bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Engineering the surface properties of bamboo scrimber to enhance the gluing properties
Authors: Wu Jiangyuan , Zhang Yahui , Ji Yaohui , Zhu Rongxian , Sun Yuhui , Yu Yanglun , Yu Wenji
Published: July 2022

The adhesive ability of bamboo scrimber is critical for its use in large‐scale engineering structures. Cold‐pressed bamboo scrimber with varying sanding mesh and density was made and then bonded with polyurethane resin. The adhesive was concentrated on the surface, assisting the anchoring into the material surface. The shear strength and immersion peel strength are studied as parameters to determine the glue qualities. The optimum gluing characteristics were obtained using a 120 grit sandpaper and a density of 1.15 g/cm3. The results indicated that at a density of 1.15 g/cm3, the gluing characteristics rose initially and subsequently dropped as the number of sanding meshes increased. The bonding strength improved with increasing density when 120‐mesh sanding was used. With increasing density, the bamboo fiber distribution inside the material got more compact, while the resin dispersion became more uniform. Thus, the surface porosity and roughness were decreased.
Design, preparation, and characterization of silk fibroin/carboxymethyl cellulose wound dressing for skin tissue regeneration applications
Authors: Farshi Paniz , Salarian Reza , Rabiee Mohammad , Alizadeh Sanaz , Gholipourmalekabadi Mazaher , Ahmadi Sepideh , Rabiee Navid
Published: July 2022

Silk fibroin (SF) has been broadly applied in wound dressing fabrication because of its proper features for wound healing. In this work, we developed a carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)/gelatin blend film with different concentrations of glycerol, and modified the optimized film with an SF layer through electrospinning process. Tensile strength and cell viability evaluation of blend films demonstrated that the glycerol content of 3% could be suitable as the substrate layer for the two‐layer wound dressing. The morphology of the blend film and electrospun nanofibers was obtained from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). It concluded that structural changes had been occurred in both layers after cross‐linking with glutaraldehyde vapor. Further, it was shown that the mechanical properties of the two‐layer enhanced with the addition of SF. Moreover, the swelling ratio was higher than those of SF itself, due to the hydrophilic property of CMC/gelatin blend film. The biocompatibility of fibroblasts was investigated by MTT assay, and the coating showed an improvement in cell proliferation because of the cytocompatibility nature of SF. All results suggest that the prepared wound dressing could be a desirable candidate for wound healing applications.
Von Wasserstoff bis Eisen, Nickel und Zink
Authors: Thielemann Friedrich‐Karl
Published: July 2022

Die Entstehung der Elemente im Kosmos findet in einer Vielzahl astrophysikalischer Umgebungen statt. Diese umfassen den Urknall, Sterne mit geringer und mittlerer Masse sowie massereiche Sterne. Beiträge während der Entwicklung von Galaxien erfolgen durch abgeblasene Winde während der Sternentwicklung und durch Explosionen an ihrem Ende. In diesem Teil I zur kosmischen Nukleosynthese ist der Beitrag von Doppelsternsystemen – wie Typ‐Ia‐Supernovae aus explodierenden Weißen Zwergen mit viel Fe‐Produktion – nicht berücksichtigt, ebensowenig wie der Ursprung der schweren Elemente. Dies wird der Schwerpunkt von Teil II sein, wo wir auch die Bedeutung von langsamen und schnellen Neutronen‐Einfangprozessen in Sternen sowie bei Supernovae und Neutronenstern‐Verschmelzungen diskutieren und einen Gesamtüberblick über die Erzeugung der verschiedenen Elemente geben werden.
Prevention of Self Decomposition in Pyrotechnic Wet Mixtures by Replacing Aluminium with Boron
Authors: Prakash Lakshmana Pandian , Azhagurajan Arumugachamy , Jeyasubramanian Kadarkaraithangam
Published: July 2022

In fireworks industries, water‐added mixtures like tip mixtures, and aerial star pellet coatings are susceptible to self‐decomposition because aluminium readily reacts with water that is used with them. While adding water to the tip mixture, the aluminium undergoes hydration and forms an oxide. It also liberates heat and hydrogen gas, which leads to an explosion. Similarly, the star pellets coated with aluminium also had the same problem. To avoid the hazard due to self‐decomposition, partial replacement of aluminium powder helps in the reduction of workplace accidents/injuries. Recently, researchers used boron as a substituent for aluminium in dry mixtures such as flash powder composition. In this work, the use of aluminium in the wet mixtures is gradually replaced with boron. The thermal analysis and the decomposition tests were conducted for the boron‐blended wet mixtures. The performance characteristics of boron‐blended tip mixtures and star pellets were evaluated to determine the optimum level of replacement to sustain the quality with improved safety.
Extended JCZ3 Equation of State and JAGUAR Implementation for High Explosives
Authors: Stiel Leonard , Baker Ernest , Samuels Philip , Cornell Rodger , Rydzewski David
Published: July 2022

