bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In vitro measurements of radiation exposure with different modalities (computed tomography, cone beam computed tomography) for imaging the petrous bone with a pediatric anthropomorphic phantom
Authors: Steiniger Beatrice , Lechel Ursula , Reichenbach Jürgen R. , Fiebich Martin , Aschenbach Rene , Schegerer Alexander , Waginger Matthias , Bobeva Anelyia , Teichgräber Ulf , Mentzel Hans-Joachim
Published: April 2022

Background

Various imaging modalities, such as multi-detector computed tomography (CT) and cone beam CT are commonly used in infants for the diagnosis of hearing loss and surgical planning of implantation hearing aid devices, with differing results.

Objective

We compared three different imaging modalities available in our institution, including a high-class CT scanner, a mid-class CT scanner and an angiography system with a cone beam CT option, for image quality and radiation exposure in a phantom study.

Materials and methods

While scanning an anthropomorphic phantom imitating a 1-year-old child with vendor-provided routine protocols, organ doses, surface doses and effective doses were determined for these three modalities with thermoluminescent dosimeters. The image quality was evaluated using the signal difference to noise ratio (SDNR) and the spatial resolution of a line-pair insert in the phantom head. The dose efficiency, defined as the ratio of SDNR and effective dose, was also compared.

Results

The organ and surface doses were lowest with the high-class CT protocol, but the image quality was the worst. Image quality was best with the cone beam CT protocol, which, however, had the highest radiation exposure in this study, whereas the mid-class CT was in between.

Conclusion

Based on our results, high-end CT should be used for surgical planning because it has the lowest dose, while the image quality is still sufficient for this purpose. However, if highest image quality is needed and required, e.g., by ENT surgeons, the other modalities should be considered.
Syringing has limited reliability in differentiating nasolacrimal duct stenosis from functional delay
Authors: Shapira Yinon , Juniat Valerie , Macri Carmelo , Selva Dinesh
Published: April 2022

Purpose

To elucidate the role of syringing in assessing nasolacrimal duct (NLD) stenosis and non-anatomical functional NLD delay.

Methods

Consecutive adult patients with epiphora attending a tertiary lacrimal clinic from June 2011 to March 2021 were reviewed. Cases with evidence of canalicular stenosis or other identifiable causes of epiphora were excluded. Following syringing, patients were investigated with dacryocystography (DCG) and dacryoscintigraphy (DSG). The sensitivity and specificity of syringing were evaluated using the combined findings on DCG and DSG.

Results

A total of 289 symptomatic lacrimal systems (197 patients; mean age 65.5 ± 14.9 years, 66% females) were included. More than one-third of cases with both normal DCG and DSG were noted to have some degree of reflux on syringing (specificity = 65.1%, 95% CI 50.2–77.6%). The sensitivities were considerably low for NLD stenosis (i.e., stenosis on DCG and delay on DSG) and for functional NLD delay (i.e., normal DCG and delay on DSG), of which 43.7% (95% CI 32.2–55.9%) and 54.3% (95% CI 45.7–62.7%) had full patency on syringing, respectively (p = 0.17).

Conclusions

Full patency on syringing was unreliable for ruling out NLD stenosis and functional delay. Furthermore, a positive syringing may be associated with functional NLD delay and cannot reliably differentiate it from stenosis.
Minimum Hitting Set of Interval Bundles Problem: Computational Complexity and Approximability
Authors: Gottschau Marinus , Leichter Marilena
Published: April 2022

The minimum hitting set of bundles problem (Mhsb) is a natural generalization of the minimum hitting set problem, where instead of hitting single elements, bundles of elements are hit. More specifically, we are given a ground set of elements and a family of sets. Every set in this family contains bundles of elements, which are subsets of the ground set. The task is to find a collection of elements of minimum size such that at least one bundle of every set in the family is hit. Motivated by several applications, we consider Mhsb restricted to interval and 2-dimensional interval bundles. We study the computational complexity and give polynomial-time algorithms for several classes of instances with these special structured bundles.
Computational model predicts risk of spinal screw loosening in patients
Authors: Fasser Marie-Rosa , Gerber Gabriela , Passaplan Caroline , Cornaz Frédéric , Snedeker Jess G. , Farshad Mazda , Widmer Jonas
Published: April 2022

Purpose

Pedicle screw loosening is a frequent complication in lumbar spine fixation, most commonly among patients with poor bone quality. Determining patients at high risk for insufficient implant stability would allow clinicians to adapt the treatment accordingly. The aim of this study was to develop a computational model for quantitative and reliable assessment of the risk of screw loosening.

Methods

A cohort of patient vertebrae with diagnosed screw loosening was juxtaposed to a control group with stable fusion. Imaging data from the two cohorts were used to generate patient-specific biomechanical models of lumbar instrumented vertebral bodies. Single-level finite element models loading the screw in axial or caudo-cranial direction were generated. Further, multi-level models incorporating individualized joint loading were created.

