bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Research Design and Evaluation Strategies for Automated Driving
Authors: Kuhn Andreas , Carmona José , Thonhofer Elvira
Published: April 2022

Automated driving, in general, and platooning, in particular, represent a highly active field of research. The idea to automate traffic is closely related to high expectations in both individual and public transport. However, the complexity of automated driving requires methods beyond the traditional development approaches. This chapter describes a state-of-the-art methodology to organise and systematically address a comprehensive set of research questions in the context of truck platooning. Following best practices, an evaluation design is presented, which ensures the alignment of research efforts with the actual research agenda, that is, to answer the right questions. Specifically, the benefits of automated driving and their conflicting relationships are explored and the entities that affect automated driving performance and their interactions are presented. Finally, a solution concept that adequately addresses the complexity and the stochastic nature of the problem is presented. The solution concept consists of several key methods such as scenario-based design and stochastic simulation, data mining and complexity and robustness management.
Simulation of Platoon Dynamics, Optimisation and Traffic Effects
Authors: Thonhofer Elvira , Carmona José
Published: April 2022

This chapter outlines the methodologies required to realise a comprehensive scenario-based approach for effective and efficient development and validation of complex, cooperative control functions in connected and automated driving. These methods are exemplified for platooning and are devised in the scope of Connecting Austria, the Austrian flagship project on automated driving and goods transport. The development and validation approach have first been implemented vertically in depths for the intersection use cases of Connecting Austria. The scenario-based approach includes

The systematic identification, collection and collocation of the relevant and representative traffic scenarios.

The modelling and simulation of the according traffic and vehicle control strategies.

The effectiveness assessment of the traffic and vehicle control strategies with the help of suitable key performance indicators.

The controlled iterative adaption to new situations and boundary conditions by steady extension of the operational design domain within an adaptive, learning framework.

The demonstration use case “intersection” is the most complex with respect to possible C-ITS, traffic and vehicle control actions. That way generality should be guaranteed, enabling a quick, horizontal extension to further use cases and scenarios, aiming to cover all relevant situations for platooning vehicles within their operational design domain. The application of all methods introduced here will be demonstrated in Chap. 9.
Scenario-Based Simulation Studies on Platooning Effects in Traffic
Authors: Kuhn Andreas , Carmona José , Thonhofer Elvira , Hildenbrandt David
Published: April 2022

This chapter outlines the portfolio of simulation campaigns that have been carried out to thoroughly study the effects of platooning in the traffic system. The approach outlined in Chap. 7 is utilised to quantify typical platoon trajectories and manoeuvres in highway settings as well as in urban intersection scenarios. The addressed studies do not yield a single result, but instead depend on many parameters (such as platoon spacing/gap policy, surrounding traffic density and speed and many more) and are investigated in terms of the results’ sensitivities on these parameters. This approach allows one to draw meaningful conclusions despite the inherent uncertainty and spread of the influencing parameters. By using representative conditions, the resulting KPI distributions are evaluated and interpreted. Considering real traffic parameters, such as density, truck share, distances, speed and their empirical distributions and restrictions on the assumed “degree of connectivity” of trucks, maximum platoon length, an estimation of the real achievable traffic efficiency and the potential for improvement relative to the current status can be calculated.
Celonis PQL: A Query Language for Process Mining
Authors: Vogelgesang Thomas , Ambrosy Jessica , Becher David , Seilbeck Robert , Geyer-Klingeberg Jerome , Klenk Martin
Published: April 2022

Process mining studies data-driven methods to discover, enhance, and monitor business processes by gathering knowledge from event logs recorded by modern IT systems. To gain valuable process insights, it is essential for process mining users to formalize their process questions as executable queries. For this purpose, we present the Celonis Process Query Language (Celonis PQL), which is a domain-specific language tailored toward a special process data model and designed for business users. It translates process-related business questions into queries and executes them on a custom-built query engine. Celonis PQL covers a broad set of more than 150 operators, ranging from process-specific functions to machine learning and mathematical operators. Its syntax is inspired by SQL, but specialized for process-related queries. In addition, we present practical use cases and real-world applications, which demonstrate the expressiveness of the language and how business users can apply it to discover, enhance, and monitor business processes. The maturity and feasibility of Celonis PQL is shown by thousands of users from different industries, who apply it to various process types and huge amounts of event data every day.
Downregulation of epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) activity in cystic fibrosis cells by epigenetic targeting
Authors: Blaconà Giovanna , Raso Roberto , Castellani Stefano , Pierandrei Silvia , Del Porto Paola , Ferraguti Giampiero , Ascenzioni Fiorentina , Conese Massimo , Lucarelli Marco
Published: April 2022

