bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Microvascular and proteomic signatures overlap in COVID-19 and bacterial sepsis: the MICROCODE study
Authors: Rovas Alexandros , Buscher Konrad , Osiaevi Irina , Drost Carolin Christina , Sackarnd Jan , Tepasse Phil-Robin , Fobker Manfred , Kühn Joachim , Braune Stephan , Göbel Ulrich , Thölking Gerold , Gröschel Andreas , Rossaint Jan , Vink Hans , Lukasz Alexander , Pavenstädt Hermann , Kümpers Philipp
Published: June 2022

Aims

Although coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and bacterial sepsis are distinct conditions, both are known to trigger endothelial dysfunction with corresponding microcirculatory impairment. The purpose of this study was to compare microvascular injury patterns and proteomic signatures in COVID-19 and bacterial sepsis patients.

Methods and results

This multi-center, observational study included 22 hospitalized adult COVID-19 patients, 43 hospitalized bacterial sepsis patients, and 10 healthy controls from 4 hospitals. Microcirculation and glycocalyx dimensions were quantified via intravital sublingual microscopy. Plasma proteins were measured using targeted proteomics (Olink). Coregulation and cluster analysis of plasma proteins was performed using a training-set and confirmed in a test-set. An independent external cohort of 219 COVID-19 patients was used for validation and outcome analysis. Microcirculation and plasma proteome analysis found substantial overlap between COVID-19 and bacterial sepsis. Severity, but not disease entity explained most data variation. Unsupervised correlation analysis identified two main coregulated plasma protein signatures in both diseases that strictly counteract each other. They were associated with microvascular dysfunction and several established markers of clinical severity. The signatures were used to derive new composite biomarkers of microvascular injury that allow to predict 28-day mortality or/and intubation (area under the curve 0.90, p < 0.0001) in COVID-19.

Conclusion

Our data imply a common biological host response of microvascular injury in both bacterial sepsis and COVID-19. A distinct plasma signature correlates with endothelial health and improved outcomes, while a counteracting response is associated with glycocalyx breakdown and high mortality. Microvascular health biomarkers are powerful predictors of clinical outcomes.

Graphical abstract
Assessing the Legitimacy of Corporate Political Activity: Uber and the Quest for Responsible Innovation
Authors: de los Reyes Gastón , Scholz Markus
Published: June 2022

Building on literature in political CSR and corporate political activity (CPA) as well as responsible innovation and responsible lobbying, we introduce a framework to assess the legitimacy status of corporate political activity. We focus on the fact that companies frequently face sharp regulatory backlash after penetrating markets with their innovations. In response to regulatory backlash, big tech companies often employ an arsenal of corporate political activities to (re-)shape national and local regulatory environments, which raises the important questions about the legitimacy of CPA tactics that we address. To develop and apply this framework, we briefly survey and then assess Uber’s corporate political activities in its 2015 New York City political campaign.
Governing Queer Histories and Futures: A Critical Place-Based Analysis of State Apology
Authors: Albion Astrid , Russell Emma K.
Published: June 2022

The southern island of Tasmania is renowned for being the last Australian state to decriminalise homosexuality in 1997. Twenty years after the repeal of these laws, the state parliament of Tasmania passed legislation introducing an expungement scheme for historical homosexual convictions and delivered an apology for their harms. In this article, we draw upon theories of sexual citizenship to develop a critical place-based analysis of the Tasmanian apology that is attentive to the specificities of the region’s political, social, and cultural context. We argue that the parliament’s attempts to redefine the boundaries of sexual belonging through apology and expungement entail new forms of erasure, exclusion and policing. The limits of the apology’s liberal discourse of progress are foretold by several tendencies within its narration, including: the persistent impulse to erase both past records of the law’s violence and future LGBTQIA + identities; assumptions of sexual essentialism and biological determinism; and the uneasy demarcation of il/legal sexual practices, which reasserts the state’s authority to govern sexuality through recourse to the criminal law. Our analysis highlights the need for more place-based analysis of emergent modes of sexual governance within queer criminology and for further research into the material benefits, if any, that apologies and expungement schemes provide to those affected.
Asymmetric Information in a Capital Accumulation Differential Game with Spillover and Learning Effects
Authors: Feichtinger Gustav , Hartl Richard F. , Kort Peter M. , Seidl Andrea , Wrzaczek Stefan
Published: June 2022

This paper considers a capital accumulation game where the installation costs of investments are lowered by the firm’s own capital stock because of learning and by the competitor’s capital stock because of spillover effects. To properly understand the impact of the two capital stocks, we consider six information structures which differ in whether a firm takes into account that their competitor’s strategy depends only on time or on one or both capital stocks. We find that if firms are aware that their own capital stock makes investments of the competitor more efficient, a firm would invest less. Due to this effect, information only pays off if it is taken into account by both competitors, because otherwise the less informed and therefore less cautious player invests more and has a higher capital stock and revenues in the long run.
Selenium Alleviates Cerebral Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury by Regulating Oxidative Stress, Mitochondrial Fusion and Ferroptosis
Authors: Shi Yuanyuan , Han Lijian , Zhang Xianxian , Xie Lili , Pan Pinglei , Chen Fei
Published: June 2022