An extended JCZ3 based equation of state for the modelling of high explosive detonation products has been implemented in the JAGUAR computer model. This development includes the parameterization of EXP‐6 potentials for individual products species, as well as mixing rules for the combination of species. Non‐linear variable metric optimization was used for the species parameterization, as well as for the solution of free energy minimized states. Explosive detonation and products expansion are typically modelled for JWL and JWLB high explosives thermodynamic equation of state development. An analytic c ylinder test model was developed for the comparison to experimental cylinder expansion test data and for the characterization of explosive products expansion and work output. Examples and comparisons to data are presented. Historically, streak photography was used for cylinder testing, whereas photon‐doppler velocimetry (PDV) is now standard. This has resulted in some changes in cylinder testing data reduction. A JAGUAR MSIAC web‐based application is currently under development for use by the MSIAC member nations.
Imputation of continuous missing values in profile data
Authors: Yang Luo , Wang Kaibo
Published: July 2022

Profile data have been widely used in quality control practice. However, in some applications, incomplete profiles, or profiles with continuous missing values, are frequently encountered. Imputation of continuous missing values in profiles for quality control is a challenging problem. In this work, we propose a latent feature model and a two‐step learning algorithm to reconstruct missing values. In the model, an unsupervised deep‐learning technique, variational autoencoder (VAE), is utilized to learn the latent features from profile data. Then a supervised variational coding (SVC) scheme is proposed to map the incomplete profile data to the learned latent features, and imputation is then made based on the latent features. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated by simulated and real datasets, and the results prove the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method.
Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Substituted 3‐Isoxazolethioethers as Antileishmanial and Antibacterial Agents
Authors: Bisht Shweta , Kumar Lalan , Kaul Grace , Akhir Abdul , Saxena Deepanshi , Chopra Sidharth , Karthik R. , Goyal Neena , Batra Sanjay
Published: July 2022

The synthesis of substituted 3‐isoxazolethioethers and their bioevaluation as anti‐leishmanial and anti‐bacterial agents are described. The DBU‐catalyzed thioetherification of substituted 3‐nitroisoxazoles via nucleophilic aromatic substitution (SNAr) reaction using aromatic, aliphatic and heteroaromatic thiols gave the title compounds in good yields. These 3‐thioisoxazole derivatives were synthetically modified to prepare new compounds including 3‐phenylbenzo[b]isoxazolo[4,3‐f][1,4]thiazepin‐4(5H)‐ones. Four compounds displayed promising activity against amastigote stage ofL. donovaniwhereas two compounds displayed good antibacterial effect.
Isomeric D‐π‐D Dopant‐Free Hole Transport Materials: Effect of the Substitution Position and Heteroatom on the Performance of Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Liang Yongpeng , Wu Nan , Zhang Xianfu , Ghadari Rahim , Liu Xuepeng , Guo Fuling , Dai Songyuan
Published: July 2022

A series of facile small‐molecular D‐π‐D HTMs with dibenzofuran or dibenzothiophene as π‐bridge, and the triarylamine groups as peripheral arms was designed and prepared. The impact of the varied substitution position of triarylamine groups on the π‐bridge and heteroatomic effect on the molecular and device properties are extensively studied. All the molecules exhibit suitable energy alignment of the HOMO with the valence band of perovskite. 3,7‐molecules showed red‐shift spectra compared to that of 4,6 and 2,8‐counterparts, indicating the better conjugation. Due to the better hole extraction and conductivity of 3,7‐molecules because of enhanced conjugation, which exhibits relatively best power conversion efficiency. 4,6‐substituents exhibit inferior device performance due to the broken conjugation of 4,6‐position and bad film‐forming ability. Moreover, the O‐based HTMs exhibit relatively better device performance when the terminal groups are located on 3,7‐position due to enhanced hole extraction ability. However, the heteroatom effect of 4,6‐substituent is contrary with 3,7‐counterpart due to the opposite conductivity change trend.
Towards a Stable Layered Vanadium Oxide Cathode for High‐Capacity Calcium Batteries
Authors: Zhang Xiao , Xu Xiaoming , Song Bo , Duan Manyi , Meng Jiashen , Wang Xuanpeng , Xiao Zhitong , Xu Lin , Mai Liqiang
Published: July 2022

Calcium‐based batteries have promising advantages over multivalent ion batteries. However, the fabrication of highly efficient calcium batteries is limited by the quality of available cathode materials, which motivates the exploration of electrodes that can enable reversible, stable Ca2+ intercalation. Herein, layered vanadium oxide MgxV2O5·nH2O is used as a calcium battery cathode, and it exhibits a high capacity of 195.5 mA h g−1 at 20 mA g−1 and an outstanding cycling life (93.6% capacity retention after 2500 cycles at 1 A g−1). Combining theoretical analysis and experimental design, a series of layered oxides (MxV2O5·nH2O, M = Mg, Ca, Sr) is selected as a model system to identify the Ca storage mechanism. It is found that the hydrated alkaline earth metal ions in the vanadium‐based layered oxide interlayers play a critical role as pillared stabilizers to facilitate Ca2+ insertion/extraction. Compared with Ca2+ and Sr2+, the presence of Mg2+ provides vanadium oxides with a rigid framework that allows for minimized volume fluctuation (a tiny variation of ≈0.15 Å of the interlayer spacing). Such an understanding of the Ca storage mechanism is a key step in the rational design and selection of materials for calcium batteries to achieve a high capacity and long cycle life.
Versatile Protein Coronation Approach with Multiple Depleted Serum for Creating Biocompatible, Precision Nanomedicine
Authors: Wang Chan , Xue Mengdie , Liu Xiao , Chen Jingjing , Jiang Mengdie , Zheng Liuting , Ma Ruxuan , Ding Chengjin , Tao Yaping , Zhang Hao , Liu Qin , Huo Da
Published: July 2022

