bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Use of the UDL Approach as a Factor in the Success of Inclusive Education Despite the Pandemic Period
Authors: Baran Jolanta , Cierpiałowska Tamara , Dyduch Ewa
Published: September 2021

The action research reported in this chapter lasted for one semester. This was a novel time because schools, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, suspended their in-person activities and implemented online learning. This has necessitated the formulation of research purposes and problems appropriate to the dynamically changing educational reality (and beyond). This chapter provides a theoretical background to the risks to education during a pandemic. The assumptions, implementation and results of the research project implemented by the action research method in the selected Polish class are also discussed. The empirical data, mainly qualitative, triangulated by various sources of information, reconciled perspectives that were used to identify specific topics and threads appearing in the gathered inputs, to present it in an orchestrated manner and to interpret it. The analyses carried out lead to the conclusion that the application of the UDL approach promotes the success of inclusive education, despite the difficult experiences of the pandemic period. It has been proven that UDL approach implementation has a positive impact on the course of the teaching-learning process, optimises it to enhance the activity, commitment, self-reliance and responsibility of students and develops their cooperation, which breeds inclusion in education. The extraordinary situation faced by teachers and pupils due to the need to switch to online learning, contrary to temporary concerns, has reinforced the changes brought about by the implementation of the UDL approach in the learning process.
A Strategic and Goal-Directed Student: Expectations vs. Reality
Authors: Nedzinskaitė-Mačiūnienė Rasa , Šimienė Gerda
Published: September 2021

The characteristic of an expert learner has recently been widely discussed in the research literature. The expert learner is a learner who is self-directed, self-governed, motivated, resourceful, knowledgeable, able to learn effectively and efficiently, approaches academic tasks with diligence and confidence and employs appropriate strategies to reach the desired academic goals. The act of goal setting is often associated with students’ learning-to-learn skills and deeper engagement in their learning process, whereas the choice of appropriate learning strategies increases their capacity to manage their learning. In this respect, the latter aspect – strategic and goal-directed learning of an expert learner – necessitates deeper investigation and analysis. Hence, this chapter presents how we can guide students to become strategic and goal-directed in their learning while striving for the attainment of knowledge and skills, as well as incorporating and applying a variety of learning strategies to optimise their academic performance.
A MCDA/GIS-Based Approach for Evaluating Accessibility to Health Facilities
Authors: Lopes D. F. , Marques J. L. , Castro E. A.
Published: September 2021

Access to health care services is a key concept in the formulation of health policies to improve the population’s health status and to mitigate inequities in health. Previous studies have significantly enhanced our understanding and knowledge of the role played by spatial distribution of health facilities in sustaining population health, with extensive research being devoted to the place-based accessibility theory, with special focus on the gravity-based methods. Although they represent a good starting point to analyse disparities across different regions, the results are not intelligible for policy-making purposes. Given the weaknesses of these methods and the multidimensional nature of the topic, this study intends to: (i) highlight the main measurements of access and their major challenges; and (ii) propose a framework based on multiple criteria decision analysis methods and GIS to appraise the population’s accessibility to health facilities. In particular, this framework is based on a new variant of the UTASTAR method, which requires decision makers and/or experts preference information, in the form of an ordinal ranking, similarly to the UTASTAR method, but to which cardinal information is also added. A numerical example is presented to illustrate the application of the proposed methodology.
Impact of background effects on the inclusive Vcb determination
Authors: Mannel Thomas , Rahimi Muslem , Keri Vos K.
Published: September 2021

Abstract

The determination of the CKM element Vcb from inclusive semileptonic b → cℓ$$ \overline{\nu} $$

ν
¯

decays has reached a high precision thanks to a combination of theoretical and experimental efforts. Aiming towards even higher precision, we discuss two processes that contaminate the inclusive Vcb determination; the b → u background and the contribution of the tauonic mode: b → c(τ → μν$$ \overline{\nu} $$

ν
¯

)$$ \overline{\nu} $$

ν
¯

. Both of these contributions are dealt with at the experimental side, using Monte-Carlo methods and momentum cuts. However, these contributions can be calculated with high precision within the Heavy-Quark Expansion. In this note, we calculate the theoretical predictions for these two processes. We compare our b → u results qualitatively with generator-level Monte-Carlo data used at Belle and Belle II. Finally, we suggest to change the strategy for the extraction of Vcb by comparing the data on B → Xℓ directly with the theoretical expressions, to which our paper facilitates.
Generalised holonomies and K(E9)
Authors: Kleinschmidt Axel , Nicolai Hermann
Published: September 2021

Abstract

The involutory subalgebra K($$ \mathfrak{e} $$
e
9) of the affine Kac-Moody algebra $$ \mathfrak{e} $$
e
9 was recently shown to admit an infinite sequence of unfaithful representations of ever increasing dimensions [1]. We revisit these representations and describe their associated ideals in more detail, with particular emphasis on two chiral versions that can be constructed for each such representation. For every such unfaithful representation we show that the action of K($$ \mathfrak{e} $$
e
9) decomposes into a direct sum of two mutually commuting (‘chiral’ and ‘anti-chiral’) parabolic algebras with Levi subalgebra $$ \mathfrak{so} $$
so
(16)+ ⊕ $$ \mathfrak{so} $$
so
(16)−. We also spell out the consistency conditions for uplifting such representations to unfaithful representations of K($$ \mathfrak{e} $$
e
10). From these results it is evident that the holonomy groups so far discussed in the literature are mere shadows (in a Platonic sense) of a much larger structure.
4d Chern-Simons theory as a 3d Toda theory, and a 3d-2d correspondence
Authors: Ashwinkumar Meer , Png Kee-Seng , Tan Meng-Chwan
Published: September 2021

