bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Für eine mikroplastikfreie Produktion
Authors: Haubensak Silke , Schuhen Katrin
Published: February 2022

Gesetzliche Regulationen gegen den bislang ungehinderten Eintrag von in die Umwelt zeichnen sich ab. Gleichzeitig steigen die Kosten der industriellen Wasserreinigung. Für viele der kunststofferzeugenden, ‐verarbeitenden und entsorgenden Unternehmen bedeutet das eine Neuausrichtung ihres Abwasser‐ und Ressourcenmanagements. Das Verfahren Wasser 3.0 PE‐X ist ein vielversprechender Ansatz für ein nachhaltiges und kosteneffizientes Sustainability Upgrading von industriellen Prozessen, um Mikroplastik und andere Partikel mit einer einfachen und hocheffizienten Materialkombination aus Wasser zu entfernen.
Upsides and downsides of a telecounselling model of integrated asthma management between general practitioners and specialists
Authors: Furci Fabiana , Caminati Marco , Genovese Sara , Gangemi Sebastiano , Senna Gianenrico
Published: February 2022

Background

Asthma control, one of the most important goals in the management of asthmatic patients, requires good adherence to guidelines and support at a territorial level, in particular on the part of general practitioners (GPs). A territorial hospital alliance can become a strength in asthma management, where control by GPs can also be carried out through a spirometric examination.

Methods

The realisation of a telecounselling model management of asthma between GPs and specialists was the aim of this study, to understand how to obtain good asthma control. A specific digital platform, the PneumoApp platform, was used for the insertion of clinical data and flow volume (F‐V) curves, performed in asthmatic patients by GPs, and for the subsequent evaluation of these data by specialists.

Results

GPs have shown to be able to perform a check‐up of respiratory function well using a portable spirometer, but the analysis of the collected data showed that GP assessment of the severity level of asthma is incorrect in patients with moderate‐severe asthma.

Conclusions

The effectiveness of a telecounselling collaboration between hospital and territory in the management of asthma patients can be improved by greater diffusion of the use of Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) guidelines at a local level.
Transparent subsidized agri‐product distribution during pandemics with reputation based PoA blockchain
Authors: Bala Kirti , Kaur Pankaj Deep
Published: February 2022

Technological advancements play a crucial role in agriculture sector aiming at eradicating numerous problems. These problems are intensified due to pandemics like delay overhead in the subsidized agri‐products supply chains. The existing technology‐based solutions are not readily adopted by stakeholders due to absence of trust. Blockchain can impart more transparency and trust in agri‐supply chains leading to fair pricing. The idea of using blockchain for financing processes in agriculture has resulted from the managerial pressure and fiscal scams which eventually aggravate the plight of farmers. Thus, a blockchain‐based subsidized agri‐products distribution (SAPD) is proposed. Blockchain has been optimized by a reputation‐based Proof‐of‐Authority (PoA) consensus algorithm. It has been implemented using Ethereum blockchain on AWS EC2 cloud. The smart contract is designed in solidity. Detailed performance evaluation has been conducted to compute cost and processing time that shows a substantial reduction in cost of managerial operations with respect to previous work by 41.65%. Finally, to assess the utility of SAPD system a qualitative user survey has been conducted. Managerial significance of system is reflected in memory space reduction by 85% in light clients and increase in transaction execution per second by 31% using reputation‐based PoA.
A Sensitive and Quantitative Assay to Enumerate and Measure Mycobacterium leprae Viability in Clinical and Experimental Specimens
Authors: Collins Jaymes H. , Lenz Shannon M. , Ray Nashone A. , Balagon Marivic F. , Hagge Deanna A. , Lahiri Ramanuj , Adams Linda B.
Published: February 2022

Mycobacterium leprae, the etiologic agent of leprosy, cannot be cultured on artificial media. This characteristic, coupled with its long generation time, presents a number of unique challenges to studying this pathogen. One of the difficulties facing both researchers and clinicians is the absence of a rapid test to measure the viability of M. leprae in clinical or experimental specimens. The lack of such a tool limits the understanding of M. leprae immunopathogenesis and makes determining the efficacy of drug treatments difficult. With this in mind, we developed a robust two‐step molecular viability assay (MVA) that first enumerates the M. leprae in the tissue; then, this data is used to normalize bacterial RNA quantities for the second step, in which the expression of M. leprae esxA and hsp18 are measured. This assay is specific and sensitive enough to be used on most clinical samples. This protocol describes the steps required to extract DNA and RNA from M. leprae‐infected tissue, enumerate M. leprae, and measure M. leprae viability based on the normalized expression of two M. leprae‐specific genes (hsp18 and esxA). This protocol also outlines an optimal laboratory design and workflow for performing this assay. © 2022 The Leprosy Mission Nepal. Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. This article has been contributed to by US Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.

This article was corrected on 19 February 2022. See the end of the full text for details.