Results

The simulation results indicate that there is no association between screw pull-out strength and the manifestation of implant loosening (p = 0.8). For patient models incorporating multiple instrumented vertebrae, CT-values and stress in the bone were significantly different between loose screws and non-loose screws (p = 0.017 and p = 0.029, for CT-values and stress, respectively). However, very high distinction (p = 0.001) and predictability (R2Pseudo = 0.358, AUC = 0.85) were achieved when considering the relationship between local bone strength and the predicted stress (loading factor). Screws surrounded by bone with a loading factor higher than 25% were likely to be loose, while the chances of screw loosening were close to 0 with a loading factor below 15%.

Conclusion

The use of a biomechanics-based score for risk assessment of implant fixation failure might represent a paradigm shift in addressing screw loosening after spondylodesis surgery.
Anxiety and depression in Alzheimer’s disease: a systematic review of pathogenetic mechanisms and relation to cognitive decline
Authors: Botto Rossana , Callai Nicoletta , Cermelli Aurora , Causarano Lorenzo , Rainero Innocenzo
Published: April 2022

Objectives

To explore the pathogenetic hypothesis provided to explain the comorbidity of anxious and depressive symptomatology and AD and to assess the association between anxious and depressive symptoms and the AD-related cognitive impairment.

Methods

In October 2020 and March 2021, PsycINFO, Embase, Ovid, and CINAHL were searched for peer-reviewed original articles investigating anxiety and/or depression in AD.

Results

A total of 14,760 studies were identified and 34 papers on AD patients were included in the review. Suggested biological causes of depression and anxiety in AD include higher strychnine-sensitive glycine receptor (GlyRS) functioning and selective reduction of N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor NR2A density, cortical and limbic atrophy, lower resting cortical metabolism, lower CSF Aβ42 and higher t-tau and p-tau levels, and neuritic plaques. At the same time, dysthymia arises in the early stages of AD as an emotional reaction to the progressive cognitive decline and can cause it; anxiety can appear as an initial compensating behaviour; and depression might be related to AD awareness and loss of functional abilities. Affective symptoms and the expression of the depressive symptoms tend to reduce as AD progresses.

Conclusion

The neurodegeneration of areas and circuits dealing with emotions can elicit anxiety and depression in AD. In the early stages of the disease, anxiety and depression could arise as a psychological reaction to AD and due to coping difficulties. In late AD stages, the cognitive impairment reduces the emotional responses and their expression. Anxiety and depression are more intense in early-onset AD, due to the major impact of AD on the individual.
Epidemiologie der Epilepsie im höheren Lebensalter
Authors: Lang Johannes D. , Hamer Hajo M.
Published: April 2022

Hintergrund

Epilepsie ist eine häufige neurologische Erkrankung, die alle Altersgruppen betreffen kann. Symptomatische Epilepsien, u. a. auf dem Boden zerebrovaskulärer und neurodegenerativer Erkrankungen, nehmen mit dem Alter zu. Die Kenntnis über die Epidemiologie der Epilepsien des höheren Lebensalters ermöglicht, ein umfassenderes Bild der Erkrankungen und der therapeutischen und sozialmedizinischen Herausforderungen für den einzelnen Betroffenen und die Gesellschaft zu erhalten.

Fragestellung

Welche Erkenntnisse liegen aktuell zur Epidemiologie der Epilepsien des höheren Lebensalters vor und wie sind sie einzuordnen?

Material und Methoden

Eine MEDLINE-Recherche auf PubMed mit den Begriffen „epilepsy“, „elderly“ und „incidence“ oder „prevalence“ oder „epidemiology“ wurde durchgeführt, und relevante Arbeiten wurden diesem Artikel zugrunde gelegt.

Ergebnisse

Die Punktprävalenz der Epilepsien des höheren Lebensalters liegt zwischen 0,5 und 0,8 % der Bevölkerung und betrifft in Deutschland somit ca. 500.000 Menschen. Die höchste altersadjustierte Prävalenz besteht jenseits des 75. Lebensjahres. In den vergangenen Jahrzehnten stieg die Prävalenz insbesondere bei den über 75-Jährigen weiter an auf das Doppelte der erwachsenen erwerbstätigen Bevölkerung. Die Inzidenz zeigt einen deutlichen Anstieg bei den über 65-Jährigen mit einem Maximum bei ca. 80 bis 85 Jahren und etwas häufiger bei Männern.

Diskussion

Gründe für die hohe Inzidenz und Prävalenz der Epilepsien des höheren Lebensalters sind die altersabhängige Inzidenz potenziell epilepsieassoziierter Erkrankungen bei einem gleichzeitig längeren Langzeitüberleben für diese Erkrankungen aufgrund einer besseren medizinischen Versorgung und ein Anstieg der Lebenserwartung. Die Veränderung der Alterspyramide mit einem höheren (und in den kommenden Jahrzehnten weiter zunehmenden) Anteil älterer Menschen wird die Zunahme der Altersepilepsie weiter verstärken.
Antibacterial and wound healing properties of cellulose acetate electrospun nanofibers loaded with bioactive glass nanoparticles; in-vivo study
Authors: Sharaf Samar S. , El-Shafei Amira M. , Refaie Rakia , Gibriel Abdullah A. , Abdel-Sattar Raghda
Published: April 2022