Abstract

We show that the four-dimensional Chern-Simons theory studied by Costello, Witten and Yamazaki, is, with Nahm pole-type boundary conditions, dual to a boundary theory that is a three-dimensional analogue of Toda theory with a novel 3d W-algebra symmetry. By embedding four-dimensional Chern-Simons theory in a partial twist of the five-dimensional maximally supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory on a manifold with corners, we argue that this three-dimensional Toda theory is dual to a two-dimensional topological sigma model with A-branes on the moduli space of solutions to the Bogomolny equations. This furnishes a novel 3d-2d correspondence, which, among other mathematical implications, also reveals that modules of the 3d W-algebra are modules for the quantized algebra of certain holomorphic functions on the Bogomolny moduli space.
Parameter inference from event ensembles and the top-quark mass
Authors: Flesher Forrest , Fraser Katherine , Hutchison Charles , Ostdiek Bryan , Schwartz Matthew D.
Published: September 2021

Abstract

One of the key tasks of any particle collider is measurement. In practice, this is often done by fitting data to a simulation, which depends on many parameters. Sometimes, when the effects of varying different parameters are highly correlated, a large ensemble of data may be needed to resolve parameter-space degeneracies. An important example is measuring the top-quark mass, where other physical and unphysical parameters in the simulation must be profiled when fitting the top-quark mass parameter. We compare four different methodologies for top-quark mass measurement: a classical histogram fit similar to one commonly used in experiment augmented by soft-drop jet grooming; a 2D profile likelihood fit with a nuisance parameter; a machine-learning method called DCTR; and a linear regression approach, either using a least-squares fit or with a dense linearly-activated neural network. Despite the fact that individual events are totally uncorrelated, we find that the linear regression methods work most effectively when we input an ensemble of events sorted by mass, rather than training them on individual events. Although all methods provide robust extraction of the top-quark mass parameter, the linear network does marginally best and is remarkably simple. For the top study, we conclude that the Monte-Carlo-based uncertainty on current extractions of the top-quark mass from LHC data can be reduced significantly (by perhaps a factor of 2) using networks trained on sorted event ensembles. More generally, machine learning from ensembles for parameter estimation has broad potential for collider physics measurements.
Scientific discrepancies in European regulatory proposals on endocrine disruptors—REACH regulation quo vadis?
Authors: Natsch Andreas
Published: September 2021

The EU chemical strategy for sustainability places a high focus on endocrine-disrupting chemicals (ED), the importance of their identification with increased testing and a ban in consumer products by a generic approach. It is assumed that for ED no threshold and hence no safe dose exists, leading to this generic approach. This view appears to be linked to the claim that for ED ‘low-dose non-monotonic dose response’ (low-dose NMDR) effects are observed. Without this hypothesis, there are no scientific reasons why classical risk assessment cannot be applied to the ED mode-of-action. Thus, whether for ED low-dose NMDR effects are considered a reproducible scientific fact by European authorities is Gretchen’s question in this politicized field. Recent documents by the SCCS, EFSA and ECHA reviewed herein illustrate the diverging views within European scientific bodies on this issue. Furthermore, ED researchers never replicated findings on low-dose NMDR in blinded inter-laboratory experiments and the CLARITY-BPA core studies could not find evidence for reproducible NMDR for BPA. ECHA proposes a battery of in vitro tests to test all chemicals for ED properties. However, these tests were never validated for relevance and their high positivity rate could lead to increased follow-up animal testing. Based on (i) lack of reproducibility data for low-dose NMDR, (ii) diverging views within European authorities on NMDR and (iii) lack of fully validated in vitro test methods it might be premature to fast-track the wide-ranging changes in the regulatory landscape proposed by the authorities ultimately leading to drastically increased animal testing.
Comparison of methods for quantitative biomolecular interaction analysis
Authors: Conrad Monika , Fechner Peter , Proll Günther , Gauglitz Günter
Published: September 2021

In order to perform good kinetic experiments, not only the experimental conditions have to be optimized, but the evaluation procedure as well. The focus of this work is the in-depth comparison of different approaches and algorithms to determine kinetic rate constants for biomolecular interaction analysis (BIA). The different algorithms are applied not only to flawless simulated data, but also to real-world measurements. We compare five mathematical approaches for the evaluation of binding curves following pseudo-first-order kinetics with different noise levels. In addition, reflectometric interference spectroscopy (RIfS) measurements of two antibodies are evaluated to determine their binding kinetics. The advantages and disadvantages of the individual approach will be investigated and discussed in detail. In summary, we will raise awareness on how to evaluate and judge results from BIA by using different approaches rather than having to rely on “black box” closed (commercial) software packages.
Determination of lithium in human serum by isotope dilution atomic absorption spectrometry
Authors: Winckelmann Alexander , Morcillo Dalia , Richter Silke , Recknagel Sebastian , Riedel Jens , Vogl Jochen , Panne Ulrich , Abad Carlos
Published: September 2021

