bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The role of radiation and bioconvection as an external agent to control the temperature and motion of fluid over the radially spinning circular surface: A theoretical analysis via Chebyshev spectral approach
Authors: Usman  , Bhatti M. M. , Ghaffari Abuzar , Doranehgard M. H.
Published: January 2022

The usage of nanoparticles is effectively increased in industries because of their high thermal performance. Moreover, the bioconvection phenomenon in nanomaterials leads to innovative biotechnology applications, such as biofuels, biosensors, the petroleum industry, etc. Because of the nanoparticle's exceptional performance and bioconvection phenomenon, the magnetohydrodynamics bioconvection Reiner–Rivlin nanofluid flow is considered over the rotatory stretchable disk contains the motile gyrotactic microorganisms. The heat and mass transport phenomenon with thermal radiation and activation energy is also investigated under convective‐Nield's boundary conditions. The governing partial differential equations (PDEs) are transmuted with specific similarity transformation into ordinary differential equations (ODEs). The obtained ODEs are solved numerically through the assistance of the Chebyshev spectral collocation method. The effects of the flow parameters on the boundary layer profiles are reported graphically. The graphical illustration elucidates that the dimensionless parameters have significantly affected the nondimensional boundary layer profiles. The fluid velocity, temperature, concentration of nanoparticles, and motile density of microorganisms are effectively controlled through the proper alteration of the pertinent parameters. The thermophoresis parameter decreases the heat and mass transport rates, whereas the Brownian motion parameter helps to increase them. Finally, the current research can successfully fill a gap in the existing literature.
Positive solutions for a fractional configuration of the Riemann‐Liouville semilinear differential equation
Authors: Azzaoui Bouchra , Tellab Brahim , Zennir Khaled
Published: January 2022

The objective of this work is to analyze some criteria of the existence of positive solutions for a fractional configuration of the semilinear differential equation equipped with the Riemann‐Liouville operator. To achieve our aim, we first introduce an operator and transform our main problems into equivalent fixed point problems. After that, based on the fixed point theorem attributed to Krasnoselskii and the nonlinear alternative of Leray‐Schauder in a cone, we prove our main results of existence of solutions to our problems in a well‐defined Banach spaces. With the help of illustrative examples at the end of the study, we validate our theoretical outcomes according to the method implemented in theorems.
Estimation of Staphylococcus aureus growth rates from CO2 with absorption spectroscopy
Authors: Lu Juncheng , Zhang Yixin , Du Zixuan , Fu Songlin , Hu Yanyan , Chen Daru , Shao Jie
Published: January 2022

It is very important to monitor and evaluate the growth of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) under various conditions. However, so far there is no technology that can monitor S. aureus in real time. This work proves that the wavelength modulated absorption spectroscopy (WMAS) based on tunable diode lasers can quickly measure the concentration of carbon dioxide produced by microorganisms. We use a variety of fitting models to get the growth curves of S. aureus and calculated the relationship between the growth rate and time through the obtained growth curve. Using the proposed technology, we have studied the growth status of S. aureus at different temperatures (five points in the range of 26–43°C), and the results show that the maximum growth rate have a strong temperature dependence. Therefore, it is proved that WMAS monitoring S. aureus is a user‐friendly, non‐invasive, fast, and high signal‐to‐noise ratio technology, which can be used for rapid and accurate bacterial growth assessment in the industry.
Comparison of high‐dose dual therapy with bismuth‐containing quadruple therapy in Helicobacter pylori‐infected treatment‐naive patients: An open‐label, multicenter, randomized controlled trial
Authors: Guan Jia‐Lun , Hu Yun‐Lian , An Ping , He Qiong , Long Hui , Zhou Lin , Chen Zhi‐Fen , Xiong Jian‐Guang , Wu Shi‐Sheng , Ding Xiang‐Wu , Luo He‐Sheng , Li Pei‐Yuan
Published: January 2022

Objective

Bismuth‐containing quadruple therapy for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication has a relatively high rate of side effects and high cost, thus the option of a high‐dose dual therapy with a high eradication rate and fewer adverse events is a consideration. However, studies of dual therapy are still scarce and are mostly single‐center studies with limited generalizability. Large‐scale, multicenter studies are required. Our study investigated and compared the effectiveness, adverse events, patient compliance, and costs of high‐dose dual therapy with those of bismuth‐containing quadruple therapy in H. pylori‐infected treatment‐naive patients in a prospective, multicenter, open‐label, randomized controlled trial.

Method

Treatment‐naive patients infected with H. pylori were randomly assigned to receive high‐dose dual therapy (esomeprazole 20 mg 4 times daily and amoxicillin 1000 mg 3 times daily, for 14 days) or bismuth‐containing quadruple therapy (esomeprazole 20 mg, amoxicillin 1000 mg, clarithromycin 500 mg, and bismuth potassium citrate 220 mg, all twice daily for 14 days). The effectiveness, adverse events, patient compliance, and costs of both groups were compared.

