bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of Dietary Docosahexaenoic Acid : Eicosapentaenoic Acid Ratio on Growth, Fatty Acid Composition, Lipid Metabolism, and Antioxidant Status of Juvenile Hybrid Grouper (Brown-marbled Grouper Epinephelus fuscoguttatus ♀ × Giant Grouper E. lanceolatus ♂)
Authors: Wang Chuijin , Zheng Zhi , Wang Yao , Wu QingJun , Sun Yuejia , Gao Yujie
Published: December 2021

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary docosahexaenoic acid : eicosapentaenoic acid (DHA:EPA) ratio on growth, lipid metabolism, and antioxidant status of hybrid grouper (Brown-marbled Grouper Epinephelus fuscoguttatus ♀ × Giant Grouper E. lanceolatus ♀). Fish (initial body weight = 20.8 ± 0.03 g; mean ± SE) were fed six different isoproteic (53%) and isolipidic (7%) diets containing graded DHA:EPA ratios (D/E) of 0.54, 0.97, 1.51, 2.01, 2.41, and 2.85. No significant difference in weight gain was recorded in fish fed with different dietary DHA:EPA ratios. The DHA:EPA ratio in fish muscle was significantly increased as the dietary ratio increased. Relative messenger RNA expression of hepatic elongase of very long fatty acids 5 (elovl5*) and delta-6 fatty acyl desaturase (Δ6 fad*) in the D/E 2.41 and 2.85 groups was significantly higher than that in the other treatments. Lipid droplet accumulation was significantly higher in the liver of the D/E 0.54 and 0.97 groups than in the other groups. Lipogenesis-related genes (fatty acid synthase [FAS*] and acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase [ACC*]) were up-regulated by lower dietary DHA:EPA ratios (0.54 and 0.97), whereas lipolysis-related genes (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha [PPARα*] and hormone-sensitive lipase [HSL*]) were down-regulated. The expression of genes related to antioxidative capacity, including nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2*), manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD*), and peroxiredoxin (Prx*), was significantly down-regulated in the D/E 1.51 and 2.01 groups compared with other treatments, while Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1*) was up-regulated. The above results suggest that dietary DHA:EPA ratio influences muscle fatty acid composition and lipid metabolism by altering the expression of lipogenesis- and lipolysis-related genes, and dietary DHA:EPA ratio may also regulate the antioxidant capacity of juvenile hybrid grouper.
Validation of Scale-Derived Ages in Wild Juvenile and Adult Steelhead Using Parental-Based Tagging
Authors: Reinhardt Leslie , Copeland Timothy , Davison Micah
Published: December 2021

Accurate age information is a critical component in fisheries monitoring, management, and research. The ability to assign accurate ages to fish by using nonlethal structures is vital in calculating cohort productivity for fish species with low abundances and variable life histories. A common nonlethal method to assign ages is by interpretation of patterns in scales. Validation of ages is not easily obtained for free-ranging fishes; however, the development of genetic “tags” has expanded age validation opportunities. In this study, we used parental-based genetic tagging to validate ages determined from scales collected from juvenile and adult steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss in two streams within the Snake River basin. Juvenile scale ages were in agreement with 93% of the known ages. Adult scale ages were in agreement with 89% of the known ages. Although overall bias in juvenile ages was very low, we saw a slight positive bias in younger fish (young of the year and age 1) and a small negative bias in older juveniles (ages 2–4). A small negative bias in ages of adults was a consequence of errors in freshwater age. The errors observed did not significantly bias age compositions because the 90% confidence intervals about the age proportions based on scales contained the known proportions; therefore, scale analysis is an acceptable method for assigning ages to Snake River steelhead. We discuss the value of validated known-age scales as a reference collection, and as an illustrative use, we constructed a circulus count guide to aid technicians in identifying missing annuli and distinguishing true from false annuli. To demonstrate the use of the circulus guidelines, we reanalyzed samples with age discrepancies, applying the circulus count data and the known age to identify mistakes.
The Virtue quadratic male sling for postradical prostatectomy urinary incontinence: 3‐Year outcome measurements and a predictive model of surgical outcome from a European prospective observational study
Authors: Roumeguère Thierry , Elzevier Henk , Wagner Laurent , Yiou René , Madurga‐Patuel Blanca , Everaert Karel , Chartier‐Kastler Emmanuel , Hegarty Paul K.
Published: December 2021

Aims

This prospective multicenter observational study evaluated postprostatectomy incontinence treatment outcomes with Virtue male sling at 12 and 36 months.

Methods

Objective assessment was based on a 24‐h pad weight test with improvement defined by a decrease >50% and cure by less than 1.3 g. Subjective assessment was based on the patient global impression of improvement and International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire‐urinary incontinence‐short form (ICIQ‐UI‐SF) questionnaires. Subgroups were analyzed by baseline severity of incontinence on a 24‐h‐pad test, body mass index (BMI), and pads usage. Factors associated with treatment response were assessed using logistic regression at Months 36. Complications were reported.

