation synthesis of pectin- based biohydrogels for removal of lead cations from simulated solutions
Authors: Sayed Asmaa , Hany Fatma , Abdel-Raouf Manar El-Sayed , Mahmoud Ghada A.
Published: August 2022

Bio-based hydrogels (denoted as PC-PAAc/GA) comprised of Pectin (PC) and polyacrylic acid (PAAc) reinforced with different ratios of gallic acid (GA) were prepared by gamma radiation at irradiation dose 20 kGy. The prepared hydrogels were investigated by different analytical tools. The swelling performance was studied versus time, pH of the medium and gallic acid content. The experimental data depicted that the swelling increases with pH of medium until the equilibrium of swelling after 350 min. The maximum swelling was attained at pH10 for both PC-PAAc and PC-PAA/GA1.5. Also, the data reveal that the incorporation of GA in the hydrogel matrix enhanced the swelling performance of the hydrogel up to an optimum value of GA, i.e. PC-PAA/GA1.5. Further increase in GA concentration leads to formation of a highly crosslinked structure with reduced swelling. The results demonstrated that the prepared hydrogels displayed excellent antibacterial activity against gram + ve bacteria (E.coli) and gram-ve bacteria (S.aureus). This potent antimicrobial activity is mainly originated from GA which was proved as a strong antibacterial agent. Moreover, the removal performance of the investigated hydrogels was verified towards Pb+2cation as one of the most poisonous heavy metals. The data revealed that the maximum removal percentage of Pb (II) was attained by PC-PAAc/GA1.5 hydrogel (90 mg g−1). The correlation coefficients of the Langmuir model are too higher than that of the Freundlich model that assumed the adsorption of lead cations is mainly a chemical process.
Advances in construction and modeling of functional neural circuits in vitro
Authors: Chow Siu Yu A. , Hu Huaruo , Osaki Tatsuya , Levi Timothée , Ikeuchi Yoshiho
Published: August 2022

Over the years, techniques have been developed to culture and assemble neurons, which brought us closer to creating neuronal circuits that functionally and structurally mimic parts of the brain. Starting with primary culture of neurons, preparations of neuronal culture have advanced substantially. Development of stem cell research and brain organoids has opened a new path for generating three-dimensional human neural circuits. Along with the progress in biology, engineering technologies advanced and paved the way for construction of neural circuit structures. In this article, we overview research progress and discuss perspective of in vitro neural circuits and their ability and potential to acquire functions. Construction of in vitro neural circuits with complex higher-order functions would be achieved by converging development in diverse major disciplines including neuroscience, stem cell biology, tissue engineering, electrical engineering and computer science.
Experimental assessment of forest floor geophyte and hemicryptophyte impact on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi communities
Authors: Zubek Szymon , Rola Kaja , Rożek Katarzyna , Błaszkowski Janusz , Stanek Małgorzata , Chmolowska Dominika , Chowaniec Karolina , Zalewska-Gałosz Joanna , Stefanowicz Anna M.
Published: August 2022

Purpose

Herbaceous plants are important components of temperate forest structure and its functioning, however, their impacts on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) remain largely unexplored. We studied the influence of forest herbaceous plant species on AMF abundance, morphospecies richness, and community composition in soil.

Methods

We tested the influence of plant species identity in an outdoor mesocosm experiment, using two soils, differing in physicochemical properties, planted with four plant species of contrasting traits related to morphology, phenology, reproduction, and ecology; the hemicryptophyte, summer-green Aegopodium podagraria, and spring ephemeral geophytes comprising Allium ursinum, Anemone nemorosa, and Ficaria verna. The plants were grown on both soils in four monocultures, in a combination of A. podagraria and A. ursinum, and a mixture of all four species.

Results

Aegopodium podagraria and A. ursinum promoted AMF abundance and diversity the most. Higher AMF root colonization and/or soil concentrations of AMF structural and storage markers 16:1ω5 PLFA and NLFA, as well as higher AMF spore and morphospecies numbers were found in the A. podagraria and A. ursinum monocultures and mixture. The short period of photosynthetic activity of A. ursinum due to rapid leaf decay does not negatively affect the symbiosis with AMF. Although A. nemorosa and F. verna are mycorrhizal, their effect on AMF in soil was weak.

