bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Regulatory roles of Pawpaw (Carica papaya) seed extract on growth performance, sexual maturity, and health status with resistance against bacteria and parasites in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)
Authors: Radwan Mahmoud , Darweesh Kareem F. , Ghanem Sara F. , Abdelhadi Yasser , Kareem Zana H. , Christianus Annie , Karim Murni , Waheed Rania M. , El-Sharkawy Mahmoud A.
Published: March 2023

Papaya (Carica papaya) is one of the plants that represent a major source of bioactive substances that are cheaper and non-toxic, such as antibiotics. It is globally used as a supplement diet for positive effects in pharmacological activities. In this regard, the current study sheds light on the possible roles of papaya seed methanolic extract (PSE) as a dietary supplement to improve growth performance, sexual maturity, carcass composition, immunity responses, histological structure of gonads, and anti-pathogenic activity (Aeromonas hydrophila) at the end of a feeding trial extend for ten days of Nile tilapia, with special reference to its potential effect as resistance against parasitic (Cichlidogyrus tilapiae). Four experimental groups with four replications of Nile tilapia fry (0.5 ± 0.1 g as 20 fish per replication) were fed (0, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 g/kg PSE in diets) for 20 weeks. Results showed that fish dietary supplementation with PSE had a significantly positive (P < 0.05) effect on growth performance, feed utilization, digestive enzyme, carcass composition, antioxidant, immunity responses, and hematological and biochemical indices, especially PSE 2.0 g/kg than control diet. Furthermore, PSE had a positively affected fish mortality after injection with A. hydrophila and in vitro positive efficacy against C. tilapiae. Fish fed with dietary PSE increased the sex ratio in favor of male fish by achieving a 77% male phenotype. Conclusively, this study declared that PSE extract, specifically 2 g/kg, could enhance growth and health through the modulation of innate immunity and a positive effect against disease in fish. Additionally, it reduced the reproductive performance of Nile tilapia by reducing GSI, which subsequently affected the gonadal histology leading to infertility.
Submodule codes as spherical codes in buildings
Authors: Stanojkovski Mima
Published: March 2023

We give a generalization of subspace codes by means of codes of modules over finite commutative chain rings. We define a new class of Sperner codes and use results from extremal combinatorics to prove the optimality of such codes in different cases. Moreover, we explain the connection with Bruhat–Tits buildings and show how our codes are the buildings’ analogue of spherical codes in the Euclidean sense.
Is it all about the setting? — A comparison of mathematical modelling with real objects and their representation
Authors: Jablonski Simone
Published: March 2023

Mathematical modelling emphasizes the connection between mathematics and reality — still, tasks are often exclusively introduced inside the classroom. The paper examines the potential of different task settings for mathematical modelling with real objects: outdoors at the real object itself, with photographs and with a 3D model representation. It is the aim of the study to analyze how far the mathematical modelling steps of students solving the tasks differ in comparison to the settings and representations. In a qualitative study, 19 lower secondary school students worked on tasks of all three settings in a Latin square design. Their working processes in the settings are compared with a special focus on the modelling steps Simplifying and Structuring, as well as Mathematizing. The analysis by means of activity diagrams and a qualitative content analysis shows that both steps are particularly relevant when students work with real objects — independent from the three settings. Still, differences in the actual activities could be observed in the students’ discussion on the appropriateness of a model and in dealing with inaccuracies at the real object. In addition, the process of data collection shows different procedures depending on the setting which presents each of them as an enrichment for the acquisition of modelling skills.
Pre-service teachers’ flexibility and performance in solving Fermi problems
Authors: Segura Carlos , Ferrando Irene
Published: March 2023

Fermi problems are real-context estimation tasks that are suitable for introducing open-ended problems in primary school education. To ensure their effective introduction in the classroom, teachers must have adequate proficiency to deal with them. One of the key aspects of problem-solving proficiency is flexibility, but there are few studies on flexibility in solving real-context problems. This study, based on an analysis of the errors made by 224 prospective teachers when solving a Fermi problem sequence, establishes performance levels. In addition, we define levels of flexibility in using multiple solutions across the sequence, which allows us to address the main objective: to study the relationship between performance and flexibility. We found that there are significant relationships between flexibility levels and the number and severity of errors made. Encouraging flexibility in prospective teachers may be an efficient way to improve their performance in solving real-context problems.
Mobility indexes of Cu, Pb, and Zn in soil ecosystems with various levels of metal contamination (in Poland)
Authors: Niesiobędzka Krystyna
Published: March 2023