Results

We analyzed data from 117 men. Objective and subjective improvement were achieved in 54% and 35% and 51% and 34% at 12 and 36 months, respectively. Twenty‐one percent and 19% were considered cured, respectively, at 12 and 36 months. No differences per baseline incontinence severity, BMI and pads usage were found at 36 months. Mean ICIQ‐UI‐SF score decreased from 15 to 9. Predictive factors were BMI, postvoid residual urine, number of nighttime urination, and ICIQ total score. Seven Clavien–Dindo Grade III (5.1%) including four Virtue sling revisions were reported. The most frequent Grade II complications were overactive bladder symptoms and pain reported in 10.3% and 2.9%, respectively. No complications required explantation.

Conclusions

Virtue male sling is safe and effective in males with mild to severe postprostatectomy urinary incontinence over 36 months. Virtue could be considered an interesting option for postradical prostatectomy urinary incontinence with positive results over time even in patients with high BMI. The predictive model should be validated by further studies.
Severe and long‐lasting neuropsychiatric symptoms after mild respiratory symptoms caused by COVID‐19: A case report
Authors: Jozuka Ryosuke , Kimura Hiroki , Uematsu Takashi , Fujigaki Hidetsugu , Yamamoto Yasuko , Kobayashi Masato , Kawabata Kazuya , Koike Haruki , Inada Toshiya , Saito Kuniaki , Katsuno Masahisa , Ozaki Norio
Published: December 2021

Background

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) is known to cause not only respiratory but also neuropsychiatric symptoms, which are assumed to be derived from a cytokine storm and its effects on the central nervous systems. Patients with COVID‐19 who develop severe respiratory symptoms are known to show severe neuropsychiatric symptoms such as cerebrovascular disease and encephalopathy. However, the detailed clinical courses of patients with neuropsychiatric symptoms caused by mild or asymptomatic COVID‐19 remain poorly understood. Here, we present a case of COVID‐19 who presented with severe and prolonged neuropsychiatric symptoms subsequent to mild respiratory symptoms.

Case presentation

A 55‐year‐old female with COVID‐19 accompanied by mild respiratory symptoms showed delusion, psychomotor excitement, and poor communication ability during quarantine outside the hospital. Considering her diminished respiratory symptoms, her neuropsychiatric symptoms were initially regarded as psychogenic reactions. However, as she showed progressive disturbance of consciousness accompanied by an abnormal electroencephalogram, she was diagnosed with post‐COVID‐19 encephalopathy. Although her impaired consciousness and elevated cytokine level improved after steroid pulse therapy, several neuropsychiatric symptoms, including a loss of concentration, unsteadiness while walking, and fatigue, remained.

Conclusions

This case suggests the importance of both recognizing that even apparently mild COVID‐19‐related respiratory symptoms can lead to severe and persistent neuropsychiatric symptoms, and elucidating the mechanisms, treatment, and long‐term course of COVID‐19‐related neuropsychiatric symptoms in the future.
Mixed hp finite element method for singularly perturbed fourth order boundary value problems with two small parameters
Authors: Xenophontos Christos , Franz Sebastian , Sykopetritou Irene
Published: December 2021

We consider fourth order singularly perturbed boundary value problems with two small parameters, and the approximation of their solution by the version of the finite element method on the spectral boundary layer mesh from Melenk et al. We use a mixed formulation requiring only basis functions in two‐dimensional smooth domains. Under the assumption of analytic data, we show that the method converges uniformly, with respect to both singular perturbation parameters, at an exponential rate when the error is measured in the energy norm. Our theoretical findings are illustrated through numerical examples, including results using a stronger (balanced) norm.
3D‐printed polymer nanocomposites with carbon quantum dots for enhanced properties and in situ monitoring of cardiovascular stents
Authors: Mahmud Zaheri , Nasrin Aklima , Hassan Mahbub , Gomes Vincent G.
Published: December 2021

Nanocomposites are promising for manufacturing small diameter vascular biodegradable polymer‐based stents (BDPSs) to obviate frequent ordeals of in‐stent restenosis and stent thrombosis by providing appropriate support for vasculature as well as tissue regeneration. Freeform (without any support), vascular‐scale, small diameter (2 mm) tubular nanocomposites were fabricated using 3D printing based on fused filament fabrication (FFF). The nanocomposites were constructed using bioresorbable polylactic acid (PLA) and carbon quantum dots (CQDs). The3D‐printing process of the PLA‐CQD nanocomposites was optimized to deliver improved structural integrity as well as mechanical and biological properties for cardiovascular systems. The PLA‐CQD composites demonstrated excellent processability, hydrophilicity, tensile strength, compressive strength, radial stability, and cell proliferation relative to pure PLA. The results show that the addition of CQDs enhances stent properties significantly, such as, composite hydrophilicity by about 25%, tensile strength by 24%, compressive strength by 66%, and cell proliferation by 50% compared to PLA alone. The results show that the combination of 3D printing with PLA‐CQD nanocomposites could be a viable method to produce bioresorbable nanocomposites for cardiovasculatures with noninvasive imaging for monitoring composite condition and cell growth.
Association between fatigue and sleep disturbances during treatment for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia and posttreatment neurocognitive performance
Authors: Vasquez Priscilla , Escalante Johanna , Raghubar Kimberly P. , Kahalley Lisa S. , Taylor Olga A. , Moore Ida Ki , Hockenberry Marilyn J. , Scheurer Michael E. , Brown Austin L.
Published: December 2021