To clarify the potential role of selenium (Se) on cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, we utilized mouse middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) followed by reperfusion as an animal model and oxygen–glucose deprivation and reoxygenation (OGD/R) to treat N2a cells as a cell model, respectively. MCAO model was established in mice and then divided into different groups with or without Se treatment. TTC staining was used to observe whether the cerebral I/R modeling was successful, and the apoptosis level was determined by TUNEL staining. The expression of GPx-4 and p22phox was assessed by western blot. In vitro experiments, the OGD/R induced oxidative stress in N2a cells was assessed by levels of GSH/GSSG, malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase and iron content, respectively. QRT-PCR was used to detect the mRNA levels of Cox-2, Fth1, Mfn1 and mtDNA in N2a cells. JC-1 staining and flow cytometry was performed to detect the mitochondrial membrane potential. Se treatment alleviated cerebral I/R injury and improved the survival rate of mice. Additionally, Se treatment apparently attenuated oxidative stress and inhibited iron accumulation in MCAO model mice and OGD/R model of N2a cells. In terms of its mechanism, Se could up-regulate Mfn1 expression to alleviate oxidative stress and ferroptosis by promoting mitochondrial fusion in vivo and vitro. These findings suggest that Se may have great potential in alleviating cerebral I/R injury.
Machine learning and landslide studies: recent advances and applications
Authors: Tehrani Faraz S. , Calvello Michele , Liu Zhongqiang , Zhang Limin , Lacasse Suzanne
Published: June 2022

Upon the introduction of machine learning (ML) and its variants, in the form that we know today, to the landslide community, many studies have been carried out to explore the usefulness of ML in landslide research and to look at some classic landslide problems from an ML point of view. ML techniques, including deep learning methods, are becoming popular to model complex landslide problems and are starting to demonstrate promising predictive performance compared to conventional methods. Almost all the studies published in the literature in recent years belong to one of the following three broad categories: landslide detection and mapping, landslide spatial forecasting in the form of susceptibility mapping, and landslide temporal forecasting. In this paper, we present a brief overview of ML techniques, provide a general summary of the landslide studies conducted, in recent years, in the three above-mentioned categories, and make an attempt to critically evaluate the use of ML methods to model landslide processes. The paper also provides suggestions for future use of these powerful data-driven techniques in landslide studies.
Geometrically nonlinear dynamic analysis of the stiffened perovskite solar cell subjected to biaxial velocity impacts
Authors: Bo Luo , Gao Wei , Yu Yuguo , Chen Xiaojun
Published: June 2022

The perovskite solar cell (PSC) is one of the most promising photovoltaic candidates along with the highly increasing demand for green electricity. One of the main concerns regarding the PSC during its service life is nonlinear instability due to ultra-thin structural features and dynamic loadings. This paper presents a framework for nonlinear dynamic and stability analyses of the PSC with oblique stiffeners that are integrated as enhancements against external impacts. Considering von-Kármán geometric nonlinearity and smeared oblique stiffeners, the dynamic governing equation is derived by capitalizing on Airy’s stress function and the Galerkin approach. The deduced nonlinear motion equation can be effectively solved by the fourth-order Runge–Kutta method, such that the natural frequency, wind-induced nonlinear vibration behaviour, and dynamic buckling characteristics of the stiffened PSC can be assessed. The accuracy of the developed framework is verified with established benchmarks. Moreover, the effects of the damping ratio, thermal variance, wind load, compression speed, elastic foundation, initial imperfection, compression ratio, oblique stiffeners, and active layer thickness on the structural response and stability are thoroughly examined. Concluding remarks, drawn from this study, on the mechanical performance and stability of the novel PSC will benefit the practical design and application of PSC energy harvesting devices.
Clinical and radiographic assessment of peripheral joints in controlled acromegaly
Authors: Pelsma Iris C. M. , Kroon Herman M. , van Trigt Victoria R. , Pereira Alberto M. , Kloppenburg Margreet , Biermasz Nienke R. , Claessen Kim M. J. A.
Published: June 2022

Purpose

Acromegalic arthropathy is a well-known phenomenon, occurring in most patients regardless of disease status. To date, solely hips, knees, hands, and spinal joints have been radiographically assessed. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of joint symptoms and radiographic osteoarthritis (OA) of new, and established peripheral joint sites in well-controlled acromegaly.

Methods

Fifty-one acromegaly patients (56% female, mean age 64 ± 12 years) in long-term remission for 18.3 years (median, IQR 7.2–25.4) were included. Nineteen patients currently received pharmacological treatment. Self-reported joint complaints were assessed using standardized interviews. Self-reported disability of the upper and lower limbs, and health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) were evaluated using validated questionnaires. Radiographic OA [defined as Kellgren & Lawrence (KL) ≥ 2] was scored using (modified) KL methods.

Results

Radiographic signs of OA were present in 46 patients (90.2%) with ≥ 2 joints affected in virtually all of these patients (N = 44; 95.7%). Radiographic MTP1 OA was as prevalent as radiographic knee OA (N = 26, 51.0%), and radiographic glenohumeral OA was similarly prevalent as hip OA [N = 21 (41.2%) vs. N = 24 (47.1%)]. Risk factors for radiographic glenohumeral OA were higher pre-treatment IGF-1 levels [OR 1.06 (1.01–1.12), P = 0.021], and current pharmacological treatment [OR 5.01 (1.03–24.54), P = 0.047], whereas no risk factors for MTP1 joint OA could be identified.

