bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Performance of Cuplump Modified Binder (CMB) - HMA Containing Sasobit® Wax.
Authors: Mustafa Kamal Mazlina , Ariffin Hadithon Kamarul , Abd Rahim Ruhida
Published: May 2022

Increase in traffic loads combined with an insufficient degree of maintenance in recent years has caused an acceleration and continuous deterioration of the road network globally. Hence, several types of measures may be effective in combatting these matters, such as, improved roadway design, use of better quality of materials and the use of more effective construction methods. The influence of warm mix additive (Sasobit®) on the performance of Natural Rubber Modified Binder based on cuplump was acquired. In this work, the influence of warm mix additive loading on cuplump modified binder (CMB) on softening point, penetration properties Marshall Stability, flow, and Marshall Quotient (Stability to flow ratio) were acquired. The dosage of natural rubber and additive was kept at 5% to 6% and 1% to 2% respectively for all binders. Results showed that the softening point increased while the penetration property decreased to approximately 40% indicating the effect of stiffening due to addition of Sasobit®wax. In addition, Cuplump modified asphalt (CMA) also results in a considerable increase in the Marshall Stability (strength) value and a Marshall Quotient value (resistance to deformation). The MQ increased to 40% compared to a mixture without additive. Thus, it can be said that the additive provides greater resistance against permanent deformations due to their high stability and high Marshall Quotient.
Evaluation of optimum asphalt content and engineering properties of asphalt mixture containing irradiated waste plastic bottles granules as aggregates
Authors: Usman A , Sutanto M H , Napiah M , Zoorob S E , Yaro N S A
Published: May 2022

The massive volume of polyethylene terephthalate waste (WPET) creates serious environmental complications. A popular way to reuse WPET is as aggregates substitute in a densely graded asphalt concrete mixture. However, both positive and negative impacts on Marshall stability were found when PET particles were used as modifiers. One potential means to solve this is the usage of gamma radiation treatment. In this regard, gamma radiation treatment influences on the WPET granules were investigated on modified asphalt mixtures volumetric and strength properties. The findings illustrate that the application of treatment with gamma rays on WPET granules enhances stability, decreases optimum asphalt content (OAC), boosts rigidity, and the modified asphalt mixture meets all the Marshall mix design requirements. Therefore, the proposed modification of the waste plastic bottles granules by exposing to gamma radiation might be an efficient avenue for repurposing waste with improve engineering properties.
Influence of the Malaysia’s National Annex for Seismic Design on the Size and Reinforcement Weight of Low-rise Buildings
Authors: Iliani Rosli M , Alih S C , Vafaei M
Published: May 2022

In early 2017, Malaysia’s national annex for the seismic design of structures was published and led to some concerns regarding the increase in the construction cost of buildings. This study investigated the change in the reinforcement weights of beams and columns due to seismic design based on Malaysia’s national annex. For this purpose, buildings with different numbers of stories (i.e., 3- and 6-storey), ductility classes (i.e., low and medium), and soil types (i.e., stiff and soft soil) were designed through two different methods. The first method followed the conventional design practice in Malaysia, in which the BS 8110 code was used to design structural elements only for gravity loads. However, the second design method was based on Malaysia’s national annex and Eurocode 2, and buildings were designed for gravity loads and seismic actions. The results showed that buildings with low ductility class constructed on the soft soil had the largest increase in the reinforcement weights compared to the conventional design. On the other hand, the buildings with medium ductility class constructed on stiff soil had lesser reinforcement weights than the conventional design.
Mechanical Behaviour of Concrete Containing Crumb Rubber as Partial Fine Aggregates Replacement
Authors: Mohamed Amin M A , Mohd Zuki S S , Shahidan S , Ghadzali N S , Mohamed Nazri F , Abdul Rahim M , Mohammad Azmi M A , Ibrahim M H W
Published: May 2022

Nowadays, the waste tires became a critical issue for many countries as the transportation industries increase around the world. Normally, the worn-out tires will be discarded and become an environmental threat or resourceful end product depending on the waste management of the country. Thus, the aim of this study is to investigate the effect of crumb rubber as partial replacement of fine aggregates in compressive and tensile strength of concrete. Based on the mechanical behaviour, the optimum content of crumb rubber as partial fine aggregates replacement in concrete is determined. The size of crumb rubber used in this study was between 2 mm and 3 mm with 5% to 15% replacements. The targeted strength of concrete at 28th days is 35 MPa with 0.32 water to cement ratio. The slump test was conducted to measure the workability of the mix. 24 concrete cubes with dimension of 150 mm x 150 mm x 150 mm were tested for compressive strength after 7 and 28 days of water curing. In addition, 12 cylinders (100 mm x 200 mm) were prepared for tensile strength test. Based on the results of compressive and tensile strength, generally both strengths decreased as the percentages of replacement increased. However, for 5% and 10% replacement, the targeted strength is still achieved. Hence, it can be concluded that, 10% of rubber crumb is the optimum percentages to be partial replacement of fine aggregates in concrete.
Removal of Phosphorus from Domestic Wastewater by Using L-shape Semi Aerated Steel Slag Filter System
Authors: Hamdan R. , Ayub K A , Arshad N A N M
Published: May 2022