Background

Survivors of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are at increased risk of neurocognitive weakness in the areas of attention, executive function, and processing speed. Although fatigue and sleep disturbances are frequent complications of ALL therapy and associated with cognitive functions, the impact of fatigue and sleep profiles during active ALL treatment on posttreatment neurocognitive performance has received limited attention.

Methods

Pediatric patients (n = 120) with ALL (diagnosed 2011–2016) who completed fatigue and sleep questionnaires at four time points during active treatment were enrolled in a study of neurocognitive performance. Latent class growth analysis identified subgroups of patients with similar sleep and fatigue profiles during treatment. Neurocognitive performance collected >6 months post treatment on 40 participants was compared between latent classes using multivariable linear regression models.

Results

Participants (57.5% male and 79.1% Hispanic or non‐Hispanic White) were classified into one of two fatigue and sleep profiles: Class 1 characterized by mild fatigue and sleep disturbances during treatment (50.8%), and Class 2 characterized by higher levels of fatigue and sleep disturbances (49.2%). Posttreatment cognitive performance was in the normal range for most measures, but significantly below normative means for executive function, verbal short‐term memory, attention, and distractability measures. Compared to Class 1, Class 2 demonstrated significantly (p < .05) poorer posttreatment neurocognitive performance, particularly in measures of attention.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that fatigue and sleep disturbances during the first year of pediatric ALL therapy may impact long‐term neurocognitive performance. Sleep and fatigue may be targets for intervention to preserve cognitive functioning in survivors.
City‐level housing trust funds: Lessons from key case studies
Authors: Beard Virginia
Published: December 2021

The United States needs more housing. The need for the creation of new housing and rehabilitation of existing housing stock at price points that middle‐ and working‐class families can afford has created a pent‐up demand revealed in housing assessment reports across the country. Housing trust funds have been increasingly used as one tool among other efforts to meet this proven need for more affordable housing (affordable housing is understood to mean paying less than 30% of household income on housing costs, otherwise stated as the 30% of income affordability threshold). This paper explores this important tool, overviewing crucial information needed by scholars of affordable housing as well as policymakers, housing advocates, and other stakeholders to understand and act in the use of this vehicle to support affordable housing. Little research exists on understanding the way housing trust funds are constructed and used looking across specific funds. There exists an even greater gap in investigation of the efforts of housing trust funds at local levels. Thus, this paper examines housing trust funds in a comparative manner and does so using city‐level, as opposed to state or federal‐level, funds. There exist key lessons that can be learned from cities around the country that are already engaged in such work. There are three crucial aspects that define successful housing trust funds: funds must be rooted in empirical data on housing needs and feasibility, supported by a dedicated revenue stream drawing ideally from multiple sources is indispensable and management of the fund should be established in context with other efforts at providing and retaining housing at affordable prices. The combination of housing trust fund dollars with other efforts, made stable by dedicated sources of revenue and ongoing research makes them a tool that is a successful addition to work done on supplying the demand for housing at needed price points.
Density Functional Theory and Machine Learning‐Based Analyses for Improved Surface Stability of a BaTiO3‐Coated LiCoO2 Positive Electrode Material
Authors: Ishida Kunihiro , Tanibata Naoto , Takeda Hayami , Nakayama Masanobu , Teranishi Takashi , Watanabe Naoki
Published: December 2021

The application of oxide coating on the surfaces of active cathode materials is an effective method for improving the electrochemical durability of lithium‐ion batteries because it suppresses oxygen gas release from the surface of the cathode material. This report summarizes a study conducted on verifying the suppression of oxygen release from a LiCoO2 cathode material using BaTiO3 (BT), which has recently attracted attention as a new coating material. The use of first‐principles calculations and machine learning as verification methods is described. In addition to the discussion of interfacial properties based on atomic‐ and electronic‐level considerations, comprehensive verification of the interface with several junction patterns is described. The verification results suggest that the desorption of oxygen from the surface of the active material is hindered by the oxide coating, indicating the effectiveness of BT as a coating material.
Adaptive preassigned finite‐time stability of nonlinear systems with time‐varying powers and full‐state constraints
Authors: Wu You , Xie Xue‐Jun
Published: December 2021