Basic Protocol 1: DNA and RNA P purification from M. leprae‐infected tissue

Basic Protocol 2: Enumeration of M. leprae by RLEP qPCR on the DNA fraction

Basic Protocol 3: Calculation of M. leprae per tissue and normalization of RNA

Basic Protocol 4: Reverse‐transcription of normalized RNA to generate cDNA

Basic Protocol 5: Determination of M. leprae viability using HSP18 and ESXA qPCR on the cDNA

Support Protocol 1: M. leprae qPCR primer/probe stock preparation

Support Protocol 2: Preparation of plasmid stocks and standard curves
High mobility enabled spatial and media‐based modulated orthogonal frequency division multiplexing systems for beyond 5G wireless communications
Authors: Başaran Mehmet , Başar Ertuğrul , Çırpan Hakan Ali
Published: February 2022

This paper introduces the concept of spatial and media‐based modulated (SMBM) orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) as a potential candidate for highly mobile next generation beyond 5G (B5G) wireless communications. The proposed SMBM‐OFDM technique utilizes not only the transmit antenna and channel state indices but also OFDM subcarriers to improve the system performance under high mobility. In addition, this study sheds light on challenging fast time‐varying channel estimation problem of MBM‐based systems by using the linear minimum mean square error (LMMSE) approach due to its optimality to investigate the achievable system performance with the aid of basis expansion modeling. The minimum lower bound on the channel estimation error (Bayesian Cramer–Rao bound) is derived theoretically and shown to be attainable by the considered LMMSE estimator. Moreover, symbol detection performance is provided for different modulation types and higher mobile velocities. Simulation results demonstrate that SMBM‐OFDM system under high mobility is able to provide around 12‐dB performance gains in terms of both channel estimation and symbol detection error compared to conventional spatial modulation (SM)‐OFDM systems without MBM. The presented framework is important due to addressing the high mobility support of SMBM‐OFDM systems for B5G wireless communications in terms of achievable channel estimation and data detection performance.
Simulated treatment effects on bird communities inform landscape‐scale dry conifer forest management
Authors: Latif Quresh S. , Cannon Jeffery B. , Chabot Eric J. , Sparks Robert A.
Published: February 2022

Human land use and climate change have increased forest density and wildfire risk in dry conifer forests of western North America, threatening various ecosystem services, including habitat for wildlife. Government policy supports active management to restore historical structure and ecological function. Information on potential contributions of restoration to wildlife habitat can allow assessment of tradeoffs with other ecological benefits when prioritizing treatments. We predicted avian responses to simulated treatments representing alternative scenarios to inform landscape‐scale forest management planning along the Colorado Front Range. We used data from the Integrated Monitoring in Bird Conservation Regions program to inform a hierarchical multispecies occupancy model relating species occupancy and richness with canopy cover at two spatial scales. We then simulated changes in canopy cover (remotely sensed in 2018) under three alternative scenarios, (1) a “fuels reduction” scenario representing landscape‐wide 30% reduction in canopy cover, (2) a “restoration” scenario representing more nuanced, spatially variable treatments targeting historical conditions, and (3) a reference, no‐change scenario. Model predictions showed areas of potential gains and losses for species richness, richness of ponderosa pine forest habitat specialists, and the ratio of specialists to generalists at two (1 km2 and 250 m2) spatial scales. Under both fuels reduction and restoration scenarios, we projected greater gains than losses for species richness. Surprisingly, despite restoration more explicitly targeting ecologically relevant historical conditions, fuels reduction benefited bird species richness over a greater spatial extent than restoration, particularly in the lower montane life zone. These benefits reflected generally positive species associations with moderate canopy cover promoted more consistently under the fuels reduction scenario. In practice, contemporary forest management is likely to lie somewhere between the fuels reduction and restoration scenarios represented here. Therefore, our results inform where and how active forest management can best support avian diversity. Although our study raises questions regarding the value of including landscape‐scale heterogeneity as a management objective, we do not question the value of targeting finer scale heterogeneity (i.e., stand and treatment level). Rather, our results combined with those from previous work clarify the scale at which targeting structural heterogeneity and historical reference conditions can promote particular ecosystem services.
Substrate and pH‐dependent homogeneous electrocatalysis using riboflavin for oxygen reduction
Authors: Leeb Elisabeth , Wielend Dominik , Schimanofsky Corina , Sariciftci Niyazi Serdar
Published: February 2022

Homogeneous, aqueous solutions of the natural compound riboflavin were investigated for their electrocatalytic oxygen to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) reduction performance using cyclic voltammetry and electrolysis. In addition to pH dependencies, interestingly the choice of carbon‐based electrode material had a strong impact on the electrocatalytic performance. Therefore, the three electrode materials, glassy carbon, carbon paper (CP), and carbon felt were electrochemically compared and afterwards investigated with scanning electron microscopy. Attributed to the deprotonation of riboflavin, pH = 13 was identified as the best performing condition. Using CP at pH = 13, the addition of riboflavin enhanced the H2O2 production by a factor of 14 up to 355 μmol after 6 h at an average faradaic efficiency of around 80%.
Enzyme based amperometric wide field biosensors: Is single‐molecule detection possible?
Authors: Tricase Angelo , Imbriano Anna , Macchia Eleonora , Sarcina Lucia , Scandurra Cecilia , Torricelli Fabrizio , Cioffi Nicola , Torsi Luisa , Bollella Paolo
Published: February 2022

This review discloses the technological advances involving enzyme‐based amperometric biosensors engaging challenging limits of detection as low as a single molecule. At first, we summarise the most recent findings concerning electrode modification toward the enhancement of the enzyme loading accomplished mainly through the deposition of nanomaterials. The increase of the electron transfer (ET) rate is mostly based on the enzyme site‐specific immobilization through the analysis of the enzyme structure/sequence and protein bioengineering is overviewed. However, both approaches are not appropriate to develop enzyme‐based amperometric biosensors able to reach reliable analytical detections below micro‐/nano‐molar. The last part is devoted to single‐molecule electrochemistry that has been widely exploited as a near‐field approach in the last decades as a proof‐of‐concept for the detection of single ET events. Organic electrochemical transistors operated as Faradaic current amplifiers do not detect below micro‐/nano‐molar. We here propose an alternative approach based on the combination of an electrochemical cell with a bipolar junction transistor in the extended base configuration, drawing some conclusions and future perspectives on the detection of single ET events at a large electrode for the development of Point‐of‐Care devices.
Hydrologic‐land surface modelling of the Canadian sporadic‐discontinuous permafrost: Initialization and uncertainty propagation
Authors: Abdelhamed Mohamed S. , Elshamy Mohamed E. , Wheater Howard S. , Razavi Saman
Published: February 2022

Permafrost thaw has been observed in recent decades in the Northern Hemisphere and is expected to accelerate with continued global warming. Predicting the future of permafrost requires proper representation of the interrelated surface/subsurface thermal and hydrologic regimes. Land surface models (LSMs) are well suited for such predictions, as they couple heat and water interactions across soil‐vegetation‐atmosphere interfaces and can be applied over large scales. LSMs, however, are challenged by the long‐term thermal and hydraulic memories of permafrost and the paucity of historical records to represent permafrost dynamics under transient climate conditions. In this study, we aim to understand better how LSMs function under different spin‐up states, which facilitates addressing the challenge of model initialization by characterizing the impact of initial climate conditions and initial soil frozen and liquid water contents on the simulation length required to reach equilibrium. Further, we quantify how the uncertainty in model initialization propagates to simulated permafrost dynamics. Modelling experiments are conducted with the Modélisation Environmentale Communautaire—Surface and Hydrology (MESH) framework and its embedded Canadian land surface scheme (CLASS). The study area is in the Liard River basin in the Northwest Territories of Canada with sporadic and discontinuous regions. Results show that uncertainty in model initialization controls various attributes of simulated permafrost, especially the active layer thickness, which could change by 0.5–1.5 m depending on the initial condition chosen. The least number of spin‐up cycles is achieved with near field capacity condition, but the number of cycles varies depending on the spin‐up year climate. We advise an extended spin‐up of 200–1000 cycles to ensure proper model initialization under different climatic conditions and initial soil moisture contents.
Toward total traceability and full transparency communication in textile industry supply chain
Authors: Ospital Pantxika , Masson Dimitri H , Beler Cédrick , Legardeur Jérémy
Published: February 2022

The Textile & Clothing industry is facing systemic and global challenges due both to ecological and economic crises. Today, increasing full traceability of supply chain is one of the key points to optimize production but it should also serve to inform consumers to foster sustainable purchasing decision. We argue that the total traceability of the garment supply chain must be constructed to enable a full transparency for the consumer. In this paper, we will start analysing brands’ transparency communication and describe the particular complexities of the textile supply chain.
Human‐Systems Integration of Agricultural Machinery in Developing Economy Countries: Perceptions of Adoption
Authors: Ahmed Hamza , Miller Erika E.
Published: February 2022

Widespread adoption of agricultural machinery for developing economy countries is commonly regarded as a fundamental component of pro‐poor growth. This study evaluates agricultural practices using a Human‐Systems Integration approach to more effectively adapt technologies to satisfy farmers’ needs. Six farms in Sudan, Africa were surveyed regarding their opinions towards using farming machinery, were then provided a tractor, and surveyed again after using the tractor for the planting season. The largest barriers for adoption were culture, security, and maintenance costs. However, the biggest challenges of their current practices were related to labor, safety, and profit margins; all of which could be addressed with machinery. Despite the initial resistance, all of the farmers were satisfied by their experience and expressed an even more accepting attitude from their children.
Socioergonomics: A few clarifications on the Technology‐Organizations‐People Tryptic
Authors: Boy Guy André
Published: February 2022

This position paper introduces and coins the term socioergonomics, considered as a sociological, ontological, and methodological support to human systems integration (HSI). It describes the evolution of ergonomics from early physiological to psychological to contemporary social sciences approaches supporting Industry 4.0 sociotechnical systems engineering. It presents a Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) extension to Organizational Readiness Levels (ORLs) and a departure toward a socioergonomics approach that includes systemic properties such as flexibility, separability, and emergent social facts.
The Economic Benefits of Human Performance Models in Systems Engineering
Authors: Steinberg Richard K , Driggs Maj Jade , Jackson Alice
Published: February 2022

Human performance modeling (HPM) is a method of quantifying human behavior, cognition, physical performance, and processes used for the development of systems designed for optimal user experience and interaction (Seibok and Wickens, 2013). Human Performance Models (HPMs) are an effective tool for Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) (Steinberg et al, 2017), with high economic benefit. Human Engineering practitioners use HPMs to define crew design requirements including the number of operators needed, the benefits of automation, and distribution of member task responsibilities required to operate a system. The application of HPMs throughout the development process helps to influence the system design by integrating with MBSE processes and informing many aspects of system definition and development including performance trades of algorithms, hardware, command and control functions, automation, and the need for situation awareness to monitor the system. In addition to these design benefits, HPMs save development costs and for a described case study reduced costs $4.3M demonstrating the economic benefits for systems engineering. This paper will outline the HPM process for a Command and Control (C2) system.
Systems Engineering Approach to Human Factors aboard the Dream Chaser® Spaceplane
Authors: Brumley Carson , Perich Cheryl
Published: February 2022

Sierra Space is currently developing the Dream Chaser cargo system, a reusable, autonomous, lifting body spaceplane designed to transport cargo to the International Space Station (ISS). Because ISS astronauts will conduct a variety of crew tasks aboard the spaceplane, a highly iterative and integrated systems engineering approach to human factors has been implemented on the Dream Chaser cargo system. This paper documents the rationale behind the decomposition of human factors requirements into specific subsystem specifications, it defines requirement applicability criteria based on four crew‐to‐hardware interaction types, it identifies every component the crew interacts with aboard the Dream Chaser cargo system and outlines the integrated verification approach to verifying all the human factors requirements.
Participatory design as a tool to foster innovation: A case study of an aviation company
Authors: Torkashvand Golnoosh
Published: February 2022

Participatory design and co‐creation have recently been considered as an effective approach in fostering innovation. Traditionally, tools such as brainstorming, focus groups and discussion boards were dominant in guiding discussions around innovation and solutions. While each of these tools consider great advantages in fostering innovations, there are sometimes drawbacks in conducting them in an unbiased way. This paper aims to provide the results and learnings from a participatory session called Group Elicitation Method (GEM) to co‐create future of business jets in Embraer company. In general, this experiment finds GEM as a very effective tool for consensus seeking, in the contexts where participants have diverse backgrounds and power balance is not symmetrical. The project was conducted as part of the author's PhD research on passenger experience.
Cross‐professional Communication in Various Healthcare Settings and Implications to Patient Safety
Authors: Parush Avi
Published: February 2022

Effective Human‐System Integration in healthcare must consider cross‐profession coordination and communication. Ineffective communication could degrade effective coordination and collaboration, and result in poor quality of care and potential adverse events. In this talk I will briefly overview several studies exploring similarities and differences in cross‐profession communication patterns in various healthcare settings, and their implications to human‐system integration and patient safety.
The essential research curriculum for doctor of pharmacy degree programs – 2021
Authors: Karnes Jason H. , Asempa Tomefa , Barreto Jason N. , Belcher Rachel M. , Bissell Brittany D. , Gammal Roseann S. , Kier Karen L. , Lee Craig R. , Liu Leanne , McCune Jeannine S. , Minhaj Faisal S. , Newsome Andrea Sikora , Ning James , Bookstaver P. Brandon
Published: February 2022

Training in the scientific method and research design in doctor of pharmacy (Pharm.D.) curricula enables critical thinking, acquisition of reliable information, rigorous evaluation of emerging literature, and application of evidence‐based medicine in practice. Although research skills are essential for clinical pharmacists and many professional societies recognize the critical need for research in the Pharm.D. curriculum, standardization regarding essential research curricular competencies and content is lacking. Consequently, research skill development is often de‐emphasized in pharmacy education in favor of clinical knowledge and skills. This update to the recommendations of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy's 2008‐2009 Task Force on Research in the Professional Curriculum is provided to meet the evolving needs of contemporary pharmacy practice. The update discusses the importance of research training for Pharm.D. students, proposes essential research competencies and curriculum content for Pharm.D. programs, and highlights several successful strategies for fostering research among Pharm.D. students. In particular, the update advocates enhanced adoption of minimum standards for research skill development across Pharm.D. programs and integration of advanced research competencies to support the development of Pharm.D.‐trained scientists.
Front cover
Authors: Chauvel‐Picard Julie , Bérot Vincent , Tognetti Linda , Orte Cano Carmen , Fontaine Margot , Lenoir Clément , Pérez‐Anker Javiera , Puig Susana , Dubois Arnaud , Forestier Sandra , Monnier Jilliana , Jdid Randa , Cazorla Gabriel , Pedrazzani Mélanie , Sanchez Antoine , Fischman Sébastien , Rubegni Pietro , del Marmol Véronique , Malvehy Joseph , Cinotti Elisa , Perrot Jean L. , Suppa Mariano
Published: February 2022

Line‐field confocal optical coherence tomography is a new imaging technique providing in vivo three‐dimensional images of the skin. Its spatial resolution allows standard measurements as SC/epidermis thicknesses or dermal‐epidermal junction undulation as well as innovative quantification of epidermis down to the cellular level based on artificial intelligence. Each keratinocyte can be counted and characterized by the size and shape of its nucleus. This technology produces epidermal metrics that can be useful both for research and current clinical practice.

Further details can be found in the article by J. Chauvel‐Picard, V. Bérot, L. Tognetti, et al. (e202100236)

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Corrosion behavior and degradation mechanism of micro‐extruded 3D printed ordered pore topological Fe scaffolds
Authors: Mishra Dipesh Kumar , Pandey Pulak Mohan
Published: February 2022

The fabrication of ordered pore topological structures (OPTS) with an improved biodegradation profile offers unique attributes required for bone reconstruction. These attributes consisted of fully interconnected porous structure, bone‐mimicking mechanical properties, and the possibility of fully regenerating bony defects. Most of the biomaterials based on magnesium were associated with the problem of too fast degradation rate. Here, the present aim was based on the fabrication of ordered pore topological Fe structures (OPTFS) using micro‐extrusion‐based 3D printing followed by pressureless microwave sintering. Two different kinds of pore features namely randomly distributed interconnected micropores and designed interconnected macropores were investigated. Static in vitro degradation results inferred that the H‐2 mm pore size of hexagonal based ordered pore topological Fe structures (H‐OPTFS) exhibited the highest degradation rate of 6.45 mg cm−2 day−1 on the 28th day. Electrochemical results revealed that the corrosion current density of the T‐1 Fe sample with 44% porosity increased nearly by a multiple of three times as compared to dense Fe (from 16.79 to 44.63 . Similarly, these results showed more significance in H‐2 mm pores size (with highest 66% porosity) of H‐OPTFS as compared to H‐1.75 mm and H‐1.5 mm pore size of H‐OPTFS (≈2 times higher degradation rate than H‐1.5 mm pore size). Moreover, the MG63 osteoblast cell line was adhered to and proliferated significantly throughout the surface and illustrated more than 80% cell viability of the prepared porous Fe scaffold. The analyzed results have shown the potential of fabricated OPTFS could be considered for biomedical applications.
Mobilized and apheresis‐collected endothelial progenitor cells with plerixafor
Authors: Perdomo Susana , Brugnini Andreina , Trias Natalia , Menyou Alba , Silveira Gonzalo , Ranero Sabrina , Lens Daniela , Díaz Lilián , Grille Sofía
Published: February 2022

Background

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are immature cells able to proliferate and contribute to endothelial repair, vascular homeostasis, neovascularization, and angiogenesis. It therefore seems likely that circulating EPCs have therapeutic potential in ischemic and vascular diseases. In this study we evaluated the efficiency of EPC mobilization and collection by large volume leukapheresis in subjects with hematological diseases, treated with plerixafor in association with G‐CSF.

Methods

Twenty‐two patients with lymphoid malignancies underwent rHuG‐CSF and plerixafor treatment followed by leukapheresis. Blood samples before and after treatment and apheresis liquid sample were taken and analyzed by flow cytometry in order to quantified EPC.

Results

The percentage of CD34+ cells and EPCs among circulating total nuclear cells (TNCs) increased significantly by approximately 2‐fold and 3‐fold, respectively, after plerixafor treatment. Consequently, the absolute number of CD34+ cells and EPCs were increased 4‐fold after plerixafor treatment. The median PB concentration of EPCs before and after treatment were 0.77/μL (0.31‐2.15) and 3.41/μL (1.78‐4.54), respectively, P < .0001. The total EPCs collected per patient were 3.3×107 (0.8×107–6.8×107).

Conclusion

We have shown that plerixafor in combination with G‐CSF allows the mobilization and collection of large amounts of EPCs along with CD34+ cells in lymphoid neoplasm patients. The possibility to collect and to store these cells could represent a promising therapeutic tool for the treatment of ischemic complications without the need of in vitro expansion.
Case formulation in emotion‐focused therapy
Authors: Goldman Rhonda , Goldstein Zoë
Published: February 2022

Case formulation in emotion‐focused therapy aids therapists to both conceptualize core emotion schemes and follow markers across therapy that signify tasks aimed at emotional transformation. The case formulation process will be illustrated in the successful case of Jina, a woman with a history of childhood emotional abuse who sought therapy for depression. The three stages of case formulation are co‐constructed between client and therapist. In stage one, the therapist assesses her initial emotion processing style and listens as the emotion‐based narrative unfolds. In stage two, the core emotion scheme and formulation narrative organize around feelings of shame of inferiority and attachment‐related feelings of being rejected and unloved. Attendant secondary emotions of powerlessness, and unmet needs for validation emerge. Stage three evolves as the therapist follows process markers, prompting chair work for both unfinished business and self‐criticism, ultimately helping Jina access adaptive sadness and newly experienced self‐compassion.
Loving lunch in junior high: Lunchtime activities and a sense of belonging in school
Authors: Whiting Erin Feinauer , Hinton Anna E. , Jensen Bryant
Published: February 2022

We explore student lunchtime experiences as they relate to student sense of belonging. We use SPSS Two‐Step cluster analysis and logistic regression of data from a schoolwide survey (n = 830) in the United States. Stepwise modeling is used to determine the importance of clusters representing lunchtime activity preferences and love of lunch on belonging scores. Loving lunch significantly positively affects school belonging. Students naturally group into five distinct different activity profiles based on lunchtime preferences. These profiles are significantly related to a sense of belonging. Being active with peers during lunch was most strongly correlated with sense of belonging. Lunchtime warrants more attention for fostering a sense of belonging in the school community. Broadening lunchtime activity options, especially in schools where there are few available ways for socializing and being active, has the potential to support the diverse needs of students and increase belonging.
An exploratory study on the propagation of SARS‐CoV‐2 variants: Omicron is the most predominant variant
Authors: Rathinasamy Muthusami , Kandhasamy Saritha
Published: February 2022

As severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) evolves, it accumulates mutations, which are changes in the genetic code. Because this virus has built‐in RNA repair mechanisms, it generates mutations more slowly than some other RNA viruses. Thousands of mutations have emerged since the beginning of the pandemic throughout all virus genomes sequenced to date, resulting in thousands of distinct variants. However, some variants have recently been discovered that appear to increase transmissibility and may affect illness pervasiveness. In this study, we investigated SARS‐CoV‐2 variants and how countries intervene with them. We also depicted the top 25 countries where the Omicron variant is prevalent, with the UK, US, Denmark, France, and Australia having the top five places as of January 13, 2022. The perception of SARS‐CoV‐2 variants was investigated in those five countries, and the propagation rate of the Omicron variant was determined to be 51%, 29%, 26%, 15%, and 44%, respectively, indicating that the Omicron variant is the most prevalent among the others. Then, a study of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection test rate based on tests conducted per one million populations with a number of sequences in those five countries reveals that 25%, 73%, 1.6%, 4.8%, and 1.5%, respectively, it suggests that viral testing should be increased in all five countries since it will help to determine the precise distribution of variants and aid governments in making policy decisions for public safety. We anticipated the production of new variants strains. This study implies that limiting disease transmissions, such as acquiring a coronavirus disease 2019 vaccine and booster doses for those aged 18 and older, as well as wearing the mask in public places, is the best strategy to prevent the emergence of new variants.
Genomic, immunological, and clinical analysis of COVID‐19 vaccine breakthrough infections in Beijing, China
Authors: Tian Di , Song Yang , Zhang Man , Pan Yang , Ge Ziruo , Zhang Yao , Ren Xingxiang , Wen Jing , Xu Yanli , Guo Hong , Yang Peng , Chen Zhihai , Xu Wenbo
Published: February 2022

As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic is still ongoing and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) variants are circulating worldwide, an increasing number of breakthrough infections are being detected despite the good efficacy of COVID‐19 vaccines. Data on 88 COVID‐19 breakthrough cases (breakthrough infections group) and 41 unvaccinated cases (unvaccinated group) from June 1 to August 22, 2021, were extracted from a cloud database established at Beijing Ditan Hospital to evaluate the clinical, immunological, and genomic characteristics of COVID‐19 breakthrough infections. Among these 129 COVID‐19 cases, 33 whole genomes were successfully sequenced, of which 23 were Delta variants, including 15 from the breakthrough infections group. Asymptomatic and mild cases predominated in both groups, but two patients developed severe disease in the unvaccinated group. The median time of viral shedding in the breakthrough infections group was significantly lower than that in the unvaccinated group (p = 0.003). In the breakthrough infections group, the IgG titers showed a significantly increasing trend (p = 0.007), and the CD4 + T lymphocyte count was significantly elevated (p = 0.018). For people infected with the Delta variant in the two groups, no significant difference was observed in either the quantitative reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction results or viral shedding time. In conclusion, among vaccinated patients, the cases of COVID‐19 vaccine breakthrough infections were mainly asymptomatic and mild, IgG titers were significantly increased and rose rapidly, and the viral shedding time was shorter.
PMMA Bone Cement Composite Functions as an Adjuvant Chemotherapeutic Platform for Localized and Multi‐Window Release during Bone Reconstruction
Authors: Cyphert Erika L. , Kanagasegar Nithya , Zhang Ningjing , Learn Greg D. , von Recum Horst A.
Published: February 2022

