bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Early Childhood Educators’ Wellbeing During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Eadie Patricia , Levickis Penny , Murray Lisa , Page Jane , Elek Catriona , Church Amelia
Published: May 2021

The importance of Early Childhood (EC) educators’ wellbeing has been brought into sharp focus during the COVID-19 pandemic, as educators have navigated numerous additional stressors while providing education and care services for some children and ongoing support for many others learning at home. This study aimed to explore the impact of the pandemic on EC educators’ wellbeing and educator-child relationships, as growing evidence shows the influence of these factors on children’s developmental outcomes.

In July 2020, members of a Research Network of EC Professionals—who previously identified educator wellbeing as a priority issue—were invited to participate in an online survey. The survey included two published, validated scales: the Early Childhood Professional Wellbeing scale (ECPW) and the Student–Teacher Relationship Scale (modified). Survey items about educators’ experiences during the pandemic were also included. Two hundred and thirty-two EC educators from across Australia completed the survey, mostly from Victoria where lockdowns were most severe. Linear regression analysis demonstrated stronger professional wellbeing was associated with less conflict in educator-child relationships and lower risk of staff turnover. This was more likely to be experienced by senior or more experienced staff. Although a negative impact of COVID-19 was reported, ECPW scores were relatively high, and organizational structures supporting professional wellbeing were most strongly associated with lower risk of turnover (r = 0.63, p < 0.001). Findings highlight that supporting EC educators’ wellbeing is essential for workforce retention, and for promoting quality educator-child relationships which are central to young children’s learning and development.
Cross-Disorder Analysis of De Novo Mutations in Neuropsychiatric Disorders
Authors: Li Kuokuo , Fang Zhenghuan , Zhao Guihu , Li Bin , Chen Chao , Xia Lu , Wang Lin , Luo Tengfei , Wang Xiaomeng , Wang Zheng , Zhang Yi , Jiang Yi , Pan Qian , Hu Zhengmao , Guo Hui , Tang Beisha , Liu Chunyu , Sun Zhongsheng , Xia Kun , Li Jinchen
Published: May 2021

The clinical similarity among different neuropsychiatric disorders (NPDs) suggested a shared genetic basis. We catalogued 23,109 coding de novo mutations (DNMs) from 6511 patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), 4,293 undiagnosed developmental disorder (UDD), 933 epileptic encephalopathy (EE), 1022 intellectual disability (ID), 1094 schizophrenia (SCZ), and 3391 controls. We evaluated that putative functional DNMs contribute to 38.11%, 34.40%, 33.31%, 10.98% and 6.91% of patients with ID, EE, UDD, ASD and SCZ, respectively. Consistent with phenotype similarity and heterogeneity in different NPDs, they show different degree of genetic association. Cross-disorder analysis of DNMs prioritized 321 candidate genes (FDR < 0.05) and showed that genes shared in more disorders were more likely to exhibited specific expression pattern, functional pathway, genetic convergence, and genetic intolerance.
Comparative evaluation of multiple protein extraction procedures from three species of the genus Caulerpa
Authors: Caronni Sarah , Addis Filippa , Delaria Maria Anna , Gentili Rodolfo , Montagnani Chiara , Navone Augusto , Panzalis Pieraugusto , Citterio Sandra
Published: May 2021

The aim of this study was to define the simplest and least expensive protocol for total protein extraction for three different macroalgae of the genus Caulerpa (the invasive C. taxifolia and C. cylindracea and the autochthonous C. prolifera). Five multi-step protein extraction procedures, set up for other macroalgal species, were tested. For each of them, different pre-treatment and extraction conditions were simultaneously examined, according to a factorial design, considering the starting material, the solvent-to-biomass ratio, and the incubation temperature. Protein yield in the obtained extracts was estimated with the Bradford method. Further, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) was used to resolve proteins, assessing their quality and integrity. Significant differences in protein yield were observed among the extraction protocols and the conditions tested, also in relation to the considered species. Profiles having an acceptable quality were obtained for C. prolifera and C. cylindracea, and from the obtained results, the best method to obtain high yield and quality protein extracts for the two above-mentioned species appears to require the use of a primary TCA/acetone extraction buffer followed by a lysis buffer with NaCl, KCl, urea, Triton, SDS and a protease inhibitor. The best results, in particular, were obtained starting from fresh pulped material with a buffer-to-biomass ratio of 10:1 and an incubation temperature of 4°C. For C. taxifolia, instead, none of the tested protocols produced satisfactory results and further studies will be required.
Incremental Model Fit Assessment in the Case of Categorical Data: Tucker–Lewis Index for Item Response Theory Modeling
Authors: Cai Li , Chung Seung Won , Lee Taehun
Published: May 2021

The Tucker–Lewis index (TLI; Tucker & Lewis, 1973), also known as the non-normed fit index (NNFI; Bentler & Bonett, 1980), is one of the numerous incremental fit indices widely used in linear mean and covariance structure modeling, particularly in exploratory factor analysis, tools popular in prevention research. It augments information provided by other indices such as the root-mean-square error of approximation (RMSEA). In this paper, we develop and examine an analogous index for categorical item level data modeled with item response theory (IRT). The proposed Tucker–Lewis index for IRT (TLIRT) is based on Maydeu-Olivares and Joe's (2005) $$M_2$$