Conclusions

The plant impact on AMF may be related to the differences in plant coverage and the character of their interactions with AMF. The herbaceous plants can form niches in soil differing in AMF abundance and diversity.
Between vision and action: the predicted effects of co-designed green infrastructure solutions on environmental burdens
Authors: Schaefer Mathias
Published: August 2022

Green Infrastructure (GI) is gaining wide recognition in cooperative research projects seeking to find solutions for climate adaptation in urbanized areas. However, the potential effects of co-produced GI plans and the underlying preparation process are rarely evaluated. To bridge this gap, the aim of this article is to examine what works in addressing environmental burdens in the urban neighborhood of Dortmund Marten, Germany. As part of a larger transdisciplinary process, selective GI measures were delineated in the case study area through a cooperative workshop between scientists and urban planners. Workshop ideas were incorporated into a mitigative scenario considering a hot summer day to quantify the effects of the derived GI measures on thermal comfort and particulate matter dispersion (PM10 and PM2.5). To evaluate the experiences of the science-practice collaboration, the viewpoints of researchers and urban planners on learning effects, knowledge integration, and GI planning were summarized and compared via an online survey. The results indicate that the proposed GI measures could reduce physiological equivalent temperature (PET) by 25 °C. At the same time, additional roadside trees could increase PM10 concentrations by up to 36 µg/m3 due to wind blocking effects. Reflections on the science-practice workshop show that learning effects were higher for the participating researchers than for planning practitioners, while the integration of individual expertise during the workshop was more difficult for academics. These findings point to the importance of continuous reflections on individual understandings in cooperating stakeholder groups and the value of the evaluation of outcomes in transdisciplinary GI planning.
Understanding Synonymous Referring Expressions via Contrastive Features
Authors: Chen Yi-Wen , Tsai Yi-Hsuan , Yang Ming-Hsuan
Published: August 2022

Referring expression comprehension aims to localize objects identified by natural language descriptions. This is a challenging task as it requires understanding of both visual and language domains. One nature is that each object can be described by synonymous sentences with paraphrases, and such varieties in languages have critical impact on learning a comprehension model. While prior work usually treats each sentence and attends it to an object separately, we focus on learning a referring expression comprehension model that considers the property in synonymous sentences. To this end, we develop an end-to-end trainable framework to learn contrastive features on the image and object instance levels, where features extracted from synonymous sentences to describe the same object should be closer to each other after mapping to the visual domain. We conduct extensive experiments to evaluate the proposed algorithm on several benchmark datasets, and demonstrate that our method performs favorably against the state-of-the-art approaches. Furthermore, since the varieties in expressions become larger across datasets when they describe objects in different ways, we present the cross-dataset and transfer learning settings to validate the ability of our learned transferable features.
In situ microcosm remediation of polyaromatic hydrocarbons: influence and effectiveness of Nano-Zero Valent Iron and activated carbon
Authors: Albarano Luisa , Toscanesi Maria , Trifuoggi Marco , Guida Marco , Lofrano Giusy , Libralato Giovanni
Published: August 2022

Nano-zero-valent iron (nZVI) and activated carbon (AC) addition are ongoing techniques for the remediation of hydrophobic organic compound-contaminated sediment and water, but with still unexplored eco(toxico)logical implications, especially when applied in situ. In this study, we investigated AC and nZVI as remediation methods for marine contaminated sediment and water, including chemical and toxicity (Artemia franciscana survival and genotoxicity) surveys. The removal efficiency of AC and nZVI (about 99%) was similar in both sediment and seawater, while the survival of nauplii and adults was mainly impacted by nZVI than AC. At the molecular level, the nZVI-addition induced down-regulation in the expression of two stress and one developmental genes, whereas AC was able to up-regulated only one gene involved in stress response. Results suggested that the use of AC is safer than nZVI that requires further investigation and potential optimization to reduce secondary undesired effects.