This article discusses adaptive preassigned finite‐time stability of nonlinear systems with unknown time‐varying powers and full‐state constraints. By introducing a concept of practical preassigned finite‐time stable, constructing finite‐time performance functions and nonlinear transformed functions, and integrating high‐power and low‐power terms into dynamic surface control design, an adaptive state‐feedback controller is designed to eliminate the effects of unknown powers and serious unknown parameters in system dynamics, and decrease the computational burden in previous design methods. It is proved that all the signals of the closed‐loop system are bounded, asymmetric time‐varying full‐state constraints are not transgressed, and system states converge to a prescribed arbitrarily small region around zero after a preassigned settling time. Two simulation examples show the effectiveness and advantages of this control scheme.
Scenario‐based hydrodynamic simulation of adaptive strategies for urban design to improve flood resilience: A case study of the Mingzhu Bay Region, Guangzhou, Greater Bay Area
Authors: Lu Peijun , Sun Yimin
Published: December 2021

The Pearl River Delta is a complex ecological‐artificial system. The low‐elevation landform and land subsidence make the Guangdong‐Hong Kong‐Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) more vulnerable to heavy rainstorms with sea‐level rise in the future. Therefore, this study discussed how to optimize the delta‐related built environment based on locality via cooperation between urban designers and hydrology researchers so that urban development in the GBA can adapt to water disasters. First, this study proposed three adaptive spatial strategies for urban design to improve flood resilience: (a) adding more sunken space and rearranging the locations of manholes; (b) adding more retention space to the waterway system; and (c) improving foundation elevation for suitable development intensity. With the prediction of sea‐level rise and land subsidence, four different scenarios were defined. Second, a coupled 1D/2D hydrodynamic model was built for scenario‐based urban inundation simulations. Third, a Python workflow was developed to reveal the water volume exchange, and an ArcMap workflow to realize the impact of inundation. The simulation results show that (a) more sunken space can lower the peak runoff discharges and decrease the runoff coefficient; (b) more retention space can extend the capacity of the urban drainage system and adapt to the rise of sea level; and (c) improving foundation elevation and more sunken green space can direct the surface water to submerge urban land in reasonable order, which can protect the significant infrastructures and development lands. This paper suggests that these adaptive spatial strategies can serve as solutions for resilience development.
Retraction: Artifactual Palindrome and Mutations Resulting from the Stable Secondary Structure of Templates in Sanger Sequencing
Authors: Liu Zhaocheng , Zheng Minxue , Liu Zhaobang
Published: December 2021

The following article from ChemistrySelect “Artifactual Palindrome and Mutations Resulting from the Stable Secondary Structure of Templates in Sanger Sequencing” by Zhaocheng Liu, Minxue Zheng, Zhaobang Liu, ChemistrySelect 2021, 6, 3387–3393 DOI: 10.1002/slct.202100634, published online on 12 April 2021 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com), has been retracted by agreement between the authors Zhaocheng Liu, Minxue Zheng, and Zhaobang Liu, the journal Editor‐in‐Chief Anne Deveson, and Wiley‐VCH GmbH.

The retraction has been agreed because the article was submitted and published without consent from the second corresponding author, Minxue Zheng.
Photonic Microbeads Templated by Oil‐in‐Oil Emulsion Droplets for High Saturation of Structural Colors
Authors: Kim Jong Hyun , Kim Jong Bin , Choi Ye Hun , Park Sanghyuk , Kim Shin‐Hyun
Published: December 2021

Photonic microbeads containing crystalline colloidal arrays are promising as a key component of structural‐color inks for various applications including printings, paintings, and cosmetics. However, structural colors from microbeads usually have low color saturation and the production of the beads requires delicate and time‐consuming protocols. Herein, elastic photonic microbeads are designed with enhanced color saturation through facile photocuring of oil‐in‐oil emulsion droplets. Dispersions of highly‐concentrated silica particles in elastomer precursors are microfluidically emulsified into immiscible oil to produce monodisperse droplets. The silica particles spontaneously form crystalline arrays in the entire volume of the droplets due to interparticle repulsion which is unperturbed by the diffusion of the surrounding oil whereas weakened for oil‐in‐water droplets. The crystalline arrays are permanently stabilized by photopolymerization of the precursor, forming elastic photonic microbeads. The microbeads are transferred into the refractive‐index‐matched biocompatible oil. The high crystallinity of colloidal arrays increases the reflectivity at stopband and the index matching reduces incoherent scattering at the surface of the microbeads, enhancing color saturation. The colors can be adjusted by mixing two distinctly colored microbeads. Also, low stiffness and high elasticity reduce foreign‐body sensation and enhance fluidity, potentially serving as pragmatic structural colorants for photonic inks.
Construction of Large Non‐Localized π‐Electron System for Enhanced Sodium‐Ion Storage
Authors: Wang Liang‐Yu , Ma Chao , Hou Cheng‐Cheng , Wei Xiao , Wang Kai‐Xue , Chen Jie‐Sheng
Published: December 2021