M
2

family of limited-information overall model fit statistics. The limited-information fit statistics have significantly better Chi-square approximation and power than traditional full-information Pearson or likelihood ratio statistics under realistic situations. Building on the incremental fit assessment principle, the TLIRT compares the fit of model under consideration along a spectrum of worst to best possible model fit scenarios. We examine the performance of the new index using simulated and empirical data. Results from a simulation study suggest that the new index behaves as theoretically expected, and it can offer additional insights about model fit not available from other sources. In addition, a more stringent cutoff value is perhaps needed than Hu and Bentler's (1999) traditional cutoff criterion with continuous variables. In the empirical data analysis, we use a data set from a measurement development project in support of cigarette smoking cessation research to illustrate the usefulness of the TLIRT. We noticed that had we only utilized the RMSEA index, we could have arrived at qualitatively different conclusions about model fit, depending on the choice of test statistics, an issue to which the TLIRT is relatively more immune.
Rejoinders to the comments on my paper “Performance measurement and joint production of intended and unintended outputs”
Authors: Førsund Finn R.
Published: May 2021

I will comment on the comments by the groups of three reviewers separately. First of all, I will thank all three groups providing a first round of reports in order for me to get rid of obvious mistakes. In the second round the reviewers were free to comment on the qualities of my revised version. I am not to change my revised paper when giving my comments on what would be honest reports on the quality of my final version. However, the reviewers will not have a go at my rejoinders to comments according to the symposium rules. I keep the section numbering of the authors in order to make it easier to identify the arguments.
Quantum search for scaled hash function preimages
Authors: Ramos-Calderer Sergi , Bellini Emanuele , Latorre José I. , Manzano Marc , Mateu Victor
Published: May 2021

We present the implementation of Grover’s algorithm in a quantum simulator to perform a quantum search for preimages of two scaled hash functions, whose design only uses modular addition, word rotation and bitwise exclusive or. Our implementation provides the means to assess with precision the scaling of the number of gates and depth of a full-fledged quantum circuit designed to find the preimages of a given hash digest. The detailed construction of the quantum oracle shows that the presence of AND gates, OR gates, shifts of bits and the reuse of the initial state along the computation require extra quantum resources as compared with other hash functions based on modular additions, XOR gates and rotations. We also track the entanglement entropy present in the quantum register at every step along the computation, showing that it becomes maximal at the inner core of the first action of the quantum oracle, which implies that no classical simulation based on tensor networks would be of relevance. Finally, we show that strategies that suggest a shortcut based on sampling the quantum register after a few steps of Grover’s algorithm can only provide some marginal practical advantage in terms of error mitigation.
Validity, responsiveness and minimal important change of the EQ-5D-5L in patients after rotator cuff repair, shoulder arthroplasty or thumb carpometacarpal arthroplasty
Authors: Marks Miriam , Grobet Cécile , Audigé Laurent
Published: May 2021

Purpose

The aim was to investigate the measurement properties of the EQ-5D-5L utility index in patients after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (RCR), total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) or thumb carpometacarpal (CMC I) arthroplasty.

Methods

In this prospective study, all patients completed the EQ-5D-5L before surgery and 6 months and 1 year after surgery. In addition, RCR patients completed the Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS), TSA patients completed the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) and CMC I patients completed the brief Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire (brief MHQ) at each designated time point. Construct validity (Pearson’s correlation coefficient, r), responsiveness (effect size), minimal important difference (MID), minimal important change (MIC), and floor and ceiling effects of the EQ-5D-5L were determined. To test discriminative ability, EQ-5D-5L utility indices of patients who were in a patient acceptable symptom state (PASS) or not at follow-up were compared using the Mann–Whitney U test.

Results

We included 153 RCR, 150 TSA, and 151 CMC I patients. The EQ-5D-5L utility index correlated with the OSS (r = 0.73), SPADI (r = − 0.65) and brief MHQ (r = 0.61). The effect sizes were 1.3 (RCR and CMC I group) and 1.1 (TSA). The MID and MIC ranged from 0.027 to 0.209. Ceiling effects were found. The EQ-5D-5L utility index differed significantly between patients being in a PASS versus patients who were not in a PASS.

Conclusion

The EQ-5D-5L utility index shows good construct validity, responsiveness and discriminative ability in patients after arthroscopic RCR, TSA and CMC I arthroplasty and is suitable to quantify quality of life.

