bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Xuanwei Ham Proteins with Different Ripening Periods on Lipid Metabolism, Oxidative Stress, and Gut Microbiota in Mice
Authors: Guo Jie , Xu Feiran , Xie Yong , Chen Bo , Wang Ying , Nie Wen , Zhou Kai , Zhou Hui , Xu Baocai
Published: July 2022

Scope

Consumption of dry‐cured ham may have a cardiovascular disease preventive capacity. However, whether ham protein in the maintenance of health and prevention of disease is dependent on ripening periods need to be clarified.

Methods and results

Fifty C57BL/6 mice consume a diet that contains either Casein, raw ham protein (XWH0), or Xuanwei ham protein after 1‐, 2‐, or 3‐years of maturation (XWH1, XWH2, or XWH3) for 4 weeks. Results show that longer ripening periods in the Xuanwei ham groups are negatively correlated with body weight gain, adipose tissue weight, total cholesterol (TC), and triglycerides levels in serum and liver, and these proteins intake could maintain liver health, reduce lipid deposition and oxidative stress, regulate lipid metabolism‐related genes expression, alter the gut microbiota, and promote short‐chain fatty acid production. Remarkably, XWH3 intake maintains lower TC and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in serum and has high antioxidative activity as well. This regulation of lipid metabolism and oxidative stress may be related to the AMPK/Nrf2 signaling.

Conclusion

Xuanwei ham dietary proteins that have endured a specific ripening period may have preventive effects on metabolic syndrome, which provide a basis for new ideas for nutritional health interventions.
Application of 2D EXSY and qNMR Spectroscopy for Diastereomeric Excess Determination Following Chiral Resolution of β‐Lactams
Authors: McLoughlin Eavan C. , O'Brien John E. , Trujillo Cristina , Meegan Mary J. , O'Boyle Niamh M.
Published: July 2022

Trans‐β‐lactam isomers have garnered much attention as anti‐cancer microtubule targeting agents. Currently available synthetic methods are available for the preparation of enantiopure β‐lactams and favour isomericcis/transβ‐lactam mixtures. Indirect chiral resolution offers the opportunity for isolation of exclusively enantiopuretrans‐β‐lactams. In this study, liquid chromatography chiral resolution of β‐lactams derivatized as diastereomer mixtures with a panel ofN‐protected amino acids is explored, whereN‐(Boc)‐L‐proline served as the optimal chiral derivatising reagent. High‐performance liquid chromatography failed to adequately determine diastereomeric excess (de) of resolved diastereomers. Variable temperature,1H NMR and 2D EXSY spectroscopic analyses of proline‐derivatised diastereomers were successfully employed to characterise equilibrating rotamers of resolved diastereomers and determine theirde. Integration of resolved resonances corresponding to H3and H4of the β‐lactam ring served as a quantitative qNMR tool for the calculation ofdefollowing resolution.
Novel methods for pregnancy drug safety surveillance in the FDA Sentinel System
Authors: Suarez Elizabeth A. , Nguyen Michael , Zhang Di , Zhao Yueqin , Stojanovic Danijela , Munoz Monica , Liedtka Jane , Anderson Abby , Liu Wei , Dashevsky Inna , Cole David , DeLuccia Sandra , Menzin Talia , Noble Jennifer , Maro Judith C.
Published: July 2022

Purpose

It is a priority of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to monitor the safety of medications used during pregnancy. Pregnancy exposure registries and cohort studies utilizing electronic health record data are primary sources of information but are limited by small sample sizes and limited outcome assessment. TreeScan™, a statistical data mining tool, can be applied within the FDA Sentinel System to simultaneously identify multiple potential adverse neonatal and infant outcomes after maternal medication exposure.

Methods

We implemented TreeScan using the Sentinel analytic tools in a cohort of linked live birth deliveries and infants nested in the IBM MarketScan® Research Database. As a case study, we compared first trimester fluoroquinolone use and cephalosporin use. We used the Bernoulli and Poisson TreeScan statistics with compatible propensity score‐based study designs for confounding control (matching and stratification) and used multiple propensity score models with various strategies for confounding control to inform best practices. We developed a hierarchical outcome tree including major congenital malformations and outcomes of gestational length and birth weight.

Results

A total of 1791 fluoroquinolone‐exposed and 8739 cephalosporin‐exposed mother‐infant pairs were eligible for analysis. Both TreeScan analysis methods resulted in single alerts that were deemed to be due to uncontrolled confounding or otherwise not warranting follow‐up.

Conclusions

In this implementation of TreeScan using Sentinel analytic tools, we did not observe any new safety signals for fluoroquinolone use in the first trimester. TreeScan, with tailored or high‐dimensional propensity scores for confounding control, is a valuable tool in addition to current safety surveillance methods for medications used during pregnancy.
High‐temperature mass spectrometric study of thermodynamic properties in the TiO2–Al2O3–SiO2 system and modeling
Authors: Stolyarova Valentina L. , Vorozhtcov Viktor A. , Shemchuk Daria V. , Shilov Andrey L. , Lopatin Sergey I. , Almjashev Vyacheslav I. , Shuvaeva Elena B. , Kirillova Svetlana A.
Published: July 2022

Rationale

The TiO2–Al2O3–SiO2 system is the base for various glass–ceramic materials, which have great practical value for a large number of modern technologies. Many TiO2–Al2O3–SiO2 materials are synthesized or applied at high temperatures, which justifies the relevance of the present study.