Bioactive glasses (BGs) have gained great attention owing to their versatile biological properties. Combining BG nanoparticles (BGNPs) with polymeric nanofibers produced nanocomposites of great performance in various biomedical applications especially in regenerative medicine. In this study, a novel nanocomposite nanofibrous system was developed and optimized from cellulose acetate (CA) electrospun nanofibers containing different concentrations of BGNPs. Morphology, IR and elemental analysis of the prepared electrospun nanofibers were determined using SEM, FT-IR and EDX respectively. Electrical conductivity and viscosity were also studied. Antibacterial properties were then investigated using agar well diffusion method. Moreover, biological wound healing capabilities for the prepared nanofiber dressing were assessed using in-vivo diabetic rat model with induced wounds. The fully characterized CA electrospun uniform nanofiber (100–200 nm) with incorporated BGNPs exhibited broad range of antimicrobial activity against gram negative and positive bacteria. The BGNP loaded CA nanofiber accelerated wound closure efficiently by the 10th day. The remaining wound areas for treated rats were 95.7 ± 1.8, 36.4 ± 3.2, 6.3 ± 1.5 and 0.8 ± 0.9 on 1st, 5th, 10th and 15th days respectively. Therefore, the newly prepared BGNP CA nanocomposite nanofiber could be used as a promising antibacterial and wound healing dressing for rapid and efficient recovery.
Model method drawing acts as a double-edged sword for solving inconsistent word problems
Authors: de Koning Björn B. , Boonen Anton J. H. , Jongerling Joran , van Wesel Floryt , van der Schoot Menno
Published: April 2022

Drawing bar diagrams has been shown to improve performance on mathematical word problems wherein the relational keyword is consistent with the required arithmetic operation. This study extends this by testing the effectiveness of bar diagram drawing for word problems with an inconsistent keyword-arithmetic operation mapping. Seventy-five fifth graders solved consistent and inconsistent word problems while encouraged to draw bar diagrams. For each word problem, we assessed problem type (consistent/inconsistent), performance (correct/incorrect), and bar diagrams (accurate/inaccurate/no drawing). Overall, bar diagram drawing was associated with increased performance on both consistent and inconsistent word problems, but the strongest benefits of drawing were found for inconsistent word problems. For inconsistent word problems, bar diagram accuracy was more clearly related to performance (accurate bar diagrams related to correct answers, but inaccurate ones to incorrect answers) than for consistent word problems. We conclude that bar diagram drawing provides an effective graphical support for solving inconsistent word problems.
Attention-based hybrid CNN-LSTM and spectral data augmentation for COVID-19 diagnosis from cough sound
Authors: Hamdi Skander , Oussalah Mourad , Moussaoui Abdelouahab , Saidi Mohamed
Published: April 2022

COVID-19 pandemic has fueled the interest in artificial intelligence tools for quick diagnosis to limit virus spreading. Over 60% of people who are infected complain of a dry cough. Cough and other respiratory sounds were used to build diagnosis models in much recent research. We propose in this work, an augmentation pipeline which is applied on the pre-filtered data and uses i) pitch-shifting technique to augment the raw signal and, ii) spectral data augmentation technique SpecAugment to augment the computed mel-spectrograms. A deep learning based architecture that hybridizes convolution neural networks and long-short term memory with an attention mechanism is proposed for building the classification model. The feasibility of the proposed is demonstrated through a set of testing scenarios using the large-scale COUGHVID cough dataset and through a comparison with three baselines models. We have shown that our classification model achieved 91.13% of testing accuracy, 90.93% of sensitivity and an area under the curve of receiver operating characteristic of 91.13%.
Sol-Gel ceramic glazes with photocatalytic activity
Authors: Monrós G. , Llusar M. , Badenes J. , Galindo R.
Published: April 2022

A frit is a glassy ceramic composition that has been fused, quenched, and granulated. A single frit or a mixture of frits and ceramic materials forms a ceramic glaze. The purpose of this pre-fusion is to render any soluble and/or toxic components insoluble by rendering it inert in a glassy composition with silica and other added oxides. The ceramic glaze dispersed in water (ceramic slip) is deposited on a ceramic body and fired for waterproofing and aesthetic purposes. Multicomponent frits (zinc-potassium borosilicate system) with similar behavior to conventional ceramic frits for single-firing ceramic glazes (“monoporosa” glazes fired at 1080 °C) were prepared by Sol-Gel methods (monophasic and polyphasic gels) avoiding the pre-fusion and characterized as photocatalytic agents (showing high degradation activity on Orange II). The effect of doping with bandgap modifiers (V2O5, Sb2O5 and SnO2) and also with devitrification agents (ZrO2 to crystallize zircon, Al2O3 to anorthite, Mo2O3 to powellite and ZnO to gahnite ZnAl2O4) were analyzed.
Thermochemistry of substituted benzenes: acetophenones with methyl, ethyl, cyano and acetoxy substituents
Authors: Andreeva Irina V. , Verevkin Sergey P.
Published: April 2022

The enthalpies of vaporization/sublimation of 2-, 3- and 4-methyl-acetophenones and 2-, 3-, 4-cyano-acetophenones were derived from the vapor pressure temperature dependence measured with help of the gas saturation method. Enthalpies of fusion of 4-methyl-acetophenone and 2-, 3- and 4-cyano-acetophenone were measured by using DSC. The literature thermochemical data for methyl-, ethyl, cyano- and acetoxy-substituted acetophenones and new results were evaluated using structure–property correlations. The G* quantum chemical methods were validated for reliable estimation of the enthalpies of formation of substituted acetophenones in the gaseous state. The evaluated thermodynamic data were used to design the “centerpiece” method for the assessment of enthalpies of formation and enthalpies of vaporization of substituted benzenes.