The aim of the study was to investigate and compare the soils of three groups of grassland ecosystems with varying degrees of heavy metal (Cu, Pb, and Zn) pollution as well as estimating of mobility on the basis of calculated mobility indexes (MI) expressed as a percentage of the EDTA-extracted forms of metals in their total content. A total of 55 surface soil samples were collected from various areas of Poland: urban soils, rural soils, and soils along communication routes. Heavy metal concentrations were determined in solutions after wet mineralization (using a mixture of acids) by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) with flame atomization. To isolate the mobile forms of metals in soils, a one-step extraction method was used with 0.05-M EDTA solution. The ranges of Cu, Pb, and Zn concentrations in soils were varied, respectively: 6.7–47.6, 61.1–563.9, and 86.4–644.5 mg·kg−1 (A); 5.7–39.8, 13.56–45.71, and 16.3–119.6 mg·kg−1 (B); and 1.0–195.8, 19.2–310.2, and 27.4–894.1 mg·kg−1 (C). The average values of mobility indexes of Cu, Pb, and Zn were at the level of 40.9, 33.5, and 22.2% (A); 23.2, 27.1, and 25.9% (B); and 37.5, 34.3, and 30.7% (C). Studies have shown that metals derived from anthropogenic sources are characterized by greater mobility compared to metals of natural origin (lithological associated with the ground). The inclusion of metal mobility indices in the environmental monitoring strategy may minimize errors in assessing the actual risk associated with the potential uptake of these metals by plants and incorporation into circulation.
Decertifying Gender: The Challenge of Equal Pay
Authors: Grabham Emily
Published: March 2023

‘The Future of Legal Gender’ project has assessed the potential implications for feminist legal scholarship and activism of decertifying sex/gender. Decertification refers to the state moving away from officially determining or registering sex/gender. This article explores the potential impact of such moves on equal pay law and gender pay gap reporting. Equal pay and gender pay gap reporting laws provide an important focus for the project because they aim to address structural dynamics associated with persistent pay inequality that women experience across occupations in the United Kingdom. These legal measures illuminate gendering as a large-scale social problem widely understood to operate structurally and systemically. What effect, then, could decertifying sex/gender have on the law and conceptual power of equal pay? Might decertification undermine the structure of equal pay law, with all hard-won gains it has brought for women? Or is it possible to imagine that decertification could accompany a more inclusive and effective legal architecture for equal pay?
Specifiable robustness in reactive synthesis
Authors: Bloem Roderick , Chockler Hana , Ebrahimi Masoud , Strichman Ofer
Published: March 2023

When synthesizing a system from a given specification, there is room for automatically adding various requirements, hence improving the resulting system. One such requirement covered extensively in past literature is that of robustness. In particular, the system can fail to read the inputs correctly from the environment, and the environment can fail to satisfy our assumptions about its behavior. Nevertheless, we want the system to still satisfy the specification even under these failures, in some limited way. It has to be limited because it is typically too strong of a requirement to realize the property regardless of the inputs and the environment’s assumptions. In this work, we propose a simple and flexible framework for synthesizing robust systems, where the user defines the required robustness via a temporal robustness specification. For example, the user may specify that the environment is eventually reliable, or input misreadings cannot occur more than $$k$$
k
consecutive steps and synthesize a system under this assumption. Furthermore, our framework enables us to specify a temporal recovery specification, which describes how the designer expects the system to recover after a failure of the environment assumptions. We show examples of robust systems that we synthesized with this method using our synthesis tool Party.
Negligible native and significant alien colonization of artificial shoreline by macroinvertebrates in a large shallow lake (Lake Balaton, Hungary)
Authors: Karádi-Kovács Kata , Boda Pál , Csabai Zoltán , Deák Csaba , Móra Arnold , Szivák Ildikó , Schmera Dénes
Published: March 2023

The aim of our study was to compare the richness and composition of macroinvertebrate assemblages in natural reed and artificial rip-rap habitats in a shallow lake 50+ years after shoreline modifications. Lake Balaton (Hungary) provided a unique study system as approximately half of its shoreline (c.105 km) has been modified. Littoral macroinvertebrates were collected in two habitat types (artificial rip-rap and natural reed) around the shoreline over two seasons. We found that native taxon richness of rip-rap habitat was only one-twentieth of the natural reed habitat. Rip-rap habitat harboured significantly more alien species. We found that the proportion of alien taxa was higher in rip-rap habitat (89.2%) than in reed habitat (16.7%). The composition of macroinvertebrate assemblages in the two habitats was also significantly different with limited to moderate overlap. Furthermore, all 8 indicator taxa of rip-rap habitat were alien, whilst all 28 indicator taxa were native in reed habitat. These results suggest that artificial engineering structure creates a novel ecosystem dominated by alien species.
Involuntary Resistance
Authors: Baaz Mikael , Lilja Mona , Wallgren Malin
Published: March 2023

This paper problematizes the notion of “intent” through the concept of “involuntary resistance”. Departing from the narratives of employees in nursing homes in Sweden during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, we suggest that neoliberal norms and a local management that capitalizes on social hierarchies (sex, age, class, etc.) were the context of the strong biopolitical state management that occurred due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The friction between different forms of governing became a seedbed for an involuntary resistance with an unclear intent against the state recommendations. This sheds light upon the need to (re)frame the current dominance of specific types of knowledge that are constructed in the field of resistance. We suggest that new paths of thought are needed—within social sciences—that work towards a wider conceptualizing of resistance, which embraces practices that lie outside the common thought of dissent.
Floral enhancement of arable field margins increases moth abundance and diversity
Authors: Blumgart Dan , Botham Marc S. , Menéndez Rosa , Bell James R.
Published: March 2023

