bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Forensische Altersdiagnostik mittels Niederfeld-Magnetresonanztomographie
Authors: Ottow C. , Schmidt S. , Schulz R. , Sottmann L. , Heindel W. , Krähling T. , Pfeiffer H. , Vieth V. , Schmeling A.
Published: August 2022

Hintergrund

Ein rechtlich zulässiges medizinisches Altersfeststellungsverfahren mit möglichst schonenden und zuverlässigen Methoden bei unbegleiteten und fraglich minderjährigen Ausländern ist erforderlich, um den tatsächlich Minderjährigen den für sie gesetzlich vorgesehenen besonderen Schutz zukommen zu lassen.

Ziel der Arbeit

Studiendesign und erste Ergebnisse einer Studie zur forensischen Altersdiagnostik mittels Niederfeld-Magnetresonanztomographie werden vorgestellt.

Material und Methoden

Geplant ist die prospektive Untersuchung von 650 Studienteilnehmenden, gleichmäßig verteilt innerhalb der Altersgruppe 12 bis 24 Jahre zu je 25 Personen je Geschlecht. Es sollen Entwicklungsstadien von distalem Radius, distaler Ulna, distalem Femur und proximaler Tibia mithilfe eines 0,31-Tesla(T)-Niederfeld-MRT-Scanners erfasst und mittels Anwendung der Vieth-Klassifikation ausgewertet werden.

Ergebnisse

Nach Auswertung der Untersuchungen der bisher 487 untersuchten Studienteilnehmenden ist ersichtlich, dass die gewählten Sequenzen die für die Vieth-Klassifikation relevanten Charakteristika der Ossifikation der untersuchten Epiphysen erfassen. Die Untersuchungen erweisen sich überdies als einfach in der Durchführung.

Schlussfolgerung

Untersuchungen zur forensischen Altersschätzung am Lebenden unter Anwendung der Vieth-Klassifikation sind mit Niederfeld-MRT-Scannern bei einer Feldstärke von 0,31 T durchführbar. Es bleibt zu klären, ob die mit einem 0,31-T-Niederfeld-MRT-Scanner nachweisbaren Ossifikationsmerkmale am Handgelenk und am Knie einen zweifelsfreien Volljährigkeitsnachweis erlauben.
The effect of self-administered methamphetamine on GABAergic interneuron populations and functional connectivity of the nucleus accumbens and prefrontal cortex
Authors: Robinson Katherine J. , Everett Nicholas A. , Baracz Sarah J. , Cornish Jennifer L.
Published: August 2022

Introduction

Methamphetamine (METH, “ice”) is a potent and addictive psychostimulant. Abuse of METH perturbs neurotransmitter systems and induces neurotoxicity; however, the neurobiological mechanisms which underlie addiction to METH are not fully understood, limiting the efficacy of available treatments. Here we investigate METH-induced changes to neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), parvalbumin and calretinin-expressing GABAergic interneuron populations within the nucleus accumbens (NAc), prefrontal cortex (PFC) and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). We hypothesise that dysfunction or loss of these GABAergic interneuron populations may disrupt the excitatory/inhibitory balance within the brain.

Methods

Male Long Evans rats (N = 32) were trained to lever press for intravenous METH or received yoked saline infusions. Following 14 days of behavioural extinction, animals were given a non-contingent injection of saline or METH (1 mg/kg, IP) to examine drug-primed reinstatement to METH-seeking behaviours. Ninety minutes post-IP injection, animals were culled and brain sections were analysed for Fos, nNOS, parvalbumin and calretinin immunoreactivity in eight distinct subregions of the NAc, PFC and OFC.

Results

METH exposure differentially affected GABAergic populations, with METH self-administration increasing nNOS immunoreactivity at distinct locations in the prelimbic cortex and decreasing parvalbumin immunoreactivity in the NAc. METH self-administration triggered reduced calretinin immunoreactivity, whilst acute METH administration produced a significant increase in calretinin immunoreactivity. As expected, non-contingent METH-priming treatment increased Fos immunoreactivity in subregions of the NAc and PFC.

Conclusion

Here we report that METH exposure in this model may alter the function of GABAergic interneurons in more subtle ways, such as alterations in neuronal firing or synaptic connectivity.
Immunization of preterm infants: current evidence and future strategies to individualized approaches
Authors: Fortmann Mats Ingmar , Dirks Johannes , Goedicke-Fritz Sybelle , Liese Johannes , Zemlin Michael , Morbach Henner , Härtel Christoph
Published: August 2022