Results

A total of 700 patients were enrolled. The high‐dose dual therapy group (N = 350) achieved eradication rates of 89.4% (intention‐to‐treat), 90.4% (modified intention‐to‐treat), and 90.6% (per‐protocol), which were similar to rates in the bismuth‐containing quadruple therapy group (N = 350), 84.6%, 88.0%, and 88.2%, respectively (p > 0.05). The high‐dose dual therapy group had a lower rate of adverse events (12.9% vs. 28.1%, p < 0.001) and lower costs (¥590.2 vs. ¥723.22) compared with the quadruple therapy group, respectively. The compliance of both groups was satisfactory (97.7% high‐dose dual vs. 96.8% quadruple, p > 0.05).

Conclusion

High‐dose dual therapy for H. pylori eradication had similar efficacy and compliance, fewer adverse events, and lower costs than bismuth‐containing quadruple therapy for treatment‐naive patients.
Risk assessment of a liquefied natural gas process facility using bow‐tie and Bayesian networks
Authors: Zerrouki Hamza
Published: January 2022

In this paper, a risk assessment methodology is presented to identify, analyze, and evaluate the risk associated with different consequences of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) process facility from west Algeria. Bow‐tie analysis (BT) is used to identify the possible causes of hazardous events and the dangerous outcomes and consequences resulting from the failure of the safety barriers. Moreover, the bow‐tie is mapped into Bayesian networks (BNs) to overcome some limitation of dependencies and updating in the events. Finally, the risk‐reducing measures implemented in the process are examined using BNs. The performances of the safety barriers are investigated considering the occurrence of fire and explosion in the facility. BN uses diagnostic (posterior) and predictive (prior) analysis to calculate the probabilities of the components and to predict the occurrence frequency of the consequences and the effectiveness of safety barriers. The results from the BN model indicate that pool fire is the most likely scenario that potentially causes damage to the LNG process.
Electrochemical Determination of Mirabegron at Silica Modified Carbon Paste in Micellar Medium: Sensitive Application with Drug Product and Spiked Plasma
Authors: Abou El‐Alamin Maha M. , Mohamed Dina A. , Toubar Safaa S.
Published: January 2022

Sensitive, simple, and accurate differential pulse voltammetric (DPV) method was validated and used to estimate mirabegron (MIR) at silica modified carbon paste sensor (Si‐CPE) in micellar media. The electrochemical nature of MIR revealed irreversible diffusion‐controlled oxidation. Various experimental conditions were optimized, under optimum conditions, good linearity was obtained within range 1.25×10−7−6.25×10−5 M with correlation coefficient 0.9997. The suggested method was efficiently performed for estimating MIR in a pharmaceutical dosage form and spiked human plasma with high precise recoveries (%) ±RSD 98.60±0.88 %, 99.10±0.54 %, respectively. The suggested method could be used as a stability‐indicating assay to assess MIR with its degradation product without any interference.
A Universal Approach for Potassium‐Passivated 2D Perovskites
Authors: Wang He , Zhang Xi , Ma Yali , Wang Mengke , Wang Jun
Published: January 2022

2D hybrid halide‐layered perovskites have been compelling candidates for photovoltaics and optoelectronics owing to their remarkable electrical and optical properties. However, high‐quality crystals are usually obtained either through complicated and energy‐consuming procedures or using toxic solvents, which remains a significant challenge to the crystal synthesis. To address the issue, a facile, universal, ecofriendly, and energy‐saving approach to synthesize the Ruddlesden−Popper‐ and Dion−Jacobson‐phase 2D‐layered potassium‐passivated perovskites at room temperature is reported. By involving potassium iodide to the reaction, potassium ions can assist both the crystal growth and surface passivation, improving their stability and passivated trap states. Potassium‐passivated (R‐MBA)2PbI4 exhibits superior optoelectronic features than pristine (R‐MBA)2PbI4 as well as outstanding strain stability. The findings herein may not only improve synthetic methods to obtain high‐quality crystals, but also motivate more fundamental investigations for potential optoelectronic and flexible applications.
Strength optimization of recycled fine aggregate self‐curing concrete using Taguchi design
Authors: Ravathi Mohanadhas Chandrika , Chithra Rethnasamy
Published: January 2022

In the present scenario, sustainable materials which creates less impact on the environment are the need of the hour. Recycled fine aggregate self‐curing concrete (RFA‐SCRC) can play a significant role in reducing the utilization of natural river sand and also plays a vital role in conserving the water used for curing. This research work deals with the experimental investigations on the compressive strength, flexural strength and split tensile strength of RFA‐SCRC for various replacement proportions of RFAs using ordinary portland cement (OPC) and portland pozzolana cement (PPC) as different variants. The replacement proportions of RFAs considered for this study are 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50% to the weight of manufactured sand. Strength optimization was carried out by Taguchi optimization method using Minitab software tool. The parameters considered in this study are the replacement proportion of RFA, type of cement and type of curing. The optimization results indicate that, considering compressive and split tensile strength characteristics, RFA concrete produced using 40% RFA, OPC, and self‐curing process is found to be optimum whereas 30% RFA, OPC, and self‐curing process is found to be optimum with respect to flexural strength characteristics.
Introduction
Authors: Nakamura Futoshi
Published: January 2022

