bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparative study of 1064 nm nanosecond, 1064 nm picosecond, 755 nm, and 595 nm lasers for tattoo removal: An essential role by macrophage
Authors: Du Xiao‐Jie , Zhou Hong‐Mei , Wang Zhao , Liu Jing , Wang Jia‐Feng , Li Dong , Wu Ting‐Ting , Chen Bin , Zeng Wei‐Hui
Published: March 2022

Objectives

Tattoo removal is in high demand, and many types of lasers can be used for tattoo removal. Macrophages play an important role in the persistence of tattoos. However, comparative studies of the efficacy of tattoo removal with different lasers versus the relationship between the destruction of pigment particles or recruitment of macrophages after laser treatment are lacking.

Materials and Methods

Tattoo models were established on the rat dorsal surface and randomly treated with 1064 nm nanosecond, 1064 nm picosecond, 755 nm, and 595 nm lasers for one session. Clinical photographic evaluation, melanin index, hematoxylin and eosin staining, identification of macrophages by CD68 staining, and transmission electron microscopy were conducted at different time points.

Results

Regardless of the pulse duration, all lasers included were effective for the removal of black tattoos, with 1064 nm lasers having the best efficacy, followed by 755 and 595 nm lasers. The diameter of the pigment particles and recruitment of dermal macrophages correlated with the efficacy of tattoo removal.

Conclusions

In this study, the 1064 nm lasers were found to be the most effective for black tattoo removal. However, there was no significant difference between the 1064 nm picosecond and the nanosecond lasers. Macrophage recruitment plays an essential role in pigment metabolism during laser‐tattoo removal.
A Healable Epoxy with Comprehensive Properties by Incorporating Thermoplastic Epoxy Microspheres
Authors: Zhang He , Lin Zhilin , Xiao Kaibin , Shi Shengyu
Published: March 2022

Healable materials by incorporating thermoplastic particles as healants can not only possess healability, but also retain the intrinsic properties of the host matrix. Herein, solid healant microspheres made of a thermoplastic epoxy poly(bisphenol A‐co‐epichlorohydrin) are fabricated using a solvent evaporation technique and then incorporated into the thermosetting epoxy to formulate a healable epoxy. Slight dissolution of the microspheres is observed during the curing process of the matrix, which strengthens the bond between the microspheres and matrix. The healing performance is tested after heating at 180 °C for 20 min, and maximum healing efficiency of about 95% is achieved. Due to the thermoplastic feature of the healant, this healable system possesses multi‐time healability. Expectedly, it shows the solid microspheres increase the fracture toughness and do not evidently affect the tensile and thermal properties of the epoxy matrix. This developed healable material with comprehensive properties promises a potentially practical healing system.
Polymers for Long‐Cycle and Highly Safe Lithium‐Based Batteries
Authors: Ma Xiaofei , Chen Hanchu , Liu Xiaodong , Li Yanyan , Li Caixia , Zhang Shouyan , Lin Haifeng , Wang Hui
Published: March 2022

Lithium‐based batteries (LBBs) have virtually dominated the energy storage market for electronic products and electric vehicles. In these batteries, the critical roles of polymers cannot be ignored. In this article, state‐of‐the‐art developments and perspectives for improving the safety and stability of LBBs using polymers are summarized. These materials are particularly used as separator decorations, solid‐state electrolytes, binders, and fire retardants. Polymers exhibit excellent performance as binders for Si anodes because of their long chains and high adhesion ability. This review focuses on the application of polymers to Li–S batteries based on their fundamental electrochemistry and the challenges arising from the dissolution of polysulfides. In addition, the dendrite growth inhibition ability and mechanism of polymeric artificial solid electrolyte interphase film and solid‐state electrolytes are described. The performance of polymer as fire retardant and the mechanism for solid‐state polymer electrolytes are elaborated. Finally, the perspectives on the potential of polymers for LBBs and energy storage because of their outstanding plasticity and chemical controllability are presented.
Sustainable Macromolecular Materials in Flexible Electronics
Authors: Kılıçarslan Boğaç , Bozyel Ibrahim , Gökcen Dinçer , Bayram Cem
Published: March 2022

With advances in electronics, the concept of flexible electronics has left traditional designs behind. Many concepts, such as sensors, transistors, soft robotics, data, and energy storage devices have begun to find more widespread and flexible areas of use. From this point of view, using environmentally friendly, abundant, and renewable natural materials that reduce carbon emissions in the production and disposal of these components is the first step toward the concept of sustainable flexible electronics. This review deals with the integration of sustainable natural materials obtained from plant, animal, and bacterial sources into sensors, displays, data storage, power generation, and soft robotic systems, with appropriate examples compiled from the last ten years. In addition, limitations in the use of sustainable materials as flexible electronic components and their potential for use in innovative electronic applications in the future are foreseen.
Stability analysis for stationary solutions of the Mullins–Sekerka flow with boundary contact
Authors: Garcke Harald , Rauchecker Maximilian
Published: March 2022

We first give a complete linearized stability analysis around stationary solutions of the Mullins–Sekerka flow with 90° contact angle in two space dimensions. The stationary solutions include flat interfaces, as well as arcs of circles. We investigate the different stability behaviour in dependence of properties of the stationary solution, such as its curvature and length, as well as the curvature of the boundary of the domain at the two contact points. We show that the behaviour changes in terms of these parameters, ranging from exponential stability to instability.