Preterm infants are at particularly high risk for infectious diseases. As this vulnerability extends beyond the neonatal period into childhood and adolescence, preterm infants benefit greatly from infection-preventive measures such as immunizations. However, there is an ongoing discussion about vaccine safety and efficacy due to preterm infants’ distinct immunological features. A significant proportion of infants remains un- or under-immunized when discharged from primary hospital stay. Educating health care professionals and parents, promoting maternal immunization and evaluating the potential of new vaccination tools are important means to reduce the overall burden from infectious diseases in preterm infants. In this narrative review, we summarize the current knowledge about vaccinations in premature infants. We discuss the specificities of early life immunity and memory function, including the role of polyreactive B cells, restricted B cell receptor diversity and heterologous immunity mediated by a cross-reactive T cell repertoire. Recently, mechanistic studies indicated that tissue-resident memory (Trm) cell populations including T cells, B cells and macrophages are already established in the fetus. Their role in human early life immunity, however, is not yet understood. Tissue-resident memory T cells, for example, are diminished in airway tissues in neonates as compared to older children or adults. Hence, the ability to make specific recall responses after secondary infectious stimulus is hampered, a phenomenon that is transcriptionally regulated by enhanced expression of T-bet. Furthermore, the microbiome establishment is a dominant factor to shape resident immunity at mucosal surfaces, but it is often disturbed in the context of preterm birth. The proposed function of Trm T cells to remember benign interactions with the microbiome might therefore be reduced which would contribute to an increased risk for sustained inflammation. An improved understanding of Trm interactions may determine novel targets of vaccination, e.g., modulation of T-bet responses and facilitate more individualized approaches to protect preterm babies in the future.
New confirmed depth limit of Antarctic macroalgae: Palmaria decipiens found at 100 m depth in the Southern Ocean
Authors: Robinson Ben Jamie Owen , Morley Simon A. , Rizouli Anastasia , Sarantopoulou Joanne , Gkafas George A. , Exadactylos Athanasios , Küpper Frithjof C.
Published: August 2022

Living specimens of the macroalga Palmaria decipiens were collected from 100 m depth, representing a new confirmed depth record, considerably exceeding the previous record of 42 m depth. Previous deeper collections (below conventional SCUBA depths) have relied on dredge/grab samples or drop camera surveys. Remote techniques cannot conclusively prove that macroalgae are living at these depths, as algae detach from shallower substrata, e.g., through ice scouring, and drift to depths below their growth limit. This, combined with a low rate of decay of macroalgae around Antarctica, requires validation that algal samples from depth have grown in situ. Estimates of macroalgal biomass, energy fluxes, and the potential energy fixation may need adjusting to consider the deeper growing depths particularly with glacial retreat along the Antarctic Peninsula revealing areas of rocky substrata for macroalgal colonisation. The confirmed extension of depth where macroalgae can grow will have implications for assessments of benthic productivity and food webs in Antarctica.
Interaction of quasi-two-dimensional vortical gusts with airfoils, unswept and swept wings
Authors: Qian Yuanzhi , Wang Zhijin , Gursul Ismet
Published: August 2022

A nearly two-dimensional vortex of small core size has been produced by the transient plunging motion of an upstream airfoil and it interacted with the downstream wings. Depending on the offset distance of the vortex and wing angle of attack, the incident vortex filament deforms, diffuses, and loses coherence, while inducing leading-edge vortex formation and shedding from the wing. No significant spanwise flow develops in the incident vortices during the interaction. The interaction with the swept wing at each spanwise plane appears to be unaffected by the other spanwise planes. The counter-clockwise vortex induces a positive lift peak as it approaches the wing, which can be predicted by the potential flow assumption. The peak lift force is proportional to the circulation of the incident vortex and has its maximum near the zero-offset distance. The minimum lift coefficient is reached after the vortex has just passed and caused flow separation on the lower surface. The maximum lift coefficients for the finite unswept and swept wings can be estimated by making a correction for the aspect ratio and using the independence principle. The only exception is observed for the swept wing at a post-stall angle of attack for which the leading-edge vortex shedding becomes parallel to the leading-edge and increases the peak lift force.

Graphical abstract
Sequential bilateral cochlear implant: long-term speech perception results in children first implanted at an early age
Authors: Forli F. , Bruschini L. , Franciosi B. , Berrettini S. , Lazzerini F.
Published: August 2022

Purpose

The study aims to assess the benefit of sequential bilateral cochlear implantation in children with congenital bilateral profound hearing loss, submitted to the first implant at an early age.

Methods

We enrolled all the bilateral sequential cochlear implanted children who received the first implant within 48 months and the second within 12 years of age at our Institution. The children were submitted to disyllabic word recognition tests and Speech Reception Threshold (SRT) assessment using the OLSA matrix sentence test with the first implanted device (CI1), with the second implanted device (CI2), and with both devices (CIbil). Furthermore, we measured the datalogging of both devices. Then we calculated the binaural SRT gain (b-SRTgain) and checked the correlations between speech perception results and the b-SRTgain with the child’s age at CI1 and CI2, DELTA and the datalogging reports.

Results

With the bilateral electric stimulation, we found a significant improvement in disyllabic word recognition scores and in SRT. Moreover, the datalogging showed no significant differences in the time of use of CI1 and CI2. We found significant negative correlations between speech perception abilities with CI2 and age at CI2 and DELTA, and between the SRT with CI1 and the b-SRTgain.

