bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Variation in stool testing for children with acute gastrointestinal infections
Authors: Markham Jessica L. , Hall Matt , Collins Megan E. , Shah Samir S. , Molloy Matthew J. , Aronson Paul L. , Cotter Jillian M. , Steiner Michael J. , McCoy Elisha , Tchou Michael J. , Stephens John R.
Published: March 2023

Background and Objective

Children with gastrointestinal infections often require acute care.The objectives of this study were to describe variations in patterns of stool testing across children's hospitals and determine whether such variation was associated with utilization outcomes.

Design, Settings and Participants

We performed a multicenter, cross‐sectional study using the Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) database. We identified stool testing (multiplex polymerase chain reaction [PCR], stool culture, ova and parasite, Clostridioides difficile, and other individual stool bacterial or viral tests) in children diagnosed with acute gastrointestinal infections.

Main Outcome and Measures

We calculated the overall testing rates and hospital‐level stool testing rates, stratified by setting (emergency department [ED]‐only vs. hospitalized). We stratified individual hospitals into low, moderate, or high testing institutions. Generalized estimating equations were then used to examine the association of hospital testing groups and outcomes, specifically, length of stay (LOS), costs, and revisit rates.

Results

We identified 498,751 ED‐only and 40,003 encounters for hospitalized children from 2016 to 2020. Compared to ED‐only encounters, stool studies were obtained with increased frequency among encounters for hospitalized children (ED‐only: 0.1%–2.3%; Hospitalized: 1.5%–13.8%, all p < 0.001). We observed substantial variation in stool testing rates across hospitals, particularly during encounters for hospitalized children (e.g., rates of multiplex PCRs ranged from 0% to 16.8% for ED‐only and 0% to 65.0% for hospitalized). There were no statistically significant differences in outcomes among low, moderate, or high testing institutions in adjusted models.

Conclusions

Children with acute gastrointestinal infections experience substantial variation in stool testing within and across hospitals, with no difference in utilization outcomes. These findings highlight the need for guidelines to address diagnostic stewardship.
Labour migration and food security in rural Mozambique: Do agricultural investment, asset building and local employment matter?
Authors: Cau Boaventura Manuel , Agadjanian Victor
Published: March 2023

Connections between labour migration and food security of left‐behind households are still poorly understood. Using data from two waves of a longitudinal survey conducted among ever‐married women in rural Mozambique, we employ multi‐level ordered logit and negative binomial regressions to examine over time three possible pathways linking men's migration and its economic success to food security of left‐behind households—agricultural investment, household material assets and women's local gainful employment. Our analyses find a significant positive association between migration's success, proxied by remittances, and food security and show that this association is largely mediated by household's possession of material assets.
Geophysical reconstruction of the late Holocene proximal proglacial landsystem at Skeiðarársandur, southeast Iceland
Authors: Harrison Devin , Ross Neil , Russell Andrew J. , Jones Stuart J.
Published: March 2023

Sandur plains are extensive sedimentary bodies formed in proglacial settings by glaciofluvial processes. Icelandic sandar have been hypothesised to be comprised of thick alluvial successions that provide critical insight into the processes that contributed to their formation and evolution. However, to‐date, most sandar research has focused on the analysis of sedimentary successions associated to topographically‐confined and small‐scale systems. These, however, do not capture the variety or scale of processes that influence sandar architecture. Therefore, detailed subsurface analysis of large‐scale and unconfined sandar is vital to understand how these systems respond to fundamental drivers, such as: (i) glacier oscillations, and (ii) episodic sediment flux from glacier outburst floods (aka. jökulhlaups). We report an extensive, low‐frequency (40 & 100 MHz) ground‐penetrating radar (GPR) survey of the ice‐proximal component of a large‐scale () active sandur in southeast Iceland. A bright and continuous reflection (PR1) is identified within all radargrams and provides a boundary between pre‐LIA and LIA to present‐day sedimentation. GPR data reveals a ~50 m thick ice‐proximal sediment wedge that is attributed to jökulhlaup and surge‐related glaciofluvial activity during the Little Ice Age (LIA). An approximate rate of deposition of 0.2–0.65 m has been calculated for the sediment wedge above PR1. Furthermore, we propose an extensive, sandur‐wide, pre‐LIA ice marginal limit of Skeiðarárökull, southeast Iceland, based on observations reported here and in previous work.
Value‐added processing of seeds from tomato sauce industry and comparison of extraction solvents on the chemical properties
Authors: Askin Buket , Kaynarca Gulce Bedis
Published: March 2023

BACKGROUND

Tomato seed oil (TSO) was obtained using a combined method of pre‐keeping in solvent and Soxhlet extraction. A considerable oil yield could not be obtained using samples without drying or grinding, with dried or non‐dried seeds, which were not kept in solvent (<2%). For this purpose, oil yield, physicochemical properties, oxidation values, spectrophotometric indices and fatty acid composition of the samples extracted with acetone, ethyl acetate, chloroform and petroleum ether were determined.