Organic electrode materials with the advantages of renewability, environment‐friendliness, low cost, and high capacity have received widespread attention in recent years for sodium‐ion batteries. However, small molecular organic materials suffer from issues such as low conductivity and the high dissolution rate in electrolytes. Herein, a phthalocyanine derivative (TPcDS) with a large non‐localized π‐electron system, obtained through thermodynamic polymerization of 4‐aminophthalonitrile (AP) monomers, is designed to address these issues. According to the density function theory calculation, six sodium ions can be attracted by one polymer molecule, indicating a high theoretical capacity of 375 mA h g‐1. The TPcDS molecule realizes sodium storage through a non‐localized π‐electron system of phthalocyanine macrocycles. When employed as an anode material for sodium‐ion batteries, the functional groups of phthalocyanine macrocycles, such as CN groups in TPcDS, experience obviously reversible structural variation upon discharge/charge. A high reversible capacity of 364 mAh g‐1 is achieved at a current density of 0.05 A g‐1, and a charge capacity of as high as 246 mAh g‐1 is still maintained after 500 cycles at 0.1 A g‐1. This work provides an effective strategy for the design and synthesis of new oligomeric organic electrode materials.
CeFlowBot: A Biomimetic Flow‐Driven Microrobot that Navigates under Magneto‐Acoustic Fields
Authors: Mohanty Sumit , Paul Aniruddha , Matos Pedro M. , Zhang Jiena , Sikorski Jakub , Misra Sarthak
Published: December 2021

Aquatic organisms within the Cephalopoda family (e.g., octopuses, squids, cuttlefish) exist that draw the surrounding fluid inside their bodies and expel it in a single jet thrust to swim forward. Like cephalopods, several acoustically powered microsystems share a similar process of fluid expulsion which makes them useful as microfluidic pumps in lab‐on‐a‐chip devices. Herein, an array of acoustically resonant bubbles are employed to mimic this pumping phenomenon inside an untethered microrobot called CeFlowBot. CeFlowBot contains an array of vibrating bubbles that pump fluid through its inner body thereby boosting its propulsion. CeFlowBots are later functionalized with magnetic layers and steered under combined influence of magnetic and acoustic fields. Moreover, acoustic power modulation of CeFlowBots is used to grasp nearby objects and release it in the surrounding workspace. The ability of CeFlowBots to navigate remote environments under magneto‐acoustic fields and perform targeted manipulation makes such microrobots useful for clinical applications such as targeted drug delivery. Lastly, an ultrasound imaging system is employed to visualize the motion of CeFlowBots which provides means to deploy such microrobots in hard‐to‐reach environments inaccessible to optical cameras.
Securing the future internet of things with post‐quantum cryptography
Authors: Kumar Adarsh , Ottaviani Carlo , Gill Sukhpal Singh , Buyya Rajkumar
Published: December 2021

Traditional and lightweight cryptography primitives and protocols are insecure against quantum attacks. Thus, a real‐time application using traditional or lightweight cryptography primitives and protocols does not ensure full‐proof security. Post‐quantum cryptography is important for the internet of things (IoT) due to its security against quantum attacks. This paper offers a broad literature analysis of post‐quantum cryptography for IoT networks, including the challenges and research directions to adopt in real‐time applications. The work draws focus towards post‐quantum cryptosystems that are useful for resource‐constraint devices. Further, those quantum attacks are surveyed, which may occur over traditional and lightweight cryptographic primitives.
Atypical cytomorphologic description of a seminoma in a rabbit
Authors: Alonso Flavio H.
Published: December 2021

Seminoma is reported as a rare disease associated with specific micro‐morphologic findings. In the present report, we describe the case of a testicular seminoma in a 7‐year‐old Holland Lop rabbit, in which the cytology presented an atypical pattern. Upon presentation, the left testicle was severely enlarged, and the patient also had a history of radiation therapy for a previously diagnosed thymoma. Following excision and histopathology of the abnormal organ, results showed a mixed intratubular‐diffuse pattern with evidence of torsion. Moreover, cytology revealed a cohesive pattern with multiple malignancy criteria. To our knowledge, this is the first published report of a seminoma with these cytologic features.
Cranial polyneuritis in a dog: Presentation, diagnosis, treatment and outcome
Authors: Guy Bethany , Lassaigne Caroline , Murtagh Kevin
Published: December 2021

A 6‐year‐4‐month‐old male entire Dalmatian was referred for acute onset ataxia, obtundation, head pressing, dropped jaw and vertical nystagmus. Neurological examination identified vestibular ataxia, positional left‐sided ventrolateral strabismus, static vertical nystagmus, dropped jaw, ptyalism, inconsistently present bilateral palpebral reflexes, menace responses and gag reflex. Based upon neurological examination, multiple cranial nerves were affected, and cranial polyneuropathy was suspected. Peripheral or central cranial polyneuropathy could not be differentiated at this stage. Forebrain disease could not be excluded considering the dog's clinical signs. MRI of the head identified bilaterally enlarged hyperintense and contrast‐enhancing trigeminal and vestibulocochlear nerves. Cisternal cerebral spinal fluid analysis was normal. Cranial polyneuritis was suspected. Medical management was initiated with an immunosuppressive dose of prednisolone and ciclosporin and an improvement of the dog's clinical signs was observed. This case is the first to describe a diagnostic approach and treatment plan for suspected cranial polyneuritis.
Liberal International Relations Theory and the Military
Authors: Silverstone Scott A.
Published: December 2021