Conclusions

From this study we can conclude that in a sequential CI procedure, even if a short inter-implant delay and lower ages at the second surgery can lead to better speech perception with CI2, children can benefit from bilateral stimulation independently of age at the second surgery and the DELTA.
Relationship between laparoscopic and microscopic findings of peritoneum in peritoneal dialysis patients
Authors: Hamada Chieko
Published: August 2022

Long-term exposure to the peritoneal dialysis solution (PDS) causes functional and morphological alterations that diminish the efficacy of peritoneal dialysis (PD). Macroscopic and microscopic findings, submesothelial compact zone (SMC) thickness and vascular patency, were associated with PD duration. The relationship between microscopic and laparoscopic morphological findings in PD patients was determined. A total of 78 laparoscopic intraperitoneal findings were recorded during PD catheter removal and 45 peritoneal tissues were obtained from the anterior parietal peritoneum. We examined macroscopic morphological findings in both parietal and visceral peritoneums and bowel movement and assessed the score semiquantitatively. SMC thickness and vascular patency were examined as microscopic findings. Total laparoscopic finding’s score (LFS) and microscopic findings, SMC thickness and vascular patency, were associated with PD duration. Total LFS was related to SMC thickness in both visceral and parietal peritoneum, whereas it was related to vascular patency in parietal but not in visceral peritoneum. There was no relationship between microscopic findings and peritoneal surface color, properties, vasculopathy, and adhesion. Total LFS in patients with newly formed membrane and omentum atrophy was higher than in those without. There was a significant relationship between microscopic and laparoscopic findings in PD patients. It is important to evaluate laparoscopic findings in more PD patients to find the predictive findings of encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis development.
Improving dynamic treatment unit forest planning with cellular automata heuristics
Authors: Pär Wilhelmsson , Tomas Lämås , Jörgen Wallerman , Jeannette Eggers , Karin Öhman
Published: August 2022

We present a model for conducting dynamic treatment unit (DTU) forest planning using a heuristic cellular automata (CA) approach. The clustering of DTUs is driven by entry costs associated with treatments, thus we directly model the economic incentive to cluster. The model is based on the work presented in the literature but enhanced by adding a third phase to the CA algorithm where DTUs are mapped in high detail. The model allows separate but nearby forest areas to be included in the same DTU and shares the entry cost if they are within a defined distance. The model is applied to a typical long-term forest planning problem for a 1 182 ha landscape in northern Sweden, represented by 4 218 microsegments with an average size of 0.28 ha. The added phase increased the utility by 1.5–32.2%. The model produced consistent solutions—more than half of all microsegments were managed with the same treatment program in 95% of all solutions when multiple solutions were found.
Controlling non-stationarity and periodicities in time series generation using conditional invertible neural networks
Authors: Heidrich Benedikt , Turowski Marian , Phipps Kaleb , Schmieder Kai , Süß Wolfgang , Mikut Ralf , Hagenmeyer Veit
Published: August 2022

Generated synthetic time series aim to be both realistic by mirroring the characteristics of real-world time series and useful by including characteristics that are useful for subsequent applications, such as forecasting and missing value imputation. To generate such realistic and useful time series, we require generation methods capable of controlling the non-stationarity and periodicities of the generated time series. However, existing approaches do not consider such explicit control. Therefore, in the present paper, we present a novel approach to control non-stationarity and periodicities with calendar and statistical information when generating time series. We first define the requirements for methods to generate time series with non-stationarity and periodicities, which we show are not fulfilled by existing generation methods. Second, we formally describe the novel approach for controlling non-stationarity and periodicities in generated time series. Thirdly, we introduce an exemplary implementation of this approach using a conditional Invertible Neural Network (cINN). We evaluate this cINN empirically in experiments with real-world data sets and compare it to state-of-the-art time series generation methods. Our experiments show that the evaluated cINN can generate time series with controlled periodicities and non-stationarity, and it also generally outperforms the selected benchmarks.
ConvNet-based performers attention and supervised contrastive learning for activity recognition
Authors: Hamad Rebeen Ali , Yang Longzhi , Woo Wai Lok , Wei Bo
Published: August 2022

Human activity recognition based on generated sensor data plays a major role in a large number of applications such as healthcare monitoring and surveillance system. Yet, accurately recognizing human activities is still challenging and active research due to people’s tendency to perform daily activities in a different and multitasking way. Existing approaches based on the recurrent setting for human activity recognition have some issues, such as the inability to process data parallelly, the requirement for more memory and high computational cost albeit they achieved reasonable results. Convolutional Neural Network processes data parallelly, but, it breaks the ordering of input data, which is significant to build an effective model for human activity recognition. To overcome these challenges, this study proposes causal convolution based on performers-attention and supervised contrastive learning to entirely forego recurrent architectures, efficiently maintain the ordering of human daily activities and focus more on important timesteps of the sensors’ data. Supervised contrastive learning is integrated to learn a discriminative representation of human activities and enhance predictive performance. The proposed network is extensively evaluated for human activities using multiple datasets including wearable sensor data and smart home environments data. The experiments on three wearable sensor datasets and five smart home public datasets of human activities reveal that our proposed network achieves better results and reduces the training time compared with the existing state-of-the-art methods and basic temporal models.
The multifaceted mechanisms of malignant glioblastoma progression and clinical implications
Authors: Sun Rui , Kim Albert H.
Published: August 2022