The therapeutic dose of lithium (Li) compounds, which are widely used for the treatment of psychiatric and hematologic disorders, is close to its toxic level; therefore, drug monitoring protocols are mandatory. Herein, we propose a fast, simple, and low-cost analytical procedure for the traceable determination of Li concentration in human serum, based on the monitoring of the Li isotope dilution through the partially resolved isotope shift in its electronic transition around 670.80 nm using a commercially available high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometer. With this technique, serum samples only require acidic digestion before analysis. The procedure requires three measurements—an enriched 6Li spike, a mixture of a certified standard solution and spike, and a mixture of the sample and spike with a nominal 7Li/6Li ratio of 0.82. Lanthanum has been used as an internal spectral standard for wavelength correction. The spectra are described as the linear superposition of the contributions of the respective isotopes, each consisting of a spin-orbit doublet, which can be expressed as Gaussian components with constant spectral position and width and different relative intensity, reflecting the isotope ratio in the sample. Both the spectral constants and the correlation between isotope ratio and relative band intensity have been experimentally obtained using commercially available materials enriched with Li isotopes. The Li characteristic mass (mc) obtained corresponds to 0.6 pg. The procedure has been validated using five human serum certified reference materials. The results are metrologically comparable and compatible to the certified values. The measurement uncertainties are comparable to those obtained by the more complex and expensive technique, isotope dilution mass spectrometry.

Graphical abstract
Solid–Liquid Composites with High Impact Resistance
Authors: Yu Miao , Li Xiying , Lv Pengyu , Duan Huiling
Published: September 2021

Solid–liquid composites (SLCs) with novel thermal/electronic/mechanical properties imparted by programmable and functional liquid inclusions have attracted considerable research interest in recent years, and are widely used in smart electronics and soft robotics. The feasible application of SLCs requires that they exhibit excellent static physical properties as well as dynamic impact resistance to satisfy complex service conditions, such as drops and impacts. This paper examined the impact resistance of SLCs fabricated by using microfluidic 3D printing. The results of dynamic split-Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) tests showed that the performance of the fabricated SLCs improved in terms of energy dissipation and impact resistance compared with pristine materials. In case of dynamic impact in the strain rates ranging from 100 to $$400\,\hbox {s}^{-1}$$

400

s

-
1

, the SLC specimen deformed without fracture, and its energy dissipation was dominated by the viscosity of the liquid inclusions. For dynamic impact in the strain rates ranging from 500 to $$800\,\hbox {s}^{-1}$$

800

s

-
1

, the SLC specimen fractured and its energy dissipation was determined by the volume fraction of the liquid inclusions. Thus, the energy dissipation of the SLCs could be tuned by regulating the viscosity and volume fraction of the liquid inclusions to satisfy the requirements of protection against different strain rates. Furthermore, the process of fracture of the SLCs under the dynamic SHPB tests was recorded and analyzed by using a high-speed camera. The results showed that distributed liquid inclusions changed the paths of crack propagation to enhance energy dissipation in the SLCs. This study experimentally verified the enhancement in the energy dissipation of SLCs, and provided design strategies for developing multifunctional SLCs with high impact resistance.
Machine learning techniques to predict different levels of hospital care of CoVid-19
Authors: Hernández-Pereira Elena , Fontenla-Romero Oscar , Bolón-Canedo Verónica , Cancela-Barizo Brais , Guijarro-Berdiñas Bertha , Alonso-Betanzos Amparo
Published: September 2021

In this study, we analyze the capability of several state of the art machine learning methods to predict whether patients diagnosed with CoVid-19 (CoronaVirus disease 2019) will need different levels of hospital care assistance (regular hospital admission or intensive care unit admission), during the course of their illness, using only demographic and clinical data. For this research, a data set of 10,454 patients from 14 hospitals in Galicia (Spain) was used. Each patient is characterized by 833 variables, two of which are age and gender and the other are records of diseases or conditions in their medical history. In addition, for each patient, his/her history of hospital or intensive care unit (ICU) admissions due to CoVid-19 is available. This clinical history will serve to label each patient and thus being able to assess the predictions of the model. Our aim is to identify which model delivers the best accuracies for both hospital and ICU admissions only using demographic variables and some structured clinical data, as well as identifying which of those are more relevant in both cases. The results obtained in the experimental study show that the best models are those based on oversampling as a preprocessing phase to balance the distribution of classes. Using these models and all the available features, we achieved an area under the curve (AUC) of 76.1% and 80.4% for predicting the need of hospital and ICU admissions, respectively. Furthermore, feature selection and oversampling techniques were applied and it has been experimentally verified that the relevant variables for the classification are age and gender, since only using these two features the performance of the models is not degraded for the two mentioned prediction problems.
Comparison of a Bioresorbable, Magnesium-Based Sirolimus-Eluting Stent with a Permanent, Everolimus-Eluting Metallic Stent for Treating Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome: the PRAGUE-22 Study
Authors: Toušek Petr , Lazarák Tomáš , Varvařovský Ivo , Nováčková Markéta , Neuberg Marek , Kočka Viktor
Published: September 2021

Background

Magnesium-based bioresorbable Magmaris stents are rapidly resorbed. Few randomized studies have evaluated the efficacy of such stents in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Aim

To investigate late lumen loss as assessed via quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) in patients with acute coronary syndrome treated with Magmaris stents or permanent, everolimus-eluting metallic Xience stents.