The protein corona effect has long been treated as the evil source behind delivery efficacy issues. In this study, this concept is challenged by showcasing that the protein corona can serve as a versatile functionalization approach to improve the delivery efficacy or mitigate nanocytotoxicity. To this end, the depleted serum is introduced to create nanomaterials carrying functionally distinct protein corona, referred to as PCylated nanomaterials. It is confirmed that the passivation with depleted serum helps reduce the toxicity and pro‐inflammatory response. Furthermore, the same method can be leveraged to enhance the capacity of nanomaterials to undergo endocytosis as well as their potential as an agonist for the NF‐κB pathways. The comparable stability of protein corona created by late and early‐stage serum reveals that the chanceless interaction with nanomaterials, rather than an inadequate binding strength, may be behind the failure of enriching certain components. The PCylation strategy is extended to cancer patient‐derived fluid, creating a set of T1 and T3‐stage cancer‐specific nanotherapeutics to retard the metastasis of cancer cells, while leaving normal endothelial negligibly affected. It is hoped the novel PCylation approach validated here can shed light on the future development of precision nanomedicine with improved delivery efficacy.
TiVCTx MXene/Chalcogenide Heterostructure‐Based High‐Performance Magnesium‐Ion Battery as Flexible Integrated Units
Authors: Zhang Yuming , Cao Jun‐Ming , Yuan Zeyu , Xu Hao , Li Dongdong , Li Yilin , Han Wei , Wang Lili
Published: July 2022

Magnesium‐ion batteries (MIB) have gradually attracted attention owing to their high theoretical capacity, high safety, and low cost. A bimetallic metal–organic framework self‐sacrificing template and a co‐assembly strategy are used to prepare a high‐performance, stable cycling NiSe2‐CoSe2@TiVCTx (NCSe@TiVC) heterostructure MIB cathode that can be used as a flexible integrated unit to power future self‐powered systems. Benefiting from the synergistic effect of TiVCTx MXene and NCSe, the NCSe@TiVC heterostructure electrode has a discharge‐specific capacity of 136 mAh g−1 at 0.05 A g−1 and high cycling stability of over 500 cycles; the assembled pouch‐cell device as flexible integrated unit exhibits good practicability. The magnesium ion storage mechanism is also validated using quantitative kinetic analysis, ex situ XRD, and XPS techniques. Density functional theory analysis indicates the most stable Mg‐atom adsorption sites in the heterostructure. This study broadens the possibilities for applying the TiVCTx MXene heterostructure to energy storage materials and future self‐powered flexible systems.
Carbonate‐Hydroxide Induced Metal‐Organic Framework Transformation Strategy for Honeycomb‐Like NiCoP Nanoplates to Drive Enhanced pH‐Universal Hydrogen Evolution
Authors: Zhang Lin , Ye Fei , Wu Zeyi , Jiang Le , Liu Qiang , Pang Ruilvjing , Liu Yang , Hu Linfeng
Published: July 2022

Developing a low‐cost, pH‐universal electrocatalyst is desirable for electrochemical water splitting but remains a challenge. NiCoP is a promising non‐noble hydrogen‐evolving electrocatalyst due to its high intrinsic electrical conductivity, fast mass transfer effects, and tunable electronic structure. Nevertheless, its hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity in full pH‐range has been rarely developed. Herein, a Ni–Co carbonate‐hydroxide induced metal‐organic framework transformation strategy is proposed to in situ grow porous, honeycomb‐like NiCoP nanoplates on Ni foam for high‐performance, pH‐universal hydrogen evolution reaction. The resultant NiCoP catalyst exhibits a highly 2D nanoporous network in which 20–50 nm, well‐crystalline nanoparticles are interconnected with each other closely, and delivers versatile HER electroactivity with η10 of 98, 105, and 97 mV in 1 m KOH, 0.5 m H2SO4, and 1 m phosphate buffer solution electrolytes, respectively. This overpotential remarkably surpasses the one of commercial Pt/Cs in both neutral and alkaline media at a large current density (>100 mA cm−2). The corresponding full water‐splitting electrolyzer constructed from the 2D porous NiCoP cathode requires only a cell voltage of 1.43 V at 10 mA cm−2, superior to most recently reported electrocatalysts. This work may open up a new avenue on the rational design of nonprecious, pH‐universal electrocatalyst.
Trivalent Europium Ions Doped CsPbBr3 for Highly Efficient and Stable Printable Mesoscopic Perovskite Solar Cells and Driving Water Electrolysis
Authors: Liu Jiale , Wang Shiyu , Chen Mingyue , Jiang Pei , Cao Liangxin , Li Wenhui , Ran Hongbing , Hu Yue , Han Hongwei , Tang Yiwen
Published: July 2022

