bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploration of an alternative to body mass index to characterize the relationship between height and weight for prediction of metabolic phenotypes and cardiovascular outcomes
Authors: Shuey Megan M. , Huang Shi , Levinson Rebecca T. , Farber‐Eger Eric , Cahill Katherine N. , Beckman Joshua A. , Koethe John R. , Silver Heidi J. , Niswender Kevin D. , Cox Nancy J. , Harrell Frank E. , Wells Quinn S.
Published: July 2021

Objective

Body mass index (BMI) is the most commonly used predictor of weight‐related comorbidities and outcomes. However, the presumed relationship between height and weight intrinsic to BMI may introduce bias with respect to prediction of clinical outcomes. A series of analyses comparing the performance of models representing weight and height as separate interacting variables to models using BMI were performed using Vanderbilt University Medical Center's deidentified electronic health records and landmark methodology.

Methods

Use of BMI or height‐weight interaction in prediction models for established weight‐related cardiometabolic traits and metabolic syndrome was evaluated. Specifically, prediction models for hypertension, diabetes mellitus, low high‐density lipoprotein, and elevated triglycerides, atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease, heart failure, and peripheral artery disease were developed. Model performance was evaluated using likelihood ratio, R2, and Somers' Dxy rank correlation. Differences in model predictions were visualized using heat maps.

Results

Compared to BMI, the maximally flexible height‐weight interaction model demonstrated improved prediction, higher likelihood ratio, R2, and Somers' Dxy rank correlation, for event‐free probability for all outcomes. The degree of improvement to the prediction model differed based on the outcome and across the height and weight range.

Conclusions

Because alternative measures of body composition such as waist‐to‐hip ratio are not routinely collected in the clinic clinical risk models quantifying risk based on height and weight measurements alone are essential to improve practice. Compared to BMI, modeling height and weight as independent, interacting variables results in less bias and improved predictive accuracy for all tested traits. Considering an individual's height and weight opposed to BMI is a better method for quantifying individual disease risk.
PediCARE: Development of a poverty‐targeted intervention for pediatric cancer
Authors: Umaretiya Puja J. , Revette Anna , Seo Anna , Flamand Yael , Ilcisin Lenka , Zheng Daniel J. , Bhatia Smita , Wolfe Joanne , Bona Kira
Published: July 2021

Background

Poverty is associated with inferior psychosocial outcomes, higher rates of relapse, and decreased overall survival in children with cancer. Despite this, there are few evidence‐based, poverty‐targeted interventions and none specific to pediatric oncology. To address this gap, we developed and refined the Pediatric Cancer Resource Equity (PediCARE) intervention, a household material hardship (HMH) targeted intervention providing transportation and groceries to pediatric oncology families.

Methods

This was a single‐arm pilot study conducted at a single, large, tertiary pediatric cancer center. Newly diagnosed patients with HMH‐exposure were directly assigned to receive PediCARE for a total of three months. Quantitative and qualitative approaches were used to evaluate its acceptability and to rapidly refine the intervention.

Results

Nine families (100% of those approached) consented to enrollment with no attrition over the three‐month study period. Families were highly satisfied with the intervention and recommended participation to others. All of the families utilized the grocery delivery component of PediCARE, and seven utilized the transportation component. Qualitative participant feedback was used to rapidly refine the intervention including logistics of intervention delivery, and dose of intervention components.

Conclusion

PediCARE, a poverty‐targeted intervention, was highly acceptable to pediatric oncology families. The intervention was refined in real‐time utilizing quantitative and qualitative feedback. Next steps include intervention evaluation in a randomized, controlled feasibility study.
Impact of a pharmacy technician and pharmacist on time to inhaled tobramycin therapy in a pediatric cystic fibrosis clinic
Authors: Burrus Tiffany E. , Vogt Hilary , Pettit Rebecca S.
Published: July 2021

Background

Cystic fibrosis (CF) patients who grow Pseudomonas aeruginosa on respiratory culture are commonly prescribed inhaled tobramycin (TIS) to eradicate the organism. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of a pharmacy technician/pharmacist team, in conjunction with an integrated health‐system specialty pharmacy (IHSSP), on the time from positive culture to prescribing and access to TIS in a pediatric CF clinic.

Methods

A retrospective study of CF patients positive for P. aeruginosa who were prescribed TIS for eradication.

Results

The study included 20 patients in the pregroup and 42 patients in the postgroup. Total median (interquartile range) days from positive culture to TIS being shipped to the patient from the pharmacy was significantly different: 15 (10.25–21) days in the pregroup and 9 (7–14) days in the post groups (p = .005). The time from positive culture to TIS prescribing was significantly different: 6 (5–12.75) days in the pregroup and 5 (3.75–6) days in the postgroup (p = .01). In the postgroup median time from prescription to the patient receiving the TIS was significantly different between the two groups 2 (2–5) days IHSSP group versus 6 (3–9) external specialty pharmacy group (p = .003). Time from prescription to prior authorization approval was the same in both groups.