Methods

The samples in the TiO2–Al2O3–SiO2 system were synthesized using the method of induction melting in a cold crucible. The thermodynamic properties of the TiO2–Al2O3–SiO2 system were studied using the Knudsen effusion mass spectrometric method. The derived thermodynamic functions were optimized within the generalized lattice theory of associated solutions (GLTAS) approach and compared with the results of calculation using the semiempirical Kohler, Muggianu, Toop, Redlich–Kister, and Wilson methods based on the corresponding data in the binary systems.

Results

The SiO2 selective vaporization from the samples under study was shown at temperatures above 1940 K. The thermodynamic properties in the TiO2–Al2O3–SiO2 system, including the TiO2–SiO2 system, were obtained in the temperature range 1965–2012 K and were optimized using GLTAS to obtain the consistent concentration dependences of the component activities and excess Gibbs energies.

Conclusions

Positive deviations from the ideal behavior were observed in the TiO2–Al2O3–SiO2 system at high temperatures. Comparison of these values with the results of the modeling based on the GLTAS approach allowed the recommendations regarding the optimal semiempirical methods for the excess Gibbs energy calculation in different concentration ranges to be made.
A Bayesian modified Ising model for identifying spatially variable genes from spatial transcriptomics data
Authors: Jiang Xi , Xiao Guanghua , Li Qiwei
Published: July 2022

A recent technology breakthrough in spatial molecular profiling (SMP) has enabled the comprehensive molecular characterizations of single cells while preserving spatial information. It provides new opportunities to delineate how cells from different origins form tissues with distinctive structures and functions. One immediate question in SMP data analysis is to identify genes whose expressions exhibit spatially correlated patterns, called spatially variable (SV) genes. Most current methods to identify SV genes are built upon the geostatistical model with Gaussian process to capture the spatial patterns. However, the Gaussian process models rely on ad hoc kernels that could limit the models' ability to identify complex spatial patterns. In order to overcome this challenge and capture more types of spatial patterns, we introduce a Bayesian approach to identify SV genes via a modified Ising model. The key idea is to use the energy interaction parameter of the Ising model to characterize spatial expression patterns. We use auxiliary variable Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms to sample from the posterior distribution with an intractable normalizing constant in the model. Simulation studies using both simulated and synthetic data showed that the energy‐based modeling approach led to higher accuracy in detecting SV genes than those kernel‐based methods. When applied to two real spatial transcriptomics (ST) datasets, the proposed method discovered novel spatial patterns that shed light on the biological mechanisms. In summary, the proposed method presents a new perspective for analyzing ST data.
3D‐Printed Möbius Microring Lasers: Topology Engineering in Photonic Microstructures
Authors: Lin Xianqing , Zhou Wu , Liu Yingying , Shu Fang‐Jie , Zou Chang‐Ling , Dong Chunhua , Wei Cong , Dong Haiyun , Zhang Chuang , Yao Jiannian , Zhao Yong Sheng
Published: July 2022

Manipulating photons in artificially structured materials is highly desired in modern photonic technology. Nontrivial topological structures are rapidly emerging as a state‐of‐art platform for achieving unprecedented fascinating phenomena of photon manipulation. However, the current studies mainly focus on planar structures, and the fabrication of photonic microstructures with specific topological geometric features still remains a great challenge. Extending the topological photonics to 3D microarchitectures is expected to enrich the photon manipulation capabilities and further advance the topological photonic devices. Here, a femtosecond laser direct writing technique is employed to fabricate 3D topological Möbius microring resonators from dye‐doped polymer. The high‐quality‐factor Möbius microring resonator supports a unique spin‐orbit coupled lasing at very low threshold. Due to the spin‐orbit coupling induced geometric/Berry phase, the Möbius microrings, in striking contrast with ordinary microrings, output laser signals with all polarization states. The manipulation of miniaturized coherent light sources in the fabricated Möbius microrings represents a significant step forward toward 3D topological photonics that offers a novel design philosophy for functional photonic and optoelectronic devices.
Fully‐Exposed Pd Cluster Catalyst: An Excellent Catalytic Antibacterial Nanomaterial
Authors: Meng Fanchi , Qin Xuetao , Yang Lini , Huang Fei , Diao Jiangyong , Cai Xiangbin , Zhang Di , Li Ling , Zhu Pengbo , Peng Mi , Wang Ning , Xiao Dequan , Xia Lixin , Liu Hongyang , Ma Ding
Published: July 2022