RESULTS

Oils obtained by the extraction of petroleum ether (20.36 meq g O2 kg−1) and ethyl acetate (11.16 meq g O2 kg−1) were found to have very high peroxide values. Besides, a high‐quality edible oil should have an anisidine value (p‐AnV) of less than 10. Samples extracted with chloroform alone had a p‐AnV of 8.86, while slightly higher values were found for other samples (P < 0.05). Chloroform (20.50) and acetone (23.06) both gave the best results and met the expected value, with total oxidation value below 30. Finally, the highest levels of primary fatty acids observed were linoleic acid (32.77–41.95%), palmitic acid (23.75–32.27%), oleic acid (16.17–24.52%), and stearic acid (7.76–12.82%).

CONCLUSION

This process is applicable to recycling tomato sauce waste and essential oil. The research proved that the seed‐drying process and pre‐keeping in solvent have an important effect on oil yield, quality and fatty acid composition. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
The determinants of social self‐efficacy of tourism lifestyle entrepreneurs
Authors: de Sousa Leonardo , Dias Álvaro Lopes , Pereira Leandro Ferreira
Published: March 2023

Tourism lifestyle entrepreneurs (TLEs) play a vital role in destination competitiveness by providing creative and co‐created experiences intrinsically associated with local communities. To preserve their way of life, they are also deeply involved in local social activities. However, the processes underlying the social performance of these entrepreneurs remain underexplored. This study uses structural equations modeling to analyze the influence of TLE's social dimensions (community attachment, social mission orientation and community‐centered strategies) on social self‐efficacy. Results reveal that social mission, community‐centered strategy and community attachment have a significant positive influence on social entrepreneurial self‐efficacy, through the indirect effect of co‐creation. Findings also highlight the mediating role of co‐creation those relationships, indicating the importance of providing unique and memorable experiences to fulfill their social goals.
A Principle of Non‐Hermitian Wave Modulators by Indefinitely Small Physical Controls
Authors: Choi Youngsun , Choi Yu Sung , Song Seok Ho , Yu Kyoungsik , Moiseyev Nimrod , Yoon Jae Woong
Published: March 2023

Interferometers and resonant cavities are indispensable driving mechanisms for compact, high‐speed, and low‐power modulators and switches in modern signal processing systems. However, their limitations in key performance metrics critically restrict present data‐processing capabilities. Here, a completely different wave‐modulation mechanism is proposed based on non‐Hermitian dynamics near an exceptional point (EP) singularity. The proposed modulator is enabled by EP‐bypassing adiabatic processes that exclusively select different final states depending on active trigger signal possibly at indefinitely small magnitude in principle. Importantly, this operation principle does not involve any explicit frequency‐dispersive feature in stark contrast to interference or resonance effects. In addition, it can be implemented in available device‐engineering platforms such as integrated optical circuits. Therefore, it is of great interest to further investigate the proposed principle for improved signal‐processing systems on forthcoming demand.
Spectral Topography of the Subthalamic Nucleus to Inform Next‐Generation Deep Brain Stimulation
Authors: Averna Alberto , Debove Ines , Nowacki Andreas , Peterman Katrin , Duchet Benoit , Sousa Mário , Bernasconi Elena , Alva Laura , Lachenmayer Martin L. , Schuepbach Michael , Pollo Claudio , Krack Paul , Nguyen Thuy‐Anh K. , Tinkhauser Gerd
Published: March 2023

Background

The landscape of neurophysiological symptoms and behavioral biomarkers in basal ganglia signals for movement disorders is expanding. The clinical translation of sensing‐based deep brain stimulation (DBS) also requires a thorough understanding of the anatomical organization of spectral biomarkers within the subthalamic nucleus (STN).

Objectives

The aims were to systematically investigate the spectral topography, including a wide range of sub‐bands in STN local field potentials (LFP) of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients, and to evaluate its predictive performance for clinical response to DBS.

Methods

STN‐LFPs were recorded from 70 PD patients (130 hemispheres) awake and at rest using multicontact DBS electrodes. A comprehensive spatial characterization, including hot spot localization and focality estimation, was performed for multiple sub‐bands (delta, theta, alpha, low‐beta, high‐beta, low‐gamma, high‐gamma, and fast‐gamma (FG) as well as low‐ and fast high‐frequency oscillations [HFO]) and compared to the clinical hot spot for rigidity response to DBS. A spectral biomarker map was established and used to predict the clinical response to DBS.

Results

The STN shows a heterogeneous topographic distribution of different spectral biomarkers, with the strongest segregation in the inferior‐superior axis. Relative to the superiorly localized beta hot spot, HFOs (FG, slow HFO) were localized up to 2 mm more inferiorly. Beta oscillations are spatially more spread compared to other sub‐bands. Both the spatial proximity of contacts to the beta hot spot and the distance to higher‐frequency hot spots were predictive for the best rigidity response to DBS.