Moth populations have declined across large parts of north-western Europe since the mid-20th century due, in part, to agricultural intensification. Agri-environment schemes (AES) are widely implemented across Europe to protect biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. Grass field margins enriched with wildflowers typically out-perform grass-only margins in terms of increasing insect abundance and diversity. However, the effect of wildflower enrichment on moths remains largely unstudied. Here, the relative importance of larval hostplants and nectar resources for adult moths within AES field margins are investigated. Two treatments and a control were compared: (i) a plain grass mix, the control, (ii) a grass mix enriched with only moth-pollinated flowers, and (iii) a grass mix enriched with 13 wildflower species. Abundance, species richness and Shannon diversity were up to 1.4, 1.8 and 3.5 times higher, respectively, in the wildflower treatment compared to plain grass. The difference in diversity between treatments became greater in the second year. There was no difference in total abundance, richness or diversity between the plain grass treatment and grass enriched with moth-pollinated flowers. The increase in abundance and diversity in the wildflower treatment was due primarily to the provision of larval hostplants, with nectar provision playing a smaller role. The relative abundance of species whose larval hostplants included sown wildflowers increased in the second year, suggesting colonisation of the new habitat.

Implications for insect conservation.

We show that, at the farm scale, moth diversity can be greatly enhanced and abundance moderately enhanced by sowing diverse wildflower margins, providing these insects with both larval hostplants and floral resources, compared to grass-only margins.
Towards a hermeneutics of the postmodern transnational space: the case of contemporary Australian literature
Authors: Redondo-Olmedilla José-Carlos
Published: March 2023

The work analyses the “spatial turn” in recent Australian literature, which has led to a new transnational orientation in many contemporary Australian narratives. To do so, it frames literary production in terms of spatial cognition and analyses spatiality and cognition as presented by several scholars in several realms. This theoretical introduction is followed by a more practical examination of recent Australian literary works and changes. Their features show that they are moving ahead of the postcolonial label and influence into a less ideologised position. They are in tune with the new deterritorialisation of the world, and the critical cognitive approach can provide insightful realisations bridging the gap between the actual world and its fictional representation. Finally, these examples and appreciations of the transnational are returned to theoretical ground to demonstrate that space and place, with their variants, are not only useful to (cognitive) literary studies, but to any socio-cultural approach. One of the key uses in this spatial turn towards the transnational lies in the apprehension of space-place as a pathway. It also speaks to the mobility of Australian society and its cultural productions.
Implementing Mailed Colorectal Cancer Fecal Screening Tests in Real-World Primary Care Settings: Promising Implementation Practices and Opportunities for Improvement
Authors: Hohl Sarah D. , Maxwell Annette E. , Sharma Krishna P. , Sun Juzhong , Vu Thuy T. , DeGroff Amy , Escoffery Cam , Schlueter Dara , Hannon Peggy A.
Published: March 2023

Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening reduces morbidity and mortality, but screening rates in the USA remain suboptimal. The Colorectal Cancer Control Program (CRCCP) was established in 2009 to increase screening among groups disproportionately affected. The CRCCP utilizes implementation science to support health system change as a strategy to reduce disparities in CRC screening by directing resources to primary care clinics to implement evidence-based interventions (EBIs) proven to increase CRC screening. As COVID-19 continues to impede in-person healthcare visits and compel the unpredictable redirection of clinic priorities, understanding clinics’ adoption and implementation of EBIs into routine care is crucial. Mailed fecal testing is an evidence-based screening approach that offers an alternative to in-person screening tests and represents a promising approach to reduce CRC screening disparities. However, little is known about how mailed fecal testing is implemented in real-world settings. In this retrospective, cross-sectional analysis, we assessed practices around mailed fecal testing implementation in 185 clinics across 62 US health systems. We sought to (1) determine whether clinics that do and do not implement mailed fecal testing differ with respect to characteristics (e.g., type, location, and proportion of uninsured patients) and (2) identify implementation practices among clinics that offer mailed fecal testing. Our findings revealed that over half (58%) of clinics implemented mailed fecal testing. These clinics were more likely to have a CRC screening policy than clinics that did not implement mailed fecal testing (p = 0.007) and to serve a larger patient population (p = 0.004), but less likely to have a large proportion of uninsured patients (p = 0.01). Clinics that implemented mailed fecal testing offered it in combination with EBIs, including patient reminders (92%), provider reminders (94%), and other activities to reduce structural barriers (95%). However, fewer clinics reported having the leadership support (58%) or funding stability (29%) to sustain mailed fecal testing. Mailed fecal testing was widely implemented alongside other EBIs in primary care clinics participating in the CRCCP, but multiple opportunities for enhancing its implementation exist. These include increasing the proportion of community health centers/federally qualified health centers offering mailed screening; increasing the proportion that provide pre-paid return mail supplies with the screening kit; increasing the proportion of clinics monitoring both screening kit distribution and return; ensuring patients with abnormal tests can obtain colonoscopy; and increasing sustainability planning and support.
Prevalence and Causes of Diagnostic Errors in Hospitalized Patients Under Investigation for COVID-19
Authors: Auerbach Andrew D. , Astik Gopi J. , O’Leary Kevin J. , Barish Peter N. , Kantor Molly A. , Raffel Katie R. , Ranji Sumant R. , Mueller Stephanie K. , Burney Sharran N. , Galinsky Janice , Gershanik Esteban F. , Goyal Abhishek , Chitneni Pooja R. , Rastegar Sarah , Esmaili Armond M. , Fenton Cynthia , Virapongse Anunta , Ngov Li-Kheng , Burden Marisha , Keniston Angela , Patel Hemali , Gupta Ashwin B. , Rohde Jeff , Marr Ruby , Greysen S. Ryan , Fang Michele , Shah Pranav , Mao Frances , Kaiksow Farah , Sterken David , Choi Justin J. , Contractor Jigar , Karwa Abhishek , Chia David , Lee Tiffany , Hubbard Colin C. , Maselli Judith , Dalal Anuj K. , Schnipper Jeffrey L.
Published: March 2023