Exploring antibacterial nanomaterials with excellent catalytic antibacterial properties has always been a hot research topic. However, the construction of nanomaterials with robust antibacterial activity at the atomic level remains a great challenge. Here a fully‐exposed Pd cluster atomically‐dispersed on nanodiamond‐graphene (Pdn/ND@G) with excellent catalytic antibacterial properties is reported. The fully‐exposed Pd cluster nanozyme provides atomically‐dispersed Pd cluster sites that facilitate the activation of oxygen. Notably, the oxidase‐like catalytic performance of the fully‐exposed Pd cluster nanozyme is much higher than that of Pd single‐atom oxidase mimic, Pd nanoparticles oxidase mimic and even the previously reported palladium‐based oxidase mimics. Under the density functional theory (DFT) calculations, the Pd cluster sites can efficiently catalyze the decomposition of oxygen to generate reactive oxygen species, resulting in strong antibacterial properties. This research provides a valuable insight to the design of novel oxidase mimic and antibacterial nanomaterial.
Atomic‐Level Pt Electrocatalyst Synthesized via Iced Photochemical Method for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction with High Efficiency
Authors: Sun Zhiyi , Yang Yuqi , Fang Chaohe , Yao Yinchao , Qin Fengjuan , Gu Hongfei , Liu Qingqing , Xu Wenjing , Tang Hao , Jiang Zheng , Ge Binghui , Chen Wenxing , Chen Zhuo
Published: July 2022

In heterogeneous catalysis, metal particle morphology and size can influence markedly the activity. It is of great significance to rationally design and control the synthesis of Pt at the atomic level to demonstrate the structure‐activity relationship toward electrocatalysis. Herein, a powerful strategy is reported to synthesize graphene‐supported platinum‐based electrocatalyst, that is, nanocatalysts with controllable size can be prepared by iced photochemical method, including single atoms (Pt‐SA@HG), nanoclusters (Pt‐Clu@HG), and nanocrystalline (Pt‐Nc@HG). The Pt‐SA@HG exhibits unexpected electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performances with 13 mV overpotential at 10 mA cm−2 current densities which surpass Pt‐Clu@HG and Pt‐Nc@HG. The in situ X‐ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (XAFS) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations determine the Pt‐C3 active site is linchpin to the excellent HER performance of Pt‐SA@HG. Compared with the traditional Pt‐Nx coordination structure, the pure carbon coordinated Pt‐C3 site is more favorable for HER. This work opens up a new way to adjust the metal particle size and catalytic performance of graphene at a multiscale level.
Performance testing as a service using cloud computing environment: A survey
Authors: Ali Amira , Maghawry Huda Amin , Badr Nagwa
Published: July 2022

Cloud testing is gaining much attention in both academia and industry as an emerging concept in the field of software testing. Cloud testing implies leveraging the resources of the cloud computing environment to overcome deficiencies of the traditional testing approaches. As a result, testing‐as‐a‐service (TaaS) is introduced as a service model that conducts all testing activities in a fully automated manner using cloud‐based resources. Performance testing is a type of software testing that validates the performance characteristics of the application under test (AUT) when subjected to different workloads during its operation. Performance characteristics include throughput, response time, and resource utilization of the AUT under a certain workload. This paper focuses on reviewing the literature related to the provision of performance testing as a service (P‐TaaS). In this study, we survey the previous work related to cloud‐based performance testing. We show the strengths and weaknesses of the current research. Besides, we compare the P‐TaaS with the traditional performance testing methodologies. A detailed discussion of the benefits and challenges of P‐TaaS is introduced along with identifying the research gaps and the future directions that can be adopted.
Key challenges in security of IoT devices and securing them with the blockchain technology
Authors: Bryant Blake , Saiedian Hossein
Published: July 2022

Internet of Things (IoT) data processing enables rapid access to large volumes of data with the possibility of improving service‐oriented business models. As such, the rapid adoption of IoT devices has resulted in a large number of low‐powered devices integrating into traditional communication networks and influencing practically all assets of everyday life. However, the integration of IoT devices into traditional networks comes at a price, often in the form of added security challenges or administrative complexity. Some of these challenges may be addressed by leveraging technology developed from an unlikely source, crypto currencies. Crypto currencies introduced the notion of a blockchain, which is comprised of several underlying technologies that may be combined with IoT protocols to enable secure mechanisms for reaping the benefits of IoT devices. This paper introduces key challenges in securing IoT devices as well as important components of blockchain technology that may contain the keys to addressing these challenges. Emerging IoT security solutions are identified and evaluated based on their assessed effectiveness.
Development of high strength mortar by utilizing glycoluril‐formaldehyde as an additive
Authors: SKM Pothinathan , Muthiah Muthukannan , Narayanan Selvapalam , Gnanaraj Chirshtopher
Published: July 2022

Polymer cement mortar/concrete with enhanced mechanical strength could be an asset in the construction process as it improves concrete with desirable functionality. With few merits and demerits, several synthetic polymers are available in local markets such as epoxy, latex, urea‐formaldehyde, and other resins to enhance the strength of concrete. In this paper, we decided to explore glycoluril with cement to create a new type of polymer modified mortar/concrete. Glycoluril remains unrevealed in mortar/concrete study along with the strength analysis and it is expected to create a new avenue in concrete materials together with formaldehyde since this polymer allows incredible quantum of strength to the concrete under various combination of glycoluril and formaldehyde. This new polymeric material is presumed to develop mortar/concrete materials with higher strength in the future.
A Review on Electrode Materials of Fast‐Charging Lithium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Zhang Zhen , Zhao Decheng , Xu Yuanyuan , Liu Shupei , Xu Xiangyu , Zhou Jian , Gao Fei , Tang Hao , Wang Zhoulu , Wu Yutong , Liu Xiang , Zhang Yi
Published: July 2022

In recent years, the driving range of electric vehicles (EVs) has been dramatically improved. But the large‐scale adoption of EVs still is hindered by long charging time. The high‐energy LIBs are unable to be safely fast‐charged due to their electrode materials with unsatisfactory rate performance. Thus it is necessary to summarize the properties of cathode and anode materials of fast‐charging LIBs. In this review, we summarize the background, the fundamentals, electrode materials and future development of fast‐charging LIBs. First, we introduce the research background and the physicochemical basics for fast‐charging LIBs. Second, typical cathode materials of LIBs and the method to enhancing their fast‐charging properties are discussed. Third, the anode materials of LIBs and the strategies for improving their fast‐charging performance are analyzed. Finally, the future development of the cathode materials in fast‐charging LIBs is prospected.
Evaluation of protective effects of quercetin against cypermethrin‐induced lung toxicity in rats via oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, autophagy, and endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway
Authors: Ileriturk Mustafa , Kandemir Ozge , Kandemir Fatih Mehmet
Published: July 2022

Cypermethrin (CYP), a type II synthetic pyrethroid, is the most widely used insecticide worldwide. Inhalation of it may cause side effects. This study is aimed to examine potential protection of quercetin (QUE) which is a well‐known antioxidant in CYP‐induced lung toxicity. Accordingly, 35 Spraque Dawley male rats were divided into five equal groups as follows: I‐Control group, II‐QUE group (50 mg/kg/b.w. QUE), III‐CYP group (25 mg/kg/b.w. CYP), IV‐CYP + QUE 25 (25 mg/kg/b.w. CYP + 25 mg/kg/b.w. QUE), V‐CYP + QUE (25 mg/kg/b.w. CYP + 50 mg/kg/b.w. QUE) were treated with oral gavage throughout 28 days. CYP intoxication was associated with increased malondialdehyde level while glutathione concentration, activities of glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase reduced. CYP adminisitration caused of apoptosis in the lung by up‐regulating caspase‐3 and Bax levels and down‐regulating Bcl‐2. CYP also caused of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress by increasing mRNA transcript levels of PERK, IRE1, ATF6, and GRP78. Additionally, it was observed that CYP administration activated IL‐6/JAK2/STAT3/MAPK14 signaling pathway and levels of IL‐1β, NF‐κB, TNF‐α, and iNOS in the lung tissue. Therefore, it was determined that CYP administration triggered autophagy by upregulating LC3A and LC3B mRNA transcript levels. Moreover, the protein levels of NF‐κB, caspase‐3, Bax, Bcl‐2, and cytochorme‐c were examined by Western blot analysis. However, co‐treatment with QUE at a dose of 25 and 50 mg/kg considerably protective oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, ER stress, autophagy, and IL‐6/JAK2/STAT3/MAPK14 signaling pathway in lung tissue. Overall, the findings of this study suggest that lung damage associated with CYP toxicity could be protected by QUE administration.
Determination of reference intervals for nonesterified fatty acids in the blood serum of healthy dogs
Authors: Doll Sophie‐Charlotte K. , Haimerl Peggy , Bartel Alexander , Arlt Sebastian P.
Published: July 2022

Background

Nonesterified fatty acids (NEFAs) are an important energy substrate in mammals. Measurement of the NEFA concentration in blood serum is common practice and enables reliable detection of a negative energy balance in several species. This parameter can be used to detect subclinical metabolic diseases or to optimise feeding to prevent severe negative energy balance. Since no reference values for dogs have been published, the aim of this study was to establish such values.

Methods

Blood serum from 85 healthy dogs was examined with a multiparameter clinical chemistry analyser. Given that NEFA values are not usually normally distributed, reference intervals (RIs) were calculated nonparametrically using bootstrapping (5000 replicates) for the 90% confidence intervals.

Results

The examined cohort had a median age of 62.16 months (2–180 months) and a median weight of 19.2 kg (3.0–55.0 kg) and comprised 27 (31.8%) males and 58 (68.2%) females, with 32 (37.6%) neutered or spayed. The fasting time was 5.9 h (range 0–23 h). The tested confounders age, sex, neuter status, bodyweight and body condition score did not significantly affect the NEFA concentrations.

