bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Process optimization of vanillin production by conversion of ferulic acid by Bacillus megaterium
Authors: Gou Jingyu , Guo Yuxi , Liu Huan , Zhao Yanni , Zhu Rongjing , Dang Yue , Liu Nannan , Chen Mengyin , Chen Xuefeng
Published: April 2022

BACKGROUND

Vanillin is an important flavoring and aromatic ingredient found mainly in the pods of the tropical plant vanilla and is widely used in the food industry. Attempts have been made to produce vanillin from ferulic acid esters in agricultural residues of wheat bran.

RESULTS

The results showed that a strain with high tolerance to the substrate ferulic acid was isolated and screened from soil and identified as belonging to the genus Bacillus (Bacillus megaterium). The concentration of vanillin produced by this strain was 0.048 g L−1, and the molar conversion of vanillin was 12.25%. The production of vanillin was optimized by orthogonal experiments. Beef pastes 6.0 g L−1, soybean meal 5.0 g L−1, magnesium sulfate heptahydrate 1.0 g L−1, iron(II) sulfate heptahydrate 1.0 g L−1, calcium chloride 1.0 g L−1, dipotassium hydrogen phosphate trihydrate 1.0 g L−1; fermentation culture conditions were pH 7.0, inoculum level 5%, loading volume 20%, ferulic acid 1.0 g L−1, fermentation culture temperature 35 °C. The concentration of vanillin obtained was 0.218 g L−1. Finally, transcriptomic analysis of the strain samples before and after the optimization of the fermentation conditions was carried out to study the effect of the optimization of the fermentation conditions on the concentration of vanillin produced by the strain.

CONCLUSION

This study provides a theoretical basis for further improving the yield of vanillin and gradually realizing efficient industrial production. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.
High‐precision laser glass cutting for future display
Authors: Jung Woohyun , Kim Hyungsik , Voronov Alexander , Park Sunggyu , Ryu Jekil , Jeong Seong Ho , Roh Cheol Lae
Published: April 2022

As one of the various attempts to reduce the size of display bezel, high‐precision glass cutting process is required to be developed for future displays. In this study, the Bessel‐beam Laser Cutting (BLC) process has been studied, which is capable of minimizing the thermal deformation of the black matrix (BM) material on glass. In an experimental setup composed of IR ps laser with bessel‐beam optics, the smallest thermal degradation of BM and the highest cutting precision are achieved as 40 and 10 μm, respectively. When reducing thermal effects caused by high‐order beams without sacrificing glass breaking strength, effective heat affected zone (HAZ) could be reduced nearby 30 μm width from the cutting line. This high‐precision cutting technology will contribute to realize extremely narrow bezel display near future.
Preparation of boronic acid and carboxyl‐modified molecularly imprinted polymer and application in a novel chromatography mediated hollow fiber membrane to selectively extract glucose from cellulose hydrolysis
Authors: Liu Jia , Song Qianyi , Zheng Wenqing , Jia Wenhui , Jia Haijiao , Nan Yaqin , Ren Fangfang , Bao James Jianmin , Li Youxin
Published: April 2022

A novel boronic acid and carboxyl‐modified glucose molecularly imprinted polymer were prepared through suspension polymerization, which is based on 1.0 mmol glucose as a template, 1.2 mmol methacrylamidophenylboronic acid, and 6.8 mmol methacrylic acids as monomers, 19 mmol ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate, and 1 mmol methylene‐bis‐acrylamide as crosslinkers. The prepared glucose‐molecularly imprinted polymer had a particle size of 25–70 μm, and was thermally stable below 215°C, with a specific surface area of 174.82 m2/g and average pore size of 9.48 nm. The best selectivity between glucose and fructose was 2.71 and the maximum adsorption capacity of glucose‐ molecularly imprinted polymer was up to 236.32 mg/g which was consistent with the Langmuir adsorption model. The similar adsorption abilities in six successive runs and the good desorption rate (99.4%) verified glucose‐molecularly imprinted polymer could be reused. It was successfully used for extracting glucose from cellulose hydrolysis. The adsorption amount of glucose was 2.61 mg/mL and selectivity between glucose and xylose reached 4.12. A newly established chromatography (glucose‐molecularly imprinted polymer) mediated hollow fiber membrane method in time separated pure glucose from cellulose hydrolysates on a large scale, and purified glucose solution with a concentration of 3.84 mg/mL was obtained, which offered a feasible way for the industrial production of glucose from cellulose hydrolysates.
Determinacy and regularity properties for idealized forcings
Authors: Ikegami Daisuke
Published: April 2022

We show under that every set of reals is I‐regular for any σ‐ideal I on the Baire space such that is proper. This answers the question of Khomskii [7, Question 2.6.5]. We also show that the same conclusion holds under if we additionally assume that the set of Borel codes for I‐positive sets is . If we do not assume , the notion of properness becomes obscure as pointed out by Asperó and Karagila [1]. Using the notion of strong properness similar to the one introduced by Bagaria and Bosch [2], we show under without using that every set of reals is I‐regular for any σ‐ideal I on the Baire space such that is strongly proper assuming every set of reals is ∞‐Borel and there is no ω1‐sequence of distinct reals. In particular, the same conclusion holds in a Solovay model.
Anxiety and social support needs of Chinese women receiving a high‐risk screening result for Down syndrome
Authors: Xiang Jia‐Ming , Gao Ling‐Ling
Published: April 2022

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of anxiety symptoms and the associations between social support and anxiety symptoms among Chinese pregnant women receiving a high‐risk screening result for Down syndrome.