The all‐inorganic CsPbBr3 perovskite exhibits the possibility of overcoming the substantial nonideal thermal, humidity, and photostability of hybrid organic–inorganic perovskite solar cells (PSCs) in photoelectronic devices. Specifically, the rapid development of CsPbBr3 perovskite has delivered device efficiencies >10%. However, the mismatched energy band alignment and bad crystallization quality are still potential obstacles for the superior performance of PSCs. Herein, by employing n‐type doping, trivalent europium cation is successfully introduced into the CsPbBr3 lattice. The better energy‐level alignment leads to further reduction of voltage losses. Besides, the large and uniform grains resulting from the improvement of crystallization after doping decrease the grain boundaries and reduce the nonradiative recombination center. The quality of the film improves substantially, which significantly enhances the photoabsorption and the short‐circuit current density. The efficiency of the carbon‐based printable mesoscopic PSCs is improved from 7.5% to 8.06% with 3 mol% Eu3+ doping, resulting in high open‐circuit voltage of 1.41 V. Based on the device with effective area of 1 cm2 and 60.075 cm2, the record power conversion efficiency of 5.41% and 1.14% is obtained. The device also displays excellent stability with driving water electrolysis.
Evolution of Inclusions and Microstructure in Ca‐La‐Treated C‐Mn Steel with Different Mg Contents
Authors: Wang Lei , Song Bo , Mao Jinghong , Cui Xiaokang , Liu Zhen , Li Longfei
Published: July 2022

Herein, the effect of Mg content on inclusions and microstructure of Ca‐La‐treated steel is investigated. Inclusions mainly consist of oxide cores, La‐containing parts, and sulfides in the final quenched samples. Oxide cores are Ca‐Al‐O in Mg‐free sample, whereas those in Mg‐bearing samples change from Mg‐Ca‐Al‐O and Mg‐Al‐O to MgO with the increasing Mg content. Increasing Mg content from 0 to 0.003%, the number density of inclusions increases while mean size decreases due to the formation of fine Mg‐containing inclusions. When Mg content is 0.0053%, the formation of sulfides (MgS and CaS) with high contact angle promotes the aggregation of inclusions, which results in the decrease of number density of inclusions and the increase of inclusions size. Effective inclusions are predominantly composed of oxide cores and MnS shells. A large amount of acicular ferrite (AF) is obtained in low and medium Mg content samples due to the formation of a mass of effective inclusions. High Mg content leads to the formation of MgS and CaS and suppresses the precipitation of MnS, which decreases the effectiveness of inclusions to induce the formation of AF.
A resilience systemic model for assessing critical supply chain disruptions
Authors: Oliver Everett , Mazzuchi Thomas , Sarkani Shahram
Published: July 2022

Assessing the impact of natural disasters and manmade incidents against critical infrastructure systems is important and challenging. As critical infrastructure sectors become more interdependent, a method is needed to assess how disruptions to one sector affect other sectors. This need is particularly significant in the case of critical national supply chains which have not received the same attention as other critical infrastructure systems. This research develops a methodology for performing supply chain impact assessments by integrating model‐based systems engineering (MBSE) with discrete event simulation (DES). SysML models capture the supply chain structure and critical infrastructure interdependencies. Simulation of the supply chain model subjected to external constraints identifies the impacts from critical infrastructure disruptions. This approach enables researchers and public policy planners to assess critical supply chain risks associated with current infrastructure implementations, and to conduct what‐if analyses on alternative solutions. Application of this methodology to assess the natural disaster impacts on an urban food supply system demonstrates the effectiveness of modeling and simulation for evaluating the impacts of critical infrastructure disruptions on a wide range of critical supply chains. Future research should apply this methodology to different national supply chains and investigate additional critical infrastructure interdependency linkage mechanisms.
Life in the Fast Lane: Feeding and Growth of Juvenile Steelhead and Chinook Salmon in Main‐Stem Habitats of the Columbia River Estuary
Authors: Weitkamp Laurie A. , Beckman Brian R. , Van Doornik Donald M. , Munguia Angelica , Hunsicker Mary , Journey Meredith
Published: July 2022

Very little is known about the ecology of juvenile Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp. that rapidly traverse estuaries. For these species and life history types, main‐stem habitats are thought to largely function as migratory corridors rather than as productive habitats that support feeding or growth, although little research has focused on this issue. This is especially true in the highly modified Columbia River estuary, where it is unclear whether fast‐migrating salmon benefit from extensive tidal marsh restoration. To address this deficit, we sampled migratory juvenile steelhead O. mykiss and Chinook Salmon O. tshawytscha at locations spread across nearly 200 km of the Columbia River estuary. Our results demonstrated that these juvenile salmon were actively feeding and growing as they moved downstream; dominant prey included chironomids, other insects, and corophiid and gammarid amphipods. We also observed variation in diet composition and quantity between years, which was likely associated with the highly contrasting river conditions. Insulin‐like growth factor 1 hormone levels and the size of juvenile salmon increased as the fish moved downstream, suggesting that prey quality and quantity were sufficient to fuel rapid growth, which may increase survival in marine waters. Our results have direct management implications for habitat restoration and suggest the potential for competition between hatchery and wild salmon. Overall, our results support a fundamental shift in the view of main‐channel estuarine habitats from serving primarily as a migration corridor to serving as productive habitat where rapidly moving salmon actively feed and grow.
The Child’s Body and Bone Marrow Transplantation: Introduction
Authors: Schües Christina , Rehmann-Sutter Christoph , Jürgensen Martina , Herzog Madeleine
Published: July 2022