Conclusions

The addition of the pharmacy team reduced time from culture to TIS being received by the patient. Patients able to fill at the IHSSP received their medication sooner than an external specialty pharmacy. The study shows the benefit of an integrated pharmacy model in conjunction with an IHSSP.
A Membrane‐Targeting Photosensitizer with Aggregation‐Induced Emission Characteristics for Highly Efficient Photodynamic Combat of Human Coronaviruses
Authors: Wu Ming‐Yu , Gu Meijia , Leung Jong‐Kai , Li Xinmei , Yuan Yuncong , Shen Chao , Wang Lianrong , Zhao Engui , Chen Sijie
Published: July 2021

COVID‐19 pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, has resulted in global social and economic disruption, putting the world economy to the largest global recession since the Great Depression. To control the spread of COVID‐19, cutting off the transmission route is a critical step. In this work, the efficient inactivation of human coronavirus with photodynamic therapy (PDT) by employing photosensitizers with aggregation‐induced emission characteristics (DTTPB) is reported. DTTPB is designed to bear a hydrophilic head and two hydrophobic tails, mimicking the structure of phospholipids on biological membranes. DTTPB demonstrates a broad absorption band covering the whole visible light range and high molar absorptivity, as well as excellent reactive oxygen species sensitizing ability, making it an excellent candidate for PDT. Besides, DTTPB can target membrane structure, and bind to the envelope of human coronaviruses. Upon light irradiation, DTTPB demonstrates highly effective antiviral behavior: human coronavirus treated with DTTPB and white‐light irradiation can be efficiently inactivated with complete loss of infectivity, as revealed by the significant decrease of virus RNA and proteins in host cells. Thus, DTTPB sensitized PDT can efficiently prevent the infection and the spread of human coronavirus, which provides a new avenue for photodynamic combating of COVID‐19.
Design of frameworks for self‐adaptive service‐oriented applications: A systematic analysis
Authors: Filisbino Passini William , Aparecida Lana Cristiane , Pfeifer Vinicius , Affonso Frank José
Published: July 2021

Self‐adaptive service‐oriented Applications (Self‐Apps) must be able to understand themselves or the environment in which they are executed, and propose solutions to meet changing conditions. The development of these applications is not a trivial task, since it encompasses issues from different research areas. Despite the importance of frameworks for Self‐Apps, there is a lack of comprehensive analysis of how the design of such applications is performed, and regarding the standardization of concepts and coverage of minimum requirements for Self‐Apps. The main contribution of this article is to present this comprehensive analysis, providing the state of the art for this subject. This analysis was built through a Systematic Mapping Study, based on a total of 65 studies, from which we identify the main attributes for Quality of Service (QoS), search strategies, and service management strategies employed in the design of frameworks for Self‐Apps. The main aspects of requirements involved in the design of Self‐Apps were pointed out to stakeholders. For example, these applications must implement a method for evaluation of QoS based on metrics. We also put forward the S‐Frame, a modular solution that brings together the main features for the design of Self‐Apps, and describe the main challenges concerning these applications.
Design and Data Processing of Galloping Online Monitoring System for Positive Feeder of High‐Speed Railway Catenary in Gale Area
Authors: Zhao Shanpeng , Zhao Shaoxiang , Zhang Youpeng , Wang Yuhuan
Published: July 2021

To monitor the galloping state of the catenary positive feeder of the Lanzhou–Urumqi high‐speed railway in the gale area, on the basis of previous research results, an online multi‐point distributed galloping monitoring system based on wireless sensor network (WSN) was designed, and the author improves the design of each part of the catenary positive feeder galloping monitoring system to enhance its availability and reliability. By the system to collect accelerations of each galloping monitoring point, and the displacement is obtained by integrating the acceleration twice, but the integration result was seriously distorted because of the trends. A localization algorithm is proposed to correct the galloping signal waveform. Firstly, in accordance with a detailed analysis of ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) anti‐modal aliasing principle and the steps of the waveform correction method, the original signal was decomposed to obtain ten intrinsic modal functions (IMFs). Secondly, with the IMFs' characteristics as basis, a new method of trend extraction was introduced to extract and eliminate the trends in the original signal. Finally, through the analysis of the measured signal of wire galloping, the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method were verified by comparing its results with those of the moving average method, and the galloping trajectory of the wire is obtained by curve fitting. © 2021 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Localization of wind turbine noise using a microphone array in wind tunnel measurements
Authors: Ocker Christof , Blumendeller Esther , Berlinger Philipp , Pannert Wolfram , Clifton Andrew
Published: July 2021

