bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relationships between EFL learners' background, motivational, instructional, ICT‐related characteristics, and writing performance: Evidence from 13 educational systems
Authors: Huang Jing
Published: December 2021

The present study was carried out to explore whether English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' background, motivational, instructional, and information and communication technologies (ICT)‐related characteristics predicted differences in writing performance across 13 educational systems. The multilevel analyses indicated that female, younger learners, and learners with higher socioeconomic status (SES) had better writing performance. School‐level SES was a stronger predictor of variability in writing performance than student‐level SES. EFL learners who perceived English learning to be less difficult and of more positive value tended to perform better in writing. The relationship between learners' perceptions of teachers' emphasis on cross‐linguistic similarities between languages and writing performance was negative. The results also provided evidence on the negative effects of ICT‐related characteristics (i.e., ICT use for English learning and ICT‐facilities at home) on EFL learners' writing performance.
The active role of organic molecules in the formation of long‐lived reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in plasma‐treated water solutions
Authors: Veronico Valeria , Favia Pietro , Fracassi Francesco , Gristina Roberto , Sardella Eloisa
Published: December 2021

Plasma‐treated water solutions (PTWS) allow the delivery of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) to cells and tissues for different purposes. The mechanism of RONS formation has been clearly modelled in simple liquids like water, by assuming a plasma‐driven process independent from the liquid. PTWS for biological experiments, however, are often produced from solutions of complex composition, where the formation mechanism of RONS is far from being understood. In this paper, we describe how water, phosphate‐buffered saline solution and two cell culture media were plasma‐treated in different conditions to demonstrate how the different composition of the liquids affects the formation of stable RONS (H2O2 and NO2−) in the resulting PTWS, especially when aromatic organic molecules are present.
Scaling‐up a fragment‐based protein–protein interaction method using a human reference interaction set
Authors: Schaefer‐Ramadan Stephanie , Aleksic Jovana , Al‐Thani Nayra M. , Mohamoud Yasmin A. , Hill David E. , Malek Joel A.
Published: December 2021

Protein–protein interactions (PPIs) are essential in understanding numerous aspects of protein function. Here, we significantly scaled and modified analyses of the recently developed all‐vs‐all sequencing (AVA‐Seq) approach using a gold‐standard human protein interaction set (hsPRS‐v2) containing 98 proteins. Binary interaction analyses recovered 20 of 47 (43%) binary PPIs from this positive reference set (PRS), comparing favorably with other methods. However, the increase of 20× in the interaction search space for AVA‐Seq analysis in this manuscript resulted in numerous changes to the method required for future use in genome‐wide interaction studies. We show that standard sequencing analysis methods must be modified to consider the possible recovery of thousands of positives among millions of tested interactions in a single sequencing run. The PRS data were used to optimize data scaling, auto‐activator removal, rank interaction features (such as orientation and unique fragment pairs), and statistical cutoffs. Using these modifications to the method, AVA‐Seq recovered >500 known and novel PPIs, including interactions between wild‐type fragments of tumor protein p53 and minichromosome maintenance complex proteins 2 and 5 (MCM2 and MCM5) that could be of interest in human disease.
Improving Questioning–Answering Strategies in Learning from Multiple Complementary Texts: An Intervention Study
Authors: Castells Núria , Minguela Marta , Solé Isabel , Miras Mariana , Nadal Esther , Rijlaarsdam Gert
Published: December 2021

Studies have shown that inferential questions encourage a more in‐depth understanding of texts and that students need to learn appropriate strategies for answering them, particularly when they deal with multiple texts. In this experimental study, the authors aimed to improve eighth‐grade students’ (13‐ to 14‐years old) ability to answer intra‐ and intertextual inferential questions when they read one or multiple complementary texts. The intervention was implemented by a group of middle‐school history teachers. Teachers in both the intervention and control groups (IG and CG, respectively) taught the same teaching unit using the same reading materials. However, teachers in the IG participated in 12 hours of professional development seminars on analysis of their classroom practice and how to improve their questioning strategies. Post‐intervention results revealed that students in the IG were significantly better than those in the CG at answering intra‐ and intertextual inferential questions. This difference was maintained at follow‐up (2 months after finishing the intervention). Students in the IG also performed better than those in the CG at a learning test. These results confirm the value of teaching students how to answer complex questions, especially when they refer to more than one text. The findings also support the value of the professional development program that enables teachers to reflect on their practice.
Real‐time insect tracking and monitoring with computer vision and deep learning
Authors: Bjerge Kim , Mann Hjalte M. R. , Høye Toke Thomas
Published: December 2021