With the application of high throughput sequencing technologies at single-cell resolution, studies of the tumor microenvironment in glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive and invasive of all cancers, have revealed immense cellular and tissue heterogeneity. A unique extracellular scaffold system adapts to and supports progressive infiltration and migration of tumor cells, which is characterized by altered composition, effector delivery, and mechanical properties. The spatiotemporal interactions between malignant and immune cells generate an immunosuppressive microenvironment, contributing to the failure of effective anti-tumor immune attack. Among the heterogeneous tumor cell subpopulations of glioblastoma, glioma stem cells (GSCs), which exhibit tumorigenic properties and strong invasive capacity, are critical for tumor growth and are believed to contribute to therapeutic resistance and tumor recurrence. Here we discuss the role of extracellular matrix and immune cell populations, major components of the tumor ecosystem in glioblastoma, as well as signaling pathways that regulate GSC maintenance and invasion. We also highlight emerging advances in therapeutic targeting of these components.
What self-regulation strategies do elementary students utilize while learning online?
Authors: Torrington Jodie , Bower Matt , Burns Emma C.
Published: August 2022

Little is known about the strategies elementary school students use to self-regulate their learning while in a hypermedia environment. This exploratory study investigated the self-regulatory strategies that young students (N = 48, Mage = 10.75) utilized while individually completing a 20-min online research task about space. Video data was coded using Azevedo et al.'s (2004) established coding scheme for analyzing self-regulatory behavior in hypermedia environments. Results showed that young students spent the majority of their time using cognitive strategies (M = 75.26%) to read and summarise information to complete the task. Little time was taken to plan (M = 6.99%) or monitor (M = 5.92%) their work or learning processes, which are key attributes of effective self-regulation. The study reveals the disparity between the ability to navigate within a hypermedia environment and utilizing planning and monitoring processes to enhance learning while using digital tools. This study highlights the need for the explicit teaching of planning and monitoring strategies in order for young students to develop the full range of self-regulation skills they need when using technology, for instance while learning from home during COVID-19. Implications for curriculum policy and teacher practice are discussed.
The impact of FinTech firms on bank financial stability
Authors: Safiullah Md , Paramati Sudharshan Reddy
Published: August 2022

This study is the first to examine the impact of FinTech firms on bank financial stability. Using a sample of 26 banks from an emerging market (Malaysia), over the period 2003–2018, we find that the development of FinTech firms over time increases bank financial stability. We uncover further evidence that FinTech firms’ impact on bank financial stability holds when we conduct sub-sample analyses by bank size, bank type (Islamic vis-à-vis conventional), and level of corporate governance. The results are robust to alternative model specifications, measures of financial stability, and FinTech.
Subnational institutional configurations and international expansion of SMEs in emerging economies
Authors: García-Cabrera Antonia Mercedes , García-Soto María Gracia
Published: August 2022

In contrast to institutional studies based on comparisons between countries and based on a deterministic perspective that analyses the influence of institutions on the performance of the individual in emerging economies, the present research looks to the most recent versions of neo institutionalism and to the literature on entrepreneurship and international business in order to study (1) the existence of subnational institutional differences in emerging economies and (2) whether such differences relate to the international expansion of SMEs located in such territories. This study takes evidence from a sample of 296 entrepreneurs who founded their SMEs in the Federal State of Sergipe (Brazil) and analyses from a comparative perspective of six tourist municipalities located in that state. The results allow us to identify the existence of differences in the regulative, normative, and cognitive institutional dimensions between subnational territories and how such differences relate to the international expansion of SMEs located in each subnational territory.
Hybrid algorithm based on reinforcement learning for smart inventory management
Authors: Cuartas Carlos , Aguilar Jose
Published: August 2022

This article proposes a hybrid algorithm based on reinforcement learning and the inventory management methodology called DDMRP (Demand Driven Material Requirement Planning) to determine the optimal time to buy a certain product, and how much quantity should be requested. For this, the inventory management problem is formulated as a Markov Decision Process where the environment with which the system interacts is designed from the concepts raised in the DDMRP methodology, and through the reinforcement learning algorithm—specifically, Q-Learning. The optimal policy is determined for making decisions about when and how much to buy. To determine the optimal policy, three approaches are proposed for the reward function: the first one is based on inventory levels; the second is an optimization function based on the distance of the inventory to its optimal level, and the third is a shaping function based on levels and distances to the optimal inventory. The results show that the proposed algorithm has promising results in scenarios with different characteristics, performing adequately in difficult case studies, with a diversity of situations such as scenarios with discontinuous or continuous demand, seasonal and non-seasonal behavior, and with high demand peaks, among others.
Australian Patient Preferences for the Introduction of Spirituality into their Healthcare Journey: A Mixed Methods Study
Authors: Best Megan C. , Jones Kate , Merritt Frankie , Casey Michael , Lynch Sandra , Eisman John , Cohen Jeffrey , Mackie Darryl , Beilharz Kirsty , Kearney Matthew
Published: August 2022