Graphical abstract
Sulphurous air pollutants and exposure events of workers in thermal-mineral springs: a case study of Contursi Terme (Salerno, Italy)
Authors: Pironti Concetta , Ricciardi Maria , Motta Oriana , Venier Marta , Faggiano Antonio , Cucciniello Raffaele , Proto Antonio
Published: August 2022

Thermo-mineral springs are widely spread over the volcanic areas of Salerno, a city in southern Italy. Although the water of thermal structures provides beneficial effects on human health, the air is characterized by the presence of potentially toxic compounds, such as hydrogen sulphide (H2S) and sulphur dioxide (SO2). Exposure to sulphurous compounds may have detrimental effects on human health, with asthma being the most common. In this study, air concentrations of H2S and SO2 in the thermal springs of Contursi Terme (Salerno, Italy) were monitored for 4 months (using both active and passive sampling), along with the chemical and microclimatic characterization of thermal water, to assess workers’ exposure to these pollutants. An in-depth characterization of indoor air at the springs is paramount to establish emission control limits for occupational exposure and to take protective measures. The air concentration of SO2 varied from 0.11 ± 0.02 to 0.91 ± 0.02 mg/m3, following a seasonal pattern (higher values in winter and lower in spring). Conversely, indoor H2S concentrations did not vary significantly with time, but outdoor levels (from 0.40 ± 0.03 to 1.90 ± 0.03 mg/m3) were always higher than indoor ones (from 0.11 ± 0.03 to 0.56 ± 0.03 mg/m3). Not negligible air concentrations of these pollutants were detected in this thermal spring workplace, so further investigations are needed to ensure workers’ safety.
Magic extraction: solid-phase extraction and analytical pyrolysis to study polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and polychlorinated biphenyls in freshwater
Authors: La Nasa Jacopo , Biale Greta , Modugno Francesca , Ceccarini Alessio , Giannarelli Stefania
Published: August 2022

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and polychlorinated biphenyls are commonly categorized as persistent organic pollutants. In order to analyze these pollutants, customized stationary phases are increasingly being developed and synthesized for solid-phase extraction. In this work, we tested a new solventless solid-phase extraction approach based on the use of a Magic Chemisorber® (Frontier Lab) which consists of a bead-covered polydimethylsiloxane stationary phase with a thickness of 500 µm. These devices are directly immersed into aqueous samples and then introduced into a pyrolysis–gas chromatography-mass spectrometry system equipped with a cryofocusing system for the thermal desorption and analysis of the adsorbed species. Our new method performs better than the most recent solid-phase extraction devices, with limits of detection lower than 2.7 ng/L and limits of quantification lower than 9.0 ng/L. The method was tested on standard compounds and on an environmental sample, showing the potential to characterize other chemical species besides the persistent organic pollutants, such as phthalate plasticizers and antioxidants.
One-year mortality after hip fracture surgery: urban–rural differences in the Colombian Andes
Authors: Duque-Sánchez Juan-Daniel , Toro Luis-Ángel , González-Gómez Fernando-Iván , Botero-Baena Sandra-Milena , Duque Gustavo , Gómez Fernando
Published: August 2022

To determine urban–rural differences influencing mortality in patients with hip fracture in Colombian Andes Mountains over a 1-year period.

Purpose

To identify the urban–rural differences of sociodemographic variables, fracture-related characteristics, and preoperative and postoperative clinical factors associated with 1-year mortality in patients over 60 years old who underwent hip fracture surgery in the Andes Mountains.

Methods

A total of 126 patients with a fragility hip fracture during 2019–2020 were admitted to a tertiary care hospital. They were evaluated preoperatively and followed up until discharge. Those who survived were contacted by telephone at 1, 3, and 12 months. Univariate, bivariate, and Kaplan–Meier analyses with survival curves were performed. Relative risk was calculated with a 95% confidence interval.

Results

A total of 32.5% of the patients died within 1 year after surgery, with a significant difference between those who resided in rural areas (43.1%) and those who resided in urban areas (23.5%) (RR 1.70; 95% CI, 1.03 to 2.80, p = 0.036). In the multivariate analysis, anemia (hemoglobin level ≤ 9.0 g/dL during hospitalization) (RR 6.61; 95% CI, 1.49–29.37, p = 0.003), a blood transfusion requirement (RR 1.47; 95% CI, 1.07 to 2.01, p = 0.015), the type of fracture (subtrochanteric fracture (RR = 4.9, 95% CI = 1.418–16.943, p = 0.005)), and postoperative acute decompensation of chronic disease (RR 1.60; 95% CI, 1.01 to 2.53, p = 0.043) were found to be independent predictive factors of 1-year mortality after surgery.