Insects are declining in abundance and diversity, but their population trends remain uncertain as insects are difficult to monitor. Manual methods require substantial time investment in trapping and subsequent species identification. Camera trapping can alleviate some of the manual fieldwork, but the large quantities of image data are challenging to analyse. By embedding the image analyses into the recording process using computer vision techniques, it is possible to focus efforts on the most ecologically relevant image data. Here, we present an intelligent camera system, capable of detecting, tracking, and identifying individual insects in situ. We constructed the system from commercial off‐the‐shelf components and used deep learning open source software to perform species detection and classification. We present the Insect Classification and Tracking algorithm (ICT) that performs real‐time classification and tracking at 0.33 frames per second. The system can upload summary data on the identity and movement track of insects to a server via the internet on a daily basis. We tested our system during the summer 2020 and detected 2994 insect tracks across 98 days. We achieved an average precision of 89% for correctly classified insect tracks of eight different species. This result was based on 504 manually verified tracks observed in videos during 10 days with varying insect activities. Using the track data, we could estimate the mean residence time for individual flower visiting insects within the field of view of the camera, and we were able to show a substantial variation in residence time among insect taxa. For honeybees, which were most abundant, residence time also varied through the season in relation to the plant species in bloom. Our proposed automated system showed promising results in non‐destructive and real‐time monitoring of insects and provides novel information about phenology, abundance, foraging behaviour, and movement ecology of flower visiting insects.
Self‐Supporting Bimetallic Pt‐Ni Aerogel as Electrocatalyst for Ethanol Oxidation Reaction
Authors: Tang Xiao‐Di , Zeng Min , Chen De‐Ping , Yua Lei , Wang Chao‐Yang , Li Wei , Yi Yong
Published: December 2021

The fuel cell has attracted researchers’ attention owing to its advantages of being adjustable and controllable, wide application, high efficiency, and low energy, etc. However, the main cost of fuel cells still comes from catalysts at present. Platinum‐based catalysts are still the most widely used catalysts in both cathodic ORR reactions and anodic EOR reactions. For the anodic EOR process, combined with in‐situ improved self‐gelling and Galvanic Replacement methods, a kind of Pt−Ni aerogel composite with a three‐dimensional porous network structure was prepared. The obtained Pt−Ni bimetallic aerogel materials were characterized by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X‐ray diffraction (XRD). Furthermore, the electrocatalytic activity of the synthesized Pt−Ni aerogels for the oxidation of EtOH in KOH was measured. The prepared Pt−Ni aerogel has the characteristics of high conductivity and catalytic activity of metal itself and high specific surface area and porosity of aerogels. The peak current density of Pt−Ni aerogel was about two times of the Ni aerogel prepared under the same situation, and the ECSA of Pt−Ni aerogel was about twice that of Ni aerogel, indicating that the addition of Pt could increase the active site of Pt−Ni aerogel, which made the Pt−Ni aerogel composite material have excellent catalytic activity.
Encapsulation of Molybdenum Schiff‐base Complex Inside the SBA‐16 Nanocages with ship‐in‐a–bottle Strategy for Selective Epoxidation of Alkenes
Authors: Masteri‐Farahani Majid , Hosseini Mahdiyeh‐Sadat , Miri Zahra
Published: December 2021

A new heterogeneous catalyst with a unique design was successfully synthesized through a ship‐in‐a‐bottle strategy to incorporate a highly active molybdenum Schiff‐base complex within the nanocages of SBA‐16 for epoxidation reaction. For this aim, all the chemical precursors for preparation of this complex were mixed step by step in the presence of SBA‐16 and the entry of nanocages were finally tuned via silylation with long chain trimethoxyoctylsilane reagent in order to avoid the possible release of encapsulated complex. The final catalyst (named as PPh3‐Sal/Mo@SBA‐16) was characterized by FT‐IR and UV‐Vis spectroscopies, nitrogen adsorption‐desorption and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analyses as well as scanning and transmission electron microscopies (SEM and TEM). All of these physicochemical techniques approved the incorporation of molybdenum Schiff‐base complex inside the SBA‐16 nanocages and maintenance of physical properties of SBA‐16 after encapsulation process. As predicted, epoxidation of some allylic alcohols and alkenes were proceeded selectively toward desired epoxides with high efficiency beyond 80 % over PPh3‐Sal/Mo@SBA‐16 catalyst. Eventually, the reusability experiment revealed the catalyst stability after five successive epoxidation reaction with only minor reduction of overall efficiency.
Progress in Photocatalytic Synthesis of Benzimidazoles
Authors: Qi Zhulin , Yang Yang , Miao Tao , Li Longfeng , Fu Xianliang
Published: December 2021

Benzimidazoles (BIs) have good and extensive biological activities in the bactericidal, anti‐inflammatory, anticancer, and antiviral fields. In addition, BIs can also be used as curing agents, metal surface treatment agents, catalysts and intermediates in organic synthesis. The preparation of BIs is an important subject of synthetic chemistry. Photocatalytic process provides a new route for the green synthesis of BIs. In this minireview, a systematic summary of the photocatalytic preparation of BIs, and the influence of reaction conditions, such as photocatalyst, solvent, atmosphere, substrates, and substituent groups, on the formation of BIs were made. The probable reaction mechanisms were introduced as well. We believe that this work will provide an inspiration and reference for the development of new photocatalysts for the synthesis of BIs and promote the application of photocatalytic technique for organic transformation.
Three‐state Structural Switching and Selective Molecular Interactions of Cylindrical Concentric Monodomain Liquid Crystal Elastomer
Authors: Arisawa Mieko , Yoshida Miyu , Fukumoto Kohei , Sawato Tsukasa , Yamaguchi Masahiko , Matsubara Masaki , Kanie Kiyoshi
Published: December 2021

