bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Morinda officinalis polysaccharide regulates rat bone mesenchymal stem cell osteogenic–adipogenic differentiation in osteoporosis by upregulating miR‐21 and activating the PI3K/AKT pathway
Authors: Wu Pei‐Yu , Chen Wen , Huang He , Tang Wang , Liang Jie
Published: May 2022

Osteoporosis (OP) is a prevailing bone metabolic disease. Morinda officinalis polysaccharide (MOP) has biological activities and medicinal potential. This study explored its mechanism in OP. Rat bone mesenchymal stem cells (rBMSCs) were pretreated with low/high concentrations of MOP and subjected to osteogenic differentiation (OD) or adipogenic differentiation (AD) induction. The protein markers of OD (RUNX2 and BMP2) and AD (CEBPα and PPARγ) and miR‐21 expression were detected. miR‐21 was overexpressed to study its effects on rBMSC OD and AD. rBMSCs were transfected with miR‐21 inhibitor and treated with high concentration of MOP for verification. The targeted relationship between miR‐21 and PTEN was verified by bioinformatics and dual‐luciferase assay. The PTEN/PI3K/AKT pathway‐related proteins were detected. Ovariectomy (OVX)‐induced OP rats were treated with MOP. Rat bone mineral density (BMD), serum bone metabolism indexes bone‐derived alkaline phosphatase (BALP), and osteocalcin (BGP) levels were assessed by BMD detectors and ELISA kits. miR‐21 expression in rBMSCs was detected. After treatment with low/high concentrations of MOP, the OD of rBMSCs was increased and AD was inhibited and miR‐21 was upregulated. miR‐21 overexpression enhanced the OD of rBMSCs and inhibited AD. miR‐21 knockdown reversed the effect of high concentration of MOP on rBMSCs. miR‐21 targeted PTEN. After treatment with low/high concentrations of MOP, PI3K, and AKT phosphorylation were increased and the PI3K/AKT pathway was activated. BMD, BALP, BGP, and miR‐21 levels in OVX rats were decreased. MOP partially alleviated OP in OVX rats. Briefly, MOP enhanced rBMSC OD and inhibited AD via the miR‐21/PTEN/PI3K/AKT axis.
Intrinsic Vortex–Antivortex Interaction of Light
Authors: Lin Haolin , Fu Shenhe , Yin Hao , Li Zhen , Chen Zhenqiang
Published: May 2022

The spin–orbit interaction and the extrinsic orbit–orbit interaction of light have been thoroughly studied, which have led to important phenomena including the spin Hall effect, orbital Hall effect, and spin–orbit Hall effect of light. Nevertheless, the concept of optical intrinsic orbit–orbit interaction, which is named as vortex–antivortex interaction, is scarcely known to the authors knowledge. Here, such a novel interaction process is theoretically and experimentally demonstrated, which emerges due to mutual interplays among reciprocal helicities of singular cores in a freely propagating light field. A general model describing the process is presented, which includes a linearly independent term and a nonlinearly coupling term. It is revealed that the strong coupling leads to intuitive mutual attraction between two reciprocal vortices, while the weak coupling, in contrast, results in a counterintuitive repulsive phenomenon. The vortex–antivortex interaction enables the predictions and observations of the orbital angular momentum Hall effect, as well as the stable propagation of an appropriately structured vortex arrays without nonlinear light–matter interactions. The results expand the scope of interaction processes among different forms of optical angular momenta, and open opportunities for studies of new effects using the presented coupling mechanism.
Er3+/Yb3+‐Based Halide Double Perovskites with Highly Efficient and Wide Ranging Antithermal Quenching Photoluminescence Behavior for Light‐Emitting Diode Applications
Authors: Zhang Guodong , Dang Peipei , Lian Hongzhou , Xiao Hui , Cheng Ziyong , Lin Jun
Published: May 2022

Rare‐earth ion‐doped halide perovskite materials have attracted considerable attention owing to their outstanding electrical and optical characteristics. However, the heavy doping of activating rare‐earth ions causes severe cross‐relaxation and photoluminescence intensity quenching. Herein, the challenge of designing highly efficient emission and antithermal quenching Er3+/Yb3+‐based halide double perovskite single crystals based on abnormal heavy activator doping without severe concentration quenching is addressed. Cross‐relaxation is proposed as a possible mechanism. Upon Yb3+ substitution, the visible and near‐infrared (NIR) emission peaks at 664 and 995 nm are greatly enhanced, and the photoluminescence quantum yield of optimized Cs2NaEr0.4Yb0.6Cl6 is 62% under 379 nm ultraviolet excitation. More importantly, the cross‐relaxation between Er3+ and Yb3+ is verified. The cross‐relaxation enhances the downshifting emission and causes the visible and NIR emissions to exhibit a wide range of antithermal quenching photoluminescence behaviors. The as‐prepared halide double perovskites demonstrate great potential for light‐emitting diode applications in advanced night vision technology and nondestructive examination.
Fractional model for the study of the tuberculosis in Mexico
Authors: Hernández‐Gómez Juan C. , Reyes Rosalio , Rodríguez José M. , Sigarreta José M.
Published: May 2022

In this paper, we present a definition of the generalized fractional local derivative, which contains as a particular case several of those reported in the literature. In this framework, we apply this operator to the study of the solutions of some fractional differential equations and we focus mainly on a Gompertz model applied to the study of tuberculosis in Mexico. We also show the effectiveness of this model by fitting it to real data and by comparing it with other models using other well‐known definitions of fractional derivative.
Short‐term effect of magnetic stimulation added to bladder training in women with idiopathic overactive bladder: A prospective randomized controlled trial
Authors: Tezer Tevfik , Yıldız Necmettin , Sarsan Ayşe , Alkan Hakan
Published: May 2022

Objective

To evaluate the efficacy of magnetic stimulation (MStim) added to bladder training (BT) on incontinence‐related quality of life (QoL) and clinical parameters in women with idiopathic overactive bladder (OAB).