Conclusions

There was a difference in 1-year mortality between patients from rural and urban areas. More studies must be conducted to determine whether rurality behaves as an independent risk factor or is related to other variables, such as the burden of comorbidities and in-hospital complications.
Hybrid Monte Carlo tree search based multi-objective scheduling
Authors: Hofmann Constantin , Liu Xinhong , May Marvin , Lanza Gisela
Published: August 2022

As markets demand targeted products for highly differentiated use cases, the number of variants in production increases, whilst the volume per variant decreases. Different product variants result in differences in work content on workstation level which cause takt time losses and result in a poor utilization. In this context, matrix-structured production systems with neither temporal nor spacial linkage emerged to reduce the effects of different work content on the entire production system. However, matrix-structured production systems require far more complex production control. To that end, this paper presents a scheduling approach. The proposed scheduling system considers variable process sequences and their allocation to different workstations in order to optimize scheduling objectives. This contribution presents a Monte Carlo tree search based optimizer combined with local search as post optimizer to derive schedules in a short time span to enabling reactive scheduling. The application of the scheduler to a benchmark problem and an industrial scheduling problem demonstrates the quality of the results and illustrates how the scheduler reassigns the work content dynamically.
Conceptualising the energy efficiency first principle: insights from theory and practice
Authors: Mandel Tim , Pató Zsuzsanna , Broc Jean-Sébastien , Eichhammer Wolfgang
Published: August 2022

The Energy Efficiency First (EE1st) principle has recently been placed onto the political agenda in the European Union (EU). While the general rationale for EE1st is described in EU legislation and supporting literature, a common understanding of the principle’s implications for energy-related planning, investment, and policymaking is still missing. Based on an exploratory review of the literature, the objective of this article is to improve the theoretical understanding of EE1st. First, it develops a conceptual framework, describing EE1st as a decision-making principle that prioritises demand-side resources over supply-side alternatives whenever these provide greater value to society in meeting decision objectives. Second, it highlights the unique aspects of EE1st by systematically comparing the principle with associated concepts, such as Integrated Resource Planning. Third, it provides theoretical justification for EE1st by describing the economic rationale behind the principle. Fourth, it outlines policy considerations for its practical implementation. In sum, the EE1st principle is shown to have a compelling theoretical background that can help inform the design of effective policy interventions in order to move from principle to practice.
Body-dysmorphic, hoarding, hair-pulling, and skin-picking symptoms in a large sample of adolescents
Authors: Moreno-Amador Beatriz , Cervin Matti , Falcó Raquel , Marzo Juan C. , Piqueras José Antonio
Published: August 2022

Few studies have investigated body-dysmorphic, hoarding, hair-pulling, and skin-picking symptoms in adolescents and how they relate to mental health, quality of life, suicide attempts, and non-suicidal self-harm. We used a quota sampling procedure and contacted 100 secondary centres in the Southeast of Spain, of which 34 participated in the study. A sample of 5,345 adolescents (12–18 years) completed dimensional measures of body-dysmorphic, hoarding, hair-pulling, and skin-picking symptoms. The proportion of adolescents with clinically significant symptoms within each symptom type was estimated and associations with other indicators of mental health examined. Clinically significant body-dysmorphic symptoms were reported by 3.7%, hoarding by 0.9%, hair-pulling by 0.7%, and skin-picking by 1.8%. Body-dysmorphic symptoms were more common in girls and in those over 14 years of age. Body-dysmorphic, hoarding, hair-pulling, and skin-picking symptoms were moderately to strongly associated with obsessive-compulsive symptoms, internalizing symptoms, externalizing symptoms, and poor quality of life. Those with significant body-dysmorphic, hoarding, hair-pulling, and skin-picking symptoms were much more likely to have attempted suicide and engaged in non-suicidal self-harm during the last twelve months than those without such symptoms. Body-dysmorphic symptoms showed the strongest associations with internalizing symptoms and poor quality of life. Limitations are the sole use of self-report and a sample from only two regions in Spain, but findings suggest that body-dysmorphic, hoarding, hair-pulling, and skin-picking symptoms are common and impairing during adolescence.
A meta-analysis of the weight of advice in decision-making
Authors: Bailey Phoebe E. , Leon Tarren , Ebner Natalie C. , Moustafa Ahmed A. , Weidemann Gabrielle
Published: August 2022