The pathogenic mechanism of cystic fibrosis (CF) includes the functional interaction of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein with the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC). The reduction of ENaC activity may constitute a therapeutic option for CF. This hypothesis was evaluated using drugs that target the protease-dependent activation of the ENaC channel and the transcriptional activity of its coding genes. To this aim we used: camostat, a protease inhibitor; S-adenosyl methionine (SAM), showed to induce DNA hypermethylation; curcumin, known to produce chromatin condensation. SAM and camostat are drugs already clinically used in other pathologies, while curcumin is a common dietary compound. The experimental systems used were CF and non-CF immortalized human bronchial epithelial cell lines as well as human bronchial primary epithelial cells. ENaC activity and SCNN1A, SCNN1B and SCNN1G gene expression were analyzed, in addition to SCNN1B promoter methylation. In both immortalized and primary cells, the inhibition of extracellular peptidases and the epigenetic manipulations reduced ENaC activity. Notably, the reduction in primary cells was much more effective. The SCNN1B appeared to be the best target to reduce ENaC activity, in respect to SCNN1A and SCNN1G. Indeed, SAM treatment resulted to be effective in inducing hypermethylation of SCNN1B gene promoter and in lowering its expression. Importantly, CFTR expression was unaffected, or even upregulated, after treatments. These results open the possibility of CF patients’ treatment by epigenetic targeting.
Automorphism Groups of ind-Varieties of Generalized Flags
Authors: Ignatev Mikhail , Penkov Ivan
Published: April 2022

We compute the group of automorphisms of an arbitrary ind-variety of (possibly isotropic) generalized flags. Such an ind-variety is a homogeneous ind-space for one of the ind-groups $SL(\infty )$
S
L
(
∞
)
, $O(\infty )$
O
(
∞
)
or $Sp(\infty )$
S
p
(
∞
)
. We show that the respective automorphism groups are much larger than $SL(\infty )$
S
L
(
∞
)
, $O(\infty )$
O
(
∞
)
or $Sp(\infty )$
S
p
(
∞
)
, and present the answer in terms of Mackey groups. The latter are groups of automorphisms of non-degenerate pairings of (in general infinite-dimensional) vector spaces. An explicit matrix form of the automorphism group of an arbitrary ind-variety of generalized flags is also given. The case of the Sato grassmannian is considered in detail, and its automorphism group is the projectivization of the connected component of unity in the group known as Japanese $GL(\infty )$
G
L
(
∞
)
.
Financial toxicity in cancer patients treated with radiotherapy in Germany—a cross-sectional study
Authors: Fabian Alexander , Domschikowski Justus , Greiner Wolfgang , Bockelmann Gunnar , Karsten Elias , Rühle Alexander , Nicolay Nils H. , Grosu Anca L. , Dunst Jürgen , Krug David
Published: April 2022

Purpose

Financial toxicity arises in cancer patients from subjective financial distress due to objective financial burden from the disease or treatment. Financial toxicity associates with worse outcomes. It has not been described in cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy in Germany and its publicly funded health system. In this context, we therefore investigated the prevalence of financial toxicity, associated risk factors, and patient preferences on communication of financial burden.

Methods

We conducted a preregistered (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/KH6VX) cross-sectional study surveying patients at the end of their course of radiotherapy in two institutions. Objective financial burden was assessed by direct costs and loss of income. Financial toxicity was measured by subjective financial distress per EORTC QLQ-C30. We used Spearman’s correlation and Fisher’s exact test for univariate analysis, an ordinal regression for multivariate analysis. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

Of the 100 patients participating in the study, 68% reported direct costs, 25% loss of income, and 31% subjective financial distress. Per univariate analysis, higher subjective financial distress was significantly associated with active employment, lower quality of life, lower household income, higher direct costs, and higher loss of income. The latter three factors remained statistically significant in the multivariate analysis. A relative majority of the patients welcomed communication regarding financial burden with their radiation oncologist.

Conclusion

Financial toxicity is prevalent in cancer patients treated with radiotherapy in Germany. The reported risk factors may help to identify patients at risk. Future studies should validate these results and investigate interventions for financial toxicity to potentially improve outcomes.
On the function of lead (Pb) in machining brass alloys
Authors: Johansson Jakob , Alm Per , M’Saoubi Rachid , Malmberg Per , Ståhl Jan-Eric , Bushlya Volodymyr
Published: April 2022

Lead has traditionally been added to brass alloys to achieve high machinability, but the exact mechanisms at work are still debated. Lead-free brass alternatives could be developed if these mechanisms were better understood. Accordingly, machinability characteristics were investigated for two brass alloys with similar mechanical properties and phase composition, but with very different machining characteristics because one has 3 wt.% lead (CuZn38Pb3) while the other has only 0.1 wt.% (CuZn42). The effect of the lead was investigated using infrared temperature measurement, electron microscopy, secondary ion mass spectroscopy, quick-stop methods, and high-speed filming. Neither melting of lead nor its deposition on the tool rake surface takes place during machining thus confirming its limited lubrication and tribological effects. Instead, the main role of lead is to promote discontinuous chip formation. Lead deforms to flake-like shapes that act as crack initiation points when the workpiece material passes through the primary deformation zone. This effect prevents the development of stable tool–chip contact, thus lowering cutting forces, friction, and process temperature.
Effect of pomegranate supplementation on the wine yeast response to acidic and osmotic stresses
Authors: Caridi Andrea , Nicolò Antonella , Modafferi Antonino , De Bruno Alessandra
Published: April 2022

The aim of the present work was to verify in winemaking the anti-stress efficacy due to the integration of the grape must with two protectants: pomegranate albedo and pomegranate arils; these substances had displayed in vitro anti-stress effects. The effect of pomegranate supplementation on stress tolerance of five strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, one wild type and four descendants, against fermentation in grape must with high sugar content (30°brix) and high acidity (pH 3.00) was studied. So, micro-winemaking trials were carried out using grape must, as it is or supplemented at 2% with pomegranate albedo or with pomegranate arils, inoculated in duplicate with the yeast strains. At the end of winemaking, ethanol and acetic acid content, colour intensity, total phenolic content, and total antioxidant activity by DPPH and ABTS assays were analysed. The results shown the possibility to use pomegranate as protective agent in winemaking with high sugar content and high acidity giving wines in which the fermentable sugars will be fermented with acceptable acetic acid content, very high colour intensity values, very high total phenolic content, and very high antioxidant activity, expressed as DPPH and ABTS values.
Caribbean king crab larvae and juveniles show tolerance to ocean acidification and ocean warming
Authors: Gravinese Philip M. , Perry Shelby A. , Spadaro Angelo Jason , Boyd Albert E. , Enochs Ian C.
Published: April 2022

Coastal habitats are experiencing decreases in seawater pH and increases in temperature due to anthropogenic climate change. The Caribbean king crab, Maguimithrax spinosissimus, plays a vital role on Western Atlantic reefs by grazing macroalgae that competes for space with coral recruits. Therefore, identifying its tolerance to anthropogenic stressors is critically needed if this species is to be considered as a potential restoration management strategy in coral reef environments. We examined the effects of temperature (control: 28 °C and elevated: 31 °C) and pH (control: 8.0 and reduced pH: 7.7) on the king crab’s larval and early juvenile survival, molt-stage duration, and morphology in a fully crossed laboratory experiment. Survival to the megalopal stage was reduced (13.5% lower) in the combined reduced pH and elevated temperature treatment relative to the control. First-stage (J1) juveniles delayed molting by 1.5 days in the reduced pH treatment, while second-stage (J2) crabs molted 3 days earlier when exposed to elevated temperature. Juvenile morphology did not differ among treatments. These results suggests that juvenile king crabs are tolerant to changes associated with climate change. Given the important role of the king crab as a grazer of macroalgae, its tolerance to climate stressors suggests that it could benefit restoration efforts aimed at making coral reefs more resilient to increasingly warm and acidic oceans into the future.
Auf dünnem Eis
Authors: Portmann Edy
Published: April 2022

Mit seiner Common-Sense-Kolumne macht Edy Portmann auf die Probleme rund um Pseudoexaktheit aufmerksam. Am Beispiel der Polerforschung vor mehr als hundert Jahren zeigt er auf, dass die Wissenschaft manchmal zu grossen Wert auf Zahlen legt. Als Lösung schlägt er dieser vor, künftig auch Worten (mehr) Vertrauen zu schenken.
Executive functioning moderates the decline of retrieval fluency in time
Authors: Michalko Drahomír , Marko Martin , Riečanský Igor
Published: April 2022

Prevailing theoretical accounts consider that automatic and controlled processes are uniformly engaged in memory retrieval across performance of the semantic verbal fluency (SVF) task. We tested this proposal against the alternative, namely that a rapid automatic retrieval, exploiting stable associative structure in the early stages of the performance, is followed by a slower, more executively demanding, retrieval in later stages. Eighty-five healthy adults completed low- and high-demand SVF tasks that were assessed for retrieval rate, response typicality, and inter-response similarity across the performance. Additional measures of executive functioning were collected to estimate individual differences in executive control. We found that decrease in fluency in time was associated with lower typicality and weaker semantic similarity of the responses. Critically, the time-dependent retrieval slowing was steeper in individuals with less efficient interference control, particularly in high-demand SVF tasks. Steeper retrieval slowing was also associated with poorer working-memory capacity. Our findings show that the relative contribution of automatic and controlled processes to semantic retrieval changes with associative sparsity over time and across task demands, and provide implications for the use of SVF tasks in clinical assessment.
Financial toxicity of cancer care in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Donkor Andrew , Atuwo-Ampoh Vivian Della , Yakanu Frederick , Torgbenu Eric , Ameyaw Edward Kwabena , Kitson-Mills Doris , Vanderpuye Verna , Kyei Kofi Adesi , Anim-Sampong Samuel , Khader Omar , Khader Jamal
Published: April 2022

Introduction

The costs associated with cancer diagnosis, treatment and care present enormous financial toxicity. However, evidence of financial toxicity associated with cancer in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is scarce.

Aim

To determine the prevalence, determinants and how financial toxicity has been measured among cancer patients in LMICs.

Methods

Four electronic databases were searched to identify studies of any design that reported financial toxicity among cancer patients in LMICs. Random-effects meta-analysis was used to derive the pooled prevalence of financial toxicity. Sub-group analyses were performed according to costs and determinants of financial toxicity.

Results

A total of 31 studies were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of objective financial toxicity was 56.96% (95% CI, 30.51, 106.32). In sub-group meta-analyses, the objective financial toxicity was higher among cancer patients with household size of more than four (1.17% [95% CI, 1.03, 1.32]; p = 0.02; I2 = 0%), multiple cycles of chemotherapy (1.94% [95% CI, 1.00, 3.75]; p = 0.05; I2 = 43%) and private health facilities (2.87% [95% CI, 1.89, 4.35]; p < 0.00001; I2 = 26%). Included studies hardly focused primarily on subjective measures of financial toxicity, such as material, behavioural and psychosocial. One study reported that 35.4% (n = 152 of 429) of cancer patients experienced high subjective financial toxicity.

Conclusions

This study indicates that cancer diagnosis, treatment and care impose high financial toxicity on cancer patients in LMICs. Further rigorous research on cancer-related financial toxicity is needed.
Big 5, Little Choice? Lehren aus der Pandemie für die Regional- und Binnennachfrage nach Safaridestinationen
Authors: Bollmann Manuel
Published: April 2022

Auf das südliche Afrika verteilte sich vor der Pandemie circa 2 % des weltweiten internationalen Reiseaufkommens. Davon erreichten fast die Hälfte dieser jährlichen Ankünfte Südafrika. Während der Pandemie hat sich gezeigt, dass gerade die Zugpferde des internationalen Tourismusmarketing der Region, die Safarilodges und Naturerlebnisanbieter, ohne Ankünfte aus Übersee nicht zu bewirtschaften sind. Als Alternative für diesen Nachfrageeinbruch wird einer Steigerung der Regional- und Binnennachfrage kaum Potenzial zugestanden. Dieser Standpunkt soll hier bestritten werden, ohne dabei jedoch vom Alleinstellungsmerkmal des Safaritourismus abzurücken. Die Empfehlung zielt stattdessen auf eine Erweiterung des Angebotsspektrums ab. Dabei werden 3 Absichten verfolgt: Erstens, den Mangel an der Binnennachfrage für die klassischen Reiseangebote der Region zu ergründen, zweitens Chancen für eine Aufwertung des Afrikabildes darzulegen und drittens Potenziale für eine Produktdiversifizierung aufzuzeigen, die auch eine wachsende Regional- und Binnennachfrage in den Blick nimmt.
Changes in coronal alignment of the hip joint after medial opening wedge high tibial osteotomy
Authors: Patel Jaison , Patel Reece , Melton Joel
Published: April 2022

Purpose

An observation was made by the senior author of this paper that patients reported changes in their hip function after a medial opening wedge high tibial osteotomy (MOHTO) for varus pattern osteoarthritis. Alignment changes at the hip after MOHTO have not been previously documented. This study assesses coronal alignment changes at the hip after MOHTO.

Methods

We retrospectively analysed pre- and post-operative lower limb alignment radiographs of patients who underwent MOHTO. The medial proximal tibial angle (MPTA) and mechanical axis deviation (MAD) were measured to assess the alignment changes created by the MOHTO. The coronal alignment changes at the hip were evaluated using the mechanical greater trochanter angle (MGTA).

Results

29 osteotomies in 27 patients were included in this study. Results showed MOHTO created alignment changes at the hip. A positive correlation was found between the size of the correction at the knee and the subsequent changes at the hip. The change in the MGTA had a stronger correlation with the MAD than with the change in MPTA (r = 0.684 vs. 0.585). It was found that age, weight, height and BMI had no significant influence on these correlations.

Conclusions

Increased correction by the MOHTO lead to increased change in the coronal alignment of the hip. These changes are likely to result in an alteration in the weight bearing portion of the femoral head and the function of the abductors and we recommend assessing the hip joint as part of pre-operative planning.

Level of evidence

Prognostic level IV.
Effects of parameter uncertainties on the forecasted behavior of thermomechanically loaded thick-walled functionally graded spherical structures
Authors: Arslan Eray , Mack Werner
Published: April 2022

The subject of the investigation is an elastic functionally graded hollow spherical device under internal pressure and homogeneous heating. Since in reality uncertain parameter values are to be expected with respect to both basic material data and influences of the manufacturing process, the effects of these uncertainties are in the focus of the present study. For the numerical results, specifically a container or pressure vessel of steel-aluminum functionally graded material is considered. Essentially, the largest possibly occurring von Mises stress is taken as an assessment criterion. It is demonstrated that uncertainty ranges of the system inputs may cause much larger scattering ranges (in percentages) of the predicted maximum stresses. Moreover, the sensitivity of the results to variations of different individual parameter values is discussed, and it is shown that an application of sophisticated and computationally expensive homogenization schemes to the functionally graded material is meaningful only if the basic data can be determined with quite high accuracy.
Streptococcus pneumoniae colonization in health care professionals at a tertiary university pediatric hospital
Authors: Steurer Lisa-Maria , Hetzmannseder Mathias , Willinger Birgit , Starzengruber Peter , Mikula-Pratschke Claudia , Kormann-Klement Andrea , Weber Michael , Berger Angelika , Grill Agnes
Published: April 2022

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a commensal of the human upper respiratory tract. In certain cases, it can lead to serious invasive infections peaking in very young children and the elderly. Especially young children are frequent carriers and are thus regarded as the reservoir for horizontal transmission of pneumococci. This is the first study evaluating pneumococcal colonization patterns in healthcare professionals working in a tertiary care pediatric hospital, including carriage prevalence, serotype distribution, and risk factors for carriage. One oropharyngeal and one nasal swab per individual were directly plated onto appropriate agar plates and conventional culture was used for bacterial identification. Pneumococcal isolates underwent serotyping using Neufeld’s Quellung reaction with type-specific antisera. Additional nasal and oropharyngeal swabs were taken for qPCR analysis targeting lytA. In total, 437 individuals were enrolled. S. pneumoniae was isolated in 4.8% (21/437) of the study cohort using conventional culture and in 20.1% (88/437) of subjects using qPCR. Independent risk factors for pneumococcal carriage were living in the same household with children under 8 years of age and being aged 36–45 years with a carriage prevalence reaching 11.6% (vs. 2.9%, p = 0.002) and 6.7% (vs. 4.3%, p = 0.029), respectively. The most common serotypes were 6C and 3. A total of 71.4% (15/21) of the detected serotypes are not included in any currently available pneumococcal vaccine; 28.6% (6/21) of the carried serotypes are included in the PCV13 vaccine. We found a relevant amount of pneumococcal carriage bearing the potential risk of horizontal in-hospital transmission.
Eftozanermin alfa (ABBV-621) monotherapy in patients with previously treated solid tumors: findings of a phase 1, first-in-human study
Authors: LoRusso Patricia , Ratain Mark J. , Doi Toshihiko , Rasco Drew W. , de Jonge Maja J. A. , Moreno Victor , Carneiro Benedito A. , Devriese Lot A. , Petrich Adam , Modi Dimple , Morgan-Lappe Susan , Nuthalapati Silpa , Motwani Monica , Dunbar Martin , Glasgow Jaimee , Medeiros Bruno C. , Calvo Emiliano
Published: April 2022

Eftozanermin alfa (eftoza), a second-generation tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand receptor (TRAIL-R) agonist, induces apoptosis in tumor cells by activation of death receptors 4/5. This phase 1 dose-escalation/dose-optimization study evaluated the safety, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and preliminary activity of eftoza in patients with advanced solid tumors. Patients received eftoza 2.5–15 mg/kg intravenously on day 1 or day 1/day 8 every 21 days in the dose-escalation phase, and 1.25–7.5 mg/kg once-weekly (QW) in the dose-optimization phase. Dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) were evaluated during the first treatment cycle to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D). Pharmacodynamic effects were evaluated in circulation and tumor tissue. A total of 105 patients were enrolled in the study (dose-escalation cohort, n = 57; dose-optimization cohort, n = 48 patients [n = 24, colorectal cancer (CRC); n = 24, pancreatic cancer (PaCA)]). In the dose-escalation cohort, seven patients experienced DLTs. MTD and RP2D were not determined. Most common treatment-related adverse events were increased alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels, nausea, and fatigue. The one treatment-related death occurred due to respiratory failure. In the dose-optimization cohort, three patients (CRC, n = 2; PaCA, n = 1) had a partial response. Target engagement with regard to receptor saturation, and downstream apoptotic pathway activation in circulation and tumor were observed. Eftoza had acceptable safety, evidence of pharmacodynamic effects, and preliminary anticancer activity. The 7.5-mg/kg QW regimen was selected for future studies on the basis of safety findings, pharmacodynamic effects, and biomarker modulations. (Trial registration number: NCT03082209 (registered: March 17, 2017)).
Akzeptanz und Nutzung von E-Mental-Health-Angeboten unter Studierenden
Authors: Apolinário-Hagen Jennifer , Harrer Mathias , Salewski Christel , Lehr Dirk , Ebert David Daniel
Published: April 2022

Zielsetzung

Trotz der Effektivität verschiedener E‑Mental-Health-Interventionen wurden bislang verhältnismäßig geringe Nutzungsraten, selbst unter Digital Natives wie Studierenden, identifiziert. Ziel dieser Studie ist daher, das Verhältnis der generellen Akzeptanz, dem konkreten Interesse und der tatsächlichen Registrierung für ausgewählte, zielgruppenspezifische E‑Mental-Health-Programme zu untersuchen.

Methodik

Wir führten eine Sekundäranalyse einer in ein Online-Experiment eingebetteten Befragungsstudie mit n = 451 Studierenden (89 % Fernstudierende) zu Informationseffekten auf die Akzeptanz von E‑Mental-Health-Angeboten mit Untersuchung der Nutzungsabsicht sowie des Interesses im Verhältnis zu objektiven Daten, d. h. Registrierungen für ausgewählte E‑Mental-Health-Angebote zur Stressprävention und Gesundheitsförderung, durch.

Ergebnisse

Eine hierarchische Regressionsanalyse ergab das Stresslevel, wahrgenommene Ähnlichkeit mit Informationsquellen und Einstellungen als Determinanten der Nutzungsabsicht (R2 = 0,49). Aktuelles Interesse an der Teilnahme an einem bestimmten E‑Mental-Health-Angebot berichtete weniger als ein Drittel der Stichprobe (31 %). Überdies war die Intentions-Verhaltens-Lücke bei der Follow-up-Messung (n/N in %) beim Programm für Berufstätige geringer (85 % registriert) als für das Programm für Studierende (69 % registriert; insgesamt: 77 %).

Schlussfolgerung

Über drei Viertel der interessierten Studierenden haben sich für ein Programm registriert, was für die Bereitstellung einfacher, direkter Zugangsoptionen spricht. Zukünftige Studien sollten die Determinanten der Nutzung sowie Adhärenz bei E‑Mental-Health-Angeboten in Abhängigkeit von der Akzeptanz für verschiedene Subgruppen von Studierenden zur Entwicklung passgenauer Akzeptanzförderungsmaßnahmen genauer untersuchen.
Techno-bio-politics. On Interfacing Life with and Through Technology
Authors: Lipp Benjamin , Maasen Sabine
Published: April 2022

Technology takes an unprecedented position in contemporary society. In particular, it has become part and parcel of governmental attempts to manufacture life in new ways. Such ideas concerning the (self-)governance of life organize around the same contention: that technology and life are, in fact, highly interconnectable. This is surprising because if one enters the sites of techno-scientific experimentation, those visions turn out to be much frailer and by no means “in place” yet. Rather, they afford or enforce constant interfacing work, a particular mode of manufacturing life, rendering disparate, sturdy, and often surprisingly incompatible things available for one another. Here, we contend that both of those aspects, pervasive rationalities of interconnectability and practices of interfacing mark the cornerstones of what we call a new(ly articulated) techno-bio-politics of life. In order to grasp the government of life under the technological condition, we must understand how both human and non-human entities are being rendered interconnectable and re-worked through practices of interfacing. We take neuro-technology and care robotics as two illustrative cases. Our analysis shows that the contemporary government of life is not primarily concerned with life itself in its biological re-constitution but rather with life as it is interfaced with and through technology.
Spectroscopic methods for assessment of hand sanitizers
Authors: Banik Soumyabrata , Melanthota Sindhoora Kaniyala , Vannathan Anjana Anandan , Mahato Krishna Kishore , Mal Sib Sankar , Mazumder Nirmal
Published: April 2022

Sanitization of inanimate objects or body surfaces using disinfectant is essential for eliminating disease-causing pathogens and maintaining personal hygiene. With the advent of health emergencies, the importance and high demand for hand sanitizers (HS) are observed in everyday life. It is also important to know the constituent added to formulate HS, as the presence of harsh chemicals can cause skin irritation. In this study, different spectroscopic techniques were used to assess several commercially available HS along with the in-house prepared HS as per the WHO protocol. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy identified the different HS chemical bonds and quantified the amount of alcohol and water in the HS. Varying amount of alcohols in HS, calibration profile was generated to identify its amount in commercial samples. Further, the commercial samples were also checked for contaminants whose presence in the HS might bring down its sanitization efficacy.
Unveiling the Bio-corona Fingerprinting of Potential Anticancer Carbon Nanotubes Coupled with d-Amino Acid Oxidase
Authors: Boreggio Marta , Rosini Elena , Gambarotti Cristian , Pollegioni Loredano , Fasoli Elisa
Published: April 2022

The oxidation therapy, based on the controlled production of Reactive Oxygen Species directly into the tumor site, was introduced as alternative antitumor approach. For this purpose, d-amino acid oxidase (DAAO) from the yeast Rhodotorula gracilis, an enzyme able to efficiently catalyze the production of hydrogen peroxide from d-amino acids, was adsorbed onto multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), previously functionalized with polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) or polyethylene glycol (PEG) at different degrees to reduce their toxicity, to be targeted directly into the tumor. In vitro activity and cytotoxicity assays demonstrated that DAAO-functionalized nanotubes (f-MWCNTs) produced H2O2 and induced toxic effects to selected tumor cell lines. After incubation in human plasma, the protein corona was investigated by SDS-PAGE and mass spectrometry analysis. The enzyme nanocarriers generally seemed to favor their biocompatibility, promoting the interaction with dysopsonins. Despite this, PLGA or high degree of PEGylation promoted the adsorption of immunoglobulins with a possible activation of immune response and this effect was probably due to PLGA hydrophobicity and dimensions and to the production of specific antibodies against PEG. In conclusion, the PEGylated MWCNTs at low degree seemed the most biocompatible nanocarrier for adsorbed DAAO, preserving its anticancer activity and forming a bio-corona able to reduce both defensive responses and blood clearance.
Expression, Purification, Structural and Functional Characterization of Recombinant Human Parvulin 17
Authors: Monti Alessandra , Ronca Raffaele , Campiani Giuseppe , Ruvo Menotti , Doti Nunzianna
Published: April 2022

Parvulins, peptidyl-prolyl isomerase enzymes (PPIase), catalyze the cis–trans isomerization of prolyl bonds in polypeptides, contributing to folding and function regulation of many proteins. Among Parvulins, Par17, exclusively expressed in hominids, is the least examined in terms of structure, catalytic function and cellular activity. Setting the conditions for the preparation of recombinant active Par17 may therefore significantly foster future studies. Here, we comparatively evaluated the impact of several parameters, including host strains, culture media, isopropyl ß-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside concentration, post-induction incubation time and temperature, on the overexpression of Par17 in E. coli cells. A similar approach was also comparatively adopted for the preparation of the recombinant full-length Pin1 protein, the most representative Parvulin, and the catalytic domains of both enzymes. Proteins were efficiently expressed and purified to homogeneity and were subjected to a structural characterization by Size Exclusion Chromatography and Circular Dichroism. Moreover, a single-step homogeneous protease-based fluorimetric assay, potentially scalable in HTS format, has been developed for determining the peptidyl-prolyl cis–trans isomerase activity of recombinant Parvulins. Results obtained show that proteins are folded and active. These new data mark an important milestone for progressing the investigation of Parvulins.
The role of emotion regulation and intolerance to uncertainty on the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and distress
Authors: Gullo Salvatore , Gelo Omar Carlo Gioacchino , Bassi Giulia , Lo Coco Gianluca , Lagetto Gloria , Esposito Giovanna , Pazzagli Chiara , Salcuni Silvia , Freda Maria Francesca , Mazzeschi Claudia , Giordano Cecilia , Di Blasi Maria
Published: April 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic is increasing negative consequences on mental health around the globe. To date, research on what psychological factors could influence individuals’ distress is still scarce. The current study aims to test a multiple mediation model to examine the role of Intolerance of Uncertainty (IU) and emotional regulation (i.e., expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal) as joint factors, which can increase understanding of psychological distress due to the COVID-19 outbreak. An online survey measuring fear of COVID-19, IU, emotional regulation, and psychological distress was administered to 3863 Italian adults (females 73.3%; Mage = 36.44; SD = 14.74) during lockdown. Results showed that IU partially mediated the effect of fear of COVID-19 on depression, anxiety and stress. Moreover, individuals with difficulties in managing the uncertainties due to their fear of COVID-19 may be at risk for heightened use of expressive suppression and depression. However, individuals with both higher IU and expressive suppression showed lower level of stress. High cognitive reappraisal has a mediational effect on the relationship between fear of COVID-19, IU, and lower psychological distress. Findings suggest that IU and emotional regulation should be targeted for informing the development of tailored treatments to reduce the negative consequences of the outbreak.
(In)effective realism?
Authors: Saatsi Juha
Published: April 2022

Matthias Egg (2021) argues that scientific realism can be reconciled with quantum mechanics and its foundational underdetermination by focusing realist commitments on ‘effective’ ontology. I argue in general terms that Egg’s effective realism is ontologically overly promiscuous. I illustrate the issue in relation to both Newtonian mechanics and quantum mechanics.
Geochemical evaluation of groundwater and suitability of groundwater quality for irrigation purpose in an agricultural region of South India
Authors: Gugulothu Sakram , Subbarao N. , Das Rashmirekha , Dhakate Ratnakar
Published: April 2022

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the geochemical processes controlling the groundwater chemistry and also to assess the groundwater quality suitability criteria for irrigation purposes. An agricultural region of Telangana, South India, was selected for the present study. A total of 100 groundwater samples were collected and estimated for pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+), sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), bicarbonate ($${\text{HCO}}_{3}^{ - }$$

HCO

3

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), chloride (Cl−), sulfate ($${\text{SO}}_{4}^{2 - }$$

SO

4

2
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), nitrate ($${\text{NO}}_{3}^{ - }$$

NO

3

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), and fluoride (F−). The groundwater was characterized by mostly alkaline conditions with a dominance of Na+ and $${\text{HCO}}_{3}^{ - }$$

HCO

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ions, indicating the prevailing conditions of weathering and dissolution of silicate minerals. The various geochemical signatures such as Na+ vs Cl−, Ca2+  + Mg2+ vs $${\text{HCO}}_{3}^{ - }$$

HCO

3

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, Ca2+  + Mg2+ vs $${\text{HCO}}_{3}^{ - }$$

HCO

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 + $${\text{SO}}_{4}^{2 - }$$

SO

4

2
-

, $${\text{HCO}}_{3}^{ - }$$

HCO

3

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vs Cl− + $${\text{SO}}_{4}^{2 - }$$

SO

4

2
-

, Ca2+  + Mg2+ vs total cations, and Ca2+  + Mg2+ vs Na+  + K+ and the saturation indices with respect to calcite, halite, and gypsum suggest obviously the dominant conditions of carbonate weathering associated with the reverse ion exchange and evaporation processes as the geogenic factors. The linear trend of TDS vs $${\text{NO}}_{3}^{ - }$$

NO

3

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 + Cl−/$${\text{HCO}}_{3}^{ - }$$

HCO

3

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clearly  specifies the influence of non-geogenic sources on the aquifer system. These are the important contributors to the variation in the groundwater chemistry. However, the impact of the geogenic source is masking the influence of the anthropogenic source in some areas of the present study region. According to the salinity vs sodium adsorption ratio, residual sodium carbonate, magnesium ratio, and Kelly ratio, 99.9%, 7.06%, 63.07%, and 51.27% of the total study region come under the unsuitable categories for irrigation purposes, respectively. Therefore, the findings of this study recommended some site-specific appropriate management strategies for the safe supply of groundwater for proper crop growth and consequently for sustainable development of the rural environment.
Supporting senior high-school students’ measurement and geometry performance: Does spatial training transfer to mathematics achievement?
Authors: Adams Jonathan , Resnick Ilyse , Lowrie Tom
Published: April 2022

It is well established that spatial reasoning skills (i) support mathematics achievement, (ii) are malleable, and (iii) can be improved through training. More recently, there has been interest in using spatial training to causally support corresponding improvements in mathematics achievement; however, findings so far appear to be mixed. The current study explores the effect of a spatial reasoning intervention on Year 11 students’ spatial reasoning skills and mathematics achievement and considers the role of a pedagogical framework and the multidimensional nature of mathematics and spatial reasoning in the design of the intervention. The Experience-Language-Pictorial-Symbolic-Application (ELPSA) pedagogical framework was used to modify an existing spatial intervention program for delivery by high-school educators to Year 11 students (an important but understudied population). The spatial intervention involved training a range of spatial skills over an extended timeframe. Students were randomly assigned to the intervention condition or to a business-as-usual control (n = 73). Using a pre-/post-test design, we found the intervention was successful in improving participants’ spatial reasoning skills and performance on measurement and geometry items compared to the control condition but not on number and algebra items. These findings demonstrate that spatial training can support mathematics achievement in certain contexts, highlighting the importance of identifying how individual spatial skills support specific mathematics tasks. Consideration was given for how to use strong pedagogical techniques to scaffold transfer, finding utility in the ELPSA framework. Implications for how to embed spatial training within real mathematics classrooms, as done in the current study, are discussed.
A hybrid multi-objective bi-level interactive fuzzy programming method for solving ECM-DWTA problem
Authors: Zhao Luda , An Zongxu , Wang Bin , Zhang Yanqiu , Hu Yihua
Published: April 2022

Electronic countermeasure (ECM) has become one of the most significant factors in modern warfare, in the course of combat, the electronic jamming allocation tasks need to be flexibly adjusted with the change of combat stage, which puts forward higher requirements for the modeling and solution method of this kind of problems. To solve the ECM dynamic weapon target assignment (ECM-DWTA) problem, a hybrid multi-target bi-level programming model is established. The upper level takes the sum of the electronic jamming effects in the whole combat stage as an optimization objective, and locally optimizes the ECM weapon (ECM-WP) assignment scheme in each stage. The lower level takes the importance expectation value of the target subjected to interference and combat consumption as double optimization objectives to globally optimize the ECM-WP assignment scheme. Focus on solving this complex model, a hybrid multi-objective bi-level interactive fuzzy programming algorithm (HMOBIF) is proposed, in this method, exponential membership function is used to describe the satisfaction degree of each level. When solving the multi-objective optimization problem composed of membership functions in the upper and lower levels, we use the MOEA/D algorithm to obtain the Pareto Front (PF) solution set, and then each solution in PF is evaluated and selected by the TOPSIS multi-criteria evaluation method. This local and global interactive optimization process of bi-level model is actually the process of executing observation-orientation-decision-action loop in practical combat. According to the current example, we conduct numerical simulation on the parameters in the model and obtain the parameter values suitable for the model solution. The computational experiments on different scale ECM-DWTA problems show that HMOBIF method is superior to four bi-level programming algorithms in terms of performance index, and can better solve ECM-DWTA problems.
Elements of academic integrity in a cross-cultural middle eastern educational system: Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan case study
Authors: Farahat Ashraf
Published: April 2022

Introduction

Academic integrity is the expectation that members of the academic community, including researchers, teachers, and students, to act with accuracy, honesty, fairness, responsibility, and respect. Academic integrity is an issue of critical importance to academic institutions and has been gaining increasing interest among scholars in the last few years. While contravening academic integrity is known as academic misconduct, cheating is one type of academic misconduct and is generally defined as “any action that dishonestly or unfairly violates rules of research or education.

Case study

The case study presented in this paper describes the elements of academic misconduct in three Middle Eastern countries (Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan). Four categories of factors were analyzed, namely personal, cultural traits, contextual, and institutional. Moreover, a comparison of factors of misconduct is conducted in the three countries in order to examine how different learning environments and cultures can affect academic cheating. The study also investigates the role of teachers and administration system in enforcing integrity policy in educational institutes.

Discussion and evaluation

An evaluation of the main causes of cheating and plagiarism among students in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan is conducted by analyzing students’ response to a 20 questions survey. The nonparametric Dunn’s statistical analysis is performed to compare the variance and frequency of factors that may affect academic integrity. The significant results are reported in terms of the Krushal F statistic and p-value < 0.05. The evaluation was a useful process that demonstrated the main factors affecting academic integrity in the three countries.

Conclusion

Survey results show that the role of individual social-demographic and culture factors are significant for predicting misconduct in Saudi Arabia and Egypt but not in Jordan. Most students blamed their misconduct on laziness and willingness to achieve higher education performance. Students are more likely to cheat and plagiarize because they lack the ability or information to tackle assignments. Results illustrate that the cultural impact can be a significant factor in academic misconduct. Integrity policies and the level, at which they have been applied, have a large impact on student attitudes towards cheating and their academic misconduct.