Worldwide, Green Infrastructure (GI) has mainly been discussed from an adaptation strategy perspective in cities and urban areas. However, we believe that GI can also function in rural and suburban areas where depopulation is prominent. From 2015 to 2021, my colleagues and I have launched two projects, titled “Green Infrastructure with a Declining Population and Changing Climate: Assessment of Biodiversity, Disaster Prevention, and Social Values” and “Complementary Role of Green and Gray Infrastructures: Evaluation from Disaster Prevention, Environment, and Social and Economic Benefit,” which were supported by the Environment Research and Technology Development Funds (4-1504 and 4-1805) of the Ministry of the Environment of Japan. This volume introduces some of our achievements in the projects. Additionally, I invited active foreign scientists from the United Kingdom and the United States to contribute their experiences and knowledge to this volume. As suggested by the studies, one of the important characteristics of GI is multifunctionality, which maintains biodiversity and traditional landscapes. Using a natural and seminatural GI network in a watershed, we are able to adapt to elevated disaster risks in a changing climate while sustaining traditional land use and restoring natural ecosystems that provide a suite of ecosystem services and human welfare.
Change in Floodwater Retention Function of a Paddy Field Due to Cultivation Abandonment in a Depopulating Rural Region in Japan
Authors: Imai Yota , Muto Yasunori , Kamada Mahito
Published: January 2022

Flood control concept at watershed scale is used as an adaptation strategy for climate change; rainwater and floodwater should be stored in forests and agricultural lands in the watershed, rather than relying on only river systems; and paddy fields are important ecosystems for floodwater retention. The abandonment of paddy cultivation, however, is increasing year after year in Japan due to depopulation in rural regions. Through two-dimensional numerical inundation analysis, we evaluated the negative effects of topographical changes after abandonment on the floodwater retention function. The bipolarization of the inundation depth is apparent in the current topography. The areas with deepwater inundation are wider, particularly in the most downstream areas, whereas in the past, areas with shallow water were widely distributed. The peak water level in the current land use is 0.4 m higher than in the past. After the peak level is achieved, the water level decreases in a shorter time in the present land use than in the past. Owing to hydraulic changes after the abandonment of rice cultivation, the risk of flooding disasters for people living downstream has increased. To maintain floodwater retention function, one of the regulating services, by artificial wetlands, such as paddy fields, continuous management is essential to prevent vegetation succession. Thus, it is important to provide incentives for local people to perform the daily maintenance activities.
Understanding Preference Differences Among Individuals for the Reduction in Flood Risk by Green Infrastructure
Authors: Shoji Yasushi , Tsuge Takahiro , Onuma Ayumi
Published: January 2022

The purpose of this study is to grasp, through a discrete choice experiment, the general public’s preferences regarding green infrastructure that provides flood-control services. Green infrastructure, unlike artificial structures (gray infrastructure) such as continuous artificial levees, can potentially handle floods that exceed what is envisioned at the planning stages. However, there is also the possibility that they may not be able to handle the expected floods. People’s preferences could be heterogeneous when it comes to an infrastructure that has such a risk. The results of the latent class model indicated that people’s preferences regarding green infrastructure were heterogeneous. Respondents who regard green infrastructure as not contributing to nature conservation and as an excuse to carry out unnecessary river-management projects evaluated gray infrastructure more favorably. It was also revealed that the more confident respondents were in providing their answers, the more likely they were to support green infrastructure. These results may suggest that more understanding will be required for a consensus to be formed regarding the use of green infrastructure.
Social System in Collaborative Activities for Conserving Coastal Pine Forest in Karatsu City, Kyusyu, Japan
Authors: Asanami Fumika , Kamada Mahito
Published: January 2022

We studied the social system to maintain collaborative activities for restoring and conserving coastal pine forests in Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan. Governance has been structured and functioned in most conservation processes; administrative offices of the state, prefecture, and city, business sector, and Civil Society Organization have acted interdependently, and network members have continuous interaction under the management of an NPO group known as KANNE. KANNE has filled in a structural hole in the social network. KANNE plays a special role as the hub. Social ties, however, are very weak, and hence the system continuity is fragile. If KANNE stops its work, the network structure will collapse. As an internal circumstance of KANNE, most management works have been governed by the secretary-general, and any person who can act as a substitute is now absent. Installing a system to develop human resources within KANNE is important to retain conservation activities.
Descriptions of Dislocation via First Principles Calculations
Authors: Tsuru Tomohito
Published: January 2022

Dislocation is one of the most representative plastons to determine the mechanical properties of crystalline materials. In this section, several computational approaches for of dislocations and dislocation-related properties are introduced within the framework of first principles calculations. The staking fault energy corresponding to the local interfacial misfit energy is one of the most important characteristics to determine the shape and motion of dislocations. The first principles calculations of the staking fault energy on various slip planes in HCP metals are provided compared with several materials. Peierls–Nabarro model is then introduced to describe the shape and motion of the dislocation. Finally, atomic configuration of a dislocation dipole in a periodic cell can be modeled based on the linear elasticity theory. First principles calculations are thus directly applied to dislocation core structure which enable us to evaluate the effect of solute element on the dislocation core structure and motion.
Plaston—Elemental Deformation Process Involving Cooperative Atom Motion
Authors: Inui Haruyuki , Kishida Kyosuke
Published: January 2022