Method

A cross‐sectional study was conducted in Guangzhou, China, from September 2020 to July 2021 among 260 Chinese pregnant women receiving a high‐risk screening result for Down syndrome. Measures included the Self‐Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and the Social Support Rating Scale.

Results

The prevalence of anxiety symptoms (SAS ≥50) was 30.8%. Advanced age (≥35 years), education ≤ high school, pregnancy following in vitro fertilization, and low level of social support were predictors of anxiety symptoms.

Conclusion

The results suggest that early routine screening for anxiety symptoms should be carried out among Chinese pregnant women receiving a high‐risk screening result for Down syndrome. The importance of social support and the role it can play in decreasing anxiety should be discussed with patients.
POEML: a Process Orchestration, Execution, and Modeling Language
Authors: Hachemi Asma , Ahmed‐Nacer Mohamed
Published: April 2022

Many software process modeling languages are available today, but the majority do not meet the community's expectations. They are complex, difficult for enactment, and so forth. After studying the state of the art, we asked this research question: Is it possible to have an easy to read and use Software Process Modeling Language (SPML), which is abstract enough but also expressive enough to suit different domains of process modeling and allowing the orchestration and execution of the process models it expressed? Our contribution consists in answering this question by defining Process Orchestration, Execution and Modeling Language (POEML), an SPML that supports the static process modeling and also the dynamic aspects of orchestration and execution. This language is governed by a metamodel, according to MDE principles, and provides graphic notation and a support tool. Its demonstration involves a benchmark that assesses the applicability of the language. We evaluate our language through a set of SPMLs quality criteria. Our contribution is discussed in terms of adopted choices and is compared with different related works. POEML contributes to software processes practice by linking modelization to execution while compensating some gaps still posed in SPMLs, which is an important improvement in this field.
Cognitive and physical benefits of a game‐like dual‐task exercise among the oldest nursing home residents in Japan
Authors: Yoon Jieun , Isoda Hiroko , Ueda Tetsuya , Okura Tomohiro
Published: April 2022

Introduction

Dual‐task (DT) exercise can act as a substitute, which can help improve both physical and cognitive functions. Thus, this study investigated the effects of a game‐like cognitive DT exercise called “Synapsology” (SYNAP) among the oldest residents of a nursing home.

Methods

Participants (aged 85–97 years) were assigned to the intervention group (n = 12) and the control group (n = 12). The intervention group underwent 60‐minute sessions, twice a week for 24 weeks.

Results

A comparison of the Mini‐Mental State Examination scores and six physical function tests, before and after the intervention, shows that the SYNAP had a positive impact on the cognitive and physical functions among the intervention group.

Discussion

These findings suggest that SYNAP may help maintain or improve cognitive and physical functions among older adults compared to no interventions. Therefore, SYNAP would act as a beneficial tool amidst a “superaging” society like Japan.
Semileptonic tau decays beyond the Standard Model
Authors: Cirigliano Vincenzo , Díaz-Calderón David , Falkowski Adam , González-Alonso Martín , Rodríguez-Sánchez Antonio
Published: April 2022

Abstract

Hadronicτdecays are studied as probe of new physics. We determine the dependence of several inclusive and exclusiveτobservables on the Wilson coefficients of the low-energy effective theory describing charged-current interactions between light quarks and leptons. The analysis includes both strange and non-strange decay channels. The main result is the likelihood function for the Wilson coefficients in the tau sector, based on the up-to-date experimental measurements and state-of-the-art theoretical techniques. The likelihood can be readily combined with inputs from other low-energy precision observables. We discuss a combination with nuclear beta, baryon, pion, and kaon decay data. In particular, we provide a comprehensive and model-independent description of the new physics hints in the combined dataset, which are known under the name of the Cabibbo anomaly.
Diagnostic and prognostic role of TFF3, Romo-1, NF-кB and SFRP4 as biomarkers for endometrial and ovarian cancers: a prospective observational translational study
Authors: Turan Hasan , Vitale Salvatore Giovanni , Kahramanoglu Ilker , Della Corte Luigi , Giampaolino Pierluigi , Azemi Asli , Durmus Sinem , Sal Veysel , Tokgozoglu Nedim , Bese Tugan , Arvas Macit , Demirkiran Fuat , Gelisgen Remise , Ilvan Sennur , Uzun Hafize
Published: April 2022

Purpose

This study aimed to evaluate trefoil factor 3 (TFF3), secreted frizzled-related protein 4 (sFRP4), reactive oxygen species modulator 1 (Romo1) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) as diagnostic and prognostic markers of endometrial cancer (EC) and ovarian cancer (OC).

Methods

Thirty-one patients with EC and 30 patients with OC undergone surgical treatment were enrolled together with 30 healthy controls in a prospective study. Commercial ELISA kits determined serum TFF-3, Romo-1, NF-кB and sFRP-4 concentrations.