Clinical trial registration: This auxiliary analysis is part of a primary study that was originally registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01954433) on October 1, 2013.
Regulatory approaches for genome edited agricultural plants in select countries and jurisdictions around the world
Authors: Entine Jon , Felipe Maria Sueli S. , Groenewald Jan-Hendrik , Kershen Drew L. , Lema Martin , McHughen Alan , Nepomuceno Alexandre Lima , Ohsawa Ryo , Ordonio Reynante L. , Parrott Wayne A. , Quemada Hector , Ramage Carl , Slamet-Loedin Inez , Smyth Stuart J. , Wray-Cahen Diane
Published: May 2021

Genome editing in agriculture and food is leading to new, improved crops and other products. Depending on the regulatory approach taken in each country or region, commercialization of these crops and products may or may not require approval from the respective regulatory authorities. This paper describes the regulatory landscape governing genome edited agriculture and food products in a selection of countries and regions.
Second order Kalman filtering channel estimation and machine learning methods for spectrum sensing in cognitive radio networks
Authors: Awe Olusegun Peter , Babatunde Daniel Adebowale , Lambotharan Sangarapillai , AsSadhan Basil
Published: May 2021

We address the problem of spectrum sensing in decentralized cognitive radio networks using a parametric machine learning method. In particular, to mitigate sensing performance degradation due to the mobility of the secondary users (SUs) in the presence of scatterers, we propose and investigate a classifier that uses a pilot based second order Kalman filter tracker for estimating the slowly varying channel gain between the primary user (PU) transmitter and the mobile SUs. Using the energy measurements at SU terminals as feature vectors, the algorithm is initialized by a K-means clustering algorithm with two centroids corresponding to the active and inactive status of PU transmitter. Under mobility, the centroid corresponding to the active PU status is adapted according to the estimates of the channels given by the Kalman filter and an adaptive K-means clustering technique is used to make classification decisions on the PU activity. Furthermore, to address the possibility that the SU receiver might experience location dependent co-channel interference, we have proposed a quadratic polynomial regression algorithm for estimating the noise plus interference power in the presence of mobility which can be used for adapting the centroid corresponding to inactive PU status. Simulation results demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed algorithm.
Cystic fibrosis improves COVID-19 survival and provides clues for treatment of SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Abraham Edward H. , Guidotti Guido , Rapaport Eliezer , Bower David , Brown Jack , Griffin Robert J. , Donnelly Andrew , Waitzkin Ellen D. , Qamar Kenon , Thompson Mark A. , Ethirajan Sukumar , Robinson Kent
Published: May 2021

Systemic pools of ATP are elevated in individuals homozygous for cystic fibrosis (CF) as evidenced by elevated blood and plasma ATP levels. This elevated ATP level seems to provide benefit in the presence of advanced solid tumors (Abraham et al., Nature Medicine 2(5):593–596, 1996). We published in this journal a paper showing that IV ATP can elevate the depleted ATP pools of advanced cancer patients up to levels found in CF patients with subsequent clinical, biochemical, and quality of life (QOL) improvements (Rapaport et al., Purinergic Signalling 11(2): 251–262, 2015). We hypothesize that the elevated ATP levels seen in CF patients may be benefiting CF patients in another way: by improving their survival after contracting COVID-19. We discuss here the reasoning behind this hypothesis and suggest how these findings might be applied clinically in the general population.
Comprehensive analysis of carbon emissions, economic growth, and employment from the perspective of industrial restructuring: a case study of China
Authors: Bai Shukuan , Zhang Boya , Ning Yadong , Wang Ying
Published: May 2021

Industrial restructuring is a significant measure for low-carbon transition. In principle, carbon emissions can be effectively reduced by limiting the output of high-emission sectors; however, the socio-economic effects of the sectors should also be considered. Moreover, owing to the limitations of the method or data, the interactions between households and production sectors have been neglected in the study of industrial restructuring, resulting in an incomplete and potentially biased understanding of the role of households. To fill this gap, we applied a semi-closed input–output model to identify key sectors by economic and emission linkages and measure the employment impacts (direct, indirect, and induced) of reduced carbon emissions. The empirical results for China in 2010–2018 showed that relatively small changes in key emission sectors would significantly affect the economic growth, and reduced carbon emissions reduction would generally lead to high job losses. Promoting labor-intensive sectors, particularly the service sector, is conducive to achieving a “multi-win” situation for economic development, carbon emission reductions, and stable employment. Furthermore, our results highlight the significance of households: expanding consumption and increasing household income can bring multiple benefits, such as economic growth, job creation, and low carbon emissions. These findings can provide useful information for identifying the optimized path of restructuring and helping achieve the sustainable development of the environment, economy, and society.
The carrot and the stick in online reviews: determinants of un-/helpfulness voting choices
Authors: Sengo Furtado Filipe , Reutterer Thomas , Schröder Nadine
Published: May 2021