A cross‐linked poly(acrylate) containing an ethynylhelicene (P)‐pentamer was synthesized by radical polymerization between two horizontally aligned films with a parallel arrangement in trifluoromethylbenzene. The resulting liquid crystal elastomer swollen in bromobenzene showed the Maltese cross, which indicated a cylindrical concentric monodomain structure of the millimeter‐order size as determined by polarized optical microscopy (POM) analysis. In toluene, a homogeneously bright POM image was obtained, which reversibly changed in intensity upon heating and cooling. Addition of an (M)‐tetramer to the liquid crystal elastomer in toluene produced a hetero‐double‐helix exhibiting the Maltese cross, whose intensity did not change upon heating and cooling. The three states can be switched by addition and removal of an (M)‐tetramer and solvents.
Favipiravir (6‐Fluoro‐3‐hydroxy‐2‐pyrazinecarboxamide) a Broad Spectrum Inhibitor of Viral RNA Polymerase in COVID‐19 Treatment
Authors: Gaonkar Santosh L. , D Deepika , Hakkimane Sushruta S.
Published: December 2021

A pandemic disease, COVID‐19, affecting over 253 million and 5.1 million deaths reported as on November 2021 from across the globe. The worst hit pandemic since a century. Scientists around the world are working towards the development of drugs for its treatment. Several existing antiviral medications have been tried for the same. Among these, Favipiravir, a broad‐spectrum antiviral drug originally developed to treat influenza, shows noted activity against an ample range of RNA viruses. It is an oral antiviral drug with good bioavailability found to be effective in the treatment of COVID‐19. This drug has acquired FDA manifestation for drug‐resistant Influenza as it has confirmed its safety profile. There has been growing evidence that it helps in early viral clearance and speedy symptomatic relief against COVID‐19. This review attempts to provide synthetic methods of favipiravir, mechanism of action and its importance in the treatment of COVID‐19 and other viruses.
Supramolecular Microtubes by Self‐Assembly of a Co–Drug and Antifungal Activities against Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Ibukun Olamilekan Joseph , Mondal Sahabaj , Kumar Santosh , Haldar Debasish
Published: December 2021

Benzotriazole esters have been reported to work as inactivators for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) 3CL protease. A calcium channel blocker m‐Nifedipine is well known for its effect in hypertension, as well as angina. Combining two, we have synthesized co‐drug m‐Nifedipine‐3‐benzotriazol‐1‐yl‐ester 1 which exhibited antifungal activities against Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae strain BY4742). The single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction study shows that there are two molecules with opposite chirality in the asymmetric unit. Intramolecular π‐π stacking interactions stabilize the tripod shape compound 1 molecules. In higher‐order assembly, compound 1 molecules are assembled by intermolecular hydrogen bonding, maintaining a proper registry to form a supramolecular nanotube‐like structure. Moreover, compound 1 inhibits the growth of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) against the Saccharomyces cerevisiae was 10 μg/mL. The docking studies indicate that compound 1 has a strong affinity (binding energy −8.67 kcal/mol) for the enzyme lanosterol 14α‐demethylase of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The compound 1 binds to Leu58 and Ser50 of lanosterol 14α‐demethylase through intermolecular hydrogen bonding interactions.
A Facile Approach for Elemental‐Doped Carbon Quantum Dots and Their Application for Efficient Photodetectors
Authors: Gao Lingfeng , Wang Lude , Kuklin Artem V. , Gao Jie , Yin Shouchun , Ågren Hans , Zhang Han
Published: December 2021

The present work demonstrates a facile hydrothermal approach to synthesize lanthanide‐doped carbon quantum dots (CQDs) with europium and/or gadolinium elements. Taking the advantage of broadband adsorption in the ultraviolet‐visible region, the doped QDs are directly used as building blocks for photo‐electrochemical (PEC)‐type photodetectors (PDs) and their performance is systematically investigated under various conditions. The europium (Eu) and gadolinium (Gd) co‐doped (C:EuGd) QDs exhibit better photo‐response than the single‐elemental doped ones and also show outstanding long‐term stability. According to the apparent response to light from 350 to 400 nm, the C:EuGd QDs are demonstrated to hold great potential for narrow‐band PDs. This work highlights the practical applications of lanthanide‐doped CQDs for PDs, and the results are beneficial for the development of elemental‐doped CQDs in general.
Nanoscale ZnO/α‐Fe2O3 Heterostructures: Toward Efficient and Low‐Cost Photoanodes for Water Splitting
Authors: Liccardo Letizia , Lushaj Edlind , Dal Compare Laura , Moretti Elisa , Vomiero Alberto
Published: December 2021

Composite metal oxide semiconductors are promising candidates for photoelectrochemical water splitting (PEC WS) toward environmentally friendly hydrogen production. Among them, ZnO and α‐Fe2O3 hold great potential thanks to a series of benefits, including fast charge transport in single‐crystalline structures, large surface area and tunable shapes (ZnO), and energy bandgap falling in the visible spectral range (α‐Fe2O3). However, both materials present significant drawbacks, which hinder their successful application in high‐efficiency PEC WS: the wide bandgap of ZnO limits its absorption in the UV range, while the low charge carrier mobility results in heavy recombination losses in α‐Fe2O3 during charge collection. The synthesis of ZnO/hematite composites has recently proven to be an effective approach to improve the overall WS performances. In this review, the recent developments on the application of different morphologies (0D, 1D, 2D, and 3D structures) for PEC WS are illustrated, analyzing the role of the shape and morphology in boosting the functional properties, both in single systems and in composite nanostructures. Complex networks show higher photocatalytic efficiency than the single building blocks and, consequently, composite materials exhibit higher performances. Possible paths for the development of an effective lab‐to‐fab transition based on application of ZnO/α‐Fe2O3 composite structures are also suggested.
Metal Chalcohalides: Next Generation Photovoltaic Materials?
Authors: Palazon Francisco
Published: December 2021