We also give a first result on nonlinear stability for curved boundaries.
Benford's law, small business financial reporting, and survival
Authors: Patel Pankaj C. , Tsionas Mike G. , Guedes Maria João
Published: March 2022

Benford's law states that in collections of numbers, the leading digit is likely to be small. Drawing on this law, which is a widely used tool in forensic accounting, we ask whether small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) that violate Benford's law on the reporting of key accounting items are more likely to fail. Using a sample of 220,583 Portuguese SMEs (2010–2018), those companies violating Benford's law in reporting cash had the highest odds of failure, followed by net income, current liabilities, assets, and sales. The findings indicate that myopic strategic manipulation in financial reporting may lead to SME failure.
Diagnostic Value of Salivary Real‐Time Quaking‐Induced Conversion in Parkinson's Disease and Multiple System Atrophy
Authors: Luan Mingyue , Sun Yunchuang , Chen Jing , Jiang Yanyan , Li Fan , Wei Luhua , Sun Wei , Ma Jinfa , Song Lu , Liu Jianghong , Liu Bing , Pei Yaohua , Wang Zhaoxia , Zhu Li , Deng Jianwen
Published: March 2022

Background

Aggregation of α‐synuclein (oligomeric α‐syn) has been considered as the pathological hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD) and multiple system atrophy (MSA). Studies showed oligomeric α‐syn/total α‐syn ratio was increased in the saliva of patients with PD, suggesting that seeding activity of salivary oligomeric α‐syn may be a novel biomarker for the diagnosis of PD and MSA.

Objective

This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of salivary α‐syn seeding activity in patients with PD and MSA.

Methods

A total of 75 patients with PD, 18 patients with MSA, and 36 nonneurodegenerative healthy control subjects underwent salivary α‐syn real‐time quaking‐induced conversion (RT‐QuIC) assay.

Results

Salivary α‐syn RT‐QuIC assay distinguished patients with PD with 76.0% sensitivity (95% confidence interval [CI], 66.1–85.9) and 94.4% specificity (95% CI, 86.6–100.0). RT‐QuIC assay sensitivity reached 61.1% (95% CI, 36.2–86.1) in patients with MSA. No significant differences were observed in the diameter of salivary α‐syn fibrils examined by electron microscopy and in thioflavin T fluorescence intensity of salivary α‐syn fibrils detected by RT‐QuIC assay between patients with PD and MSA. Notably, the lag phase of RT‐QuIC assay from patients with PD was significantly shorter than that of patients with MSA, which might be clinically applicable to the discrimination between PD and MSA.

Conclusions

Salivary α‐syn seeding activity may serve as a novel biomarker for the clinical diagnosis of PD and MSA.© 2022 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society © 2022 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
A Descriptor Set for Quantitative Structure‐property Relationship Prediction in Biologics
Authors: Sankar Kannan , Trainor Kyle , Blazer Levi L. , Adams Jarrett J. , Sidhu Sachdev S. , Day Tyler , Meiering Elizabeth , Maier Johannes K. X.
Published: March 2022

There has been a remarkable increase in the number of biologics, especially monoclonal antibodies, in the market over the last decade. In addition to attaining the desired binding to their targets, a crucial aspect is the ‘developability’ of these drugs, which includes several desirable properties such as high solubility, low viscosity and aggregation, physico‐chemical stability, low immunogenicity and low poly‐specificity. The lack of any of these desirable properties can lead to significant hurdles in advancing them to the clinic and are often discovered only during late stages of drug development. Hence, in silico methods for early detection of these properties, particularly the ones that affect aggregation and solubility in the earlier stages can be highly beneficial. We have developed a computational framework based on a large and diverse set of protein specific descriptors that is ideal for making liability predictions using a QSPR (quantitative structure‐property relationship) approach. This set offers a high degree of feature diversity that may coarsely be classified based on (1) sequence (2) structure and (3) surface patches. We assess the sensitivity and applicability of these descriptors in four dedicated case studies that are believed to be representative of biophysical characterizations commonly employed during the development process of a biologics drug candidate. In addition to data sets obtained from public sources, we have validated the descriptors on novel experimental data sets in order to address antibody developability and to generate prospective predictions on Adnectins. The results show that the descriptors are well suited to assist in the improvement of protein properties of systems that exhibit poor solubility or aggregation.
MIMO antenna performance with isolator
Authors: Lee Hoseung , Jeon Jihwan , Park Donghee , Shin Hyunwoong , Kim Hyeongdong
Published: March 2022