With increasing volumes of customer reviews, ‘helpfulness’ features have been established by many online platforms as decision-aids for consumers to cope with potential information overload. In this study, we offer a differentiated perspective on the drivers of review helpfulness. Using a hurdle regression setup for both helpfulness and unhelpfulness voting behavior, we aim to disentangle the differential effects of what drives reviews to receive any votes, how many votes they receive and whether these effects differ for helpful against unhelpful review voting behavior. As potential driving factors we include reviews’ star rating deviations from the average rating (as a proxy for confirmation bias), the level of controversy among reviews and review sentiment (consistency of review content), as well as pricing information in our analysis. Albeit with opposite effect signs, we find that revealed review un-/helpfulness is consistently guided by the tonality (i.e., the sentiment of review texts) and that reviewers tend to be less critical for lower priced products. However, we find only partial support for a confirmation bias with differential effects for the level of controversy on helpfulness versus unhelpfulness review votings. We conclude that the effects of voting disagreement are more complex than previous literature suggests and discuss implications for research and management practice.
Alternative futures for global biological invasions
Authors: Roura-Pascual Núria , Leung Brian , Rabitsch Wolfgang , Rutting Lucas , Vervoort Joost , Bacher Sven , Dullinger Stefan , Erb Karl-Heinz , Jeschke Jonathan M. , Katsanevakis Stelios , Kühn Ingolf , Lenzner Bernd , Liebhold Andrew M. , Obersteiner Michael , Pauchard Anibal , Peterson Garry D. , Roy Helen E. , Seebens Hanno , Winter Marten , Burgman Mark A. , Genovesi Piero , Hulme Philip E. , Keller Reuben P. , Latombe Guillaume , McGeoch Melodie A. , Ruiz Gregory M. , Scalera Riccardo , Springborn Michael R. , von Holle Betsy , Essl Franz
Published: May 2021

Scenario analysis has emerged as a key tool to analyze complex and uncertain future socio-ecological developments. However, currently existing global scenarios (narratives of how the world may develop) have neglected biological invasions, a major threat to biodiversity and the economy. Here, we use a novel participatory process to develop a diverse set of global biological invasion scenarios spanning a wide range of plausible global futures through to 2050. We adapted the widely used “two axes” scenario analysis approach to develop four families of four scenarios each, resulting in 16 scenarios that were later clustered into four contrasting sets of futures. Our analysis highlights that socioeconomic developments and technological innovation have the potential to shape biological invasions, in addition to well-known drivers, such as climate and human land use change and global trade. Our scenarios partially align with the shared socioeconomic pathways created by the climate change research community. Several factors that drive differences in biological invasions were underrepresented in the shared socioeconomic pathways; in particular, the implementation of biosecurity policies. We argue that including factors related to public environmental awareness and technological and trade development in global scenarios and models is essential to adequately consider biological invasions in global environmental assessments and thereby obtain a more integrative picture of future social–ecological developments.
Directional Solidification of AlSi7Fe1 Alloy Under Forced Flow Conditions: Effect of Intermetallic Phase Precipitation and Dendrite Coarsening
Authors: Zhang Haijie , Wu Menghuai , Rodrigues Christian M. G. , Ludwig Andreas , Kharicha Abdellah
Published: May 2021

A forced flow was experimentally shown to influence the solidification microstructure of metal alloys by modifying the coarsening/ripening law. In some technical alloys (AlSi7Fe1), this flow effect can also be significantly suppressed due to the formation of intermetallic precipitates (β-Al5FeSi) that can block the flow in the mushy region. The forced flow was induced by a rotating magnetic field (RMF). Herein, a three-phase volume-average-based solidification model is introduced to reproduce the above experiment. The three phases are the melt, the primary solid phase of columnar dendrites, and the second solid phase of intermetallic precipitates. The dynamic precipitation of the intermetallic phase is modelled, and its blocking effect on the flow is considered by a modified permeability. Dendrite coarsening, which influences the permeability, is also considered. The RMF induces a strong azimuthal flow and a relatively weak meridional flow (Ekman effect) at the front of the mushy zone during unidirectional solidification. This forced flow reduces the mushy zone thickness, induces the central segregation channel, affects the distribution of the intermetallic precipitates, and influences dendrite coarsening, which in turn modifies the interdendritic flow. Both interdendritic flow and the microstructure formation are strongly coupled. The modelling results support the explanation of Steinbach and Ratke—the formed intermetallic precipitates (β-Al5FeSi) can block the interdendritic flow, and hence influence the coarsening law. The distribution of β-Al5FeSi is dominantly influenced by the flow-induced macrosegregation. The simulation results of the Si and Fe distribution across the sample section are compared with the experimental results, showing good simulation–experiment agreement.

Graphic Abstract

During alloy solidifications the flow can influence the mushy zone by inducing macrosegregation, modifying the solidification microstructure, and influencing the formation of intermetallic precipitates. The resulting microstructural features can in turn affect the melt flow by changing the flow intensity and flow pattern. A three-phase volume-average-based solidification model is introduced to study the flow-solidification interaction, and hence to improve the knowledge on the formation mechanism of intermetallics and their effect on solidification. (a) Schematic for the flow pattern and formation of different phases; (b) experiment–simulation comparison of macrosegregation (Fe) across the diameter of as-solidified sample.
Analysis of salts for use as support structure in metal material jetting
Authors: Kirchebner Benedikt , Rehekampff Christoph , Tröndle Martin , Lechner Philipp , Volk Wolfram
Published: May 2021