The degree to which people take advice, and the factors that influence advice-taking, are of broad interest to laypersons, professionals, and policy-makers. This meta-analysis on 346 effect sizes from 129 independent datasets (N = 17, 296) assessed the weight of advice in the judge-advisor system paradigm, as well as the influence of sample and task characteristics. Information about the advisor(s) that is suggestive of advice quality was the only unique predictor of the overall pooled weight of advice. Individuals adjusted estimates by 32%, 37%, and 48% in response to advisors described in ways that suggest low, neutral, or high quality advice, respectively. This indicates that the benefits of compromise and averaging may be lost if accurate advice is perceived to be low quality, or too much weight is given to inaccurate advice that is perceived to be high quality. When examining the three levels of perceived quality separately, advice-taking was greater for subjective and uncertain estimates, relative to objective estimates, when information about the advisor was neutral in terms of advice quality. Sample characteristics had no effect on advice-taking, thus providing no evidence that age, gender, or individualism influence the weight of advice. The findings contribute to current theoretical debates and provide direction for future research.
Factors influencing work-satisfaction of global garments supply chain workers in Bangladesh
Authors: Syed Robayet Ferdous , Mahmud Kazi Tanvir
Published: August 2022

The purpose of this study is to assess different factors under the Bangladesh labour legislation for promoting work-satisfaction of the global garment workers in Bangladesh. A convenient sampling technique was used for collecting 208 employee responses through a five-point Likert scale structured questionnaire. The respondents were garments-manufacturing industry workers working in three hot spots known as towns of Savar and Ashulia (Dhaka District) and Gazipur Sadar (Gazipur District). The survey was conducted between November and December, 2019. This research study finds that seven factors significantly influence work-satisfaction of garment workers in Bangladesh. Among these, four are related to the non-pecuniary factors: supervisory treatment of the workers, working environment, hygienic canteen facility, and medical facility. The three other factors, namely, the amount of salary, timely payment of salary and increment policy for the workers, play a significant part in workers’ satisfaction. This study helps in assessing the opinions of the workers about their work-satisfaction as well as policy planning for the development of the garments-manufacturing industry. Also, this study will add value to the setting of South Asian developing countries and industries because of the similar socio-economic environment to Bangladesh.
Population Abundance and Diversion Losses in a Threatened Estuarine Pelagic Fish
Authors: Kimmerer Wim , Gross Edward
Published: August 2022

Variation in freshwater flow into estuaries can profoundly alter abundance of estuarine organisms through a variety of mechanisms. In the San Francisco Estuary, California, an annual abundance index of juvenile longfin smelt Spirinchus thaleichthys has varied by ~ 100-fold over the range of flow, and over the last five decades the index has declined by over 100-fold. The unknown mechanisms for variation with flow may include removal of larvae by freshwater diversions during low-flow periods. Using data from larval trawl surveys during January–March 2009–2020, we estimated larval population size, its response to freshwater flow, and losses of larvae to freshwater diversions. Population size was estimated by a Bayesian hierarchical model linking a process model, with salinity and water clarity as covariates, to an observation model representing catch by a negative binomial distribution. Population size averaged across surveys within years—an index of the number of larvae produced—decreased over the study period from ~ 109 to 108 larvae. Population size was unrelated to freshwater flow in the year of hatching but positively related to the subsequent juvenile abundance index. Thus, the mechanisms underlying the strong variability in the annual abundance index of longfin smelt with freshwater flow are constrained to occur after March. Estimated proportional losses to water diversions accumulated over the period of vulnerability averaged 1.5% of the population, too low to measurably influence population dynamics.
Single-Dose St. Thomas Versus Custodiol® Cardioplegia for Right Mini-thoracotomy Mitral Valve Surgery
Authors: Barbero Cristina , Pocar Marco , Marchetto Giovanni , Cura Stura Erik , Calia Claudia , Dalbesio Bianca , Filippini Claudia , Salizzoni Stefano , Boffini Massimo , Rinaldi Mauro , Ricci Davide
Published: August 2022

Objective

Custodiol® and St. Thomas cardioplegia are widely employed in mini-thoracotomy mitral valve (MV) operations. One-dose of the former provides 3 h of myocardial protection. Conversely, St. Thomas solution is usually reinfused every 30 min and safety of single delivery is unknown. We aimed to compare single-shot St. Thomas versus Custodiol® cardioplegia.