Results

Serum TFF-3, Romo-1 and NF-кB levels were significantly higher in patients with EC and OC than those without cancer. Regarding EC, none of the serum biomarkers differs significantly between endometrial and non-endometrioid endometrial carcinomas. Mean serum TFF-3 and NF-кB levels were significantly higher in advanced stages. Increased serum levels of TFF-3 and NF-кB were found in those with a higher grade of the disease. Regarding OC, none of the serum biomarkers differed significantly among histological subtypes. Significantly increased serum levels of NF-кB were observed in patients with advanced-stage OC than those with stage I and II diseases. No difference in serum biomarker levels was found between those who had a recurrence and those who had not. The sensibility and specificity of these four biomarkers in discriminating EC and OC from the control group showed encouraging values, although no one reached 70%.

Conclusions

TFF-3, Romo-1, NF-кB and SFRP4 could represent new diagnostic and prognostic markers for OC and EC. Further studies are needed to validate our results.
Pain levels during distraction osteogenesis with lengthening nails in 168 cases
Authors: Degen Nikolaus , de Almeida Lopes N. , Wolf F. , Fürmetz J. , Euler E. , Böcker W. , Thaller P. H.
Published: April 2022

Purpose

To firstly examine the pain levels during distraction osteogenesis (DO) with lengthening nails (LN) in a large sample.

Methods

A total of 168 cases underwent DO of the tibia or femur with five different models of LN. Under a standardized medical regime, daily pain levels were noted as nominal rating scale (NRS) score (0–10) during the distraction phase. NRS scores and several potential influence factors (LN model, bone, approach, side, age, gender) were evaluated.

Results

The mean distraction length was 39.1 ± 14.4 mm. The average NRS score decreased from postoperative day 1 with 2.84 nonlinearly by 1.03 points (36.3%) over the course of 62 days to an average score of 1.81. The mean decrease during the first thirty days was 0.67(23.6%). Subgroup analysis did not reveal any influence factors.

Conclusion

Pain levels during the distraction phase are overall low, continuously decreasing, and well manageable with mostly non-opioid analgesics.
Sedimentological data-driven bottom friction parameter estimation in modelling Bristol Channel tidal dynamics
Authors: Warder Simon C. , Angeloudis Athanasios , Piggott Matthew D.
Published: April 2022

Accurately representing the bottom friction effect is a significant challenge in numerical tidal models. Bottom friction effects are commonly defined via parameter estimation techniques. However, the bottom friction coefficient (BFC) can be related to the roughness of the sea bed. Therefore, sedimentological data can be beneficial in estimating BFCs. Taking the Bristol Channel and Severn Estuary as a case study, we perform a number of BFC parameter estimation experiments, utilising sedimentological data in a variety of ways. Model performance is explored through the results of each parameter estimation experiment, including applications to tidal range and tidal stream resource assessment. We find that theoretically derived sediment-based BFCs are in most cases detrimental to model performance. However, good performance is obtained by retaining the spatial information provided by the sedimentological data in the formulation of the parameter estimation experiment; the spatially varying BFC can be represented as a piecewise-constant field following the spatial distribution of the observed sediment types. By solving the resulting low-dimensional parameter estimation problem, we obtain good model performance as measured against tide gauge data. This approach appears well suited to modelling tidal range energy resource, which is of particular interest in the case study region. However, the applicability of this approach for tidal stream resource assessment is limited, since modelled tidal currents exhibit a strong localised response to the BFC; the use of piecewise-constant (and therefore discontinuous) BFCs is found to be detrimental to model performance for tidal currents.
The cure from within? a review of the microbiome and diet in melanoma
Authors: Kumar Priyanka , Brazel Danielle , DeRogatis Julia , Valerin Jennifer B. Goldstein , Whiteson Katrine , Chow Warren A. , Tinoco Roberto , Moyers Justin T.
Published: April 2022

Therapy for cutaneous melanoma, the deadliest of the skin cancers, is inextricably linked to the immune system. Once thought impossible, cures for metastatic melanoma with immune checkpoint inhibitors have been developed within the last decade and now occur regularly in the clinic. Unfortunately, half of tumors do not respond to checkpoint inhibitors and efforts to further exploit the immune system are needed. Tantalizing associations with immune health and gut microbiome composition suggest we can improve the success rate of immunotherapy. The gut contains over half of the immune cells in our bodies and increasingly, evidence is linking the immune system within our gut to melanoma development and treatment. In this review, we discuss the importance the skin and gut microbiome may play in the development of melanoma. We examine the differences in the microbial populations which inhabit the gut of those who develop melanoma and subsequently respond to immunotherapeutics. We discuss the role of dietary intake on the development and treatment of melanoma. And finally, we review the landscape of published and registered clinical trials therapeutically targeting the microbiome in melanoma through dietary supplements, fecal microbiota transplant, and microbial supplementation.
“I’m not listening to my teacher, I’m listening to my computer”: online learning, disengagement, and the impact of COVID-19 on French university students
Authors: Branchu Charlotte , Flaureau Erwin
Published: April 2022