While much of the study and practice of international relations is anchored in the centuries-old tradition of realism, this chapter explores the important contributions that another theoretical tradition, liberalism, has made to the study of international security and the role of military power. Emerging from Enlightenment beliefs about the rationality of individuals and the potential for progress in human affairs, liberal theories and policy ideas have focused on offering alternative means for states seeking security, alternatives that might break the endless competition and warfare that realists see as inevitable in an anarchic world. Liberal theories emphasize how rules and institutions can help self-interested states achieve mutual interests, they see economic interdependence as a potent incentive for states to avoid war, and they argue that democracies enjoy more peaceful relations with other democracies. The chapter traces the history of liberal international relations theory as it matured in response to the mass violence and chaos of the twentieth century, and it examines a number of examples – like European integration, the post-World War II global economic order, and the control of nuclear weapons – to showcase how liberal ideas in practice might reduce the dangers of war and enhance the prospects for global cooperation.
Making to Learn. The Pedagogical Implications of Making in a Digital Binary World
Authors: Ranieri Maria
Published: December 2021

Making has always been at the center of pedagogical reflection, as testified by the emphasis on the principle oflearning by doing. Today, digital media and technologies provide more opportunities for expanding these concepts, given their potential to facilitate media production and creation. However, common practices in media-making in schools tend merely to emphasize the technical aspects—including the technical procedural skills, the creation of a product or the use of specific software—while overlooking the pedagogical dimensions associated with media-making processes. A reappraisal of the educational dimensions of making in the digital era may come from a reconceptualization of the relationship between manual and intellectual activities. Through the lens of Sennett’s understanding of craftsmanship, this chapter first explores the ways making and thinking can be set out in a single process that characterizes the human condition. Second, it explains how the Open Source Movement’s approach to software design is a sort of “digital craftsmanship” based on collaborative problem-solving, one that can inspire a renewed vision of thelearning by doingprinciple for the digital world. The chapter concludes with several considerations on the implications of such an approach for the future of schools.
Teaching Environmental Education Using an Augmented Reality World Map
Authors: Pyrini Anastasia Nancy
Published: December 2021

The aim of this short paper is to provide readers with a comprehensive lesson plan for elementary schools, which seeks to improve digital citizenship and competency in students and teachers, by fostering digital literacy skills through an augmented reality (AR) application. The lesson plan was developed within the framework of the “Digital, Responsible Citizenship in a Connected World (DRC)” project funded under Key Action 2: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices, part of the European Union’s Erasmus+program. The DRC project aims to infuse contemporary pedagogical practices into quality lifelong learning for students and teaching professionals, including teachers, school leaders and teacher educators, across Europe. Specifically, the project aims to improve digital citizenship and competency in students and teachers by fostering digital literacy skills through education.
Roboticsness—Gymnasium Mentis
Authors: Lisimberti Paola , Aprile Domenico
Published: December 2021

Roboticsness is an innovative teaching/learning approach based on the European Digital Agenda. The Lego robotics classroom is a living lab where students and teachers work together and share the enthusiasm of finding solutions thanks to new technologies. Project work and prototypes are produced, but the main objective is to train new prosumers to anticipate and prepare for the needs of a complex world.
Educational Robotics and Social Relationships in the Classroom
Authors: Screpanti Laura , Cesaretti Lorenzo , Storti Michele , Scaradozzi David
Published: December 2021

In a constructionist environment, robotics engagingly teaches traditional concepts, while applying them to compelling real-world problems. Educational robotics can help students develop soft skills, like teamwork, and improve the way they relate to each other. Researchers in different disciplines have devoted many efforts to exploring this dimension. One tool that may be useful for exploring the relational dimension of these activities is the sociogram. The case study reported in this paper presents findings from an experience which brought educational robotics, coding and tinkering to fourth graders in a primary school in Ancona (Italy). A questionnaire and a sociogram were administered to students, during curricular activities, before and after the project took place. The findings highlight some improvements in students’ relations, but more investigation is needed into the process of describing students’ relationships and their development in a project involving innovative methodologies and technology.
Analysis of Educational Robotics Activities Using a Machine Learning Approach
Authors: Cesaretti Lorenzo , Screpanti Laura , Scaradozzi David , Mangina Eleni
Published: December 2021

This paper presents the preliminary results of using machine learning techniques to analyze educational robotics activities. An experiment was conducted with 197 secondary school students in Italy: the authors updated Lego Mindstorms EV3 programming blocks to record log files with coding sequences students had designed in teams. The activities were part of a preliminary robotics exercise. We used four machine learning techniques—logistic regression, support-vector machine (SVM), K-nearest neighbors and random forests—to predict the students’ performance, comparing a supervised approach (using twelve indicators extracted from the log files as input for the algorithms) and a mixed approach (applying a k-means algorithm to calculate the machine learning features). The results showed that the mixed approach with SVM outperformed the other techniques, and that three predominant learning styles emerged from the data mining analysis.
Robotics in Education: A Smart and Innovative Approach to the Challenges of the 21st Century
Authors: Screpanti Laura , Miotti Beatrice , Monteriù Andrea
Published: December 2021