Conclusions

The spatial segregation and properties of spectral biomarkers within the DBS target structure can additionally be informative for the implementation of next‐generation sensing‐based DBS. © 2023 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
Isolated Cervical Dystonia: Diagnosis and Classification
Authors: Albanese Alberto , Bhatia Kailash P. , Cardoso Francisco , Comella Cynthia , Defazio Giovanni , Fung Victor S.C. , Hallett Mark , Jankovic Joseph , Jinnah Hyder A. , Kaji Ryuji , Krauss Joachim K. , Lang Anthony , Tan Eng King , Tijssen Marina A.J. , Vidailhet Marie
Published: March 2023

This document presents a consensus on the diagnosis and classification of isolated cervical dystonia (iCD) with a review of proposed terminology. The International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society Dystonia Study Group convened a panel of experts to review the main clinical and diagnostic issues related to iCD and to arrive at a consensus on diagnostic criteria and classification. These criteria are intended for use in clinical research, but also may be used to guide clinical practice. The benchmark is expert clinical observation and evaluation. The criteria aim to systematize the use of terminology as well as the diagnostic process, to make it reproducible across centers and applicable by expert and non‐expert clinicians. Although motor abnormalities remain central, increasing recognition has been given to nonmotor manifestations, which are incorporated into the current criteria. Three iCD presentations are described in some detail: idiopathic (focal or segmental) iCD, genetic iCD, and acquired iCD. The relationship between iCD and isolated head tremor is also reviewed. Recognition of idiopathic iCD has two levels of certainty, definite or probable, supported by specific diagnostic criteria. Although a probable diagnosis is appropriate for clinical practice, a higher diagnostic level may be required for specific research studies. The consensus retains elements proven valuable in previous criteria and omits aspects that are no longer justified, thereby encapsulating diagnosis according to current knowledge. As understanding of iCD expands, these criteria will need continuous revision to accommodate new advances. © 2023 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
Lactobacillus rhamnosus and L. plantarum Combination Treatment Ameliorated Colitis Symptoms in a Mouse Model by Altering Intestinal Microbial Composition and Suppressing Inflammatory Response
Authors: Liu Yangyang , Zhang Heng , Xie Aowen , Sun Jingzhou , Yang Huiqing , Li Jinshan , Li Yingjun , Chen Fei , Mei Yuxia , Liang Yunxiang
Published: March 2023

Scope

Changes in composition of intestinal microbes may disrupt the balance of their interaction with a susceptible host, resulting in development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Methods and results

The study applied in combination two Lactobacillus strains (L. rhamnosus BY‐02, L. plantarum BY‐05) (“LS treatment”), previously isolates from feces of healthy human infants, in a mouse model of dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)‐induced colitis, and evaluates their ameliorative effect and its possible mechanism. LS treatment suppresses weight loss and colon shortening, and reduces disease activity index in the mice. It also has several additional beneficial effects: i) maintains goblet cell numbers and ameliorates intestinal barrier damage in colonic tissue; ii) alters intestinal microbial composition close to normal by increasing abundances of Muribaculaceae, Akkermansia, Clostridia, Oscillospiraceae, and Lachnospiraceae, and decreasing abundance of Escherichia‐Shigella; iii) increases content of short‐chain fatty acids; iv) reduces content of pro‐inflammatory lipopolysaccharides; v) suppresses overactivation of TLR4/NF‐κB inflammatory signaling pathway.

Conclusion

Combination treatment with two Lactobacillus strains strongly ameliorates colitis symptoms in the mouse model by favorably altering intestinal microbial composition and suppressing inflammatory response.
Deep learning to reconstruct quasi‐steady‐state chemical exchange saturation transfer from a non‐steady‐state experiment
Authors: Xiao Gang , Zhang Xiaolei , Yang Guisheng , Jia Yanlong , Yan Gen , Wu Renhua
Published: March 2023

The insufficiently long RF saturation duration and relaxation delay in chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST)‐MRI experiments may result in underestimation of CEST measurements. To maintain the CEST effect without prolonging the saturation duration and reach quasi‐steady state (QUASS), a deep learning method was developed to reconstruct a QUASS CEST image pixel by pixel from non‐steady‐state CEST acquired in experiments. In this work, we established a tumor‐bearing rat model on a 7 T horizontal bore small‐animal MRI scanner, allowing ground‐truth generation, after which a bidirectional long short‐term memory network was formulated and trained on simulated CEST Z‐spectra to reconstruct the QUASS CEST; finally, the ground truth yielded by experiments was used to evaluate the performance of the reconstruction model by comparing the estimates with the ground truth. For quantitation evaluation, linear regression analysis, structural similarity index (SSIM) and peak signal‐to‐noise ratio (peak SNR) were used to assess the proposed model in the QUASS CEST reconstruction. In the linear regression analysis of in vivo data, the coefficient of determination for six different representative frequency offsets was at least R2 = 0.9521. Using the SSIM and peak SNR as evaluation metrics, the reconstruction accuracies of in vivo QUASS CEST were found to be 0.9991 and 46.7076, respectively. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed model provides a robust and accurate solution for QUASS CEST reconstruction using a deep learning mechanism.
Anderson accelerated fixed‐point iteration for multilinear PageRank
Authors: Lai Fuqi , Li Wen , Peng Xiaofei , Chen Yannan
Published: March 2023