Excessive amount of phosphorus in wastewater prior discharged are one of the major cause of eutrophication in lakes and rivers making phosphorus removals are essentials. However, removing phosphorus from wastewaters required a high cost treatment system to be installed at treatment facilities. To provide alternative solutions, this study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of L-shape semi aerated filter with steel slag as filter media to provide a cost effective treatment system using natural media as a solution to remove phosphorus from domestic wastewater. The L-shaped semi aerated filter was constructed and installed onsite at Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) UTHM. Then, the laboratory test was conducted twice a week to analyse five parameters including pH, turbidity, dissolved oxygen (DO), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and total phosphorus (TP). The results showed that the effluent from the L-shape steel slag filter was alkaline with a pH value range of 7.22 to 9.71 due to alkaline properties of steel slag. Turbidity value of effluent at vertical section was higher than horizontal section as it may affect the COD removal of the filter. In the vertical system, the DO value range was higher (1.5 to 6.9 mg/L) than the horizontal system (1.27 to 5.5 mg/L) since oxygen was introduced by aeration process. Furthermore, this system showed good COD removal efficiencies with values ranged from 10% to 76%. Lastly, total phosphorus removal efficiencies also showed great removals with range of 29% to 68%. From the results obtained, steel slag with high-Ca content showed excellent potential in removing phosphorus from domestic wastewater.
Vacuum ultraviolet photoluminescence of NaMgF3:Sm and NaMgF3:Sm,Ce: energy levels of the lanthanides in NaMgF3:Ln compounds
Authors: Schuyt J J , Williams G V M , Shinohara K , Shimizu T , Yamanoi K , Cadatal-Raduban M
Published: May 2022

The luminescence properties of NaMgF3:Sm and NaMgF3:Ce,Sm were studied in the vacuum ultraviolet spectral region. Excitation bands corresponding to the charge transfer processes F− → Sm3+, O2− → Sm3+, and O2− → Ce3+, and the energy transfer processes Ce3+ → Sm3+ and O2− → Sm3+, were observed. The energies of the Sm3+ charge transfer transitions and the crystal field split Ce3+ 4f
05d
1 transitions were used to construct a complete host referred binding energy diagram for the series of lanthanide-doped NaMgF3:Ln compounds. We demonstrate that the optical and luminescence properties predicted by the binding energy diagram are in good agreement with those predicted by the binding energy diagram constructed via the alternative impurity-informed method, and all available experimental data regarding the NaMgF3:Ln compounds. We demonstrate that NaMgF3:Ln compounds are model systems for the study of charge trapping phenomena and divalent lanthanide luminescence. Ultimately, we validate that the impurity-informed method can be used to establish the energy levels of lanthanides in fluoride systems.
Industrially microfabricated ion trap with 1 eV trap depth
Authors: Auchter S , Axline C , Decaroli C , Valentini M , Purwin L , Oswald R , Matt R , Aschauer E , Colombe Y , Holz P , Monz T , Blatt R , Schindler P , Rössler C , Home J
Published: May 2022

Scaling trapped-ion quantum computing will require robust trapping of at least hundreds of ions over long periods, while increasing the complexity and functionality of the trap itself. Symmetric three-dimensional (3D) structures enable high trap depth, but microfabrication techniques are generally better suited to planar structures that produce less ideal conditions for trapping. We present an ion trap fabricated on stacked eight-inch wafers in a large-scale micro-electro-mechanical system microfabrication process that provides reproducible traps at a large volume. Electrodes are patterned on the surfaces of two opposing wafers bonded to a spacer, forming a 3D structure with 2.5 μm standard deviation in alignment across the stack. We implement a design achieving a trap depth of 1 eV for a 40Ca+ ion held at 200 μm from either electrode plane. We characterize traps, achieving measurement agreement with simulations to within ±5% for mode frequencies spanning 0.6–3.8 MHz, and evaluate stray electric field across multiple trapping sites. We measure motional heating rates over an extensive range of trap frequencies, and temperatures, observing 40 phonons/s at 1 MHz and 185 K. This fabrication method provides a highly scalable approach for producing a new generation of 3D ion traps.
Bipolar dual-broadband photodetectors based on perovskite heterojunctions
Authors: Li Yu , Guo Fumin , Yu Shanshan , Wang Jian , Yang Shihe
Published: May 2022

The development of efficient photodetectors for color recognition is of great importance for many applications. In this paper, we report a novel bipolar dual-broadband photodetector equipped with a perovskite heterojunction, with bidirectional broadband responses in the short-wavelength and long-wavelength regions at zero bias voltage, enabled by a charge separation reversion mechanism. The unique aerosol–liquid–solid technique allowed the perovskite heterojunction to be fabricated by successively depositing wide-bandgap perovskite (WBP) and narrow-bandgap perovskite (NBP) layers directly on the transparent substrate. For photodetectors based on the perovskite heterojunctions, the short-wavelength photons were depleted by the bottom WBP layer and generated negative responses, while the long-wavelength photons were absorbed by the top NBP layer and generated positive responses. Moreover, the demarcation wavelength between the bipolar responses and the cut-off wavelength can be easily tuned by adjusting the bandgaps (or compositions) of the bottom and top perovskite layers.
Spartina alterniflora has the highest methane emissions in a St. Lawrence estuary salt marsh
Authors: Comer-Warner Sophie A , Ullah Sami , Ampuero Reyes Wendy , Krause Stefan , Chmura Gail L
Published: May 2022