Material and Methods

Seventy‐six women with idiopathic OAB were randomized into two groups using the random numbers generator as follows: Group 1 received BT alone (n: 38), and Group 2 received BT + MStim (n: 38). MStim was performed with MStim therapy armchair (Novamag NT60), 2 days a week, 20 min a day, a total of 12 sessions for 6 weeks. Women were evaluated in terms of incontinence severity (24‐h pad test), 3‐day voiding diary (frequency of voiding, incontinence episodes, nocturia, and number of pads), symptom severity (OAB‐V8), QoL (IIQ‐7), positive response and cure–improvement rates, and treatment satisfaction (Likert scale) at the baseline and the end of treatment (sixth week).

Results

A statistically significant improvement was found in incontinence severity, frequency of voiding, incontinence episodes, nocturia, number of pads, symptom severity, and QoL parameters for two groups at the end of the treatment compared to the baseline values (p < 0.05). At the end of treatment; incontinence severity, incontinence episodes, nocturia, number of pads, symptom severity, and QoL were significantly improved in Group 2 compared to Group 1 (p < 0.05). No difference was found between the two groups in terms of frequency of voiding (p > 0.05). The positive response and cure–improvement rates, and treatment satisfaction were significantly higher in Group 2 than in Group 1 (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

MStim added to BT is more effective than BT alone in women with idiopathic OAB.
Association between skeletal muscle changes, anthropometric measurements, and clinical outcomes in critically ill trauma and surgical patients: A prospective observational study
Authors: Kangalgil Melda , Ulusoy Hülya , Turan Sekine , Oncu Kıvanç
Published: May 2022

Background

Acute skeletal muscle wasting may predict clinical outcomes in critically ill patients. This study aimed to assess acute muscle loss, changes in anthropometric measurements, and the relationship between muscle loss and clinical outcomes in critically ill trauma and surgical patients.

Methods

This single‐center, prospective observational study was conducted in critically ill trauma and surgical patients who were expected to stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) for at least 7 days. Rectus femoris cross‐sectional area muscle measurements were performed by bedside ultrasound, and anthropometric measurements were obtained at baseline and 7 days after the first assessment. Length of mechanical ventilation, ICU and hospital stay, and mortality were recorded.

Results

Thirty‐five patients with a mean age of 49.6 ± 18.6 years and 74.1% male were enrolled. The rectus femoris cross‐sectional area, mid‐arm circumference, and calf circumference were reduced at second assessment from baseline (P < 0.05). In univariate analysis, muscle loss and changes in anthropometric measurements were not associated with 90‐day mortality (P > 0.05).

Conclusion

Muscle loss in critical trauma and surgical patients occurred rapidly during the first week of critical illness. Rectus femoris muscle cross‐sectional area assessment can be used to detect skeletal muscle changes in critically ill patients. Further investigations on the skeletal muscle changes and clinical outcomes need to be conducted.
A qualitative analysis of intravenous smart pump usability
Authors: Blake Jeannine W. C. , Fiske Sarah M. , Giuliano Karen K.
Published: May 2022

Aim

To understand the experience of critical care nurses when performing common, yet error‐prone, programming tasks on two unfamiliar intravenous smart pumps.

Design

A qualitative descriptive study using data collected during a previous quantitative pilot study.

Methods

Following completion of common intravenous programming tasks each participant was interviewed using a semi‐structured interview guide. All interview data were coded line‐by‐line and thematic analysis revealed themes across all participants' interviews.

Results

The following four themes were identified: appreciation for attractive design features, the need for efficiency, the importance of intuitive use and concern for patient outcomes. Overall, these themes provide evidence that nurses strongly prefer a more usable intravenous smart pump interface that integrates safeguards to efficiently improve patient outcomes. Findings support the need for intravenous smart pump technology to be developed with an intuitive interface that decreases the level of cognitive demand and will lead to improved patient safety.
Pediatric cancer outcomes after the implementation of a residential hostel in Tanzania
Authors: Morgan Austin , Watt Melissa , Zullig Leah , Sued Hillary , Schroeder Kristin
Published: May 2022

Background

A large survival disparity exists for pediatric cancer patients in low‐ and middle‐income countries compared with high‐income countries. A variety of factors contribute to this gap, including late‐stage disease at presentation, high rates of abandonment of care, and lack of supportive care infrastructure. A residential hostel was established in Mwanza, Tanzania, to reduce barriers to accessing and maintaining care among patients being treated for childhood cancer at a regional referral hospital. This study examines the effect of the hostel on one‐year survival and treatment abandonment for children diagnosed with cancer.