Robotics in Education (RiE) is a broad term that refers to a variety of applications. Robots can enhance learning and teaching, but they can also help overcome impairments, whether physical or social. Even though the advantages of bringing new technologies into schools are clear, the lack of a well-established set of good practices, assessment of experiences, and tools slows down their adoption. This chapter aims to highlight the key points that emerge from the recent enhancements in RiE. First, the market and research are continuously developing new tools for school to try to meet needs and tailor products. Second, there is a wealth of formal and non-formal experiences, both in the literature and in school activities. Third, research is still validating tools and methodologies that will assess the impact of introducing robotics into education. Despite the wide availability of tools and experiences, there is still a certain degree of uncertainty about how to cope with technology in education and how to evaluate the outcomes of such activities. The increasing cross-pollination between schools and researchers from different fields is producing valuable experiences that will soon close the gap.
Erwhi Hedgehog: A New Learning Platform for Mobile Robotics
Authors: Bruno Giovanni di Dio
Published: December 2021

Erwhi Hedgehog is one of the smallest mobile robots. It enables mapping and vision analysis, and also displays machine learning features. Behaving like a small, curious animal, eager to explore the surroundings, the robot can be used to test navigation, mapping and localization algorithms, thus allowing the prototyping of new hardware and software for robotics. This application is particularly handy for educational robotics, at both high school and university level. On the one hand, the project is fully open source and open hardware under MIT license and available on Github, so everyone can build his/her own Erwhi Hedgehog robot with the aid of a step-by-step guide. On the other hand, students with more advanced knowledge can use it as a prototyping platform for developing new software programs and features. Erwhi uses Intel RealSense, AAEON UP Squared and Myriad X VPU technologies, with software based on the Robotic Operating System (ROS), and implements SLAM algorithms, such as RTAB-Map. The machine learning aspect is based on the OpenVINO framework and a dedicated ROS wrapper was used. The software package includes all the programs needed to create a Gazebo simulation. In terms of hardware, motor control is based on an STM32 microcontroller and the Arduino software, and the robot works on the differential drive unicycle model. Finally, Erwhi is compatible with AWS RoboMaker tools.
Study and Development of Robust Control Systems for Educational Drones
Authors: Corradini Maria Letizia , Ippoliti Gianluca , Orlando Giuseppe , Terramani Simone
Published: December 2021

This paper considers the problem of attitude and altitude control of quadrotors using the sliding mode control theory. The mathematical model of the quadrotor is derived using the Euler-Newton formalism. The sliding-mode is applied to the Parrot Mambo minidrone, which is a strong example of bringing educational robotics to formal (MATLAB, Python, JavaScript), non-formal (Tynker, Blockly, Swift Playground) and informal education. The control considered shows good performance and enhanced robustness.
Good Educational Robotics Practices in Upper Secondary Schools in European Projects
Authors: Cantarini Marco , Polenta Rita
Published: December 2021

In the fields of MINT (mathematics, ICT, natural sciences, technology), there is an increasing lack of young talent throughout Europe. It is clear that early exposure to scientific experiences is the key to motivating young people, especially girls, to develop an interest in these fields. The Erasmus + MINT “Kits for Kids” project is a current initiative for the design and production of integrated learning units as open educational resources for primary school students, of which there is a real demand. The main themes are learning media for primary education, such as simple mechanical machines, computer software, electrical appliances and related learning material. Our product, R4G—Robot for Geometry, is a device that can be used to teach mathematics, geometry and fractions. The aim is to improve performance and motivation from primary school level, using interactive and innovative teaching methods and tools. A second project, named EUWI—European Waste Investigation, is currently in progress, whose aim is to investigate water and pollution in the countries involved in the partnership.
Assistive Robot for Mobility Enhancement of Impaired Students for Barrier-Free Education: A Proof of Concept
Authors: Freddi Alessandro , Giaconi Catia , Iarlori Sabrina , Longhi Sauro , Monteriù Andrea , Pagnotta Daniele Proietti
Published: December 2021

Smart wheelchairs are in the category of assistive robots, which interact physically and/or non-physically with people with physical disabilities to extend their autonomy. Smart wheelchairs are assistive robots that enhance mobility, and can be especially useful for improving access to university premises. This paper proposes a smart wheelchair that can be integrated with an academic management system to enable students who have serious leg problems and cannot walk on their own to reach any academic building or room on a university campus autonomously. The proposed smart wheelchair receives information from the academic management system about the spaces on campus, the lesson schedule, the office hours of lecturers, and so on. Students can select the desired task from the user interface. The smart wheelchair can then guide the student autonomously to the desired point of interest, while planning the best barrier-free route inside the campus/building and, simultaneously, avoiding fixed and moving obstacles. The assistive robot has localization and navigation capabilities, which allow students to move about campus freely and autonomously, and benefit from a barrier-free education.
Child Friendly Architectures. Design Spaces for Children and Adolescents
Authors: d’Annuntiis Marco , Cipolletti Sara
Published: December 2021