Salt marshes have the ability to store large amounts of ‘blue carbon’, potentially mitigating some of the effects of climate change. Salt marsh carbon storage may be partially offset by emissions of CH4, a highly potent greenhouse gas. Sea level rise and invasive vegetation may cause shifts between different elevation and vegetation zones in salt marsh ecosystems. Elevation zones have distinct soil properties, plant traits and rhizosphere characteristics, which affect CH4 fluxes. We investigated differences in CH4 emissions between four elevation zones (mudflat, Spartina alterniflora, Spartina patens and invasive Phragmites australis) typical of salt marshes in the northern Northwest Atlantic. CH4 emissions were significantly higher from the S. alterniflora zone (17.7 ± 9.7 mg C m−2h−1) compared to the other three zones, where emissions were negligible (<0.3 mg C m−2h−1). These emissions were high for salt marshes and were similar to those typically found in oligohaline marshes with lower salinities. CH4 fluxes were significantly correlated with soil properties (salinity, water table depth, bulk density and temperature), plant traits (rhizome volume and biomass, root volume and dead biomass volume all at 0–15 cm) and CO2 fluxes. The relationships between CH4 emissions, and rhizome and root volume suggest that the aerenchyma tissues in these plants may be a major transport mechanism of CH4 from anoxic soils to the atmosphere. This may have major implications for the mitigation potential carbon sink from salt marshes globally, especially as S. alterniflora is widespread. This study shows CH4 fluxes can vary over orders of magnitude from different vegetation in the same system, therefore, specific emissions factors may need to be used in future climate models and for more accurate carbon budgeting depending on vegetation type.
Frugal Innovation: Context, Theory, and Practice
Authors: Neumann Lukas , Gassmann Oliver
Published: May 2022

Frugal innovation as a concept was initially sparked by a groundbreaking article published in The Economist in 2010. In it, the conception and application of a handheld electrocardiogram (ECG), the Mac 400, specifically designed to serve the rural population in India, was introduced. Every aspect of this product and its ecosystem was designed to serve the customer at less than 25% of the original cost. Since this publication, a lively discussion around this concept has developed in academia as well as in the industry. As a term, “frugal innovation” refers to solutions (products or services), methods, or designs that focus on serving new customers in resource-constrained contexts at the bottom of the pyramid (BoP) and/or emerging and developing markets. This understanding has broadened somewhat as such innovations gain increasing attention and relevance throughout all customer segments across the globe. What remains consistent is that frugal innovation is based on a new type of value architecture that is specifically developed to serve customers’ needs in the respective context by utilizing as few resources as possible. This approach leads to many cases where frugal innovations are novel and disruptive to their market environment. Research shows that for firms, especially traditional “Western” ones, these innovations require significant changes in firms’ activities along the entire value chain.
Historical Documents as Proxy Data in Venice and Its Marine Environment
Authors: Camuffo Dario
Published: May 2022

The environmental history of Venice over the last millennium has been reconstructed from written, pictorial, and architectural documentary sources, used in a synergistic way. The method of transforming a document into an index and then into calibrated numerical values according to an international system of units has been applied in the case of Venice and its geographical and climate peculiarities. Because frost constituted a dramatic challenge for the city, a series of severe winters is well documented: The city was sieged by ice, meaning Venetians had to cross the ice transporting food, beverages, and wood for burning in carts, as recorded in written reports and visual representations. The sea level in the 18th century has been reconstructed based on paintings by Canaletto and Bellotto, who took advantage of a camera obscura to precisely draw the views of the city and its canals.. These paintings accurately represent the green algae belt that corresponds to the level of soaking created by marine waters at high tide. This has made it possible to measure how much the green algae (and therefore the seawater) has risen since the 18th century. Similarly, a painting by Veronese has enabled the reconstruction of sea level rise (SLR) since 1571. Another useful proxy is the water stairs of the Venetian palaces. These were originally built to access boats and are now (almost) totally submerged and covered with algae. As the sea level rose, these steps became submerged underwater. The depth of the lowest step is therefore representative of how much the sea level rose after the stair was built. This proxy has allowed the relative sea level since 1350 to be reconstructed, and an exponential trend in the rising of the sea level has been identified. Venice has at times been flooded by seawater, including tsunamis at the beginning of the second millennium. A long series of sea floods due to storm surges triggered by particular meteorological situations shows that the flooding frequency is related to the exponential SLR. In the 1960s, there was a sharp increase in frequency of flooding, which coincided with the digging of deep and wide canals, excavated to allow the passage of tankers. This increased the exchange of water between the sea and the lagoon. Proxies based on archaeological remains, as well as geological-biological cores extracted from the coastal area and dated with isotopic methods, cover long time periods; the longest record reaching 13 ka BP. However, the time resolution is reduced, thus providing good data for physical geography purposes.
Critical Educational Psychology
Authors: Corcoran Tim
Published: May 2022