Methods and Results

This PRAGUE-22 study was a two-centre, investigator-initiated, randomized study. Fifty patients were randomized based on the inclusion criteria for acute coronary syndrome and the anatomical suitability to receive Magmaris or Xience stents. The patient characteristics did not differ between the Magmaris group (n = 25) and Xience group (n = 25). The mean ages were 57.0 ± 10.5 vs. 55.5 ± 9.2 years (p = 0.541) and the total implanted stent length was 24.6 ± 10.7 mm vs. 27.6 ± 11.1 mm (p = 0.368), respectively. Four clinical events occurred in the Magmaris group and one in the Xience group during 12 months of follow-up. The extent of late lumen loss (assessed via QCA) at 12 months was greater in the Magmaris group than in the Xience group (0.54 ± 0.70 vs. 0.11 ± 0.37 mm; p = 0.029). The late lumen loss diameter (measured via OCT) in the Magmaris group was also significantly larger than that in the Xience group (0.59 ± 0.37 vs. 0.22 ± 0.20 mm; p = 0.01).

Conclusion

Implantation of a magnesium-based bioresorbable stent in patients with acute coronary syndrome is associated with a greater extent of late lumen loss at the 12-month follow-up compared with implantation of a permanent, everolimus-eluting metallic stent.

Trial Registration: ISRCTN89434356
Atmospheric characterization of terrestrial exoplanets in the mid-infrared: biosignatures, habitability, and diversity
Authors: Quanz Sascha P. , Absil Olivier , Benz Willy , Bonfils Xavier , Berger Jean-Philippe , Defrère Denis , van Dishoeck Ewine , Ehrenreich David , Fortney Jonathan , Glauser Adrian , Grenfell John Lee , Janson Markus , Kraus Stefan , Krause Oliver , Labadie Lucas , Lacour Sylvestre , Line Michael , Linz Hendrik , Loicq Jérôme , Miguel Yamila , Pallé Enric , Queloz Didier , Rauer Heike , Ribas Ignasi , Rugheimer Sarah , Selsis Franck , Snellen Ignas , Sozzetti Alessandro , Stapelfeldt Karl R. , Udry Stephane , Wyatt Mark
Published: September 2021

Exoplanet science is one of the most thriving fields of modern astrophysics. A major goal is the atmospheric characterization of dozens of small, terrestrial exoplanets in order to search for signatures in their atmospheres that indicate biological activity, assess their ability to provide conditions for life as we know it, and investigate their expected atmospheric diversity. None of the currently adopted projects or missions, from ground or in space, can address these goals. In this White Paper, submitted to ESA in response to the Voyage 2050 Call, we argue that a large space-based mission designed to detect and investigate thermal emission spectra of terrestrial exoplanets in the mid-infrared wavelength range provides unique scientific potential to address these goals and surpasses the capabilities of other approaches. While NASA might be focusing on large missions that aim to detect terrestrial planets in reflected light, ESA has the opportunity to take leadership and spearhead the development of a large mid-infrared exoplanet mission within the scope of the “Voyage 2050” long-term plan establishing Europe at the forefront of exoplanet science for decades to come. Given the ambitious science goals of such a mission, additional international partners might be interested in participating and contributing to a roadmap that, in the long run, leads to a successful implementation. A new, dedicated development program funded by ESA to help reduce development and implementation cost and further push some of the required key technologies would be a first important step in this direction. Ultimately, a large mid-infrared exoplanet imaging mission will be needed to help answer one of humankind’s most fundamental questions: “How unique is our Earth?”
(What) Can Deep Learning Contribute to Theoretical Linguistics?
Authors: Dupre Gabe
Published: September 2021

Deep learning (DL) techniques have revolutionised artificial systems’ performance on myriad tasks, from playing Go to medical diagnosis. Recent developments have extended such successes to natural language processing, an area once deemed beyond such systems’ reach. Despite their different goals (technological development vs. theoretical insight), these successes have suggested that such systems may be pertinent to theoretical linguistics. The competence/performance distinction presents a fundamental barrier to such inferences. While DL systems are trained on linguistic performance, linguistic theories are aimed at competence. Such a barrier has traditionally been sidestepped by assuming a fairly close correspondence: performance as competence plus noise. I argue this assumption is unmotivated. Competence and performance can differ arbitrarily. Thus, we should not expect DL models to illuminate linguistic theory.
Efficient access control with traceability and user revocation in IoT
Authors: Wu Yi , Zhang Wei , Xiong Hu , Qin Zhiguang , Yeh Kuo-Hui
Published: September 2021