In this article, the effect of an isolator in a multiple‐input multiple‐output (MIMO) antenna is analyzed in terms of its efficiency and isolation. An isolator is frequently utilized in MIMO antennas; however, the use of an isolator can aggravate the bandwidth or efficiency performance even though its isolation performance is improved. To develop a way of applying an isolator without sacrificing the bandwidth or efficiency performance, it is important to note that the characteristic modes excited by the MIMO antenna are related to the performance of the isolator. Two MIMO antenna systems using different ground characteristic modes are implemented to analyze the effect of the isolator. Via the isolator, both MIMO antennas achieved improved isolation, but the reference antenna underwent severe bandwidth degradation and efficiency degradation (from 31.81% to 16.69%), whereas the proposed antenna had relatively smaller reductions in bandwidth and efficiency (from 53.14% to 46.87%).
Cavity dynamics of a hybrid mode‐locked figure of eight fiber laser
Authors: Iqbal Muddassir , Yuze Wu , Youqiao Ma , Ullah Sibghat , Min Lai , Delin Zhao , Mao Yaya
Published: March 2022

Mode‐locking is an increased focus area due to the augmented requirement of ultra‐short and high‐intensity optical pulses for varied applications. Tunable mode‐locked lasers capable of operating in the infrared range at high repetition frequency brought innovative opportunities for insensitive and accurate laser surgery. As one important application of optical pulse propagation in an optical fiber, we have discussed a dual‐ring hybrid mode‐locked fiber laser using modulator, and saturable absorber. The active mechanism, saturable absorber, and the nonlinear optical loop mirror result in an output with a peak power of 16 dBm, and 80 fs full‐width at half‐maximum with a high duty cycle. It occupies a small space and is easy to achieve miniaturization and intensification; the laser output can be adjusted by varying multiple parameters such as pump, input, doped fiber length, modulator (including modulation signal), saturable absorber, and other devices.
Laser circumferential scanning photoelectric detection model and analysis of terminal‐sensitive projectile
Authors: Shi Zhijun , Lei Zhiyong
Published: March 2022

The intersection status of terminal‐sensitive projectile and target is uncertain, which leads to the problem that it is difficult to accurately calculate the laser echo power. This paper studies a new calculation method of laser echo power based on laser circumferential scanning detection mechanism and establishes the mathematical model of laser dynamic scanning by the spatial geometric relationship between terminal‐sensitive projectile and ground target. Combining the characteristics of reflected laser echo power of ground target, we derive the laser echo power calculation function with temporal and spatial distribution characteristics. According to the detection requirements, we configure the parameters of the system and carry out quantitative simulation experiments, the results show when the emitting frequency and scanning speed of pulsed laser were matched, the detection probability is the greatest. With the increase of intersection distance, the reflected laser echo power will decrease, which is basically consistent with the simulation results.
Use, and acceptability, of digital health technologies in musculoskeletal physical therapy: A survey of physical therapists and patients
Authors: Merolli M. , Gray K. , Choo D. , Lawford B. J. , Hinman R. S.
Published: March 2022

Objectives

Determine (a) frequency of digital health use to obtain/record clinical information (pre‐COVID‐19); (b) willingness to use digital technologies among physical therapists and patients with musculoskeletal conditions.

Methods

102 physical therapists, and 103 patients were recruited in Australia. An electronic survey ascertained (a) demographic/clinical characteristics, (b) frequency of methods to obtain and record clinical information; (c) willingness to use digital technologies to support musculoskeletal care.

Results

Physical therapists mostly used non‐digital methods to obtain subjective (e.g., face‐to‐face questioning, n = 98; 96.1%) and objective information (e.g., visual estimation, n = 95; 93.1%). The top three digital health technologies most frequently used by therapists: photo‐based image capture (n = 19; 18.6%), accessing information logged/tracked by patients into a mobile app (n = 14; 13.7%), and electronic systems to capture subjective information that the patient fills in (n = 13; 12.7%). The top three technologies used by patients: activity trackers (n = 27; 26.2%), logging/tracking health information on mobile apps or websites (n = 12; 11.7%), and entering information on a computer (n = 12; 7.8%). Physical therapists were most willing to use technologies for: receiving diagnostic imaging results (n = 99; 97.1%), scheduling appointments (n = 92; 90.2%) and capturing diagnostic results (n = 92; 90.2%). Patients were most willing to use technologies for receiving notifications about health test results (n = 91; 88.4%), looking up health information (n = 83; 80.6%) and receiving personalised alerts/reminders (n = 80; 77.7%).

Conclusions

Physical therapists and patients infrequently use digital health technologies to support musculoskeletal care, but expressed some willingness to consider using them for select functions.
Improved mechanical, thermal properties and ideal dielectric properties of polyimide composite films by incorporation of boron nitride nanosheets and aramid nanofibers
Authors: Zhang Ting , Huang Yawen , Sun Yi , Tang Pingping , Hu Chengyao
Published: March 2022