In this paper, we apply the Anderson acceleration technique to the existing relaxation fixed‐point iteration for solving the multilinear PageRank. In order to reduce computational cost, we further consider the periodical version of the Anderson acceleration. The convergence of the proposed algorithms is discussed. Numerical experiments on synthetic and real‐world datasets are performed to demonstrate the advantages of the proposed algorithms over the relaxation fixed‐point iteration and the extrapolated shifted fixed‐point method. In particular, we give a strategy for choosing the quasi‐optimal parameters of the associated algorithms when they are applied to solve the test problems with different sizes but the same structure.
A discontinuous Galerkin method for the Camassa‐Holm‐Kadomtsev‐Petviashvili type equations
Authors: Zhang Qian , Xu Yan , Liu Yue
Published: March 2023

This paper develops a high‐order discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method for the Camassa‐Holm‐Kadomtsev‐Petviashvili (CH‐KP) type equations on Cartesian meshes. The significant part of the simulation for the CH‐KP type equations lies in the treatment for the integration operator . Our proposed DG method deals with it element by element, which is efficient and applicable to most solutions. Using the instinctive energy of the original PDE as a guiding principle, the DG scheme can be proved as an energy stable numerical scheme. In addition, the semi‐discrete error estimates results for the nonlinear case are derived without any priori assumption. Several numerical experiments demonstrate the capability of our schemes for various types of solutions.
Robust polyamide 66 composites with hybrid fillers for thermal management and electromagnetic shielding
Authors: Wu Bozhen , Yang Yuhao , Zhu Kaiqi , Liu Shengyang , Liu Renrong , Zhu Honghao , Li Yulin
Published: March 2023

Carbon materials have been widely used in multifunctional composites with their high electrical and thermal conductivities. However, most current research focuses on nanocarbon materials such as graphene and carbon nanotubes, ignoring their high cost, inability to mass‐produce, and poor dispersion in polymers. To address these issues, we propose one‐step melt‐blending of commercial carbon materials to construct conductive pathways in polymer matrix. Thus, low‐cost and robust polymer composites can be fabricated in a green and scalable way to achieve efficient thermal management and avoid electromagnetic radiation pollution. Here, a continuous network of carbon materials with orientation‐aligned carbon fibers and well‐dispersed mesocarbon microbeads (MCMBs) induced by melt blending is shown to be an ideal structure for thermally conductive (1.77 W m−1 K−1) electromagnetic shielding (46.9 dB) composites. In addition, the excellent mechanical properties (tensile strength 162.7 MPa and flexural strength 250 MPa) and absorption property (39.4 dB) exhibited by the composites under the optimized filler ratio also really broaden the way for the preparation of high‐strength wave absorbing materials by melt blending. This work provides a general strategy for large‐scale production of thermally conductive electromagnetic shielding composites and opens up possibilities for the application of MCMBs in high‐power electronic devices.
Host defense peptides identified in human apolipoprotein B as natural food bio‐preservatives: Evaluation of their biosafety and digestibility
Authors: Dell'Olmo Eliana , Pane Katia , Schibeci Martina , Cesaro Angela , De Luca Maria , Ismail Shurooq , Gaglione Rosa , Arciello Angela
Published: March 2023

The employment of chemical agents in the food industry is raising several concerns by consumers and is leading to an increasing interest in natural food preservatives. Among alternatives, host defense peptides (HDPs) have attracted great interest for their ability to preserve food samples from contamination without altering their quality, taste, and organoleptic properties. Recently, we evaluated the applicability of ApoB‐derived peptides as novel food bio‐preservatives and demonstrated their ability to prevent chicken meat sample contamination when immobilized on chitosan films. To perform a further step towards the applicability of these peptides in the food field, here we evaluated peptides biosafety and digestibility. To do this, we used a multidisciplinary approach including the evaluation of the peptides' toxicity and antimicrobial activity, the analysis of resistance phenotype development, an in silico prediction of the peptides' susceptibility to proteases and the evaluation of the peptides' stability in simulated gastric and intestinal fluids. ApoB‐derived peptides were found to be nontoxic when tested on human gastric carcinoma cells SNU‐1 and on human colon‐rectal adenocarcinoma cells HT‐29, and not to induce resistance phenotype in Salmonella strains. Bioinformatic analyses showed that the peptides are susceptible to several proteases, as also confirmed by experiments in simulated gastric and intestinal fluids. Altogether these findings open interesting perspectives to the future applicability of ApoB‐derived peptides as novel food biopreservatives.
Metrology and visualization analysis of literatures related to tumor immunotherapy based on CiteSpace
Authors: Ma Weidong , Xu Zhiyun , Wang Qianwei , Zhang Zhenzhong , Tang Derong , Zhao Jianqiang
Published: March 2023