An experimental investigation on scaled wind turbine models in a wind tunnel with a microphone array is presented. Our study focuses on the localization and quantification of aerodynamic noise sources on rotating wind turbine blades with the aim of identifying the contributing factors that have an impact on the source spectra. Therefore, wind tunnel measurements were conducted for three different blade geometries (NACA 4412 shape, Clark‐Y shape, and sickle shape), five pitch angles between −2° and +8° and five wind velocities between 5 and 13 mŝ−1. For the localization of rotating sound sources with a microphone array, a rotating beamforming method based on the acoustic ray method is used. The Clean‐SC deconvolution method was used to improve the resolution of the acoustic sources, and integrated spectra were calculated for the individual blades. The sound sources were localized at the wind turbine blades and assigned to the leading edge and trailing edge subregions. The results show a high dependency on the sound source distribution and the source strength with regard to the observed one‐third octave bands, wind velocity, and blade geometry. Hence, the localization of rotating sound sources with a microphone array is a suitable method for the development of wind turbine blades that emit less noise.
Improving interinstitutional and intertechnology consistency of pulmonary SBRT by dose prescription to the mean internal target volume dose
Authors: Wilke L. , Moustakis C. , Blanck O. , Albers D. , Albrecht C. , Avcu Y. , Boucenna R. , Buchauer K. , Etzelstorfer T. , Henkenberens C. , Jeller D. , Jurianz K. , Kornhuber C. , Kretschmer M. , Lotze S. , Meier K. , Pemler P. , Riegler A. , Röser A. , Schmidhalter D. , Spruijt K. H. , Surber G. , Vallet V. , Wiehle R. , Willner J. , Winkler P. , Wittig A. , Guckenberger M. , Tanadini-Lang S.
Published: July 2021

Purpose

Dose, fractionation, normalization and the dose profile inside the target volume vary substantially in pulmonary stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) between different institutions and SBRT technologies. Published planning studies have shown large variations of the mean dose in planning target volume (PTV) and gross tumor volume (GTV) or internal target volume (ITV) when dose prescription is performed to the PTV covering isodose. This planning study investigated whether dose prescription to the mean dose of the ITV improves consistency in pulmonary SBRT dose distributions.

Materials and methods

This was a multi-institutional planning study by the German Society of Radiation Oncology (DEGRO) working group Radiosurgery and Stereotactic Radiotherapy. CT images and structures of ITV, PTV and all relevant organs at risk (OAR) for two patients with early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were distributed to all participating institutions. Each institute created a treatment plan with the technique commonly used in the institute for lung SBRT. The specified dose fractionation was 3 × 21.5 Gy normalized to the mean ITV dose. Additional dose objectives for target volumes and OAR were provided.

Results

In all, 52 plans from 25 institutions were included in this analysis: 8 robotic radiosurgery (RRS), 34 intensity-modulated (MOD), and 10 3D-conformal (3D) radiation therapy plans. The distribution of the mean dose in the PTV did not differ significantly between the two patients (median 56.9 Gy vs 56.6 Gy). There was only a small difference between the techniques, with RRS having the lowest mean PTV dose with a median of 55.9 Gy followed by MOD plans with 56.7 Gy and 3D plans with 57.4 Gy having the highest. For the different organs at risk no significant difference between the techniques could be found.

Conclusions

This planning study pointed out that multiparameter dose prescription including normalization on the mean ITV dose in combination with detailed objectives for the PTV and ITV achieve consistent dose distributions for peripheral lung tumors in combination with an ITV concept between different delivery techniques and across institutions.
Trends in the recording of anxiety in UK primary care: a multi-method approach
Authors: Archer Charlotte , Turner Katrina , Kessler David , Mars Becky , Wiles Nicola
Published: July 2021

Purpose

Anxiety disorders are common. Between 1998 and 2008, in the UK, GP recording of anxiety symptoms increased, but the recording of anxiety disorders decreased. We do not know whether such trends have continued. This study examined recent trends in the recording of anxiety and explored factors that may influence GPs’ coding of anxiety.

Methods

We used data from adults (n = 2,569,153) registered with UK general practices (n = 176) that contributed to the Clinical Practice Research Datalink between 2003 and 2018. Incidence rates and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for recorded anxiety symptoms and diagnoses and were stratified by age and gender. Joinpoint regression was used to estimate the years trends changed. In addition, in-depth interviews were conducted with 15 GPs to explore their views and management of anxiety. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically.

Results

The incidence of anxiety symptoms rose from 6.2/1000 person-years at risk (PYAR) in 2003 to 14.7/1000 PYAR in 2018. Between 2003 and 2008, the incidence of anxiety diagnoses fell from 13.2 to 10.1/1000 PYAR; markedly increasing between 2013 and 2018 to 15.3/1000 PYAR. GPs mentioned that they preferred using symptom codes to diagnostic codes to avoid assigning potentially stigmatising or unhelpful labels, and commented on a rise in anxiety in recent years, especially in young adults.