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic required clinicians to care for a disease with evolving characteristics while also adhering to care changes (e.g., physical distancing practices) that might lead to diagnostic errors (DEs).

Objective

To determine the frequency of DEs and their causes among patients hospitalized under investigation (PUI) for COVID-19.

Design

Retrospective cohort.

Setting

Eight medical centers affiliated with the Hospital Medicine ReEngineering Network (HOMERuN).

Target population

Adults hospitalized under investigation (PUI) for COVID-19 infection between February and July 2020.

Measurements

We randomly selected up to 8 cases per site per month for review, with each case reviewed by two clinicians to determine whether a DE (defined as a missed or delayed diagnosis) occurred, and whether any diagnostic process faults took place. We used bivariable statistics to compare patients with and without DE and multivariable models to determine which process faults or patient factors were associated with DEs.

Results

Two hundred and fifty-seven patient charts underwent review, of which 36 (14%) had a diagnostic error. Patients with and without DE were statistically similar in terms of socioeconomic factors, comorbidities, risk factors for COVID-19, and COVID-19 test turnaround time and eventual positivity. Most common diagnostic process faults contributing to DE were problems with clinical assessment, testing choices, history taking, and physical examination (all p < 0.01). Diagnostic process faults associated with policies and procedures related to COVID-19 were not associated with DE risk. Fourteen patients (35.9% of patients with errors and 5.4% overall) suffered harm or death due to diagnostic error.

Limitations

Results are limited by available documentation and do not capture communication between providers and patients.

Conclusion

Among PUI patients, DEs were common and not associated with pandemic-related care changes, suggesting the importance of more general diagnostic process gaps in error propagation.
Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of a Ni-Based Superalloy Thin Film Investigated by Micropillar Compression
Authors: Kalchev Y. , Zehl R. , Piotrowiak T. , Kostka A. , Naujoks D. , Pfetzing-Micklich J. , Ludwig A.
Published: March 2023

The microstructure and local micromechanical properties of a Ni-based superalloy thin film produced by magnetron sputtering using ERBO/1 sputter targets were investigated. The thin film consists of columnar nanograins (an average size of ~ 45 nm) with mostly < 111 > orientation. Inside the nanograins, very fine nanotwins with an average thickness of ~ 3 nm are present. In-situ micropillar compression tests, complemented by nanoindentation, were conducted to evaluate the mechanical characteristics. The microhardness and Young’s modulus of the thin film correspond to ~ 11 and 255 GPa, respectively, the critical strength to ~ 4 GPa. The plastic deformation of the micropillars occurs through the formation of a shear band initiating at the top of the pillar. Inside the shear band, globular grains with random orientation form during the deformation process, while the regions near to the shear band remained unaffected.
New Solder Based on the Sn-Zn Eutectic with Addition of Ag, Al, and Li
Authors: Dybeł Aleksandra , Pstruś Janusz
Published: March 2023

New solder, based on Sn-Zn, with the addition of 1 at.% Ag, 1 at.% Al, and 0.5 at.% Li (SZAAL) was prepared. The influence of alloying elements on mechanical and electrical properties, microstructure, and melting point was investigated. The tensile test showed enhanced mechanical properties of SZAAL alloy compared to Sn-Zn eutectic and Sn-Zn-Ag. Investigated Al and Li additions improve the mechanical properties of the alloy, tensile strength and solder plasticity. Another positive effect is that those elements caused a decrease in the melting point, compared to Sn-Zn with 1 at.% Ag. Microstructural investigation revealed a fine Sn-Zn eutectic structure with the present epsilon phase (AgZn3). The addition of lithium and silver decreased the coefficient of linear expansion of the tested alloys. Li addition reduced significantly both the surface and interfacial tension, which translates into improved solder wettability. The surface tension of all solders decreased with temperature, but the interfacial tension increased with temperature. That is due to the weakening effect of the flux. Thus, the soldering temperature in the presence of the ALU33® flux should not exceed 250 °C.
AI Moral Enhancement: Upgrading the Socio-Technical System of Moral Engagement
Authors: Volkman Richard , Gabriels Katleen
Published: March 2023