To explore the development of global tumor immunotherapy in the past 20 years, and analyze the research status, hotspots and trends to provide theoretical support for subsequent research. CiteSpace 5.6.R2 software were used to analyze 290 articles related to tumor immunotherapy research from the Web of Science core data set from 2000 to 2019. CiteSpace was used to draw related visual maps and tables of coauthors, cooperating countries, cooperating institutions, literature and journal co‐citation, keyword co‐occurrence, and cluster analysis. The total amount of papers published in the field of tumor immunotherapy research has gradually increased. After receiving the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2018, the number of papers published in the field of research in tumor research reached 20. We found that the United States has the largest number of papers in all countries and China ranks 6. “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America,” “Journal of Immunology,” “Cancer Research,” “New England Journal of Medicine,” “Blood” is the top five core academic journals in this field. Cancer, disease, and tumor necrosis factor are the three keywords with the highest highlighting intensity. Comprehensive analysis shows that the coauthors, co‐institutions, and co‐cited journals of the literature are mostly concentrated in the United States. The rise of immunotherapy provides a new direction for tumor treatment. From 2018 to 2019, the number of literatures on tumor immunotherapy worldwide increased sharply. Immunotherapy combined with specific diseases is the current research frontier and hotspot.
Spatiotemporal health surveillance accounting for risk factors and spatial correlation
Authors: Vanli O. Arda , Alawad Nour
Published: March 2023

Most of the current public health surveillance methods used in epidemiological studies to identify hotspots of diseases assume that the regional disease case counts are independently distributed and they lack the ability of adjusting for confounding covariates. This article proposes a new approach that uses a simultaneous autoregressive (SAR) model, a popular spatial regression approach, within the classical space‐time cumulative sum (CUSUM) framework for detecting changes in the spatial distribution of count data while accounting for risk factors and spatial correlation. We develop expressions for the likelihood ratio test monitoring statistics based on a SAR model with covariates, leading to the proposed space‐time CUSUM test statistic. The effectiveness of the proposed monitoring approach in detecting and identifying step shifts is studied by simulation of various shift scenarios in regional counts. A case study for monitoring regional COVID‐19 infection counts while adjusting for social vulnerability, often correlated with a community's susceptibility towards disease infection, is presented to illustrate the application of the proposed methodology in public health surveillance.
Prolonged response to first‐generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor in a metastatic non‐small cell lung cancer harbouring complex G719X and S768I mutations: A case report from Vietnam and literature review
Authors: Do Kien Hung , Le Duc Thanh , Van Nguyen Tai , Do Tu Anh , Van Nguyen Chu
Published: March 2023

A complex of G719X and S768I mutations is infrequently observed, constituting less than 0.3% of all EGFR‐positive non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and the response to first‐line TKIs is inconsistent in the literature. In this study, we report a patient with metastatic non‐small cell lung cancer carrying rare EGFR compound mutations of G719X and S768I who benefited from first‐line treatment with gefitinib in Vietnam. This patient had a prolonged response lasting over 44 months with first‐generation TKI. He continued to take gefitinib without experiencing serious adverse events. NSCLC with a rare complex of G719X and S768I mutation revealed a good response to gefitinib.
Model reference adaptive control based on a novel scalar update law
Authors: Yan Fang , Hou Xiaorong , Tian Tingting
Published: March 2023

This paper puts forward a model reference adaptive control (MRAC) framework with a compensator based on a novel scalar update law for the dynamical systems with matched uncertainty. The scalar update law is given by an algebraic expression of basis functions and system errors. The main advantage of the proposed MRAC framework is that only a scalar function requires updating online such that the architecture is simple and the computational burden in the existing results can be relieved. Furthermore, the asymptotic stability of the system error dynamics is guaranteed by the proposed controller. Two numerical examples are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed MRAC framework.
Transition to sustainable development in the tanning industry: Evidence from leather value chain in Tamil Nadu, India
Authors: Paul Bino , Shaji Rahul , Patnaik Unmesh , Pulikkamath Ashraf , Ahmed Irfan , Ghosh Soumen
Published: March 2023

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), while balancing the three dimensions of sustainability, are latent about the pathways to achieve it. The transition may involve trade‐offs between the different dimensions of sustainable development, like balancing the socio‐economic dimension with environmental limits. The paper attempts to demonstrate some of these channels for the leather value chain in India, which is a conspicuous source of precarious labour and polluting industrial processes. Interacting the firm's objectives with value chain governance, we introduce four quadrants for the transition to sustainability. Combining voices from the field with a novel dataset, we provide evidence of the intersections between socio‐economic and environmental sustainability illustrative of countries in the global South. The precarity of work and inadequate upgrading of the production process co‐exist in most firms. We find that firms tend to hover around baseline economies of lower costs, work precarity and hazardous processes while exhibiting inertia for a transition. However, a few units are either transitioning or have nearly attained decent work practices and progress to cleaner technologies. The sustainability transition demands engagement in the social and economic upgrading of production processes and organisational practices. It is multi‐dimensional, ameliorating precarious labour and upgrading to cleaner technologies.
Artificial photosynthesis bringing new vigor into plastic wastes
Authors: Kang Sailei , Sun Tao , Ma Yingxin , Du Mengmeng , Gong Mingfu , Zhou Chunyu , Chai Yang , Qiu Bocheng
Published: March 2023