Conclusion

Recent increases in the recording of both anxiety diagnoses and symptoms may reflect increased presentation to primary care, especially in young adults. There is a clear need to understand the reasons for this, and this knowledge may be critical in the prevention and treatment of anxiety.
Deutsches Register www.Covid19-Rheuma.de
Authors: Hasseli Rebecca , Pfeil Alexander , Hoyer Bimba Franziska , Lorenz Hanns-Martin , Regierer Anne C. , Richter Jutta G. , Schmeiser Tim , Strangfeld Anja , Voll Reinhard E. , Krause Andreas , Schulze-Koops Hendrik , Müller-Ladner Ulf , Specker Christof
Published: July 2021

Durch das COVID-19-Register (www.covid19-rheuma.de) der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Rheumatologie erfolgte erstmalig die Erfassung und systematische Evaluation einer viralen Infektion bei Patienten mit entzündlich rheumatischen Erkrankungen (ERE). Hierdurch war und ist eine schnelle Generierung von wissenschaftlichen Daten möglich, welche helfen, die Betreuung von Patienten mit ERE im Rahmen der Pandemie zu verbessern. Neben der Bestätigung allgemeiner Risikofaktoren – auch für Patienten mit ERE – wie Patientenalter und Komorbiditäten (z. B. kardiovaskuläre, chronische Lungen- und Nierenerkrankungen) konnten die Einnahme von Glukokortikoiden und die Krankheitsaktivität der rheumatischen Erkrankung als krankheitsspezifische Risikofaktoren für die Notwendigkeit einer stationären Behandlung wegen COVID-19 identifiziert werden. Auswertungen der kontinuierlich wachsenden Kohorte von Patienten mit entzündlich rheumatischen Erkrankungen und einer COVID-19-Infektion erlauben, Handlungsempfehlungen für die Betreuung der Patienten auf eine bessere Evidenz zu stützen. Die Kooperation mit internationalen rheumatologischen Registern (z. B. europäisches COVID-19-Register für ERE) ermöglicht Analysen aggregierter Kohortendaten von Patienten mit entzündlich rheumatischen Erkrankungen und einer SARS-CoV-2-Infektion für internationale Vergleiche und statistisch noch besser abgesicherte Aussagen.
Formatively assessing prospective teachers’ skills in leading mathematics discussions
Authors: Shaughnessy Meghan , Garcia Nicole M. , O’Neill Michaela Krug , Selling Sarah Kate , Willis Amber T. , Wilkes Charles E. , Salazar Sabrina Bobsin , Ball Deborah Loewenberg
Published: July 2021

Mathematics discussions are important for helping students to develop conceptual understanding and to learn disciplinary norms and practices. In recent years, there has been increased attention to teaching prospective teachers to lead discussions with students. This paper examines the possibilities of designing a formative assessment that gathers information about prospective elementary teachers’ skills with leading problem-based mathematics discussions and makes sense of such information. A decomposition of the practice of leading discussions was developed and used to design the assessment. Nine first-year teachers who graduated from a range of different teacher education programs participated in the study. The findings reveal that our formative assessment works to gather information about teachers’ capabilities with leading discussions and that the associated tools support making sense of the information gathered. This suggests that such tools could be useful to support the formative assessment of the developing capabilities of prospective teachers.
Consequences of violating assumptions of integrated population models on parameter estimates
Authors: Plard Floriane , Turek Daniel , Schaub Michael
Published: July 2021

While ecologists know that models require assumptions, the consequences of their violation become vague as model complexity increases. Integrated population models (IPMs) combine several datasets to inform a population model and to estimate survival and reproduction parameters jointly with higher precision than is possible using independent models. However, accuracy actually depends on an adequate fit of the model to datasets. We first investigated bias of parameters obtained from integrated population models when specific assumptions are violated. For instance, a model may assume that all females reproduce although there are non-breeding females in the population. Our second goal was to identify which diagnostic tests are sensitive to detect violations of the assumptions of IPMs. We simulated data mimicking a short- and a long-lived species under five scenarios in which a specific assumption is violated. For each simulated scenario, we fitted an IPM that violates the assumption (simple IPM) and an IPM that does not violate each specific assumption. We estimated bias and uncertainty of parameters and performed seven diagnostic tests to assess the fit of the models to the data. Our results show that the simple IPM was quite robust to violation of many assumptions and only resulted in small bias of the parameter estimates. Yet, the applied diagnostic tests were not sensitive to detect such small bias. The violation of some assumptions such as the absence of immigrants resulted in larger bias to which diagnostic tests were more sensitive. The parameters informed by the least amount of data were the most biased in all scenarios. We provide guidelines to identify misspecified models and to diagnose the assumption being violated. Simple models should often be sufficient to describe simple population dynamics, and when data are abundant, complex models accounting for specific processes will be able to shed light on specific biological questions.
Advanced mass balance characterization and fractionation of algal biomass composition
Authors: Van Wychen Stefanie , Rowland Steven M. , Lesco Kaitlin C. , Shanta Peter V. , Dong Tao , Laurens Lieve M. L.
Published: July 2021