The concept of ‘plaston’ that involves cooperative atom motion under shear stress is discussed as a deformation carrier that nucleates and moves in the deformation front under shear stress in many different materials in general. The selection of a plaston of a particular type among many different plastons depends on stress level/state, crystallographic orientation, specimen size (grain size) and so on. The importance of the understanding of the activation of various plastons is discussed for the improvement of mechanical properties of existing structural materials and the development of new structural materials with high strength and high ductility.
TEM Characterization of Lattice Defects Associated with Deformation and Fracture in α-Al2O3
Authors: Tochigi Eita , Miao Bin , Kondo Shun , Shibata Naoya , Ikuhara Yuichi
Published: January 2022

Alumina (α-Al2O3) is one of the representative structural ceramics. To understand its mechanical responses, the lattice defect behavior of alumina has been investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for many years. In this report, we review our recent research progress on TEM structural analysis of lattice defects in alumina. In the first half, the core atomic structure and dissociation reaction of b = $$1/3<11\bar{2}0>$$

1
/
3
<
11

2

¯

0
>

, $$<1\bar{1}00>$$

<
1

1

¯

00
>

, and $$1/3<\bar{1}101>$$

1
/
3
<

1

¯

101
>

dislocations formed in low-angle grain boundaries are investigated by atomic-resolution TEM observations. Based on experimental results, the slip deformation behavior associated with those dislocations is discussed. In the second half, the formation of $$1/3<11\bar{2}0>$$

1
/
3
<
11

2

¯

0
>

dislocations and fracture of Zr-doped ∑13 grain boundary of alumina are observed by in situ TEM nanoindentation. Furthermore, these indented samples were observed by atomic-resolution scanning TEM. The mechanisms of the deformation and fracture phenomena are discussed in detail.
Synchrotron X-ray Study on Plaston in Metals
Authors: Adachi Hiroki
Published: January 2022

Grain refinement is one of the methods applied to strengthen metallic materials, and various peculiar mechanical properties have been reported to be expressed when the grain size is reduced to less than submicron dimensions. This is considered to be due to a change in the behavior of dislocations that are associated with plastic deformation. In situ synchrotron radiation measurements of microstructural changes during deformation in face-centered cubic (fcc) metals with grain sizes of 20 μm to 5 nm were performed to systematically investigate the effects of grain size on dislocation behavior during plastic deformation. In pure aluminum with grain sizes of 20 to 3 μm, the dislocation density during plastic deformation was approximately 1014 m−2, regardless of the grain size. However, when the grain size was less than 3 μm, the dislocation density increased monotonically in proportion to the grain size to the power of -1. Furthermore, in a nickel alloy with a grain size of less than 10 nm, this relationship was no longer satisfied, and the results suggested that deformation progresses due to partial dislocations. In materials with a grain size of less than 1 μm, the dislocation density after unloading became much smaller than that during loading.
Calculated versus measured iron losses and instantaneous magnetization power functions of electrical steel
Authors: Pfützner Helmut , Shilyashki Georgi , Huber Emanuel
Published: January 2022

Magnetic energy loss P of soft magnetic laminations like SiFe sheets tends to be expressed through an integral over the power product H · dB/dt. Already in earlier papers, we stressed that distinctions are needed for the quantities H and B. However, they are not considered in practically consistent ways, in the so far literature. Here, we discuss these distinctions in closer ways, comparing loss determination by calculation and measurement, respectively. A physically consistent procedure is described for the determination of loss and magnetization power functions through measurement of bi-located quantities HS and BC (S surface, C cross section). On the other hand, it is concluded that corresponding quantitative calculations—based on co-located quantities H and B—are impeded by the high amount of technological parameters of modern steel products. For example, they result from chemical additions, and—in particular—also from specific technologies of rolling, annealing, coating or scribing.
Regression einer idiopathischen epiretinalen Gliose – Kasuistik und Überlegungen zum Mechanismus
Authors: Framme C. , Feltgen N. , Schumann R. , Stichtenoth D. O. , Hattenbach L. O.
Published: January 2022

Bei Vorliegen einer symptomatischen epiretinalen Gliose wird im klinischen Alltag in der Regel eine Pars-plana-Vitrektomie mit Membranpeeling zur Entfernung der Membran indiziert. Nach gängiger klinischer Erfahrung existiert nahezu keine selbstständige Regression einer solchen epiretinalen Membran und somit einer alleinigen Abheilung der Pathologie. Beschrieben wird daher der ungewöhnliche Fall einer beidseitigen selbstständigen Regression einer idiopathischen epiretinalen Gliose mit Makulaschichtforamen bei einem 73-jährigen Patienten. Überlegungen zum möglichen Mechanismus werden auf Basis der vorhandenen Literatur vorgestellt. Diese beinhalten die Trennung entzündlicher vs. nichtentzündlicher Membranen, mögliche Separation einzelner Schichten in Abhängigkeit vom Status der hinteren Glaskörpergrenzmembran, aber auch das mögliche Wirken proteolytischer Systeme im Bereich des hinteren Glaskörpers. Es stellt sich schließlich die Frage, ob Patienten vor möglicher Operation über diesen Umstand mit aufgeklärt werden müssen.
Rapid estimation of viral emission source location via genetic algorithm
Authors: Clemon L. M.
Published: January 2022