This paper presents the educational and laboratory experience of the course entitled “Child Friendly Architectures”, taught during the 2019 academic year at the School of Architecture and Design (SAAD) of the University of Camerino, in collaboration with UNICEF Italia. The training course is the first in Italy to build a dialogue between the discipline of architecture and the protection and promotion of children and adolescents’ rights. The course was offered to the university’s students and was structured as two modules. In a series of training seminars, the first module, Teaching Activity, addressed the design of spaces for children and adolescents while looking closely at good practices and case studies. The second module, Application Activity, was a practical laboratory which guided students in a participatory process of planning. The students experimented with reading and planning a specific context in which they live, using specially structured tools and methods. The Child Friendly Architectures training course theorizes a way of thinking about the design of spaces for children and adolescents, taking into consideration their rights, and promoting the learning of tools, design techniques and new technologies. The competences involved in participatory planning—which can be learned—strengthen team work through important networking and listening opportunities. This helps young people to develop a critical awareness of children and adolescents’ rights, and the quality of the spaces dedicated to them.
Biometric and Non-biometric Integration: Dual Use Dilemmas
Authors: Smith Marcus , Miller Seumas
Published: December 2021

Biometric identification is now closely integrated with other forms of data, data systems and communications technologies, such as smartphones, metadata and social media, and as the key security feature on smartphones, and by extension, social media accounts, online profiles and identity. For this reason, we consider the interaction between biometric and other forms of identification data, and data systems, building upon the consideration of the main biometrics in the first three chapters. We begin with a general discussion of data systems and integration. This is followed by a discussion of the interrelationship with biometrics, and broader significance of, metadata, smartphone applications and social media. In combination with biometric identification technologies, these provide detailed insights into individuals’ activities and behaviours. The ethical analysis in this chapter focuses on dual use dilemmas. Roughly speaking, dual use dilemmas in science and technology arise in virtue of the fact that such science and technology can be used to greatly benefit humankind, but also, unfortunately, to cause great harm to humankind. Consider, for instance, nuclear science and technology. It can be used as a cheap and peaceful energy source, or to build nuclear weapons. Similarly, facial recognition technology could be used by police only to track persons guilty of serious crimes; or it could be used to monitor ordinary citizens’ behaviour by an authoritarian government.
The Future of Biometrics and Liberal Democracy
Authors: Smith Marcus , Miller Seumas
Published: December 2021

The first part of this chapter considers future biometrics, with a focus on second generation biometrics that measure physiological patterns. The second discusses the potential biometric future – how the use of biometrics, data and algorithms more broadly, could be used by governments to regulate social and economic interactions. This discussion will draw on the development of credit systems, from those used in commercial online platforms to rate the performance of providers and users, to the more integrated and all-encompassing social credit system (SCS) implemented in China, as an example of a potential future development in liberal democratic countries. Finally, we discuss the key features of liberal democratic theory and how biometric and related technological developments may change governance in western democracies. While we briefly mention some relevant developments in the private sector, our main focus will be on the relationship between liberal democratic governments and their security agencies, on the one hand, and their citizenry, on the other. We describe in general terms how liberal democracies might respond to these new technologies in a manner that preserves their benefits without unduly compromising established liberal democratic institutions, principles and values. Accordingly, we seek to offer a response to some of the dual use ethical dilemmas posed by biometrics, albeit in general terms.
One-loop masses of Neumann-Dirichlet open strings and boundary-changing vertex operators
Authors: Coudarchet Thibaut , Partouche Hervé
Published: December 2021

Abstract

We derive the masses acquired at one loop by massless scalars in the Neumann-Dirichlet sector of open strings, when supersymmetry is spontaneously broken. It is done by computing two-point functions of “boundary-changing vertex operators” inserted on the boundaries of the annulus and Möbius strip. This requires the evaluation of correlators of “excited boundary-changing fields,” which are analogous to excited twist fields for closed strings. We work in the type IIB orientifold theory compactified on T2× T4/ℤ2, where $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 2 supersymmetry is broken to $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 0 by the Scherk-Schwarz mechanism implemented along T2. Even though the full expression of the squared masses is complicated, it reduces to a very simple form when the lowest scale of the background is the supersymmetry breaking scale M3/2. We use our results to analyze in this regime the stability at the quantum level of the moduli fields arising in the Neumann-Dirichlet sector. This completes the study of ref. [32], where the quantum masses of all other types of moduli arising in the open- or closed-string sectors are derived. Ultimately, we identify all brane configurations that produce backgrounds without tachyons at one loop and yield an effective potential exponentially suppressed, or strictly positive with runaway behavior of M3/2.