While patients value engagement concerning their spirituality as a part of holistic healthcare, there is little evidence regarding the preferred way to engage in discussions about spirituality. This study investigated inpatient preferences regarding how they would like spirituality to be raised in the hospital setting. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with inpatients at six hospitals in Sydney, Australia (n = 897), with a subset invited to participate in qualitative interviews (n = 41). There was high approval for all proposed spiritual history prompts (94.0–99.8%). In interviews, the context dictated the appropriateness of discussions. Findings indicated a high level of patient acceptability for discussing spirituality in healthcare. Further research and more detailed analysis is required and proposed to be undertaken.
Quantifying cross-scale patch contributions to spatial connectivity
Authors: Cumming Graeme S. , Magris Rafael A. , Maciejewski Kristi
Published: August 2022

Context

Connectivity between habitat patches is vital for ecological processes at multiple scales. Traditional metrics do not measure the scales at which individual habitat patches contribute to the overall ecological connectivity of the landscape. Connectivity has previously been evaluated at several different scales based on the dispersal capabilities of particular organisms, but these approaches are data-heavy and conditioned on just a few species.

Objectives

Our objective was to improve cross-scale measurement of connectivity by developing and testing a new landscape metric, cross-scale centrality.

Methods

Cross-scale centrality (CSC) integrates over measurements of patch centrality at different scales (hypothetical dispersal distances) to quantify the cross-scale contribution of each individual habitat patch to overall landscape or seascape connectivity. We tested CSC against an independent metapopulation simulation model and demonstrated its potential application in conservation planning by comparison to an alternative approach that used individual dispersal data.

Results

CSC correlated significantly with total patch occupancy across the entire landscape in our metapopulation simulation, while being much faster and easier to calculate. Standard conservation planning software (Marxan) using dispersal data was weaker than CSC at capturing locations with high cross-scale connectivity.

Conclusions

Metrics that measure pattern across multiple scales are much faster and more efficient than full simulation models and more rigorous and interpretable than ad hoc incorporation of connectivity into conservation plans. In reality, connectivity matters for many different organisms across many different scales. Metrics like CSC that quantify landscape pattern across multiple different scales can make a valuable contribution to multi-scale landscape measurement, planning, and management.
The value of travel time: a revealed preferences approach using exogenous variation in travel costs and automatic traffic count data
Authors: Tveter Eivind
Published: August 2022

This paper suggests an alternative approach to estimate the value of travel time (VTT) savings, using a case study with exogenous variation in travel costs and data from automatic traffic counts (ATC). With this revealed preferences approach, we address a possible bias of VTT estimates because of self-selection. Compared to the VTT estimates used in transport appraisals, the results produce substantially higher estimates of VTT. Unfortunately, our analysis does allow us to distinguish the self-selection bias from other possible sources of bias. The cost of using ATC data is that there is no direct information regarding the motorists, and the analysis must be done using aggregated data at an hourly interval. Still, this alternative approach may complement the results with more detailed data.
Two-phase Flow Dynamics at the Interface Between GDL and Gas Distributor Channel Using a Pore-Network Model
Authors: Michalkowski Cynthia , Veyskarami Maziar , Bringedal Carina , Helmig Rainer , Schleper Veronika
Published: August 2022

For improved operating conditions of a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell, a sophisticated water management is crucial. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the transport mechanisms of water throughout the cell constituents especially on the cathode side, where the excess water has to be removed. Pore-scale modeling of diffusion layers and gas distributor has been established as a favorable technique to investigate the ongoing processes. Investigating the interface between the cathode layers, a particular challenge is the combination and interaction of the multi-phase flow in the porous material of the gas diffusion layer (GDL) with the free flow in the gas distributor channels. The formation, growth and detachment of water droplets on the hydrophobic, porous surface of the GDL have a major influence on the mass, momentum and energy exchange between the layers. A dynamic pore-network model is used to describe the flow through the porous GDL on the pore-scale. To capture the droplet occurrence and its influence on the flow, this dynamic two-phase pore-network model is extended to capture droplet formation and growth at the surface of the GDL as well as droplet detachment due to the gas flow in the gas distributor channels. In this article, the developed model is applied to single- and multi-tube systems to investigate the general drop behavior. These rather simple test-cases are compared to experimental and numerical data available in the literature. Finally, the model is applied to a GDL unit cell to analyze the interaction between two-phase flow through the GDL and drop formation at the interface between GDL and gas distributor channel.
Molecular characterization of Infectious Bursal Disease Virus isolated in Chile reveals several mutations in VP2 coding region and a reassortment in its genome
Authors: Guzmán Miguel , Cádiz Leandro , Guerrero-Moncayo Alejandra , Cáceres Francisca , Vidal Sonia , Lapierre Lisette , Sáenz Leonardo , Hidalgo Héctor
Published: August 2022