Metal chalcohalides have recently been highlighted as so‐far overlooked semiconductors that could play an important role in the future of photovoltaics (PV). Indeed, the blooming field of emergent PV technologies is still in search for stable, efficient, and environmentally‐friendly light‐harvesting materials to be used either in single‐junction solar cells or multijunction devices in combination with silicon or another absorbers. Under the broad terms of metal chalcohalides, there exists a plethora of semiconductor materials with different chemical, structural, and optoelectronic characteristics. While some have already been implemented in solar cells with power conversion efficiencies up to 4–5%, others are only theoretically described. This perspective article offers a general overview of these materials as potential next‐generation absorbers in PV and also discusses possible limitations, not only related to intrinsic materials’ properties but also to processing conditions.
Multidimensional Tungsten Oxides for Efficient Solar Energy Conversion
Authors: Zhang Xing , Wei Yanze , Yu Ranbo
Published: December 2021

Dimensionalities of materials have more profound connotations than barely the external morphologies. The mechanical, optical, electrical, and magnetic properties of a certain material can be significantly influenced by the spatial degrees of freedom of interactions/excitons. Herein, how multidimensionalities affect their physicochemical properties from the perspective of photoactive tungsten oxide (WO3) materials, which further influence their performances in solar energy conversion applications are looked at. Benefiting from the fruitful research efforts on WO3‐based photocatalysts and photoelectrodes, the key procedures in photoenergy conversion including light absorption, charge separation, and surface reaction, are discussed to elucidate the unique features, advantages, and challenges of the single‐dimensional WO3 heterostructures. Then the optoelectronic properties and performance of mixed‐dimensional WO3 heterostructures are investigated to show the synergistic effect between the specifically combined dimensionalities. The dynamic behaviors of excitons or charge carriers within the mixed‐dimensional structures and at their interfaces are inspected, with several photophysical or chemical phenomena noted for designing other photoactive metal oxide semiconductors. A bumper harvest of WO3 photovoltaics, photocatalysts, and photoelectrodes beyond dimensionality is on the way, hence, it is an opportune chance to evaluate the progress and foresee future directions in this fast‐moving research field.
Shrinkage curvature of cracked reinforced concrete sections under load
Authors: Scott Richard , Whittle Robin , Jones Tony
Published: December 2021

This paper describes an experimental program, which investigates the validity of using Expression 7.21 in Eurocode 2 for calculating shrinkage curvatures of loaded reinforced concrete beams cracked in flexure, this Expression having previously been validated for use with uncracked sections but not for cracked sections. The experimental method used a heating technique, which exploited the differing coefficients of expansion of limestone concrete and stainless steel reinforcement to impose simulated shrinkage strains on a range of rectangular beams of various sizes and reinforcement percentages. The results indicate that Expression 7.21 is valid for use with sections cracked in flexure but may overestimate curvatures by significant amounts. It is shown that improved estimates of curvature are given by using Expression 7.18 in conjunction with Expression 7.21 with the best results being obtained by setting β = 0.3 or by using an adjusted value for the cracking moment (Mcr), as detailed in the paper.
Variable Step‐Size Correntropy‐Based Affine Projection Algorithm with Compound Inverse Proportional Function for Sparse System Identification
Authors: Wang Biao , Li Hanqiong , Wu Chengxi , Xu Chen , Zhang Mingliang
Published: December 2021

In view of the poor performance of the traditional adaptive filtering algorithm in identifying sparse systems under impulse noise, an affine projection maximum correntropy criterion with compound inverse proportional function (APMCCCIPF) algorithm is proposed in this paper, and the compound inverse proportional function approaching norm is introduced into the traditional affine projection maximum correntropy criterion (APMCC) algorithm. The fixed step‐size APMCCCIPF algorithm cannot obtain faster convergence speed and lower steady‐state error at the same time, and the most effective method to solve this contradiction is to change the fixed step‐size in the algorithm to a variable step‐size. Further, a variable step‐size factor is constructed in the APMCCCIPF algorithm, and a novel variable step‐size APMCCCIPF algorithm is proposed. A modified Gaussian function, which can resist impulse noise interference, is applied to adjust the step‐size change. Besides, the convergence and complexity of the proposed algorithms are analyzed. In the simulation of sparse system identification and echo cancellation under impulsive noise, the proposed algorithms not only achieve a lower and faster convergence rate, but also obtain a lower steady‐state error. © 2021 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
The sense of taste: Development, regeneration, and dysfunction
Authors: Barlow Linda A.
Published: December 2021

Gustation or the sense of taste is a primary sense, which functions as a gatekeeper for substances that enter the body. Animals, including humans, ingest foods that contain appetitive taste stimuli, including those that have sweet, moderately salty and umami (glutamate) components, and tend to avoid bitter‐tasting items, as many bitter compounds are toxic. Taste is mediated by clusters of heterogeneous taste receptors cells (TRCs) organized as taste buds on the tongue, and these convey taste information from the oral cavity to higher order brain centers via the gustatory sensory neurons of the seventh and ninth cranial ganglia. One remarkable aspect of taste is that taste perception is mostly uninterrupted throughout life yet TRCs within buds are constantly renewed; every 1–2 months all taste cells have been steadily replaced. In the past decades we have learned a substantial amount about the cellular and molecular regulation of taste bud cell renewal, and how taste buds are initially established during embryogenesis. Here I review more recent findings pertaining to taste development and regeneration, as well as discuss potential mechanisms underlying taste dysfunction that often occurs with disease or its treatment.