Methods

Primary endpoint of the prospective observational study was cardiac troponin T level at different post-operative time-points. Propensity-weighted treatment served to adjust for confounding factors.

Results

Thirty-nine patients receiving St. Thomas were compared with 25 patients receiving Custodiol® cardioplegia; cross-clamping always exceeded 45 min. No differences were found in postoperative markers of myocardial injury. Ventricular fibrillation at the resumption of electric activity was more frequent following Custodiol® cardioplegia (P = .01).

Conclusion

Effective myocardial protection exceeding 1 h of ischemic arrest can be achieved with a single-dose St. Thomas cardioplegia in selected patients undergoing right mini-thoracotomy MV surgery.
Zooarchaeology of the Iron Age in Western Iberia: new insights from the Celtic oppidum of Ulaca
Authors: Estaca-Gómez Verónica , Rodríguez-Hernández Jesús , Gómez-Hernández Raúl , Sainz de los Terreros José Yravedra , Ruiz-Zapatero Gonzalo , Álvarez-Sanchís Jesús R.
Published: August 2022

The Vettones were one of the most important Celtic peoples of the Late Iron Age in Western Iberia (between the Duero and Tagus Rivers). It is a period recognised from the spread of the cremation ritual in the cemeteries, the development of iron metallurgy, and the emergence of large fortified settlements—the characteristic oppida—that would finally be abandoned with the conquest of Hispania by Rome. Different types of evidence suggest that the Vetton economy was based on livestock. Palaeobotanical and carpological analyses reveal a major deforestation of the landscape, the conversion of large areas into pastures and cultivated fields, and the use of enclosures as cattle pens. The stone sculptures of bulls and pigs found throughout the mountainous areas of the region—the famous verracos—also reflect the value the Vettones placed on livestock. However, there have been very few studies devoted to the identification of faunal remains. In this text, we offer previously unpublished data on the animals found in the oppidum of Ulaca (Solosancho, Ávila, Spain), one of the largest in Celtic Iberia (third–first centuries BC), which we relate to other evidence from neighbouring sites. Thus, the state of the research into Vetton zooarchaeology is offered in the broader context of the Iberian Peninsula.
Space-qualified, compact and lightweight pulsed DPSS UV laser for the MOMA instrument of the ExoMars mission
Authors: Büttner Alexander , Ernst Mathias , Hunnekuhl Michael , Kalms Roland , Willemsen Lina-Ellen , Heise Jan , Ulrich Jan , Weßels Peter , Kracht Dietmar , Neumann Jörg
Published: August 2022

A space-qualified pulsed UV laser has been developed as an irradiation source for the Mars Organic Molecule Analyser (MOMA) instrument aboard the “Rosalind Franklin” rover of the ExoMars mission (ESA/Roscosmos). MOMA will search for signatures of extinct and/or extant life on Mars. Its advanced analytical capabilities arise from the combination of a pyrolysis gas chromatograph and an ion trap-based mass spectrometer. With the addition of a compact UV laser system enabling laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry, MOMA can detect a wide variety of both volatile and non-volatile, organic and inorganic molecules within Martian soil samples of interest. The design of the MOMA Laser Head is based on a longitudinally diode-pumped, passively Q-switched Nd:Cr:YAG oscillator generating millijoule pulses with nanosecond pulse durations at a wavelength of 1064 nm. A subsequent two-stage frequency quadrupling converts the fundamental infrared emission of the oscillator into the deep UV at 266 nm. The Laser Head emits UV pulses with a duration of about 1.5 ns and an energy tunable between 12.5 and 125 µJ for optimum adaptation to varying ionization thresholds of different molecular species. The complex but highly compact opto-mechanical design, enclosed in a hermetically sealed housing, is realized within an envelope of 200 × 56 × 45 mm3 with a total mass of less than 220 g. In this paper, we present a comprehensive summary of our development efforts towards the delivery of the LH Flight Model, which has been integrated to the MOMA instrument and finally incorporated into the ExoMars rover.
Thorium Metallogeny in U-Cu-REE bearing Singhbhum Shear Zone, Eastern India
Authors: Sinha D.K. , Akhila V. R. , Gupta Sudhakar Chandra , Mukherjee Atanu , Chakrabarti Kalyan , Bhattacharya D. , Saravanan B.
Published: August 2022