Indoor spread of infectious diseases is well-studied as a common transmission route. For highly infectious diseases, like Sars-CoV-2, considering poorly or semi ventilated areas outdoors is increasingly important. This is important in communities with high proportions of infected people, highly infectious variants, or where spread is difficult to manage. This work develops a simulation framework based on probabilistic distributions of viral particles, decay, and infection. The methodology reduces the computational cost of generating rapid estimations of a wide variety of scenarios compared to other simulation methods with high computational cost and more fidelity. Outdoor predictions are provided in example applications for a gathering of five people with oscillating wind and a public speaking event. The results indicate that infection is sensitive to population density and outdoor transmission is plausible and likely locations of a virtual super-spreader are identified. Outdoor gatherings should consider precautions to reduce infection spread.
Repellency and toxicity of a CO2-derived cedarwood oil on hard tick species (Ixodidae)
Authors: Flor-Weiler Lina B. , Behle Robert W. , Eller Fred J. , Muturi Ephantus J. , Rooney Alejandro P.
Published: January 2022

The repellency and toxicity of a CO2-derived cedarwood oil (CWO) was evaluated against actively questing unfed nymphs of four species of hard ticks: Amblyomma americanum (L.), Dermacentor variabilis (Say), Ixodes scapularis Say, and Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latreille). Using a vertical climb bioassay for repellency, nymphs of these species avoided a CWO-treated filter paper in proportional responses to treatment concentrations. At 60 min of exposure, I. scapularis nymphs were most sensitive with 50% repellency concentration (RC50) of 19.8 µg cm−2, compared with RC50 of 30.8, 83.8 and 89.6 µg cm−2 for R. sanguineus, D. variabilis and A. americanum, respectively. Bioassays determined the lethal concentration for 50% (LC50) and 90% (LC90) mortality of nymphs exposed to CWO in treated vials after 24- and 48-h exposure. After 24 h exposure, the LC50 values were 1.25, 3.45 and 1.42 µg cm−2 and LC90 values were 2.39, 7.59 and 4.14 µg cm−2 for D. variabilis, I. scapularis and R. sanguineus, respectively, but had minimal effect on A. americanum. After 48 h exposure, the LC50 values were 4.14, 0.78, 0.79 and 0.52 µg cm−2, and LC90 values were 8.06, 1.48, 1.54 and 1.22 µg cm−2 for A. americanum, D. variabilis, I. scapularis and R. sanguineus, respectively. The repellency of CWO on tick species decreased with time. The repellency and toxicity bioassays demonstrated concentration-dependent responses of tick nymphs to the oil, indicating the potential of the CO2-derived cedarwood oil be developed as an eco-friendly repellent and/or acaricide.
Rethinking the field of automatic prediction of court decisions
Authors: Medvedeva Masha , Wieling Martijn , Vols Michel
Published: January 2022

In this paper, we discuss previous research in automatic prediction of court decisions. We define the difference between outcome identification, outcome-based judgement categorisation and outcome forecasting, and review how various studies fall into these categories. We discuss how important it is to understand the legal data that one works with in order to determine which task can be performed. Finally, we reflect on the needs of the legal discipline regarding the analysis of court judgements.
Quantification of impacts between 1.5 and 4 °C of global warming on flooding risks in six countries
Authors: He Yi , Manful Desmond , Warren Rachel , Forstenhäusler Nicole , Osborn Timothy J. , Price Jeff , Jenkins Rhosanna , Wallace Craig , Yamazaki Dai
Published: January 2022

We project climate change induced changes in fluvial flood risks for six global warming levels between 1.5 and 4 °C by 2100, focusing on the major river basins of six countries. Daily time series of precipitation, temperature and monthly potential evapotranspiration were generated by combining monthly observations, daily reanalysis data and projected changes in the five CMIP5 GCMs also selected in the ISI-MIP fast track project. These series were then used to drive the HBV hydrological model and the CaMa-Flood hydrodynamic model to simulate river discharge and flood inundation. Our results indicate that return periods of 1 in 100-year floods in the late twentieth century (Q100-20C) are likely to decrease with warming. At 1.5 °C warming, 47%, 66%, 27%, 65%, 62% and 92% of the major basin areas in Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana and India respectively experience a decrease in the return period of Q100-20C, increasing to 54%, 81%, 28%, 82%, 86% and 96% with 4 °C warming. The decrease in return periods leads to increased number of people exposed to flood risks, particularly with 4 °C warming, where exposure in the major river basin areas in the six countries increases significantly, ranging from a doubling (China) to more than 50-fold (Egypt). Limiting warming to 1.5 °C would avoid much of these increased risks, resulting in increases ranging from 12 to 1266% for the 6 countries.
Social Isolation and Psychosis: Perspectives from People with Psychosis, Family Caregivers and Mental Health Professionals
Authors: Xanthopoulou Penny D. , Mbanu Jennifer , Chevalier Agnes , Webber Martin , Giacco Domenico
Published: January 2022