This article is categorized under:

Infectious Diseases > Stem Cells and Development

Cancer > Stem Cells and Development

Neurological Diseases > Stem Cells and Development
Reflections on Doing Cross-Cultural Research Through and with Visual Methods
Authors: Leung Kei Yan
Published: December 2021

As a traditional and dominant practice of qualitative research, interviewing is heavily dependent on meanings constructed by language. In a cross-cultural setting, the challenge of adequately capturing what interviewees want to convey is well acknowledged by researchers. Indeed, meanings are not only tied to linguistic meanings but also to cultural practices. Moreover, when the focus of one’s research is to understand the mindsets and practices of farmers, focusing solely on spoken words may also hide the fact that farmers also engage with plants, soil and nature through emotions and feelings. In this chapter I will reflect on my personal experiences as a non-Japanese Asian researcher working with an interpreter during my field work in Japan. In the interviews I conducted with farmers, I used photographs of local artwork to elicit information to understand what relationships they may build between the artworks and their farming practices. I used photo elicitation to supplement the limitations of language in making sense of meanings tied to farming practices. Also, to convey results to a western audience, I explore the use of visual illustrations to complement verbal quotes to more fully convey the meaning of the quotes. Two main observations emerged from this cross-cultural experience: first, the gap between language and cultural meaning can provide valuable opportunities for researchers to experiment with different methods, that broaden our sensibilities beyond rational reasoning in data collection; second, using photography in interviews can unfold different layers of realities than talk-only interviews. I argue that visual methods can take us beyond language and open up a more diverse picture to understand the practices of farmers. It is therefore important for cross-cultural researchers to be reflexive about the limitations of language, transform these challenges to an opportunity to remake method and open up different layers of understanding.
A buyer’s guide to the Hubble constant
Authors: Shah Paul , Lemos Pablo , Lahav Ofer
Published: December 2021

Since the expansion of the universe was first established by Edwin Hubble and Georges Lemaître about a century ago, the Hubble constant $$H_0$$

H
0

which measures its rate has been of great interest to astronomers. Besides being interesting in its own right, few properties of the universe can be deduced without it. In the last decade, a significant gap has emerged between different methods of measuring it, some anchored in the nearby universe, others at cosmological distances. The SH0ES team has found $$H_0 = 73.2 \pm 1.3 \; \;\,\hbox {kms}^{-1} \,\hbox {Mpc}^{-1}$$

H
0

=
73.2
±
1.3

kms

-
1

Mpc

-
1

locally, whereas the value found for the early universe by the Planck Collaboration is $$H_0 = 67.4 \pm 0.5 \; \;\,\hbox {kms}^{-1} \,\hbox {Mpc}^{-1}$$

H
0

=
67.4
±
0.5

kms

-
1

Mpc

-
1

from measurements of the cosmic microwave background. Is this gap a sign that the well-established $${\varLambda} {\text{CDM}}$$

Λ
CDM

cosmological model is somehow incomplete? Or are there unknown systematics? And more practically, how should humble astronomers pick between competing claims if they need to assume a value for a certain purpose? In this article, we review results and what changes to the cosmological model could be needed to accommodate them all. For astronomers in a hurry, we provide a buyer’s guide to the results, and make recommendations.
Efficacy of Short-Term Oral Prednisolone Treatment in the Management of Pericardial Effusion Following Pediatric Cardiac Surgery
Authors: Mizumoto Masahiro , Masaki Naoki , Sai Sadahiro
Published: December 2021

A standard treatment for pericardial effusion without cardiac tamponade after pediatric cardiac surgery has not been established. We evaluated the efficacy of short-term oral prednisolone administration, which is the initial treatment for postoperative pericardial effusion without cardiac tamponade at our institution. Between October 2008 and March 2020, 1429 pediatric cardiac surgeries were performed at our institution. 91 patients required postoperative treatment for pericardial effusion. 81 were treated with short-term oral prednisolone. Pericardial effusion was evaluated using serial echocardiography during diastole. Pericardial drainage was performed for patients with circumferential pericardial effusion with a maximum diameter of ≥ 10 mm or signs of cardiac tamponade. Short-term oral prednisolone treatment was administered to patients with circumferential pericardial effusion with a maximum diameter of < 10 mm or localized pericardial effusion with a maximum diameter of ≥ 5 mm. Patients with localized pericardial effusion with a maximum diameter of < 5 mm were observed. Prednisolone (2 mg/kg/day) was administered orally for 3 days, added as needed. Short-term oral prednisolone treatment was effective in 71 cases and 90% of patients were regarded as responders. The remaining patients were deemed non-responders who required pericardial drainage. Overall, 55 responders were deemed early responders whose pericardial effusion disappeared within 3 days. There were no cases of deaths, infections, or recurrence of pericardial effusion. The amount of drainage fluid on the day of surgery was higher in the non-responders. In conclusion, short-term oral prednisolone treatment is effective and safe for treating pericardial effusion without cardiac tamponade after pediatric cardiac surgery.
Three-dimensional imaging of swirled spray injection in a generic aero engine burner under realistic operating conditions
Authors: Klinner Joachim , Willert Christian E.
Published: December 2021

Tomographic shadowgraph imaging is applied to reconstruct the instantaneous three-dimensional spray field immediately downstream of a generic aero engine fuel injector. Within the swirl passage of the injector model, a single kerosene jet undergoes air-blast atomization in a cross-flow configuration at Weber numbers of $$\text {We}=360-770$$