Graphical abstract
On the cracking patterns of brittle rings with elastic radial support under hydrostatic pressure
Authors: Michel Sébastien , Sipos András A.
Published: April 2022

The evolution of the cracking pattern of an internally pressurized, circular, brittle ring supported with radial elastic springs is investigated. The ill-posed Griffith-type energy functional is regularized via a sequence of boundary value problems (BVPs). We show, that internal bending in the fragments plays an essential role in the position of the new crack. We also find that the pattern formation is driven by a co-dimension one bifurcation, which leads to the conclusion that in the beginning of the cracking process the new crack emerges in the vicinity of the existing cracks. In the second phase of the evolution the cracking process obeys a halving rule. The critical value of the fragment-length is derived. The results obtained are readily applicable to describe the crack evolution of hemispherical domes.
Gene expression programming and data mining methods for bushfire susceptibility mapping in New South Wales, Australia
Authors: Hosseini Maryamsadat , Lim Samsung
Published: April 2022

Australia is one of the most bushfire-prone countries. Prediction and management of bushfires in bushfire-susceptible areas can reduce the negative impacts of bushfires. The generation of bushfire susceptibility maps can help improve the prediction of bushfires. The main aim of this study was to use single gene expression programming (GEP) and ensemble of GEP with well-known data mining to generate bushfire susceptibility maps for New South Wales, Australia, as a case study. We used eight methods for bushfire susceptibility mapping: GEP, random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), frequency ratio (FR), ensemble techniques of GEP and FR (GEPFR), RF and FR (RFFR), SVM and FR (SVMFR), and logistic regression (LR) and FR (LRFR). Areas under the curve (AUCs) of the receiver operating characteristic were used to evaluate the proposed methods. GEPFR exhibited the best performance for bushfire susceptibility mapping based on the AUC (0.892 for training, 0.890 for testing), while RFFR had the highest accuracy (95.29% for training, 94.70% for testing) among the proposed methods. GEPFR is an ensemble method that uses features from the evolutionary algorithm and the statistical FR method, which results in a better AUC for the bushfire susceptibility maps. Single GEP showed AUC of 0.884 for training and 0.882 for testing. RF also showed AUC of 0.902 and 0.876 for training and testing, respectively. SVM had 0.868 for training and 0.781 for testing for bushfire susceptibility mapping. The ensemble methods had better performances than those of the single methods.
Efficient energy balancing across multiple harmonics of nonlinear normal modes
Authors: Hong Dongxiao , Hill Thomas L. , Neild Simon A.
Published: April 2022

Predicting the forced responses of nonlinear systems is a topic that attracts extensive studies. The energy balancing method considers the net energy transfer in and out of the system over one period and establishes connections between forced responses and nonlinear normal modes (NNMs). In this paper, we consider the energy balancing across multiple harmonics of NNMs for predicting forced resonances. This technique is constructed by combining the energy balancing mechanism with restrictions (established via excitation scenarios) on external forcing and harmonic phase-shifts; a semi-analytical framework is derived to achieve both accurate/robust results and efficient computations. With known inputs from NNM solutions, the required forcing amplitudes to reach NNMs at resonances, along with their discrepancy, i.e. the harmonic phase-shifts, are computed via a one-step scheme. Several examples are presented for different excitation scenarios to demonstrate the applicability of this method and to show its capability in accurately predicting the existence of an isola where multiple harmonics play a significant part in the response.
Dose Finding in Oncology: What is Impeding Coming of Age?
Authors: Mayawala Kapil , de Alwis Dinesh
Published: April 2022

After a drug molecule enters clinical trials, there are primarily three levers to enhance probability of success: patient selection, dose selection and choice of combination agents. Of these, dose selection remains an under-appreciated aspect in oncology drug development despite numerous peer-reviewed publications. Here, we share practical challenges faced by the biopharmaceutical industry that reduce the willingness to invest in dose finding for oncology drugs. First, randomized dose finding admittedly slows down clinical development. To reduce the size of dose finding study, trend in exposure vs. tumor-size analysis can be assessed, instead of a statistical test for non-inferiority between multiple doses. Second, investment in testing a lower dose when benefit-risk at the higher dose is sufficient for regulatory approval (i.e., efficacy at the higher dose is better than standard of care and safety is acceptable) is perceived as low priority. Changing regulatory landscape must be considered to optimize dose in pre-marketing setting as post-marketing changes in dose can be commercially costly. Third, the risk of exposing patients to subtherapeutic exposures with a lower dose should be assessed scientifically instead of assuming a monotonic relationship between dose and efficacy. Only the doses which are expected to be at the plateau of dose/exposure–response curve should be investigated in Phase 1b/2. Overall, changing the perceptions that have been impeding investment in dose finding in oncology requires pragmatic discourse among biopharmaceutical industry, regulatory agencies and academia. These perceptions should also not deter dose finding for recently emerging modalities, including BITEs and CART cell therapies.
A higher-order model of community resilience potential: development and assessment through confirmatory composite analysis based on partial least squares
Authors: Pasca Paola , De Simone Evelyn , Ciavolino Enrico , Rochira Alessia , Mannarini Terri
Published: April 2022