Several proposals for moral enhancement would use AI to augment (auxiliary enhancement) or even supplant (exhaustive enhancement) human moral reasoning or judgment. Exhaustive enhancement proposals conceive AI as some self-contained oracle whose superiority to our own moral abilities is manifest in its ability to reliably deliver the ‘right’ answers to all our moral problems. We think this is a mistaken way to frame the project, as it presumes that we already know many things that we are still in the process of working out, and reflecting on this fact reveals challenges even for auxiliary proposals that eschew the oracular approach. We argue there is nonetheless a substantial role that ‘AI mentors’ could play in our moral education and training. Expanding on the idea of an AI Socratic Interlocutor, we propose a modular system of multiple AI interlocutors with their own distinct points of view reflecting their training in a diversity of concrete wisdom traditions. This approach minimizes any risk of moral disengagement, while the existence of multiple modules from a diversity of traditions ensures pluralism is preserved. We conclude with reflections on how all this relates to the broader notion of moral transcendence implicated in the project of AI moral enhancement, contending it is precisely the whole concrete socio-technical system of moral engagement that we need to model if we are to pursue moral enhancement.
Machine Ethics: Do Androids Dream of Being Good People?
Authors: Génova Gonzalo , Moreno Valentín , González M. Rosario
Published: March 2023

Is ethics a computable function? Can machines learn ethics like humans do? If teaching consists in no more than programming, training, indoctrinating… and if ethics is merely following a code of conduct, then yes, we can teach ethics to algorithmic machines. But if ethics is not merely about following a code of conduct or about imitating the behavior of others, then an approach based on computing outcomes, and on the reduction of ethics to the compilation and application of a set of rules, either a priori or learned, misses the point. Our intention is not to solve the technical problem of machine ethics, but to learn something about human ethics, and its rationality, by reflecting on the ethics that can and should be implemented in machines. Any machine ethics implementation will have to face a number of fundamental or conceptual problems, which in the end refer to philosophical questions, such as: what is a human being (or more generally, what is a worthy being); what is human intentional acting; and how are intentional actions and their consequences morally evaluated. We are convinced that a proper understanding of ethical issues in AI can teach us something valuable about ourselves, and what it means to lead a free and responsible ethical life, that is, being good people beyond merely “following a moral code”. In the end we believe that rationality must be seen to involve more than just computing, and that value rationality is beyond numbers. Such an understanding is a required step to recovering a renewed rationality of ethics, one that is urgently needed in our highly technified society.
Understanding antecedents of active product recommendations behaviour in online social networking communities
Authors: Xu Yan , Chen Linmin
Published: March 2023

The intention to promote voluntary product recommendation by individuals in the community during online social contact has aroused more and more interest. At present, in a network community composed of consumers, the reasons for personal active product recommendation by consumers are not obvious. In order to further explore the personal active product recommendation behaviour in the community during online social contact and the key factors that influence this behaviour, we have developed a model that, based on the Cognitive Emotion Theory, examines the reciprocal relationships in the community environment and the emotional impact of community homogeneity on the sense of community belonging and community receptivity, which ultimately influences the subsequent active product recommendation behaviour of individuals. The SEM-PLS technique was used to analyse the data collected from a questionnaire survey of 480 WeChat community users. The results of the study show that good community reciprocity and homogeneity have a positive impact on a sense of community belonging and receptivity, and these factors in turn have a positive impact on active product recommendation behaviour. The implications of these findings for both theory and practice are discussed, including the importance of fostering positive reciprocity and homogeneity in online communities to increase individuals’ active product recommendation behaviour. The findings provide insights for online community administrators on how to foster a sense of community belonging and receptivity, which can ultimately lead to a more active and engaged community.
Quantitative characterization of igneous rock thermal effect on sandstone reservoir reconstruction based on heat conduction
Authors: Wu Chun-xin , Liu Ying-xian , Yuan Jian-wei , Wang Shao-peng , Zhang Bo
Published: March 2023