We
=
360
-
770

, air pressures of $$p_a=4-7\,\text{ bar }$$

p
a

=
4
-
7

bar

and air temperatures of $$T_a=440-570\,\text{ K }$$

T
a

=
440
-
570

K

. High-speed, high magnification shadowgraphy is used to visualize the initial fuel atomization stages within the fuel injector before the spray enters the spray chamber. The 4-camera tomographic measurement setup is described in detail and includes a depth-of-field analysis with respect to droplet size based on Mie simulations and calibration data of the point-spread function. For a volume size of $$16\times 13\times 10\,\text{ mm}^3$$

16
×
13
×
10

mm
3

, the smallest resolvable droplet diameter is estimated to be $$d=10\,\mu \text{ m }$$

d
=
10

μ

m

within the focal plane and increases to $$d \approx 20\,\mu \text{ m }$$

d
≈
20

μ

m

toward the edges of the volume. Droplet velocities above the resolution limit were retrieved by 3-d cross-correlation of two volumetric reconstructions recorded at two consecutive time-steps. This is accompanied by an error analysis on the random error dependency on the camera viewing geometry. The results indicate increasing motion and fluctuations of the spray tail with increasing temperature and Weber number. Validation against PDA data further downstream of the burner plate revealed consistency for size classes $$d=10\,\mu \text{ m }$$

d
=
10

μ

m

and $$d=15\,\mu \text{ m }$$

d
=
15

μ

m

. Deviations from PDA occur in regions with strong velocity gradients due to different spatial resolutions, the presence of reconstruction ambiguities (ghost particles), uncertainties inherent to the two-frame cross-correlation of spray volumes and the finite LED pulse duration.

Graphical Abstract
Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on pediatric trauma in Southern California
Authors: Yeates Eric O. , Grigorian Areg , Schellenberg Morgan , Owattanapanich Natthida , Barmparas Galinos , Margulies Daniel , Juillard Catherine , Garber Kent , Cryer Henry , Tillou Areti , Burruss Sigrid , Penaloza-Villalobos Liz , Lin Ann , Figueras Ryan Arthur , Coimbra Raul , Brenner Megan , Costantini Todd , Santorelli Jarrett , Curry Terry , Wintz Diane , Biffl Walter L. , Schaffer Kathryn B. , Duncan Thomas K. , Barbaro Casey , Diaz Graal , Johnson Arianne , Chinn Justine , Naaseh Ariana , Leung Amanda , Grabar Christina , Nahmias Jeffry
Published: December 2021

Purpose

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in increased penetrating trauma and decreased length of stay (LOS) amongst the adult trauma population, findings important for resource allocation. Studies regarding the pediatric trauma population are sparse and mostly single-center. This multicenter study examined pediatric trauma patients, hypothesizing increased penetrating trauma and decreased LOS after the 3/19/2020 stay-at-home (SAH) orders.

Methods

A multicenter retrospective analysis of trauma patients ≤ 17 years old presenting to 11 centers in California was performed. Demographic data, injury characteristics, and outcomes were collected. Patients were divided into three groups based on injury date: 3/19/2019–6/30/2019 (CONTROL), 1/1/2020–3/18/2020 (PRE), 3/19/2020–6/30/2020 (POST). POST was compared to PRE and CONTROL in separate analyses.

Results

1677 patients were identified across all time periods (CONTROL: 631, PRE: 479, POST: 567). POST penetrating trauma rates were not significantly different compared to both PRE (11.3 vs. 9.0%, p = 0.219) and CONTROL (11.3 vs. 8.2%, p = 0.075), respectively. POST had a shorter mean LOS compared to PRE (2.4 vs. 3.3 days, p = 0.002) and CONTROL (2.4 vs. 3.4 days, p = 0.002). POST was also not significantly different than either group regarding intensive care unit (ICU) LOS, ventilator days, and mortality (all p > 0.05).

Conclusions

This multicenter retrospective study demonstrated no difference in penetrating trauma rates among pediatric patients after SAH orders but did identify a shorter LOS.
Recommendations for diagnosing STIC: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Bogaerts Joep M. A. , Steenbeek Miranda P. , van Bommel Majke H. D. , Bulten Johan , van der Laak Jeroen A. W. M. , de Hullu Joanne A. , Simons Michiel
Published: December 2021

Our understanding of the oncogenesis of high-grade serous cancer of the ovary and its precursor lesions, such as serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma (STIC), has significantly increased over the last decades. Adequate and reproducible diagnosis of these precursor lesions is important. Diagnosing STIC can have prognostic consequences and is an absolute requirement for safely offering alternative risk reducing strategies, such as risk reducing salpingectomy with delayed oophorectomy. However, diagnosing STIC is a challenging task, possessing only moderate reproducibility. In this review and meta-analysis, we look at how pathologists come to a diagnosis of STIC. We performed a literature search identifying 39 studies on risk reducing salpingo-oophorectomy in women with a known BRCA1/2 PV, collectively reporting on 6833 patients. We found a pooled estimated proportion of STIC of 2.8% (95% CI, 2.0–3.7). We focused on reported grossing protocols, morphological criteria, level of pathologist training, and the use of immunohistochemistry. The most commonly mentioned morphological characteristics of STIC are (1) loss of cell polarity, (2) nuclear pleomorphism, (3) high nuclear to cytoplasmic ratio, (4) mitotic activity, (5) pseudostratification, and (6) prominent nucleoli. The difference in reported incidence of STIC between studies who totally embedded all specimens and those who did not was 3.2% (95% CI, 2.3–4.2) versus 1.7% (95% CI, 0.0–6.2) (p 0.24). We provide an overview of diagnostic features and present a framework for arriving at an adequate diagnosis, consisting of the use of the SEE-FIM grossing protocol, evaluation by a subspecialized gynecopathologist, rational use of immunohistochemical staining, and obtaining a second opinion from a colleague.
Gregarines modulate insect responses to sublethal insecticide residues
Authors: Wolz Marina , Schrader Alia , Whitelaw Eileen , Müller Caroline
Published: December 2021