The long arcuate Singhbhum Shear Zone (SSZ) of around 160 km length having roughly an E-W trend hosts many uranium deposits and working uranium mines viz., Mohuldih, Bandhuhurang, Turamdih, Narwapahar, Bhatin, Jaduguda and Bagjata from west to east in addition to Cu deposits viz., Rakha, Mosabani etc. REE is well known from Kanyaluka area. Recent sub-surface exploration for uranium by AMD unravelled occurrence of thorite (ThSiO4)-bearing bands in a number of locations in western, central and eastern sectors of uranium mineralisation in SSZ, spanning over the entire shear zone. Thorite is observed in various host rocks involving metapelites of Dhanjori and Singhbhum Group and also in the Soda Granite/ feldspathic schist unit emplaced along the shear zone at the contact between the two groups. The individual lithounits that host thorite-bearing bands are restricted along the Singhbhum Shear Zone and include feldspathic schists (possible derivative of Soda Granite), albite veins, quartz-chlorite schists, quartz-biotite schists and sericite/muscovite-quartz schists. The thorite bearing zones transgresses lithology, stratigraphy as well as uraniferous zones along the shear zone evidently placing them as epigenetic hydrothermal mineralisation possibly later to major uranium metallogeny. Thorite occurs as discrete, rounded as well as subhedral to euhedral grains in various metapelites. They also form veins of their own besides occurring as phases within veins of albite and magnetite-apatite along the shear zone. Such multiple modes of occurrence and varied associated mineralogy suggest hitherto unknown thorium related hydrothermal mineralisation in SSZ. Presence of secondary thorium phases such as brockite (Ca-Th-phosphate) as well as post tectonic vein-type occurrence, points towards the mobility of thorium under a hydrothermal regime as well. However, present study thus, for the first time, establish the occurrence of thorite along with REE-Th minerals showing definite evidences of thorium mobilisation in several sectors of the well know U-Cu province of Singhbhum Shear Zone. Thorium-REE mobility is a widely understudied domain and the present findings place the SSZ as an ideal ground for exploring the concept with more understanding of this metal.
Hydrothermal Uranium Mineralization in Umra, Udaipur District, Rajasthan, India: Inferences from Petrography, Mineral Chemistry and Sulfur Isotopic Studies
Authors: Goyal Navin , Basu Himadri , Sarbajna Chanchal , Saxena Anubhooti , Nayak Adwait Ranjan , Karmakar Pritam , Sunil Kumar T.S.
Published: August 2022

Uranium mineralization at Umra, Udaipur district, Rajasthan is hosted by carbon and siliceous phyllite (with minor calcareous components) of the Paleoproterozoic Aravalli Supergroup. The mineralized zone trends NE-SW to N-S, dipping 45-55° towards SE to E.

Uraninite, coffinite and brannerite are the main uranium phases observed that occur in association with sulphides (pyrrhotite, pentlandite, gersdorffite, chalcopyrite and pyrite), magnetite and ilmenite. Uraninite is found to occur as veins and disseminated ultrafine grains. Colloform and botryoidal texture with shrinkage/ synaeresis cracks indicate the presence of pitchblende also, formed at relatively low-temperature. Textural features suggest remobilization of disseminated syngenetic and / or diagenetic uranium minerals during low-grade metamorphism and deformation. Textural features suggest multiple phases of sulphide mineralization also.

Mineral chemical data indicate that uraninite and pitchblende are compositionally similar containing 80.09-87.17 wt.% UO2 (av. 84.45 wt.%) and 11.37-11.82 wt.% PbO (av. 11.58 wt.%) with negligible SiO2, CaO, TiO2, FeO, ThO2 and RE2O3. High U/Th ratio (>1000) in uraninite/ pitchblende indicates limited cationic substitution and therefore low temperature (<350°C) hydrothermal origin of mineralization. Chemical age, calculated on the basis of UO2, ThO2 and PbO concentration in uraninite, indicates the minimum age of mineralization is 956±12 Ma.