Material jetting (MJT) is a category of additive manufacturing processes where the build material is deposited in the form of individual droplets. MJT has recently been expanded into the field of metal processing due to a potentially high printing speed at low equipment and raw material cost. For full 3D capability, support structures are needed that have to be removed after the print job. We examine water soluble salts and suitable nozzle materials to realise the printing of molten salt in a MJT process. Here, the wetting characteristics of the melt and nozzle are crucial because pronounced wetting is problematic for the ejection of droplets. A sessile-drop contact angle test stand was set up to evaluate the wetting characteristics of three salts or salt mixtures (NaCl, KCl–NaCl and NaCl–$${\hbox {Na}_{2}\hbox {CO}_{3}}$$

Na
2

CO
3

) on six different nozzle materials (various ceramics and graphite), i.e. potential nozzle materials. The results indicate a high wetting tendency of most of the examined samples with the exception of KCl-NaCl on graphite. Application of these materials on a MJT test stand confirm the feasibility of our findings.
Surgical considerations for atrial functional regurgitation of the mitral and tricuspid valves based on the etiological mechanism
Authors: Shibata Toshihiko , Takahashi Yosuke , Fujii Hiromichi , Morisaki Akimasa , Abe Yukio
Published: May 2021

Atrial functional mitral regurgitation is a hot research topic in the field of mitral valve disease. Atrial functional mitral regurgitation is distinctly different from ventricular functional mitral regurgitation. The surgical indications for atrial functional mitral regurgitation have not been well established because of the small amount of evidence gathered to date. Mitral annular plication with an artificial ring is an essential surgical procedure because dilatation of the mitral valve annulus is a main factor underlying this pathology. Most of these cases can be treated by mitral annuloplasty alone. However, additional procedures, such as application of artificial chordae to the anterior leaflet for pseudo-prolapse, and posterior leaflet augmentation with a pericardial patch, are required in advanced cases with a giant left atrium and extremely enlarged mitral annulus. Chronic atrial fibrillation causes enlargement of the right and left atria. This pathology is a bilateral atrioventricular valve disease (dual-valve disease). Therefore, the conventional guidelines of single-valve disease should not be applied. Although atrial functional tricuspid regurgitation is underappreciated, tricuspid annuloplasty should be considered for most patients to prevent future regurgitation. In addition to the mitral and tricuspid valve procedure, integrated surgical management, including plication of the atrium and left appendage closure, is required. This review summarizes the current considerations of surgical treatment for atrial functional regurgitation of the mitral and tricuspid valves based on the etiological mechanism.
Interdicting facilities in tree networks
Authors: Fröhlich Nicolas , Ruzika Stefan
Published: May 2021

This article investigates a network interdiction problem on a tree network: given a subset of nodes chosen as facilities, an interdictor may dissect the network by removing a size-constrained set of edges, striving to worsen the established facilities best possible. Here, we consider a reachability objective function, which is closely related to the covering objective function: the interdictor aims to minimize the number of customers that are still connected to any facility after interdiction. For the covering objective on general graphs, this problem is known to be NP-complete (Fröhlich and Ruzika In: On the hardness of covering-interdiction problems. Theor. Comput. Sci., 2021). In contrast to this, we propose a polynomial-time solution algorithm to solve the problem on trees. The algorithm is based on dynamic programming and reveals the relation of this location-interdiction problem to knapsack-type problems. However, the input data for the dynamic program must be elaborately generated and relies on the theoretical results presented in this article. As a result, trees are the first known graph class that admits a polynomial-time algorithm for edge interdiction problems in the context of facility location planning.
Orthoptera assemblages of the relict meadows of the Szernye marsh area (West Ukraine: Transcarpathia)
Authors: Szanyi Szabolcs , Potish Ludvig , Rácz István András , Varga Zoltán , Nagy Antal
Published: May 2021

Orthoptera assemblages were sampled between 2012 and 2014 on six grasslands in marginal part of the former Szernye Marsh (Bereg Lowland, Transcarpathia, West Ukraine). 24 species in 1306 individuals were observed which is about the half of the Orthoptera species known from the Bereg Lowland. The bulk of the assemblages is formed by generalist chortobiont species (62.5%), while thamnobionts, connected with tall forb and/or shrubby vegetation, also reach a relatively high frequency (29.1%). According to the biogeographical composition, the Euro-Siberian species were predominating (58.3%), combined with only scarce presence of West Palearctic and Mediterranean species. The multivariate analysis did not show any clear subdivision according to the a priori vegetation types with the exception of the xeric habitats. This assemblage type were characterised by a low species number (7–12) and very high frequency of one or at least two dominant species which were common in all types of studied habitats. Although their subdominant species differed from the other two assemlage types but they could not be referred as true character species. Thus the studied xeric habitats are not such true xeric grasslands as the sandy and saline grasslands of the Pannonian lowland. The main natural value of the area is preseved by semi-natural humide and transitional habitat types, which can be conserved by yearly alternating mowing and preserving the mosaic structure with some corridors among them.
Hierarchical Honeycomb-Structured Electret/Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Biomechanical and Morphing Wing Energy Harvesting
Authors: Tao Kai , Chen Zhensheng , Yi Haiping , Zhang Ruirong , Shen Qiang , Wu Jin , Tang Lihua , Fan Kangqi , Fu Yongqing , Miao Jianmin , Yuan Weizheng
Published: May 2021