In a French context where universities are thought of and analysed as “weak institutions” that leave learners to themselves, the effects of the pandemic present great risks to students who already face structural obstacles to their education. This qualitative paper is based on the experience of 19 students in a typical non-selective university in France, who have disengaged or have thought of dropping out during the pandemic. We examine how lockdowns and distance learning have impacted French students’ learning and living conditions unequally, unpacking ideas of student engagement and disengagement through a sociological lens looks at students within their social context and places importance on the role of institutions in “holding” students. By unpacking our participants’ narratives, we address the implications of online learning for educational justice and the long-term opportunities of students. Our analysis shows that students’ well-being and learning are entangled with an attachment to the institution, with seeing the worth, purpose, and recognition for what they do and the importance of emplaced learning to do so. We therefore highlight the importance of recognition and regulation in the learning process itself. Our findings allow us to also offer nuance to existing research and discourse about the French university system being a “weak” institution that forces individuals to be autonomous. The article also points to the strategies employed by students and teachers with a view to maintain engagement that contribute to considering solutions to help student retention for the sector as a whole and in our pedagogical practice.
A retrospective study of the efficacy of JAK inhibitors or abatacept on rheumatoid arthritis-interstitial lung disease
Authors: Tardella Marika , Di Carlo Marco , Carotti Marina , Ceccarelli Luca , Giovagnoni Andrea , Salaffi Fausto
Published: April 2022

Objectives

To examine the effectiveness of Janus-kinase inhibitors (JAKis) or abatacept (ABA) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis-interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD).

Methods

Patients with RA-ILD receiving JAKis or ABA were retrospectively evaluated at baseline and after 18 months of treatment. A computer-aided method (CaM) was used to assess the extent of high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) fibrosis percentage. According to HRCT fibrosis changes, patients were classified as “worsened” (progression of 15% or more), “stable” (changes within 15%) or “improved” (reduction of 15% or more). Correlations between RA characteristics and JAKis or ABA responses were studied using a multivariate regression model.

Results

Seventy-five patients (69.3% women) were evaluated, 31 received a JAKi while 44 received ABA. In the JAKis group, five patients (16.1%) showed RA-ILD progression, 20 patients (64.5%) were considered stable, and six patients (19.4%) demonstrated RA-ILD improvement. In the ABA group, five patients (11.3%) showed RA-ILD progression, 32 patients (72.7%) were stable, and seven patients (16.0%) demonstrated RA-ILD improvement. In both groups, the percentage of current smokers was different between those classified as "worsened" and those classified as "improved/stable" (p = 0.01). In multivariate regression analysis, current smoking habit (p = 0.0051) and concomitant methotrexate treatment (p = 0.0078) were the two variables related to RA-ILD progression in ABA-treated patients, whereas in JAKis-treated patients, the only RA-ILD progression-related variable was disease duration of RA (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Treatment with JAKis or ABA was related to stability or improvement of RA-ILD in 83.9% and 88.6% of patients, respectively. RA duration is the only variable associated with worsening RA-ILD in JAKis-treated patients.
The ac conduction mechanism and dielectric relaxation behavior of amorphous Te81Ge15Bi4 chalcogenide glass thin films
Authors: El-Metwally E. G. , Hegab N. A. , Mostfa M.
Published: April 2022

Various chalcogenide amorphous films of Te81Ge15Bi4 in the range (143–721 nm) were synthesized using the thermal evaporation technique. The ac electrical conductivity $${\sigma }_{ac}\left(\omega \right)$$

σ

ac

ω

and dielectric measurements were examined for the studied films over the temperature and frequency ranges of (303–393 K) and (100 Hz–1 MHz), respectively. The obtained results of ac conductivity $${\sigma }_{ac}\left(\omega \right)$$

σ

ac

ω

are temperature dependent and follow the relation $${\sigma }_{ac}\left(\omega \right)\propto {\omega }^{s}$$

σ

ac

ω

∝

ω

s

, where the frequency exponent $$s$$
s
decrements with temperature through the examined range. These results of $${\sigma }_{ac}\left(\omega \right)$$

σ

ac

ω

and $$s$$
s
are explained based on the correlated barrier hopping CBH model. Values of ac activation energy $$\Delta {E}_{\sigma }\left(\omega \right)$$

Δ

E
σ

ω

show thickness independence and decrease from 0.270 to 0.144 eV as the frequency increases. The estimated maximum barrier height $${W}_{M}$$

W
M

values decrement with temperature in the considered frequency range. The density of localized states near the Fermi level $$N\left({E}_{F}\right)$$

N

E
F

increases with increasing temperature and frequency. The dielectric constant $${\varepsilon }_{1}(\omega )$$

ε
1

(
ω
)

and loss $${\varepsilon }_{2}(\omega )$$

ε
2

(
ω
)

were found to increment with temperature and decrement with frequency. The obtained results indicate that $${\sigma }_{ac}\left(\omega \right)$$

σ

ac

ω

, $$N\left({E}_{F}\right)$$

N

E
F

, $${\varepsilon }_{1}\left(\omega \right)$$

ε
1

ω

and $${\varepsilon }_{2}\left(\omega \right)$$

ε
2

ω

are enhanced by decreasing the thickness of the film sample in the investigated ranges of temperature and frequency. The real $${M}_{1}(\omega )$$

M
1

(
ω
)

and imaginary $${M}_{2}(\omega )$$

M
2

(
ω
)

parts of the electric modulus were studied for the films under test, and the value of the activation energy for relaxation $$\Delta {E}_{r}$$