In this work, a high‐performance composite film polyimide (PI)/boron nitride nanosheets (BNNS) + aramid nanofibers (ANFs) was prepared by in‐situ polymerization. Modified two‐dimensional (2D) BNNS were prepared by urea‐assisted ball milling to exfoliate and NH2 functionalize hexagonal boron nitride(h‐BN) in one step. One‐dimensional (1D) ANFs prepared by deprotonation method and 2D BNNS were simultaneously incorporated into PI and used as effective reinforcement nanofillers. This novel PI/BNNS + ANFs composite film has excellent thermal stability and mechanical properties. Compared with pure PI, the glass transition temperature (Tg) increased by approximately 18°C, and the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) decreased by 11.45%. Remarkably, the tensile strength and elongation at break of PI/BNNS + ANFs‐1 wt% composite film increased by 18.6% and 133.4%, respectively. The improvement of thermal stability and mechanical properties were ascribed to the uniform dispersion of BNNS + ANFs and the interfacial interaction between BNNS + ANFs and PI matrix. Furthermore, the PI/BNNS + ANFs composite films show good dielectric properties and optical transparency. These excellent comprehensive properties of the PI/BNNS + ANFs composite films make it a good candidate for the flexible substrate.
Risk factors for neonatal thrombosis: A retrospective study conducted in a single Canadian intensive care unit
Authors: Bhatia Kulsajan , Solanki Smeet , Paes Bosco , Chan Anthony K.C. , Bhatt Mihir D.
Published: March 2022

Among children, neonates have the highest incidence of thrombosis. We conducted a retrospective review of neonatal thrombosis, in a single intensive care unit (ICU) over 4.5 years. Among 4860 ICU admissions to our center, identified through the Canadian Neonatal Network database, 186 were associated with arterial and venous thrombosis involving 195 thrombotic sites. The neonatal thrombosis incidence was 38 per 1000 neonatal ICU admissions. We assessed patient characteristics and compared the association between risk factors and thrombosis. In the multivariate analysis, central venous catheters, sepsis, and respiratory distress syndrome were significant predictors of neonatal thrombosis.
Mode II interlaminar fracture toughness enhancement of fine z‐pin reinforced carbon fiber composite with low fraction of pins
Authors: Che Zhe , Li Min , Wang Shuo , Wang Shaokai , Gu Yizhuo , Zhang Wei
Published: March 2022

This article aims to improve the shear delamination resistance of composite laminate and minimize implantation damage on fiber orientation by using fine z‐pins. The z‐pins with the diameters as small as 0.1 and 0.2 mm were prepared by using different carbon fibers. The results show that z‐pinning method significantly improves the mode II interlaminar fracture toughness, and the GIIC value becomes larger with the decrease in z‐pin diameter. Compared with the control sample, the precracked GIIC values of (carbon fiber‐reinforced polymer composite) CFRP(0.5CF4X−pin), CFRP(0.2CF4X−pin), and CFRP(0.1CF4X−pin) increase by 67%, 142%, and 176%, respectively. As z‐pin diameter decreases from 0.5 to 0.1 mm, the failure mode changes from z‐pin pullout to shear fracture. The evolution of failure mode greatly enhances the resistance to crack propagation and the final GIIC value. The carbon fiber type of pin(0.5mm) has no obvious influence on the delamination sliding resistance. For pin(0.1mm) and pin(0.2mm), the strong deformation resistance of z‐pin is the dominant factor driving the improvement of the GIIC values though providing high‐shear traction load. In addition, the z‐pins with large shear deformation capacity can also enhance the crack sliding resistance.
Paradigm of sustainable process safety management for industrial revolution 4.0: A circular economy and sustainability perspective
Authors: Toha Md Abu , Akter Rabeya , Uddin Md. Salah
Published: March 2022

The integration of process safety management (PSM) in the transition towards a circular economy (CE) has received increased attention and consideration across a number of disciplines in the recent industrial revolution 4.0. However, questions have been raised about the conventional PSM systems lacking sustainability consideration. The purpose of this study is to introduce an emerging paradigm of sustainable process safety management (SPSM) for the industrial revolution 4.0 from the CE and sustainability point of view. By assessing the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 1910 and available global PSM frameworks, this study has identified areas of improvement for corporations and presented an SPSM framework from the social, economic, and environmental perspectives in a CE. The proposed framework makes a contribution that connects the sustainability and CE perspective with the PSM and provides a basis for the future sustainable process safety guidelines for policymakers, practitioners, and industries. Additionally, this study proposed a paradigm umbrella that connects to the PSM by focusing on social, economic, and environmental pillars from sustainability that are relevant and applicable for the industrial revolution 4.0. Furthermore, it engraves a trail of imminent research possibilities in adopting an integrated sustainable PSM framework in a CE.
Learning‐based super‐twisting sliding‐mode control for space circumnavigation mission with suboptimal reaching under input constraints
Authors: Dong Hanlin , Yang Xuebo
Published: March 2022

The problem of attitude‐orbit synchronous finite‐time control for the space circumnavigation (SCN) mission with input constraints is investigated in this research article. A novel terminal sliding‐mode (TSM) manifold with nonsingular first derivative is developed to ensure that the sliding‐mode reduced‐order system is practical finite‐time stable. Then, the learning‐based adaptive dynamic programming (ADP) technique is adopted to design a super‐twisting sliding‐mode control scheme, so that the proposed TSM is suboptimal reached. Especially, benefited from the introduction of two nonlinear performance indexes, the proposed sliding‐mode control strategy satisfies the saturation constraint of the propulsion system, and the weight update rate of the actor‐critic (AC) network will not be too large, even if the initial value of the system is too large. Finally, the simulation results show that both attitude and orbital tracking errors in the SCN mission are forced to converge to a small neighborhood containing the origin synchronously under input saturation constraints.
Eutectic Electrolytes Chemistry for Rechargeable Zn Batteries
Authors: Lu Xuejun , Hansen Evan J. , He Guanjie , Liu Jian
Published: March 2022