S isotopic data of pyrite suggest syn-sedimentary or diagenetic origin by bacterial reduction of seawater or pore water sulphate under anoxic conditions (-24.7‰ to -16.2‰), as well as hydrothermal (-3.7‰ to +8.8‰) origin. Similarity of S isotopic composition of hydrothermal pyrite with that of pyrite (+5.2‰) from meta-basic rock indicates that a component of S has been derived from the associated basic/meta-basic rocks in the area.

Signatures of multiple generations of uranium mineralization, and multiple episodes of deformation, metamorphism and hydrothermal alteration reveal a complex metallogenic history in Umra. Compositional details of uraninite and their occurrence in the form of veinlets in association with hydrothermal pyrite suggest dominantly epigenetic hydrothermal mineralization events coeval with deformations of the Aravalli sediments.
Application of Microgravity Survey in the Exploration of Rare-metal Bearing Pegmatites – A Case Study from Marlagalla, Mandya District, Karnataka
Authors: Srinivasarao B. , Gupta Ankit Kumar , Shukla Avadesh Kumar , Markandeyulu A. , Rajendran R. , Choudhury D. K.
Published: August 2022

Geologically, the Marlagalla area represents the southern part of NNE-SSW trending Nagamangala schist belt, which is a member of ancient supracrustals of Sargur Group and situated in the southern part of Western Dharwar Craton. The area is mostly soil cover with limited exposure of amphibolite/hornblende schist and intrusive pegmatite. Pegmatites occur as lensoidal bodies within the amphibolite.Microgravity surveys are attempted for the first time to detect pegmatites within the amphibolite. The density between pegmatite (Density= 2.58-2.61 gm/cc) and host rock amphibolite (Density=3.09-3.14 gm/cc) gives detectable contrast to identify pegmatite within amphibolite. Gravity data are acquired over a grid of 5m x 30m using CG-5 Autograv gravimeter which has 1 μGal sensitivity. Elevation data are acquired using SP80 post processing DGPS instrument which has 5 mm elevation accuracy. Analysis of residual gravity and first vertical derivative (FVD) filters facilitated in delineating the pegmatite bodies. The pegmatite bodies show low gravity anomalies with an amplitude range of -5 to -200 μGal. FVD map of the residual gravity indicated four major N100E trending linear anomalies of -36 to 3.0 μGal/m corresponding to pegmatite bodies of varying strike (100-200m) and width (10-15m).2D-Forward modeling of microgravity data helped in deriving the subsurface geometry of the pegmatites. Borehole drilled subsequently based on the results of microgravity surveys intercepted pegmatites within the amphibolite. Thus, the technique has proved for exploration of pegmatite in contrasting environment of amphibolite. Pegmatite are known for rare metals and lithium minerals. Indirectly the model proposed here will help in exploration of rare metals and Li bearing pegmatite.
Organic Matter (OM) Associated Uranium Mineralisation in Kaimur Group of Vindhyan Supergroup near Maha-Rampura, Gwalior District, Madhya Pradesh, India
Authors: Rawat T.P.S. , Kiran Sanku Usha , Patnaik Sikta , Pandey Subhajit , Sinha D.K. , Pandey K.K. , Mamallan R.
Published: August 2022

The Proterozoic Vindhyan Supergroup overlying Bundelkhand Granite Complex (BGC) presents an ideal environment for exploration of uranium mineralisation. Recent exploratory drilling in Kaimur Group of sandstone overlying unconformably the basement Bundelkhand granite at Maha Rampura area has revealed a significant correlatable uranium mineralisation. The mineralisation hosted by subfeldspathic arenite with reddish/ greenish shale intercalations enriched with organic matter is delineated. The subfeldspathic arenite has a definite marker bed with 1-2 m thickness located ~ 30 m to 40 m above the unconformity. Organic matter (OM) is disseminated in subfeldspathic arenite and occurs within intergranular spaces as rounded globules. Uranium occurs within the subfeldspathic arenite as primary minerals i.e. uraninite and coffinite as well as in adsorbed form on organic matter and clay within the marker horizon. Significant correlatable uranium mineralisation with primary uranium minerals in Maha Rampura area thus opens up a broad exploration target in the entire Vindhyan Basin.