Conclusion

Similar to previously-assessed peripheral joints, clinical and radiographic arthropathy of the shoulder and feet were prevalent in controlled acromegaly. Further studies on adequate management strategies of acromegalic arthropathy are needed.
Robust and accurate regression-based techniques for period inference in real-time systems
Authors: Vădineanu Şerban , Nasri Mitra
Published: June 2022

With the growth in complexity of real-time embedded systems, there is an increasing need for tools and techniques to understand and compare the observed runtime behavior of a system with the expected one. Since many real-time applications require periodic interactions with the environment, one of the fundamental problems in guaranteeing their temporal correctness is to be able to infer the periodicity of certain events in the system. The practicability of a period inference tool, however, depends on both its accuracy and robustness (also its resilience) against noise in the output trace of the system, e.g., when the system trace is impacted by the presence of aperiodic tasks, release jitters, and runtime variations in the execution time of the tasks. This work (i) presents the first period inference framework that uses regression-based machine-learning (RBML) methods, and (ii) thoroughly investigates the accuracy and robustness of different families of RBML methods in the presence of uncertainties in the system parameters. We show, on both synthetically generated traces and traces from actual systems, that our solutions can reduce the error of period estimation by two to three orders of magnitudes w.r.t. the state of the art.
Linking Friction Scales from Nano to Macro via Avalanches
Authors: Salners Tyler , Curry John F. , Hinkle Adam R. , Babuska Tomas F. , Argibay Nicolas , DelRio Frank W. , Chandross Michael , Dahmen Karin
Published: June 2022

Steady-state fluctuations in the friction force of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), a prototypical lamellar solid, were analyzed experimentally for newton-scale forces and computationally via molecular dynamics simulations for nanonewton-scale forces. A mean field model links the statics and the dynamics of the friction behavior across these eight orders of magnitude in friction force and six orders of magnitude in friction force fluctuations (i.e., avalanches). Both the statistics and dynamics of the avalanches match model predictions, indicating that friction can be characterized as a series of avalanches with properties that are predictable over a wide range of scales.
Mercury–Selenium Accumulation Patterns in Muscle Tissue of Two Freshwater Fish Species, Eurasian Perch (Perca fluviatilis) and Vendace (Coregonus albula)
Authors: Regnell Olof , Tesson Sylvie V. M. , Oskolkov Nikolay , Nerentorp Michelle
Published: June 2022

Mercury (Hg) in the form of highly toxic methyl mercury (MeHg) accumulates in aquatic food webs to an extent where it may threaten fish health in many freshwaters. Selenium (Se) mitigates the toxicity of accumulated Hg by forming strong bonds with it, a drawback being diversion of Se from biosynthetic pathways of essential selenoenzymes. We measured Se and Hg in muscle tissue of Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis) and vendace (Coregonus albula). For the perch, Se and Hg correlated positively. For the vendace, a positive relationship was seen when the effect of fish size was accounted for. All fish displayed surplus Se (mol Se – mol Hg > 0). For both fish species, the Se molar surplus ((nmol Se – nmol Hg)/g ww) decreased with fish weight. It was higher in the perch than in the vendace and showed the least variation among the small perch (4–34 g). For the large perch (79–434 g), the Se molar surplus decreased with increasing Hg below 0.5 µg Hg but then increased with further Hg increment despite Hg being a negative term in the Se molar surplus. In case the Se molar surplus reflected the weight-specific Se requirement, the latter clearly decreased with increasing fish size for the vendace. This was less clear for the perch because of the strong correlation between Hg and weight. Together, these Se–Hg relationships suggest that Se accumulation was at least partly subject to homeostatic control and responded to the Hg body burden and the Se requirement.

Graphical abstract
Antifungal effect of triclosan on Aspergillus fumigatus: quorum quenching role as a single agent and synergy with liposomal amphotericin-B
Authors: Tamimi Roya , Kyazze Godfrey , Keshavarz Tajalli
Published: June 2022

The purpose of this research was to determine Aspergillus fumigatus conidial viability and its biofilm formation upon treatment with triclosan and amphotericin-B loaded liposomes. A. fumigatus was treated with the antimicrobials, triclosan and liposomal amphotericin-B (L-AMB), in single and combined supplementation. To quantify the cells’ viability upon treatments, resazurin-based viability assay was performed. Confocal laser scanning microscopy was done by applying FUN-1 stain to screen the role of the agents on extracellular polymeric substances. Total A. fumigatus biomass upon treatments was estimated by using crystal violet-based assay. To study the agents’ effect on the conidial viability, flow cytometry analysis was performed. Expression levels of A. fumigatus genes encoding cell wall proteins, α-(1,3)-glucans and galactosaminogalactan were analysed by real-time polymerase chain reaction assay. A synergistic interaction occurred between triclosan and L-AMB when they were added sequentially (triclosan + L-AMB) at their sub-minimum inhibitory concentrations, the triclosan and L-AMB MICs were dropped to 0.6 and 0.2 mg/L, respectively, from 2 to 1 mg/L. Besides, L-AMB and triclosan contributed to the down-regulation of α-(1,3)-glucan and galactosaminogalactan in A. fumigatus conidia and resulted in less conidia aggregation and mycelia adhesion to the biotic/abiotic surfaces; A. fumigatus conidia-became hydrophilic upon treatment, as a result of rodlet layer being masked by a hydrophilic layer or modified by the ionic strength of the rodlet layer. In A. fumigatus, the potential mechanisms of action for L-AMB might be through killing the cells and for triclosan through interrupting the cells’ development as a consequence of quorum quenching.
Evaluation verhaltenspräventiver Gesundheitsförderungsmaßnahmen in Inklusionsbetrieben
Authors: Efimov Ilona , Tell Anika , Kordsmeyer Ann-Christin , Harth Volker , Mache Stefanie
Published: June 2022