Critical educational psychology has developed in response to traditional psychological applications taking place in education. Common amongst this area of work are concerns with reductionist and pathological ways of understanding those involved in teaching and learning. Further alignments occur with the promotion of social justice, empowerment, and recognition of difference, particularly in relation to ableism, racism, and other forms of prejudice. Critical educational psychologists rely upon varieties of psychological theory to support their work including social constructionism, sociocultural theories, and psychoanalytics. The intimate connection between theory and practice is regularly made explicit in critical educational psychology. Depending on geographic location, more regularly outside of North America, the referents educational and school psychology can be interchanged. Areas of applied work in educational settings include assessment, counseling, and working collaboratively with professionals such as teachers and speech pathologists.

Critical educational psychologists examine the givenness of hegemonic psychological research and how this informs ways of knowing/being. Scientific methods are commonly targeted in this regard. Whether scientific accounts of people and the world should be dispelled outright provides grounds for ongoing debate. Even so, many critical educational psychologists are committed to working inclusively within and across different cultures and epistemologies. To this end, critical educational psychology is informed by explanations that are often marginalized from psychological discussion, such as critical race theory, contributions recognizing the global south, indigenous knowledges, as well as critical disability studies, posthuman theory, and new materialism. A central interest for critical educational psychology is championing difference differently. This is achieved through acknowledging the relationality of all things—human, nonhuman, material, and discursive—to affirm what is yet to be.
Youth Activism through Critical Arts, Transmedia, and Multiliteracies
Authors: Rogers Theresa
Published: May 2022

In the context of increasing realizations of the fragility of democracy, the possibilities and accomplishments of youth activist projects across material and virtual spaces and sites continue to flourish. Research on this work is situated in the rich scholarly traditions of critical youth studies and critical youth literacies as well as in theories of civic engagement, public pedagogy, participatory politics, cosmopolitanism, and relational mobilities. Many youth projects draw on the resources of arts, digital media, and critical multiliteracies to participate, in material ways, in public and political life. Taking up issues such as citizenship for immigrant youth, homelessness, and poverty, young people powerfully create critical, social, and political narratives that resonate within and beyond their own communities. Theorizing this work in relation to public engagement, spatiality, and mobilities deepens our understanding of those moments when youth in community and educational sites create powerful transmediated counter-narratives about their lives and worlds—the ways they incorporate both local and global understandings to create these new forms of political participation. And the work itself underscores the need for more equitable access to various multimodal and digital resources and the importance of youth access to public and mediated spaces. Schools and educators are called to create pedagogical spaces that invite students’ subjectivities, locations, and creative uses of material resources to engage in local and larger public dialogues, counter dominant cultural ideologies, address multiple publics, and create new forms of political participation.
History of Shanghai
Authors: Scheen Lena
Published: May 2022

Over the past millennium, Shanghai transformed from a relatively insignificant market town and county capital into a major global metropolis. A combination of technical advances in agriculture, waterway management, and the natural changes in the course of some rivers and the silting of others led, in 1292, to the founding of the county capital Shanghai. The town went through alternate periods of growth and stagnation, but by the mid-19th century, it was an international trading hub with a population of a quarter of a million people. One of the turning points in its history came in 1842, the year that the Treaty of Nanking was signed by the Qing Empire and the United Kingdom and the Treaty Port of Shanghai opened up. Over the following century, Shanghai was divided into three main sections, each operating under its own laws and regulations: the International Settlement, the French Concession, and the Chinese city. In the 1930s, the fate of the city fell into the hands of yet another foreign power: Japan. After Japan’s surrender on 15 August 1945, Chinese nationalists and communists continued their struggle for control of the city for another four years until the People’s Liberation Army “liberated” Shanghai on 25 May 1949.
Injury Prevention Methods
Authors: Forjuoh Samuel , Li Guohua
Published: May 2022

Injury prevention encompasses all the processes, strategies, and approaches designed to mitigate any unintentional or intentional bodily damage from external causes, such as motor vehicle crashes, falls from height, or incidents resulting in deprivation of the two essential elements needed for the proper functioning of the body, oxygen and heat. The methods for developing injury prevention strategies have undergone a steady upward developmental trajectory since Hippocratic times. In particular, the past few decades have witnessed transformative innovations from a myriad of studies that focused on the best strategies to prevent injury from occurring and/or to mitigate the severity of injury when primary prevention fails. These methods, techniques, and processes for developing injury prevention strategies and interventions are generally classified as falling under the “6 Es” of injury prevention: education, engineering modifications, enforcement/enactment, economic incentive (equity), empowerment, and evaluation. The Haddon matrix is the primary conceptual framework for developing injury prevention strategies. Other issues that are germane to effective injury prevention include synergism of interventions and appropriate transfer of interventions across settings.
Measuring Mortality Crises: A Tool for Studying Global Health
Authors: Mazzuco Stefano
Published: May 2022