This paper explores the subjective experiences of mental health practitioners, people with psychosis and carers, on social isolation and community integration of people with psychosis. Focus groups and one-to-one interviews with 80 adult participants across three sites in the UK were conducted. Audio recordings were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. Participants commented on various aspects that may cause social isolation or enable community integration, including institutional factors (lack of resources, hospitalisation impact), illness symptoms (e.g., paranoia; over-pathologising vs individual choice), stigma (particularly the psychosis label), and the importance of communities that foster agency and embrace change. Hospitalisation maybe be a cause for isolation and psychiatric wards should consider allowing for socialisation as a therapeutic tool. Initiatives should consider the social fabric of our communities, socioeconomic inequalities and stigmatisation. Building communities that are accepting, kind and flexible can create opportunities that could lead to independence from mental health services.
Parent–Child Interaction Therapy for Children with Disruptive Behaviors and Autism: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Allen Korrie , Harrington John , Quetsch Lauren B. , Masse Joshua , Cooke Cathy , Paulson James F.
Published: January 2022

A relatively large number of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit disruptive behavioral problems. While accumulating data have shown behavioral parent training programs to be efficacious in reducing disruptive behaviors for this population, there is a dearth of literature examining the impact of such programs across the range of ASD severity. To evaluate the effectiveness of Parent–Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), an evidence-based treatment for children with problem behaviors and their families, in reducing disruptive behaviors among children (4–10 years) with ASD (without intellectual disabilities). Fifty-five children (85.5% male, 7.15 years;SD1.72) were enrolled from pediatric offices and educational settings into a randomized clinical trial (PCIT:N = 30; Control:N = 25). PCIT families demonstrated a significant reduction in child disruptive behaviors, increase in positive parent–child communication, improvement in child compliance, and reduction in parental stress compared to the control group. Exploratory analyses revealed no differential treatment response based on ASD severity, receptive language, and age. Results are promising for the use of PCIT with children demonstrating disruptive behaviors across the autism spectrum.
Stromal Changes are Associated with High P4HA2 Expression in Ductal Carcinoma in Situ of the Breast
Authors: Agahozo Marie Colombe , van Bockstal Mieke , Westenend Pieter J. , Galant Christine , Lambein Kathleen , Reisenbichler Emily , Sinke Renata , Wong Serena , van Deurzen Carolien H. M.
Published: January 2022

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast is able to induce stromal changes, which likely reflect the crosstalk between DCIS and its microenvironment. These changes harbor prognostic information, although the interobserver variability of scoring stromal changes is moderate. A more robust evaluation of the DCIS-associated stroma is therefore needed. The aim of this study was to characterize P4HA2 expression, which is involved in collagen biosynthesis, in DCIS and to assess whether P4HA2 expression enables a more robust evaluation of the DCIS-associated stroma compared to histomorphology. This study included 410 patients with DCIS. Stromal changes were scored on hematoxylin/eosin-stained whole slides. P4HA2 expression in DCIS-associated stroma was assessed by whole slide immunohistochemistry. One hundred DCIS lesions were evaluated by seven pathologists to study the interobserver variability in the assessment of stromal changes and stromal P4HA2 expression. High P4HA2 expression in stromal fibroblasts was present in 14.1% of the patients. High P4HA2 expression was associated with the presence of periductal stromal changes (P = 0.004). The interobserver variability was similar for the assessment of stromal changes and the percentage of P4HA2-positive fibroblasts. Although we demonstrated a significant association between high P4HA2 expression in fibroblasts and the morphological presence of stromal changes, it seems unlikely that P4HA2 expression can be used as an alternative for the histopathological evaluation of the DCIS-associated stroma.
Randomness in Compressible Fluid Flows Past an Obstacle
Authors: Feireisl Eduard , Hofmanová Martina
Published: January 2022

We consider a statistical limit of solutions to the compressible Navier–Stokes system in the high Reynolds number regime in a domain exterior to a rigid body. We investigate to what extent this highly turbulent regime can be modeled by an external stochastic perturbation, as suggested in the related physics literature. To this end, we interpret the statistical limit as a stochastic process on the associated trajectory space. We suppose that the limit process is statistically equivalent to a solution of the stochastic compressible Euler system. Then, necessarily, the stochastic forcing is not active—the limit is a statistical solution of the deterministic Euler system; the solutions S-converge to the limit; if, in addition, the expected value of the limit process solves the Euler system, then the limit is deterministic and the convergence is strong in the $$L^p$$

L
p

-sense. These results strongly indicate that a stochastic forcing may not be a suitable model for turbulent randomness in compressible fluid flows.
Influence of a ward-based pharmacist on the medication quality of geriatric inpatients: a before–after study
Authors: Kiesel Esther Katharina , Drey Michael , Pudritz Yvonne Marina
Published: January 2022

Background Despite several international studies demonstrating that ward-based pharmacists improve medication quality, ward pharmacists are not generally established in German hospitals. Aim We assessed the effect of a ward-based clinical pharmacist on the medication quality of geriatric inpatients in a German university hospital. Method The before-after study with a historic control group was conducted on the geriatric ward. During the control phase, patients received standard care without the involvement of a pharmacist. The intervention consisted of a clinical pharmacist providing pharmaceutical care from admission to discharge. Medication quality was measured on admission and discharge using the Medication Appropriateness Index (MAI). A linear regression analysis was conducted to calculate the influence of the intervention on the MAI. Results Patients in the intervention group (n = 152, mean 83 years) were older and took more drugs at admission compared to the control group (n = 159, 81 years). For both groups, the MAI per patient improved significantly from admission to discharge. Although the intervention did not influence the summated MAI score per patient, the intervention significantly reduced the MAI criteria Dosage (p = 0.006), Correct Directions (p = 0.016) and Practical Directions (p = 0.004) as well as the proportion of overall inappropriate MAI ratings (at least 1 of 9 criteria inappropriate) (p = 0.015). Conclusion Although medication quality was already high in the control group, a ward-based clinical pharmacist could contribute meaningfully to the medication quality on an acute geriatric ward.
Disambiguation of Vector Magnetograms by Stereoscopic Observations from the Solar Orbiter (SO)/Polarimetric and Helioseismic Imager (PHI) and the Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO)/Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI)
Authors: Valori Gherardo , Löschl Philipp , Stansby David , Pariat Etienne , Hirzberger Johann , Chen Feng
Published: January 2022

Spectropolarimetric reconstructions of the photospheric vector magnetic field are intrinsically limited by the $180^{\circ}$

180
∘

ambiguity in the orientation of the transverse component. The successful launch and operation of Solar Orbiter have made the removal of the 180∘ ambiguity possible using solely observations obtained from two different vantage points. While the exploitation of such a possibility is straightforward in principle, it is less so in practice, and it is therefore important to assess the accuracy and limitations as a function of both the spacecrafts’ orbits and measurement principles. In this work, we present a stereoscopic disambiguation method (SDM) and discuss thorough testing of its accuracy in applications to modeled active regions and quiet-Sun observations. In the first series of tests, we employ magnetograms extracted from three different numerical simulations as test fields and model observations of the magnetograms from different angles and distances. In these more idealized tests, SDM is proven to reach a 100% disambiguation accuracy when applied to moderately-to-well resolved fields. In such favorable conditions, the accuracy is almost independent of the relative position of the spacecraft with the obvious exceptions of configurations where the spacecraft are within a few degrees of co-alignment or quadrature. Even in the case of disambiguation of quiet-Sun magnetograms with significant under-resolved spatial scales, SDM provides an accuracy between 82% and 98%, depending on the field strength. The accuracy of SDM is found to be mostly sensitive to the variable spatial resolution of Solar Orbiter in its highly elliptic orbit, as well as to the intrinsic spatial scale of the observed field. Additionally, we provide an example of the expected accuracy as a function of time that can be used to optimally place remote-sensing observing windows during Solar Orbiter observation planning. Finally, as a more realistic test, we consider magnetograms that are obtained using a radiative-transfer inversion code and the SO/PHI Software siMulator (SOPHISM) applied to a 3D-simulation of a pore, and we present a preliminary discussion of the effect of the viewing angle on the observed field. In this more realistic test of the application of SDM, the method is able to successfully remove the ambiguity in strong-field areas.
Bayesian Forecasting with a Regime-Switching Zero-Inflated Multilevel Poisson Regression Model: An Application to Adolescent Alcohol Use with Spatial Covariates
Authors: Li Yanling , Oravecz Zita , Zhou Shuai , Bodovski Yosef , Barnett Ian J. , Chi Guangqing , Zhou Yuan , Friedman Naomi P. , Vrieze Scott I. , Chow Sy-Miin
Published: January 2022

In this paper, we present and evaluate a novel Bayesian regime-switching zero-inflated multilevel Poisson (RS-ZIMLP) regression model for forecasting alcohol use dynamics. The model partitions individuals’ data into two phases, known as regimes, with: (1) a zero-inflation regime that is used to accommodate high instances of zeros (non-drinking) and (2) a multilevel Poisson regression regime in which variations in individuals’ log-transformed average rates of alcohol use are captured by means of an autoregressive process with exogenous predictors and a person-specific intercept. The times at which individuals are in each regime are unknown, but may be estimated from the data. We assume that the regime indicator follows a first-order Markov process as related to exogenous predictors of interest. The forecast performance of the proposed model was evaluated using a Monte Carlo simulation study and further demonstrated using substance use and spatial covariate data from the Colorado Online Twin Study (CoTwins). Results showed that the proposed model yielded better forecast performance compared to a baseline model which predicted all cases as non-drinking and a reduced ZIMLP model without the RS structure, as indicated by higher AUC (the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve) scores, and lower mean absolute errors (MAEs) and root-mean-square errors (RMSEs). The improvements in forecast performance were even more pronounced when we limited the comparisons to participants who showed at least one instance of transition to drinking.
Review of cooling techniques used to enhance the efficiency of photovoltaic power systems
Authors: Sharaf Mohamed , Yousef Mohamed S. , Huzayyin Ahmed S.
Published: January 2022