Conclusions

The NEFA RI for dogs in this study was 0.2–1.47 mmol/L. The results may be used to adjust food composition and amount in healthy dogs or to detect metabolic disorders. Further research on NEFA metabolism in dogs maintained in standardised conditions and in specific nutritional situations or with particular diseases is warranted.
Source identification and apportionment of the nitrogen in groundwater based on isotope methods in the Beilin region of Suihua basin, northeastern China
Authors: Du Shanghai , Meng Lingjun , Zhang Lijie , Liu Yingjie
Published: July 2022

Multi‐isotope method was used to analyze the migration and transformation characteristics of nitrogen in groundwater in the center of a typical confined water basin, and a simplified isotope mixing model was established to quantify the contribution of potential nitrate sources in the center of the basin. Based on the water quality monitoring results, the contour map of nitrate concentration in groundwater in the center of the basin was drawn. The results showed that the nitrate concentration in groundwater in the center of the basin increased gradually from upstream to downstream. The high value area of nitrate concentration in phreatic water is mainly affected by agricultural activities and infiltration of sewage discharge from upstream urban areas. The high value area of nitrate concentration in confined water is mainly due to the water level depression funnel caused by large exploitation of confined water. The quantitative results of N‐O isotope mixing model for potential nitrate sources show that the main recharge sources of groundwater in the center of the basin are atmospheric precipitation, agricultural irrigation water, and the lateral inflow of upstream groundwater. Agricultural irrigation water has the highest contribution rate of 67.01%. The main recharge sources of confined aquifer in the center of the basin are phreatic water leakage and lateral inflow of upstream confined water. The contribution rate of upstream confined water is between 45.55% and 56.35%, which is basically maintained at about 50%. Compared with the calculation results of D‐O isotope mixing model, the accuracy of the established N‐O isotope mixing model meets the basic requirements. The results of this study can provide technical reference and theoretical support for the identification and quantitative research of potential nitrate sources in groundwater under the same type of hydrogeological conditions.

Practitioner points

Multiple isotope fingerprint comparison to identify nitrate source contribution ratio.

Migration and transformation of nitrogen in the center of a typical confined water basin

Simplified the traditional isotope mixing model to quickly quantify the source of contamination.
The use of infrared thermography to noninvasively measure the surface temperature of polar bears during bouts of social play
Authors: Bissonnette Paige B. , Waterman Jane M. , Petersen Stephen D.
Published: July 2022

Infrared thermography or thermal imagery is a noninvasive tool that can be used to measure the temperature of surfaces. Typically, thermal imagery is used for construction or military purposes but is increasingly used as a noninvasive tool in wildlife studies. We investigated the use of thermal imagery to measure surface temperature changes as a proxy for energetic expenditure. We measured the surface temperature of polar bear (Ursus maritimus) eyes, while immobilized, to determine whether the eye is a thermal window that can accurately indicate internal temperature. We found a significant difference (2.68 ± 0.41°C) between the surface temperature of the eye measured with thermal imagery and the internal rectal temperature. Additionally, we measured surface temperature changes in polar bears after bouts of social play as a proxy for energy expenditure. Mean temperature of the eye increased by 1.34 ± 0.43°C after social play, indicating that this activity increased energy expenditure. During the fasting season, polar bears rely on fat stores, and any energy expenditure beyond what is required to travel may be costly to their survival, particularly in years of low resource availability. We conclude that thermal imagery is a useful tool to noninvasively investigate the energetics of social play.
Open, Flexible, and Serving Others: Meeting Needs during a Pandemic and beyond
Authors: Dennen Vanessa , Bong Jiyae
Published: July 2022

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic when in-person courses were switching to emergency remote learning formats, even students online needed flexibility. This case study describes how a graduate-level online class on open learning and open educational resources (OER) was redesigned to both allow students to apply their course-related knowledge and skills in the service of others and accommodate students whose other life responsibilities had changed. Findings show that these online students experienced great stress during Spring 2020, and many had increased job duties related to the shift to remote learning. These students appreciated the flexible redesign and used it as an opportunity to help integrate OER in their own remote teaching and assist others to do the same. They provided their colleagues and the field at large with educational resources about finding, using, creating, and sharing OER, all while meeting course objectives. Even students who were not employed as educators or instructional designers embraced the opportunity to be helpers and deploy their new knowledge and skills. Student learning outcomes were assessed using reflective portfolios, and course objectives were met whether students followed the original course plan or took advantage of the course redesign.
Intersectionality and Compromise: Enacting Government Policies in the Caribbean
Authors: Dickson-Deane Camille , Bristol Laurette , McNeil Dauran , Esnard Talia , Leacock Lorraine
Published: July 2022

The Caribbean as a region managed the education delivery response to COVID-19 through policy that emphasised a holistic government approach. Though each State maintains its sovereign right, throughout the various phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, locally governed Ministries of Education (Carrington, 1993) created guidance for what and how education was to continue in this region. This approach produced unique ways of continuing primary and secondary school education in the region. It also inevitably had unintended outcomes that many other regions experienced but few could quantify and qualify as to its impact on education as we knew it. Some of the unintended outcomes included how ministerial mandates were translated into actionable activities by teachers, parents and students given the challenges to financial, technological, and teaching resources. This chapter uses the pandemic as the landscape within which the stories of a variety of stakeholders (i.e., teachers, principals, parents) from the pre-tertiary sectors, in select countries outline points of intersectionality and compromise. This thus illustrates how solutions were formalised and actioned, as well as drawing on similarities and differences to extrapolate into a regional and international view.
All Hands on Deck: Faculty Collaboration in Transforming to Remote Teaching
Authors: Huang Wanju , Richardson Jennifer C.
Published: July 2022