Methods

Medical records were retrospectively reviewed for all patients presenting from May 2017 to April 2018, following the establishment of a pediatric cancer hostel at the referral hospital. Active follow‐up was used to confirm survival data.

Results

There were 149 patients who presented to the referral hospital during the study period with 130 eligible for evaluation. A total of 34% (n = 44) used the hostel services and 66% did not use the hostel (n = 86). Patients who used the hostel did not significantly differ by age, sex, or diagnosis compared with patients who did not use the hostel. Patients who used the hostel had lower treatment abandonment (27% vs 37%) and higher one‐year overall survival (47% vs 37%) compared with patients who did not use the hostel.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest key supportive programs such as a family hostel may be beneficial for patients with childhood cancer and can improve pediatric cancer treatment outcomes in LMICs.
The Ukrainian children emergency: How the Pediatric Oncology Unit of Turin supports cancer patients and their families who have escaped war
Authors: Zucchetti Giulia , Battaglini Chiara , Ciappina Sabrina , Geuna Tiziana , Giordano Mario , Peirolo Claudia , Roccia Elvia , Asaftei Sebastian , Quarello Paola , Fagioli Franca
Published: May 2022

Due to the war in Ukraine, many children have been killed and those who suffer from severe diseases, such as oncological pathologies, are facing serious challenges as their treatment is interrupted. The objective of this report is to describe one of the first Italian humanitarian expeditions launched to rescue children and their families to provide them with the best possible cancer care. The Pediatric Oncology Unit of Turin has welcomed 60 Ukrainians who are patients, caregivers and siblings. This report underlines the activities that have been implemented to offer this new type of patient the best possible care.
Factors associated with progression of depression, anxiety, and stress‐related symptoms in outpatients and inpatients with COVID‐19: A longitudinal study
Authors: Hoşgören Alıcı Yasemin , Çınar Güle , Hasanlı Jamal , Ceran Selvi , Onar Deha , Gülten Ezgi , Akdemir Kalkan İrem , Memikoğlu Kemal Osman , Çelik Çaşit Olgun , Devrimci‐Ozguven Halise
Published: May 2022

It is known that there is an increase in the frequency of psychiatric disturbances in the acute and post‐illness phase of coronavirus disease (COVID‐19). Comorbid psychiatric symptoms complicate the management of patients and negatively affect the prognosis, but there is no clear evidence of their progress. We aimed to determine psychiatric comorbidity in inpatients and outpatients with COVID‐19 and recognize the factors that predict psychiatric comorbidity. For this purpose, we evaluated patients on the first admission and after 4 weeks. We investigated psychiatric symptoms in outpatients (n = 106) and inpatients (n = 128) diagnosed with COVID‐19. In the first 7 days after diagnosis (first phase), sociodemographic and clinic data were collected, a symptom checklist was constructed, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Severity of Acute Stress Symptoms Scale (SASSS) were applied. After 30–35 days following the diagnosis, the SASSS and the HADS were repeated. In the first phase, the frequency of depression and anxiety were 55% and 20% in inpatients, and 39% and 18% in outpatients, respectively. In the second phase, depression scores are significantly decreased in both groups whereas anxiety scores were decreased only in inpatients. The frequencies of patients reporting sleep and attention problems, irritability, and suicide ideas decreased after 1 month. Patients with loss of smell and taste exhibit higher anxiety and depression scores in both stages. Our results revealed that the rate of psychiatric symptoms in COVID‐19 patients improves within 1 month. Inpatients have a more significant decrease in both depression and anxiety frequency than do outpatients. The main factor affecting anxiety and depression was the treatment modality. Considering that all patients who were hospitalized were discharged at the end of the first month, this difference may be due to the elimination of the stress caused by hospitalization.
Recycling of polyethylene terephthalate wastes: A review of technologies, routes, and applications
Authors: Suhaimi Nur Aina Syafiqah , Muhamad Farina , Abd Razak Nasrul Anuar , Zeimaran Ehsan
Published: May 2022

With increasing usage of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) wastes polluting the oceans and environment, the recycling of PET wastes has become a crucial issue to be overcome. In this article, a review of the different technologies that have been developed to recycle PET wastes and common routes for recycled PET (rPET) is presented. The impacts of varied recycling technologies on the properties of rPET are also discussed herein. The review also focuses on the recovered products by each of the technology and their uses that have been reincorporated into new applications for example, from plastic bottle wastes to 3D scaffolds for biomedical application. Different recycling technologies such as reactive extrusion, chemical recycling and dissolution/precipitation exhibit specific properties due to the influence of the different concepts from one technology to another. A new trend called electrospinning of rPET to produce nanofibers has also garnered attention to be used for different applications. This article will first introduce the recycling technologies concept, and then the properties of the recovered product will be discussed and finally, we will focus on the applications of rPET produced from each of the technologies in various fields such as construction, textile, filtration, and biomedical applications.
Composition‐dependentglass transition temperature in mixtures: Evaluation of configurational entropy models*
Authors: Lopez Evelyn , Koh Yung P. , Zapata‐Hincapie John A. , Simon Sindee L.
Published: May 2022