Hintergrund

Inklusionsbetriebe nach §§ 215–218 SGB IX bieten schwerbehinderten Menschen eine Beschäftigung auf dem allgemeinen Arbeitsmarkt. Seit 2018 sind Inklusionsbetriebe verpflichtet, Maßnahmen der betrieblichen Gesundheitsförderung (BGF) anzubieten.

Ziel der Arbeit

Das Ziel der vorliegenden Studie ist es, verhaltenspräventive BGF-Angebote in Form von Seminaren für schwerbehinderte Beschäftigte und deren Leitungskräfte in Inklusionsbetrieben zu evaluieren.

Material und Methoden

Anhand eines multimethodischen Studiendesigns erfolgte im Zeitraum von Juni bis November 2021 eine Evaluation der 12 Beschäftigtenseminare (3 Seminarkonzepte, z. B. Selbstfürsorge im Arbeitsalltag) mittels Fokusgruppen (n = 44) und eine Evaluation der 3 Leitungskräfteseminare zur gesunden Führung mittels eines standardisierten Fragebogens (n = 10). Die erhobenen quantitativen Daten wurden deskriptiv ausgewertet und die qualitativen Daten mithilfe der qualitativen Inhaltsanalyse nach Mayring induktiv analysiert.

Ergebnisse

Die Ergebnisse zeigten, dass die durchgeführten Maßnahmen zur BGF von Beschäftigten hinsichtlich der Zufriedenheit, der Seminarlänge, der Verständlichkeit und des erwarteten Nutzens mehrheitlich positiv bewertet wurden. Die Leitungskräfte bewerteten die Seminarinhalte, die Didaktik, die Seminarleitung und den Beitrag der Teilnehmenden mehrheitlich positiv.

Diskussion

Die Studie lieferte erste empirische Erkenntnisse zur Evaluation von BGF-Maßnahmen in Inklusionsbetrieben. Vor allem die auf die Inklusionsbetriebe angepassten Seminarinhalte konnten die Zufriedenheit der Teilnehmenden mit der Gesundheitsförderungsmaßnahme positiv beeinflussen. Insgesamt bedarf es weiterer Studien zur Entwicklung und Evaluation von verhältnis- und verhaltensbezogenen BGF-Maßnahmen in Inklusionsbetrieben.
How ecovillages work: more-than-human understandings of rentabilidad in Mexican ecovillages
Authors: Morris Olea
Published: June 2022

This article highlights the emergence of intentional communities known as ecovillages (ecoaldeas) in Mexico, exploring how humans seek to design sustainable futures in part by re-making rural livelihoods. Ecovillages are inherently speculative ventures, or as Burke and Arjona (2013) note, laboratories for alternative political ecologies, inviting—and indeed, necessitating—the reimagination of human lives with greater consideration for the natural world. In this sense, such communities might be understood as “exilic spaces” (O’Hearn and Grubačić 2016), in that they seek to build autonomous and self-sustaining agricultural, social, and economic systems while also reflecting a stance of resistance to neoliberal capitalist structures. At the same time, communities may also remain dependent on connections to broader regional or global markets in diverse and interconnected ways. Understanding ecovillages as diverse and emergent “worldings” (de la Cadena and Blaser 2018), I ask how these experimental social ventures reckon with their connections to the very systems they are positioned against. To trace out how communities negotiate this fragile space, this article is concerned with how ecovillagers spend their time at work—particularly when it comes to managing relationships with and between more-than-human beings. Drawing on participant observation with ecovillagers and more-than-human others they work with, I explore how the concept of “rentabilidad” (profitability) is differently constructed. To this end, I highlight ethnographic examples whererentabilidadis purposefully reconceptualized with more-than-human lives in mind; such a shift, I suggest, hinges on ecovillagers’ individualized relations with the beings they (imagine themselves) to care for.
Intra-abdominal Bleeding due to Segmental Arterial Mediolysis and Coexisting Pulmonary Thromboembolism: a Case Report
Authors: Togawa Yuki , Matsushime Susumu , Tamura Nobuichiro , Kawamoto Kazuyuki
Published: June 2022