Infectious Bursal Disease (IBD) is a well-described disease in young chickens. It is caused by the Infectious Bursal Disease Virus (IBDV), which has a bi-segmented, double-strand RNA genome. The absence of a lipidic envelope makes IBDV highly resistant to environmental conditions. Consequently, it is widely reported around the world. Fourteen samples retrieved from chickens exhibiting apparent alterations of the bursa of Fabricius between 2017 and 2021 were included in the study. These samples were passaged into embryonated eggs and the presence of IBD was confirmed through RT-PCR. The PCR products were sequenced and analyzed to characterize the Chilean IBDV isolates for comparison with GenBank sequences, including vaccines sequences currently used in Chile.

Phylogenetic analysis classified the Chilean sequences as A1B1, except the sample 15002_CL_2021 which was classified as A2B1. On the other hand, all Chilean viruses were grouped as B1, based on viral segment B. Estimated evolutionary divergence between different genogroups supports these clustering. Moreover, samples 13936_CL_2017, 14038_CL_2017, 14083_CL_2017, 14145_CL_2018, 14431_CL_2019, and 14459_CL_2019 showed high similitude with the D78 and ViBursa CE vaccines (both currently used in Chile). Viruses 14010_CL_2018, 14040_CL_2017, 14514_CL_2019 and 14019_CL_2017 exhibited patterns that do not exactly fit either vaccine. Finally, viruses 15,041 N-_CL_2021, 15,041 N+_CL_2021, and 15004_CL_2021 showed even more differences regarding both vaccines.

This is the first study in Chile to analyze the genetic sequences of IBDV isolates. The different assessments conducted as part of the study suggest a close relationship with vaccines currently in use. Interestingly, one of the viruses exhibited a reassortment in its genome segments, which could confer new characteristics to the virus. However, new approaches would be required to establish the origin of the isolated viruses, as well as how the recombination is changing its virulence or morbidity.
Urinary Proteome Analysis of Global Cerebral Ischemia–Reperfusion Injury Rat Model via Data-Independent Acquisition and Parallel Reaction Monitoring Proteomics
Authors: Sun Xiaopeng , Li Qiujie , Wang Jiajia , Ma Yuan , Wang Mingshan , Qin Weiwei
Published: August 2022

Cerebral ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) injury is the leading cause of death in severe hypotension caused by cardiac arrest, drowning, and excessive blood loss. Urine can sensitively reflect pathophysiological changes in the brain even at an early stage. In this study, a rat model of global cerebral I/R injury was established via Pulsinelli’s four-vessel occlusion (4-VO) method. Overall, 164 urinary proteins significantly changed in the 4-VO rat urine samples compared to the control samples by data-independent acquisition (DIA) proteomics technique (1.5-fold change, p < 0.05). Gene Ontology annotation showed that the acute-phase response, the ERK1 and ERK2 cascade, endopeptidase activity, blood coagulation, and angiogenesis were overrepresented. After parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) validation, 15 differential proteins having human orthologs were verified as the potential urinary markers associated with cerebral I/R injury. Of these potential biomarkers, 8 proteins were reported to be closely associated with cerebral I/R injury. Nine differential proteins changed even when there were no clinical manifestations or histopathological cerebral damage, including FGG, COMP, TFF2, HG2A, KNG1, CATZ, PTGDS, PRVA, and HEPC. These 9 proteins are potential biomarkers for early screening of cerebral I/R injury to prevent the development of cerebral injury. KNG1, CATZ, PTGDS, PRVA, and HEPC showed an overall trend of upregulation or downregulation at 12 and 48 h after I/R injury, reflecting the progression of cerebral I/R injury. These 5 proteins may serve as potential biomarkers for prognostic evaluation of cerebral I/R injury. These findings provide important clues to inform the monitoring of cerebral I/R injury and further the current understanding of its molecular biological mechanisms.
Populatieverschillen in de volledigheid en betrouwbaarheid van COVID-19-registratiedata
Authors: van Deursen Babette , de Jonge Ester A. L.
Published: August 2022

Samenvatting

De complexe interactie tussen het beleid en de kwaliteit van registratiedata vormde tijdens de COVID-19-pandemie een uitdaging voor GGD-onderzoekers. Beleidskeuzen gericht op populatiespecifieke testlocaties en de selectieve registratieplicht van negatieve testresultaten leidden tot populatieverschillen in datakwaliteit. Populatieverschillen in de besmettingsgraad konden daardoor niet betrouwbaar worden vastgesteld. Dit belemmerde de ontwikkeling van relevante sturingsinformatie voor beleidsmakers in de publieke gezondheidssector.
A scientific note on the strategy of wax collection as rare behavior of Apis mellifera
Authors: Olszewski Krzysztof , Dziechciarz Piotr , Trytek Mariusz , Borsuk Grzegorz
Published: August 2022