The accumulation of plastic wastes in landfills and the environment threatens our environment and public health, while leading to the loss of potential carbon resources. The urgent necessary lies in developing an energy‐saving and environmentally benign approach to upgrade plastic into value‐added chemicals. Artificial photosynthesis holds the ability to realize plastic upcycling by using endless solar energy under mild conditions, but remains in the initial stage for plastic upgrading. In this review, we aim to look critically at the photocatalytic conversion of plastic wastes from the perspective of resource reutilization. To begin with, we present the emerging conversion routes for plastic wastes and highlight the advantages of artificial photosynthesis for processing plastic wastes. By parsing photocatalytic plastic conversion process, we demonstrate the currently available routes for processing plastic, including plastic photodegradation, tandem decomposition of plastic and CO2 reduction, selective plastic oxidation, as well as photoreforming of plastic. This review concludes with a personal perspective for potential advances and emerging challenges in photocatalytic plastic conversion.
Basic fibroblast growth factor‐loaded methacrylate gelatin hydrogel microspheres for spinal nerve regeneration
Authors: Chen Xiaoyan , Ren Lei , Zhang Hui , Hu Yangnan , Liao Menghui , Shen Yingbo , Wang Kaichen , Cai Jiaying , Cheng Hong , Guo Jiamin , Qi Yanru , Wei Hao , Li Xiaokun , Shang Luoran , Xiao Jian , Sun Jingwu , Chai Renjie
Published: March 2023

Spinal cord injury is a severe central nervous system injury, and developing appropriate drug delivery platforms for spinal nerve regeneration is highly anticipated. Here, we propose a basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF)‐loaded methacrylate gelatin (GelMA) hydrogel microsphere with ideal performances for spinal cord injury repair. Benefitting from the precise droplet manipulation capability of the microfluidic technology, the GelMA microspheres possess uniform and satisfactory size and good stability. More importantly, by taking advantage of the porous structures and facile chemical modification of the GelMA microspheres, bFGF could be easily loaded and gradually released. By co‐culturing with neural stem cells, it is validated that the bFGF‐loaded GelMA microspheres could effectively promote the proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells. We also confirm the effective role of the bFGF‐loaded GelMA microspheres in nerve repair of spinal cord injury in rats. Our results demonstrate the potential value of the microspheres for applications in repairing central nervous system injuries.
Bayesian outcome selection modeling
Authors: Dang Khue‐Dung , Ryan Louise M. , Cook Richard J. , Akkaya Hocagil Tugba , Jacobson Sandra W. , Jacobson Joseph L.
Published: March 2023

In psychiatric and social epidemiology studies, it is common to measure multiple different outcomes using a comprehensive battery of tests thought to be related to an underlying construct of interest. In the research that motivates our work, researchers wanted to assess the impact of in utero alcohol exposure on child cognition and neuropsychological development, which are evaluated using a range of different psychometric tests. Statistical analysis of the resulting multiple outcomes data can be challenging, because the outcomes measured on the same individual are not independent. Moreover, it is unclear, a priori, which outcomes are impacted by the exposure under study. While researchers will typically have some hypotheses about which outcomes are important, a framework is needed to help identify outcomes that are sensitive to the exposure and to quantify the associated treatment or exposure effects of interest. We propose such a framework using a modification of stochastic search variable selection, a popular Bayesian variable selection model and use it to quantify an overall effect of the exposure on the affected outcomes. The performance of the method is investigated empirically and an illustration is given through application using data from our motivating study.
Selective purification of quercetin using covalently crosslinked chitosan
Authors: Govindarajan Vinitha Udhayabanu , Muthuraman Meenakshi Sundaram
Published: March 2023