Primary bone tumor resections often result in critical size defects, which then necessitate challenging clinical management approaches to reconstruct. One such intervention is the Masquelet technique, in which poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) bone cement is placed as a spacer temporarily while adjuvant chemotherapeutics are administered systemically. The spacer is later removed and replaced with bone autograft. Local recurrence remains an important and devastating problem, therefore, a system capable of locally delivering chemotherapeutics will present unique advantages. In this work, a refillable chemotherapeutic (doxorubicin, DOX) delivery platform comprised of PMMA bone cement and insoluble γ‐cyclodextrin (γ‐CD) polymeric microparticles is developed and explored towards application as a temporary adjuvant chemotherapeutic spacer. The system is characterized for porosity, mechanical strength, DOX filling and refilling capacity, elution kinetics, and cytotoxicity. Since residual chemotherapeutics can adversely impact bone healing, it is important that virtually all DOX be released from material. Composites containing 15 wt% γ‐CD microparticles demonstrate 100% DOX release within 100 days, whereas only 6% DOX is liberated from PMMA with free DOX over same period. Refillable properties of PMMA composite system may find utility for customizing dosing regimens. Findings suggest that PMMA composites can have potential as chemotherapeutic delivery platforms to assist in bone reconstruction.
Milestones in Tremor Research: 10 Years Later
Authors: Erro Roberto , Fasano Alfonso , Barone Paolo , Bhatia Kailash P.
Published: February 2022

Major progress has occurred during the last decade in the field of tremor. From the clinical standpoint, a new classification has completely revised the nosology of tremor syndromes and has re‐conceptualized essential tremor as a syndrome rather than a single disease entity, fueling an ongoing enlightened debate. Significant advances have been obtained in terms of instrumental measurement of tremor, remarking on the possibility of developing novel treatment strategies based on tremor characteristics, namely tremor‐phase. Moreover, a better understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms has further led to the suggestion of refining the classification of tremor syndromes according to their driving underpinnings. Finally, surgical options such as deep brain stimulation and focused ultrasound thalamotomy are now part of the therapeutic portfolio for tremor, but several oral drugs, including long‐chain alcohols, T‐channel blockers, allosteric modulators of potassium channels, and of GABA‐A receptors, are currently being tested and hold promise. This review will discuss the key milestones in tremor research of the last 10 years, with a focus on the most common tremor syndromes, namely essential tremor, dystonic tremor, and Parkinsonian tremor.
Adaptive stochastic gradient descent for optimal control of parabolic equations with random parameters
Authors: Cao Yanzhao , Das Somak , van Wyk Hans‐Werner
Published: February 2022

In this paper we extend the adaptive gradient descent (AdaGrad) algorithm to the optimal distributed control of parabolic partial differential equations with uncertain parameters. This stochastic optimization method achieves an improved convergence rate through adaptive scaling of the gradient step size. We prove the convergence of the algorithm for this infinite dimensional problem under suitable regularity, convexity, and finite variance conditions, and relate these to verifiable properties of the underlying system parameters. Finally, we apply our algorithm to the optimal thermal regulation of lithium battery systems under uncertain loads.
Carboxylate‐Induced RTP Based on Gelatin for Anticounterfeiting
Authors: Li Ji , Wang Yuyu , Zhang Yuan , Zheng Daoyuan , Wang Xuechuan
Published: February 2022

Room‐temperature phosphorescence (RTP) from polymer carbon dots (PCDs) has attracted great attention for its potential applications in manufacturing anticounterfeit objects and digital encryption. However, most RTP raw materials with good performance are generally toxic, corrosive, and polluting, which will cause safety hazards during use and subsequent processing. Herein, facile, environmental‐friendly polymer carbon dots are prepared by hydrothermal treatment of gelatin and carboxylate (C‐PCDs) for the first time. The RTP of C‐PCDs is yellow emission and the lifetime up to 422 ms, which is three times that of PCDs produced only by gelatin. Then according to transmission electron microscope, atomic force microscopy, Fourier transform infrared, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography characterizations, and comparison of optical properties, it is found that the newly CONH formed by introduced carboxylate and free amino produced in the hydrolysis has an inhibitory effect on the hydrolysis of amide bonds contained in gelatin and deamination to a certain extent, which will be thought about more n‐π* transition from CO enhancing the conversion for triplet excitons. Moreover, the C‐PCDs with properties of fluorescence and phosphorescence are confirmed in the potential application of double anticounterfeiting under the excitation of ultraviolet lamps.
Half‐Projected Hartree–Fock method: History and application to excited states of the same symmetry as the ground state
Authors: Ruiz María Belén
Published: February 2022

Spin projected wave functions are generalizations of the Hartree–Fock wave function. Among them, the Half‐Projected Hartree–Fock (HPHF) wave function is a nearly pure wave function of spin and recovers a small part of the spin correlation energy. This paper reviews the history of the HPHF theory, not only from the conceptual point of view but also providing a compilation of the publications of this method over the years until now. In addition, the extension of the HPHF method to the calculation of excited states with the same symmetry as the ground state will be discussed. The possible variational collapse during the calculation of a singlet excited state of the same symmetry as the ground state is avoided by orthogonalizing a pair of corresponding orbitals, one occupied and one virtual orbital, at every step of the variational process. As an example, the potential energy surfaces of the S0 ground and 1S1(n, π*) first excited state of the formic acid HCOOH are calculated.
Data‐driven iterative learning control using a uniform quantizer with an encoding–decoding mechanism
Authors: Zhang Huimin , Chi Ronghu , Hou Zhongsheng , Huang Biao
Published: February 2022