The topic of community resilience attracts as much academic research as it does social media. Understanding the drivers of change and community adaptation in the face of critical events is a key clue to governance actions and local measures. However, both academia and the media often provide partial definitions of community resilience. Beginning with an integration of theory-driven and data-driven knowledge, the study aims to uncover and operationalize the building blocks of community resilience potential within a measurement tool. An assessment study, conducted on 1278 participants from diverse communities statistically supported a broad, inclusive model: Community Resilience Potential is composed of four main constituents (social capital, community competence, structural-functional potential, socio-economic potential). The Confirmatory Composite Analysis formalized for Partial Least-Squares Structural Equation Modeling revealed its good psychometric properties and measurement invariance. Although the study has limitations, it provides researchers with a valuable, theoretically grounded, widely-applicable tool for the investigation of the community resilience potential.
Eco-friendly adsorbents based on abietic acid, boswellic acid, and chitosan/magnetite for removing waste oil from the surface of the water
Authors: Fekry Mohamed , Elmesallamy Salwa M. , El-Rahman Nasser R. Abd , Bekhit Mahmoud , Elsaied Hend Alaidy
Published: April 2022

Petroleum oil leakage and industrial oily waste on the water surface are sustainable pollutions. The removal process by eco-friendly adsorbents is a critical challenge. It also requires sustainable treatment. The natural hydrophobic material such as abietic acid, boswellic acid, and chitosan was added to magnetite nanoparticles with different concentrations of 10, 15, and 20% on its surface. The magnetite acquires partially hydrophobic properties. The prepared natural adsorbents were analyzed by employing wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), particle size and zeta potential, and contact angle measurements. Chitosan adsorbs at the outer surface of magnetite nanoparticles while boswellic and abietic absorb in bulk. All prepared adsorbents are effective in adsorbing waste oil from the water surface. The contact angle of MB20 (magnetite/20 percent boswellic) is greater than that of MA20 and MC20 (magnetite/20% abietic or chitosan, respectively), indicating that it has more hydrophobic characteristics. The oil removal efficiency and adsorption capacity of MB20 are the highest values 57.6%, and 24 g/g, respectively. All eco-friendly adsorbents are nontoxic with low-cost production and are used many times.
Prevalence and Risk Factors of Psychiatric Symptoms Among Older People in England During the COVID-19 Pandemic: a Latent Class Analysis
Authors: Curran Emma , Rosato Michael , Ferry Finola , Leavey Gerard
Published: April 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected mental health and social connections. Older people may be disproportionately affected, placing them at increased risk for complex mental ill-health outcomes and quality of life undermined by anxiety and depression. Understanding gender differences in the determinants of anxiety and depression symptoms is crucial to policy and practice. This study aims to examine gender-specific symptom subtypes (and subthreshold symptoms) in an older English population sampled during the COVID period, in relation to their socio-demographic, social, and health circumstances. The sample comprises all individuals aged 50 years or older and included in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing COVID-19 sub-study conducted during June–July 2020. Latent class analysis (LCA) defined indicative sample subgroups of clinically relevant anxiety and depression. Multinomial logistic regression assessed associations between socio-demographic characteristics, health and social care indicators, loneliness, and pre-pandemic mental ill-health. LCA derived three classes of self-reported depression and anxiety: for females (1) comorbid depression and anxiety (19.9% of the sample), (2) depression and subthreshold anxiety (31.6%), and (3) no or low symptoms of depression and anxiety (48.5%), and for males (1) comorbid depression and anxiety (12.8%), (2) subthreshold anxiety and depression (29.6%), and (3) no or low depression and anxiety (57.6%). Multinomial logistic regression analyses indicate that compared to those with low/no mental health symptoms, severity of pandemic-era mental ill-health was positively associated with pre-pandemic mental health levels, worry over finances, having access to essentials, loneliness, and access to health and social care services. Findings support the persistence of comorbidity of both depression and anxiety in the pandemic period. Results may inform government health strategy on interventions to prevent social isolation and mitigate the effects of the pandemic on deteriorating mental health in older people who may be more susceptible.
Assessing the potential for restoring Mediterranean coastal dunes under pressure from tourism
Authors: Pinna Maria Silvia , Cogoni Donatella , Bacchetta Gianluigi , Fenu Giuseppe
Published: April 2022