The composition dependence of the glass transition temperature (Tg) in mixtures remains an important unsolved problem. Here, it is revisited using three model systems: a series of oligomeric and polymeric cyanurates, blends of oligomeric and polymeric α‐methyl styrene, and molecular mixtures of itraconazole and posaconazole. We evaluate several entropy‐based models to determine the theoreticalTgas a function of molecular composition and compare the results against the experimental data. The assumption that the configurational entropy is invariant at theTgis tested, where the change in configurational entropy is assumed to be given by the integral of ΔCpdlnT, where ΔCpis the temperature‐dependent change in the heat capacity atTg. We find that, although the temperature‐dependent heat capacities in both liquid and glassy states are nearly independent of composition for several of the systems studied (i.e., they are nearly ideal mixtures), the composition dependence ofTgis not well described by simply adding the changes in the mass‐weighted configurational entropy of the components on going from theTgin the pure state to that of the blend. The implication is that either configurational entropy is not invariant atTgor that it cannot be obtained from the integral of ΔCpdlnT.
The optical spectra of DMAC‐based molecules for organic light‐emitting diodes: Hybrid‐exchange density functional theory study
Authors: Wang Yuting , Wu Wei , Choy Kwang Leong
Published: May 2022

Organic light‐emitting diodes (OLED) have considerable advantages over the conventional counterpart. Molecular design by simulations is important for the discovery of new material candidate to improve the performance of OLED. Recently, thermally assisted delayed fluorescence OLED based on DMAC (9,9‐dimethyl‐9,10‐dihydroacridine)‐related molecules have been found to have superior performance. In this work, a series of first‐principles calculations are performed on DMAC‐DPS (diphenylsulfone, emission of blue‐color light), DMAC‐BP (benzophenone, green), DMAC‐DCPP (dicyclohexylphosphonium, red), and the newly designed DMAC‐BF (enaminone difluoroboron complexes, red) molecules, based on time‐dependent density‐functional theory, the hybrid‐exchange density functional, and the long‐range corrected hybrid‐exchange density functional. By varying the percentage of Hartree–Fock (HF) exchange in the hybrid‐exchange functional, the emission spectra can be over 97% fitted to the experimental results. We found that the fitted proportion of HF will increase as the wavelengths of the molecules decrease (30% for DPS, 20% for BP, and 10% for DCPP). By contrast, the long‐range corrected hybrid‐exchange density functional can lead to a good estimate on the absorption spectra. In addition, we have also applied our fitting computational procedure to the newly designed molecule. The molecular orbitals involved in the related excited states have also been investigated for these molecules, which show a common charge‐transfer characteristic between the acceptor part (DPS/BP/DCPP/BF) and the donor (DMAC).
Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and safety of verinurad with and without allopurinol in healthy Asian, Chinese, and non‐Asian participants
Authors: Johansson Susanne , Han David , Hunt Thomas , Björck Karin , Florica Delia , Gillen Michael , Hall Jesse , Erlandsson Fredrik
Published: May 2022

Verinurad is a selective inhibitor of uric acid transporter 1 (URAT1). Here, we assessed the safety, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of verinurad + allopurinol and verinurad monotherapy in healthy participants. Studies 1 (NCT03836599) and 2 (NCT02608710) were randomized Phase 1 studies. In Study 1, 12 healthy Asian participants received 24 mg verinurad + 300 mg allopurinol or placebo, and 9 healthy Chinese participants received 12 mg verinurad + 300 mg allopurinol. In Study 2, 24 healthy non‐Asian male participants received 12 mg verinurad. Safety analyses included assessment of adverse events (AEs). Pharmacokinetic parameters included maximum concentration (Cmax) and area under plasma concentration‐time curve (AUC) over 24 h (AUCτ). Pharmacodynamic parameters included percentage change from baseline (day –1) in serum uric acid (sUA) and urinary uric acid (uUA). There were no serious AEs or deaths in either study. In Study 1, steady‐state geometric mean (gCV%) Cmax and AUCτ values of verinurad after 7 days’ dosing were 73.6 (29.0) ng/mL and 478 (18.4) ng·h/mL, respectively, in healthy Asian participants, and 42.0 (40.1) ng/mL and 264 (36.1) ng·h/mL, respectively, in healthy Chinese participants; in Study 2, gCV% values were 36.3 (36.5) ng/mL and 271 (31.0) ng·h/mL, respectively. sUA decreased and uUA excretion increased compared with baseline following verinurad + allopurinol (Study 1) or verinurad (Study 2). When accounting for dose, the steady‐state pharmacokinetics of verinurad following multiple dosing were comparable between healthy Asian and Chinese participants and healthy non‐Asian participants. Verinurad treatments were well tolerated, including at higher verinurad exposures than previously evaluated after repeated dosing.
Effect of Ultra‐High‐Pressure Annealing on Defect Reactions in Ion‐Implanted GaN Studied by Positron Annihilation
Authors: Uedono Akira , Sakurai Hideki , Uzuhashi Jun , Narita Tetsuo , Sierakowski Kacper , Ishibashi Shoji , Chichibu Shigefusa F. , Bockowski Michal , Suda Jun , Ohkubo Tadakatsu , Ikarashi Nobuyuki , Hono Kazuhiro , Kachi Tetsu
Published: May 2022