This work explores the problem of uniform quantization of iterative learning control (ILC) for nonlinear nonaffine systems under a data‐driven design and analysis framework. First, to deal with the strong nonlinearity and nonaffine structure of the systems, an iterative linear data model (iLDM) utilizing more additional parameter information is developed consequently bypassing modeling process. The iLDM only serves for the controller design and analysis without any mechanistic interpretation. Then, an encoding–decoding mechanism (E‐DM) is employed to deal with the bounded tracking performance caused by the uniform quantizer. Using the iLDM, an E‐DM based quantized data‐driven ILC (E‐D QDDILC) method is developed with a quantized learning control law and a quantized parameter estimation law, both of which only utilize the quantized output estimations obtained from the E‐DM. The quantized parameter estimation law enhances the robustness of the proposed E‐D QDDILC as an adaptive mechanism to tune the learning gain in real‐time. A mathematical induction approach and the contraction mapping principle are introduced for the convergence analysis as the basic tools. When the scaling function is bounded, one shows the tracking error is bounded convergent. When the scaling function approaches zero iteratively, a zero convergence can be guaranteed in the iteration domain. The main results are verified through simulation examples.
Semi‐automated hydraulic model wrapper to support stakeholder evaluation: A floodplain reconnection study using 2D hydrologic engineering center's river analysis system
Authors: Worley Lindsay C. , Underwood Kristen L. , Vartanian Nicholas L. V. , Dewoolkar Mandar M. , Matt Jeremy E. , Rizzo Donna M.
Published: February 2022

Floodplain reconnection projects are largely nature‐based solutions that have great potential to restore channel stability, attenuate stormwater, improve flood resilience, and improve water quality. The suite of possible restoration options for a given study area must consider the multiple uses and functions of river corridors, along with the potential impacts and benefits to adjacent infrastructure. Therefore, decision‐support frameworks designed to help stakeholders compare floodplain reconnection scenarios to best meet site‐specific design objectives are needed. A River Scenario Evaluation Tool (RiverSET) was designed in Python as a wrapper around a two‐dimensional hydraulic model (2D Hydrologic Engineering Center's River Analysis System, 2D HEC‐RAS) to guide an alternative analysis of various floodplain reconnection techniques. RiverSET runs each reconnection scenario in sequence and extracts the values needed to evaluate scenarios at user‐defined regions of interest. The results of these evaluation parameters (depth, duration, stream power, percent time inundated, and velocity) are compiled and displayed for review and synthesis. RiverSET's utility is demonstrated here through a case study on the Black Creek in Vermont, United States, involving five floodplain reconnection scenarios and a variety of stakeholders.
Supramolecular Polysulfide Polymers with Metal‐Ligand Interactions
Authors: Yamagishi Yuki , Kobayashi Yuichiro , Horiguchi Akiyoshi , Kitano Daiki , Yamaguchi Hiroyasu
Published: February 2022

We report the first preparation of a supramolecular polysulfide polymer using metal‐ligand interactions. The supramolecular polysulfide polymer was prepared by introducing 2,2’‐bipyridine (bpy) at both ends of linear sulfur and linking the bpy with Cu2+. The molecular weight of the supramolecular polysulfide polymer was higher than polysulfide polymer obtained via conventional polymerization. Disassembly and re‐assembly of the supramolecular polysulfide polymers were controlled by de‐metalation of Cu2+ from the complex between bpy and Cu2+ and re‐formation of the complex with the addition of chelating agents and Cu2+, respectively.
Evaluation of Naphthalenylmethylen Hydrazine Derivatives as Potent Inhibitors on, Antiatherogenic Enzymes, Paraoxonase I and Acetylcholinesterase Activities
Authors: Shirinzadeh Hanif , Dilek Esra , Alım Zuhal
Published: February 2022

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and paraoxonase 1 (PON1) are two important serum ester hydrolases that have antiatherosclerotic effect by inhibiting the oxidation of lipid peroxides. In addition, AChE inhibitors are target molecules for the treatment of Alzheimer's. Naphthalene derivatives are important molecules in the field of pharmacology due to their wide range of biological activities. In this study, the inhibition effects of naphthalenylmethylen hydrazine derivatives on these two metabolic enzymes were investigated. IC50 values of these molecules were determined in the range of 0.158 μM to 6.862 μM against PON1, 0.0214 μM to 0.675 μM against AChE. As a result, naphthalenylmethylen hydrazine derivatives had strong inhibition effect on both enzymes. In this context, we hope that the results obtained in this study contribute to the determination of the side effects of current and new naphthalene‐based pharmacological compounds to be developed. And also be effective in the synthesis studies of new AChE inhibitors.
Millennials: Maligned or miscreants?
Authors: Hotchkiss Julie L.
Published: February 2022

This paper explores the degree to which labor supply behavior differs among Millennials, relative to earlier generations, especially to that of Baby‐boomers. I find that wage and income elasticities are lower among Millennials, which can partly be attributed to trends beginning before their time. Responses to cyclical factors appear unchanged across generations. The overall lower observed labor supply among Millennials is nuanced with their behavior putting downward pressure on both hours and participation, whereas their characteristics are propping up labor supply. These differences could have important implications for economic growth and policy considerations.