Flexible, compact, lightweight and sustainable power sources are indispensable for modern wearable and personal electronics and small-unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Hierarchical honeycomb has the unique merits of compact mesostructures, excellent energy absorption properties and considerable weight to strength ratios. Herein, a honeycomb-inspired triboelectric nanogenerator (h-TENG) is proposed for biomechanical and UAV morphing wing energy harvesting based on contact triboelectrification wavy surface of cellular honeycomb structure. The wavy surface comprises a multilayered thin film structure (combining polyethylene terephthalate, silver nanowires and fluorinated ethylene propylene) fabricated through high-temperature thermoplastic molding and wafer-level bonding process. With superior synchronization of large amounts of energy generation units with honeycomb cells, the manufactured h-TENG prototype produces the maximum instantaneous open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current and output power of 1207 V, 68.5 μA and 12.4 mW, respectively, corresponding to a remarkable peak power density of 0.275 mW cm−3 (or 2.48 mW g−1) under hand pressing excitations. Attributed to the excellent elastic property of self-rebounding honeycomb structure, the flexible and transparent h-TENG can be easily pressed, bent and integrated into shoes for real-time insole plantar pressure mapping. The lightweight and compact h-TENG is further installed into a morphing wing of small UAVs for efficiently converting the flapping energy of ailerons into electricity for the first time. This research demonstrates this new conceptualizing single h-TENG device's versatility and viability for broad-range real-world application scenarios.
„Da baut sich was auf, da ist jemand, der ist verlässlich da, der hat auch Geld“ – Akteurskonstellationen, Handlungskoordination und Leistungen in fragilen organisationalen Strukturen am Beispiel der arbeitsorientierten Grundbildung
Authors: Koller Julia , Arbeiter Jana , Schemmann Michael
Published: May 2021

Der Beitrag untersucht anhand der theoretischen Ansätze derEducational Governanceund des Neo-Institutionalismus die Steuerung in dem, bezüglich Finanzierung und Angebotsentwicklung fragilen Feld der arbeitsorientierten Grundbildung. Dabei wird fokussiert, wie soziale Ordnungen über die Koordination von Handlungen in verschiedenen Akteurskonstellationen pädagogische Leistung möglich machen. Konkret geht es darum, herauszuarbeiten, welche institutionellen und organisationalen Strukturen in der arbeitsorientierten Grundbildung erkennbar sind und welche Formen der Handlungskoordination zwischen Akteuren welche pädagogischen Leistungen zustande kommen lassen. Empirische Befunde weisen auf ein differenziertes und unterschiedlich dichtes Mehrebenensystem hin, in dem die Akteure über unterschiedliche Formen der Handlungskoordination Leistungen sichern und weiterentwickeln.
Surfactant-free synthesis of carbon-supported silver (Ag/C) nanobars as an efficient electrocatalyst for alcohol tolerance and oxidation of sodium borohydride in alkaline medium
Authors: Dey Santanu , Chakraborty Pradipta , Rana Dhiraj Kumar , Pramanik Subhamay , Basu Soumen
Published: May 2021

We have synthesized carbon-supported silver (Ag/C) nanobars by a simple surfactant-free hydrothermal method using glucose as the reducing reagent as well as the source of carbon in Ag/C nanobars. Physicochemical characterization of the materials was performed by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The XRD pattern confirmed the presence of a pure metallic silver phase. No carbon phase was detected, which indicates that the carbon exists mainly in the amorphous form. The electrocatalytic activity of Ag/C in different electrolyte solutions such as 0.5 M NaOH, 0.5 M NaOH + 1 M ethanol (EtOH), 0.5 M NaOH + 1 M ethylene glycol (EG), and 0.5 M NaOH + 0.01 M NaBH4 (sodium borohydride) was studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and chronoamperometry (CA) study. Alcohol tolerance of the catalysts was also established in the presence of ethanol and ethylene glycol. The forward-to-backward current ratio from cyclic voltammetry (CV) study of Ag/C-20 (20 h) in 0.5 M NaOH + 1 M ethanol solution at 100 mV s−1 scan rate is 4.13 times higher compared to that of Ag/C-5 (5 h). Hence, Ag/C-20 is a better candidate for the tolerance of ethanol. In the presence of ethylene glycol (1 M) in 0.5 M NaOH solution, it is obtained that the forward-to-backward current ratio at the same scan rate for Ag/C-20 is lower than that in the presence of ethanol. The durability of the catalyst was studied by chronoamperometry measurement. We studied the electrochemical kinetics of Ag/C catalysts for borohydride oxidation in an alkaline medium. The basic electrochemical results for borohydride oxidation show that Ag/C has very well strength and activity for direct borohydride oxidation in an alkaline medium. The reaction of borohydride oxidation with the contemporaneous BH4−. hydrolysis was noticed at the oxidized silver surface. Among all the synthesized Ag/C catalysts, Ag/C-20 exhibited the best electrocatalytic performance for borohydride oxidation in an alkaline medium. The activation energy and the number of exchange electrons at Ag/C-20 electrode surface for borohydride electro-oxidation were estimated as 57.2 kJ mol−1 and 2.27, respectively.
Disaster Behavioral Health Research Involving Military Facilities and Populations after Mass Violence: Insights from the 2013 Washington Navy Yard Shooting
Authors: Flynn Brian W , Vance Mary C , West James C , Morganstein Joshua C , Fullerton Carol S
Published: May 2021