Quercetin is known for potent biomedical applications and selective purification of quercetin is the need of the hour. To achieve selective adsorption of quercetin, we have prepared chitosan resin grafted with quercetin. Chitosan is a polysaccharide that is derived from chitin. The shells of shrimp, crabs, and lobster are crucial for the extraction of chitin. After cellulose, chitin was the second most abundant polysaccharide and chitosan was derived by deacetylation of chitin. Chitosan was justified to be a better bio‐adsorbent because of its low cost and outstanding chelating efficiency. Chitosan was covalently cross‐linked to improve its mechanical stability. Herein, Quercetin grafted chitosan resin (QICR) was prepared, where adsorption occurs by hydrophobic interaction between 2‐phenyl‐chromones structure in resin and quercetin in bulk solution. Prepared QICR was characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) for confirmation of quercetin grafted in chitosan. The porosity of the prepared resin was confirmed by Brunauer‐Emmett‐Teller (BET) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis. The adsorption capacity of QICR was calculated for both static and dynamic modes and it was found to be approximately equal. The equilibrium data obtained from the adsorption studies were analyzed for isotherm models. Prepared QICR fits better with Langmuir adsorption isotherm with an R2 value of 0.98. Quercetin adsorption was analyzed for kinetic studies, in which pseudo‐second order describes the adsorption. The desorption capacity of quercetin was also calculated in dynamic mode. The present study reveals that prepared QICR would be a better choice for the selective adsorption of quercetin.
Interobserver agreement of computed tomography in detecting calcified intervertebral discs in comparison with radiography in a population of 13 healthy British Dachshund dogs
Authors: Formoso Sara , Khan Sam , Lowrie Mark , Hughes Jonathan , Freeman Paul
Published: March 2023

Background

The aims of this retrospective study were to estimate interobserver agreement in detecting disc calcification with computed tomography (CT) and to compare the number of calcified intervertebral discs identified on CT and radiography in healthy British Dachshund dogs that underwent a screening programme. The current screening programme uses radiography to identify calcified intervertebral discs.

Methods

Healthy Dachshunds aged between 2 and 5 years presenting for spinal radiography and CT as part of a disc scoring scheme were included. The spinal radiographs were scored by an independent assessor as per the screening programme protocol. The CT images were blinded and reviewed by three different observers of differing levels of experience. The number of discs identified as being calcified was then compared between imaging modalities and between observers.

Results

Thirteen dogs were included. Overall, 146 calcified discs were identified by CT compared with 42 by radiography. There was an almost perfect agreement among the three observers identifying calcified discs with CT images (k = 0.92). There was a significant difference between the radiography scores and CT scores.

Conclusions

This study demonstrated a significant difference in the number of calcified intervertebral discs identified in the vertebral column of a small population of healthy Dachshunds between CT and radiography. Given the high agreement between the observers with CT, this may be a reliable method for assessing disc calcification in Dachshund dogs and could be a good candidate for future breeding schemes.
On the numerical properties of high‐order spectral (Euler‐Bernoulli) beam elements
Authors: Eisenträger Sascha , Kapuria Santosh , Jain Mayank , Zhang Junqi
Published: March 2023

In this paper, the numerical properties of a recently developed high‐order Spectral Euler‐Bernoulli Beam Element (SBE) featuring a C1‐continuous approximation of the displacement field are assessed. The C1‐continuous shape functions are based on two main ingredients, which are an Hermitian interpolation scheme and the use of Gauß‐Lobatto‐Legendre (GLL) points. Employing GLL‐points does not only avoid Runge oscillations, but also yields a diagonal mass matrix when exploiting the nodal quadrature technique as a mass lumping scheme. Especially in high‐frequency transient analyses, where often explicit time integration schemes are utilized, having a diagonal mass matrix is an attractive property of the proposed element formulation. This is, however, achieved at the cost of an under‐integration of the mass matrix. Therefore, a special focus of this paper is placed on the evaluation of the numerical properties, such as the conditioning of the element matrices and the attainable rates of convergence (ROCs). To this end, the numerical behavior of the SBEs is comprehensively analyzed by means of selected benchmark examples. In a nutshell, the obtained results demonstrate that the element yields good accuracy in combination with an increased efficiency for structural dynamics exploiting the diagonal structure of the mass matrix.
Renewable Energies, Sustainability and Law
Authors: da Silva Suzana Tavares , Martins António Gomes
Published: March 2023

Renewable energies are considered by many the driving force of the economy of our future society. However, there is a difference between reality and the perception of the situation by governments, economic players, and communities. We need more transparency, simplification, and data communication skills towards a committed involvement of all stakeholders.

Geopolitics and technological development are two drivers of a common issue. They are, though, not necessarily aligned with energy and climate political goals. Globally, we find different problems and solutions in the two hemispheres. In the EU, problems and solutions are common throughout the Union, but some political hesitation prevails.

We need innovative solutions for a smooth transition to a market organization that includes renewables and accurate risk management in investment programmes.
Environmental Governance Through Tax Law in the European Union
Authors: Villar Ezcurra Marta , González-Orús Jerónimo Maillo
Published: March 2023

The contribution considers critical issues in European environmental governance, focusing on the role of legal principles, fundamentals and competences, and also a review of sectoral legislation in the field of taxation related to EU climate, environment and energy policies. The role of tax harmonisation to favour the ecological transition, the ‘Fit for 55’ legislative package and the reform of the EU’s own resources are some of the topics specifically addressed. For the ambitious strategy of the European green deal to be truly successful, governance must be strengthened, especially in the areas of environment, energy and taxation, because it is necessary to mobilise investments and plan infrastructures and interconnections. The intersection between fiscal and competition policy (above all State Aid Law) can also play a very important role in fostering the right green investments, both from Member States and private actors.
Legal and Normative Challenges Behind Sustainable Seafood
Authors: Woronoff Josephine
Published: March 2023