The X oilfield is the first sandstone reservoir under the influence of igneous rock, which is discovered and put into development in Bohai Sea. Compared with the conventional sandstone reservoir, the oilfield is affected by magmatic activity, the reservoir heterogeneity is serious and the micro pore structure is complex, which results in the poor correlation between mobility calculated by traditional methods and specific oil production index. In order to predict oil well productivity and guide oilfield well location deployment, the quantitative transformation of sandstone reservoir affected by igneous rock is studied in this paper. According to the distribution mode of igneous rock in the reservoir, a permeability model of quantitative characterization for sandstone reservoir permeability is established, in which the influences of heat conduction, reservoir skeleton deformation and stress sensitivity are considered, and then the igneous rock influence on the ground temperature field of surrounding rock is simulated by ANSYS software. According to the relationship between porosity and permeability, the quantitative transformation effect of igneous rock thermal effect on sandstone reservoir is quantitatively characterized. The reservoir temperature field variation law, different baking types and igneous rock thickness influence on the transformation degree of sandstone reservoir are analyzed. Finally, the X oilfield is taken as an example to verify the research method, and the second batch of wells location deployment is successfully guided. The results show that the thermal effect of igneous rock reduces the permeability of reservoir, and the temperature of reservoir increases first and then decreases with time, the rising speed is faster than the falling speed, with the increase in distance from igneous rock, the maximum temperature of reservoir shows a downward trend, in the case of baking on both sides, the heat of igneous rock is greater, which makes the temperature of surrounding reservoir rise more, and the transformation effect on reservoir is more obvious. The influence range of igneous rock thickness on permeability is basically the same, but with the increase in thickness, igneous rock has a greater influence on surrounding rock. The research example of the X oilfield shows that the existence of igneous rock reduces the reservoir physical properties of development wells by 1.2–5.9 times. The correlation between igneous rock physical properties and specific oil production index corrected by this method can reach 0.9478. By avoiding igneous rock, the comparative production of the second batch of development wells is 1.5 times that of the first batch of development wells.
Dosimetric evaluation of an intraoperative radiotherapy system: a measurement-based and Monte-Carlo modelling investigation
Authors: Chin Marsha , Rowshanfarzad Pejman , Neveri Gabor , Ebert Martin A. , Pfefferlé David
Published: March 2023

Intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) is a specialised subset of radiotherapy, where a high radiation dose is delivered to a surgically exposed tumour bed in order to eradicate any remaining cancer cells. The aim of this study was to examine the dose characteristics of the Zeiss Intrabeam IORT device which provides near-isotropic emission of up to 50 kV X-rays. The EGSnrc Monte Carlo (MC) code system was used to simulate the device and percentage depth dose (PDD) data measured with a soft X-ray parallel-plate ionisation chamber were used for model verification. The model provided energy spectra, isodose curves and mean photon energies. In addition, EBT3 Gafchromic film was used to verify the MC model by examining PDDs and 2D dose distributions for various applicators. The differences between MC model and ionisation chamber measurements were within 3% for most points, with a maximum deviation of ~ 9%. Most of the simulated PDD points were within 5% of the film-measured data, with a maximum deviation of ~ 10%. The mean energy of the bare probe was found to be 21.19 keV. The mean photon energy from applicators ranged from 29.00 to 30.85 keV. Results of this study may be useful for future work on creating a system for treatment planning.
RCN2 promotes Nasopharyngeal carcinoma progression by curbing Calcium flow and Mitochondrial apoptosis
Authors: Yao Hui , Zhang Siyu , Xie Haijing , Fan Yue , Miao Mengyu , Zhu Rui , Yuan Ling , Gu Miao , You Yiwen , You Bo
Published: March 2023

Objective

Evidence suggests that calcium release from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) can be induced to cause calcium overload, which in turn can trigger mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis. Dysregulation of systemic calcium homeostasis and changing levels of calcium-binding proteins have been shown to be associated with the malignant behavior of tumors. However, the precise molecular mechanism underlying Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remains uncertain.

Methods

Reticulocalbin (RCN2) expression in NPC was assessed using GEO database, western blot analysis and qRT-PCR. Apoptosis was assessed using flow cytometric analysis and the expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins were determined using western blot analysis. Intracellular calcium ion concentrations were measured using fluorescence imaging. The findings from these analyses were validated in vitro using nude mice models. Luciferase and ChIP assays were used to measure transcriptional regulation. Clinical significance was evaluated using tissue microarray analysis (n=150).

Results

Our results showed that RCN2 promotes malignancy by causing Ca2+ flow imbalance, which leads to the initiation of the stress-mediated mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. We demonstrate that calreticulin (CALR) resides primarily in the endoplasmic reticulum and interacts with RCN2. Moreover, the transcription factors YY1 and homeobox protein goosecoid (GSC) both contribute to the initiation of RCN2 transcription by directly binding to the predicted promoter region of RCN2. Finally, high expression of RCN2 combined with high expression of GSC and YY1 may serve as an important clinical biomarker of poor prognosis in patients with NPC.

Conclusion

YY1 and GSC are upstream regulators of RCN2, involved in mitochondrial calcium overload and stress-induced mitochondrial apoptosis. Thus, they can play significant role in the malignant development of NPCs.
Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells derived exosomal Lnc TUG1 promotes bone fracture recovery via miR-22-5p/Anxa8 axis
Authors: Li Wei , Li Lihong , Cui Rui , Chen Xiaoqing , Hu Haifeng , Qiu Yuyu
Published: March 2023