Research on disaster behavioral health presents significant methodological challenges. Challenges are even more complex for research on mass violence events that involve military members, families, and communities, due to the cultural and logistical considerations of working with this population. The current article aims to inform and educate on this specialized area of research, by presenting a case study on the experience of designing and conducting disaster behavioral health research after a mass violence event in a military setting: the 2013 mass shooting at the Washington Navy Yard, in Washington, D.C. Using the case example, the authors explore methodological challenges and lessons learned from conducting research in this context, and provide guidance for future researchers.
Belief in conspiracy theories and attitudes toward political violence
Authors: Vegetti Federico , Littvay Levente
Published: May 2021

In the last decade, political protest events have been rising in Western democracies. At the same time, there has been a steady increase in the diffusion of conspiracy theories in political communication, a phenomenon that has captured the interest of scholars for its growing political relevance. However, while most research focuses on the reasons why citizens believe in conspiracies, studies looking at the political-behavioral implications of such beliefs, in particular their connection to political radicalism, have been more limited. In this paper, we investigate the association between people's belief in conspiracies and their propensity to endorse political violence or to legitimate radical political action. Building on pathway theories of radicalization, we argue that conspiracy theories provide narratives that might help people channel their feelings of resentment toward political targets, fueling radical attitudes. We provide some correlational evidence using survey data of US respondents collected on MTurk. We observe attitudes toward political violence using two multi-item batteries, one developed by us. Our results show that people who score higher on a scale of generic conspiracy belief are also more likely to endorse violent political actions.
Sequential impact of components of maternal and child health care services on the continuum of care in India
Authors: James K. S. , Mishra Udaya S. , Rinju  , Pallikadavath Saseendran
Published: May 2021

This paper examines the sequential impact of components of maternal and child health care on the continuum of care in India using data from the Indian National Family Health Surveys conducted in 2005–06 and 2015–16. Continuum of care (CoC) for maternal and child health is defined in this paper as the sequential uptake of three key maternal services (antenatal care, institutional delivery and postnatal care for the mother). Women who received all three services were classified as full CoC recipients. Characteristics odd ratios for achieving CoC were estimated by mother’s place of residence, household wealth status, mother’s education, birth order and child full vaccination. Odds ratios were computed to understand the relative impact of each preceding service utilization on the odds of subsequent service uptake. At national level, 30.5% and 55.5% of women achieved full CoC in 2005–06 and 2015–16, respectively, and the overall progress of CoC over the 10-year period was 25.5 percentage points, with significant variation across states and socioeconomic groups. Full CoC improved from 7.5% to 32.4% among the poorest women, whereas among the richest women it improved from 70.5% to 75.1%. Similarly, among uneducated women full CoC improved from 11.7% to 35.9% as against 75.1% to 80.5% among educated mothers over the same period. Furthermore, greater CoC was observed among parity one women. The conditionality between various components of CoC indicated that at national level the odds of having an institutional delivery with antenatal care were 9 times higher in the earlier period as against 4.5 times higher in the more recent period. Furthermore, women who had institutional deliveries complied more with mother’s postnatal care compared with women who did not have institutional deliveries. This again helps increase the likelihood of a child receiving full vaccination.
Extensive clonal propagation and resprouting drive the regeneration of a Brazilian dry forest
Authors: Vanderlei Renato Soares , Barros Maria Fabíola , Domingos-Melo Arthur , Alves Gilberto Dias , Silva Ana Beatriz , Tabarelli Marcelo
Published: May 2021

Woody plant resprouting has received considerable attention in the last two decades as human disturbances continue to encroach on terrestrial ecosystems globally. We examined the regeneration mechanisms of a Caatinga dry forest in the context of slash-and-burn agriculture and resprouting ability of the local flora. We excavated two old fields (from 32) experiencing early forest regeneration dominated by the tree Pityrocarpa moniliformis (Fabaceae) to map clonal propagation and, in parallel, submitted 260 seedlings from 13 woody plant species to experimental clipping. What seemed to be ‘seedlings’ popping up around P. moniliformis stumps and remaining adults actually were condensed sets of root suckers connected via complex networks of long, ramified shallow horizontal roots without taproots. We mapped respectively 39 and 783 connected root suckers, which summed 96 m and 910 m in root length. Regarding the seedlings, 33% resprouted across nine species with resprouting rates varying between 5–100%. Seedling height before clipping positively influenced resprouting vigour. Our preliminary results suggest that the Caatinga dry forest supports a relatively high proportion of resprouting species, some of them able to clonally propagate and playing an ecosystem-level role by responding to early forest regeneration and high abundance/biomass across both regenerating and old-growth forests.
Oxidative stress induced by methomyl exposure reduces the quality of early embryo development in mice
Authors: He Daohong , Han Guobo , Zhang Xiaomeng , Sun Jingyu , Xu Yongnan , Jin Qingguo , Gao Qingshan
Published: May 2021