Measuring the impact of a public health crisis in terms of mortality might seem a straightforward method to quantify its effect on the population because deaths are much more easily registered compared to other health outcomes. However, despite the intuitive appeal of this path, it is far from obvious how to best operationalize it, and all the most used methods have drawbacks that should be kept in mind. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, the major routes that have been considered are cause-specific death counts (and related measures such as case fatality rates), excess deaths estimates, and life expectancy decline. All the considered approaches have limitations: Cause-specific deaths are often subject to undercount or overcount issues with significant differences both between and within countries, excess deaths estimates may strongly depend on the baseline (there are several methods to estimate it), and life expectancy drop estimates (or estimates of years of life lost) also depend on the reference level used, which can vary substantially across countries. More generally, the issues of available data quality and standardization of age structure should be taken into proper account. Thus, the choice of which approach is worth using depends on the characteristics of the crisis that need to be evaluated and the type and quality of data available. Interestingly, the three approaches can also be combined so that some of their limitations can be mitigated.
Argentinian Foreign Policy
Authors: Merke Federico , Doval Gisela
Published: May 2022

If one could characterize Argentina's foreign policy in a single sentence, one could say that its typical feature has been its constant change. Throughout the country’s history, its foreign policy has alternated between Global North and Global South focuses, isolationism and international cooperation (or antagonism) , while also being just as ideologically varied. The reasons for this inconsistency are numerous and reflect the country’s unique domestic politics and international position. Economic vicissitudes and changing Great Power politics at the end of the Cold War have forced the Southern Cone nation to remain flexible in balancing its broader relations with those more regional while implementing mixed neoliberal and statist policies to maintain relative internal order.
The Archaeology of Missions in Southern Africa
Authors: Swanepoel Natalie
Published: May 2022

The late 18th and early 19th centuries in Europe and the United States saw a wave of evangelical revivalism and hence the establishment of a large number of missionary societies who dispersed missionaries throughout the globe. Southern Africa was viewed as a potentially fruitful mission field and, as a result, a large number of mission stations were established in the region during the 19th century under the auspices of a wide array of missionary societies, although there are some examples of missionization prior to this. Missionary activity in southern Africa has long been the topic of academic investigation by historians and others but was only sporadically so by archaeologists until the second decade of the 21st century, when a critical mass of mission archaeology projects was ongoing to the extent that there was collaboration and discussion among the scholars concerned. As a result, in the early 21st century, it became an acknowledged focus of southern African historical archaeology. In their study of missions, missionaries, and missionization, archaeologists draw on a diverse toolkit of methodologies, including mapping, landscape survey, geophysical survey, excavation, artifact analysis, rock art analysis, museum collections analysis, and the comparative study of documents, pictorial records, and the archaeological record. Archaeologists have contributed by placing mission sites into their wider landscapes; exploring changing material practices in architecture, clothing, household goods, and burial practices; and studying missionary activity and mission sites in diachronic perspective.
Xuyun
Authors: Campo Daniela
Published: May 2022

Xuyun 虛雲 (?–1959), also known in the West as Empty Cloud, was a famous Chan master and one of the principal monastic leaders of modern Chinese Buddhism. From the end of the Chinese empire to the first decade of the Maoist regime, Xuyun engaged in the physical reconstruction and institutional reform of six large monasteries of the Chan tradition. In his monasteries, he reintroduced disciplinary rules, meditation practice, and precept transmission and trained new generations of monastics. A former ascetic and an expert Chan practitioner, Xuyun led extended meditation retreats and instructed both monastic and lay Buddhists in the kan huatou method of meditation. Known as a miracle worker, he directed religious ceremonies and public rituals all over the country, attracting huge numbers of followers. Relying on his charisma and on his great authority at both a religious and an institutional level, this master actively worked for the transmission of Chinese Buddhism and helped shape its transition to the new social and political conditions: his long-term engagement in the preservation of the rules of Chinese monasticism and systematic effort to ensure the reproduction of Chinese Buddhism in general and of the Chan school in particular through Dharma transmissions can also be singled out among his most important contributions to modern Chinese Buddhism. Xuyun also was, and still is, one of the most revered Buddhist masters of the 20th century across China and the West. He acquired the reputation of a modern eminent monk during his lifetime, particularly after the 1953 publication of his autobiography—a work that fits neatly into the hagiographical tradition of the biographies of eminent monks, in terms of not only its themes, aims, and target audience but also its sources and its editorial method.
International Community Practice
Authors: Sousa Cindy , Moss Tamarah
Published: May 2022