Questions concerning the ethical status of children, and their position and their relationships within families, have been widely debated in recent moral philosophy and biomedical ethics, as well as in pedagogic sciences and sociology. This volume is intended to contribute to these interdisciplinary debates from a very specific angle. Combining philosophical, ethical and qualitative empirical research, it focuses on a medical practice that brings out a particularly challenging and complex social and familial situation, thus illuminating family responsibilities and their conflicts, children’s dependency, the child’s body with all its meanings, and the specific roles of family members in a transformative situation. The practice concerned is the transplantation of bone marrow between siblings who are children at the time of transplant. These renewable haematopoietic stem cells, derived from the marrow of the hip bone, can serve as a medical therapy for the sick brother or sister.
A Decision-Making Approach for Children to Ethically Serve as Stem Cell Donors
Authors: Ross Lainie Friedman
Published: July 2022

In this chapter, I explore the limits of the best interest standard and the role of third-party oversight for some medical decisions even when the parents’ decision is not abusive or neglectful. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) policy statement, “Children as Hematopoietic Stem Cell (HSC) Donors” proposes a role for a living donor advocacy team (third-party oversight) for paediatric HSC donation between siblings. The AAP recommendations are supported by data from the medical literature and from the qualitative empirical study on HSC transplantation between siblings that was conducted from 2016 to 2019 by members of the Institute for the History of Medicine and Science Studies (University of Lübeck).
Stem Cell Transplantation, Microchimerism and Assemblages
Authors: Shildrick Margrit
Published: July 2022

The exploration of stem cell transplantation (SCT), especially as a socially situated phenomenon, demands a combination of empirical, biological and bioethical insights. Questions of identity, of gifting, and of mortality abound, and in kin SCT where the whole process happens within the complex relationships of a single unit, the intertwined impact on lived experience is highly concentrated. In looking at everything involved in the understanding of SCT – the biomedical procedure, the individual and collective experiences of the family, the data collected, the expertise and expectations of the researchers, and the varying analyses applied – what emerges, building on a Deleuzian framework, is a knowledge assemblage.
Intercorporeality: Giving Life from One Body to Another
Authors: Schües Christina
Published: July 2022

When a transplant is given to another person, the body material and its importance are at the centre of attention. Yet the meanings of the body, the body material, and the bodily relationship between the donor and recipient are unclear. This essay tackles the understanding of the body with regard to the practice of stem cell transplantation between siblings. The concept of intercorporeality embraces the “family body” and a singular body, the sense of bodily belonging and bodily ownership, and a relationship that inheres within a transplant. The intercorporeal relationship is basic and primary. Thematizing it may show a reality of body transformation that is more than just the distribution of body parts. It is a material approach to the human who has a body in the sense of a living substance that can be defined biotechnologically and made available. This essay shows that even though the transplant is body material, it is always more than that: a ground for personal traits, symbols, and a particular bond between the siblings.
Dimensions and Tensions of the Child’s Well-Being and Stem Cell Transplantation: A Conceptual Analysis
Authors: Schües Christina
Published: July 2022

The concepts of the child’s well-being and the child’s best interests are both central to medical practice concerning children. Such concepts become particularly crucial when a healthy child becomes a stem cell donor for her sick sibling. The concept of the child’s well-being inheres a tension between her well-being and her will, her present and future well-being, and the child’s individual well-being and that of the family as a whole. In this essay, I first unfold some key juridical, ethical and philosophical aspects of the concept of the child’s well-being; second, I discuss decision making in the medical realm, asking about the characteristics of the child’s will, the tension generated between the child’s will and well-being, and the stages of decision-making; and third, I refer to the perspective of temporality, which shifts the tragic problem to an open field that can keep those affected (i.e. the donor child, the recipient, and last but not least the whole family) in communication with one another. The internal relationships of the child’s well-being need to be seen in the context of the whole family’s well-being.
Experiences in Times of Illness: Report from the Qualitative Interview Study
Authors: Jürgensen Martina , Herzog Madeleine
Published: July 2022

How did the families we interviewed after a bone marrow transplant experience the illness for which the donation from a sibling child was a cure? Some families first responded by denial of the fatal diagnosis, hoping that it was a mistake. Many families suffered from the severe loss of control in several areas of their lives. The illness changed family roles and also raised the question of how long a child should be seen as “ill”. We found four different patterns of coping: toughening up, resignation, ignoring, and acceptance. Families also found different things helpful in dealing with the situation and in making sense of the events around the illness: keeping or regaining control, maintaining routines, hoping that it will be all right, or making the best of bad things. In hindsight, many families felt that the experience of the disease also had a positive impact on the family as a whole, and that individual family members could learn from it.
Illness and Family Decision-Making
Authors: Mullin Amy
Published: July 2022

This chapter discusses how philosophy can help us understand family responses and decision-making when one child serves as a donor of bodily tissue to a seriously ill sibling. Drawing on interviews conducted with families in which one child served as the donor, I explore how a relational understanding of autonomy might help map initial decision-making, how an ethics of care can contribute to understanding the balancing of personal needs against what is wanted for a seriously ill child, and how gratitude, rather than indebtedness, is the appropriate response to sacrifices aimed at saving a sibling.
Case Study, Phase III: Reaching a State of Reflective Equilibrium?
Authors: Rechnitzer Tanja
Published: July 2022

In this chapter, the process of adjustments comes to a preliminary endpoint. A rights-based precautionary principle is developed as part of the resulting position. Through assessing the resulting position with the reflective equilibrium criteria, I argue that—given some assumptions—a position in reflective equilibrium was reached.
The Role of the State in Agricultural Development
Authors: Rohne Till Emelie
Published: July 2022

This chapter discusses the potential role that the state can play in agricultural development. It does so in three main parts. First, it discusses the role of the state in agricultural development from a theoretical perspective. Second, it explores how the state can use agricultural policies to play this role. Third and lastly, it specifically explores the role that policies on agricultural public spending can play in agricultural development.
Sustained Growth and Development in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Rohne Till Emelie
Published: July 2022

Ethiopia is one of many countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) that has experienced rapid economic growth in the twenty-first century. This chapter explores the underpinnings of the economic transformation that many countries in SSA have experienced, focusing on the aspects of structural transformation, poverty reduction, and the nature of agricultural growth.
Buddy - A Personal Companion to Match People with Cognitive Disabilities and AT
Authors: Heumader Peter , Murillo-Morales Tomas , Miesenberger Klaus
Published: July 2022

This paper presents a novel web-based repository and recommender system to match the requirements of users with cognitive disabilities with available AT solutions when working on the web. Based on personal data from users (questionnaire, simple games) stored in a profile and tool data provided by AT solution providers and AT vendors, Buddy recommends tools supporting particular cognitive needs of target users. Buddy intends to bridge the gap between the growing amount of AT solutions and the actual low level of uptake by involving all stakeholder groups in the value chain on the Buddy platform.
How to Ensure Continuity of AT Assessment Services for Frail People in Times of Pandemics: An Italian Experience
Authors: Salatino Claudia , Gower Valerio , Malisano Lia , Folini Chiara , Saruggia Maurizio , Converti Rosa Maria , Zava Francesco , Ramella Marina
Published: July 2022

After an initial lock-down phase in 2020, the measures subsequently adopted in Italy to limit the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus made it impossible for people residing in nursing homes to have contacts with the outside world. Here we want to report how the DAT (Home automation, Assistive Technology and Occupational Therapy) service of Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi in Milan, Italy, was able to give continuity to the provision of assistive technology assessment services for older adults with disability who were not able to reach the DAT premises due to social restrictions. In the period 2020–2021, remote AT assessments were organized using a Tele-rehabilitation platform so that the physiatrist in charge of prescribing the assistive devices, supported by a therapist specialized in AT, could connect remotely from the DAT service to nursing homes in the Milan area. There, a rehabilitation professional would participate to the visit. 94 older adults with disability in 2020 and 2021 were able to take advantage of mobility assistive technology assessments provided remotely by DAT service AT professionals. The assistive devices prescribed were found to be appropriate, only a small percentage needed to be revised or were refused. High levels of satisfaction with the service provided were measured through KWAZO questionnaire among users of the service. 80% of the interviewees declared that it might be useful to keep the possibility of carrying out remote AT assessments in the future, even when the state of emergency for the COVID-19 pandemic will be finished.
Mixed Reality as Assistive Technology: Guidelines Based on an Assessment of Residual Functional Vision in Persons with Low Vision
Authors: Lang Florian , Schmidt Albrecht , Machulla Tonja
Published: July 2022

Residual visual capabilities and the associated phenomenological experience can differ significantly between persons with similar visual acuity and similar diagnosis. There is a substantial variance in situations and tasks that persons with low vision find challenging. Smartglasses provide the opportunity of presenting individualized visual feedback targeted to each user’s requirements. Here, we interviewed nine persons with low vision to obtain insight into their subjective perceptual experience associated with factors such as illumination, color, contrast, and movement, as well as context factors. Further, we contribute a collection of everyday activities that rely on visual perception as well as strategies participants employ in their everyday lives. We find that our participants rely on their residual vision as the dominant sense in many different everyday activities. They prefer vision to other modalities if they can perceive the information visually, which highlights the need for assistive devices with visual feedback.
An Efficient Method to Produce Accessible Contents for Online STEM Education
Authors: Komada Toshihiko , Yamaguchi Katsuhito , Suzuki Masakazu
Published: July 2022

Many online educational materials for STEM are now produced with
Microsoft PowerPoint (PPT); however, many of them are not necessarily accessible for print-disabled students. By making use of Infty software, our new add-on allows users to add easily alt text/aloud reading with a TTS voice to any technical part such as math expressions included in PPT slides. An accessible MP4 video for STEM education also can be produced efficiently. The video contents produced in this manner are preliminarily evaluated by comparison with another accessible content: “ChattyBook" (audio-embedded HTML5).
Effective Non-visual Access to Diagrams via an Augmented Natural Language Interface
Authors: Murillo-Morales Tomas , Miesenberger Klaus
Published: July 2022

This paper describes the design and validation of a number of HCI techniques that enable more effective non-visual access to diagrammatically displayed data through an adapted Natural Language Interface (NLI). These techniques have been incorporated into an accessible web-based NLI to diagrams prototype and qualitatively evaluated with blind persons for solving disparate analytical and navigational tasks supported by diagrams. Each technique is described and validation results discussed.
Krisenbewältigung und interorganisationale Zusammenarbeit
Authors: Schütte Patricia M. , Schönefeld Malte , Schulte Yannic , Fiedrich Frank
Published: July 2022