With the universality and availability of Internet of Things (IoT), data privacy protection in IoT has become a hot issue. As a branch of attribute-based encryption (ABE), ciphertext policy attribute-based encryption (CP-ABE) is widely used in IoT to offer flexible one-to-many encryption. However, in IoT, different mobile devices share messages collected, transmission of large amounts of data brings huge burdens to mobile devices. Efficiency is a bottleneck which restricts the wide application and adoption of CP-ABE in Internet of things. Besides, the decryption key in CP-ABE is shared by multiple users with the same attribute, once the key disclosure occurs, it is non-trivial for the system to tell who maliciously leaked the key. Moreover, if the malicious mobile device is not revoked in time, more security threats will be brought to the system. These problems hinder the application of CP-ABE in IoT. Motivated by the actual need, a scheme called traceable and revocable ciphertext policy attribute-based encryption scheme with constant-size ciphertext and key is proposed in this paper. Compared with the existing schemes, our proposed scheme has the following advantages: (1) Malicious users can be traced; (2) Users exiting the system and misbehaving users are revoked in time, so that they no longer have access to the encrypted data stored in the cloud server; (3) Constant-size ciphertext and key not only improve the efficiency of transmission, but also greatly reduce the time spent on decryption operation; (4) The storage overhead for traceability is constant. Finally, the formal security proof and experiment has been conducted to demonstrate the feasibility of our scheme.
Root density drives aggregate stability of soils of different moraine ages in the Swiss Alps
Authors: Greinwald Konrad , Gebauer Tobias , Treuter Ludwig , Kolodziej Victoria , Musso Alessandra , Maier Fabian , Lustenberger Florian , Scherer-Lorenzen Michael
Published: September 2021

Aims

The stability of hillslopes is an essential ecosystem service, especially in alpine regions with soils prone to erosion. One key variable controlling hillslope stability is soil aggregate stability. We aimed at identifying dominant controls of vegetation parameters on aggregate stability and analysed their importance for soil aggregate stability during landscape development.

Methods

We quantified the aggregate stability coefficient (ASC) and measured plant cover, diversity, root mass and root length, density (RMD, RLD) along two chronosequences with contrasting bedrocks (siliceous, calcareous) in the Swiss Alps.

Results

We found that ASC developed slower along the calcareous chronosequence. Furthermore, we observed a significant positive effect of vegetation cover and diversity on ASC that was mediated via root density. These relationships developed in a time-depended manner: At young terrain ages, vegetation parameters had a strong effect on aggregate stability compared to older stages. Moreover, RLD was the most powerful predictor of ASC on young terrain, whereas on older moraines RMD became more important.

Conclusions

We highlight that root density plays a major role in governing ASC for soils differing in moraine ages. The changing
importances of RLD and RMD for ASC development suggest different mechanistic linkages between vegetation and hillsope
stability during landscape development.
Broken Trust. Confidence Gaps and Distrust in Latin America
Authors: Parra Saiani Paolo , Ivaldi Enrico , Ciacci Andrea , Di Stefano Lucia
Published: September 2021

Latin American societies show lower levels of political trust when compared to other regions of the world. The lack of trust in institutions can led to ineffective management of public affairs, social crises, lack of transparency, economic problems and even difficulties in countering pandemics. The objective of this work is to build an index (LADI) that provides a measure of the level of perceived distrust in the institutions of the different Latin American countries and its variations over the period from 2008 to 2018. The data used for this analysis are of a subjective nature and come from the series of surveys provided by Latinobarómetro. To develop the analysis, we have used a quantitative approach of a partially non-compensatory aggregative type, known as Adjusted Mazziotta and Pareto Index. The results show a generalized increase of distrust in the years 2017 and 2018 for several Latin American countries. On the other hand, in countries where the rule of law is more consolidated, a best perception of the functioning of democracy emerges.
Reintermediating Voluntary Action: The Path-Dependent Pluralization of the Italian Volunteering Field
Authors: Guidi Riccardo
Published: September 2021

While the international literature has significantly addressed the “new forms of voluntary action,” there has been limited attention paid so far to the reintermediation processes of contemporary volunteering. This paper intends to fill this gap. First, a research approach based on a renewed sociological consideration of volunteering, path dependency and strategic field theory is presented and four ideal–typical traditions of volunteering (active membership, direct, program-based and organize-it-yourselves) are introduced. Then the Italian case is explored. Although the analysis is only exploratory, it enables us to understand the coevolutions of the four traditions and to identify a new restructuration model based on professional agencies coming from the membership tradition. The paper can help future studies to reconsider the magnitude and dynamics of second modernity trends and to tackle continuities and changes in the reintermediation of volunteering in situated and processual terms.
The Dietary Fiber Pectin: Health Benefits and Potential for the Treatment of Allergies by Modulation of Gut Microbiota
Authors: Blanco-Pérez Frank , Steigerwald Hanna , Schülke Stefan , Vieths Stefan , Toda Masako , Scheurer Stephan
Published: September 2021

Purpose of Review

The incidence of allergies is increasing and has been associated with several environmental factors including westernized diets. Changes in environment and nutrition can result in dysbiosis of the skin, gut, and lung microbiota altering the production of microbial metabolites, which may in turn generate epigenetic modifications. The present review addresses studies on pectin-mediated effects on allergies, including the immune modulating mechanisms by bacterial metabolites.