As social work continues the ongoing work of developing frameworks for community practice, globalization and the increase in multicultural societies make urgent the need to consult international models. Community practice must center attention on building and sustaining relationships; determining who defines need and who controls the practices within the social work cycle of engagement, assessment, intervention, and evaluation; and maintaining community-centered practices that grapple with power dynamics in terms of status, resources, and culture. A learning approach is needed within international social work collaborations, characterized by an ethics of respect for sovereignty, cultural integrity, and the ways historical, political, cultural, and sociocultural contexts inform practice. Solidarity, authentic collaboration, and a respect for individual and collective autonomy and grassroots power are key features of community practice in international settings. The goal of the comparative perspective is for social workers to be better able to apply an international perspective to the building of theory and practice modalities within community practice.
Donor Site Satisfaction Following Autologous Fat Transfer for Total Breast Reconstruction
Authors: Wederfoort Jamilla L M , van Santbrink Esther , Hommes Juliette E , Heuts Esther M , Van Kuijk Sander M J , van der Hulst René R W J , Piatkowski Andrzej ,   BREAST− trial investigators, Piatkowski Andrzej , Wederfoort Jamilla L M , Hommes Juliette E , Schop Sander J , Krastev Todor K , van Kuijk Sander M J , van der Hulst René R W J , Derks Daniëlle , Larsen Mikko , Rakhorst Hinne , Schmidbauer Ute , Smit Jan Maerten , Tan Liang T , Wehrens Kim M E , de Wit Thijs
Published: May 2022

Background

With evolving breast cancer survival and patient preferences, it is essential that reconstructive surgeons worldwide continue searching for the best reconstruction technique for patients. Autologous fat transfer (AFT) is a relatively new technique for total breast reconstruction that has already proven to be effective and safe with all advantages of autologous tissue. However, little is known about the aesthetic results and satisfaction concerning donor sites.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to measure donor site satisfaction following AFT for total breast reconstruction in breast cancer patients.

Methods

Between May and August of 2021, participants of the BREAST− trial who were at least 24 months after their final reconstruction surgery were invited to complete an additional survey concerning donor sites. The BODY-Q was utilized for data collection. Results of AFT patients were compared with a control group of implant-based reconstruction patients who did not have a donor site.

Results

A total of 51 patients (20 control, 31 intervention) completed the questionnaire. Satisfaction with body did not statistically differ between the groups. The most frequent complaint was contour irregularities (31 reports, 60.8%), with the least favorable donor site being thighs (23 reports, 53.5%) in the AFT group.

Conclusions

Satisfaction with body did not differ between breast cancer patients receiving AFT or implant-based reconstruction, meaning that large-volume liposuction does not aesthetically affect the utilized donor sites. Nevertheless, reconstructive surgeons should be aware of possible donor site complications, especially contour irregularities at the thighs, and discuss this with their patients.
Implications of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Pandemic on the Epidemiology of Pediatric Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection
Authors: Odumade Oludare A , van Haren Simon D , Angelidou Asimenia
Published: May 2022

Respiratory viral infections account for a large percentage of global disease and death. Respiratory syncytial virus is a seasonal virus affecting immunologically vulnerable populations, such as preterm newborns and young infants; however, its epidemiology has changed drastically during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. In this perspective, we discuss the implications of coronavirus disease 2019 on respiratory syncytial virus seasonality patterns and mitigation efforts, as well as the urgent need for vaccination as a preventive tool.
Antibiotic Treatment Duration for Community-Acquired Pneumonia in Outpatient Children in High-Income Countries—A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Kuitunen Ilari , Jääskeläinen Johanna , Korppi Matti , Renko Marjo
Published: May 2022

Background

The optimal treatment duration of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children has been controversial in high-income countries. We conducted a meta-analysis to compare short antibiotic treatment (3–5 days) with longer treatment (7–10 days) among children aged ≥6 months.

Methods

On 31 January 2022, we searched PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases for studies published in English from 2003 to 2022. We included randomized controlled trials focusing on antibiotic treatment duration in children with CAP treated as outpatients. We calculated risk differences (RDs) with 95% confidence intervals and used the fixed-effect model (low heterogeneity). Our main outcome was treatment failure, defined as need for retreatment or hospitalization within 1 month. Our secondary outcome was presence of antibiotic-related harms.

Results

A total of 541 studies were screened, and 4 studies with 1541 children were included in the review. Three studies had low risk of bias, and one had some concerns. All 4 studies assessed treatment failures, and the RD was 0.1% (95% confidence interval, −3.0% to 2.0%) with high quality of evidence. Two studies (1194 children) assessed adverse events related to antibiotic treatment, and the RD was 0.0% (−5.0% to 5.0%) with moderate quality of evidence. The diagnostic criteria varied between the included studies.

Conclusions

A short antibiotic treatment duration of 3–5 days was equally effective and safe compared with the longer (current) recommendation of 7–10 days in children aged ≥6 months with CAP. We suggest that short antibiotic courses can be implemented in treatment of pediatric CAP.
Old and new equations for maximal heart rate prediction in patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction on beta-blockers treatment: results from the MECKI score data set
Authors: Magrì Damiano , Piepoli Massimo , Gallo Giovanna , Corrà Ugo , Metra Marco , Paolillo Stefania , Filardi Pasquale Perrone , Maruotti Antonello , Salvioni Elisabetta , Mapelli Massimo , Vignati Carlo , Senni Michele , Limongelli Giuseppe , Lagioia Rocco , Scrutinio Domenico , Emdin Michele , Passino Claudio , Parati Gianfranco , Sinagra Gianfranco , Correale Michele , Badagliacca Roberto , Sciomer Susanna , Di Lenarda Andrea , Agostoni Piergiuseppe
Published: May 2022

Aims

Predicting maximal heart rate (MHR) in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) still remains a major concern. In such a context, the Keteyian equation is the only one derived in a HFrEF cohort on optimized β-blockers treatment. Therefore, using the Metabolic Exercise combined with Cardiac and Kidney Indexes (MECKI) data set, we looked for a possible MHR equation, for an external validation of Keteyien formula and, contextually, for accuracy of the historical MHR formulas and their relationship with the HR measured at the anaerobic threshold (AT).