Photovoltaic (PV) panels are one of the most important solar energy sources used to convert the sun’s radiation falling on them into electrical power directly. Many factors affect the functioning of photovoltaic panels, including external factors and internal factors. External factors such as wind speed, incident radiation rate, ambient temperature, and dust accumulation on the PV cannot be controlled. The internal factors can be controlled, such as PV surface temperature. Some of the radiation falling on the surface of the PV cell turns into electricity, while the remainder of incident radiation is absorbed inside the PV cell. This, in turn, elevates its surface temperature. Undesirably, the higher panel temperature, the lower conversion performance, and lesser reliability over the long term occur. Hence, many cooling systems have been designed and investigated, aiming to effectively avoid the excessive temperature rise and enhance their efficiency. Many cooling methods are used to cool solar cells, such as passive cooling, active cooling, cooling with phase change materials (PCMs), and cooling with PCM with other additives such as nanoparticles or porous metal. In this work, the common methods utilized for cooling PV panels are reviewed and analyzed, focusing on the last methods, and summarizing all the researches that dealt with cooling PV solar cells with PCM and porous structures.
Risk factors for portal vein thrombosis or venous thromboembolism in a large cohort of hospitalized cirrhotic patients
Authors: Faccia Mariella , Santopaolo Francesco , Gasbarrini Antonio , Pompili Maurizio , Zocco Maria Assunta , Ponziani Francesca Romana
Published: January 2022

Background

Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) and venous thromboembolism (VTE) are fearsome complications of liver cirrhosis.

Objectives

To assess the prevalence and the main risk factors for venous thrombotic complications in hospitalized cirrhotic patients.

Patients/methods

We retrospectively reviewed electronic administrative discharge data of 19461 cirrhotic patients hospitalized over a 35-year period; univariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to asses risk factors for PVT or VTE and their impact on hospital stay and mortality.

Results

382 out of 7445 patients (5.1%) were diagnosed with PVT and 95 (1.3%) with VTE. Liver cirrhosis complications were observed in 45% of patients. Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) (OR 13.88 [10.76–17.98] p < 0.0001), endoscopic signs of portal hypertension (OR 1.33 [1.02–1.75] p = 0.02), hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (OR 4.59 [3.6–5.84] p < 0.0001), diabetes (OR 1.68 [1.27–2.22] p = 0.0001), abdominal surgery/invasive procedures (OR 2.03 [1.56–2.64] p < 0.0001) emerged as independent predictors of PVT. Higher risk of VTE was observed in patients with HE (OR 3.21 [1.78–5.79] p < 0.0001), HCC (OR 1.98 [1.23–3.19] p = 0.002) or other tumors (OR 2.48 [1.42–4.32] p = 0.001), acute illnesses (infections OR 3.01 [1.84–5.05] p = 0.0001; cardiac/respiratory insufficiency OR 2.4 [1.27–4.53] p = 0.003; acute myocardial infarction/stroke OR 7.86 [1.76–35.12] p = 0.003). VTE was the only independent predictor of in-hospital mortality (OR 4.45 [1.05–18.81] p = 0.042).

Conclusions

Liver disease complications related to portal hypertension, HCC or other tumors, diabetes, acute illnesses (i.e. infections, cardiac/pulmonary insufficiency, acute myocardial infarction/stroke) and abdominal interventions are associated with increased risk of PVT or VTE in hospitalized cirrhotic patients, and should be considered to define personalized preemptive approaches.
Does motor functioning mediate the relationship between executive functions and psychological well-being of atypically developing older adults?
Authors: Fastame Maria Chiara , Mulas Ilaria , Putzu Valeria , Asoni Gesuina , Viale Daniela , Mameli Irene , Pau Massimiliano
Published: January 2022

The contribution of motor efficiency to the maintenance of psychological well-being in cognitively impaired older individuals is still insufficiently examined. This investigation primarily intended to evaluate whether muscular strength mediates the relationship between different facets of psychological well-being (i.e., personal satisfaction, emotional competence, coping), negative mood, and central executive efficiency through the Clock-Drawing, Trail-Making (Part A), and verbal fluency tests. Furthermore, the impact of cognitive decline on self-reported psychological well-being and depression was explored, using the handgrip strength (HGS) measure as a covariate. One hundred and nineteen older participants, 44 males and 75 females, aged 63 years and older (Mage = 77.7 years, SD = 5.6 years), completed a battery of tests assessing executive functions, HGS, depression, and psychological well-being. Significant low to moderate associations were found between distinct executive functions, HGS, psychological well-being, and depression. In addition, personal satisfaction did not correlate with any measure of executive functions, the clock-drawing score was associated only with coping index, and self-reported depression correlated only with the Trail-Making Test score. Moreover, a series of mediation analyses documented that executive functions (primarily assessing verbal fluency and motor speed) and HGS explained approximately 20–46% of the variance in perceived psychological well-being and depression. Finally, more cognitively impaired participants reported worse total psychological well-being, emotional competence, and coping. In conclusion, motor proficiency mediates the relationship between selective measures of executive functions and perceived psychological well-being and depression in cognitively impaired individuals.