Recent Findings

Recently, microbiota have gained attention as target for allergy intervention, especially with prebiotics, that are able to stimulate the growth and activity of certain microorganisms. Dietary fibers, which cannot be digested in the gastrointestinal tract, can alter the gut microbiota and lead to increased local and systemic concentrations of gut microbiota-derived short chain fatty acids (SCFAs). These can promote the generation of peripheral regulatory T cells (Treg) by epigenetic modulation and suppress the inflammatory function of dendritic cells (DCs) by transcriptional modulation.

The dietary fiber pectin (a plant-derived polysaccharide commonly used as gelling agent and dietary supplement) can alter the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes in gut and lung microbiota, increasing the concentrations of SCFAs in feces and sera, and reducing the development of airway inflammation by suppressing DC function.

Pectin has shown immunomodulatory effects on allergies, although the underlying mechanisms still need to be elucidated. It has been suggested that the different types of pectin may exert direct and/or indirect immunomodulatory effects through different mechanisms. However, little is known about the relation of certain pectin structures to allergies.
Simulation of slot-coating of nanocellulosic material subject to a wall-stress dependent slip-velocity at die-walls
Authors: Fuaad P. A. , Swerin Agne , Lundell Fredrik , Toivakka Martti
Published: September 2021

Bio-based nanocellulosic materials are non-toxic, renewable, exhibit excellent barrier properties, and are suitable candidates for sustainable food packaging applications. Sizing and designing coating parameters for slot-coating process using nanocellulose suspensions is challenging due to complex shear-thinning rheology and the presence of a water-rich boundary layer, effecting significant apparent slip at the wall. Previous studies have shown that the flow inside the coating bead can be complex, with occasional stagnation regions and a rheological model incorporating yield stress which should be considered while analyzing slot coating of nanocellulosic flows. This work extends earlier investigations by including the effects of the particle depleted water-rich boundary layer. The suspension is modeled as a Casson fluid with a shear-thinning viscosity, and the particle depletion at the wall is represented by an infinitely thin layer modeled as a local shear-dependent nonlinear slip law. The resulting two-phase flow equations are solved using a Finite Volume Method (FVM) coupled with the Volume of Fluid (VoF) method for tracking the free surface interface. It is observed that slip alters the flow’s dynamics in the coating bead, and the effect of slip cannot be ignored, especially at high shear rates. For thin films, the presence of slip enhances the flow, leading to more material coated on the substrate. In contrast, for thicker coatings, apparent slip leads to an augmentation in stagnant, non-yielded regions, potentially generating uneven surfaces.
Are Crab-collectors in Mangroves of Northern Brazil (PA) Optimal Foragers?
Authors: Albrecht Ole Thies , Glaser Marion , Zimmer Martin
Published: September 2021

Intensive harvesting of the mangrove crab Ucides cordatus provides subsistence for food and main or additional income to many inhabitants of mangrove areas in Northern Brazil. In order to better understand the spatial patterns of use of this natural resource as basis for sustainable resource-management, we used a combination of GPS-tracking, field observations, semi-structured interviews and participatory mapping with crab-collectors. We quantified daily working hours, traveling distance and time to, as well as collecting time inside, the patches where crabs are collected. Based on preliminary findings for three different types of transportation to the fishing grounds, we conclude that crab-collectors in our study area act in accordance with the central place optimal foraging concept in that they invest more time in traveling to areas with higher catch. We hold these findings will prove relevant for sustainably managing the use of mangrove crabs as natural resource. The parallel occurrence of different collecting-behaviours possibly releases pressure from crab stocks in the potentially depleting fishing grounds adjacent to villages, and thus, may render crab-collecting in these areas more sustainable. Detailed studies are needed to quantify the catch from different mangrove areas and to make these data useful for the sustainable management of natural resource-exploitation in mangroves.
Application of high frequency mechanical impact treatment to improve the fatigue strength of corroding welded joints
Authors: Weinert J. , Gkatzogiannis S. , Engelhardt I. , Knoedel P. , Ummenhofer T.
Published: September 2021