Methomyl is a widely used carbamate insecticide and environmental oestrogen that has adverse effects on the reproductive system. However, there have been no reports on the effect of methomyl on early embryos in mammals. In this study, we explored the effect of methomyl exposure on the quality of early embryonic development in mice and the possible mechanisms. During in vitro culture, different concentrations of methomyl (10, 20, 30 and 35 μM) were added to mouse zygote medium. The results showed that methomyl had an adverse effect on early embryonic development. Compared with the control group, the addition of 30 μM methomyl significantly reduced the rate of early embryo blastocyst formation. Methomyl exposure can increase oxidative stress and impair mitochondrial function, which may be the cause of blastocyst formation. In addition, we found that methomyl exposure promoted apoptosis and autophagy in mouse blastocysts. The toxic effect of methomyl on early embryos may be the result of oxidative stress induction. Taken together, our results indicate that methomyl can cause embryonic development defects in mice, thereby reducing the quality of early embryo development.
Differential Alterations in the Attentional Networks of People Living with HIV and Apathy: Preliminary Results and Pharmacoclinical Impact
Authors: Mazzoglio y Nabar Martin J. , Tornese Elba , Terren Emmanuel Leidi , Iturry Mónica
Published: May 2021

Objective

The objective was to determine alterations in the care of people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV) with depressive disorder without and with apathy to determine differential parameters.

Methods

We studied 69 PLHIV, negativized viral load, of both sexes (19 women and 44 men), with depressive disorder (F32.9-DSM IV), 20 with apathy and 26 without apathy; negativized viral load, in highly effective antiretroviral treatment without therapeutic failure in the last 2 years and without protease inhibitors; without psychopharmacological treatment (except anxiolytics) or dementia due to HIV (American Academy of Neurology) or comorbidities (hepatitis C, CNS or central vascular infections). They were evaluated with MINI, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Apathy Evaluation Scale clinical version and Neuropsychiatric Inventory and neuropsychological tests were applied (Stroop, Trail Making A and B, digit-symbol substitution test, Visual and verbal direct digit span test, BTS−1 and BTS−3). Statistical tests were applied, and ethical-legal standards were met.

Results

PLHIV with depressive disorder had a high prevalence of apathy. In patients with apathy, there was a greater significant alteration, according to decreasing differential involvement, in sustained and divided care. The processing speed was slowed down without significant difference in the apathy group. Selective attention did not show significant differences between groups.

Conclusions

Apathy in patients living with HIV with depression presents specific and differential alterations in the attention domain. The alterations of sustained and divided attention were specific in this group, with affectation of the previous attention circuit and would be related to the subsequent cognitive disruption as a prodrome. These characteristics must be taken into account as the basis for establishing interdisciplinary treatment strategies (psychopharmacological, psychotherapeutic and neurocognitive rehabilitation).
Clinician-Reported Patient Awareness of Symptoms and Severity of Tardive Dyskinesia in Patients Prescribed VMAT2 Inhibitors
Authors: Meyer Jonathan M. , Franey Ericha , Lundt Leslie , Benning Betsy , Goldberg Edward , Yonan Chuck , Dhanda Rahul
Published: May 2021

Objective

Vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) inhibitors including valbenazine are first-line therapies for tardive dyskinesia (TD), a persistent movement disorder associated with antipsychotic exposure. This real-world study was performed to assess the association between patient awareness of TD symptoms and clinician-assessed symptom severity.

Methods

Clinicians who treated antipsychotic-induced TD with a VMAT2 inhibitor within the past 24 months were asked to extract demographic/clinical data from patients charts and complete a survey for additional data, including patient awareness of TD (yes/no) and TD symptom severity (mild/moderate/severe).

Results

Data for 601 patients were provided by 163 clinicians (113 psychiatrists; 46 neurologists; 4 primary care physicians). Patient demographics: 50% male; mean age 50.6 years; 55% schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder; 29% bipolar disorder; 16% other psychiatric diagnoses. Positive relationships were seen between patient awareness and clinician-assessed symptom severity. Awareness was highest in patients with severe symptoms in specific body regions: face (88% vs 78%/69% [awareness by severe vs moderate/mild symptoms]); jaw (90% vs 80%/67%); wrists (90% vs 69%/63%). In other regions, awareness was similar in patients with severe or moderate symptoms: lips (85%/86% vs 68% [severe/moderate vs mild]); tongue (81%/80% vs 73%); neck (80%/78% vs 68%); arms (67%/66% vs 62%); knees (67%/67% vs 53%).

Conclusions

In patients prescribed a VMAT2 inhibitor for TD, patient awareness was generally higher in those determined to have moderate-to-severe symptom severity as assessed by the clinician. More research is needed to understand how awareness and severity contribute to TD burden, and whether different treatment strategies are needed based on these factors.

Funding

Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc.