bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Understanding the burden of chronic back pain: a spatial microsimulation of chronic back pain at small area level across England
Authors: Smalley Harrison , Edwards Kimberley
Published: April 2023

Purpose

Chronic back pain (CBP) carries a significant burden. Understanding how and why CBP prevalence varies spatially, as well as the potential impact of policies to decrease CBP would prove valuable for public health planning. This study aims to simulate and map the prevalence of CBP at ward-level across England, identify associations which may explain spatial variation, and explore ‘what-if’ scenarios for the impact of policies to increase physical activity (PA) on CBP.

Methods

A two-stage static spatial microsimulation approach was used to simulate CBP prevalence in England, combining national-level CBP and PA data from the Health Survey for England with spatially disaggregated demographic data from the 2011 Census. The output was validated, mapped, and spatially analysed using geographically weighted regression. ‘What-if’ analysis assumed changes to individuals’ moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) levels.

Results

Large significant clusters of high CBP prevalence were found predominantly in coastal areas and low prevalence in cities. Univariate analysis found a strong positive correlation between physical inactivity and CBP prevalence at ward-level (R2 = 0.735; Coefficient = 0.857). The local model showed the relationship to be stronger in/around cities (R2 = 0.815; Coefficient: Mean = 0.833, SD = 0.234, Range = 0.073–2.623). Multivariate modelling showed this relationship was largely explained by confounders (R2 = 0.924; Coefficient: Mean = 0.070, SD = 0.001, Range = 0.069–0.072). ‘What-if’ analysis showed a detectable reduction in CBP prevalence for increases in MVPA of 30 and 60 min (− 2.71%; 1, 164, 056 cases).

Conclusion

CBP prevalence varies at ward-level across England. At ward-level, physical inactivity is strongly positively correlated with CBP. This relationship is largely explained by geographic variation in confounders (the proportion of residents that are: over 60, in low-skilled jobs, female, pregnant, obese, smokers, white or black, disabled). Policies to increase PA by 30 min weekly MVPA will likely result in a significant reduction in CBP prevalence. To maximise their impact, policies could be tailored to areas of high prevalence, which are identified by this study.
Erfassung von patientenberichteten Ergebnissen bei Nierenzellkarzinom
Authors: Wintner Lisa M. , Gross Franziska , Holzner Bernhard
Published: April 2023

Das Nierenzellkarzinom (engl. „renal cell carcinoma“ [RCC]) ist der dritthäufigste urologische Tumor, von dem Männer doppelt so häufig betroffen sind wie Frauen. Insbesondere Entwicklungen im Bereich der zielgerichteten Therapien haben zu deutlichen Verbesserungen hinsichtlich des progressionsfreien Überlebens geführt, allerdings ergeben sich während der Behandlung spezifische Toxizitäten, die sich auch langfristig auf die Lebensqualität der Patient:innen auswirken können. Um diese strukturiert zu erfassen, sind Patient-reported-outcome(PRO)-Instrumente das Mittel der Wahl, da diese direkt von den Patient:innen erfragen, wie sie ihren subjektiven Gesundheitszustand wahrnehmen. Die Fülle verfügbarer und in klinischen Studien verwendeter PRO-Fragebögen sollte allerdings nicht darüber hinwegtäuschen, dass es kaum PRO-Instrumente gibt, die spezifisch für RCC-Patient:innen entwickelt wurden, dabei einer etablierten sowie fundierten Methode gefolgt sind und über die reine Symptomerfassung hinausgehen. Um diese Lücke zu schließen, wird von der European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) aktuell ein entsprechendes PRO-Modul entwickelt, das zur Ergänzung des Kernfragebogens QLQ-C30 zukünftig Verwendung in klinischen Studien finden wird. Gleichzeitig gibt es Bemühungen, „core outcome sets“ für die verschiedenen RCC-Krankheitsstadien zu entwickeln (lokalisiertes, lokal fortgeschrittenes und metastasiertes RCC). Diese Minimalanforderungen hinsichtlich einer standardisierten Erfassung relevanter klinischer Ergebnisse und eine darauf abgestimmte Empfehlung zuverlässiger PRO-Instrumente sollen zusätzlich zu einer Verbesserung der Interpretierbarkeit von klinischen Studiendaten führen. Auf diese Weise können evidenzbasierte und valide Behandlungsempfehlungen ausgesprochen und patientenzentrierte Behandlungsentscheidungen ermöglicht werden.
Development of model-based and model-free reactive control scheme: considering copper loss and movable-floater-displacement constraint for a wave energy converter
Authors: Umeda Jun , Taniguchi Tomoki , Fujiwara Toshifumi
Published: April 2023

The utilization of wave energy is expected since ocean wave energy has a high potential. The improvement of the feasibility of wave energy converters requires control that maximizes the electric output energy, including the copper loss under a displacement constraint. Several model-based and model-free reactive controls have been developed. Although model-based reactive control attains high performance, it struggles to deal with modeling errors and forecasting wave excitation forces. On the other hand, the model-free reactive control can adapt to dynamic modeling, including modeling errors; however, it requires a vast amount of learning data and considerable time and effort to consider the displacement constraint. Model-based and model-free reactive controls each have advantages and disadvantages. Combined model-based and model-free reactive controls are desirable to freely switch between the model-based and model-free reactive controls based on various ocean situations. In this study, two equivalent model-based and model-free reactive controls that can consider the copper loss and displacement constraints without forecasting the wave excitation forces were proposed. The model-free reactive control was compared with the model-based reactive control and a conventional control using numerical simulations in irregular waves. The results of the simulation show that the proposed model-based reactive control achieves superior performance compared to that of the conventional control. The proposed model-free reactive control achieved comparable performance to that of the proposed model-based reactive control under various wave conditions. Moreover, the proposed model-free reactive control decreased the required training trials. The development of the two equivalent control schemes will lead to the proposal of combined model-based and model-free reactive controls in the future.
Periodontitis is associated with subclinical cerebral and carotid atherosclerosis in hypertensive patients: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Vázquez-Reza María , López-Dequidt Iria , Ouro Alberto , Iglesias-Rey Ramón , Campos Francisco , Blanco Juan , Rodríguez-Yáñez Manuel , Castillo José , Sobrino Tomás , Leira Yago
Published: April 2023

Objective

To examine the relationship between periodontitis and subclinical intracranial atherosclerosis. The association of periodontitis with preclinical markers of atherosclerosis in other vascular territories was also explored.

Material and methods

This was a cross-sectional study where 97 elderly subjects with a previous history of hypertension received an ultrasonographic evaluation to assess subclinical atherosclerosis in different vascular territories: (1) cerebral [pulsatility (PI) and resistance index (RI) of the middle cerebral artery], (2) carotid [intima-media thickness (IMT)], and (3) peripheral [ankle-brachial index (ABI)]. Additionally, participants underwent a full-mouth periodontal assessment together with blood sample collection to determine levels of inflammatory biomarkers (leukocytes, fibrinogen, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate), lipid fractions (total cholesterol and high- and low-density lipoprotein), and glucose.

Results

Sixty-one individuals had periodontitis. Compared to subjects without periodontitis, those with periodontitis showed higher values of PI (1.24 ± 0.29 vs 1.01 ± 0.16), RI (0.70 ± 0.14 vs 0.60 ± 0.06), and IMT (0.94 ± 0.15 vs 0.79 ± 0.15) (all p < 0.001). No statistically significant differences were found neither for ABI or for other clinical and biochemical parameters. An independent association was found between periodontitis and increased intracranial atherosclerosis (ORadjusted = 10.16; 95% CI: 3.14–32.90, p < 0.001) and to a lesser extent with thicker carotid IMT (ORadjusted = 4.10; 95% CI: 1.61–10.48, p = 0.003).

Conclusions

Periodontitis is associated with subclinical atherosclerosis in both intracranial and carotid arteries in elderly subjects with hypertension.

Clinical relevance

The association of periodontitis with intracranial atherosclerosis implies that periodontitis patients might have greater chances to develop ischemic stroke in the future.
Bidirectional associations between mental health problems and language ability across 8 years of childhood
Authors: Tamayo Nathalie , Wareham Helen , Franken Marie-Christine , McKean Cristina , Tiemeier Henning , Jansen Pauline W.
Published: April 2023

Research examining the development of behavior, emotions and language, and their intertwining is limited as only few studies had a longitudinal design, mostly with a short follow-up period. Moreover, most studies did not evaluate whether internalizing symptoms and externalizing symptoms are independently associated with language ability. This study examines bidirectional associations between internalizing symptoms, externalizing symptoms and language ability in childhood in a large, population-based cohort. Longitudinal data from the Millennium Cohort Study, a cohort of children in the United Kingdom followed from birth to 11 years (n = 10,878; 50.7% boys), were analyzed. Internalizing and externalizing symptoms were based on parent reports. Language ability (higher scores reflecting poorer ability) was assessed by trained interviewers at ages 3, 5, 7 and 11 years. Structural Equation Models (SEM) were performed, including random-intercept cross-lagged panel models (RI-CLPM) and cross-lagged panel models (CLPM). Internalizing symptoms, externalizing symptoms and language ability were stable over time and co-occur with each other from early life onwards. Over time, externalizing symptoms in early childhood were associated with less growth in language skills and with increases in internalizing symptoms. In late childhood, language ability was negatively associated with later internalizing and externalizing symptoms. The early start, co-occurrence and persistent nature of internalizing symptoms, externalizing symptoms and (poorer) language ability highlights the importance of comprehensive assessments in young children who present problems in one of these domains. Specifically, among children in the early grades of elementary school, those with language difficulties may benefit from careful monitoring as they are more likely to develop difficulties in behavior and emotions.
Spatial shopping behavior during the Corona pandemic: insights from a micro-econometric store choice model for consumer electronics and furniture retailing in Germany
Authors: Wieland Thomas
Published: April 2023

During the COVID-19 pandemic, e-commerce’s market share has increased dramatically, a phenomenon attributable to not only lockdowns but to voluntary changes in shopping behavior as well. The current study examines the main determinants driving shopping behavior in the context of both physical and online store availability, and investigates whether specific drivers have changed during the pandemic. The study aims to test whether fear of infection and mandatory wearing of face masks in shops have influenced consumer channel choice. The empirical analysis focuses on two product types (consumer electronics, furniture), with empirical data collected via a representative consumer survey in three German regions. The statistical analysis was performed using a hurdle model approach and the findings are compared to those of a study related to pre-pandemic shopping. The results show that the determinants of shopping behavior have largely not changed. Channel choice can be explained by shopping attitudes, age, and partially, by place of residence of consumers. Store choice is determined primarily by shopping transaction costs and store features. Fear of infection and the mandatory wearing of face masks exhibit minimal influence on channel choice, if any. The importance of cross-channel integration of stores/chains has decreased significantly, while average travel times for in-store purchases have declined.
When does the female bias arise? Insights from the sex determination cascade of a flea beetle with a strongly skewed sex ratio
Authors: Rohlfing Kim , Yue Lennart , Franke Sebastian , Zeng Cen , Podsiadlowski Lars , Dobler Susanne
Published: April 2023

Reproduction-manipulating bacteria like Wolbachia can shift sex ratios in insects towards females, but skewed sex ratios may also arise from genetic conflicts. The flea beetle Altica lythri harbors three main mtDNA strains that are coupled to three different Wolbachia infections. Depending on the mtDNA types, the females produce either offspring with a balanced sex ratio or exclusively daughters. To obtain markers that can monitor when sex bias arises in the beetle’s ontogeny, we elucidated the sex determination cascade of A. lythri. We established a RT-PCR method based on length variants of dsx (doublesex) transcripts to determine the sex of morphologically indistinguishable eggs and larvae. In females of one mtDNA type (HT1/HT1*) known to produce only daughters, male offspring were already missing at the egg stage while for females of another type (HT2), the dsx splice variants revealed a balanced sex ratio among eggs and larvae. Our data suggest that the sex determination cascade in A. lythri is initiated by maternally transmitted female-specific tra (transformer) mRNA as primary signal. This tra mRNA seems to be involved in a positive feedback loop that maintains the production of the female splice variant, as known for female offspring in Tribolium castaneum. The translation of the maternally transmitted female tra mRNA must be inhibited in male offspring, but the underlying primary genetic signal remains to be identified. We discuss which differences between the mtDNA types can influence sex determination and lead to the skewed sex ratio of HT1.
New Improved Multi-Objective Gorilla Troops Algorithm for Dependent Tasks Offloading problem in Multi-Access Edge Computing
Authors: Hosny Khalid M. , Awad Ahmed I. , Khashaba Marwa M. , Mohamed Ehab R.
Published: April 2023

Computational offloading allows lightweight battery-operated devices such as IoT gadgets and mobile equipment to send computation tasks to nearby edge servers to be completed, which is a challenging problem in the multi-access edge computing (MEC) environment. Numerous conflicting objectives exist in this problem; for example, the execution time, energy consumption, and computation cost should all be optimized simultaneously. Furthermore, offloading an application that consists of dependent tasks is another important issue that cannot be neglected while addressing this problem. Recent methods are single objective, computationally expensive, or ignore task dependency. As a result, we propose an improved Gorilla Troops Algorithm (IGTA) to offload dependent tasks in the MEC environments with three objectives: 1-Minimizing the execution latency of the application, 2-energy consumption of the light devices, 3-the used cost of the MEC resources. Furthermore, it is supposed that each MEC supports many charge levels to provide more flexibility to the system. Additionally, we have extended the operation of the standard Gorilla Troops Algorithm (GTO) by adopting a customized crossover operation to improve its search strategy. A Max-To-Min (MTM) load-balancing strategy was also implemented in IGTA to improve the offloading operation. Relative to GTO, IGTA has reduced latency by 33%, energy consumption by 93%, and cost usage by 34.5%. We compared IGTA with other Optimizers in this problem, and the results showed the superiority of IGTA.
A Public, Open, and Independently-Curated Database of Happiness Coefficients
Authors: Barrington-Leigh C. P. , Lemermeyer Katja
Published: April 2023

We present a nascent database of happiness coefficients. This is a synthesis of evidence on the size of improvements to human life experience that can be expected from changing objective, policy-amenable circumstances. The wealth of data on people’s self-reported satisfaction with life in a wide variety of circumstances, from around the world, including respondents undergoing a diversity of changes and life events and subject to a variety of public policies and policy changes, has provided a rich base of knowledge about what makes life good. This growing research literature has in recent years been met with interest from central governments looking for accountable but more human-centred approaches to measuring progress, as well as for communicating objectives, making policy, and allocating resources. Meanwhile, frameworks for benefit-cost accounting using inference from life satisfaction data have been devised. In some cases central government finance departments and treasuries are incorporating this approach into their formal methodology for budgeting. The body of causal inference about these effects is still somewhat diffuse. Collating, reviewing, and synthesizing such evidence should be led initially by academia and ultimately by a broad academic, civil society, and government collaboration. We report on the assembly of a database of summary estimates for Canada, supplemented where needed by evidence from around the world. The categorized domains of individual experience and circumstances include Education, Environment, Work, Finances, Health, Social Capital, and Crime. The paper also explains the context for and limitations of the use of a database of happiness coefficients.
Impact of Different Saccharides on the In-Process Stability of a Protein Drug During Evaporative Drying: From Sessile Droplet Drying to Lab-Scale Spray Drying
Authors: Dieplinger Johanna , Pinto Joana T. , Dekner Michael , Brachtl Gerald , Paudel Amrit
Published: April 2023

Objectives

Solid biopharmaceutical products can circumvent lower temperature storage and transport and increase remote access with lower carbon emissions and energy consumption. Saccharides are known stabilizers in a solid protein produced via lyophilization and spray drying (SD). Thus, it is essential to understand the interactions between saccharides and proteins and the stabilization mechanism.

Methods

A miniaturized single droplet drying (MD) method was developed to understand how different saccharides stabilize proteins during drying. We applied our MD to different aqueous saccharide-protein systems and transferred our findings to SD.

Results

The poly- and oligosaccharides tend to destabilize the protein during drying. The oligosaccharide, Hydroxypropyl β-cyclodextrin (HPβCD) shows high aggregation at a high saccharide-to-protein molar ratio (S/P ratio) during MD, and the finding is supported by nanoDSF results. The polysaccharide, Dextran (DEX) leads to larger particles, whereas HPBCD leads to smaller particles. Furthermore, DEX is not able to stabilize the protein at higher S/P ratios either. In contrast, the disaccharide Trehalose Dihydrate (TD) does not increase or induce protein aggregation during the drying of the formulation. It can preserve the protein’s secondary structure during drying, already at low concentrations.

Conclusion

During the drying of S/P formulations containing the saccharides TD and DEX, the MD approach could anticipate the in-process (in) stability of protein X at laboratory-scale SD. In contrast, for the systems with HPβCD, the results obtained by SD were contradictory to MD. This underlines that depending on the drying operation, careful consideration needs to be applied to the selection of saccharides and their ratios.
Rhizosphere carbon priming: a plant mechanism to enhance soil nitrogen accessibility?
Authors: Holz Maire , Paterson Eric , Pausch Johanna
Published: April 2023

Aims

Soil priming affects soil N transformation and plant N availability, but few studies have investigated these interactions to date.

Methods

To address this, we reviewed the literature for studies quantifying soil priming, soil N transformation and plant N uptake.

Results

Gross N mineralization was strongly controlled by soil priming in studies with plants, while abiotic factors had a minor influence on gross N mineralization. In contrast, soil priming was negatively related to gross N mineralization and had a low explanatory power in incubation studies where substrates are added as surrogates for root exudates. These results indicate that plants support increased N mineralization and that this is not adequately reflected in incubation studies. Additionally, we observed a positive relationship between soil priming and the % of Norg-derived N uptake as well as total N uptake, which demonstrates that priming enhances the availability of N that was previously organically bound and that at least part of the N mineralized during priming was available for plant uptake.

Conclusion

Our results show that the effect of roots and rhizodeposition leads to a number of processes supporting N mineralization and availability through priming that are not well reflected in incubation studies. To fully capture the interactions between plant roots and their associated microbiota, we recommend focusing research on systems with plants. Additionally, the strong correlation between C and N transformation should be considered in biogeochemical modelling.
Colloidal metal nanocatalysts to advance orange II hydrogenolysis tracked by a microplate reader
Authors: Onisuru Oluwatayo Racheal , Ilunga Ali K. , Potgieter Kariska , Oseghale Charles O. , Meijboom Reinout
Published: April 2023

The thermal reduction method was applied to synthesize metal nanoparticles using poly(1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) as an organic stabilizer to control metal nanoparticle agglomeration. Colloidal metal nanoparticles, gold, palladium, and gold–palladium nanoparticles were synthesized, and UV–visible spectrophotometry and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy analyses were conducted to characterize them. The metal nanoparticle micrographs showed well-dispersed particles with an average size of 9.6 nm (Au), 15.4 nm (Pd), and 10.6 nm (AuPd). All the colloidal metal nanoparticles served as nanocatalysts to advance a reductive degradation of orange II in presence of borohydride ions. For a prompt screening of catalytic activity, the microplate reader system was considered at a fixed maximum absorbance wavelength of λ 489 nm respected by orange II. Excess borohydride ions were used to construct pseudo-first kinetic conditions. The Langmuir–Hinshelwood model allowed the finding of kinetic activity on the surface of metal nanoparticles. AuPd nanocatalyst interface exhibited low activation energy (5.38 kJ mol−1) compared to the one on Au (8.19 kJ mol−1) and Pd (7.23 kJ mol−1).

Graphical Abstract
Critical Pragmatics: Nine Misconceptions
Authors: de Ponte María , Korta Kepa , Perry John
Published: April 2023

In this paper, we focus on some misconceptions about Critical Pragmatics, what it is, what it assumes and what it proposes. Doubtless, some of these misconceptions are due to clumsy writing on our part; perhaps others are due to inattentive reading. And some may be due to an effort to shield us from the apparent implausibility of what we said—and in fact meant. It does not matter much. We focus on those misunderstandings that most matter to us, either because, by repetition, they have ended up being annoying, even if they are not, perhaps, that important; or because they are substantial enough to represent a distortion of the basic picture of Critical Pragmatics and its theoretical foundations, namely, Critical Referentialism—also known as the Reflexive-referential Theory—and, more generally, Perry’s fundamental views on meaning and content(s).
Algorithmic Nudging: The Need for an Interdisciplinary Oversight
Authors: Schmauder Christian , Karpus Jurgis , Moll Maximilian , Bahrami Bahador , Deroy Ophelia
Published: April 2023

Nudge is a popular public policy tool that harnesses well-known biases in human judgement to subtly guide people’s decisions, often to improve their choices or to achieve some socially desirable outcome. Thanks to recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI) methods new possibilities emerge of how and when our decisions can be nudged. On the one hand, algorithmically personalized nudges have the potential to vastly improve human daily lives. On the other hand, blindly outsourcing the development and implementation of nudges to “black box” AI systems means that the ultimate reasons for why such nudges work, that is, the underlying human cognitive processes that they harness, will often be unknown. In this paper, we unpack this concern by considering a series of examples and case studies that demonstrate how AI systems can learn to harness biases in human judgment to reach a specified goal. Drawing on an analogy in a philosophical debate concerning the methodology of economics, we call for the need of an interdisciplinary oversight of AI systems that are tasked and deployed to nudge human behaviours.
Metabolomic profiling of glucose homeostasis in African Americans: the Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Family Study (IRAS-FS)
Authors: Okut Hayrettin , Lu Yingchang , Palmer Nicholette D. , Chen Yii-Der Ida , Taylor Kent D. , Norris Jill M. , Lorenzo Carlos , Rotter Jerome I. , Langefeld Carl D. , Wagenknecht Lynne E. , Bowden Donald W. , Ng Maggie C. Y.
Published: April 2023

Introduction

African Americans are at increased risk for type 2 diabetes.

Objectives

This work aimed to examine metabolomic signature of glucose homeostasis in African Americans.

Methods

We used an untargeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry metabolomic approach to comprehensively profile 727 plasma metabolites among 571 African Americans from the Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Family Study (IRAS-FS) and investigate the associations between these metabolites and both the dynamic (SI, insulin sensitivity; AIR, acute insulin response; DI, disposition index; and SG, glucose effectiveness) and basal (HOMA-IR and HOMA-B) measures of glucose homeostasis using univariate and regularized regression models. We also compared the results with our previous findings in the IRAS-FS Mexican Americans.

Results

We confirmed increased plasma metabolite levels of branched-chain amino acids and their metabolic derivatives, 2-aminoadipate, 2-hydroxybutyrate, glutamate, arginine and its metabolic derivatives, carbohydrate metabolites, and medium- and long-chain fatty acids were associated with insulin resistance, while increased plasma metabolite levels in the glycine, serine and threonine metabolic pathway were associated with insulin sensitivity. We also observed a differential ancestral effect of glutamate on glucose homeostasis with significantly stronger effects observed in African Americans than those previously observed in Mexican Americans.

Conclusion

We extended the observations that metabolites are useful biomarkers in the identification of prediabetes in individuals at risk of type 2 diabetes in African Americans. We revealed, for the first time, differential ancestral effect of certain metabolites (i.e., glutamate) on glucose homeostasis traits. Our study highlights the need for additional comprehensive metabolomic studies in well-characterized multiethnic cohorts.
The Value of Knowledge and Other Epistemic Standings: A Case for Epistemic Pluralism
Authors: Melchior Guido
Published: April 2023

In epistemology, the concept of knowledge is of distinctive interest. This fact is also reflected in the discussion of epistemic value, which focuses to a large extend on the value problem of knowledge. This discussion suggests that knowledge has an outstanding value among epistemic standings because its value exceeds the value of its constitutive parts. I will argue that the value of knowledge is not outstanding by presenting epistemic standings of checking, transferring knowledge, and proving in court, whose values exceed the value of knowledge in certain contexts. Moreover, the values of these other epistemic standings do not always rely on the value of knowledge. In terms of value, knowledge is not an outstanding epistemic concept. Hence, in terms of value we cannot find support for the privileged position that knowledge enjoys in epistemology.
A review of low-temperature plasma-assisted machining: from mechanism to application
Authors: Liu Jiyu , Li Yuheng , Chen Yang , Zhou Yuyang , Wang Shuaishuai , Yuan Zizhen , Jin Zhuji , Liu Xin
Published: April 2023

Materials with high hardness, strength or plasticity have been widely used in the fields of aviation, aerospace, and military, among others. However, the poor machinability of these materials leads to large cutting forces, high cutting temperatures, serious tool wear, and chip adhesion, which affect machining quality. Low-temperature plasma contains a variety of active particles and can effectively adjust material properties, including hardness, strength, ductility, and wettability, significantly improving material machinability. In this paper, we first discuss the mechanisms and applications of low-temperature plasma-assisted machining. After introducing the characteristics, classifications, and action mechanisms of the low-temperature plasma, we describe the effects of the low-temperature plasma on different machining processes of various difficult-to-cut materials. The low-temperature plasma can be classified as hot plasma and cold plasma according to the different equilibrium states. Hot plasma improves material machinability via the thermal softening effect induced by the high temperature, whereas the main mechanisms of the cold plasma can be summarized as chemical reactions to reduce material hardness, the hydrophilization effect to improve surface wettability, and the Rehbinder effect to promote fracture. In addition, hybrid machining methods combining the merits of the low-temperature plasma and other energy fields like ultrasonic vibration, liquid nitrogen, and minimum quantity lubrication are also described and analyzed. Finally, the promising development trends of low-temperature plasma-assisted machining are presented, which include more precise control of the heat-affected zone in hot plasma-assisted machining, cold plasma-assisted polishing of metal materials, and further investigations on the reaction mechanisms between the cold plasma and other materials.
The Wigner global wave front set in spaces of tempered ultradistributions
Authors: Asensio Vicente
Published: April 2023

In this paper we introduce and study global wave front sets in terms of the $$\tau $$
τ
-Wigner transform in global ultradifferentiable classes of Beurling type modulated with weight functions in the sense of Braun, Meise, and Taylor, and we compare it with other wave front sets existing in the literature defined by different time-frequency analysis tools, such as the short-time Fourier transform or Gabor frames. Conditions for the equality of these wave front sets are provided and some examples are given.
Stability of Fructooligosaccharides in Convectively Dried Fruits After Initial Osmoconcentration
Authors: Łuczak Patrycja , Klewicki Robert , Klewicka Elżbieta
Published: April 2023

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of temperature and time of convective drying on the content of fructooligosaccharides (FOS) in apples, plums and strawberries to which FOS had been introduced by osmoconcentration. The share of oligosaccharides in total sugars was analyzed. In apple tissue, fructooligosaccharides were stable in the temperature range 40–80 °C during drying for up to 8 h. Convective drying of osmotically dehydrated strawberries caused FOS losses; the FOS retention after 8 h at 80 °C was 40%. In the case of plums, 40% retention was recorded after just two hours at 80 °C. Therefore, in the case of some fruits, obtaining a satisfactory level of fructooligosaccharides in the dried material with the assumed level of dry substance requires the determination of appropriate process parameters.
Supply chain traceability using blockchain
Authors: Azevedo Pedro , Gomes Jorge , Romão Mário
Published: April 2023

In the current global marketplace supply chains can span a huge number of countries, cross many borders and require interoperation of a multitude of organizations. This vastness of supply chains impacts business competitiveness since it adds complexity and can difficult securing traceability, chain of custody and transparency. We propose that assuring chain of custody and traceability via Blockchain (BC) allows organizations to demonstrate product provenance, integrity and compliance. This work proposes that to effect true traceability the more complete approach is to connect both the Supply Chain Actors (SCAs) and products identifications using digital certificates. A Blockchain is used to manage the traceability of products and validation of the identities. Importing, verifying and storing the certificates uses an off-chain data storage solution for products certificates, IDs and data (i.e., WalliD) . To create, validate the certificates and setup the chain of trust a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) was designed as part of the proposal. Our study follows a Design Science research approach aimed to analyse the requirements and propose a solution to a more complete traceability in supply chains. The results were architectural artifacts, including an Ethereum Smart Contract and a PKI based certificate authentication system. The implementation of these deliverables allow for a supply chain system that can provide decentralized and trustful assurance of the provenance, chain of custody and traceability functionalities for all the Organizations and also for the final consumers.

To exemplify the problem and demonstrate the applicability of the solution, its potential and benefits we applied it to a real food supply chain use case that already uses provenance certificates and stored them in the blockchain using the before mentioned SmartContract to assure and demonstrate the chain of custody and traceability of the food produce.
Nanostructured Ni-MoCx: An efficient non-noble metal catalyst for the chemoselective hydrogenation of nitroaromatics
Authors: Zhang Yifei , Li Zhiwen , Zhang Jingjing , Xu Liangliang , Han Zhong-Kang , Baiker Alfons , Li Gao
Published: April 2023

Catalysts for chemoselective hydrogenation are of vital importance for the synthesis of various important chemicals and intermediates. Herein we developed a simple method for preparing a highly efficient Ni-MoCx nanocomposite catalyst via temperature-programmed carburization of a polyoxometalate precursor. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) analyses indicate that the resulting mesoporous nanocomposite catalyst is made up of well-dispersed metallic nickel particles embedded in a MoCx matrix. This catalyst exhibits high activity and selectivity (> 99%) in the hydrogenation of various substituted nitroaromatics to corresponding anilines. The high efficiency is attributed to the intimate contact of the constituents favoring electron transfer and hydrogen adsorption. Dihydrogen is physisorbed on the carbide support and dissociates on the nickel particles, as evidenced by Mo K-edge X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectra, density functional theory (DFT), and hydrogen—deuterium exchange. The remarkable catalytic performance of the catalyst could be traced back to the synergistic interaction between the Ni particles and the carbide support. In-situ infrared spectroscopy and DFT simulations indicated that the adsorption/activation of the nitro group is favored compared to that of other substituents at the aromatic ring. In recyclability tests, the Ni-MoCx nanocomposite showed no significant loss of catalytic performance in seven consecutive runs, indicating its robust nature.
Real-time updating of dynamic social networks for COVID-19 vaccination strategies
Authors: Cheng Sibo , Pain Christopher C. , Guo Yi-Ke , Arcucci Rossella
Published: April 2023

Vaccination strategy is crucial in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the supply is still limited in many countries, contact network-based interventions can be most powerful to set an efficient strategy by identifying high-risk individuals or communities. However, due to the high dimension, only partial and noisy network information can be available in practice, especially for dynamic systems where contact networks are highly time-variant. Furthermore, the numerous mutations of SARS-CoV-2 have a significant impact on the infectious probability, requiring real-time network updating algorithms. In this study, we propose a sequential network updating approach based on data assimilation techniques to combine different sources of temporal information. We then prioritise the individuals with high-degree or high-centrality, obtained from assimilated networks, for vaccination. The assimilation-based approach is compared with the standard method (based on partially observed networks) and a random selection strategy in terms of vaccination effectiveness in a SIR model. The numerical comparison is first carried out using real-world face-to-face dynamic networks collected in a high school, followed by sequential multi-layer networks generated relying on the Barabasi-Albert model emulating large-scale social networks with several communities.
Experimental simulation of wormhole sanding cavity pattern and microscopic mechanism in heterogeneous weakly-cemented sandstone
Authors: Song Yajun , Dong Changyin , Zhou Bo , Zhan Xinjie , Gwamba Gerald
Published: April 2023

Sand production has been a shared problem in the development of weakly-cemented sandstone oil reservoirs. Sanding simulation and prediction are of utmost importance for the production optimization of this type of reservoir. For a long time, research on sand production has been centered on “what is produced from the formation,” such as the size and rate of produced sand. However, “what is left inside the formation,” which is the structural change of the rock after sanding, is also another intriguing and important topic for the management of sand-prone reservoirs. Some related studies have been carried out, and they have proposed that wormhole-like pore throat will appear after sand production, but the precise morphological description and formation mechanism are still lacking. A series of sanding simulation experiments are performed to deepen the understanding of the sanding cavity pattern and its mechanism. The experiments are carried out using a visual sanding simulation apparatus. Through this, the complex wormhole sand production patterns are found and classified into single-branch wormhole cavity patterns and multi-branch wormhole cavity patterns. The extension processes of those different patterns are also demonstrated. Besides, this work discusses the change in the reservoir flowability performance in wormhole sanding mode, and the near-well flowability might be improved by actively inducing weakly-cemented sandstone to create a bigger aperture wormhole sanding pattern. Through the visual microscopic system, the sand competitive detachment mechanism that induces wormhole extending is revealed, along with the cavities concurrent extension mechanism that induces multi-branch wormhole extending. Moreover, this work discusses the microscopic detachment forms which help explain the sand-produced rate from weakly-cemented sandstone. This work enhances and creates a novel understanding of the sanding patterns and mechanisms in weakly-cemented heterogeneous reservoirs, which is beneficial to providing direct guidance for sand production prediction and sand control optimization.
Application of 3D-scanning for structural and geometric assessment of aerospace structures
Authors: van Brügge Lina , Çetin Kaan M. , Koeberle Sebastian J. , Thiele Moritz , Sturm Fabian , Hornung Mirko
Published: April 2023

The geometric assessment of physical demonstrators are an integral part of several research projects conducted at the Chair of Aircraft Design at the Technical University of Munich. The projects range from several research UAVs, a sailplane morphing wing to propellers. There are different project objectives like the assessment of manufacturing deviations, design and function validation as well as reverse engineering of aerodynamic surfaces for model adaptation and simulation in the projects. Nevertheless, mutual approaches and solutions have been identified. Therefore joint development efforts are undertaken using 3D-scanning technology for data collection and evaluation. This technology captures the surface of a given object typically as a point cloud with comparably high accuracy. Since a manual evaluation process bears disadvantages in terms of reproducibility, custom post-processing software tools are developed. Global geometry data, like wing platform data, as well as airfoils can be extracted from a surface point cloud to analyze UAV wings or propellers. Airfoils can be derotated, normed and smoothed for aerodynamic analysis with low-fidelity aerodynamic tools, such as XFLR5 or XFOIL. For the analysis of morphing airfoil structures, the scanned geometry is aligned with the desired design airfoil shape so they can be compared. In this paper, analysis methods and several example results are presented.
Hom-Leibniz bialgebras and BiHom-Leibniz dendriform algebras
Authors: Laraiedh Ismail , Silvestrov Sergei
Published: April 2023

A notion of a Hom-Leibniz bialgebra is introduced and it is shown that matched pairs of Hom-Leibniz algebras, Manin triples of Hom-Leibniz algebras and Hom-Leibniz bialgebras are equivalent in a certain sense. A notion of Hom-Leibniz dendriform algebra is established, their bimodules and matched pairs are defined and their properties and theorems about their interplay and construction are obtained. Furthermore, the concept of BiHom-Leibniz dendriform algebras is introduced and discussed, their bimodules and matched pairs are constructed and properties are described. Finally, the connections between all these algebraic structures using $${\mathcal {O}}$$
O
-operators are shown.
Prognostic significance of controlling nutritional status in older adults with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: a prospective comparative study with other objective nutritional indices
Authors: Chen Ying , Zheng Hui , He Yu
Published: April 2023

Objective

We explored the prognostic significance of controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score in older adults with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and compared CONUT with other objective nutritional indices.

Methods

This is a single-center retrospective cohort study in older adult coronary artery disease patients undergoing HFpEF. Clinical data and laboratory results were collected before discharge. CONUT, geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI), and prognostic nutritional index (PNI) were calculated according to the formula. The primary endpoint of this study was readmission due to heart failure and all-cause mortality in the first year after hospitalization.

Results

A total of 371 older adults were enrolled. All patients were discharged and followed up for 1 year, and readmission for heart failure was 26% while all-cause mortality was 20%. Compared with the none and mild malnutrition risk group, the readmission rate for heart failure (HF) within 1 year (36% vs. 18%, 23%) and all-cause mortality rate in the moderate and severe malnutrition risk group (40% vs. 8%, 0%) were higher (P < 0.05). On multivariate logistic analysis, CONUT was not associated with readmission due to HF within 1 year. CONUT was significantly associated with all-cause mortality independently of GNRI or PNI, after adjustment for major confounders including age, bedridden; length of stay; history of chronic kidney disease; loop diuretics use; angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin receptor blocker and beta-adrenergic blocking agents use; New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class; hemoglobin; potassium; Creatinine; triglycerides; glycosylated hemoglobin; brain natriuretic peptide; left ventricular ejection fraction; GNRI and PNI via multivariable Cox analysis (HR (95% CI) 1.764 (1.503, 2.071); 1.646 (1.359, 1.992); 1.764 (1.503, 2.071), respectively). Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed that the risk of all-cause mortality significantly increased in accordance with a higher CONUT (CONUT 5–12 compare to 0–1:HR (95% CI) 6.16 (3.78, 10.06); CONUT 2–4 compare to 0–1:HR (95% CI) 0.16 (0.10, 0.26)). CONUT showed the best area under the curve value (0.789) for the prediction of all-cause mortality compared with the other objective nutritional indices.

Conclusion

CONUT is a simple and strong prognostic indicator for the prediction of all-cause mortality in older adults with HFpEF.

Clinical Trials.gov Identifier

NCT05586828.
Learning Effectiveness of Semester and Year-Long Study Abroad Programmes: Perspectives of International Students in a UK and China Context
Authors: O’Dea Xianghan , Wang Chen , O’Dea Mike
Published: April 2023

Research on international students’ learning experiences pays much less attention to those studying semester and/or year-long programmes in a country that differs significantly from their home country with respect to culture and the education system. Adopting transformative learning theory as the theoretical framework, this paper explores the learning effectiveness of students on such programme in a Chinese and in a UK university. It analyses the narratives of 27 students in relation to their cognitive and behavioural activities and also their self-reflective and collaborative reflective activities. The findings indicate that these students only partially achieved transformative learning. The main reasons are: (1) the duration of this type of programme was not long enough to achieve a full transformation and (2) both host universities did not include reflection in the learning process properly. This paper makes a contribution to cross-border learning literature in the Chinese and the UK contexts.
Who cheats? Do prosocial values make a difference?
Authors: Kasler Jonathan , Sharabi-Nov Adi , Shinwell Eric S. , Hen Meirav
Published: April 2023

Research has indicated the importance of internal motivation as a factor in reducing academic misconduct in higher education and some commentators have also cited prosocial values as buffers against the temptation to cheat. In light of this research, the goal of the present research was to study the roles of motivation and prosocial values in combating academic misconduct. Specifically, it examined how internal motivation and strong prosocial values might impact the risk of academic misconduct. For this purpose, 455 student participants completed a self-report questionnaire. The results support the hypothesis that high internal motivation and strong prosocial values reduce the tendency to cheat. In comparison, high external motivation and weak prosocial values were associated with higher levels of academic misconduct. In addition, male students were more likely to cheat than their female classmates and science students were more likely to cheat than social science students. The ability to identify factors that reduce the risk of academic misconduct can inform interventions in higher education. According to the present results, such interventions should involve the promotion of prosocial values and enhance student well-being.