Methods and results

Data from 3487 HFrEF outpatients on optimized β-blockers treatment from the MECKI data set were analyzed. Besides excluding all possible confounders, the new equation was derived by using HR data coming from maximal cardiopulmonary exercise test. The simplified derived equation was [109–(0.5*age) + (0.5*HR rest) + (0.2*LVEF)–(5 if haemoglobin <11 g/dL)]. The R2 and the standard error of the estimate were 0.24 and 17.5 beats min−1 with a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) = 11.9%. The Keteyian equation had a slightly higher MAPE = 12.3%. Conversely, the Fox and Tanaka equations showed extremely higher MAPE values. The range 75–80% of MHR according to the new and the Keteyian equations was the most accurate in identifying the HR at the AT (MAPEs = 11.3–11.6%).

Conclusion

The derived equation to estimate the MHR in HFrEF patients, by accounting also for the systolic dysfunction degree and anaemia, improved slightly the Keteyian formula. Both formulas might be helpful in identifying the true maximal effort during an exercise test and the intensity domain during a rehabilitation programme.
Thigh Muscle Composition and Its Relationship to Functional Recovery Post Hip Fracture Over Time and Between Sexes
Authors: Eastlack Marty , Miller Ram R , Hicks Gregory E , Gruber-Baldini Ann , Orwig Denise L , Magaziner Jay , Ryan Alice S
Published: May 2022

Background

Computed tomography (CT)-scan measures of muscle composition may be associated with recovery post hip fracture.

Methods

In an ancillary study to Baltimore Hip Studies Seventh cohort, older adults were evaluated at 2 and 6 months post hip fracture. CT-scan measures of muscle were acquired at 2 months. Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) was measured at 2 and 6 months. Generalized estimating equations were used to model the association of muscle measures and physical function, adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, and time postfracture.

Results

Seventy-one older adults (52% males, age 79.6 ± 7.3 years) were included. At 2-months, males had greater thigh cross-sectional area (CSA, p < .0001) and less low-density muscle (p = .047), and intermuscular adipose tissue (p = .007) than females on the side of the fracture, while females performed better on the SPPB (p = .05). Muscle measures on the fractured side were associated with function at 2 months in both sexes. Participants with the lowest tertile of muscle CSA difference at 2-months, indicating greater symmetry in CSA between limbs, performed better than the other 2 tertiles at 6-months. Males performed worse in functional measures at baseline and did not recover as well as females (p = .02).

Conclusion

CT-scan measures of muscle CSA and fatty infiltration were associated with function at 2-months post hip fracture and with improvement in function by 6 months. Observed sex differences in these associations suggest that rehabilitation strategies may need to be adapted by sex after hip fracture.
New palaeodirections and palaeointensity data from extensive profiles through the Ediacaran section of the Volyn Basalt Province (NW Ukraine)
Authors: Thallner D , Shcherbakova V V , Bakhmutov V G , Shcherbakov V P , Zhidkov G V , Poliachenko I B , Biggin A J
Published: May 2022

Changes in the geomagnetic field over geologic timescales can be used to study the evolution and processes of its sources in Earth's deep interior. As a stark contrast to the geomagnetic field behaviour of the recent past, the field in the late Neoproterozoic is defined by ambiguous polar wander paths, ultralow field strengths and a period of extreme reversal hyperactivity. Palaeointensity data from this time are still scarce and conclusions made from these data suffer from large uncertainties brought by a low sampling density. In this study, we present new palaeomagnetic and palaeointensity data from quarry outcrops and five deep drill cores, covering the longest and most complete profiles through the Ediacaran units in the Volyn Basalt Province (NW Ukraine) to date. Palaeodirectional analysis of thermal and alternating field demagnetization experiments reveals at least six reversals in the profile as well as four palaeopoles that agree with previously published poles. Whole-rock palaeointensity estimates are derived from a multimethod approach that utilizes thermal and microwave Thellier experiments performed using Coe and IZZI protocols as well as Wilson and double-heating Shaw experiments. These produce instantaneous site-mean palaeointensity estimates in the range of 2.1 ± 0.4 to 11.1 ± 3.5 µT and virtual dipole moments in the range of 0.31 ± 0.06 × 1022 to 1.67 ± 0.53 × 1022 A m2. Small-scale variations of palaeointensities throughout the profile not only show extremely weak field strengths around polarity changes but could also suggest that the field strength never fully recovered between reversals. These new results increase the density of intensity data coverage for Baltica in the Late Ediacaran and, in combination with previously published Ediacaran dipole moments, support an extremely weak field that seems to increase in strength towards the Ediacaran–Cambrian transition.
Metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses reveal the effects of self- and hetero-grafting on anthocyanin biosynthesis in grapevine
Authors: Zhong Haixia , Liu Zhongjie , Zhang Fuchun , Zhou Xiaoming , Sun Xiaoxia , Li Yongyao , Liu Wenwen , Xiao Hua , Wang Nan , Lu Hong , Pan Mingqi , Wu Xinyu , Zhou Yongfeng
Published: May 2022