Rechargeable zinc batteries (RZBs) have proved to be promising candidates as an alternative to lithium‐ion batteries due to their low cost, inherent safety, and environmentally benign features. While designing cost‐effective electrolyte systems with excellent compatibility with electrode materials, high energy/power density as well as long life‐span challenge their further application as grid‐scale energy storage devices. Eutectic electrolytes as a novel class of electrolytes have been extensively reported and explored taking advantage of their feasible preparation and high tunability. Recently, some perspectives have summarized the development and application of eutectic electrolytes in metal‐based batteries, but their infancy requires further attention and discussion. This review systematically presents the fundamentals and definitions of eutectic electrolytes. Besides, a specific classification of eutectic electrolytes and their recent progress and performance on RZB fields are introduced as well. Significantly, the impacts of various composing eutectic systems are disserted for critical RZB chemistries including attractive features at electrolyte/electrode interfaces and ions/charges transport kinetics. The remaining challenges and proposed perspectives are ultimately induced, which deliver opportunities and offer practical guidance for the novel design of advanced eutectic electrolytes for superior RZB scenarios.
The Heartdrum Imprint and Native Children’s Literature: A Conversation with Rosemary Brosnan and Cynthia Leitich Smith
Authors: McNair Jonda C.
Published: March 2022

A publisher and author discuss Heartdrum, a HarperCollins Children's Books imprint focusing on the work of Native and First Nations authors and illustrators.
Diagnostic accuracy of sliding sign for detecting pouch of Douglas obliteration and bowel involvement in women with suspected endometriosis: systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Alcázar J. L. , Eguez P. M. , Forcada P. , Ternero E. , Martínez C. , Pascual M. Á. , Guerriero S.
Published: March 2022

Objective

The aim of this systematic review and meta‐analysis was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the sliding sign on transvaginal ultrasound (TVS) in detecting pouch of Douglas obliteration and bowel involvement in patients with suspected endometriosis, using laparoscopy as the reference standard.

Methods

A search for studies evaluating the role of the sliding sign in the assessment of pouch of Douglas obliteration and/or bowel involvement using laparoscopy as the reference standard published from January 2000 to October 2021 was performed in PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, CINAHL, The Cochrane Library,
ClinicalTrials.gov and SCOPUS databases. The Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies‐2 (QUADAS‐2) was used to evaluate the quality of the studies. Analyses were performed using MIDAS and METANDI commands in STATA.

Results

A total of 334 citations were identified. Eight studies were included in the analysis, resulting in 938 and 963 patients available for analysis of the diagnostic accuracy of the sliding sign for pouch of Douglas obliteration and bowel involvement, respectively. The mean prevalence of pouch of Douglas obliteration was 37% and the mean prevalence of bowel involvement was 23%. The pooled estimated sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio and diagnostic odds ratio of the sliding sign on TVS for detecting pouch of Douglas obliteration were 88% (95% CI, 81–93%), 94% (95% CI, 91–96%), 15.3 (95% CI, 10.2–22.9), 0.12 (95% CI, 0.07–0.21) and 123 (95% CI, 62–244), respectively. The heterogeneity was moderate for sensitivity and low for specificity for detecting pouch of Douglas obliteration. The pooled estimated sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio and diagnostic odds ratio of the sliding sign on TVS for detecting bowel involvement were 81% (95% CI, 64–91%), 95% (95% CI, 91–97%), 16.0 (95% CI, 9.0–28.6), 0.20 (95% CI, 0.10–0.40) and 81 (95% CI, 34–191), respectively. The heterogeneity for the meta‐analysis of diagnostic accuracy for bowel involvement was high.

Conclusion

The sliding sign on TVS has good diagnostic performance for predicting pouch of Douglas obliteration and bowel involvement in women with suspected endometriosis. © 2022 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
ISO 39001 Road Traffic Safety Management System, Performance Recording, and Reporting
Authors: Lie Anders , Tingvall Claes
Published: March 2022

Traffic safety has shifted from being a solely individual issue to also include responsibilities from those organizations that influences the use and quality of the road transport system. This chapter explores the background of this and presents how ISO 39001 has been introduced as a tool to manage traffic safety in organisations. Further it is setting organizational road traffic safety into context of the 3rd Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety, the Stockholm declaration and the decision of the United Nations general Assembly. The chapter also discusses how a value chain analysis can help organisations in understanding and tackling their road safety footprint and part of their sustainability reporting.
Innate Immunity
Authors: Dalmo Roy Ambli , Bøgwald Jarl
Published: March 2022

Research on the innate immunity has accelerated over the last decades. The main reason for this has been the discovery of receptors recognizing danger molecules from pathogens. This has been facilitated through genome and transcriptome sequencing of different fish species. Also, endogenous host molecules from sterile physiological insults may also bind to certain receptors and induce immunological processes. The magnitude and quality of adaptive immunity are known to be dependent on the instructions the innate response gives. This chapter gives an overview of selected innate immune organs/tissues, factors, and processes that have been suggested to possess important roles during innate immune response in fish.
Competitive Funding for Institutional Development. The Romanian Experience Between 2016–2020
Authors: Nica Remus , Jitaru Gabriela
Published: March 2022