Mediterranean dune systems have undergone a large reduction in the last decades. The main factors involved in this process are urbanisation promoting an alteration of dune morphology and changes in plant communities. The most representative coastal dune systems of Sardinia have been selected as a study case and analysed to evaluate their environmental status, vulnerability, and the potential for dune restoration. Thirty coastal-dune systems, ranging from high natural sites to urbanised areas were analysed. A matrix of 35 variables × 30 sites was built to calculate the relationship among dune development (StaDun) and other indices related to the coastal dunes potential to host dunes (BeaPot), the conservation actions and management of coastal-dune systems (CoMan), and the anthropogenic pressure and the transgression capacity of the sand (SurLan). The values obtained for StaDun and Dune restoration potential index (DPR) were clustered. The results highlighted the relationship among StaDun, BeaPot and CoMan indices. The geomorphological and ecological characteristics determine the main factors that influence the presence, typology, and development of dunes in each site. Conversely, StaDun was weakly correlated to SurLan index. The DPR index allowed to discriminate the coastal dunes that required management actions. The first group included well-developed dune systems for which conservation and management actions were not necessary. The second one consisted of sites for which these previous actions and restoration measures were necessary. DPR index provides a tool useful to assess and classify coastal dune areas based on their potential for restoration, and to plan appropriate management actions.

Graphical Abstract
Chemical shift assignments of calmodulin under standard conditions at neutral pH
Authors: Bej Aritra , Ames James B.
Published: April 2022

The Ca2+ sensor protein, calmodulin (CaM) is ubiquitously expressed in all cells where it binds to hundreds of different target proteins, including dozens of enzymes, receptors, ion channels and numerous Ca2+ transporters. The only published NMR chemical shift assignments for Ca2+-bound CaM (in the absence of a target) have been determined under acidic conditions: at pH 6.5/310 K (BMRB 6541) and pH 6.3/320 K (BMRB 547). However, some CaM/target complexes are not soluble under these conditions. Also, amide chemical shifts are very sensitive to pH and temperature, which can cause large baseline errors when using the existing chemical shift assignments of free CaM to calculate chemical shift perturbations caused by target binding at neutral pH and physiological temperature. We report complete NMR chemical shift assignments of Ca2+-saturated CaM under a set of standard conditions at neutral pH and 308 K that will enable more accurate chemical shift comparison between free CaM and CaM/target complexes (BMRB 51289).
Determinants of wellbeing in university students: The role of residential status, stress, loneliness, resilience, and sense of coherence
Authors: Brett Caroline E. , Mathieson Michelle L. , Rowley Avril M.
Published: April 2022

Maintaining wellbeing in university students is a government priority, but robust evidence has been lacking. Higher wellbeing is associated with better mental and physical health, higher self-esteem, self-efficacy, and effective coping strategies. This study aimed to identify, through an online survey in 2018, key determinants of wellbeing amongst a sample of 574 (65.5% female) students across all levels of study at a university in the UK. Most respondents (526 (91.8%)) reported feeling unusually stressed or overwhelmed at university. Residential students reported higher loneliness and number of stressors than commuter students, and postgraduate students reported higher wellbeing, resilience, and sense of coherence, and lower perceived stress and loneliness. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that 71.8% of the variance in wellbeing was predicted by a model containing demographics (age/gender, level of study, number of stressors), psychosocial variables, and perceived stress, with perceived stress, sense of coherence, loneliness, and resilience the strongest predictors. The findings suggest that interventions designed to improve resilience and sense of coherence, and reduce loneliness and perceived stress are likely to be effective in enhancing wellbeing in a student population.
Multi-sided platforms in competitive B2B networks with varying governmental influence – a taxonomy of Port and Cargo Community System business models
Authors: Tessmann Ruben , Elbert Ralf
Published: April 2022

Our knowledge on differences in business model characteristics of thriving and failing Multi-Sided Platforms in competitive B2B networks (B2B-MSP) and potential influences of increasing governmental involvement remains fragmented. This study develops a taxonomy to classify special B2B-MSP with varying governmental influence in the supply chain and transportation context, viz. Port and Cargo Community Systems (CS). Based on the classification of 44 international CS, we identify four archetypes using cluster analysis. The taxonomy provides practitioners with a differentiated view on the configuration options of CS business models including the involvement of governmental institutions, while the presented archetypes contribute an aggregated view of CS business models. The statistical analysis of our results provides initial explanatory approaches on CS business model dimension interdependencies, thereby laying the basis for a deeper understanding of sectoral and geographic differences of B2B-MSP and their diffusion dynamics as well as facilitating a higher contextualization of future research.
Altered Salivary Microbiota Following Bifidobacterium animalis Subsp. Lactis BL-11 Supplementation Are Associated with Anthropometric Growth and Social Behavior Severity in Individuals with Prader-Willi Syndrome
Authors: Liu Kevin , Kong Xue-Jun
Published: April 2022