Δ

E
r

(0.143 ± 0.002 eV) is thickness independent in the investigated range.
Subject Advantage in L1-English Learners’ Production of Chinese Relative Clauses
Authors: Tanaka Nozomi , Cherici Alessia
Published: April 2022

This study investigated whether L1-English Chinese learners show a subject preference in their oral production of Chinese relative clauses (RCs) and whether they show animacy effects. We conducted a picture-based elicited production experiment that compared subject and object RCs, varying the object animacy between animate and inanimate. The results from thirty learners showed more targetlike performance in subject RCs than in object RCs, both at group and individual levels, regardless of object animacy. Error analyses revealed that more object RCs were converted into subject RCs than vice versa. These results point toward a clear subject preference despite conflicted findings in previous research on RCs in Chinese as a foreign language. Animacy influenced subject and object RCs alike: both types were easier to produce when featuring an inanimate object. We suggested similarity-based interference or distribution-based effects to account for this finding.
Five reasons to cry—FRC: a taxonomy for common antecedents of emotional crying
Authors: Barthelmäs Michael , Kesberg Rebekka , Hermann Armin , Keller Johannes
Published: April 2022

Human beings are probably the only creatures with a capacity to shed emotional tears. While prior work has mostly used data-driven approaches to identify situational antecedents of adult crying, we present a theory-based taxonomy. Assuming that crying is preceded by the frustration or satisfaction of psychological needs, we postulate that the most common antecedents of crying can be organized into five categories—that is, the Five Reasons to Cry (FRC): loneliness, impotence, overload, harmony, and media. Testing our assumptions in a retrospective study (N = 720, pre-registered) and a thirty-day electronic diary study (N = 91) showed that (i) crying episodes could be reliably assigned to the FRC, (ii) the theorized relations to frustrated/satisfied psychological needs emerged, and (iii) the categories were systematically related to subjective well-being, indicating their criterion validity. In sum, this research provides a valid taxonomy of common situational antecedents of adult emotional crying.
Analysis of static frictionless beam-to-beam contact using mortar method
Authors: Tomec Jan , Jelenić Gordan
Published: April 2022

This paper presents a formulation for frictionless beam-to-beam contact using the mortar method. The beams are modelled using the geometrically exact theory. A similar approach has been proposed very recently, with respect to which we offer a formulation based on a Lagrange-multiplier method and a simpler algorithm to cover the static interaction within the contact zone and analyse the performance of the method for different orders of interpolation for the Lagrange multiplier and in the presence of self-contact. Appropriate contact kinematics is developed from which the residual vector and the tangent stiffness matrix are obtained from a suitable contact potential and its variation and consistent linearisation for implementation in the finite element method. The algorithm describing the fulfilment of the contact kinematics is described in detail. The mortar method is found out to be suitable for modelling beam-to-beam contact and self-contact. The geometrically exact beam theory assumes full rigidity of the cross-sections and as such is naturally prone to higher oscillations in the contact force near the boundaries of the contact zone. For sufficiently small load steps, however, a stable solution is obtained, making it appropriate for future research.
The Pricing Structure of Legal Services: Do Lawyers Offer What Clients Want?
Authors: Felső Flóra , Onderstal Sander , Seldeslachts Jo
Published: April 2022

We analyze clients’ contract choices in auctions where Dutch law firms compete for standard cases such as labor disputes for individuals and collecting debts for businesses. In the auctions, lawyers can submit bids with any fee arrangement they prefer, including an hourly rate, a fixed fee, and a ‘mixed fee’: a time-capped fixed fee plus an hourly rate for any additional hours should the case take longer than expected. A game-theoretic analysis of this auction format reveals that clients should accept only fixed-fee bids in equilibrium. We estimate a simultaneous equation model that includes both the client’s and lawyers’ side. Qualitatively in line with our theoretical prediction, we find that clients strongly prefer fixed fees. Our results suggest that selecting a lawyer through an auction may benefit clients who face an incidental legal problem. More generally, our findings tentatively contradict lawyers’ often made argument that hourly rates are in a client’s best interest.
A rapid evidence assessment of the potential risk to the environment presented by active ingredients in the UK’s most commonly sold companion animal parasiticides
Authors: Wells Clodagh , Collins C. M. Tilly
Published: April 2022

A number of parasiticides are commercially available as companion animal treatments to protect against parasite infestation and are sold in large volumes. These treatments are not intended to enter the wider environment but may be washed off or excreted by treated animals and have ecotoxic impacts. A systematic literature review was conducted to identify the existing evidence for the toxicity of the six most used parasiticides in the UK: imidacloprid, fipronil, fluralaner, afoxolaner, selamectin, and flumethrin. A total of 17,207 published articles were screened, with 690 included in the final evidence synthesis. All parasiticides displayed higher toxicity towards invertebrates than vertebrates, enabling their use as companion animal treatments. Extensive evidence exists of ecotoxicity for imidacloprid and fipronil, but this focuses on exposure via agricultural use and is not representative of environmental exposure that results from use in companion animal treatments, especially in urban greenspace. Little to no evidence exists for the ecotoxicity of the remaining parasiticides. Despite heavy usage, there is currently insufficient evidence to understand the environmental risk posed by these veterinary treatments and further studies are urgently needed to quantify the levels and characterise the routes of environmental exposure, as well as identifying any resulting environmental harm.
Irrigation modernization and the efficiency paradox: a meta-study through the lens of Networks of Action Situations
Authors: Hoffmann Patrick , Villamayor-Tomas Sergio
Published: April 2022