Throughout their lifetime, insects face multiple environmental challenges that influence their performance. Gregarines are prevalent endoparasites in most invertebrates that affect the fitness of their hosts, but are often overlooked in ecological studies. Next to such biotic factors, a current common challenge is anthropogenic pollution with pesticides, which causes a major threat to non-target organisms that are readily exposed to lethal or sublethal concentrations. In a laboratory study, we investigated whether the presence of gregarines modulates the food consumption and life history traits of a (non-target) leaf beetle species, Phaedon cochleariae, in response to sublethal insecticide exposure. We show that the larval food consumption of the herbivore was neither affected by gregarine infection nor sublethal insecticide exposure. Nevertheless, infection with gregarines led to a delayed development, while insecticide exposure resulted in a lower body mass of adult males and a reduced reproduction of females. Individuals exposed to both challenges suffered most, as they had the lowest survival probability. This indicates detrimental effects on the population dynamics of non-target insects infected with naturally occurring gregarines that face additional stress from agrochemical pollution. Moreover, we found that the infection load with gregarines was higher in individuals exposed to sublethal insecticide concentrations compared to unexposed individuals. To counteract the global decline of insects, the potential of natural parasite infections in modulating insect responses to anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic environmental factors should be considered in ecological risk assessment.
Desaster Szenario unter Tage – MED1stMR – neue Ansätze im Training von medizinischen Ersthelfern
Authors: Harthum Birgit , Schrom-Feiertag Helmut , Wenighofer Robert
Published: December 2021

Medizinische Ersthelfer adäquat und realitätsnahe zu trainieren, ist eine Herausforderung. Realistische Umgebungen, die zu Übungszwecken gesperrt werden können, sind rar gesät und werden oftmals aufgrund von Budget und zeitlichen Einschränkungen selten genutzt. Das Zentrum am Berg (ZaB) der Montanuniversität Leoben, Österreich, hat hierzu bereits 2019 Lösungsansätze entwickelt, die das Training von Blaulichtorganisationen auch in unter Tage Situationen ermöglichen. Die Errichtung von Testzentren wie dem ZaB-Projekt folgt dem Vorschlag der EU-Kommission, die Sicherheit von Straßen- und Eisenbahntunneln zu erhöhen, und ist eine Reaktion auf die mehreren Tausend Tunnelkilometer in der EU, die in Betrieb oder im Bau sind.

Mit der Teilnahme des ZaB am Forschungsprojekt MED1stMR wird ein weiterer Schritt in die Verbesserung solcher medizinischen Einsatztrainings unternommen. Nun soll nicht mehr nur im realen Umfeld trainiert werden können, sondern die Erfahrung aus dem Tunnel und seine Besonderheiten für Ersthelfer wandert in die erweiterte virtuelle Umgebung und es soll ein Trainingslösung entstehen, die Virtual Reality (VR) mit haptischen Objekten wie Simulationspuppen und der Messung von Stressdaten der Ersthelfer zu einer Mixed Reality (MR) Lösung vereint, um eine auf künstlicher Intelligenz basierte Szenario Steuerung zu implementieren, um letztlich die Leistung der medizinischen Ersthelfer unter Wahrung ihrer Resilienz zu steigern. MED1stMR Train – [Skills.Resilience.Performance] – Save Lives ist hierzu das Motto des EU geförderten Forschungs-Projektes.
Leitlinie S1: Long COVID: Differenzialdiagnostik und Behandlungsstrategien
Authors: Rabady Susanne , Altenberger Johann , Brose Markus , Denk-Linnert Doris-Maria , Fertl Elisabeth , Götzinger Florian , de la Cruz Gomez Pellin Maria , Hofbaur Benedikt , Hoffmann Kathryn , Hoffmann-Dorninger Renate , Koczulla Rembert , Lammel Oliver , Lamprecht Bernd , Löffler-Ragg Judith , Müller Christian A. , Poggenburg Stefanie , Rittmannsberger Hans , Sator Paul , Strenger Volker , Vonbank Karin , Wancata Johannes , Weber Thomas , Weber Jörg , Weiss Günter , Wendler Maria , Zwick Ralf-Harun
Published: December 2021