Segmental arterial mediolysis (SAM) is a rare but important cause of abdominal haemorrhage and is usually treated with endovascular management. Surgical or conservative management can be performed depending on the patient’s situation. Since the course of conservative treatment is not well described in the existing literature, it must be used with caution. We describe the case of a 52-year-old man who was transferred to the emergency department because of abdominal pain, diarrhoea, and haematemesis. On arrival, he was haemodynamically unstable, with a blood pressure of 70/40 mmHg. After he was transfused and stabilised in the emergency department, contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) revealed a haematoma around the transverse colon and ascites, without any evident extravasation. The peripheral branch of the middle colic artery (MCA) showed irregular calibre, suggesting SAM. Since the patient remained stable, we initially chose conservative management. However, a CECT scan performed on the third day of hospitalisation showed coexisting pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE). Because of the need for anticoagulation therapy, we performed open surgery. The pathological examination was consistent with SAM. Anticoagulation therapy was initiated the next day. A CECT scan performed on a postoperative day (POD) 13 showed no PTE. Although the patient defecated haemorrhagic stool and experienced hematemesis on PODs 19 and 23, respectively, colonoscopy, esophagogastroduodenoscopy, and repeated CECT scans revealed no evidence of rebleeding, and no recurrence was observed. Open surgery produced a relatively good postoperative course for the patient. Endovascular management, however, remains a reasonable first approach, considering its reportedly excellent outcomes.
Temporal Changes in Mindfulness Skills and Positive and Negative Affect and Their Interrelationships During Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Cancer Patients
Authors: Cillessen Linda , Van de Ven Monique O. M. , Burk William. J. , Bisseling Else M. , Compen Félix R. , Van der Lee Marije L. , Speckens Anne E. M.
Published: June 2022

Objectives

While efficacy research on mindfulness-based interventions in cancer patients is available, research on possible mechanisms of change is lacking. The current study investigated general and week-to-week changes and interrelations in mindfulness and positive and negative affect in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) for cancer patients.

Methods

In total, 163 cancer patients completed face-to-face or online MBCT. Mindfulness and positive and negative affect were measured weekly during the intervention. Autoregressive latent trajectory models were used to evaluate general and week-to-week effects.

Results

Overall, mindfulness and positive affect increased, and negative affect decreased during MBCT. Higher general levels of mindfulness were associated with higher general levels of positive affect. Regarding week-to-week effects, positive affect in weeks 3, 7, and 8 predicted an increase in mindfulness in the following week. Various general relations were observed between mindfulness and negative affect, showing that higher mindfulness was related to less negative affect. To the contrary, week-to-week effects showed higher mindfulness consistently predicted increased negative affect in the subsequent week.

Conclusions

In cancer patients, mindfulness appeared to be more robustly related to negative than to positive affect. Furthermore, mindfulness in one week was related to an increase of negative affect in the following week, possibly due to turning towards previously suppressed negative emotions. However, when focusing on the whole course from start to end, the increase of mindfulness was related to a decrease of negative affect, possibly due to acceptance of and exposure to negative emotions. Our findings reveal the complexity of mechanisms of MBCT and illustrate the necessity of sophisticated models with longitudinal measurements to truly elucidate these mechanisms.

Trial Registration

Clinical Trials.gov: NCT02138513.
A distributional approach to fractional Sobolev spaces and fractional variation: asymptotics I
Authors: Comi Giovanni E. , Stefani Giorgio
Published: June 2022

We continue the study of the space $$BV^\alpha ({\mathbb {R}}^n)$$BVα(Rn)of functions with bounded fractional variation in $${\mathbb {R}}^n$$Rnof order$$\alpha \in (0,1)$$α∈(0,1)introduced in our previous work (Comi and Stefani in J Funct Anal 277(10):3373–3435, 2019). After some technical improvements of certain results of Comi and Stefani (2019) which may be of some separated insterest, we deal with the asymptotic behavior of the fractional operators involved as$$\alpha \rightarrow 1^-$$α→1-. We prove that the$$\alpha $$α-gradient of a$$W^{1,p}$$W1,p-function converges in$$L^p$$Lpto the gradient for all$$p\in [1,+\infty )$$p∈[1,+∞)as$$\alpha \rightarrow 1^-$$α→1-. Moreover, we prove that the fractional$$\alpha $$α-variation converges to the standard De Giorgi’s variation both pointwise and in the$$\Gamma $$Γ-limit sense as$$\alpha \rightarrow 1^-$$α→1-. Finally, we prove that the fractional$$\beta $$β-variation converges to the fractional$$\alpha $$α-variation both pointwise and in the$$\Gamma $$Γ-limit sense as$$\beta \rightarrow \alpha ^-$$β→α-for any given$$\alpha \in (0,1)$$α∈(0,1).
A review of recent advances in engineering bacteria for enhanced CO2 capture and utilization
Authors: Onyeaka H. , Ekwebelem O. C.
Published: June 2022

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is emitted into the atmosphere due to some anthropogenic activities, such as the combustion of fossil fuels and industrial output. As a result, fears about catastrophic global warming and climate change have intensified. In the face of these challenges, conventional CO2 capture technologies are typically ineffective, dangerous, and contribute to secondary pollution in the environment. Biological systems for CO2 conversion, on the other hand, provide a potential path forward owing to its high application selectivity and adaptability. Moreover, many bacteria can use CO2 as their only source of carbon and turn it into value-added products. The purpose of this review is to discuss recent significant breakthroughs in engineering bacteria to utilize CO2 and other one-carbon compounds as substrate. In the same token, the paper also summarizes and presents aspects such as microbial CO2 fixation pathways, engineered bacteria involved in CO2 fixation, up-to-date genetic and metabolic engineering approaches for CO2 fixation, and promising research directions for the production of value-added products from CO2. This review's findings imply that using biological systems like modified bacteria to manage CO2 has the added benefit of generating useful industrial byproducts like biofuels, pharmaceutical compounds, and bioplastics. The major downside, from an economic standpoint, thus far has been related to methods of cultivation. However, thanks to genetic engineering approaches, this can be addressed by large production yields. As a result, this review aids in the knowledge of various biological systems that can be used to construct a long-term CO2 mitigation technology at an industrial scale, in this instance bacteria-based CO2capture/utilization technology.
Hypoglycaemic therapy in frail older people with type 2 diabetes mellitus—a choice determined by metabolic phenotype
Authors: Sinclair Alan J. , Pennells Daniel , Abdelhafiz Ahmed H.
Published: June 2022

Frailty is a newly emerging complication of diabetes in older people and increasingly recognised in national and international clinical guidelines. However, frailty remains less clearly defined and frail older people with diabetes are rarely characterised. The general recommendation of clinical guidelines is to aim for a relaxed glycaemic control, mainly to avoid hypoglycaemia, in this often-vulnerable group of patients. With increasing age and development of frailty, body composition changes are characterised by an increase in visceral adipose tissue and a decrease in body muscle mass. Depending on the overall body weight, differential loss of muscle fibre types and body adipose/muscle tissue ratio, the presence of any associated frailty can be seen as a spectrum of metabolic phenotypes that vary in insulin resistance of which we have defined two specific phenotypes. The sarcopenic obese (SO) frail phenotype with increased visceral fat and increased insulin resistance on one side of spectrum and the anorexic malnourished (AM) frail phenotype with significant muscle loss and reduced insulin resistance on the other. In view of these varying metabolic phenotypes, the choice of hypoglycaemic therapy, glycaemic targets and overall goals of therapy are likely to be different. In the SO phenotype, weight-limiting hypoglycaemic agents, especially the new agents of GLP-1RA and SGLT-2 inhibitors, should be considered early on in therapy due to their benefits on weight reduction and ability to achieve tight glycaemic control where the focus will be on the reduction of cardiovascular risk. In the AM phenotype, weight-neutral agents or insulin therapy should be considered early on due to their benefits of limiting further weight loss and the possible anabolic effects of insulin. Here, the goals of therapy will be a combination of relaxed glycaemic control and avoidance of hypoglycaemia; and the focus will be on maintenance of a good quality of life. Future research is still required to develop novel hypoglycaemic agents with a positive effect on body composition in frailty and improvements in clinical outcomes.
System dynamics model: developing model for supplier selection with a focus on CSR criteria
Authors: Liu Peide , Hendalianpour Ayad , Hafshejani Mitra Forouzandeh , Yaghoobi Farideh , Feylizadeh Mohammdreza
Published: June 2022

The complexity and significance of decision-making in selecting suppliers highlight the need for a systematic and transparent approach. The more organizations rely on suppliers, the more harmful the direct and indirect consequences of poor decision-making are. This study attempted to identify factors affecting supplier selection and develop a system dynamics model for supplier selection by taking into account social corporate responsibility (CSR) practices. This model aims to increase CSR practices when selecting suppliers and thus help supply chain members gain competitive power and satisfy customer demands optimally. The system dynamics model for supplier selection was developed by considering profitability, productivity, social transparency, and customer satisfaction. To this end, first, the indicators affecting supplier selection were identified. Then, a cause–effect model was extracted by surveying subject-matter experts. Finally, the system dynamics model was developed. The final output of the third stage was a dynamic model of a supplier selection system that considers CSR practices. The results showed that profitability increases only by implementing the policy of reducing the average distance between suppliers and increasing the number of suppliers. This issue causes lower costs, reduced delivery time due to reduced average distance between suppliers, and increased suppliers, resulting in increased customer satisfaction and increased demand.
Improving primary STEM education by integrating the Australian Curriculum
Authors: Jacobs Brendan
Published: June 2022

A report commissioned by the Australian Council of Educational Research in 2018 titled Challenges in STEM learning in Australian schools: Literature and policy review found that the Australian Curriculum is packaged in discrete disciplines and is not future facing. It concluded that “the goal is to see students working in an integrative way” (Timms et al. Australian Council for Educational Research, 2018, p. 2). Accordingly, this paper reports on the first phase of a design-based research (DBR) project which integrates learning around 28 specific learning outcomes from the existing Australian Curriculum. The hypothesis presented is that students and teachers can expand their knowledge and skills in STEM by having a daily STEM focus built into each day. As a longitudinal study, this paper reports on the initial planning and findings which continue to refine the theoretical assumptions of the DBR methodology. Given that the consultation phase of a major review of the Australian Curriculum ended on 8 July 2021, these insights also capture a pivotal moment in time. The three emergent themes which were evident across the 28 STEM units have the potential to collectively signal the essence and future direction of STEM education, namely science inquiry skills, data and variables, and design.
Technology development for the early detection of plant pests: a framework for assessing Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) in environmental science
Authors: White Rehema , Marzano Mariella , Fesenko Elena , Inman Alan , Jones Glyn , Agstner Barbara , Mumford Rick
Published: June 2022

Innovation in environmental fields such as plant health is complex because of unbounded challenges and lack of certainty of commercial uptake. In this paper we present a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) framework, specifically to assist with assessment of technologies to support detection of tree pests and pathogens, but also for wider potential adaptation. Biosecurity can be enhanced by improved early detection of pests and pathogens, but development and deployment of new technologies requires robust scrutiny. We critically analyse the concept, practice and applicability of TRLs. Interviews revealed scientist perspectives during the development process of five novel early plant pest and pathogen detection technologies. A retrospective, collective narrative of one technology from concept to commercial deployment was undertaken. We then developed a calculator tool for assessment of biosecurity TRLs. Our findings illustrate the iterative process of technology development, the challenges in final TRLs of acquiring funding to move from proven success to viable product, inefficiencies created through the need for multiple projects for each technology and the imperative to consider the wider socio-ecological technical landscape, including policy context. End user engagement was particularly valuable at beginning and end of the TRL scale. We conclude that the TRL framework comprises a robust approach to assess technologies in that it facilitates progress tracking, evaluation of success likelihood and identification of opportunities for investment. However, its potential will only be realised for environmental management if it is integrated into the socio-ecological technical landscape and wider discussions regarding knowledge co-production and valuing nature.
Is a Minimal Federal European Constitution for the European Union Necessary? Some Preliminary Suggestions Using Public Choice Analysis
Authors: Schneider Friedrich
Published: June 2022

After overcoming the Coronavirus Pandemic with massive spending programs and the possibility of running a deficit at the EU level, a minimal Federal European Constitution is proposed, to provide a legal and democratic base for the European Union. Six basic elements of a future European federal constitution are developed: the European Commission should be turned into a European government and the European legislation should consist of a two-chamber system with full responsibility over all federal matters. Three further key elements are the subsidiarity principle, federalism and direct democracy, which would provide the possibility for European voters to participate actively in political decision making, to break political and interest group cartels, and to prevent unwanted shifting of responsibilities from EU member states to the European federal level.
Does adding an accent mark hinder lexical access? Evidence from Spanish
Authors: Labusch Melanie , Gómez Pablo , Perea Manuel
Published: June 2022

Recent research has shown that omitting the accent mark in a Spanish word, which is a language in which these diacritics only indicate lexical stress, does not cause a delay in lexical access (e.g., cárcel [prison] ≈ carcel; cárcel-CÁRCEL ≈ carcel-CÁRCEL). This pattern has been interpreted as accented and nonaccented vowels sharing the abstract letter representations in Spanish. However, adding an accent mark to a nonaccented Spanish word appears to produce a reading cost in masked priming paradigms (e.g., féliz-FELIZ [happy] > feliz-FELIZ). We examined whether adding an accent mark to a non accented Spanish word slows down lexical access in two semantic categorization experiments to solve this puzzle. We added an accent mark either on the stressed syllable (Experiment 1, e.g., cébra for the word cebra [zebra]) or an unstressed syllable (Experiment 2, e.g., cebrá). While effect sizes were small in magnitude, adding an accent mark produced a cost relative to the intact words, especially when the accent mark was added on an unstressed syllable (cebrá > cebra). These findings favor the view that letter identity and (to a lesser extent) accent mark information are encoded during word recognition in Spanish. We also examined the practical implications of these results.
Emotionales Erleben von Schüler*innen in Jahrgangsstufe 4 unter dem Einfluss der Covid-19-Pandemie im Schuljahr 2019/2020
Authors: Nett Ulrike , Ertl Sonja , Bross Tanja
Published: June 2022

Bisherige empirische Befunde belegen, dass Lern- und Leistungsemotionen in Wechselwirkung mit Schulleistungen stehen und von situativen und individuellen Faktoren beeinflusst werden. In Jahrgangsstufe 4 ist dabei vor allem der nahende Übertritt in eine weiterführende Schule mit den damit verbundenen schuljahresspezifischen Ereignissen, beispielsweise der Zwischeninformation oder dem Übertrittszeugnis, von Bedeutung – im Schuljahr 2019/2020 kam der Covid-19-bedingte Lockdown mit dem damit verbundenen Distanzlernen hinzu. Im Beitrag wird der Frage nachgegangen, wie sich das emotionale Erleben vom Ende der 3. bis zum Ende der 4. Jahrgangsstufe in Abhängigkeit schuljahresspezifischer sowie individueller Faktoren entwickelt. Dazu wurden in einer längsschnittlichen Fragebogenstudie 225 Schüler*innen in Bayern zu ihren fachbezogenen Emotionen sowie bzgl. des bevorstehenden Übertritts befragt. Es zeigt sich, dass die Schüler*innen insgesamt eher günstige Emotionen erleben. Das Distanzlernen geht mit signifikanten Veränderungen im emotionalen Erleben einher. Hinsichtlich individueller Einflussfaktoren erweisen sich insbesondere die Schulleistung, teilweise auch Geschlecht und Migrationshintergrund, als bedeutsam für das emotionale Erleben. Die Ergebnisse werden diskutiert und weitere Forschungsdesiderata aufgezeigt.
The economics of the UN Sustainable Development Goals: does sustainability make financial sense?
Authors: Filho Walter Leal , Dinis Maria Alzira Pimenta , Ruiz-de-Maya Salvador , Doni Federica , Eustachio João Henrique , Swart Julia , Paço Arminda
Published: June 2022

The implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals is a global priority, but one whose full implementation is vulnerable to the high costs associated with it. This raises the question: does the implementation of the SDGs make financial sense? This article addresses this question and outlines the need to raise awareness of the economic benefits of implementing the global goals. Further, it presents and discusses the main financial gaps to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
Perfect Fluid Spacetimes and Gradient Solitons
Authors: De Krishnendu , De Uday Chand , Syied Abdallah Abdelhameed , Turki Nasser Bin , Alsaeed Suliman
Published: June 2022

In this article, we investigate perfect fluid spacetimes equipped with concircular vector field. At first, in a perfect fluid spacetime admitting concircular vector field, we prove that the velocity vector field annihilates the conformal curvature tensor. In addition, in dimension 4, we show that a perfect fluid spacetime is a generalized Robertson–Walker spacetime with Einstein fibre. It is proved that if a perfect fluid spacetime furnished with concircular vector field admits a second order symmetric parallel tensor P, then either the equation of state of the perfect fluid spacetime is characterized by $$p=\frac{3-n}{n-1} \sigma $$

p
=

3
-
n

n
-
1

σ

, or the tensor P is a constant multiple of the metric tensor. Finally, The perfect fluid spacetimes with concircular vector field whose Lorentzian metrics are Ricci soliton, gradient Ricci soliton, gradient Yamabe solitons, and gradient m -quasi Einstein solitons, are characterized.
Exact Moments of Order Statistics and Parameter Estimation for Sushila Distribution
Authors: Pushkarna Narinder , Saran Jagdish , Sehgal Shikha
Published: June 2022

In this paper, we have obtained the exact expression and recurrence relations for single moments of order statistics arising from Sushila distribution. We have also obtained L-moments, TL-moments of Sushila distribution and used them to find the L-moment and TL-moment estimators of the parameters of the distribution. The estimators of the parameters are also obtained using the method of moments and maximum likelihood. Further, by using these maximum likelihood estimators (MLEs), we have also obtained the MLEs of the measures of reliability of the considered distribution. Monte Carlo simulation has been carried out to investigate the performance of the estimators.
A rare case of intestinal obstruction secondary to bolus of Ascaris Lumbricoides infestation: A case report and review of the literatures
Authors: Hailu Seyoum , Ayinie Animut , Tegegn Eden , Regasa Teshome
Published: June 2022

ABSTRACT

Introduction and importance:

Ascaris Lumbricoides is the most common helminthic infection affecting humans worldwide and causing serious medical and social problems, especially in the developing countries where unhygienic disposal of human excreta is common. Even though a lot of complications were reported from Ascaris Lumbricoides infestations worldwide, there were only a few reports from the Ethiopian context where the socio-economic condition put a high vulnerability to such infection. Hence reporting such findings with its intervention will help the policymakers to mitigate the challenges in the health care system and also help as a piece of baseline evidence for future researchers on the issue of interest.

Case presentation:

A six years old girl from a rural locality of southern Ethiopia was brought to the surgical emergency department with a chief complaint of abdominal pain of 4 days duration which was an intermittent colicky type of periumbilical region associated with vomiting of ingested matter of 3–4 episodes per day. Slight abdominal distension which moves with respiration and diffuse abdominal tenderness was observed for which acute abdomen secondary to small bowel obstruction secondary to intussusception was suspected.

Clinical discussion:

The physicians treating patients with ascariasis should be aware of the abdominal complications, since a delay in its intervention may have a fatal outcome. The intestinal obstruction caused by Ascaris Lumbricoides infestation is a rare and underestimated problem that may lead to death or irreversible complications. Early surgical intervention in those with worm bolus obstruction, peritonitis, and volvulus may salvage the bowel and reduce the mortality rate.

Conclusion:

Ascaris is one of the health challenges worldwide. Prevention and control methods like health education for the community should be implemented in endemic areas. Early diagnosis and periodic deworming should be encouraged to avoid complications.

Highlights
Resonant and near-resonant internal wave triads for non-uniform stratifications. Part 2. Vertically bounded domain with mild-slope bathymetry
Authors: Gururaj Saranraj , Guha Anirban
Published: June 2022

Weakly nonlinear internal wave–wave interaction is a key mechanism that cascades energy from large to small scales, leading to ocean turbulence and mixing. Oceans typically have a non-uniform density stratification profile; moreover, submarine topography leads to a spatially varying bathymetry (

$h$

). Under these conditions and assuming mild-slope bathymetry, we employ multiple-scale analysis to derive the wave amplitude equations for weakly nonlinear wave–wave interactions. The waves are assumed to have a slowly (rapidly) varying amplitude (phase) in space and time. For uniform stratifications, the horizontal wavenumber (

$k$

) condition for waves (1, 2, 3), given by

${k}_{(1,a)}+{k}_{(2,b)}\!+\!{k}_{(3,c)}\!=\!0$

, is unaffected as

$h$

is varied, where

$(a,b,c)$

denote the mode number. Moreover, the nonlinear coupling coefficients (NLC) are proportional to

$1/h^2$

, implying that triadic waves grow faster while travelling up a seamount. For non-uniform stratifications, triads that do not satisfy the condition

$a=b=c$

may not satisfy the horizontal wavenumber condition as

$h$

is varied, and unlike uniform stratification, the NLC may not decrease (increase) monotonically with increasing (decreasing)

$h$

. NLC, and hence wave growth rates for weakly nonlinear wave–wave interactions, can also vary rapidly with

$h$

. The most unstable daughter wave combination of a triad with a mode-1 parent wave can also change for relatively small changes in

$h$

. We also investigate higher-order self-interactions in the presence of a monochromatic, small-amplitude topography; here, the topography behaves as a zero-frequency wave. We derive the amplitude evolution equations and show that higher-order self-interactions might be a viable mechanism of energy cascade.