On the eve of spring break March 2020, we received an emergency email from Purdue University’s Office of Teaching and Learning. We were invited to be part of the University’s contingency team planning for and developing resources to assist faculty with transitioning from face-to-face to emergency remote teaching and learning. Using the experience and expertise we have in the online learning realm, we were tasked to develop resources covering the most essential topics faculty needed for emergency remote teaching. Seven topics were selected based on the Community of Inquiry framework and the needs shared by our colleagues: (1) Availability and Communication, (2) Discussion Board Tips, (3) Setting Student Expectations, (4) Building Community, (5) Delivering Course Materials, (6) Adding Technology to Your Toolkit, and (7) Checking for Student Understanding. Recognizing the recommended resources and strategies needed to be relatable and replicable to earn faculty’s buy-in, we used the snowball sampling method to identify faculty from across campus who could help achieve this goal. This process gave us the opportunity to get to know our colleagues, uncover their talents, and create a new platform for shared expertise in teaching and learning. This book chapter will discuss how we structured and developed the resources for faculty by including them in the process. Further, it will show how faculty driven approach can augment the collaboration between the administration and faculty to enhance teaching and learning.
Virtual Making: Transforming Maker Education in a Teacher Education Program During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Jin Yi , Harron Jason , Maddox Helen
Published: July 2022

Promoting educational innovations through maker-centered learning in teacher education programs has been substantially disrupted due to the emergency situations resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. This chapter illustrates the transformation of a maker education initiative, led by an instructional technology coach at a southeastern university. Through a process of curating resources, documenting new and existing practices, and creating multimedia-rich online materials, the coach designed, developed, and implemented two virtual makerspace tours in addition to virtual and hyflex making sessions. In this chapter, the authors share the transformation process and multiple artifacts. This chapter intends to guide future practices of promoting educational innovations during emergency situations through sharing these innovative methods, strategies, and examples. Meanwhile, the authors share their perspectives on the advantages and disadvantages of virtual making and potential opportunities and barriers for teacher educators’ professional development and pre-service teachers’ preparation.
A Reflection on Online Teaching and Learning Through the Pandemic: Revisiting Creativity
Authors: Mao Jin
Published: July 2022

Teaching through the pandemic has revealed critical educational issues related to online learning as well as the importance of considering contextual influences and creative solutions. The purpose of this chapter is to reflect on those issues and discuss creative alternatives in response to the changing social, cultural, and technological systems. The reflection centers around three themes with a focus on recommendations for the future based on what we can learn from the emergency remote teaching and learning (ERTL) experience. The ideas proposed in the reflection themes can help establish the needed mindsets and generate creative approaches to ERTL during crisis times. Creativity is discussed and redefined within the context of ERTL during the pandemic. We should develop creative thinking, creative mindset, and creative design in re-conceptualizing assessment activities and the assessment culture for online learning as well. Recommendations to help sustain the impact of creative solutions include the need for solid network infrastructure, an innovative mindset for assessment, and a need for educational design research on creative solutions to online learning problems.
Online Higher Education in the Wake of COVID-19: A Systems Thinking Perspective
Authors: Sadiq Fawad , Malik Muhammad Sadiq
Published: July 2022

COVID-19 has adversely affected almost all the spheres of life across the globe. As a result of subsequent lockdowns, Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) face the challenge of continuing educational services and overcoming related barriers. Developed countries have an upper edge in transitioning to remote learning models with systems in place for online HE. On the contrary, in several developing countries like Pakistan, HEIs had to step into the uncharted waters of online education. This paper adopts a systems thinking perspective and reviews the complex nature of online education by looking it from three levels i.e., micro, meso, and macro while discussing the response of HEIs in Pakistan during the COVID-19. It is imperative to understand the interactions of the various components and devise a tailored solution that works within the local context and aligns all three levels for online education solutions.
Distance Learning and the Influence of Schools’ Organizational Characteristics on the Students Perceived Learning Success
Authors: Delcker Jan , Ifenthaler Dirk
Published: July 2022

The project Check-up Distance Learning pursues the goal of developing a tool for school leaders to help them identify strengths and challenges of distance learning processes at their schools. The fast provision of an evaluation tool was imminent when school leaders were forced to make ad-hoc decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the relationship between the organizational structure (flow and accessibility of information, rules for digital tools, regulations for assessment) and students’ learner success (perceived motivation, perceived ease of learning, task achievement) is analyzed based on data collected from N = 3872 stakeholders at German vocational schools. Hierarchical linear modelling shows small effects for eight items characterizing a school’s organizational structure, underlining the importance of school leaders’ managerial decisions during times of crisis.
From Emergency Remote Teaching to Effective Online Learning: A Teacher Professional Development Case Study from Higher Education in India
Authors: Raina Ashutosh , Rane Archana , Ngeze Lucian , Murthy Sahana , Iyer Sridhar
Published: July 2022