Herein, the annealing behaviors of defects in ion‐implanted GaN are studied by positron annihilation, cathodoluminescence, scanning transmission electron microscopy, and atom probe tomography. Si or Mg ions are implanted into GaN to obtain 300 nm deep box profiles of the impurities. The samples are annealed up to 1480 °C under a N2 pressure of 1 GPa. For as‐implanted GaN, the major defect species is identified as Ga‐vacancy‐type defects. After annealing above 1000 °C, vacancy clusters are introduced, and they remain even after 1480 °C annealing. For Mg‐implanted GaN with the Mg concentration ([Mg]) ≤ 1018 cm−3, no large change in the depth distribution of Mg is observed before and after annealing at 1400 °C. For the sample with [Mg] = 1019 cm−3, however, Mg diffuses into the bulk, which is attributed to the over‐doping of Mg and their vacancy‐assisted diffusion. The Mg diffusion is suppressed, and the donor–acceptor pair emission is enhanced by sequential N‐implantation, which is attributed to the reaction between Mg and vacancies under a N‐rich condition. For the samples annealed at 1480 °C, an accumulation of Mg around dislocation loops and Mg clustering are enhanced by the N‐implantation
Carbon sequestration in back‐barrier tidal marsh soils
Authors: Stolt Mark , Hardy Amber
Published: May 2022

Tidal marshes are broad flat wetlands that have some of the highest carbon stocks of any ecosystem. Although the amount of carbon stored in these soils is undeniable, there are a number of uncertainties regarding carbon sequestration rates of these systems. One of the timeliest is related to the usefulness of a single sequestration rate for carbon accounting purposes. We measured soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration rates across an elevation gradient in three back‐barrier tidal marshes in New England to test if a single sequestration value can be used for such marshes. Time zero was marked by deposition of overwash sediments from Hurricane Sandy in 2012. A total of 52 sampling locations were established at the three marshes. Eight years after overwash deposition, average plant cover ranged from 55 to 94%. Soils developed thin A horizons over underlying overwash C horizons. Sequestration rates ranged from 52 to 637 g carbon m−2 yr−1. These rates are three to four times that of the average SOC sequestration rate in New England forests. Sequestration rates increased as elevation decreased (p values were .006, .020, and .16 for the three marshes). Average SOC sequestration rates for the lowest elevation marshes (296 and 326 g m−2 yr−1) were significantly higher than that of the higher elevation marsh (186 g m−2 yr−1). Our studies suggest that there is a significant elevation relationship in carbon sequestration within marshes, and a single sequestration rate is not representative of all marshes in similar settings.
Replacing “Alkyl” with “Aryl” for inducing accessible channels to closed pores as plateau‐dominated sodium‐ion battery anode
Authors: Shao Wenlong , Cao Qi , Liu Siyang , Zhang Tianpeng , Song Zihui , Song Ce , Weng Zhihuan , Jian Xigao , Hu Fangyuan
Published: May 2022

Hard carbons are promising anodes for sodium‐ion batteries. However, there is still considerable controversy regarding the sodium storage behaviors in hard carbons, which are mainly attributed to the varied precursors, confused pyrolysis mechanism, and different characterization methods. Herein, benefiting from the flexible molecular structure of polymers, a series of hard carbons with carefully tuned microstructures are fabricated by adjusting the ratio of aryl and alkyl groups in the epoxy resins. The results of dynamic mechanical analysis, in‐situ Fourier transform infrared spectra, and synchronous thermal gravimetric‐infrared spectrum‐gas chromatography/mass spectrometry reveal that replacing the alkyl with aryl groups in the resin can enhance the crosslink density, inhibit the degradation and rearrangement process, and further lead to a more disordered microstructure. In addition, it is suggested that accessible channels provided by sufficiently wide interlayer spacing are necessary for closed pore filling. The optimized anode delivers a high capacity of 375 mAh/g in half cell with an initial Coulombic efficiency of 80.61%, and an energy density of 252 Wh/kg is attained in full cell. Finally, a reliable relationship among precursor–pyrolysis mechanism–structure–performance is established, and the sodium storage mechanism of “adsorption–insertion–pore filling” is well proved.
Zinc recovery from hazardous construction wastes via an integrated process of the air classification, alkaline leaching, and water washing
Authors: Li Qiang , Zhao Youcai , Liu Kefu
Published: May 2022

Zinc‐ and lead‐containing wastes are often mixed with construction and demolition wastes in many factories, generating abundant of heavy metal‐enriched hazardous waste. In the present study, a novel integrated process of air classification, alkaline leaching, and water washing dechlorination was proposed for the efficient recycling of Zinc (Zn) resources. The first air classification process was realized via venturi tube, wherein the content of Zn could increase by 20 wt.%. After that, the product underwent an alkaline leaching process. Results showed that Zn recovery rate increased with fine particle sizes, and a 65% recovery rate was obtained under the following conditions of 5 mol/L NaOH, liquid/solid 10:1, and leaching time 1 h. Finally, water washing associated with microwave and ultrasonic treatments could remove over 85% of Cl and other water‐soluble salts. All the results indicated that the integrated method had an excellent recovery rate for Zn resources from construction and demolition wastes.
Do we have a moral obligation to be vegan?
Authors: Dalton Leanne
Published: May 2022