To evaluate the influence of oral probiotic Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis (BL-11) supplementation on salivary microbiota composition and the association with growth parameters, and behavioral symptoms in individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). In this post hoc analysis, we included a subset of 36 PWS patients with available saliva samples from our original randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial (Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR1900022646, April 20, 2019). Among the 36 subjects, 17 subjects were allocated to the probiotic group for daily use of the BL-11 probiotic and 19 subjects were allocated to the placebo group. Groupwise and longitudinal differences in salivary microbiota abundances, biodiversity metrics, and height were analyzed. Linear correlations were found between identified differentially abundant salivary microbiota and clinical parameters. Salivary microbiome α-diversity was found to be higher in the probiotic-treated group at week 12 relative to placebo controls (P < 0.05). Leptotrichia, Paracoccus, and Faecalibacterium were found to be more abundant in the probiotic-treated group (P < 0.05). Salivary microbiota abundance and predicted functional profiling abundance correlations were found to be associated with anti-inflammation, anti-obesity, toxin degradation, and anti-oxidative injury effects (Q < 0.1). Several oral taxa also displayed correlations with social behavior severity scores in the probiotic-treated group (Q < 0.1). The findings suggest novel salivary microbiota compositional changes in response to the oral supplementation of BL-11 probiotic in individuals with PWS. The observed differentially abundant taxa between groups post-treatment were highly correlated with interventional effects on growth and social behaviors, although further investigation is warranted. Clinical Trial Registration The original clinical trial was registered under the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry with registration number ChiCTR1900022646 (April 20, 2019).
Competing voices: Indigenous rights in the shadow of conventional fisheries management in the tropical rock lobster fishery in Torres Strait, Australia
Authors: Lalancette Annie , Mulrennan Monica
Published: April 2022

Much progress has been made in recent decades in achieving high-level recognition of indigenous fishing rights. Despite these advances, actualization of indigenous rights to own and control marine resources has proven challenging. Insufficient attention to the centrality of power and its workings in fisheries are often the subject of critiques and of calls for more empirical research. This paper draws on interviews, participant observation, cognitive mapping, scenario workshops, and policy document review to examine power configurations and dynamics in the tropical rock lobster (TRL) fishery in Torres Strait (TS), Australia. Despite recognition of indigenous commercial fishing rights by the High Court in 2013, there have been only limited changes in how fisheries governance operates in the region. The current TRL management plan also risks entrenching non-indigenous interests in the fishery, thereby preventing Islanders from achieving their aspiration to fully own and control TS fisheries. Through an analysis drawing from Foucault’s theory of governmentality and Blaser’s political ontology framework, we show (1) how current fisheries management structures, processes and discourses are at odds with Islanders’ conceptions of the fisheries; and (2) how the existing regime excludes and renders silent Islander priorities. Our findings extend to indigenous-state relations in other state-managed fisheries. We believe our proposed conceptual framework can be useful in unveiling power relations that constrain indigenous rights and in identifying transformation options. We conclude that a sea change in conventional fisheries governance arrangements is needed to respond to new imperatives and expectations around indigenous fishing rights and interests.
Does a Hypertrophying Muscle Fibre Reprogramme its Metabolism Similar to a Cancer Cell?
Authors: Wackerhage Henning , Vechetti Ivan J. , Baumert Philipp , Gehlert Sebastian , Becker Lore , Jaspers Richard T. , de Angelis Martin Hrabě
Published: April 2022

In 1924, Otto Warburg asked “How does the metabolism of a growing tissue differ from that of a non-growing tissue?” Currently, we know that proliferating healthy and cancer cells reprogramme their metabolism. This typically includes increased glucose uptake, glycolytic flux and lactate synthesis. A key function of this reprogramming is to channel glycolytic intermediates and other metabolites into anabolic reactions such as nucleotide-RNA/DNA synthesis, amino acid-protein synthesis and the synthesis of, for example, acetyl and methyl groups for epigenetic modification. In this review, we discuss evidence that a hypertrophying muscle similarly takes up more glucose and reprogrammes its metabolism to channel energy metabolites into anabolic pathways. We specifically discuss the functions of the cancer-associated enzymes phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase and pyruvate kinase muscle 2 in skeletal muscle. In addition, we ask whether increased glucose uptake by a hypertrophying muscle explains why muscularity is often negatively associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity.
Students’ Development of a Logarithm Function in Python Using Taylor Expansions: a Teaching Design Case Study
Authors: Sand Odd Petter , Lockwood Elise , Caballero Marcos D. , Mørken Knut
Published: April 2022

We present here the lessons learned by iteratively designing a tutorial for first-year university students using computer programming to work with mathematical models. Alternating between design and implementation, we used video-taped task interviews and classroom observations to ensure that the design promoted student understanding. The final version of the tutorial we present here has students make their own logarithm function from scratch, using Taylor polynomials. To ensure that the resulting function is accurate and reasonably fast, the students had to understand and apply concepts both from computing and from mathematics. We identify three categories of such concepts and identify three design features that students attended to when demonstrating such understanding. Additionally, we describe four important take-aways from a teaching design point of view that resulted from this iterative design process.
Habitat quality assessment of mining cities based on InVEST model—a case study of Yanshan County, Jiangxi Province
Authors: Li Yanan , Duo Linghua , Zhang Ming , Yang Jingyuan , Guo Xiaofei
Published: April 2022