Bone fracture healing is a complex physiologic process that involves changes in the expression of several thousand genes. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) may have critical biological roles in this process. The objectives of the present study were to determine whether BMSC-derived exosomal lncTUG1 can enhance osteogenic differentiation and thereby promoting bone fracture recovery and to investigate its potential mechanisms of action. Bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells were isolated from mice and cultured for the following experiments. After adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation induction, Oil Red O, alizarin red S, and alkaline phosphatase staining solutions were applied to confirm the formation of lipid droplets and calcium nodules. Western blotting analyses, real-time reverse transcription PCR assays, luciferase reporter were performed to confirm relative RNA and protein expressions and luciferase activities of transfected cells. RNA pull-down and RNA immunoprecipitation assays were also carried to verify the interaction between lncTUG1 and miR-22-5p. Additionally, a mouse model of closed femoral fractures was generated to evaluate the in vivo effect of increased lncTUG1 on fracture healing. BMSC-derived exosomal lncTUG1 enhanced the activity of osteoblasts. Overexpression of miR-22-5p reversed the osteopromoting effect of increased lncTUG1. The knockdown of Anxa8 reversed the osteogenic effect of miR-22-5p inhibitors, indicating an interaction between Anxa8 and miR-22-5p. Upregulation of lncTUG1 could promote the fracture recovery in vivo. In conclusion, the present study highlights the functional importance of BMSC-derived exosomal lncTUG1 in the process of bone fracture recovery.
Parents’ Reported Satisfaction of Their Children’s Assessment and Diagnoses of ASD: A Cross-Country Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Small Roxanne , Belluigi Dina Zoe
Published: March 2023

This paper represents a systematic review of peer-reviewed articles which included reports of parental dis/satisfaction about their child’s autism spectrum disorder (ASD) assessment and diagnoses. Five themes emerged which are visualised in evidence maps: country comparisons of parental dis/satisfaction; factors which enhanced satisfaction; barriers which prohibited satisfaction; differences in national diagnostic methodology; and the chronology of diagnoses across countries. Evidence gaps indicate the lack of unified approaches to the diagnostic process; underrepresentation of such research showing a geographical spread; a lack of unified approaches to the diagnostic process; and where a significantly higher reporting of dissatisfied outcomes was documented. Results indicate that higher parental dissatisfaction is linked to those whose children had undergone the ASD diagnostic process, and those experiencing negative cultural stigmas prior to, or throughout, their child’s ASD diagnosis.
How ploughing and frictional melting regulate ice-skating friction
Authors: Du Feng , Ke Peng , Hong Ping
Published: March 2023

The slipperiness of ice is well known while, for ice skating, its mechanism still needs further investigation, where the complex interactions including the thermal conduction of the skate—meltwater—ice system, the ploughing and the frictional melting of ice to the friction force are still unclear. This study presents a theoretical framework and a simplified analytical solution to unveil the friction mechanism when a curved skate sliding on ice. The theory is validated by experiments and the effects of these various factors, including the sliding velocity, the ice temperature, the supporting weight, and the geometry of the skate blade to the friction are revealed in detail. This study finds that the contribution of friction force from the ploughing deformation through skate indentation and that from the fluid friction through the shear motion of the meltwater layer is comparable with each other, which thus clarifies how the ploughing deformation of the ice substrate together with its frictional melting regulates the friction during skating.
A modified model of Lundberg-Palmgren rolling contact fatigue formula considering the effects of surface treatments
Authors: Zhang Boyu , Liu Huaiju , Wei Peitang , Guagliano Mario , Hou Shengwen
Published: March 2023

The Lundberg-Palmgren (L-P) fatigue life formula, as a statistical fatigue theory, has been widely used in the industry. However, its direct applicability is limited to the components treated by surface strengthening technologies. Rolling contact fatigue tests and surface integrity measurements of American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) 9310 rollers with several surface treatments were performed to address this issue. Based on these results, a modified L-P fatigue model was proposed, enabling the consideration of surface modification including surface roughness, residual stress, and hardening introduced by different surface treatments. Compared with the original L-P fatigue formula, its results are more accurate for surface strengthened specimens. Furthermore, this method can assess the contact fatigue life of gears treated by surface strengthening techniques.
Exploring the Social Determinants of Mental Health by Race and Ethnicity in Army Wives
Authors: Dodge Jessica , Sullivan Kathrine , Miech Edward , Clomax Adriane , Riviere Lyndon , Castro Carl
Published: March 2023

Objective

To explore the social determinants of mental health (SDoMH) by race/ethnicity in a sample with equal access to healthcare. Using an adaptation of the World Health Organization’s SDoMH Framework, this secondary analysis examines the socio-economic factors that make up the SDoMH by race/ethnicity.

Method

This paper employed configurational comparative methods (CCMs) to analyze various racial/ethnic subsets from quantitative survey data from (N = 327) active-duty Army wives. Data was collected in 2012 by Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.

Results

Initial exploratory analysis revealed the highest-scoring factors for each racial/ethnic subgroup: non-Hispanic Black: employment and a history of adverse childhood events (ACEs); Hispanic: living off post and a recent childbirth; junior enlisted non-Hispanic White: high work-family conflict and ACEs; non-Hispanic other race: high work-family conflict and not having a military history. Final analysis showed four models consistently explained clinically significant depression symptoms and four models consistently explained the absence of clinical depression symptoms, providing a solution for each racial/ethnic minority group (non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, junior enlisted non-Hispanic White, and non-Hispanic other).