This study deals with the fatigue strength of high-frequency mechanical impact (HFMI)-treated unprotected structural details made of mild steel S355 considering the influence of corrosive environmental conditions. The investigations are carried out on butt welded specimens with sheet thickness t = 15 mm and on transverse non-load-carrying attachment specimens with sheet thickness t = 25 mm. Two different methods were applied for the simulation of marine corrosive environment in the laboratory. Specimens first were deposited in a salt spray chamber and then tested subsequently dry at laboratory-air conditions considering the influence of corrosion on the crack initiation. Alternatively, and to cover the effects of corrosion on the crack growth, artificial seawater was used for pre-corrosion, and after a defined timespan, fatigue tests were performed simultaneously with the specimen resting in the corrosive medium. The corrosion fatigue tests were performed in as-welded and HFMI-treated conditions at a stress ratio R = 0.1 under axial tensile and 4-point bending cyclic loading. The test results are evaluated to determine the characteristic fatigue strengths for fixed slopes m = 3 and m = 5 according to IIW recommendations for the as-welded and for the HFMI-treated condition respectively. The results of the experimental investigations based on the nominal stress approach show that the fatigue strength of both specimen types could be significantly increased by the application of HFMI treatment compared to the corresponding specimens in the as-welded condition even if exposed to the investigated corrosive conditions. The comparison with the design proposals of IIW shows that for HFMI-treated butt welds, no reduction of the FAT class due to corrosion is required and the recommended FAT class is still valid. The results for the HFMI-treated transverse attachments are slightly below the design curve recommended by IIW and a proposal to consider corrosion is derived for this case. Additional numerical investigations by applying the effective notch stress (ENS) approach are performed to determine notch stress curves. It was found that for the corroded specimens in the as-welded condition, the FAT class according to IIW could not be reached and adjustments of the existing rules are necessary to consider corrosion effects. However, it can be concluded that the effective notch fatigue resistance recommended by IIW is still applicable in the case of corroded HFMI-treated structural details.
Tragic Flaws
Authors: BALLANTYNE NATHAN
Published: September 2021

In many tragic plays, the protagonist is brought down by a disaster that is a consequence of the protagonist's own error, his or her hamartia, the tragic flaw. Tragic flaws are disconcerting to the audience because they are not known or fully recognized by the protagonist—at least not until it is too late. In this essay, I take tragic flaws to be unreliable belief-forming dispositions that are unrecognized by us in some sense. I describe some different types of flaws and consider what we might do about them. Then I examine three types of policies for managing our tragic flaws: doxastic, dispositional, and methodological.
Free electron lasers driven by plasma accelerators: status and near-term prospects
Authors: Emma C. , Van Tilborg J. , Assmann R. , Barber S. , Cianchi A. , Corde S. , Couprie M. E. , D’Arcy R. , Ferrario M. , Habib A. F. , Hidding B. , Hogan M. J. , Schroeder C. B. , Marinelli A. , Labat M. , Li R. , Liu J. , Loulergue A. , Osterhoff J. , Maier A. R. , McNeil B. W. J. , Wang W.
Published: September 2021

Owing to their ultra-high accelerating gradients, combined with injection inside micrometer-scale accelerating wakefield buckets, plasma-based accelerators hold great potential to drive a new generation of free-electron lasers (FELs). Indeed, the first demonstration of plasma-driven FEL gain was reported recently, representing a major milestone for the field. Several groups around the world are pursuing these novel light sources, with methodology varying in the use of wakefield driver (laser-driven or beam-driven), plasma structure, phase-space manipulation, beamline design, and undulator technology, among others. This paper presents our best attempt to provide a comprehensive overview of the global community efforts towards plasma-based FEL research and development.
Healthcare worker mental models of patient care tasks in the context of infection prevention and control
Authors: Mumma Joel M. , Howard-Anderson Jessica R. , Morgan Jill S. , Schink Kevin , Wheatley Marisa J. , Kraft Colleen S. , Lane Morgan A. , Kaufman Noah H. , Ayeni Oluwateniola , Brownsword Erik A. , Jacob Jesse T.
Published: September 2021

Objective:

Understanding the cognitive determinants of healthcare worker (HCW) behavior is important for improving the use of infection prevention and control (IPC) practices. Given a patient requiring only standard precautions, we examined the dimensions along which different populations of HCWs cognitively organize patient care tasks (ie, their mental models).

Design:

HCWs read a description of a patient and then rated the similarities of 25 patient care tasks from an infection prevention perspective. Using multidimensional scaling, we identified the dimensions (ie, characteristics of tasks) underlying these ratings and the salience of each dimension to HCWs.

Setting:

Adult inpatient hospitals across an academic hospital network.

Participants:

In total, 40 HCWs, comprising infection preventionists and nurses from intensive care units, emergency departments, and medical-surgical floors rated the similarity of tasks. To identify the meaning of each dimension, another 6 nurses rated each task in terms of specific characteristics of tasks.

Results:

Each HCW population perceived patient care tasks to vary along 3 common dimensions; most salient was the perceived magnitude of infection risk to the patient in a task, followed by the perceived dirtiness and risk of HCW exposure to body fluids, and lastly, the relative importance of a task for preventing versus controlling an infection in a patient.

Conclusions:

For a patient requiring only standard precautions, different populations of HCWs have similar mental models of how various patient care tasks relate to IPC. Techniques for eliciting mental models open new avenues for understanding and ultimately modifying the cognitive determinants of IPC behaviors.
Motion of a tightly fitting axisymmetric object through a lubricated elastic tube
Authors: Rallabandi Bhargav , Eggers Jens , Herrada Miguel Angel , Stone Howard A.
Published: September 2021