The Institutional Development Fund (FDI) is a newly introduced component of Romanian institutional funding with the purpose of supporting public higher education institutions (HEIs) in their pursuit of the national strategic objectives for higher education. This policy aims to encourage universities to formulate their own answers (through institutional projects) to current higher education challenges such as equity and access for students, internationalisation, regional development, improving the quality of teaching, supporting the entrepreneurial and practical activities developed for the benefit of students, etc. Given its current form as a simple combination between objective-based funding and competitive funding, and its recent implementation at a national level, we propose an in-depth exploration of the policys results focusing on institutional activities and targeted objectives. To this aim, the paper presents the relevant results obtained by universities in the last five years of FDI implementation, the trends of HEIs institutional development (measured at the university level), as well as the direct and indirect influence these might have over the overall quality of the Romanian higher education system. At the same time, we look to identify new institutional measures in response to the actual needs of universities (in accordance with university autonomy) in order to underline new implementation directions in accordance with national policies and strategies, both in relation to funding and in relation to national goals, as well as to explore the potential of FDI funding for quality enhancement in higher education.
Access Patterns in Romanian Higher Education. A Story of Asymmetry and Polarization
Authors: Santa Robert , Fierăscu Silvia I.
Published: March 2022

The sharp decline in fertility rates that has occurred in Central and Eastern Europe in the immediate aftermath of the collapse of communist regimes has generated a realignment of social, economic and political realities across the region. Romania is no exception, and the ageing of its population has influenced a sharp reversal of the admissions boom of the 90s and 2000s. Universities are struggling to attract enough students while overall participation in higher education, when measured by the share of 30 to 34-year-olds with at least a bachelor’s degree, places Romania last among the 27 EU members. Drawing upon data from the National Matriculation Registry (RMU), the paper aims to analyse trends in student admissions and map university recruitment flows. The paper uses network analysis of existing student populations to identify universities with demographically vulnerable recruitment basins. The paper then discusses the impact of these vulnerabilities and analyse the wider challenges posed for universities by changing demographics and low cohort intakes. We find that variations in attractivity and demographic transformations combine to fuel a realignment of the structure of the Romanian Higher Education system that is already visible in enrolment patterns. This asymmetry does not only impact higher education but also development patterns and higher education funding policies. On the one hand, the paper informs policymakers on how existing demographic trends and recruitment flows are likely to influence the economic viability of existing universities, as well as how the currently low level of tertiary education attainment is reflected at a regional level. On the other hand, the paper encourages universities to rethink their competitive advantages in this revealed complex competition system to make better data-driven, evidence-based decisions when it comes to recruitment strategies in a context of scarcity and uncertainty.
General Oncology Care in Mauritania
Authors: Mohamed Brahim Selma , Zein Ekhtelebenina , Houmeida Ahmed , Tolba Ahmedou
Published: March 2022

As in most African countries, cancer is rapidly becoming a public health problem in Mauritania due to the lack of financial resources, scarcity of skilled health workers, and prevalence of inherent risk factors. Efforts are undertaken by the government to ease the burden of this disease on the local population. In this chapter, we present the history and milestones of oncology in Mauritania, the attempts by the state to fight cancer progression and the prospect of these actions.
General Oncology Care in Palestine
Authors: Halahleh Khalid , Abu-Rmeileh Niveen M. E. , Abusrour Mohammad M.
Published: March 2022

In Palestine, cancer care has been considered a national initiative and one of the main pillars of the health system. The Palestinian authority bears the cost of treating cancer patients. Cancer treatment is provided at no cost to all Palestinian patients through public and private hospitals. Currently, cancer care is focused on diagnosis and treatment while other elements, such as palliative care and quality of life, are left behind. Despite the Israeli occupation, efforts to enhance the level of cancer care within the Palestinian territories are ongoing, and additional hard work must be done. To enhance cancer care in Palestine, collaboration at the national and international levels is vital.
General Oncology Care in Algeria
Authors: Bounedjar Adda , Melzi Mohamed Aimene , Idir Hassina , Heba Nassiba
Published: March 2022

This publication presents an overview of the major topics and issues to be considered when planning and implementing treatment as it applies to cancer care in Algeria, and access to prevention, screening, palliative, and treatment services. Situational analysis related to cancer shows that Algeria has significant advantages in terms of infrastructure, equipment, human resources, and even financial resources. Given the recent implementation of the national cancer plan, this analysis provides valuable initial insight into the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with cancer. The data provides a comprehensive picture of the fight against cancer with a focus on oncology. Better efforts should be made in the field of prevention, detection, and treatment for patients regardless of their age, health, or resources.

Future investment in the field of cancer should strengthen the impact of the national capacities; the performance should be more than ever on the agenda of the national health authorities to achieve two goals, such as reducing cancer related mortality and reducing cancer incidence.