Discussion

These findings highlight that Army wives are not a monolithic group, despite their collective exposure to military-specific stressors. These findings also highlight the potential for applying configurational approaches to gain new insights into mental health outcomes for social science and clinical researchers.
Putative circulating adipose tissue-derived stem cells, obesity, and metabolic syndrome features
Authors: Bonora B. M. , Cappellari R. , Albiero M. , Prevedello L. , Foletto M. , Vettor R. , Avogaro A. , Fadini G. P.
Published: March 2023

Purpose

In mice, adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ASCs) reach the systemic circulation and establish ectopic adipose depots fostering insulin resistance, but whether this occurs in humans is unknown. We examined circulating ASCs in individuals with various combination of metabolic syndrome traits.

Methods

We enrolled patients attending a routine metabolic evaluation or scheduled for bariatric surgery. We quantified ASCs as CD34+CD45−CD31−(CD36+) cells in the stromal vascular fraction of subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue samples and examined the presence and frequency of putative ASCs in peripheral blood.

Results

We included 111 patients (mean age 59 years, 55% males), 40 of whom were scheduled for bariatric surgery. The population of CD34+CD45−CD31− ASCs was significantly more frequent in visceral than subcutaneous adipose depots (10.4 vs 4.1% of the stromal vascular fraction; p < 0.001), but not correlated with BMI or metabolic syndrome traits. The same phenotype of ASCs was detectable in peripheral blood of 58.6% of patients. Those with detectable circulating ASCs had significantly higher BMI (37.8 vs 33.3 kg/m2; p = 0.003) and waist (111.2 vs 105.4 cm; p = 0.001), but no difference in other metabolic syndrome traits (p = 0.84). After bariatric surgery, patients with detectable circulating ASCs had greater BMI reductions at 6 months (− 10.4 vs − 7.8 kg/m2; p = 0.014).

Conclusion

Presence of putative circulating ASCs, antigenically similar to those observed in the adipose tissue, is associated with greater adiposity and larger BMI reduction after surgery, but not with clinical signs of metabolic impairment. The role of circulating ASCs in adipose tissue biology and systemic metabolism deserves further investigation.
A random elite ensemble learning swarm optimizer for high-dimensional optimization
Authors: Yang Qiang , Song Gong-Wei , Gao Xu-Dong , Lu Zhen-Yu , Jeon Sang-Woon , Zhang Jun
Published: March 2023

High-dimensional optimization problems are increasingly pervasive in real-world applications nowadays and become harder and harder to optimize due to increasingly interacting variables. To tackle such problems effectively, this paper designs a random elite ensemble learning swarm optimizer (REELSO) by taking inspiration from human observational learning theory. First, this optimizer partitions particles in the current swarm into two exclusive groups: the elite group consisting of the top best particles and the non-elite group containing the rest based on their fitness values. Next, it employs particles in the elite group to build random elite neighbors for each particle in the non-elite group to form a positive learning environment for the non-elite particle to observe. Subsequently, the non-elite particle is updated by cognitively learning from the best elite among the neighbors and collectively learning from all elites in the environment. For one thing, each non-elite particle is directed by superior ones, and thus the convergence of the swarm could be guaranteed. For another, the elite learning environment is randomly formed for each non-elite particle, and hence high swarm diversity could be maintained. Finally, this paper further devises a dynamic partition strategy to divide the swarm into the two groups dynamically during the evolution, so that the swarm gradually changes from exploring the immense solution space to exploiting the found optimal areas without serious diversity loss. With the above mechanisms, the devised REELSO is expected to explore the search space and exploit the found optimal areas properly. Abundant experiments on two popularly used high-dimensional benchmark sets prove that the devised optimizer performs competitively with or even significantly outperforms several state-of-the-art approaches designed for high-dimensional optimization.
Quantification study of mental load state based on AHP–TOPSIS integration extended with cloud model: methodological and experimental research
Authors: Zheng Xin , Hao Tengteng , Wang Huiyu , Xu Kaili
Published: March 2023

Mental load affects the work efficiency and mental health of operators, and it has a vital effect on the efficiency and reliability of human–machine systems. In this study, the evaluation index system of operators’ mental load was used to quantitatively evaluate the mental load state of workers. The system was established by selecting indices from the operators’ physiological parameters, subjective feelings, and time perception. We propose an extended cloud evaluation model of mental load states that combines cloud model (CM) theory with analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) and provides mental load levels. An energetic material initiation experiment was conducted to evaluate the mental load state of the operators using the proposed method, and the results of a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation and subjective questionnaire were used to verify the performance of the method. The results show that the extended CM evaluation method scientifically and reliably quantified the mental load state. Applying the AHP-TOPSIS integration extended with the CM theory evaluation method in mental load state evaluation provides a new scientific method for studying the quantification of the mental load state and occupational health of workers in hazardous environments. The results of this study are a reference for assessing the mental state of personnel and analyzing occupational suitability for dangerous posts.