Infrastructure and technology investments that increase water-use efficiency (also called modernization investments) have become one of the most preferred solutions to cope with water scarcity in the context of climate change, increase productivity to satisfy growing demand, and save water to maintain ecosystems. In many cases, however, the higher efficiencies have led to more, instead of less, water consumption. This is generally known as the efficiency paradox or rebound effect. Understanding the processes behind the efficiency paradox remains a difficult task, given the variety of variables that either directly or indirectly factor into farmers’ water-use decisions and the strategic nature of many of those. This is even more the case when water is managed collectively by water-user associations, as in many irrigation systems worldwide. In order to better understand this complexity, our study applies the Networks of Action Situations approach to 37 studies of irrigation modernization investments in collectively managed irrigation systems. Through a systematic case review method, we identify 12 different action situations and 192 institutional, physical, and informational linkages that connect them. Although some studies report linkages between the modernization-investment and water-saving decision situations, many others relate them to situations typically associated with the collective management of irrigation systems (like the water application or infrastructure maintenance situations). A number of these situations, also including the water-saving situation, involve collective action problems that need to be integrated in current analyses. The solution towards more water saving may indeed benefit from a more active involvement of irrigation associations, given their proven capacity to promote collective action among farmers vis-à-vis other irrigation management situations.
Development of a data-driven case-mix adjustment model for comparison of hospital performance in hip fracture care
Authors: Würdemann Franka S. , Elfrink Arthur K. E. , Wilschut Janneke A. , van den Brand Crispijn L. , Schipper Inger B. , Hegeman Johannes H.
Published: April 2022

To compare hospitals’ hip fracture patient mortality in a quality of care registry, correction for patient characteristics is needed. This study evaluates in 39,374 patients which characteristics are associated with 30 and 90-day mortality, and showed how using these characteristics in a case mix-model changes hospital comparisons within the Netherlands.

Purpose

Mortality rates after hip fracture surgery are considerable and may be influenced by patient characteristics. This study aims to evaluate hospital variation regarding patient demographics and disease burden, to develop a case-mix adjustment model to analyse differences in hip fracture patients’ mortality to calculate case-mix adjusted hospital-specific mortality rates.

Methods

Data were derived from 64 hospitals participating in the Dutch Hip Fracture Audit (DHFA). Adult hip fracture patients registered in 2017–2019 were included. Variation of case-mix factors between hospitals was analysed, and the association between case-mix factors and mortality at 30 and 90 days was determined through regression models.

Results

There were 39,374 patients included. Significant variation in case-mix factors amongst hospitals was found for age ≥ 80 (range 25.8–72.1% p < 0.001), male gender (12.0–52.9% p < 0.001), nursing home residents (42.0–57.9% p < 0.001), pre-fracture mobility aid use (9.9–86.7% p < 0,001), daily living dependency (27.5–96.5% p < 0,001), ASA-class ≥ 3 (25.8–83.3% p < 0.001), dementia (3.6–28.6% p < 0.001), osteoporosis (0.0–57.1% p < 0.001), risk of malnutrition (0.0–29.2% p < 0.001) and fracture types (all p < 0.001). All factors were associated with 30- and 90-day mortality. Eight hospitals showed higher and six showed lower 30-day mortality than expected based on their case-mix. Six hospitals showed higher and seven lower 90-day mortality than expected. The specific outlier hospitals changed when correcting for case-mix factors.

Conclusions

Dutch hospitals show significant case-mix variation regarding hip fracture patients. Case-mix adjustment is a prerequisite when comparing hospitals’ 30-day and 90-day hip fracture patients’ mortality. Adjusted mortality may serve as a starting point for improving hip fracture care.
The Role of CO2 in the Oxidation-Protection of Mg-Containing Aluminum Alloys
Authors: Solem Cathrine Kyung Won , Vullum Per Erik , Ebadi Mahsa , Tranell Gabriella , Aune Ragnhild E.
Published: April 2022

TEM EDS–EELS and XPS have been performed on disc samples of Al alloys 5182 (AlMg4.5Mn0.4) and 6016 (AlSi1.2Mg0.4) heat treated in an oxidizing atmosphere of 76 pct synthetic air, 20 pct Ar, and 4 pct CO2. For both alloys, an amorphous C–C bonded layer on top of a nanocrystalline MgO layer was observed, which is believed to inhibit further oxidation of Mg for the 5182 alloy and breakaway oxidation for the 6016 alloy.
Super-Tough and Environmentally Stable Aramid. Nanofiber@MXene Coaxial Fibers with Outstanding Electromagnetic Interference Shielding Efficiency
Authors: Liu Liu-Xin , Chen Wei , Zhang Hao-Bin , Ye Lvxuan , Wang Zhenguo , Zhang Yu , Min Peng , Yu Zhong-Zhen
Published: April 2022