In the last decades, governments and international governmental organisations have been harshly criticised for their perceived failure to mitigate the environmental and social impacts of seafood production in a sustainable manner. In the 1990s, civil society stepped in, and public regulations were challenged by market-based initiatives. Since then, the sustainable seafood movement has seen a major acceleration with new initiatives having enormous impacts on the evolution of fisheries management worldwide. Today, norms, principles and standards are competing with and/or complementing each other in their attempt to integrate sustainability into the seafood sector. This chapter will present the global normative framework surrounding the concept of sustainability in captured seafood. It will analyse how all layers of norms interact with each other. Analysing these interactions will help understand the respective roles that these local, private and public initiatives are playing for each other in order to keep improving sustainability.
Transformations of European public spaces with AVs
Authors: Martin Robert , Bruck Emilia M. , Soteropoulos Aggelos
Published: March 2023

Connected and automated driving is one of several emerging mobility trends that will fundamentally impact the use and design of public spaces in the coming decades. The uptake of transportation network companies (TNCs), such as Uber, has shown that a greater use of shared modes adds more vehicles to the road and shifts pick-up and drop-off locations onto the street, i.e. increasing activity at the kerb (Larco 2018: 50; Erhardt et al. 2019). Similar effects were caused by recent waves of dockless micromobility options, such as free-floating bikes or e-scooters, which temporarily led to congested pavements and increased spatial demands in public space (Polis 2019).
Interests Arrangement in the Implementation of Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil Certification: Case Study of Sari Makmur Palm Oil Smallholders in Riau Province
Authors: Widyatmoko Bondan
Published: March 2023

The implementation of the Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) certification remains unsettled nearly a decade since its introduction in 2011. Only a small number of palm oil companies and smallholders have been ISPO certified. Palm oil smallholders became the target of ISPO certification because of their significant contribution to the Indonesian palm oil industry. This study aims to analyze the slow ISPO implementation process at the smallholder level by using a polycentric governance framework, which views the ISPO’s overarching rules as changing the relationship between companies and smallholders toward sustainable management. This study examines a smallholder’s ISPO implementation in Sari Makmur. This smallholder became a pilot project site for the smallholder ISPO certification in 2011; however, it has still not been certified. This study reveals that the recurring problem of land swaps and the expectations of being certified have complicated the fulfillment process of legal documents for ISPO certification. Nevertheless, smallholders and companies are in the process of delineating their interests toward defining their physical boundaries for sustainable palm oil production.
The Timber Processing and Retail Sectors in Pekanbaru, Riau: Toward Reforestation by Local People
Authors: Suzuki Haruka
Published: March 2023

The integral role of the timber industry in sustaining local reforestation efforts is often overlooked. The processing and retail sectors of the timber industry are significant in that they add value to forest resources, providing local jobs and lumber supplies. This study examines these sectors in Riau, Indonesia, where deforestation and degraded peatlands have been accelerating. Based on a field survey of randomly selected molding mills and timber kiosks in Pekanbaru, the author examines the nature and scale of timber production, sales, and supply chains. Both the molding mills and timber kiosks could be classified into three types: those that function as subcontractors of large pulp and paper companies, those that operate independently and provide timber supplies for local construction needs, and those that specialize in higher-end wood processing. Those providing local timber supplies demonstrated more adaptability in terms of meeting market demands. Depending on the level of the operation’s independence, timber supply chains were more diversified in terms of the relationships among loggers, distributors, and retailers. To develop the timber sector in the context of local reforestation, it is necessary to consider how local people connect with the local timber processing and retail sectors and how to improve local timber supply chains. Reforestation programs must construct sustainable management systems that restore forests while at the same time using forest resources. This includes developing land ownership and use systems to produce timber sustainably and replanting tree species that are useful as timber.
Entanglement island and Page curve in wedge holography
Authors: Miao Rong-Xin
Published: March 2023

Abstract

Entanglement islands play an essential role in the recent breakthrough in resolving the black hole information paradox. However, whether entanglement islands can exist in massless gravity theories is controversial. It is found that entanglement islands disappear in the initial model of wedge holography with massless gravity on the brane. As a result, the entanglement entropy of Hawking radiation becomes a time-independent constant, and there is no Page curve. In this paper, we recover massless entanglement islands in wedge holography with suitable DGP gravity or higher derivative gravity on the branes. We study two typical cases. In the first case, we consider a black hole on the strong-gravity brane and a bath on the weak-gravity brane. It is similar to the usual double holography with non-gravitational baths. In the second case, we discuss two black holes on the two branes with the same gravitational strength. We recover massless entanglement islands and non-trivial Page curves in both cases. We also argue that the entanglement island is consistent with massless gravity. Our results strongly support that entanglement islands can exist in long-range theories of gravity.