Leanne Dalton argues that to truly fulfil the declaration to ‘above all ensure the health and welfare of animals’, those working in the vet profession should adopt veganism – which has been defined as a philosophy and way of living that rejects exploitation and cruelty to animals.
Lindsay Robertson Stirling
Authors: Kitto Bill
Published: May 2022

A lifelong practitioner who cared for all creatures great and small.
Creating inclusive workplaces
Authors: Read Claire
Published: May 2022

How can we build veterinary workplaces that are equally welcoming to all, and in which all are supported to excel? That's the question at the heart of this month's Balance. Here Claire Read speaks to a number of vets from minority ethnic backgrounds to discuss possible answers to this vital question.
A portfolio career built on skills and interests offers plenty of variety
Authors: Faulkner Brian
Published: May 2022

Brian Faulkner is a small animal practitioner who also does lots of other things, including fundraising.
Islam, Social Work and Common Good in the Muslim Minority Context of Europe: Rethinking Shariʿa as Relational Ethics
Authors: Sahin Abdullah
Published: May 2022

This chapter explores the interface between Islam, social work and the common good within the Muslim minority context of Europe. The ethics-law nexus in Muslim tradition is examined to argue for a transformative Islamic engagement with the secular public space. Literature on Islam and social work is limited to providing basic information about Islam to frontline practitioners. The current inquiry intends to develop an Islamic perspective on social work and wellbeing. Increasing association of Muslims with extremism form negative public perceptions of Islam in Europe. Within this discourse of suspicion, Islam is coded as a cause of public harm and ‘Shariʿa law’ is often associated with human rights violations. This study argues that a critical dialogue among the faith-embedded and secular traditions of social ethics in Europe remains vital to fostering a shared sense of common good. Contemporary discussions on social ethics in Islam are dominated bymaqāṣid ash-sharī ʿa(objectives of Islamic law) andfiqh al-ʿaqalliyyāt(Muslim minority law). Whilst the former is purported to be a metaethical discourse and the latter implying a contextualising intent, both operate within strict juristic hermeneutics. Alternatively, this inquiry rethinks Shariʿa as relational ethics and practical wisdom (ḥikma), closer to the concept ofphronesisin ancient Greek philosophy, guiding human relations as imagined in Qurʾanic anthropology and its vision of a just society. Shariʿa is framed within Islam’s transformative view of human flourishing,tarbiyya. The notion of relational ethics is further grounded in dialogue with phenomenology-informed discussions on ethics, particularly in the work of Levinas, and Habermas’s ‘theory of communicative action’.
Social Work and Muslim Welfare: A Women’s Grassroots Association
Authors: Schröer Jussra , Ürek Birsen
Published: May 2022

Religion, religiosity and spirituality are gaining importance for social work in Germany as a discipline and as a profession, especially in the context of Muslim people seeking advice. Most Muslims regard Islam as a social religion which helps in different life situations. For them, the central elements of their belief, such as mercy, charity, solidarity and assisting each other, are core elements of help in society. The purpose of this chapter is to show the importance of the real life experiences of people who seek advice in social work. In this context, the chapter shows that counselling is subject-, task- and context-related. Counselling deals with life realities and can address and solve specific problems, support individuals in making decisions and coping effectively with crises. At the least, a sensitive attitude towards religious questions provides an ability to deal constructively with the reality of life. Within this perspective, the practice model, the Meeting and Further Training Centre for Muslim Women, shows how it is possible to gain access to welfare issues in the context of religion and social work.
The Role of tawba (Repentance) in Social Work with Muslim Clients
Authors: Abdullah Somaya
Published: May 2022

For interventions to succeed in social work, practitioners need to be familiar with clients’ religious worldviews and value systems; by understanding these dimensions in a client’s life, appropriate coping behaviour in the context of their lived experiences can be enhanced. In working with Muslim clients, such intervention requires knowledge and awareness of Islam and of the concepts that Muslims rely on to deal with problems or to bring about change in their lives. These concepts provide a reference and motivation for change to occur and can be integrated into social work to ensure services are culturally sensitive for them.Tawba(repentance) is one such concept that is fundamental in Islam; it is considered a starting point for personal change and a means to achieve a new way of being in relation to others and to God.Tawbais defined religiously and spiritually; as religious doctrine, sin and transgression are emphasised, while spiritually, inner transformation is the focus. This paper examines the concept oftawbaand its use in social work to enhance intervention outcomes with Muslim clients.
Islamic Principles, Inclusivity and Revitalisation in Conceptual Frameworks for Western Social Work
Authors: Crabtree Sara Ashencaen
Published: May 2022

In considering the important contribution of Islamic principles and perspectives to social work, which has encompassed to-date both the etic (outsider) and an emic (insider) positionality, a dialectical stance is offered in this chapter. This takes a fused ‘etemic’ approach, where Islamic religious and cultural concepts are critically examined in a dialogical application towards and excursus of an adaptive understanding of how these abstracted notions can play out within a social work context. To this end, the following concepts: ʾumma, zakat, ʿizza and al-insān al-kāmil, which are Islamic beliefs or Muslim cultural practices, are discussed as offering powerful and evocative socio-cultural-religious constructs that can serve to illuminate professional social work. Such insights, however, are subject to caveats and qualifications regarding the contentious appropriateness of this kind of abstracted, discursive application as well as whether such concepts can or should be adopted in some fashion within social work. However, the International Federation of Social Work’s (IFSW) global definition of social work provides a useful porous framework for such a legitimate exercise in the IFSW’s attempts to depart from narrow ethnocentricism to both recognise and embrace the cultural diversity that constitutes this global profession.
Islamic Social Work within the Framework of the Welfare System: Observations from the German Case
Authors: Schmid Hansjörg
Published: May 2022

The development possibilities for Islamic social work are closely linked to the respective state’s welfare framework. The German system provides an insightful example, as it is characterised by a significant incorporation of religious welfare providers. In the sense of an “affirmative genealogy” (Hans Joas), the German welfare system can be understood as open to religious pluralism and social change. This chapter analyses interactions between the state, existing welfare organisations and Muslim providers, focusing on their respective legitimation strategies. Inclusive and more exclusive interpretations are presented by different parties. The openness towards all beneficiaries demanded of Muslim welfare providers could perhaps lead to a secularisation of Islamic social work. However, theological reflection enables an Islamic profile to be reconciled with general social responsibility.
New Perspectives in Critical Data Studies: The Ambivalences of Data Power—An Introduction
Authors: Hepp Andreas , Jarke Juliane , Kramp Leif
Published: May 2022

Data power is a highly ambivalent phenomenon and it is precisely these ambivalences that open up important perspectives for the burgeoning field of critical data studies: First, the ambivalences between global infrastructures and local invisibilities. These challenge the grand narrative of the ephemeral nature of a global data infrastructure and instead make visible the local working and living conditions, and resources and arrangements required to operate and run them. Second is the ambivalences between the state and data justice. These consider data justice in relation to state surveillance and data capitalism and reflect the ambivalences between an “entrepreneurial state” and a “welfare state”. Third is the ambivalences of everyday practices and collective action, in which civil society groups, communities, and movements try to position the interests of people against the “big players” in the tech industry. With this introduction, we want to make the argument that seeing data power and its irreducible ambivalences in a pointed way will provide an orientation to the chapters of this book. To this end, we first give a brief outline of the development of critical data studies. In part, we also want to situate the data power conferences, the most recent of which this volume is based on. This will then serve as a basis for taking a closer look at three facets of the ambivalence of data power.
Counting, Debunking, Making, Witnessing, Shielding: What Critical Data Studies Can Learn from Data Activism During the Pandemic
Authors: Milan Stefania
Published: May 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to shift data power—the power of data structures as well as the power exerted by data on social life—in two directions. Key state functions and infrastructure are transferred to private corporations at the expenses of state sovereignty and oversight, while individual control over personal information such as political preferences and biomedical data is delegated to quasi-monopolistic platforms. Data activism as the civil society response to data power and the field of critical data studies in its role of the scholarly interpreter of a datafied society can both help us make sense of these challenges. Dialoguing with political sociology, this chapter explores data activism as a counterforce to predominant data power, takes stock of its most recent evolutions, and identifies pathways for critical data studies in the post-pandemic world. First, it distinguishes five focal strategies for data activists as they grappled with the challenges of the first pandemic within a datafied society: counting, debunking, making, witnessing, and shielding. It then singles out three challenges for data activism in the post-pandemic world, namely the question of infrastructure, the diffusion of data poverty, and scarce digital literacy. This chapter concludes by deriving lessons learnt from data activism during the pandemic that point to potential new perspectives for critical data studies in the post-pandemic world.
The Value Dynamics of Data Capitalism: Cultural Production and Consumption in a Datafied World
Authors: Bolin Göran
Published: May 2022

The metaphor that ‘data is the new oil’ points to the perception of data as a valuable resource in the form of raw material for algorithmic processing at the centre of data capitalism and its underlying process of datafication. While many point to broader consequences of datafication for social life there is still a need for analytical models to understand the complexity, scale, and dynamics behind these transformations. To focus on data as value is one such approach that is pursued in this chapter. The point of departure is Dewey’sTheory of Valuation(1939), which is discussed in relation to anthropological, sociological, and economic theories of value. The second section presents an analytical model for the study of the dynamics of data capitalism and the process of datafication. This is then illustrated with two examples that highlight the relations between the inner dynamics of data capitalism before the chapter ends with some conclusive recommendations for future empirical research.
Citizen Participation and ICT for Urban Development in Oslo
Authors: Giannoumis G. Anthony , Joneja Nidhi
Published: May 2022

Information and communications technologies provide a useful catalyst for promoting political participation in urban development. However, implicit biases often influence the design of those technologies, which can reinforce social disadvantages. Design processes can therefore create barriers that prevent or limit an individual’s or group’s ability to access or use technology and contribute to digital divides that segregate active users from users that experience barriers accessing or using technology. This chapter takes a universal design perspective, which is a design methodology and philosophy, that positions technology design as a means for ensuring participation in all aspects of society. This chapter explores the role of the design, development and implementation of participatory platforms as a mediators in citizen participation and urban development. The case study of a limited set of semi-structured interviews provides a basis for illustrating some experiences of citizens in Oslo who have used Si din mening, a participatory platform implemented by the city government. This chapter, therefore, sheds light on the ways in which local municipalities can ensure access and use of participatory platforms for as wide a population as possible. A heuristic analysis of one of the platforms provides further support and insights into potential patterns of use.
E-gentrification: Digital Community Engagement, Urban Change and Digital Rights to the City
Authors: Middha Bhavna , McShane Ian
Published: May 2022

Urban development has, for many critical urban scholars, long been complicit with gentrification. The prolific scholarship on gentrification has also, in recent years, taken a digital turn, analysts exploring the association between gentrification and the increasing use of digital information and communication technologies (ICTs) in urban governance. This chapter extends the book’s discussion on consultative digital platforms as sites of dialogue between citizens and governments, situating these initiatives within the wider investment made by governments and commercial providers in digital urban infrastructure. This investment, supported by imaginaries such as techno-solutionism, democratic participation and ideas of a rational citizen, is shaping the social, economic and spatial dynamics of cities, bringing critical attention to what scholars, following Lefebvre, have called the digital rights to the city. We analyse data from the Melbourne case study of the DEMUDIG project to explore what we terme-gentrification—the convergent trajectories of digital ICTs and of the gentrification of formerly working-class urban locations. We contend, through using a framework of assemblage theory, that the implementation and use of digital engagement platforms may be a constituent of gentrification processes.
Two-dimensional cycle classes on $$\overline{\mathcal {M}}_{0,n}$$
Authors: Ramadas Rohini , Silversmith Rob
Published: May 2022

For each $$n\ge 5$$

n
≥
5

, we give an $$S_n$$

S
n

-equivariant basis for $$H_4(\overline{\mathcal {M}}_{0,n},\mathbb {Q})$$

H
4

(

M
¯

0
,
n

,
Q
)

, as well as for $$H_{2(n-5)}(\overline{\mathcal {M}}_{0,n},\mathbb {Q})$$

H

2
(
n
-
5
)

(

M
¯

0
,
n

,
Q
)

. Such a basis exists for $$H_2(\overline{\mathcal {M}}_{0,n},\mathbb {Q})$$

H
2

(

M
¯

0
,
n

,
Q
)

and for $$H_{2(n-4)}(\overline{\mathcal {M}}_{0,n},\mathbb {Q})$$

H

2
(
n
-
4
)

(

M
¯

0
,
n

,
Q
)

, but it is not known whether one exists for $$H_{2k}(\overline{\mathcal {M}}_{0,n},\mathbb {Q})$$

H

2
k

(

M
¯

0
,
n

,
Q
)

when $$3\le k\le n-6$$

3
≤
k
≤
n
-
6

.
A Scattering Theory for Linearised Gravity on the Exterior of the Schwarzschild Black Hole I: The Teukolsky Equations
Authors: Masaood Hamed
Published: May 2022

We construct a scattering theory for the spin $$\pm \,2$$

±

2

Teukolsky equations on the exterior of the Schwarzschild spacetime, as a first step towards developing a scattering theory for the linearised Einstein equations in double null gauge. This is done by exploiting a physical-space version of the Chandrasekhar transformation used by Dafermos et al. in (Acta Math 222(1):1–214, 2019. 10.4310/acta.2019.v222.n1.a1) to prove the linear stability of the Schwarzschild solution. We also address the Teukolsky–Starobinsky correspondence and construct an isomorphism between scattering data for the $$+\,2$$

+

2

and $$-\,2$$

-

2

Teukolsky equations. This will allow us to state an additional mixed scattering statement for a pair of curvature components satisfying the spin $$+\,2$$

+

2

and $$-\,2$$

-

2

Teukolsky equations and connected via the Teukolsky–Starobinsky identities, completely determining the radiating degrees of freedom of solutions to the linearised Einstein equations.
No self-advantage in recognizing photographs of one’s own hand: experimental and meta-analytic evidence
Authors: Holmes Nicholas P. , Spence Charles , Rossetti Yves
Published: May 2022

Visually recognising one’s own body is important both for controlling movement and for one’s sense of self. Twenty previous studies asked healthy adults to make rapid recognition judgements about photographs of their own and other peoples’ hands. Some of these judgements involved explicit self-recognition: “Is this your hand or another person’s?” while others assessed self-recognition implicitly, comparing performance for self and other hands in tasks unrelated to self-other discrimination (e.g., left-versus-right; match-to-sample). We report five experiments with three groups of participants performing left-versus-right (Experiment 1) and self-versus-other discrimination tasks (Experiments 2 to 5). No evidence was found for better performance with self than with other stimuli, but some evidence was found for a self-disadvantage in the explicit task. Manipulating stimulus duration as a proxy for task difficulty revealed strong response biases in the explicit self-recognition task. Rather than discriminating between self and other stimuli, participants seem to treat self-other discrimination tasks as self-detection tasks, raising their criterion and consistently responding ‘not me’ when the task is difficult. A meta-analysis of 21 studies revealed no overall self-advantage, and suggested a publication bias for reports showing self-advantages in implicit tasks. Although this may appear counter-intuitive, we suggest that there may be no self-advantage in hand recognition.