Although electrically conductive and hydrophilic MXene sheets are promising for multifunctional fibers and electronic textiles, it is still a challenge to simultaneously enhance both conductivity and mechanical properties of MXene fibers because of the high rigidity of MXene sheets and insufficient inter-sheet interactions. Herein, we demonstrate a core–shell wet-spinning methodology for fabricating highly conductive, super-tough, ultra-strong, and environmentally stable Ti3C2Tx MXene-based core–shell fibers with conductive MXene cores and tough aramid nanofiber (ANF) shells. The highly orientated and low-defect structure endows the ANF@MXene core–shell fiber with super-toughness of ~ 48.1 MJ m−3, high strength of ~ 502.9 MPa, and high conductivity of ~ 3.0 × 105 S m−1. The super-tough and conductive ANF@MXene fibers can be woven into textiles, exhibiting an excellent electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding efficiency of 83.4 dB at a small thickness of 213 μm. Importantly, the protection of the ANF shells provides the fibers with satisfactory cyclic stability under dynamic stretching and bending, and excellent resistance to acid, alkali, seawater, cryogenic and high temperatures, and fire. The oxidation resistance of the fibers is demonstrated by their well-maintained EMI shielding performances. The multifunctional core–shell fibers would be highly promising in the fields of EMI shielding textiles, wearable electronics and aerospace.
Risk Prediction of Central Nervous System Infection Secondary to Intraventricular Drainage in Patients with Intracerebral Hemorrhage: Development and Evaluation of a New Predictive Model Nomogram
Authors: Zhang Yanfeng , Zeng Qingkao , Fang Yuquan , Wang Wei , Chen Yunjin
Published: April 2022

Background

Currently no reliable tools are available for predicting the risk of central nervous system (CNS) infections in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage after undergoing ventriculostomy drainage. The current study sought to develop and validate a nomogram to identify high-risk factors of CNS infection after ventriculomegaly drain placement for intracerebral hemorrhage.

Methods

A total of 185 patients with intracerebral hemorrhage who underwent ventriculoperitoneal drainage were enrolled to the current study. Patients were divided into a CNS infection group (20 patients) and a non-CNS infection group (165 patients). The baseline data from both groups was used to develop and evaluate a model for predicting the likelihood of developing CNS infection after ventriculoperitoneal drain placement for intracerebral hemorrhage.

Results

The finding showed that operative time, intraventricular drainage duration, postoperative temperature, white blood cell count in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), neutrophils ratio in CSF, Red blood cell count in CSF, and glucose content in CSF were correlated with CNS infection. A nomogram for predicting the risk of CNS infection was constructed based on these variables. The c-index and the AUC of the ROC curve was 0.961, showing good discrimination. Clinical decision curve analysis indicated that the nomogram clinical application ranged between 1 and 100%. The clinical impact curve was generated to set with a threshold probability of 0.5.

Conclusion

The nomogram reported in the current study can be used by clinicians to identify patients likely to have secondary CNS infections, so that clinicians can better treat these patients at earlier stages.
Fictional Shakespeares and Portraits of Genius
Authors: Castaldo Annalisa
Published: April 2022

This study is the first to investigate how cultural interpretations of "genius" influence, and are reflected in, fictional portraits of Shakespeare. It explores the wide range of portraits (including children's books, romance novels, graphic novels, and film) that bring Shakespeare to life, and suggests that different portrayals present different conceptions of genius. How does Shakespeare become a genius? How does being a genius affect his life? In some portraits Shakespeare is a man in love with life, fully immersed in the world around him and therefore able to transform the richness of the world into words. But other portrayals present a man cut off from the world, unable to connect to anyone because his creations are more real to him than people, while others suggest that Shakespeare's genius can only be understood as a supernatural or magical gift. In each portrait, Shakespeare mirrors back to us what we believe about what it means to be a genius.
MULTIVARIATE DISTRIBUTIONS WITH TIME AND CROSS-DEPENDENCE: AGGREGATION AND CAPITAL ALLOCATION
Authors: Hu Xiang , Zhang Lianzeng
Published: April 2022

This paper investigates risk aggregation and capital allocation problems for an insurance portfolio consisting of several lines of business. The class of multivariate INAR(1) processes is proposed to model different sources of dependence between the number of claims of the portfolio. The total capital required for the whole portfolio is evaluated under the TVaR risk measure, and the contribution of each line of business is derived under the TVaR-based allocation rule. We provide the risk aggregation and capital allocation formulas in the general case of continuous and strictly positive claim sizes and then in the case of mixed Erlang claim sizes. The impact of both time dependence and cross-dependence on the behavior of risk aggregation and capital allocation is numerically illustrated.
Planar potential flow on Cartesian grids
Authors: Beckers Diederik , Eldredge Jeff D.
Published: April 2022