Die vorliegende Leitlinie S1 fasst den Stand der Kenntnis zu Long COVID zum Zeitpunkt des Redaktionsschlusses zusammen. Aufgund der starken Dynamik der Wissensentwicklung versteht sie sich als „living guideline“. Der Schwerpunkt liegt auf der praktischen Anwendbarkeit auf der Ebene der hausärztlichen Primärversorgung, die als geeignete Stelle für den Erstzutritt und für die primäre Betreuung und Behandlung verstanden wird. Die Leitlinie gibt Empfehlungen zur Differenzialdiagnostik der häufigsten Symptome, die in der Folge einer Infektion mit SARS-CoV‑2 auftreten können, zu therapeutischen Optionen, zu Patient:innenführung und -betreuung, sowie zu Wiedereingliederung in den Alltag, und die Rehabilitation. Entsprechend des Krankheitsbildes ist die Leitlinie in einem interdisziplinären Prozess entstanden und gibt Empfehlungen zu Schnittstellen und Kooperationsmöglichkeiten.
Evaluation of visual-induced motion sickness from head-mounted display using heartbeat evoked potential: a cognitive load-focused approach
Authors: Park Sangin , Kim Laehyun , Kwon Jangho , Choi Soo Ji , Whang Mincheol
Published: December 2021

Based on sensory conflict theory, motion sickness is strongly related to the information processing capacity or resources of the brain to cope with the multi-sensory stimuli experienced by watching virtual reality (VR) content. The purpose of this research was to develop a method of measuring motion sickness using the heart-evoked potential (HEP) phenomenon and propose new indicators for evaluating motion sickness. Twenty-eight undergraduate volunteers of both genders (14 females) participated in this study by watching VR content on both 2D and head-mounted devices (HMD) for 15 min. The responses of HEP measures such as alpha power, latency, and amplitude of first and second HEP components were compared using paired t-tests and ANCOVA. This study confirmed that motion sickness leads to a decline in cognitive processing, as demonstrated by increasing in alpha power of HEP. Also, the proposed indicators such as latency and amplitude of the HEP waveform showed significant differences during the experience of motion sickness and exhibited high correlations with alpha power measures. Latencies of the first HEP component, in particular, are recommended as better quantitative evaluators of motion sickness than other measures, following the multitrait-multimethod matrix. The proposed model for motion sickness was implemented in a support vector machine with a radial basis function kernel, and validated on twenty new participants. The accuracy, F1 score, precision, recall, and area under the curve (AUC) of the motion-sickness classification results were 0.875, 0.865, 0.941, 0.8, and 0.962, respectively.
Metal accumulation in relation to size and body condition in an all-alien species community
Authors: Balzani Paride , Kouba Antonín , Tricarico Elena , Kourantidou Melina , Haubrock Phillip J.
Published: December 2021

Metal pollution is one of the main environmental threats in freshwater ecosystems. Aquatic animals can accumulate these substances and transfer them across the food web, posing risks for both predators and humans. Accumulation patterns strongly vary depending on the location, species, and size (which in fish and crayfish is related to age) of individuals. Moreover, high metal concentrations can negatively affect animals’ health. To assess the intraspecific relationship between metal accumulation and size and health (proxied by the body condition) of individuals, the concentration of 14 metals (Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, Zn) was analyzed in six alien species from the highly anthropogenically altered Arno River (Central Italy): five fish (Alburnus alburnus, Pseudorasbora parva, Lepomis gibbosus, Ictalurus punctatus, and Silurus glanis) and one crayfish (Procambarus clarkii). We found that in P. clarkii, Cu was negatively related to size, as well as Al in L. gibbosus and Mg for adult I. punctatus. Positive size-dependent relationships were found for Hg in L. gibbosus, Fe in S. glanis, and Cr in juvenile I. punctatus. Only Co and Mg in S. glanis were found to negatively correlate with individual health. Since metal concentrations in animal tissue depend on trade-offs between uptake and excretion, the few significant results suggest different types of trade-offs across different species and age classes. However, only predatory fish species (L. gibbosus, I. punctatus, and S. glanis) presented significant relationships, suggesting that feeding habits are one of the primary drivers of metal accumulation.
Tissue distribution and transcriptional regulation of CCN5 in the heart after myocardial infarction
Authors: Zolfaghari Sima , Kaasbøll Ole Jørgen , Ahmed M. Shakil , Line Fabian A. , Hagelin Else Marie V. , Monsen Vivi T. , Attramadal Håvard
Published: December 2021

CCN5 is a divergent member of the cellular communication network factor (CCN) family in that it lacks the carboxyl terminal cystine knot domain common to the other CCN family members. CCN5 has been reported to antagonize the profibrotic actions of CCN2 and to inhibit myocardial collagen deposition and fibrosis in chronic pressure overload of the heart. However, what mechanisms that regulate CCN5 activity in the heart remain unknown. Recombinant, replication defective adenovirus encoding firefly luciferase under control of the human CCN5 promoter was prepared and used to investigate what mechanisms regulate CCN5 transcription in relevant cells. Tissue distribution of CCN5 in hearts from healthy mice and from mice subjected to myocardial infarction was investigated. Contrary to the profibrotic immediate early gene CCN2, we find that CCN5 is induced in the late proliferation and maturation phases of scar healing. CCN5 was identified principally in endothelial cells, fibroblasts, smooth muscle cells, and macrophages. Our data show that CCN5 gene transcription and protein levels are induced by catecholamines via β2-adrenergic receptors. Myocardial induction of CCN5 was further confirmed in isoproterenol-infused mice. We also find that CCN5 transcription is repressed by TNF-α, an inflammatory mediator highly elevated in early phases of wound healing following myocardial infarction. In conclusion, CCN5 predominates in endothelial cells, fibroblasts, and macrophages of the differentiating scar tissue and its transcription is conversely regulated by β2-adrenergic agonists and TNF-α.