We consider the translation of a rigid, axisymmetric, tightly fitting object through a cylindrical elastic tube filled with viscous fluid, using a combination of theory and direct numerical simulations. The intruding object is assumed to be wider than the undeformed tube radius, forcing solid–solid contact in the absence of relative motion. The motion of the object establishes a thin fluid film that lubricates this contact. Our theory couples lubrication theory to a geometrically nonlinear membrane description of the tube's elasticity, and applies to a slender intruding object and a thin tube with negligible bending rigidity. We show using asymptotic and numerical solutions of the theory, that the thickness of the thin fluid film scales with the square root of the relative speed for small speeds, set by a balance of hoop stresses, membrane tension and fluid pressure. While membrane tension is relatively small at the entrance of the film, it dominates near the exit and produces undulations of the film thickness, even in the limit of vanishing speeds and slender objects. We find that the drag force on the intruding object depends on the slope of its surface at the entrance to the thin fluid film, and scales as the square root of the relative speed. The predictions of the lubricated membrane theory for the shape of the film and the force on the intruder are in quantitative agreement with three-dimensional direct numerical simulations of the coupled fluid–elastic problem.
Comparison of levels of bullying, achievement motivation, and resilience among Syrian refugee students and Turkish students
Authors: Karaman Mehmet Akif
Published: September 2021

This study aimed to examine bullying, achievement motivation, and resilience levels of both Syrian refugee students and Turkish students at an Islamic religion-based high school for boys. The sample included 289 students. One hundred and forty-three (49.50%) of the participants were Syrian and 146 (50.50%) were Turkish students. The mean age of the participants was 16 years (SD= 1.30). This study found that the level of bullying among refugee students was higher, and the level of achievement motivation was lower than for Turkish students. However, there was not a significant difference with regard to resilience scores. In terms of grade level, 9th-grade students reported lower scores of bullying than 10th- and 12th-grade students. The results indicated that bullying, resilience, and the demographic information of nationality (Syrian and Turkish) were significant predictors of achievement motivation. In addition, the relationship of resilience with achievement motivation was the same strength for both groups when separately analysed. These findings may help school counsellors, teachers and administrators to raise awareness in schools about issues such as forced migration and refugee psychology, trauma and its effects, bullying, low motivation, and problems faced by refugee students in general.
New insights into the late Middle Stone Age occupation of Oued el Akarit, southern Tunisia
Authors: Barton R.N.E. , Belhouchet L. , Collcutt S.N. , Aouadi N. , Albert P.G. , Douka K. , Drake N. , Linderholm L. , Macphail R.I. , McLean D. , Mekki H. , Peat D. , Schwenninger J.-L. , Smith V.C.
Published: September 2021

This article reports on a new project to investigate the activities of earlyHomo sapiensin the area of the Chotts ‘megalake’ in southern Tunisia. Excavations in 2015 and 2019 at Oued el Akarit revealed one of a number of Middle Stone Age (MSA) horizons near the top of a long sequence of Upper Pleistocene deposits. The site identified as Oued el Akarit (Sondage 8) consists of lithic artefacts, bone fragments of large ungulates and pieces of ostrich eggshell. Many of the objects are burnt. Excavation of about nine square metres revealed that these were associated with a lightly trampled and combusted occupation surface. Amongst the identified artefacts were Levallois flakes some of which could be refitted, thereby indicating the generally undisturbed nature of the occupation. The lithic finds also included side scrapers and other tools diagnostic of the MSA but significantly no bifacial or tanged tools. OSL (Optically Stimulated Luminescence) dating of the sediments and AMS (Accelerator Mass Spectrometry) radiocarbon dating of ostrich eggshell have produced uncalibrated age determinations in the range 37,000–40,000 years ago, one of the youngest ages for MSA sites in the region. This is the first example of a securely dated later MSA occupation in a riparian environment in south-eastern Tunisia.
A Paleo-Lake and wetland paleoecology associated with human use of the distal Old River Bed Delta at the Pleistocene-Holocene transition in the Bonneville Basin, Utah, USA
Authors: Palacios-Fest Manuel R. , Duke Daron , Young D. Craig , Kirk Jason D. , Oviatt Charles G.
Published: September 2021

Mollusk and ostracode assemblages from the distal Old River Bed delta (ORBD) contribute to our understanding of the Lake Bonneville basin Pleistocene-Holocene transition (PHT) wetland and human presence on the ORBD (ca. 13,000–7500 cal yr BP). Located on U.S. Air Force-managed lands of the Great Salt Lake Desert (GSLD) in western Utah, USA, the area provided 30 samples from 12 localities. The biological assemblages and the potential water sources using87Sr/86Sr analyses showed wetland expansion and contraction across the PHT, including the Younger-Dryas Chronozone (YDC). The record reflects cold, freshwater conditions, which is uncharacteristic of the Great Salt Lake Desert, after recession of Lake Bonneville.Lymnaea stagnalis jugularis,Cytherissa lacustris, and possiblyCandonasp. cf.C.adunca, an endemic and extinct species only reported from Lake Bonneville, suggest cold-water environments. Between 13,000–12,400 cal yr BP, a shallow lake formed, referred to as the Old River Bed delta lake, fed by Lake Gunnison, as shown by87Sr/86Sr ratios of 0.71024–0.71063 in mollusk fossils collected at the ORBD, characteristic of the Sevier basin. These findings add paleoenvironmental context to the long-term use of the ORBD by humans in constantly changing wetland habitats between 13,000–9500 cal yr BP.