The main objective is to stress the importance of being as close as possible to healthcare professionals and help them treat their patients better through training, not just new products, or technologies, but to think about sustainable strategies that look towards the future lying in precision and individualized healthcare.
General Oncology Care in the Republic of Yemen
Authors: Bawazir Amen , Basaleem Huda , Badheeb Ahmed , Abdul Hamid Gamal
Published: March 2022

Cancer is recognized nowadays as one of the important diseases in Yemen from the public health view. During the last three decades, remarkable changes in oncology health care services were observed in the country, mostly in urban areas. According to the Global Cancer Observatory of the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the total cases reported in the year 2020 was 16,476 new cases, and the top five reported cancers in the country were: breast cancer, colorectum, leukemia, stomach, and non-Hodgkin lymphomas. This rank of cancer types is probably unlike what exists in the neighboring Gulf countries. Oncology services in the country suffer from very limited radiotherapy care, chemotherapy centers, as well as many essential diagnostic laboratories for cancer.
Palliative Care in the Arab World
Authors: Osman Hibah , Yamout Rana
Published: March 2022

Palliative Care is an essential component of comprehensive cancer care, yet it remains inaccessible to a large majority of patients diagnosed with cancer in Arab countries. This chapter covers the current status of palliative care in Arab countries, covering several key indicators of palliative care development, including policy, service, education, and opioid consumption. We describe some of the barriers to the integration of palliative care into healthcare systems and propose steps to support the growth of palliative care in the region.
Pediatric Oncology in the Arab World
Authors: Zandaki Dua’a , Sultan Iyad
Published: March 2022

It is estimated that more than 18,000 children are diagnosed annually with cancer in the Arab countries. With great variations in the level of income and health infrastructure among different countries, services provided to children with cancer are not always optimal. Many Arab countries were affected by political and economic instability, which was worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. The outcome of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia estimated as 5-year net survival ranges from <20% (Somalia) to more than 80% (Arab Gulf Countries, Jordan). The strategies to improve the outcomes of childhood cancer include decreasing diagnosis delays, treatment abandonment and essential drugs shortages. The evidence-based and cost-effective regimens should be utilized, and multidisciplinary services need to be established. Twinning can help units in less favorable conditions. The cancer registries linked to survival data are essential to help physicians and policymakers appreciate the impact of different interventions. There is a great chance for partnership, twinning, and collaborative research among institutions in the Arab World.
General Oncology Care in Jordan
Authors: Khatib Sami , Nimri Omar
Published: March 2022

As Jordanians celebrate the 100th years (1921–2021) anniversary of the state of Jordan, a centenary of achievements and successes of those populations, which is equivalent to 0.13% of the total world inhabitants (Jordan Population, worldometers.info 2021), cancer burden in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is a challenge, as well as a success. Despite several initiatives, Jordan does not have an endorsed National Cancer Control Strategic Plan (NCCP), which is one of the top primacies in the national cancer control issue in Jordan.

Cancer care in Jordan is well established and attentive on the treatment section, with more effort needed on other elements of the cancer continuum. Jordan has a national cancer registry. However, it is not enough to collect complete, accurate, and timely cancer data.

In Jordan, the government bears the cost of treating cancer patients. Cancer treatment is offered at no cost to all Jordanian citizens holding a national number through public hospitals of the MOH mainly in Al Basheer Hospital. The Royal Medical Services (military), university hospitals, and King Hussein Cancer Center (KHCC) treat the cancer patients with special arrangements of acquittal health exemption from the royal court or the health insurance administration to cover the cost of the treatment. A full spectrum of treatment is available in the private health sector too.

The health care system in Jordan is one of the best reputable and trustworthy prominent health care systems in the MENA region, if not, it is globally well known. Wide-ranging oncology care is available in many public and private hospitals and health care facilities and clinics. Jordan will always be open to all its Arab fellows, at the same time open for new and up-to-date innovations, cooperation, and collaboration with cancer scholars.
Nonrelativistic effective field theories with enhanced symmetries and soft behavior
Authors: Mojahed Martin A. , Brauner Tomáš
Published: March 2022

Abstract

We systematically explore the landscape of nonrelativistic effective field theories with a local S-matrix and enhanced symmetries and soft behavior. The exploration is carried out using both conventional quantum field theory methods based on symmetry arguments, and recently developed on-shell recursion relations. We show that, in contrary to relativistic theories, enhancement of the soft limit of scattering amplitudes in nonrelativistic theories is generally not a byproduct of symmetry alone, but requires additional low-energy data. Sufficient conditions for enhanced scattering amplitudes can be derived by combining symmetries and dispersion relations of the scattered particles. This has direct consequences for the infrared dynamics that different types of nonrelativistic Nambu-Goldstone bosons can exhibit. We then use a bottom-up soft bootstrap approach to narrow down the landscape of nonrelativistic effective field theories that possess a consistent low-energy S-matrix. We recover two exceptional theories of a complex Schrödinger-type scalar, namely the ℂP1 nonlinear sigma model and the Schrödinger-Dirac-Born-Infeld theory. Moreover, we use soft recursion to prove a no-go theorem ruling out the existence of other exceptional Schrödinger-type theories. We also prove that all exceptional theories of a single real scalar with a linear dispersion relation are necessarily Lorentz-invariant. Soft recursion allows us to obtain some further general bounds on the landscape of nonrelativistic effective theories with enhanced soft limits. Finally, we present a novel theory of a complex scalar with a technically natural quartic dispersion relation. Altogether, our work represents the first step of a program to extend the developments in the study of scattering amplitudes to theories without Lorentz invariance.
Finite subunitals of the Hermitian unitals
Authors: Grundhöfer Theo , Stroppel Markus J. , Van Maldeghem Hendrik
Published: March 2022