Wax collection behavior has not yet been described in the honeybee; it is typical of another Apis species. The wax collection was more difficult to observe due to the different biology of Apis mellifera and the fact that beekeepers do not display combs around the apiary to avoid the spread of bee diseases and robberies. The transport of wax in the pollen basket is typical of Apis florea; additionally, these bees have preferences for natal combs, which are significantly greater than for non-natal combs. Before they abandon their nests, these migratory bees following the nectar flow collect and transport some wax in their pollen baskets. This helps them to build a new nest quickly. The collection of available wax by both A. florea and A. mellifera is economically justified, as it reduces consumption of energy and honey supplies for the production of wax. The economic balance is believed to determine the collection of wax covers of Ceroplastes sp. soft scale insects by A. mellifera. This can be confirmed by the comparison of the energy value of wax (12.7 kcal/g) and honey (3.1 kcal/g), which indicates an over fourfold energy gain in favor of honey stored in the bee colony. The energetic trade-off between wax secretion and collection from an old nest may explain why A. florea is probably the only honeybee species known to recycle wax if the new breeding site is located at a distance lower than 100–200 m away from the nesting site. In such a case, it energetically pays off to recycle the wax. The same is probably true in A. mellifera, as we observed that wax was placed on the tops of the apiary hives at a distance lower than 100 m away from the colony. This is also reflected by the economic conversion rates, as a bee colony consumes from 4 to 8 kg of honey to produce 1 kg of wax. Our observations show that A. mellifera collect wax in pollen baskets. In addition, wax collection by honeybees is a static process occurring at the site where wax is present; bees do not have to flight, unlike in the case of pollen pellets, which are formed during flight. This paper addresses two completely unknown issues that make up two hypotheses: one is associated with collection of propolis into the pollen basket to stick the light wax fragments, and the other assumes saving energy required from the bee organism, which can be used to support colony functioning.
Dysgerminoma associated with spleno-gonadal fusion syndrome and supernumerary spleen
Authors: Haddout S. , Berrehili H. , Benhessou M. , Ennachit M. , El Karroumi M.
Published: August 2022

Highlights
Key Issues in Language Teaching
Authors: Richards Jack C.
Published: August 2022

A comprehensive and extensively researched overview of key issues in language teaching today. This essential text, also available to purchase separately as an enhanced eBook with embedded video, surveys a broad range of core topics that are essential in understanding contemporary approaches to teaching English as a second or international language, and which form the content of many professional development courses for language teachers. A wide range of issues is examined, including a consideration of the nature of English in the world, the way the English teaching profession works, the development of teaching methods, the nature of classroom teaching, teaching the four skills, teaching the language system, and elements of a language program.
Sand erosion modeling in generic compressor rig testing
Authors: Jiang L. Y. , Wu X. , Yang Q.
Published: August 2022

Based on erosion coupon tests, a sand erosion model for 17-4PH steel was developed. The developed erosion model was validated against the results of compressor erosion tests from a generic rig and from other researchers. A high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of the test rig was built, a user-defined function was developed to implement the erosion model into the ANSYS CFD software, and the turbulent, two-phase flow-field in multiple reference frames was solved. The simulation results are consistent with the test results from the compressor rig and with experimental findings from other researchers. Specifically, the sand erosion blunts the leading edge, sharpens the trailing edge and increases pressure-surface roughness. The comparisons between the experimental observations and numerical results as well as a quantitative comparison with three other sand erosion models indicate that the developed sand erosion model is adequate for erosion prediction of engine components made of 17-4PH steel.
The Weak Spot of Infrastructure BCA: Cost Overruns in Seven Road and Railway Construction Projects
Authors: Nilsson Jan-Eric
Published: August 2022

This article describes the process from first proposals in the early 1990s to project completion many years later for seven large Swedish road and railway projects. The purpose is to find reasons for the massive cost overruns as well as explanations for why projects are brought to completion despite much higher costs than when the decision to build was made. Cost overruns are set in an institutional context to highlight the interplay among national, regional, and local policymakers. National investment programs are seen as promises by other parts of society, irrespective of whether project costs increase during the process toward procurement and implementation. Another aspect is that the infrastructure manager’s administrative framework currently makes it impossible to compare costs in contracts with final cost, meaning that there is no institutionalized learning process in place. Design preparations and the estimation of costs for new projects must therefore be done without an understanding of what has been working well in the implementation of previous projects. While Benefit-Cost Analysis (BCA) played no role in the planning of the seven projects, the article sends a stark warning that early cost estimates provide poor input for assessing project rate of return.
Valuing COVID-19 Morbidity Risk Reductions
Authors: Robinson Lisa A. , Eber Michael R. , Hammitt James K.
Published: August 2022