Opportunities associated with biomass production and bioproduct isolation from algae-derived feedstocks are plentiful and promising; however, there are challenges associated with realizing these applications. One of the most important, and often overlooked, challenges is the lack of availability of a strong foundation of compositional analysis methods validated on microalgal biomass. Currently, compositional analysis in algae is dominated by the use of interference-prone methods, a lack of full mass balance accounting, and the use of top-down approaches that bin all unaccounted-for mass into a single category, such as carbohydrates. We present here an approach based on a bottom-up algal biomass characterization aimed at moving towards, and highlighting the importance of, full and accurate mass closure to achieve the maximum economic potential from a sustainable and renewable feedstock. Algal biomass representing three genera, Nannochloropsis, Scenedesmus, and Monoraphidium, was subjected to a cell rupture and fractionation process, followed by detailed characterization of each fraction to determine the partitioning of measured and unknown components. The goal of this work is to identify where the missing components partition, and develop a strategy to close the mass balance or identify the unknowns, while utilizing a rigorous characterization approach for characterizing algal biomass. Although only 75–80% of the biomass was accounted for, the fractionation approach utilized here provides key insight into possible chemical components for future investigations.
Knowledge and Attitudes of two Latino Groups about Alzheimer Disease: a Qualitative Study
Authors: Cabrera Laura Y. , Kelly P. , Vega I. E.
Published: July 2021

Clustering Latinos under a single group in Alzheimer Disease (AD) research, neglects, among other things cultural and environmental differences. To address this, we examine knowledge and attitudes about AD among two Latino groups. We held 5 focus groups and 2 interviews all in Spanish with Mexicans and Puerto Ricans between 40 and 60 years old living in the Grand Rapids area in Michigan. Using content analysis of the discussions, we identified themes related to knowledge, attitudes and concerns about AD and caregiving. A total of 20 Mexicans and 9 Puerto Ricans participated. Improving knowledge and awareness, barriers and home-based family care were important themes in both Latino groups. Puerto Rican groups raised more concerns about the disease, whereas lack of knowledge was a key theme among Mexican participants. The exploratory study is a first step in promoting research that is attentive to the commonalities and differences of Latino groups and in continuing efforts to enhance health literacy among these groups.
Analysing Spatial Intrapersonal Variability of Road Users Using Point-to-Point Sensor Data
Authors: Crawford F. , Watling D. P. , Connors R. D.
Published: July 2021

The availability of newly emerging forms of data in recent years has provided new opportunities to study spatial intrapersonal variability, namely the variability in an individual’s destination and route choices from day to day. As well as providing insights into traveller needs, preferences and adaptive capacity, spatial intrapersonal variability can also inform the development of user classes for models of network disruption and for measuring behaviour change to evaluate the impact of network changes. This paper proposes a methodology for measuring spatial intrapersonal variability using point-to-point sensor data such as Bluetooth or number plate data. The method is innovative in accounting for sensor specific probabilities of detecting a passing device or vehicle and in providing a single measure for each traveller which considers destination and route choice variability and both the quantity of different trajectories utilised as well as the intensity with which they are used. A data science method is also presented for examining relationships between different trajectories observed in the network based on whether they are typically made by the same travellers. A case study using 12 months of real-world data is presented. The example provided demonstrates that a substantial amount of data processing is required, but the outputs of the methods are easily interpretable. Perhaps surprisingly, the analysis showed that the trips people made on weekdays were more evenly spread across a range of different trajectories than the trips they made during the weekend which were more concentrated into a few spatially similar clusters.
Marine storms in coastal tourist areas of the Canary Islands
Authors: Yanes Luque Amalia , Rodríguez-Báez José A. , Máyer Suárez Pablo , Dorta Antequera Pedro , López-Díez Abel , Díaz-Pacheco Jaime , Pérez-Chacón Emma
Published: July 2021

The small island areas oriented to coastal tourism are highly vulnerable to marine storms, given the fluctuation of this economic sector and the increase in its exposure due to the increasing anthropogenic presence on the coastline. In this context, the storms between 1958 and 2017 are studied here in the most important tourist enclaves of Tenerife and Gran Canaria, located in the municipalities of Arona and Adeje (SW of Tenerife) and in San Bartolomé de Tirajana and Mogán (S-SW of Gran Canaria). In order to perform the analysis, wave data from State Ports (Spain) (SIMAR-44 nodes, Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda of Spain) are used. A statistical study of the phenomena can help establish a threshold for the identification of a marine storm based on a significant wave height (Hs) of 2.7 m in Arona and Adeje and 1.7 m in San Bartolomé de Tirajana and Mogán. The application of this threshold identified 144 episodes in the SW of Tenerife and 154 in the S-SW of Gran Canaria. Their behavior is examined from, on the one hand, the duration, seasonality, type of waves and degree of severity that characterizes them; and, on the other, from the state of the atmosphere that concurs in its genesis by means of the Wetterzentrale synoptic maps. Finally, a first assessment of the effects of these stormy phenomena is made using local press reports on drowning, damage to urban furniture and port infrastructures and loss of sand on the beaches.
Potential of mosques to serve as evacuation shelters for foreign Muslims during disasters: a case study in Gunma, Japan
Authors: Kotani Hitomu , Tamura Mari , Li Jiayue , Yamaji Eiji
Published: July 2021