The assessment of the spatiotemporal evolution of habitat quality caused by land use changes can provide a scientific basis for the ecological protection and green development of mining cities. Taking Yanshan County as an example of a typical mining city, this article discussed the spatial pattern and evolution characteristics of habitat quality in 2000 and 2018 based on the ArcGIS platform and the InVEST model. The conclusions are as below: from 2000 to 2018, the area of farmland and construction land changed the most in the study area. Among them, the area of farmland decreased by 3.48%, and the area of industrial and mining land and construction land increased by 53.25%. Areas of low, relatively low and high habitat quality expanded, and areas of medium and relatively high habitat quality shrank, which is closely related to the distribution of land use. The areas with high habitat degradation degrees appear around cities, mining areas and watersheds, while the areas with low habitat degradation degrees are mainly distributed in the southern woodland. The distribution of cold and hot spots in the habitat quality distribution of Yanshan County presents a pattern of “hot in the south and cold in the north”. The results are of great significance to the precise implementation of ecosystem management decisions in mining cities and the creation of a landscape pattern of “beautiful countrysides, green cities, and green mines”.
The dynamics of multilevel administration. Coordination processes between national, supra- and international administrations in energy policy
Authors: Corcaci Andreas
Published: April 2022

Multilevel governance of energy transitions depends on the coordination between national, supra- and international administrative actors. Coordination takes place in systems of multilevel administration, which constitute highly dynamic arenas dominated by legally non-binding instruments and reciprocal interactions and relationships. This article seeks to gain insights into the underlying coordination processes by asking which conditions account for the change over time of coordination between administrative actors in multilevel administration systems. First, research on multilevel administration is summarized. Second and starting from historic and discursive institutionalist theory, a conceptual framework is outlined to assess the conditions and modes that account for the dynamics of coordination in general, and the change of coordination instruments in particular. A trend towards persuasive coordination in a process of institutional layering driven by endogenous conditions is expected. Empirically, an in-depth comparative analysis is conducted based on exploratory interviews with 90 experts mainly from the European Commission, the International Energy Agency, and national administrators from Canada and Europe. The results unveil that administrative coordination evolves according to at least three types of layering that go beyond the initial hypothesis: first, through layering of coordination instruments; second, as an increase in formal and non-formal interactions through a growing number of channels and complexity of interactions over time; third, as layering of inter-administrative relationships through a growing importance of personal networks and the creation of new contacts. By analysing the dynamics of multilevel administrative coordination, the article contributes to an important but underdeveloped aspect of the governance of supra- and international energy transitions.
Effects of Working Memory Training on Children’s Memory and Academic Performance: the Role of Training Task Features and Trainee’s Characteristics
Authors: Studer-Luethi Barbara , Toermaenen Minna , Margelisch Katja , Hogrefe Antonia B. , Perrig Walter J.
Published: April 2022

Learning and academic performance are explained mainly by basic limited-capacity processes, most notably by working memory (WM). Consequently, training WM has been considered a promising approach to fostering these abilities. However, school-based investigations are rare. This study examined the effects of training task features and trainees’ characteristics on transfer to cognitive and academic measures. Eighty-six typically developing 8–12-year-old children completed 6 weeks of either WM training with n-back and complex span tasks or a control training with perceptual-matching tasks in a regular school setting. The study also assessed some personal variables of the children, such as neuroticism, conscientiousness, joy of learning, and power of endurance. The WM training group showed increased WM and math performance compared to the control group. Also, there was a trend toward some improvements in vocabulary after WM training, and overall improvements after both trainings were observed in fluid intelligence and reading. Analyses of individual differences in the WM training group indicated increased training performance in relation to emotional stability, conscientiousness, power of endurance, as well as teacher-reported joy of learning and social integration of participants. Thus, the results indicate the potential of WM training to improve WM capacity and mathematical skills and reveal the impact of regulative, motivational, and social factors on cognitive training performance.
Quantifying light energy from 450 nm, 650 nm, 810 nm, and 980 nm wavelength lasers delivered through dental hard tissue
Authors: Chan Alex Simon , Chan Adam G. , Dawes Judith M. , Chan Andrew Jonathan , Chan Ambrose
Published: April 2022

Purpose

The energy available to treat the dental pulp after transmittance through overlying structures is clinically important for determining photobiological effects. This ex vivo study aimed to quantify laser energy delivery though the dental crown to the pulp from an initial energy of 5 J using four common laser wavelengths (λ = 450, 650, 810, and 980 nm).

Material and methods

A total of 30 extracted healthy human teeth (anterior n = 10; premolar n = 10; molar n = 10) were longitudinally sectioned (Project Number: 2021/421, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia). Each sample was methodically exposed in random order to the four wavelengths. Each wavelength was operated at the same power (0.50 W) for 10 s to deliver 5.0 J with a total energy delivery of 10 J/cm2. Laser light was delivered with an 8-mm-diameter fiber bundle probe directed perpendicularly to the buccal cervical-third of the crown. The transmitted energy was measured twice and averaged using a periodically pre-calibrated power meter in blinded conditions. Data were analyzed using a general linear model with logarithmic transformation.

Results

Wavelength and tooth thickness were significant predictors of optical transmittance (P < 0.05) while tooth type was significant only for the 450 nm wavelength. The average attenuation coefficients (µ) were 2.55, 2.45, 1.87, and 5.42 cm−1 (± 10%) for the 980, 810, 650, and 450 nm groups, respectively.

Conclusion

Clinicians should recognize that significant attenuation occurs during laser energy delivery to the pulp, influenced by the wavelength, thickness, and tooth type. Our findings support the potential for laser energy delivery to the pulp for photobiomodulation applications.