This chapter describes the design and implementation of an educational solution to prepare teachers and instructors in India for various pedagogical and technological transitions during the pandemic. The goal was to move from an emergency remote teaching approach towards adopting effective online teaching strategies. This solution had to address the key challenge of remote professional development for the online medium while accounting for the diversity in the Indian educational context, taking into account varying needs of learners, teachers, institutions, geography, availability of technology, prior experience, and goals. The solution had two parts: i) a web-based repository for self-learning, consisting of research-based principles, pedagogical strategies and tools for effective design and development of online courses, and ii) synchronous interactive workshops to support instructors in practical implementation of the principles, strategies and tools to make domain specific instruction design decisions. Overall, emphasis was paid to learner engagement, diverse learner needs, peer learning, providing effective feedback and meaningful interaction. The resource repository and workshops guided instructors through making decisions and evaluating trade-offs in their context. This article also provides a brief analysis of the data collected from workshops on teachers’ preparedness at effective integration of technology, and the impact of the OTeach resource repository, which can found at Google Sites and has 25,000+ visitors so far. The article concludes with reflections and recommendations based on our experience.
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Education in Japan and the Role of the Japan Society for Educational Technology
Authors: Goda Yoshiko , Takabayashi Tomomi , Suzuki Katsuaki
Published: July 2022

This chapter provides an overview of the strategies and responses to the educational challenges in Japan caused by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Systematic content analyses revealed an increase in the frequency of keywords (1) Global and Innovation Gateway for All (GIGA) school and (2) online education/online classroom in Japanese academic journals when the years 2019 and 2020 were compared. The GIGA School is a government-led project aiming to digitize education in primary and secondary education, and the promotion of the GIGA school project with infrastructure development as well as shifts to online education at all levels of education during the pandemic in Japan were found. Furthermore, the National Institute of Informatics has been hosting weekly online webinars to share the information pertaining to strategies and tips for effective online education, especially for higher education, since March 2020. In addition to government-led reactions, professional academic societies of educational technology have played an important role in maintaining effective education and learning, even during the pandemic. The case of the Japan Society for Educational Technology (JSET) has been presented to show the background of online education in Japan. The experiences of all researchers, practitioners, and students during the pandemic can provide an opportunity to upgrade our educational system for learning to be more effective and resistant to emergencies, regardless of the in-person or online application of the technology.
China’s Experience of Online Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Policies, Lessons and Challenges
Authors: Gu Xiaoqing , Li Ling
Published: July 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic brought severe, widespread disruptions to education worldwide. As the first country to encounter the COVID-19 outbreak, China has taken fast and decisive steps to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on education. Shortly after the outbreak, the Chinese government launched the “Classes Suspended but Learning Continues” emergency plan, which urged all schools to close and shift their teaching and learning activities entirely online. This chapter provides a critical account of the collective efforts made by different sectors across the country to maintain the continuation of education at all levels. These include: (1) a survey of the policies and measures introduced to facilitate the emergent transition to online delivery modes; (2) a reflection on the country’s experience of successfully maintaining the provision of education for over 200 million students; and (3) an elaboration of the challenges encountered that suggest directions for future research. We hope that sharing China’s experience in this chapter can contribute to the ongoing global conversations on how to better prepare education in times of crisis.
Responsive Online Course Design: Microcredentials and Non-Linear Pathways in Higher Education
Authors: Heggart Keith
Published: July 2022

COVID-19 required educators to rapidly change their course programs and structures. Many courses in higher education moved from face to face or blended models to entirely online approaches, and educators were required to grapple with new technologies and, more importantly, new pedagogies to engage students through novel mediums. One key aspect of these emergency pedagogies is the need to embrace responsive approaches to teaching and learning, especially considering program and course structure, assessment and participation. This chapter will outline the pandemic-motivated development of the Graduate Certificate in Learning Design at UTS that made use of both the principles of a Hyflex approach within individual courses as well as microcredentialling and non-linear pathways within the program structure to encourage a self-curated, student directed learning experience. A crucial outcome of this approach is that such a model of course and program structure fits well with the principles of socially-just learning design. Students have more control over what they learn, but also how and where they learn it. This means that the course is more accessible and inclusive of diverse communities.
APE1 controls DICER1 expression in NSCLC through miR-33a and miR-130b
Authors: Antoniali Giulia , Dalla Emiliano , Mangiapane Giovanna , Zhao Xiaolong , Jing Xinming , Cheng Yi , De Sanctis Veronica , Ayyildiz Dilara , Piazza Silvano , Li Mengxia , Tell Gianluca
Published: July 2022