Potential flow has many applications, including the modelling of unsteady flows in aerodynamics. For these models to work efficiently, it is best to avoid Biot–Savart interactions. This work presents a grid-based treatment of potential flows in two dimensions and its use in a vortex model for simulating unsteady aerodynamic flows. For flows consisting of vortex elements, the treatment follows the vortex-in-cell approach and solves the streamfunction–vorticity Poisson equation on a Cartesian grid after transferring the circulation from the vortices onto the grid. For sources and sinks, an analogous approach can be followed using the scalar potential. The combined velocity field due to vortices, sinks and sources can then be obtained using the Helmholtz decomposition. In this work, we use several key tools that ensure the approach works on arbitrary geometries, with and without sharp edges. First, the immersed boundary projection method is used to account for bodies in the flow and the resulting body-forcing Lagrange multiplier is identified as the bound vortex sheet strength. Second, sharp edges are treated by decomposing the vortex sheet strength into a singular and non-singular part. To enforce the Kutta condition, the non-singular part can then be constrained to remove the singularity introduced by the sharp edge. These constraints and the Poisson equation are formulated as a saddle-point system and solved using the Schur complement method. The lattice Green's function is used to efficiently solve the discrete Poisson equation with unbounded boundary conditions. The method and its accuracy are demonstrated for several problems.
Optimizing the control of transition to turbulence using a Bayesian method
Authors: Pershin Anton , Beaume Cédric , Eaves Tom S. , Tobias Steven M.
Published: April 2022

The nonlinear robustness of laminar plane Couette flow is considered under the action of in-phase spanwise wall oscillations by computing properties of the edge of chaos, i.e. the boundary of its basins of attraction. Three measures are used to quantify the chosen control strategy on laminar-to-turbulent transition: the kinetic energy of edge states (local attractors on the edge of chaos), the form of the minimal seed (least energetic perturbation on the edge of chaos), and the laminarization probability (the probability that a random perturbation from the laminar flow of given kinetic energy will laminarize). A novel Bayesian approach is introduced to enable the accurate computation of the laminarization probability at a fraction of the cost of previous methods. While the edge state and the minimal seed provide useful information about the dynamics of transition to turbulence, neither measure is particularly useful to judge the effectiveness of the control strategy since they are not representative of the global geometry of the edge. In contrast, the laminarization probability provides global information about the edge and can be used to evaluate the control effectiveness by computing a laminarization score (the expected laminarization probability) and the associated expected dissipation rate of the controlled flow. These two quantities allow for the determination of optimal control parameter values subject to desired constraints. The results discussed in the paper are expected to be applied to a wide range of transitional flows and control strategies aimed at suppressing or triggering transition to turbulence.
Chimú–Inka Segmented Agricultural Fields in the Jequetepeque Valley, Peru: Implications for State-Level Resource Management
Authors: Dillehay Tom D. , Kolata Alan , Ortloff Charles , Netherly Patricia J. , Warner John , Eling Herbert , Bonzani Renee
Published: April 2022

In this study, we analyze extensive segmented and standardized agricultural fields in the marginally productive terrain of the Pampa de Guereque in the Jequetepeque Valley on the north coast of Peru. Although portions of the associated canal system were constructed continuously from late Formative to Chimú times, the segmented fields date to the late Chimú–Inka period and were only partially finished, apparently never fully used, and ultimately abandoned. We provide description of field plots and irrigation canals and discuss the implications of state-level construction and labor management of the fields, as well as the probable reasons for their abandonment.
Women of the Great Barrier Reef
Authors: Foxwell-Norton Kerrie , Anderson Deb , Leitch Anne M.
Published: April 2022

In the late 1970s, Carden Wallace was at the beginning of her lifelong exploration of the Great Barrier Reef — and indeed, reefs all over the world. For Wallace, who is now Emeritus Principal Scientist at Queensland Museum, the beginning of her Reef career coincided with the emergence of both feminist and environmental movements that meant her personal and professional lives would be entwined with a changing social, cultural and political milieu. In this article, we couple the story of Wallace’s personal life and her arrival in coral science to identify the Reef as a gendered space ripe to explore both feminist and conservation politics. The article is part of a broader Women of the Reef project that supports a history of women’s contribution to the care and conservation of the Reef since the 1960s. In amplifying the role of women in the story of the Reef, we find hope in the richness of detail offered by oral history to illuminate the ways discourse on the Reef and its women sits at the intersection of biography, culture, politics and place. In these stories, we recognise women’s participation and leadership as critical to past challenges, and to current and future climate change action. By retelling modern Reef history through the experiences and achievements of women, we can develop new understandings of the Reef that disrupt the existing dominance of patriarchal and Western systems of knowledge and power that have led us to the brink of ecological collapse.
The effects of proficiency level and dual-task condition on L2 self-monitoring behavior
Authors: Albarqi Ghadah , Tavakoli Parvaneh
Published: April 2022

The current study examined the effects of task condition (TC; single vs. dual) and proficiency level (PL) on self-monitoring of second language (L2) speakers. Data were collected from sixty-six female L2 learners of English performing two speaking tasks under two task conditions. While performance in the single-task condition involved only narrating a picture-based oral narrative, the dual-task condition involved performing the same oral narrative as well as a secondary task. Factor analysis, MANOVA, and two-way ANOVAs were used to examine the effects of PL and TC on a range of self-monitoring measures. The results indicated that the higher proficiency learners made significantly fewer filled pauses, repetitions, and hesitations, and a higher ratio of error correction and error-free clauses than the lower proficiency learners. These results suggest that with the development of proficiency L2 learners’ performance becomes more fluent, and a more active and effective monitoring process seems to be at work. Compared to the single-task condition, performance in the dual-task condition led to significantly more repetitions implying the increased demand of TC triggers more dysfluency. These results are discussed in relation to the L1 monitoring models.