bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Toward Camouflage Colors by Electrochemical Copolymerization
Authors: Ergun Emine Gul Cansu , Carbas Buket Bezgin
Published: December 2023

In this paper, a new electrochromic copolymer containing 6,9‐bis(2,3‐dihydrothieno[3,4‐b][1,4]dioxin‐5‐yl)‐1,2,3,4‐tetrahydrophenazine (EBE) and 4‐(9‐benzyl‐9H‐carbazol‐3‐yl)‐7‐(thiophen‐2‐yl)benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole (CBT) in the main chain was reported. The homopolymers, (Poly(EBE) and Poly(CBT)), were also prepared via electrochemical polymerization and their electrochemical, spectroelectrochemical and electrochromic properties were analyzed in order to compare their properties with those of copolymer (Poly(EBE‐co‐CBT)). The copolymer exhibited good switching property for military camouflage necessities with color change from hues of brown to green. Furthermore, it has been tried to analyze the effects of combination of two donor‐acceptor‐donor (DAD) type monomers with different symmetries on the copolymer properties.
Ultra‐low Mn(salen) supported on lignin and selective epoxidation of olefins
Authors: Guo Li , Yan Ting , Zhang Ran , Yi Lan , Wang Zixian , He Guoqing , Chen Jialing , Wu Xiaoqin
Published: December 2023

Precise design of highly efficient, low metal load and eco‐friendly catalysts is the key to sustainable catalysis and green chemistry. In this work, we develop an ultra‐low loading of Mn(salen) complexes covalent grafted with lignin and applied in the selective epoxidation of olefins using O2 as an oxidant. Lignin not only provides the Mn(salen) graft sites but also promotes substrate enrichment via the π‐stacking interaction between substrate and supports. In particular, high turnover frequencies (TOF) of 1833 h−1 can be obtained for styrene epoxidation under mild conditions, which can be superior to most reported Mn(salen) supported catalysts. Compared with cellulose, the lignin‐based catalysts exhibit a higher selectivity toward styrene oxide during the epoxidation of styrene under mild conditions. Controlled experiments indicate that the synergistic effect between phenolic hydroxyl groups and the Mn(salen) complex can improve the conversion rate and selectivity during the selective epoxidation of styrene. This work designs a series of lignin‐based catalysts with ultra‐low Mn(salen) loading, which broadens the utilization of lignin and gives enlightenment for the rational design of lignin‐based catalysts.
Efficient, Concise, and Chemoselective Synthesis of 1H‐Benzo[f]indole‐4,9‐dione with 4‐Hydroxycoumarin Substituent via a One‐Pot Three‐Component Reaction
Authors: Alizadeh Abdolali , Hasanpour Hamidreza , Rezaiyehraad Reza
Published: December 2023

Extensive studies on the biological activities of several quinone‐fused heterocycles have confirmed their outstanding antitumor activity. Therefore, a new family of 1H‐benzo[f]indole‐4,9‐dione derivatives with the 4‐hydroxycoumarin substitution was prepared by a high‐yield, one‐pot, concise three‐component reaction between arylglyoxals, 4‐hydroxycoumarin, and 2‐aminonaphthalene‐1,4‐dione derivatives under reflux in EtOH. This efficient protocol showed chemoselectivity in addition to facile operation procedure and easy purification.
Enhancing Efficiency and Stability in Organic Photovoltaics through Miscibility of High‐Tg Insulating Material with Y‐Series Nonfullerene Acceptors
Authors: Wu Xiang , Li Yaohui , Wang Yufei , Zhang Maoping , Zhu Qi , Huang Xi , Li Bolun , Xue YingYing , Qing Jian , Cai Wanzhu
Published: December 2023

Organic solar cells (OSCs) hold significant promise as candidates for next‐generation solar technology. Nevertheless, in state‐of‐the‐art OSCs using Y‐series nonfullerene acceptors, it remains challenging to achieve a high power conversion efficiency (PCE) while simultaneously addressing the inherent thermal instability. This study shows a straightforward additive strategy that can effectively accomplish both goals. By introducing 2 wt% commercially available insulating polyphenylene oxide (SA9000), the PCE and thermal stability of Y6‐based solar cells can be simultaneously improved. Atomic force microscopy confirms a slower coarsening process in the film with SA9000 under thermal stress. The investigation indicates that SA9000's success lies in its excellent miscibility with Y6, which can selectively alter electron mobility, resulting in a balance between hole and electron mobility, and also prevents excessive Y6 aggregation at elevated temperatures. This work reveals a selection criterion for commercial and low‐cost insulating materials as an additive to effectively improve the performance and stability of OSCs simultaneously.
DRIP: Segmenting individual requirements from software requirement documents
Authors: Zhao Ziyan , Zhang Li , Lian Xiaoli , Lv Heyang
Published: December 2023

Numerous academic research projects and industrial tasks related to software engineering require individual requirements as input. Unfortunately, according to our observation, several requirements may be packed in one paragraph without explicit boundaries in specification documents. To understand this problem's prevalence, we performed a preliminary study on the open requirement documents widely used in the academic community over the last 10 years, and found that 26% of them include this phenomenon. Several text segmentation approaches have been reported; however, they tend to identify topically coherent units which may contain more than one requirement. What is more, they do not take the constitutions of semantic units of requirements into consideration. Here we report a two‐phase learning‐based approach named DRIP to segment individual requirements from paragraphs. To be specific, we first propose a Requirement Segmentation Siamese framework, which models the similarity of sentences and their conjunction relations, and then detects the initial boundaries between individual requirements. Then, we optimize the boundaries heuristically based on the semantic completeness validation of the segments. