bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Novel imaging findings in pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDHc) deficiency—Results from a nationwide population‐based study
Authors: Savvidou Antri , Ivarsson Liz , Naess Karin , Eklund Erik A. , Lundgren Johan , Dahlin Maria , Frithiof Deborah , Sofou Kalliopi , Darin Niklas
Published: December 2021

The vast clinical and radiological spectrum of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDHc) deficiency continues to pose challenges both in diagnostics and disease monitoring. Prompt diagnosis is important to enable early initiation of ketogenic diet. The patients were recruited from an ongoing population‐based study in Sweden. All patients with a genetically confirmed diagnosis who had been investigated with an MRI of the brain were included. Repeated investigations were assessed to study the evolution of the MRI changes. Sixty‐two MRI investigations had been performed in 34 patients (23 females). The genetic cause was mutations in PDHA1 in 29, PDHX and DLAT in 2 each, and PDHB in 1. The lesions were prenatal developmental in 16, prenatal clastic in 18, and postnatal clastic in 15 individuals. Leigh‐like lesions with predominant involvement of globus pallidus were present in 12, while leukoencephalopathy was present in 6 and stroke‐like lesions in 3 individuals. A combination of prenatal developmental and clastic lesions was present in 15 individuals. In addition, one male with PDHA1 also had postnatal clastic lesions. The most common lesions found in our study were agenesis or hypoplasia of corpus callosum, ventriculomegaly, or Leigh‐like lesions. Furthermore, we describe a broad spectrum of other MRI changes that include leukoencephalopathy and stroke‐like lesions. We argue that a novel important clue, suggesting the possibility of PDHc deficiency on MRI scans, is the simultaneous presence of multiple lesions on MRI that have occurred during different phases of brain development.
A new model for the formation of an Enterococcus faecalis endodontic biofilm with nutritional restriction
Authors: Gutiérrez Diana Marcela , Castillo Yormaris , Ibarra‐Avila Humberto , López Mónica , Orozco Juan C. , Lafaurie Gloria I. , Castillo Diana Marcela
Published: December 2021

An in vitro model for the formation of an Enterococcus faecalis endodontic biofilm under nutritional restriction was established, simulating clinical conditions for the evaluation of antimicrobial substances. Biofilm formation in dentin was standardized using root quarters incubated with E. faecalis ATCC 29212 at 37°C without nutritional changes. Biofilms were evaluated at 7, 14, and 30 days, counting bacterial colony‐forming units using conventional culture and verified scanning electron microscopy. Bacterial viability and biovolume were determined with confocal laser microscopy. Colonization of E. faecalis and biofilm formation on the dentinal surface was confirmed after 7 and 14 days, respectively. Microorganism colonization was homogeneous over the entire root surface at each time point, without significant differences in the viability percentage and biovolume. On the contrary, a decrease in viability and an increase in biovolume were observed when the time was increased. Compared with other incubation times, 14 days was found to be the best time for the establishment of the biofilm in terms of biovolume and bacterial viability. This in vitro model for the formation of endodontic biofilm will allow future evaluation of the efficacy of antimicrobial substances with a more adequate clinical approach.
A Miniature Mixing Device for Polymer Blends Dominated by Biaxial Extensional Deformations
Authors: Yin Xiaochun , Lin Feng , He Guangjian , Feng Yanhong
Published: December 2021

A new miniature mixing device called the “vane mixer” dominated by the synergic action of axial and circumferential extensional deformations is developed for polymer blends. The structure and working principle of the vane mixer are introduced in detail. The effects of mixing time and rotational speed on the morphology, mechanical properties, and crystallization behavior of the high‐density polyethylene (HDPE)/graphene (GR) composites are comprehensively investigated, revealing that properly increasing mixing time and rotational speed can promote the dispersion of GR in the HDPE matrix, improve mechanical properties, and reduce the degree of crystallinity. The morphology of blends prepared by the vane mixer is compared with those prepared by the Brabender mixer to evaluate the mixing performance. The experimental results show that the new equipment has excellent mixing efficiency and performance.
An analytic element model for highly fractured elastic media
Authors: Strack Otto D.L. , Toller Erik A.L.
Published: December 2021

We present an analytic formulation for an elastic medium under uniform stress and in plane strain, with a very large number of cracks that are allowed to intersect. The singularities at the tips of the cracks are represented exactly; the solution is written in terms of series expansions of negative powers of a complex variable defined outside the unit circle in a complex reference plane. We modeled an assembly of 10,000 cracks and show stress trajectories both for the whole model and for individual cracks, chosen at random from the assembly.
A procedure for efficient generation and behavioral evaluation of ultra‐packed ellipsoidal particle systems
Authors: Liao Huanyu , Achar P L Sukshitha , Subbarayan Ganesh
Published: December 2021

Many engineering applications demand ultra‐packing of particles into a matrix. In general, efficiently simulating the random close packing of non‐spherical particles, and with 60% or greater volume loading remains a challenge. In this article, we describe an efficient procedure that achieves ultra‐packing of ellipsoidal particle systems of the order of – particles on a desktop computer. A significant challenge to ellipsoidal particle packing problem is particle‐particle contact detection. We describe an algebraic intersection detection method for ellipsoidal particles and couple it with a heuristic constructive algorithm to generate densely packed microstructures with ellipsoidal fillers. The effective behavior of the generated microstructures is then numerically estimated using an efficient random‐network model that is valid for high‐contrast particulate composites in near percolation arrangement. Finally, the algorithms are applied to evaluate the effective thermal conductivity of ellipsoidal particle filled composites used as thermal interface materials. Simulations of lognormally distributed particle systems with varying aspect ratios of ellipsoidal fillers are systematically carried out to draw conclusions on impact of particle shapes.
Psychosexual functioning in cancer survivorship: What the pediatric oncologist needs to know
Authors: Frederick Natasha N. , Lehmann Vicky , Ahler Astrid , Carpenter Kristen , Cherven Brooke , Klosky James L. , Nahata Leena , Quinn Gwendolyn P.
Published: December 2021

Sexual health may be disrupted in adolescents and young adults (AYAs) both during and after cancer treatment, irrespective of whether they are diagnosed in childhood, adolescence, or young adulthood. Unfortunately, oncology providers often underestimate the relevance of psychosexual issues for AYAs and underprioritize sexual health throughout treatment and survivorship. The purpose of this narrative review is to provide information on (a) the etiology of psychosexual dysfunction in childhood, adolescent, and young adult cancer patients and young adult survivors of childhood cancer; (b) strategies for communicating and evaluating potential sexual health issues of AYA patients/survivors; and (c) guidance for the practicing pediatric oncologist on how to address sexual health concerns with patients.
Biosafety legislation and the regulatory status of the products of precision breeding in the Latin America and the Caribbean region
Authors: Rosado André , Eriksson Dennis
Published: December 2021

Societal Impact Statement

Precision breeding represents a new challenge for biosafety regulators when applying the legal definition of living modified organisms (LMOs) in accordance with their domestic biosafety legislation. Globally, there is uncertainty whether the products of precision breeding will be considered as LMOs and subject to the corresponding regulatory oversight. This article illustrates current regulatory matters of precision breeding in all Latin American and Caribbean countries, serving as a baseline contributing to further discussions about the potential future regulatory status of precision breeding products and its corresponding socioeconomic and environmental impact in the region.

It is still uncertain whether the products of precision breeding will be considered and regulated as living modified organisms (LMOs) or not. This article illustrates current regulatory matters of precision breeding in the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region and provides recommendations to support the corresponding legal interpretation. This is done by analyzing domestic biosafety legal frameworks of LMOs, together with the results from a survey sent to regulatory officers and public researchers in the region. Previous similar publications have focused on a limited selection of countries in the region, but this is the first time a comprehensive overview of all 33 countries is presented. Our results classify countries in five main groups based on their approach to define LMOs under domestic biosafety legislation. Most notably, the key criterion for the clustering of countries is whether the legislation has adopted the legal definition of LMOs according to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity or not. This article highlights that the lack of clarification on the meaning of major terms, such as “naturally,” “manipulation,” and “a novel combination” of genetic material, can provoke ambiguity when applying the biosafety law in products derived from precision breeding. Also, countries require to adopt administrative procedures to determine the regulatory status of precision breeding products. Finally, this article suggests that the rapid adoption of such procedures relevant to precision breeding is strongly connected to the role of agriculture and biotechnology in the countries and with national economic and political perspectives.
Evidence of western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgiferaLeConte) field‐evolved resistance to Cry3Bb1 + Cry34/35Ab1 maize in Nebraska
Authors: Reinders Jordan D , Reinders Emily E , Robinson Emily A , French Bryan W , Meinke Lance J
Published: December 2021

BACKGROUND

Western corn rootworm (WCR; Diabrotica virgifera virgifera) field‐evolved resistance to transgenic maize expressing the Cry3Bb1 protein derived from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) has been confirmed across the United States Corn Belt. Although use of pyramided hybrids expressing Cry3Bb1 + Cry34/35Ab1 has increased in recent years to mitigate existing WCR Bt resistance, susceptibility of Nebraska WCR populations to this rootworm–Bt pyramid has not been assessed. Plant‐based bioassays were used to characterize the susceptibility of WCR populations to Cry3Bb1 and Cry3Bb1 + Cry34/35Ab1 maize. Populations were collected from areas of northeastern Nebraska with a history of planting Bt maize that expressed Cry3Bb1 and Cry34/35Ab1.

RESULTS

Significant differences in mean corrected survival among populations within Bt hybrids indicated a mosaic of WCR susceptibility to Cry3Bb1 + Cry34/35Ab1 and Cry3Bb1 maize occurred in the landscape. All field populations exhibited some level of resistance to one or both Bt hybrids when compared to susceptible laboratory control populations in bioassays. Most WCR populations exhibited incomplete resistance to Cry3Bb1 + Cry34/35Ab1 maize (92%) and complete resistance to Cry3Bb1 maize (79%).

CONCLUSION

The present study confirms the first cases of field‐evolved resistance to Cry3Bb1 + Cry34/35Ab1 maize in Nebraska and documents a landscape‐wide WCR Cry3Bb1 resistance pattern in areas characterized by long‐term continuous maize production and associated planting of Cry3Bb1 hybrids. Use of a multi‐tactic integrated pest management approach is needed in areas of continuous maize production to slow or mitigate resistance evolution to Bt maize. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.
Li4EPc: A metallo‐organic electride comprising metal‐nitrogen bonds
Authors: Poddar Arpita , Chattaraj Pratim Kumar
Published: December 2021

An in silico design of a new metallo‐organic electride, containing metal‐nitrogen bonds, namely, Li4EPc, with high non‐linear optical (NLO) properties (βtotal = 6.382 × 104 au) is presented. Density functional theory (DFT)‐based computation has revealed the thermodynamic stability of Li42+ cluster encapsulated in EPc host moiety where EPc is an extended phthalocyanine system. Natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis is performed to study the bonding nature of the aforementioned species. We have also performed atoms in molecules (AIM) analysis to confirm the presence of an isolated electron at the interstitial tetrahedral hollow formed by three‐dimensional Li42+ cluster attached with EPc ligand. Linear and NLO properties of the designed electride have been analyzed by polarizability () and first hyperpolarizability calculations (βtotal). Frequency dependent first hyperpolarizability, second harmonic generation (SHG), electro‐optic Pockel's effect (EOPE) have also been computed. Furthermore, we report the hydrogen adsorption potential of each Li atom in Li4EPc system. The result shows that two H2 molecules can be adsorbed per lithium atom leading to a total of eight H2 molecules adsorbed by Li42+ cluster through physisorption process. This work provides a new insight into designing a stable metallo‐organic electride (Li4EPc) with high NLO response which also can be used as an efficient hydrogen storage material.
Complement inhibition: A possible therapeutic approach in the fight against Covid‐19
Authors: Deravi Niloofar , Ahsan Elahe , Fathi Mobina , Hosseini Parastoo , Yaghoobpoor Shirin , Lotfi Ramin , Pourbagheri‐Sigaroodi Atieh , Bashash Davood
Published: December 2021

The complement system, as a vital part of innate immunity, has an important role in the clearance of pathogens; however, unregulated activation of this system probably has a key role in the pathogenesis of acute lung injury, which is induced by highly pathogenic viruses (i.e. influenza A viruses and severe acute respiratory syndrome [SARS] coronavirus). The novel coronavirus SARS‐CoV‐2, which is the causal agent for the ongoing global pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid‐19), has recently been spread to almost all countries around the world. Although most people are immunocompetent to SARS‐CoV‐2, a small group develops hyper‐inflammation that leads to complications like acute respiratory distress syndrome, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and multi‐organ failure. Emerging evidence demonstrates that the complement system exerts a crucial role in this inflammatory reaction. Additionally, patients with the severe form of Covid‐19 show over‐activation of the complement in their skin, sera, and lungs. This study aims to summarise current knowledge concerning the interaction of SARS‐CoV‐2 with the complement system and to critically appraise complement inhibition as a potential new approach for Covid‐19 treatment.
Transition Metal‐Free Sulfenylation of C−H Bonds for C−S Bond Formation in Recent Years: Mechanistic Approach and Promising Future
Authors: Saroha Mohit , Sindhu Jayant , Kumar Sudhir , Bhasin Kuldip K. , Khurana Jitender M. , Varma Rajender S. , Tomar Deepak
Published: December 2021

Transition metal‐free sulfenylation of C−H bonds for C−S bond formation has recently emerged as sustainable protocols for the functionalisation of various molecules. Researchers have extensively developed such protocols for the construction of biologically relevant sulfur scaffolds. There has been a gradual shift from metal‐catalyzed to metal‐free C−S bond formation methodologies, because the latter offer environmentally benign and inherently safe access to novel synthetic routes in organic chemistry. The present review offers a dynamic discussion on recent advances in transition metal‐free C−S bond formation via C−H bond functionalization using different surrogate sulfenylating reagents. The review has comprehensively been devoted to radical and ionic mechanistic approaches. Some simple and eco‐friendly reagents for sulfenylation viz. tertbutyl hydrogen peroxide (TBHP), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), iodine/potassium persulphate (I2/K2S2O8), inorganic bases, strong organic acids, iodine, I2/triphenyl phosphine (PPh3), N‐chlorosuccinamide (NCS), N‐bromosuccinamide (NBS), potassium iodate (KIO3), I2/bovine serum albumin (BSA), tetrabutyl ammonium iodide (TBAI)/HBr and graphene oxide along with their mechanistic approach has been detailed in this review. Moreover, modern methods for the C−S bond formation i. e., biocatalyst, electrochemical and visible light induced sulfenylation, and traditional sulfenylation methodologies have also been incorporated.
Wheat‐Flour‐Derived Magnetic Porous Carbons by CaCl2‐Activation and their Application in Cr(VI) Removal
Authors: Zhong Guoyu , Hu Shuyin , Xu Mengjie , Meng Zhen , Wu Jialin , Xu Xiaojun , Xu Shurui , Fu Xiaobo , Liao Wenbo , Zheng Shaona , Xu Yongjun
Published: December 2021

Magnetic porous carbons were obtained from wheat flour via simple one‐step pyrolysis employing calcium chloride as activator. A series of wheat flour derived‐magnetic porous carbons (WMCs) with various pyrolysis temperature and precursor were prepared, characterized and applied for Cr(VI) removal. The results show that γ‐FeOOH and Fe3O4 were respectively obtained in the WMCs at pyrolysis temperature above and below 600 °C. While, the calcium chloride enhanced the mesoporous of WMCs and promoted the crystallization of Fe3O4. The optimal sample exhibited super Cr(VI) removal capacities of 15.53 mg g−1 and good reusability after 5 recycles in neutral solution. The Cr(VI) removal of WMCs obeys pseudo‐second‐order adsorption model and Langmuir adsorption isotherms. The enhanced adsorptivity can be attributed to the incorporation of adsorption and reduction reaction between Cr(VI) ions and Fe3O4. The density functional theory calculations also demonstrated that Cr(VI) ions is more favorable and strongly adsorbed onto Fe3O4 surface than γ‐FeOOH.
Nitrogen and Oxygen Co‐Doped Porous Hard Carbon Nanospheres with Core‐Shell Architecture as Anode Materials for Superior Potassium‐Ion Storage
Authors: Chong Shaokun , Yuan Lingling , Li Ting , Shu Chengyong , Qiao Shuangyan , Dong Shihong , Liu Zhengqing , Yang Jing , Liu Hua Kun , Dou Shi Xue , Huang Wei
Published: December 2021

The investigation of carbonaceous‐based anode materials will promote the fast application of low‐cost potassium‐ion batteries (PIBs). Here a nitrogen and oxygen co‐doped yolk‐shell carbon sphere (NO‐YS‐CS) is constructed as anode material for K‐ion storage. The novel architecture, featuring with developed porous structure and high surface specific area, is beneficial to achieving excellent electrochemical kinetics behavior and great electrode stability from buffering the large volume expansion. Furthermore, the N/O heteroatoms co‐doping can not only boost the adsorption and intercalation ability of K‐ion but also increase the electron transfer capability. It is also demonstrated by experimental results and DFT calculations that K‐ion insertion/extraction proceeds through both intercalation and surface capacitive adsorption mechanisms. As expected, the NO‐YS‐CS electrodes show high initial charge capacity of 473.7 mAh g−1 at 20 mA g−1, ultralong cycling life over 2500 cycles with the retention of 85.8% at 500 mA g−1, and superior rate performance (183.3 mAh g−1 at 1.0 A g−1). The K‐ion full cell, with a high energy density of 271.4 Wh kg−1 and an excellent cyclic stability over 500 cycles, is successfully fabricated with K2Fe[Fe(CN)6] cathode. This work will provide new insight on the synthesis and mechanism understanding of high‐performance hard carbon anode for PIBs.
Solid‐State Ligand‐Capped Metal Oxide Electron‐Transporting Layer for Efficient and Stable Fullerene‐Free Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Huang Shih-Han , Wang Yen-Chi , Hsiao Kai-Chi , Lee Pei-Huan , Liao Hsueh-Chung , Huang Yu-Xuan , Huang Yu-Ching , Su Wei-Fang
Published: December 2021

Although perovskite solar cells (PSCs) can be prepared with excellent optoelectronic properties and solution processability, the common use of [6,6]‐phenyl‐C61‐butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) as the electron‐transporting layer (ETL), with its high cost and low stability, has hindered their commercialization. Metal oxides are inexpensive and highly chemically stable, making them potential alternatives to PCBM as ETLs, but requisite polar host solvents and high‐temperature treatment limit the possibility of their direct deposition on perovskite layers. Herein, Ta‐doped SnO2 nanoparticles (NPs) are dispersed in a nonpolar solvent and they are also directly deposited to form a Ta‐SnO2 layer on a perovskite film. Then, room‐temperature solid‐state ligand exchange is applied to remove insulating molecules from the Ta‐SnO2 surface and thereby, enhance the band alignment between the Ta‐SnO2 layer and the Ag electrode. The highest power conversion efficiency of a PSC fabricated with Ta‐SnO2 as the ETL is 15.48%. In addition, the stability of the SnO2‐based devices toward damp heat and light soaking is superior to that of corresponding PCBM‐based PSCs. Therefore, this effective strategy for incorporating metal oxides as ETLs appears to be an inexpensive method for manufacturing highly efficient PSCs with long‐term stability.
Modification of SnO2 with Phosphorus‐Containing Lewis Acid for High‐Performance Planar Perovskite Solar Cells with Negligible Hysteresis
Authors: Hu Yanqiang , He Zhengyan , Jia Xiangrui , Zhao Wenkai , Zhang Shufang , Jiao MengMeng , Xu Qinfeng , Wang Dehua , Yang Chuanlu , Yuan Guoliang , Han Liyuan
Published: December 2021

Expeditious charge transfer at the interfaces between photoactive and charge transport layers is critical in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Defects on the surface of charge transport layers usually lead to the degradation of carrier mobility, resulting in low power conversion efficiency (PCE) and serious hysteresis. Herein, phosphorus‐containing Lewis acids are applied to modify the SnO2/perovskite interface and neutralize redundant OH− on the SnO2 surface. The interaction between the Lewis acids and SnO2 significantly accelerate the electron transfer and greatly reduce the energy barrier at the SnO2/perovskite interface, boosting the PCE of the PSCs. By modifying the SnO2/pervoskite interface with diphenylphosphine oxide, the PCE of a small area device was increased from 18.94% to 22.14%, along with negligible hysteresis and improved stability. Moreover, the 5 × 5 cm2 solar modules with an aperture area of 22.56 cm2 achieved a best efficiency of 15.69%.
AuctionWhisk: Using an auction‐inspired approach for function placement in serverless fog platforms
Authors: Bermbach David , Bader Jonathan , Hasenburg Jonathan , Pfandzelter Tobias , Thamsen Lauritz
Published: December 2021

The Function‐as‐a‐Service (FaaS) paradigm has a lot of potential as a computing model for fog environments comprising both cloud and edge nodes, as compute requests can be scheduled across the entire fog continuum in a fine‐grained manner. When the request rate exceeds capacity limits at the resource‐constrained edge, some functions need to be offloaded toward the cloud. In this article, we present an auction‐inspired approach in which application developers bid on resources while fog nodes decide locally which functions to execute and which to offload in order to maximize revenue. Unlike many current approaches to function placement in the fog, our approach can work in an online and decentralized manner. We also present our proof‐of‐concept prototype AuctionWhisk that illustrates how such an approach can be implemented in a real FaaS platform. Through a number of simulation runs and system experiments, we show that revenue for overloaded nodes can be maximized without dropping function requests.
Turtles all the way down: Neogene pig‐nosed turtle fossil from southern Australia reveals cryptic freshwater turtle invasions and extinctions
Authors: Rule James P. , Kool Lesley , Parker William M.G. , Fitzgerald Erich M.G.
Published: December 2021

The extant pig‐nosed turtle (Carettochelys insculpta), persisting in far northern Australia and southern New Guinea, is the last surviving member of Carettochelyidae and the only non‐Gondwanan freshwater turtle lineage in Australia. Despite having a global fossil record dating to the Cretaceous, the absence of carettochelyid fossils from Australia has implied a relatively recent colonization of this landmass. Here we report an upper Miocene to lower Pliocene carettochelyid fossil from Beaumaris, Victoria, in south‐eastern Australia. This record is the most southerly occurrence of the clade Carettochelyidae. The presence of carettochelyids in southern Australia, and a discontinuous record of trionychids (soft‐shell turtles) in the Cenozoic of Queensland, suggests at least two colonizations of Australia by Trionychia, pre‐dating the extant pig‐nosed turtle. This cryptic southern history of tropical soft‐shell and pig‐nosed turtles ended before the recent aridification of Australia, leaving the Gondwanan side‐necked turtles as the dominant turtle group in Australian freshwater ecosystems. Therefore, this singular fossil reveals a previously unknown shift in the diversity and evolutionary history of freshwater turtles in Australia.
Science and Environment Education in the Times of the Anthropocene: Some Reflections from India
Authors: Raveendran Aswathy , Srivastava Himanshu
Published: December 2021

In this article, we critically discuss the notion of Anthropocene and its sociopolitical implications for science and environmental education. We do so by laying out how the Anthropocene discourse has shaped the debates around development, environment, and technoscience in postcolonial India. Subsequently, we shift to a conversational format wherein each of us deliberate on our engagements as critical science educators, discussing how, in our respective work, we find the official curriculum promoting the Anthropocene discourse. We then discuss ways by which the Anthropocene discourse constitutes student subjectivities in terms of the nature of their values and aspirations. While engaging in this dialogue, we find ourselves reimagining alternatives.
Curricular Experiments for Peace in Colombia: Re-imagining Science Education in Post-conflict Societies
Authors: Castano Rodriguez Carolina , Quinn Molly , Alsop Steve
Published: December 2021

This chapter outlines a curriculum experiment in science education set within the political context of the peace negotiations in Colombia which took place in 2016. Our collaborative narrative draws from data and experiences gathered over a 10-day summer course that we co-constructed, during and in response to this peace process, seeking to re-imagine science education’s capacities to reformulate, share and experience loss, truth and reconciliation. We engage ( Escher in Relativity, 1953) multidimensional work Relativity and set our discussions in the near future, by entering the hearts and souls of those who have lived in fear and also hope for so many years.
A Feral Atlas for the Anthropocene: An Interview with Anna L. Tsing
Authors: Tsing Anna L. , Bazzul Jesse
Published: December 2021

Anna L. Tsing is professor of anthropology at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Tsing’s work brings together many different contexts relevant to the natural sciences, environmentalism, political economy, anthropology, and philosophy (to name a few). Tsing was awarded a Niels Bohr Professorship at Aarhus University in Denmark to explore many different manifestations and ways of thinking about the Anthropocene. This interview focuses on a project called Feral Atlas, a transdisciplinary project that examines the effects of human infrastructure projects and the “feral life” that has taken shape as a result. The conversation took place via Skype in July of 2019, with Jesse in Saskatchewan, Canada, and Anna in California, USA.
“Trees Don’t Sing! … Eagle Feather Has no Power!”—Be Wary of the Potential Numbing Effects of School Science
Authors: Ji Xia
Published: December 2021

Educational philosopher Maxine Greene called for the “centrality of the arts” to education at all levels decades ago, yet the aesthetic core of education has been often negated to the margin or completely forgotten in public education. What is desperately needed in formal education is what Greene termed as “wide-awakeness” or “being attentive to the beauty and cruelty of life, to “aesthetic encounters” and “living in the world esthetically.” Reflecting on recent conversations with her three school-age children, the author draws upon multimodel narratives, including her lived curriculum in mainland China and the United States and her children’s experiences with formal education in Canada, to warn of the potential numbing effects of school science curricula and pedagogy in public education. Finally a few strategies for centering the aesthetics are proposed to hopefully immunize ourselves and students against the potential numbing effect of school science.
Conversations on Citizenship, Critical Hope, and Climate Change: An Interview with Bronwyn Hayward
Authors: Hayward Bronwyn , Tolbert Sara
Published: December 2021

Bronwyn Hayward is a professor of political science at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. Bronwyn’s scholarship focuses on the intersections of youth, sustainability, and climate change. She is director of the University of Canterbury Hei Puāwaitanga Sustainable Citizenship and Civic Imagination research group and co-principal investigator for the University of Surrey’s Centre for Understanding Sustainable Prosperity (CUSP). She is lead author on two reports for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Her most recent publication is Children, Citizenship, and Environment #SchoolStrikeEdition. In this interview, Bronwyn and Sara discuss the complexities of educating for uncertain futures, specifically around climate change. We explore Bronwyn’s work with the IPCC, the Children and Youth Sustainable Lifestyles in Cities (CYCLES) project, and her foundational scholarship on ecological citizenship. This interview took place via Zoom in September 2020, in Ōtautahi Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand.
Exile: Banishment as a Punitive and Coercive Measure
Authors: Frankot Edda
Published: December 2021

The first of two main chapters, this analyses the exclusion of offenders and what this can tell us about the values of late medieval Kampen society concerning morally acceptable behaviour. This chapter firstly focuses on typologies and quantitative aspects of banishment, such as the number of exiles of various categories. It then discusses the question whether the punishment was mainly used as a punitive or coercive measure, before moving onto the distance and duration of banishments. An important part of this chapter is the discussion of aspects of gender and morality, and of social status, as this provides insights into the values of the town community. Symbolism and ceremony are discussed to establish their role in the application of authority by the magistrates. The final section analyses whether an army of exiles existed beyond Kampen’s walls.
Unitarity violation and the geometry of Higgs EFTs
Authors: Cohen Timothy , Craig Nathaniel , Lu Xiaochuan , Sutherland Dave
Published: December 2021

Abstract

We derive the scale of unitarity violation from the geometry of Effective Field Theory (EFT) extensions of the Standard Model Higgs sector. The high-energy behavior of amplitudes with more than four scalar legs depends on derivatives of geometric invariants with respect to the physical Higgs field h, such that higher-point amplitudes begin to reconstruct the scalar manifold away from our vacuum. In theories whose low-energy limit can be described by the Higgs EFT (HEFT) but not the Standard Model EFT (SMEFT), non-analyticities in the vicinity of our vacuum limit the radius of convergence of geometric invariants, leading to unitarity violation at energies below 4πv. Our results unify approaches to the HEFT/SMEFT dichotomy based on unitarity, analyticity, and geometry, and more broadly illustrate the sense in which observables probe the geometry of an EFT. Along the way, we provide novel basis-independent results for Goldstone/Higgs boson scattering amplitudes expressed in terms of geometric covariant quantities.
10D super-Yang-Mills scattering amplitudes from its pure spinor action
Authors: Ben-Shahar Maor , Guillen Max
Published: December 2021

Abstract

Using the pure spinor master action for 10D super-Yang-Mills in the gauge b0V = QΞ, tree-level scattering amplitudes are calculated through the perturbiner method, and shown to match those obtained from pure spinor CFT techniques. We find kinematic numerators made of nested b-ghost operators, and show that the Siegel gauge condition b0V = 0 gives rise to color-kinematics duality satisfying numerators whose Jacobi identity follows from the Jacobi identity of a kinematic algebra.
An Existence Result for a Class of Magnetic Problems in Exterior Domains
Authors: Alves Claudianor O. , Ambrosio Vincenzo , Ledesma César E. Torres
Published: December 2021

In this paper we deal with the existence of solutions for the following class of magnetic semilinear Schrödinger equation $$\begin{aligned} (P) \qquad \qquad \left\{ \begin{aligned}&(-i\nabla + A(x))^2u +u = |u|^{p-2}u,\;\;\text{ in }\;\;\Omega ,\\&u=0\;\;\text{ on }\;\;\partial \Omega , \end{aligned} \right. \end{aligned}$$

(
P
)

(
-
i
∇
+
A

(
x
)

)

2

u
+
u
=

|
u
|

p
-
2

u
,

in

Ω
,

u
=
0

on

∂
Ω
,

where $$N \ge 3$$

N
≥
3

, $$\Omega \subset {\mathbb {R}}^N$$

Ω
⊂

R

N

is an exterior domain, $$p\in (2, 2^*)$$

p
∈
(
2
,

2
∗

)

with $$2^*=\frac{2N}{N-2}$$

2
∗

=

2
N

N
-
2

, and $$A: {\mathbb {R}}^N\rightarrow {\mathbb {R}}^N$$

A
:

R

N

→

R

N

is a continuous vector potential verifying $$A(x) \rightarrow 0\;\;\text{ as }\;\;|x|\rightarrow \infty .$$

A
(
x
)
→
0

as

|
x
|
→
∞
.
Settingübergreifende Behandlung in der Psychiatrie: Umsetzung spezifischer Versorgungsmerkmale an Kliniken der Modell- und Regelversorgung (PsychCare-Studie)
Authors: Schwarz Julian , Ignatyev Yuriy , Baum Fabian , Neumann Anne , Soltmann Bettina , Pfennig Andrea , Timm Jürgen , Heinze Martin , von Peter Sebastian
Published: December 2021

Hintergrund

Seit 2003 wird an einzelnen psychiatrischen Kliniken ein neues Vergütungs- und Versorgungsmodell erprobt, welches auf Grundlage eines globalen Behandlungsbudgets eine settingübergreifende, integrative sowie Zuhausebehandlung bietet. Derzeit existieren bundesweit 22 dieser psychiatrischen Modellvorhaben nach § 64b SGB V (MV). Die bisherige Forschung konnte 11 spezifische Struktur- und Prozessmerkmale zur Einstufung von MV identifizieren, die allerdings noch nicht in einer kontrollierten Studie hinsichtlich ihrer methodischen Anwendbarkeit überprüft wurden. Untersucht wird die statistische Unterscheidungsfähigkeit der Merkmale an Kliniken der Regel- und der Modellversorgung.

Methode

Als Teil der PsychCare-Studie wurde an 9 Modell- und 7 Kontrollkliniken die Einstufung der Merkmale vorgenommen und vergleichend sowie in Subgruppen analysiert. Die Subgruppen unterteilen jene Kliniken, die mit allen oder nur einem Teil der Krankenkassen ein MV vereinbart haben.

Ergebnisse

Sieben der 11 Merkmale (Flexibilität im Settingwechsel, settingübergreifende therapeutische Gruppen, Zuhausebehandlung, systematischer Einbezug von Bezugspersonen, Erreichbarkeit von Leistungen, sektorübergreifende Kooperation und Erweiterung professioneller Expertise) wiesen eine hohe statistische Unterscheidungsfähigkeit auf. In den Subgruppen waren diese Unterschiede tendenziell stärker ausgeprägt.

Schlussfolgerung

Die modellspezifischen Merkmale sind geeignet, um Qualitätsunterschiede der Implementierung settingübergreifender, flexibler und aufsuchender Versorgung zu evaluieren.
Febrile seizures: perceptions and knowledge of parents of affected and unaffected children
Authors: Rice Steven Alan , Müller Ruth Melinda , Jeschke Sarah , Herziger Birthe , Bertsche Thilo , Neininger Martina Patrizia , Bertsche Astrid
Published: December 2021

Febrile seizures (FS) in children are common, but little is known about parents’ perceptions and knowledge of FS. We interviewed parents of children aged 6 months to 6 years affected by FS (FS group, 65 parents) or unaffected (control group, 54 parents). In the FS group, 32% said they knew their child had an FS when the first event occurred, and 89% described fear when the child had a seizure, with a median intensity of 10/10 (Q25/Q75: 9/10). Related to follow-up, 77% in the FS group (will) observe their child more carefully after the first seizure happened, and 63% (will) give antipyretics earlier at a median temperature of 38.2 °C (100.8 °F). In the FS group, 62% were unaware of FS before the first event (54% of control group did not know about FS thus far, n.s.). In the FS group, 20% would put a solid object in the mouth of a child having a seizure (control group, 39%, p = 0.030), and 92% would administer an available anti-seizure rescue medication (control group, 78%, p = 0.019). In the FS group, 71% feared that children with FS might suffocate (control group, 70%, n.s.).

Conclusion: Information about FS and their management should be more available to improve parents’ coping and patient safety.

What is Known:• Febrile seizures in children are common.• The prognosis of children suffering from febrile seizures is usually rather good.

What is New:• Over half of parents had not informed themselves about febrile seizures so far; and only 32% of parents realized their child had a febrile seizure when it occurred.• Most parents described own fear with a median intensity of 10/10; and 63% (will) give antipyretics earlier at a median temperature of 38.2 °C (100.8 °F).
Presence of autoantibodies in serum does not impact the occurrence of immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced hepatitis in a prospective cohort of cancer patients
Authors: Purde Mette-Triin , Niederer Rebekka , Wagner Nikolaus B. , Diem Stefan , Berner Fiamma , Hasan Ali Omar , Hillmann Dorothea , Bergamin Irina , Joerger Markus , Risch Martin , Niederhauser Christoph , Lenz Tobias L. , Früh Martin , Risch Lorenz , Semela David , Flatz Lukas
Published: December 2021

Purpose

Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-induced hepatitis belongs to the frequently occurring immune-related adverse events (irAEs), particularly with the combination therapy involving ipilimumab and nivolumab. However, predisposing factors predicting the occurrence of ICI-induced hepatitis are barely known. We investigated the association of preexisting autoantibodies in the development of ICI-induced hepatitis in a prospective cohort of cancer patients.

Methods

Data from a prospective biomarker cohort comprising melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients were used to analyze the incidence of ICI-induced hepatitis, putatively associated factors, and outcome.

Results

40 patients with melanoma and 91 patients with NSCLC received ICI between July 2016 and May 2019. 11 patients developed ICI-induced hepatitis (8.4%). Prior to treatment, 45.5% of patients in the hepatitis cohort and 43.8% of the control cohort showed elevated titers of autoantibodies commonly associated with autoimmune liver diseases (p = 0.82). We found two nominally significant associations between the occurrence of ICI-induced hepatitis and HLA alleles associated with autoimmune liver diseases among NSCLC patients. Of note, significantly more patients with ICI-induced hepatitis developed additional irAEs in other organs (p = 0.0001). Neither overall nor progression-free survival was affected in the hepatitis group.

Conclusion

We found nominally significant associations of ICI-induced hepatitis with two HLA alleles. ICI-induced hepatitis showed no correlation with liver-specific autoantibodies, but frequently co-occurred with irAEs affecting other organs. Unlike other irAEs, ICI-induced hepatitis is not associated with a better prognosis.
Prediction and analysis of annular pressure caused by temperature effect for HP/HT/HHS and water production gas wells in Sichuan Basin
Authors: Pu Cao
Published: December 2021

For the “three-high” gas wells in Sichuan Basin which are often regulated for production rate and shut-in for maintenance, annular pressure by temperature effect is a kind of wellbore safety threat that cannot be ignored. In this work, the wellbore temperature and pressure calculation model of gas–liquid two-phase flow with non-hydrocarbon correction and the prediction model of annular pressure by temperature effect is developed. Moreover, the judgment chart of annular pressure type is established through a large number of simulation calculations with different gas production rates and water production rates. Example calculation shows that whether water production and non-hydrocarbon components are considered in the prediction model has a non-negligible influence on calculation results. The predicted annular pressure is compared with that obtained from the actual measurement showing a good agreement. Meanwhile, the judgment chart realizes the valid determination of annular pressure type for three “three-high” gas wells in Sichuan Basin. Influential factors analysis indicates that reducing the thermal expansion coefficient of annulus fluid, adding the hollow glass spheres or injecting highly compressible protective liquid into the annulus and installing compressible foam material on the inner wall of casing are effective methods to control the annular pressure by temperature effect. To reserve partial annulus space can effectively reduce the annular pressure by temperature effect. For most of “three-high” gas wells in Sichuan Basin, the optimum height of annulus air cavity is 100 m.
Correlation between cerebrospinal fluid and plasma neurofilament light protein in treated HIV infection: results from the COBRA study
Authors: Alagaratnam Jasmini , De Francesco Davide , Zetterberg Henrik , Heslegrave Amanda , Toombs Jamie , Kootstra Neeltje A. , Underwood Jonathan , Gisslen Magnus , Reiss Peter , Fidler Sarah , Sabin Caroline A. , Winston Alan
Published: December 2021

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) neurofilament light protein (NfL) is a marker of central nervous system neuro-axonal injury. A novel, ultra-sensitive assay can determine plasma NfL. In untreated people-with-HIV (PWH), CSF and plasma NfL are strongly correlated. We aimed to assess this correlation in PWH on suppressive antiretroviral treatment (ART) and lifestyle-similar HIV-negative individuals enrolled into the COmorBidity in Relation to AIDS (COBRA) study. Differences in paired CSF (sandwich ELISA, UmanDiagnostics) and plasma (Simoa digital immunoassay, Quanterix™) NfL between PWH and HIV-negative participants were tested using Wilcoxon’s test; associations were assessed using Pearson’s correlation. CSF and plasma NfL, standardised to Z-scores, were included as dependent variables in linear regression models to identify factors independently associated with values in PWH and HIV-negative participants. Overall, 132 PWH (all with plasma HIV RNA < 50 copies/mL) and 79 HIV-negative participants were included. Neither CSF (median 570 vs 568 pg/mL, p = 0.37) nor plasma (median 10.7 vs 9.9 pg/mL, p = 0.15) NfL differed significantly between PWH and HIV-negative participants, respectively. CSF and plasma NfL correlated moderately, with no significant difference by HIV status (PWH: rho = 0.52; HIV-negative participants: rho = 0.47, p (interaction) = 0.63). In multivariable regression analysis, higher CSF NfL Z-score was statistically significantly associated with older age and higher CSF protein, and higher plasma NfL Z-score with older age, higher serum creatinine and lower bodyweight. In conclusion, in PWH on ART, the correlation between CSF and plasma NfL is moderate and similar to that observed in lifestyle-similar HIV-negative individuals. Consideration of renal function and bodyweight may be required when utilising plasma NfL.
Segmenteel testisinfarct. A case report
Authors: Oldenhof Antal P. , Cauberg Evelyne C. C. , de Boer Erwin
Published: December 2021

Samenvatting

In dit case report beschrijven wij een 36-jarige man, die zich op de Spoedeisende Hulp presenteerde met pijn in de rechterflank en rechter testis, die bleek te berusten op een segmenteel infarct van de rechter testis. Een segmenteel testisinfarct is een zeldzame oorzaak van acute scrotale pijn en is echografisch lastig te onderscheiden van een testistumor. De oorzaak is vaak idiopathisch. Predisponerende factoren zijn onder andere infectie, trauma en hematologische ziekten, zoals polycytemie. De behandeling is conservatief met pijnstillers, de pijn verdwijnt vaak spontaan.
Improved green and sintered density of alumina parts fabricated by binder jetting and subsequent slurry infiltration
Authors: Vogt J. , Friedrich H. , Stepanyan M. , Eckardt C. , Lam M. , Lau D. , Chen B. , Shan R. , Chan J.
Published: December 2021

Additive Manufacturing (AM) of ceramics is a constantly emerging field of interest both in research and in industry. Binder jetting-based AM of ceramics in particular offers the opportunity to produce large ceramic parts with a high wall thickness at a high throughput. One limitation is that it requires flowable powders, which are generally coarse and thus exhibit only limited sintering activity. The resulting low sintered densities impede the commercial binder jetting-based production of dense oxide ceramics. We present an approach to efficiently increase the green density of binder jetted alumina parts by optimized slurry infiltration, which also leads to a significant increase in the sintered density. In a first step, alumina parts were fabricated via binder jetting, using a 20-µm-sized alumina powder, yielding relative green densities of about 47–49%. Initial sintering studies with powder compacts showed that sintering even above 1900 °C is not sufficient to achieve acceptable densification. Therefore, green samples were infiltrated with a highly filled ceramic slurry to fill the remaining pores (about 2–5 µm in size) with smaller particles and thus increase the packing density. Particle volume content (40–50 vol%), particle size (100–180 nm) and the infiltration procedure were adapted for tests on cuboid samples to achieve a high penetration of the green bodies and a high degree of pore filling. In this way, the relative green density could be increased starting from about 47% after binder jetting, to 73.4% after infiltration and drying. After sintering at 1675 °C densities above 90% could be achieved, yielding three-point bending strengths up to 145 MPa. As a conclusion, this approach can be regarded as a promising route for overcoming the drawbacks of the binder jetting process on the way to denser, mechanically more stable sintered alumina parts.
Hermeneutik: matter of concern?
Authors: Baisch Martin
Published: December 2021

Der Beitrag umkreist zunächst aus der Perspektive der Lehre im Bereich der germanistischen Mediävistik Formen lesender Annäherung an das komplexe Erzählen im Bereich der mittelalterlichen Epik. Er plädiert vor dem Hintergrund der (zunehmenden) Diversität der Studierenden für ein Modell ›langen Beschreibens‹, das sich nicht vorschnell an überkommene Forschungspositionen kettet. Im Weiteren verfolgt der Essay anhand einer Skizze zur Forschungsgeschichte des Religiösen in Wolframs von Eschenbach Parzival die These, dass traditionelle hermeneutische Ansätze die unvermeidlichen habituellen Formungen und historischen Prägungen des forschenden Subjekts im Wissenschaftsprozess nicht erfassen können. Sie bedürfen der methodischen Ergänzung.