Es ist mittlerweile eigentlich ein Allgemeinplatz, dass die Bewältigung schwieriger Lagen wie Katastrophen (z. B. Hochwasser, großflächige Brände, Erdbeben), aber auch komplexe Dauerlagen wie die Flüchtlingssituation 2015/2016 und die COVID-19-Pandemie die Zusammenarbeit verschiedener Organisationen bedingt. Das Ineinandergreifen ihrer sich meist ergänzenden sowie unterstützenden Aufgaben und Kompetenzen ist notwendig, um solche Lagen möglichst umfassend anzugehen und zu managen. In Krisen- und Katastrophenmanagementansätzen sind organisationsübergreifende oder interorganisationale Zusammenarbeitsformen seit Langem ein fester Baustein.
Type IIB flux compactifications with h1,1 = 0
Authors: Bardzell Jacob , Gonzalo Eduardo , Rajaguru Muthusamy , Smith Danielle , Wrase Timm
Published: July 2022

Abstract

We revisit flux compactifications of type IIB string theory on ‘spaces’ dual to rigid Calabi-Yau manifolds. This rather unexplored part of the string landscapes harbors many interesting four-dimensional solutions, namely supersymmetric $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 1 Minkowski vacua without flat direction and infinite families of AdS vacua, some potentially with unrestricted rank for the gauge group. We also comment on the existence of metastable dS solutions in this setup. We discuss how these solutions fit into the web of swampland conjectures.
Ant nests differentially affect soil chemistry across elevational gradients
Authors: Sankovitz M. , Purcell J.
Published: July 2022

Ants alter soil moisture and nutrient distributions during foraging and nest construction. Here, we investigated how the effects of ants on soil vary with elevation. We compared moisture, carbon, and nitrogen levels in soil samples taken both within nests and nearby the nests (control) of two subterranean ant species. Using a paired design, we sampled 17 sites along elevation gradients in two California mountain ranges (Formica francoeuriin the San Jacinto mountains andFormica sibyllain the Sierra Nevada). We observed an interaction between soil carbon and nitrogen composition and elevation in each mountain range. At lower elevations, nest soil had lower amounts of carbon and nitrogen than control soil, but at higher elevations, nest soil had higher amounts of carbon and nitrogen than control soil. However, our sampling method may only breach the interior of ant nests in some environments. The nest soil moisture did not show any elevational patterns in either mountain range. Ants likely modulate soil properties differently across environmental gradients, but testing this effect must account for variable nest architecture and other climate and landscape differences across diverse habitats.
Do municipal mergers internalise spatial spillover effects? empirical evidence from Japanese municipalities
Authors: Saito Hitoshi , Hirota Haruaki , Yunoue Hideo , Miyaki Miki
Published: July 2022

This study investigates whether municipal mergers could internalise spatial spillover effects by comparing mergers before and after they occur, focusing on local public library services in Japan. A spatial spillover effect occurs when the benefit of a local public service spreads across its own administrative district and into neighbouring ones. A free-rider problem among municipalities might arise when a municipality decides how much to supply internally under a decentralisation system, recognising the existence of spatial spillover effects. Under such circumstances, spatial spillover effects might be internalised through municipal mergers. In Japan, large-scale municipal mergers took place in FY2004 and FY2005 and the number of municipalities decreased from 3,232 to 1,820. By applying cross-sectional spatial econometrics models, we find spatial spillover effects in public library services both before and after the mergers, but the impact becomes smaller. The results imply that municipal mergers could partially internalise spatial spillover effects among municipalities. Additionally, we showed that municipal mergers increase the supply of library services. As a result, due to the merger of municipalities, the undersupply of local public goods with spatial spillover effect may be decreased, which could help achieve the socially optimal supply.
Nisnevich local good compactifications
Authors: Deshmukh Neeraj , Hogadi Amit , Kulkarni Girish , Yadav Suraj
Published: July 2022

For a local complete intersection morphism, we establish fibrewise denseness in the n-dimensional irreducible components of the compactification Nisnevich locally.
Prospective, single-centre evaluation of the safety and efficacy of percutaneous coronary interventions following a decision tree proposing a no-stent strategy in stable patients with coronary artery disease (SCRAP study)
Authors: Meunier Ludovic , Godin Matthieu , Souteyrand Géraud , Mottin Benoît , Valy Yann , Lordet Vincent , Benoit Christian , Bakdi Ronan , Laurençon Virginie , Genereux Philippe , Waliszewski Matthias , Allix-Béguec Caroline
Published: July 2022

Aim

We evaluated a decision algorithm for percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) based on a no-stent strategy, corresponding to a combination of scoring balloon angioplasty (SCBA) and drug-coated balloon (DCB), as a first line approach. Stents were used only in unstable patients, or in case of mandatory bailout stenting (BO-stent).

Methods

From April 2019 to March 2020, 984 consecutive patients, including 1922 lesions, underwent PCI. The 12-month primary end-point was a composite of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) defined as all-cause death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, and target lesion revascularization. Patients were classified into conventional or no-stent strategy groups according to the PCI strategy. In the no-stent strategy group, they were further classified into BO-stent or DCB-only groups. Their metal index was calculated by stent length divided by the total lesion length.

Results

The no-stent strategy was applied in 85% of the patients, and it was successful for 65% of them. MACE occurred in 7.1% of the study population, including 4.2% of all-cause death. Target lesion revascularization was required in 1.4%, 3.6%, and 1.5% of patients in the conventional DES, BO-stent, and DCB-only groups, respectively. MACE occurred more often in the elderly and in those treated with at least one stent (metal index greater than 0).