Foreigners tend to be vulnerable to disasters due to religious and cultural differences. In Japan, Muslim foreign residents, who are minorities, likely face difficulties in terms of food and religious practices in evacuation shelters. In this study, we propose the use of mosques as voluntary shelters for Muslim foreigners in Japan and evaluate their potential to function as shelters. Mosques are expected to have a large space, including a prayer space, and to store food familiar to daily users. We conducted field surveys targeting two mosques in Isesaki, Gunma, Japan, to investigate their equipment and building environment in relation to how they could function as shelters; the number of evacuees they could accommodate; the amount of food they could supply to evacuees; and the willingness of the administrators to use the mosques as shelters. Both mosques were found to be equipped with toilets and shower rooms and had enough space for approximately 60–80 evacuees. They also had sufficient kitchen space and tableware to prepare meals for about 100 people. Although they did not always stock a large amount of food, they could quickly receive food from nearby stores. Moreover, the administrators were willing to use the mosques as shelters. Therefore, it was suggested that the mosques could serve as shelters accommodating and feeding many evacuees. Finally, measures to improve the function of mosques as shelters are discussed. This study lays the groundwork for the future use of mosques as shelters.
Efficiency in university-industry collaboration: an analysis of UK higher education institutions
Authors: Bertoletti Alice , Johnes Geraint
Published: July 2021

We examine the determinants of university involvement in knowledge transfer activities, focusing on the value of external services provided by higher education institutions. Data come from 164 universities in the UK and are drawn from the HE Business and Community Interaction Survey (HE-BCI), with a variety of university- and region- specific explanatory variables grafted onto the data from other official sources. The production function for such external services is estimated using the appropriate stochastic frontier methods, and unobserved heterogeneity across institutions of higher education is accommodated by adopting a latent class framework for the modelling. We find strong effects of scale and of research orientation on the level of knowledge transfer. There are, however, two distinct latent classes of higher education institutions, and these differ especially in terms of how external service provision responds to subject specialization of universities and to economic conditions in the region. Research-intensive universities are concentrated in one of the latent classes and, in these institutions, the provision of external services appears to be highly efficient, while in the second latent class there is greater variation in the efficiency of universities.
Hard-material Adhesion: Which Scales of Roughness Matter?
Authors: Thimons L. A. , Gujrati A. , Sanner A. , Pastewka L. , Jacobs T. D. B.
Published: July 2021

Background

Surface topography strongly modifies adhesion of hard-material contacts, yet roughness of real surfaces typically exists over many length scales, and it is not clear which of these scales has the strongest effect. Objective: This investigation aims to determine which scales of topography have the strongest effect on macroscopic adhesion.

Methods

Adhesion measurements were performed on technology-relevant diamond coatings of varying roughness using spherical ruby probes that are large enough (0.5-mm-diameter) to sample all length scales of topography. For each material, more than 2000 measurements of pull-off force were performed in order to investigate the magnitude and statistical distribution of adhesion. Using sphere-contact models, the roughness-dependent effective values of work of adhesion were measured, ranging from 0.08 to 7.15 mJ/m2 across the four surfaces. The data was more accurately fit using numerical analysis, where an interaction potential was integrated over the AFM-measured topography of all contacting surfaces.

Results

These calculations revealed that consideration of nanometer-scale plasticity in the materials was crucial for a good quantitative fit of the measurements, and the presence of such plasticity was confirmed with AFM measurements of the probe after testing. This analysis enabled the extraction of geometry-independent material parameters; the intrinsic work of adhesion between ruby and diamond was determined to be 46.3 mJ/m2. The range of adhesion was 5.6 nm, which is longer than is typically assumed for atomic interactions, but is in agreement with other recent investigations. Finally, the numerical analysis was repeated for the same surfaces but this time with different length-scales of roughness included or filtered out.

Conclusions

The results demonstrate a critical band of length-scales—between 43 nm and 1.8 µm in lateral size—that has the strongest effect on the total adhesive force for these hard, rough contacts.
Facing neoliberalism through dialogic spaces as sites of hope in science education: experiences of two self-organised communities
Authors: Torres-Olave Betzabé , Bravo González Paulina
Published: July 2021