Grafting, which joins a scion from a cultivar with the stem of a rootstock from a grapevine wild relative, is commonly used in viticulture. Grafting has crucial effects on various phenotypes of the cultivar, including its phenology, biotic and abiotic resistance, berry metabolome, and coloration, but the underlying genetics and regulatory mechanisms are largely unexplored. In this study, we investigated the phenotypic, metabolomic, and transcriptomic profiles at three developmental stages (45, 75, and 105 days after flowering) of the Crimson Seedless cultivar (Vitis vinifera) grafted onto four rootstocks (three heterografts, CS/101-14, CS/SO4, and CS/110R and one self-graft, CS/CS) with own-rooted graft-free Crimson Seedless (CS) as the control. All the heterografts had a significant effect on berry reddening as early as ~45 days after flowering. The grafting of rootstocks promoted anthocyanin biosynthesis and accumulation in grape berries. The metabolomic features showed that cyanidin 3-O-glucoside, delphinidin 3-O-glucoside, malvidin 3-O-glucoside, peonidin 3-O-glucoside, and petunidin 3-O-glucoside were the pigments responsible for the purplish-red peel color. Transcriptomic analyses revealed that anthocyanin biosynthesis-related genes, from upstream (phenylalanine ammonia-lyase) to downstream (anthocyanidin 3-O-glucosyltransferase and anthocyanidin synthase), were upregulated with the accumulation of anthocyanins in the heterografted plants. At the same time, all these genes were also highly expressed and more anthocyanin was accumulated in self-grafted CS/CS samples compared with own-rooted graft-free CS samples, suggesting that self-grafting may also have promoted berry reddening in grapevine. Our results reveal global transcriptomic and metabolomic features in berry color regulation under different grafting conditions that may be useful for improving berry quality in viticulture.
Asymptotic tests for Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium in hexaploids
Authors: Wang Jing , Feng Li , Mu Shuaicheng , Dong Ang , Gan Jinwen , Wen Zhenying , Meng Juan , Li Mingyu , Wu Rongling , Sun Lidan
Published: May 2022

Hexaploids, a group of organisms containing three complete sets of chromosomes in a single nucleus, are of utmost importance to evolutionary studies and breeding programs. Many studies have focused on hexaploid linkage analysis and QTL mapping in controlled crosses, but little methodology has been developed to reveal how hexaploids diversify and evolve in natural populations. We formulate a general framework for studying the pattern of genetic variation in autohexaploid populations through testing deviation from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) at individual molecular markers. We confirm that hexaploids cannot reach exact HWE but can approach asymptotic HWE at 8–9 generations of random mating. We derive a statistical algorithm for testing HWE and the occurrence of double reduction for autopolyploids, a phenomenon that affects population variation during long evolutionary processes. We perform computer simulation to validate the statistical behavior of our test procedure and demonstrate its usefulness by analyzing a real data set for autohexaploid chrysanthemum. When extended to allohexaploids, our test procedure will provide a generic tool for illustrating the genome structure of hexaploids in the quest to infer their evolutionary status and design association studies of complex traits.
Transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of ethylene biosynthesis by exogenous acetylsalicylic acid in kiwifruit
Authors: Wang Jian , Liu Xiao-fen , Zhang Hui-qin , Allan Andrew C , Wang Wen-qiu , Yin Xue-ren
Published: May 2022

Levels of ethylene, implicated in the induction of fruit ripening in a diverse array of plants, are influenced by genetic and environmental factors, such as other plant hormones. Among these, salicylic acid (SA) and its derivative, acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), have been demonstrated to inhibit ethylene biosynthesis in fruit, yet the underlying regulatory mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we showed that treatment with exogenous ASA dramatically reduced ethylene production, as well as activities of ACC synthase (ACS) and ACC oxidase (ACO), in kiwifruit tissues. Comparative transcriptome analysis indicated the differential expression of ethylene biosynthetic genes (AdACS1/2 and AdACO5). A screen of transcription factors indicated that AdERF105L and AdWRKY29 were ASA-responsive regulators of AdACS1/2 and AdACO5, respectively. In addition to these genes, AdACS3 and AdACO3 were abundantly expressed in both ASA-treated and control tissues. AdACS3 protein was phosphorylated and stabilized by AdMPK16, a mitogen-activated protein kinase, while AdACO3 activity was enhanced by AdAP, an aspartic peptidase. Exogenous ASA downregulated AdMPK16 and AdAP, thereby influencing ethylene biosynthesis at a post-transcriptional level. These findings led us to propose a multidimensional system for inhibition of ethylene biosynthesis by ASA, inducing differential expression of some ethylene biosynthesis genes, as well as differential effects on protein activity on other targets.