Every finite subunital of any generalized hermitian unital is itself a hermitian unital; the embedding is given by an embedding of quadratic field extensions. In particular, a generalized hermitian unital with a finite subunital is a hermitian one (i.e., it originates from a separable field extension).
Higher regularity in congested traffic dynamics
Authors: Bögelein Verena , Duzaar Frank , Giova Raffaella , Passarelli di Napoli Antonia
Published: March 2022

In this paper, we consider minimizers of integral functionals of the type $$\begin{aligned} {\mathcal {F}}(u) := \int _\Omega \big [\tfrac{1}{p} \big (|Du|-1)^p_+ + f\cdot u\big ]\mathrm {d}x\nonumber \end{aligned}$$

F

(
u
)

:
=

∫
Ω

[

1
p

(

|
D
u
|
-
1
)

+
p

+
f
·
u

]

d
x

for $$p>1$$

p
>
1

in the vectorial case of mappings $$u:{\mathbb {R}}^n\supset \Omega \rightarrow {\mathbb {R}}^N$$

u
:

R

n

⊃
Ω
→

R

N

with $$N\ge 1$$

N
≥
1

. Assuming that f belongs to $$L^{n+\sigma }$$

L

n
+
σ

for some $$\sigma >0$$

σ
>
0

, we prove that $${\mathcal {H}}(Du)$$

H
(
D
u
)

is continuous in $$\Omega $$
Ω
for any continuous function $${\mathcal {H}}:{\mathbb {R}}^{Nn}\rightarrow {\mathbb {R}}^{Nn}$$

H
:

R

Nn

→

R

Nn

vanishing on $$\{\xi \in {\mathbb {R}}^{Nn} : |\xi |\le 1\}$$

{
ξ
∈

R

Nn

:
|
ξ
|
≤
1
}

. This extends previous results of Santambrogio and Vespri (Nonlinear Anal 73:3832–3841, 2010) when $$n=2$$

n
=
2

, and Colombo and Figalli (J Math Pures Appl (9) 101(1):94–117, 2014) for $$n\ge 2$$

n
≥
2

, to the vectorial case $$N\ge 1$$

N
≥
1

.
A dual pair for the contact group
Authors: Haller Stefan , Vizman Cornelia
Published: March 2022

Generalizing the canonical symplectization of contact manifolds, we construct an infinite dimensional non-linear Stiefel manifold of weighted embeddings into a contact manifold. This space carries a symplectic structure such that the contact group and the group of reparametrizations act in a Hamiltonian fashion with equivariant moment maps, respectively, giving rise to a dual pair, called the EPContact dual pair. Via symplectic reduction, this dual pair provides a conceptual identification of non-linear Grassmannians of weighted submanifolds with certain coadjoint orbits of the contact group. Moreover, the EPContact dual pair gives rise to singular solutions for the geodesic equation on the group of contact diffeomorphisms. For the projectivized cotangent bundle, the EPContact dual pair is closely related to the EPDiff dual pair due to Holm and Marsden.
Constant temperature mashing at 72 °C for the production of beers with a reduced alcohol content in micro brewing systems
Authors: Endres Frank , Prowald Alexandra , Fittschen Ursula Elisabeth Adriane , Hampel Sven , Oppermann Siegfried , Jacob Fritz , Hutzler Mathias , Laus Andreas , Methner Yvonne , Zarnkow Martin
Published: March 2022

In this paper, we present a constant temperature mashing procedure where grist made of Pilsner malt is mashed-in directly in the temperature regime of alpha-amylase activity, thus omitting all conventional steps, followed by constant temperature mashing at 72 °C. The aim was to investigate an alternative mashing procedure for the production of alcohol-reduced beers. The mashing proceeds with a rapid buildup of sugars and is completed after 120 min at the latest, giving an iodine normal and clear wort. However, the distribution of the different sugars in the worts is strongly altered, in comparison to a more classical mashing procedure. The free amino nitrogen (FAN) concentration is sufficient for vivid fermentation with the bottom fermenting yeast Saccharomyces pastorianus TUM 34/70. The lag phase and initial fermentation performance of this yeast strain are comparable for conventionally and isothermally (72 °C) mashed wort. Under the given conditions the fermentation of the isothermally (72 °C) made wort is finished after 6 days whereas a conventional wort needs 4–5 days more to be completed. The alcohol concentration is remarkably reduced by isothermal mashing leading to roughly 3.4 vol.-% with an original gravity of 11°P whereas with a conventional mashing procedure 4.4 vol.-% are obtained for the same original gravity. In both cases the concentrations of the fermentation by-products are comparable. A preliminary comparison of taste and foam stability did not show striking differences. Constant temperature mashing at 72 °C is a simple way to reduce the alcohol content of beer enriching it at the same time with non-fermentable sugars.