Increasing evidence suggests different, not completely understood roles of microRNA biogenesis in the development and progression of lung cancer. The overexpression of the DNA repair protein apurinic/apyrimidinic endodeoxyribonuclease 1 (APE1) is an important cause of poor chemotherapeutic response in lung cancer and its involvement in onco-miRNAs biogenesis has been recently described. Whether APE1 regulates miRNAs acting as prognostic biomarkers of lung cancer has not been investigated, yet. In this study, we analyzed miRNAs differential expression upon APE1 depletion in the A549 lung cancer cell line using high-throughput methods. We defined a signature of 13 miRNAs that strongly correlate with APE1 expression in human lung cancer: miR-1246, miR-4488, miR-24, miR-183, miR-660, miR-130b, miR-543, miR-200c, miR-376c, miR-218, miR-146a, miR-92b and miR-33a. Functional enrichment analysis of this signature revealed its biological relevance in cancer cell proliferation and survival. We validated DICER1 as a direct functional target of the APE1-regulated miRNA-33a-5p and miR-130b-3p. Importantly, IHC analyses of different human tumors confirmed a negative correlation existing between APE1 and Dicer1 protein levels. DICER1 downregulation represents a prognostic marker of cancer development but the mechanisms at the basis of this phenomenon are still completely unknown. Our findings, suggesting that APE1 modulates DICER1 expression via miR-33a and miR-130b, reveal new mechanistic insights on DICER1 regulation, which are of relevance in lung cancer chemoresistance and cancer invasiveness.
Combining unsupervised and supervised learning techniques for enhancing the performance of functional data classifiers
Authors: Maturo Fabrizio , Verde Rosanna
Published: July 2022

This paper offers a supervised classification strategy that combines functional data analysis with unsupervised and supervised classification methods. Specifically, a two-steps classification technique for high-dimensional time series treated as functional data is suggested. The first stage is based on extracting additional knowledge from the data using unsupervised classification employing suitable metrics. The second phase applies functional supervised classification of the new patterns learned via appropriate basis representations. The experiments on ECG data and comparison with the classical approaches show the effectiveness of the proposed technique and exciting refinement in terms of accuracy. A simulation study with six scenarios is also offered to demonstrate the efficacy of the suggested strategy. The results reveal that this line of investigation is compelling and worthy of further development.
Blast wave kinematics: theory, experiments, and applications
Authors: Díaz J. S. , Rigby S. E.
Published: July 2022

Measurements of the time of arrival of shock waves from explosions can serve as powerful markers of the evolution of the shock front for determining crucial parameters driving the blast. Using standard theoretical tools and a simple ansatz for solving the hydrodynamics equations, a general expression for the Mach number of the shock front is derived. Dimensionless coordinates are introduced allowing a straightforward visualization and direct comparison of blast waves produced by a variety of explosions, including chemical, nuclear, and laser-induced plasmas. The results are validated by determining the yield of a wide range of explosions, using data from gram-size charges to thermonuclear tests.
Thresholds, critical levels, and generalized sufficientarian principles
Authors: Bossert Walter , Cato Susumu , Kamaga Kohei
Published: July 2022

This paper provides an axiomatic analysis of sufficientarian social evaluation. Sufficientarianism has emerged as an increasingly important notion of distributive justice. We propose a class of principles that we label generalized critical-level sufficientarian orderings. The distinguishing feature of our new class is that its members exhibit constant critical levels of well-being that are allowed to differ from the threshold of sufficiency. Our basic axiom assigns priority to those below the threshold, a property that is shared by numerous other sufficientarian approaches. When combined with the well-known strong Pareto principle and the assumption that there be a constant critical level, the axiom implies that the critical level cannot be below the threshold. The main results of the paper are characterizations of our new class and an important subclass. As a final observation, we identify the generalized critical-level sufficientarian orderings that permit us to avoid the repugnant conclusion and the sadistic conclusion, which are known as two fundamental challenges in population ethics.
Reoptimization of parameterized problems
Authors: Böckenhauer Hans-Joachim , Burjons Elisabet , Raszyk Martin , Rossmanith Peter
Published: July 2022

Parameterized complexity allows us to analyze the time complexity of problems with respect to a natural parameter depending on the problem. Reoptimization looks for solutions or approximations for problem instances when given solutions to neighboring instances. We combine both techniques, in order to better classify the complexity of problems in the parameterized setting. Specifically, we see that some problems in the class of compositional problems, which do not have polynomial kernels under standard complexity-theoretic assumptions, do have polynomial kernels under the reoptimization model for some local modifications. We also observe that, for some other local modifications, these same problems do not have polynomial kernels unless $$\mathbf{NP}\subseteq \mathbf{coNP/poly}$$

NP
⊆

coNP
/
poly

. We find examples of compositional problems, whose reoptimization versions do not have polynomial kernels under any of the considered local modifications. Finally, in another negative result, we prove that the reoptimization version of Connected Vertex Cover does not have a polynomial kernel unless Set Cover has a polynomial compression. In a different direction, looking at problems with polynomial kernels, we find that the reoptimization version of Vertex Cover has a polynomial kernel of size $$\varvec{2k+1}$$

2
k
+
1

using crown decompositions only, which improves the size of the kernel achievable with this technique in the classic problem.