In this paper, we discuss the role of dialogue in two layers; first, in relation to two self-organised communities of science teachers in which we participated and, second, our process of coming together during our PhDs to analyse these communities, a dialogue about the dialogue. Regarding the first layer, there is much to learn from science teachers and science teacher educators when they are organised in sites of learning that can be spaces of hope, beginnings, and becoming, as is illustrated in the case of these two self-organised communities. Regarding the second layer, we discuss the value of dialogue and the possibilities it offers to develop ideas for science education in a way that might be democratising, emancipatory, and offering counter-narratives in a neoliberal Chile. By engaging in this dialogue revisiting the practices of our communities, we gained a sense of agency within the field of science education. However, we realised that we need to move towards a critical view within our communities, and more contextual and transformative science education by translating these sites of hope to our educational praxis today. For us, this relates both to developing a collective view of how to make science education provide pedagogical conditions and experiences for critical and engaged citizenship and thinking how we can act and engage with different settings in solidarity. One way of moving towards this is by developing a political knowledge of our disciplines through a collective scientific conscientisation. Our communities are the departure points to achieve this.
Searching novel complex solid solution electrocatalysts in unconventional element combinations
Authors: Krysiak Olga A. , Schumacher Simon , Savan Alan , Schuhmann Wolfgang , Ludwig Alfred , Andronescu Corina
Published: July 2021

Despite outstanding accomplishments in catalyst discovery, finding new, more efficient, environmentally neutral, and noble metal-free catalysts remains challenging and unsolved. Recently, complex solid solutions consisting of at least five different elements and often named as high-entropy alloys have emerged as a new class of electrocatalysts for a variety of reactions. The multicomponent combinations of elements facilitate tuning of active sites and catalytic properties. Predicting optimal catalyst composition remains difficult, making testing of a very high number of them indispensable. We present the high-throughput screening of the electrochemical activity of thin film material libraries prepared by combinatorial co-sputtering of metals which are commonly used in catalysis (Pd, Cu, Ni) combined with metals which are not commonly used in catalysis (Ti, Hf, Zr). Introducing unusual elements in the search space allows discovery of catalytic activity for hitherto unknown compositions. Material libraries with very similar composition spreads can show different activities vs. composition trends for different reactions. In order to address the inherent challenge of the huge combinatorial material space and the inability to predict active electrocatalyst compositions, we developed a high-throughput process based on co-sputtered material libraries, and performed high-throughput characterization using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), scanning transmission electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and conductivity measurements followed by electrochemical screening by means of a scanning droplet cell. The results show surprising material compositions with increased activity for the oxygen reduction reaction and the hydrogen evolution reaction. Such data are important input data for future data-driven materials prediction.
Something Scary is Out There II: the Interplay of Childhood Experiences, Relict Sexual Dinichism, and Cross-cultural Differences in Spatial Fears
Authors: Coss Richard G. , Blozis Shelley A.
Published: July 2021

Children’s nighttime fear is hypothesized as a cognitive relict reflecting a long history of natural selection for anticipating the direction of nighttime predatory attacks on the presumed human ancestor,Australopithecus afarensis, whose small-bodied females nesting in trees would have anticipated predatory attacks from below. Heavier males nesting on the ground would have anticipated nighttime predatory attacks from their sides. Previous research on preschool children and adults supports this cognitive-relict hypothesis by showing developmental consistencies in their remembrances of the location of a “scary thing” relative to their beds. The current study expands this research by investigating whether nighttime fear in childhood, including the effect of parental threats to behave, influenced adult spatial fears in different biotic and abiotic situations. A 25-item questionnaire employing ordinal scales was given to 474 foreign-born Vietnamese and ethnic Chinese adults living in the USA. Univariate analyses of adult remembrances of childhood indicated that females were more fearful of something scary below their beds than males. To examine the influence of childhood nighttime fear on adult fears, exploratory factor analyses supported three factors: (1) indeterminate agents, indicated something scary under the bed, the difficulty locating unspecific threats, and the brief appearances of large apparitions; (2) environmental uncertainty, indicated by potential encounters with unseen animate threats; (3) predictable animals, as the relative comfort of viewing animals in zoo exhibits. Using structural equation modeling, the results suggest that childhood nighttime fear influenced only the latent variable, indeterminate agents, in both groups via the mediating variable, parental threats.
„Choice and voice“ in Schulen mit personalisierten Lernkonzepten aus Sicht der Schülerinnen und Schüler
Authors: Mötteli Christine , Grob Urs , Pauli Christine , Reusser Kurt , Stebler Rita
Published: July 2021

Choice and voiceist eine zentrale Forderung im Kontext personalisierter Lernkonzepte und steht für den Anspruch den Schüler*innenWahl- und Mitbestimmungsmöglichkeiteneinzuräumen. Unabhängig der neuen Rhetorik haben verschiedene innovative Schulen langjährige Praxiserfahrung mit Wahl- und Mitbestimmungsmöglichkeiten, wobei wenig über deren Wahrnehmung aus Sicht der Schüler*innen bekannt ist. Der vorliegende Beitrag untersucht, wie Schüler*innen der Sekundarstufe Ichoice and voicein Schulen mit personalisierten Lernkonzepten wahrnehmen.

Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Schüler*innen regelmäßig Wahlfreiheit wahrnehmen, insbesondere was lernorganisatorische Fragen betrifft. Die Möglichkeit, Inhalte und Ziele mitzubestimmen, nehmen sie als weniger ausgeprägt wahr. Der Personalisierungsgrad als Maß dafür, wie stark sich eine Schule aus Sicht der Lehrpersonen an personalisierten Lernkonzepten orientiert, erweist sich in einem Mehrebenen-Strukturgleichungsmodell als relevanter Prädiktor zur Vorhersage der Wahrnehmung der Schüler*innen in Bezug auf Wahl- und Mitbestimmungsmöglichkeiten. Des Weiteren zeigt sich, dass häufiger wahrgenommene Wahl- und Mitbestimmungsmöglichkeiten mit einer stärker positiv wahrgenommenen Unterstützung der Lehrperson einhergehen.

Der Artikel leistet einen Beitrag zur Klärung des vielschichtigen Personalisierungsbegriffes, indem er zeigt, dasschoice and voicenicht nur aus theoretischer, sondern auch aus empirischer Sicht eine wichtige Dimension personalisierter Lernkonzepte darstellt.
Reproduction and biomarker responses of Eisenia fetida after exposure to imidacloprid in biochar-amended soil
Authors: Nyoka Ngitheni Winnie-Kate , Ogbeide Ozekeke , Otomo Patricks Voua
Published: July 2021

Terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems are increasingly threatened by pesticide pollution resulting from extensive use of pesticides, and due to the lack of regulatory measures in the developing world, there is a need for affordable means to lessen environmental effects. This study aimed to investigate the impact of biochar amendment on the toxicity of imidacloprid to life-cycle parameters and biomarker responses of the earthworm Eisenia fetida. E. fetida was exposed to 10% biochar-amended and non-amended OECD artificial soils spiked with 0, 0.75, 1.5, 2.25 and 3 mg imidacloprid/kg for 28 days. An LC50 of 2.7 mg/kg was only computed in the non-amended soil but not in the biochar-amended soil due to insignificant mortality. The EC50 calculated in the non-amended soil (0.92 mg/kg) for reproduction (fertility) was lower than the one computed in the biochar amended (0.98 mg/kg), indicating a decrease in toxicity in the biochar-amended substrate. Significant weight loss was observed at the two highest imidacloprid treatments in the non-amended soil and only at the highest treatment in the biochar-amended substrate, further highlighting the beneficial effects of biochar. Catalase activity decreased significantly at the two highest concentrations of non-amended soil. Yet, in the amended soil, the activity remained high, especially in the highest concentration, where it was significantly higher than the controls. This indicated more severe oxidative stress in the absence of biochar. In all non-amended treatments, there was a significant acetylcholinesterase inhibition, while lower inhibition percentages were observed in the biochar-amended soil. In most endpoints, the addition of biochar alleviated the toxic effects of imidacloprid, which shows that biochar has the potential to be useful in soil remediation. However, there is still a need for field studies to identify the most effective application rate of biochar for land application.
Exact simulation of the genealogical tree for a stationary branching population and application to the asymptotics of its total length
Authors: Abraham Romain , Delmas Jean-François
Published: July 2021

We consider a model of a stationary population with random size given by a continuous-state branching process with immigration with a quadratic branching mechanism. We give an exact elementary simulation procedure for the genealogical tree of n individuals randomly chosen among the extant population at a given time. Then we prove the convergence of the renormalized total length of this genealogical tree as n goes to infinity; see also Pfaffelhuber, Wakolbinger and Weisshaupt (2011) in the context of a constant-size population. The limit appears already in Bi and Delmas (2016) but with a different approximation of the full genealogical tree. The proof is based on the ancestral process of the extant population at a fixed time, which was defined by Aldous and Popovic (2005) in the critical case.
Body Dissatisfaction, Weight-Related Behaviours, and Health Behaviours: A Comparison Between Australian and Malaysian in Female Emerging Adults
Authors: Shagar Pravina Santhira , Donovan Caroline L. , Boddy Jennifer , Tapp Caley , Lee Patricia , Harris Neil
Published: July 2021

The presence of body dissatisfaction (BD) in non-Western countries is an important area of empirical enquiry. The results reflect collectivistic and individualistic cultures of Malaysians and Australians, respectively, whereby social approval, social acceptance, and cultural values are of high importance to Malaysians compared with the more liberal attitudes of Australians with respect to health behaviours. This study sought to compare: (1) Australian and Malaysian women on BD, thin ideal internalisation, sociocultural influences, problematic weight-related behaviours, and health behaviours; and (2) the degree to which BD is associated with health behaviours (smoking, alcohol consumption, drug use, and sexual behaviours) across the two cultures. Participants were 428 Australian females and 402 Malaysian females aged 18–25 years old. Australians had higher BD, thin ideal internalisation, family and media influences, restrained eating, and poorer health behaviours, while Malaysians had higher peer influence. There was no difference for bulimic behaviours across the two countries. BD was found to have an association with use of drugs, smoking, and sexual behaviours among Malaysian women, but not for Australian participants. The permeation of Western standards of the thin ideal due to increased industrialisation, Westernisation, and modernisation has brought about bulimic behaviours in Malaysian women, similar to that of Australian women.