Many economic analyses, including those that address the COVID-19 pandemic, focus on the value of averting deaths and do not include the value of averting nonfatal illnesses. Yet, incorporating the value of averting nonfatal cases may change conclusions about the desirability of the policy. While per case values may be small, the number of nonfatal cases is often large, far outstripping the number of fatal cases. The value of averting nonfatal cases is also increasingly important in evaluating COVID-19 policy options as vaccine- and infection-related immunity and treatments reduce the case-fatality rate. Unfortunately, little valuation research is available that explicitly addresses COVID-19 morbidity. We describe and implement an approach for approximating the value of averting nonfatal illnesses or injuries and apply it to COVID-19 in the USA. We estimate gains from averting COVID-19 morbidity of about 0.01 quality-adjusted life year (QALY) per mild case averted, 0.02 QALY per severe case, and 3.15 QALYs per critical case. These gains translate into monetary values of about $5300 per mild case, $11,000 per severe case, and $1.8 million per critical case. While these estimates are imprecise, they suggest the magnitude of the effects.
The double backward-facing step: effect of forcing on interacting separated flow regions
Authors: McQueen Thomas , Burton David , Sheridan John , Thompson Mark C.
Published: August 2022

This paper demonstrates experimentally that imposed periodic forcing can significantly alter the global flow characteristics of the flow over a double backward-facing step. The geometry consists of two equal height steps spaced up to eight step heights apart. A periodic zero-mass flux jet located at the first step's top corner was issued at frequencies ranging from below the step-mode instability frequency up to approximately five times the shear-layer instability frequency. Reattachment of the flow onto the first step was achieved for step separations as low as three single-step heights with imposed forcing; significantly shorter than the five single-step heights that occurred without forcing. A significant reduction in mean base pressure on the first step, and increase on the second step, occurred for low forcing frequencies. Even for large step separations, the effect of forcing on the flow persisted sufficiently far downstream to appreciably influence the development of the second recirculation zone. Importantly, previous forced single and unforced double backward-facing step flows provide reference cases to examine and discuss similarities and differences. This study offers insight into possibilities and potential outcomes of flow control for applications ranging from the drag reduction of ground vehicles such as pickup trucks, to enhanced mixing in industrial processes.
CORRECTING FIEDEL, ONCE AGAIN: MONTE VERDE AND THE PEOPLING OF SOUTH AMERICA
Authors: Dillehay Tom D , Pino Mario , Ocampo Carlos , Adovasio James , Collins Michael B , Saavedra Jose , Rossen Jack , Pollock David
Published: August 2022

Corrections are made to Stuart Fiedel’s (2022) recent errors and misrepresentations related to the late Pleistocene sites of Monte Verde and Huaca Prieta and to South American Fishtail projectile points.
Picosecond snapshot imaging of electric fields induced on a cone guide target designed for fast ignition scenario
Authors: Shi Binghe , Yogo Akifumi , Okamoto Kazuki , Golovin Daniil , Mirfayzi Seyed Reza , Morace Alessio , Arikawa Yasunobu , Yamanoi Kohei , Abe Yuki , Murakami Masakatsu , Gu Yanjun , Mima Kunioki , Sentoku Yasuhiko , Nakai Mitsuo , Nishimura Hiroyuki , Shiraga Hiroyuki , Fujioka Shinsuke , Johzaki Tomoyuki , Iwamoto Akifumi , Sakagami Hitoshi , Kodama Ryosuke
Published: August 2022

In this study, we experimentally evaluate the ion transportation through a cone guide target, which accelerates ions up to MeV energies via target normal sheath acceleration, and transports them onto the position of imploding fuel in the fast ignition scenario of nuclear fusion. We measured the electric and magnetic fields (EM-fields) induced by return current streaming along the cone wall by proton radiography, and we report that the EM-fields are predominantly induced within a temporal window up to 30 ps after the laser injection. The magnitude of the electric field is maximized around 13 ps, reaching

$4.0\times 10^{10} \mathrm {V}\ \mathrm {m}^{-1}$

, when the magnetic field is below 200 T. The present scheme provides insights on the EM-fields evaluation in the time region that is difficult to treat with simulations due to the computing resources.
A study of the transmission characteristics of terahertz waves in hypersonic target flow field
Authors: Zhang Jie , Han Bing , Zhao Shanchao , Zhang Guodong , Duan Wenshan
Published: August 2022

Based on the chemical reaction model proposed by Park, the ‘blackout’ of a reentry vehicle is studied in this paper. The temperature, pressure and electron density distribution characteristics around the reentry vehicle were simulated at various flight speeds and altitudes by USim. Subsequently, the scattering matrix method was used to study the transmission characteristics of terahertz waves in ‘blackout’. The simulation results show that the temperature around the aircraft is mainly affected by speed, the pressure is mainly affected by the altitude and electron density is affected by both of these factors. The calculation results show that the transmission characteristics of terahertz waves in plasma are mainly affected by electron density, while the effects of temperature and pressure cannot be ignored either.