Conclusions

The no-stent strategy, i.e., revascularization of coronary lesions by SCBA followed by DCB and with DES bailout stenting, was effective and safe at 1 year. This PCI approach was applicable on a daily practice in our cath lab.

Trial registration

This study was registered with clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03893396, first posted on March 28, 2019).

Graphical abstract

Feasibility, safety and efficacy of percutaneous coronary interventions following a decision tree proposing a no-stent strategy in stable patients with coronary artery disease. DES: drug eluting stent; SCBA: scoring balloon angioplasty; BO-stent: at least one stent; DCB: drug coated balloon; BMS: bare metal stent; Bailout (dash lines); MACE: major adverse cardiac event
Targeting NAD metabolism regulates extracellular adenosine levels to improve the cytotoxicity of CD8+ effector T cells in the tumor microenvironment of gastric cancer
Authors: Liu Han-Yuan , Wang Fu-Hui , Liang Jian-Ming , Xiang Yuan-Yuan , Liu Shu-Hao , Zhang Shi-Wei , Zhu Cheng-Ming , He Yu-Long , Zhang Chang-Hua
Published: July 2022

Purpose

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is closely related to the pathogenesis of tumors. However, the effect of NAD+ metabolism of gastric cancer (GC) cells on immune cells remains unexplained. We targeted nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT), a rate-limiting enzyme in the NAD+ synthesis salvage pathway, to observe its effect in the immune microenvironment.

Methods

NAMPT of GC cell lines was inhibited by using the small molecule inhibitor (FK866) and short hairpin RNA (shRNA). CCK-8 test and flow cytometry were performed to detect cell viability and apoptosis. Immunofluorescence was used to observe changes in mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP).The transfected GC cells (AGS) and patient-derived organoids (PDOs) were cocultured with activated PBMCs, followed by flow cytometric analysis (FCA) for cytokines and inhibitory marker. The level of NAD and ATP of GC cells (AGS & MKN45) was tested combined with NMN and CD39 inhibitor.

Results

Targeting NAD+ by FK866 obviously reduced MMP, which ultimately inhibited proliferation and increased the apoptosis of GC cells. NAMPT silencing reduced intracellular NAD and ATP，further decreased extracellular adenosine. Meawhile, the cytokines of CD8+T cells were significantly increased after cocultured with transfected AGS, and the expression of PD-1 was distinctly decreased. NMN reversed the effect of shNAMPT and enhanced the immunosuppression. Consistent results were obtained by coculturing PBMCs with PDOs.

Conclusion

Restraining the function of NAMPT resulted in the functional improvement of effector CD8+ T cells by decreasing extracellular adenosine levels and inducing apoptosis of GC cells simultaneously. Therefore, this study demonstrates that NAMPT can be an effective target for gastric cancer immunotherapy.
Reagent sequence for planar chromatographic analysis of eight sweeteners in food products approved in the European Union
Authors: Morlock Gertrud E. , Sabir Gulnar
Published: July 2022

Sweeteners, which are regulated as food additives in the European Union, are used as tabletop sweeteners or added to foods for sweetening with the aim of reducing the calorie content. For their simple analysis, a quantitative high-performance thin-layer chromatography multi-imaging (HPTLC−UV/Vis/FLD) method was developed, which used a reagent sequence to detect eight important sweeteners in eight different food products. The samples were dissolved or diluted and separated on HPTLC plates silica gel 60 F254 with a mixture of ethyl acetate, methanol, and acetic acid 5:1:1, V/V. Due to the different structures and detectabilities of the sweeteners, different post-chromatographic derivatization reagents were compared for multi-detection of the sweeteners on the same plate. First, the UV absorbance was detected, and then the derivatization reagent sequence was performed with the primuline reagent, then ninhydrin glacial acetic acid reagent, and finally 2-naphthol sulfuric acid reagent. It was important to arrange and use the reagents according to their increasing acidity. Zones of interest can be confirmed by mass spectrometry. Compared to the status quo analysis of sweeteners, the whole method is simple, robust, and rapid considering the minimalist sample preparation and reagent sequence applied on the same plate. In addition, the influence of food sample matrix on the results is easily understood due to the image-giving nature and multi-detection.
Biology, Bias, or Both? The Contribution of Sex and Gender to the Disparity in Cardiovascular Outcomes Between Women and Men
Authors: Gauci Sarah , Cartledge Susie , Redfern Julie , Gallagher Robyn , Huxley Rachel , Lee Crystal Man Ying , Vassallo Amy , O’Neil Adrienne
Published: July 2022

Purpose of Review

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide for both men and women. However, CVD is understudied, underdiagnosed, and undertreated in women. This bias has resulted in women being disproportionately affected by CVD when compared to men. The aim of this narrative review is to explore the contribution of sex and gender on CVD outcomes in men and women and offer recommendations for researchers and clinicians.

Recent Findings

Evidence demonstrates that there are sex differences (e.g., menopause and pregnancy complications) and gender differences (e.g., socialization of gender) that contribute to the inequality in risk, presentation, and treatment of CVD in women.

To start addressing the CVD issues that disproportionately impact women, it is essential that these sex and gender differences are addressed through educating health care professionals on gender bias; offering patient-centered care and programs tailored to women’s needs; and conducting inclusive health research.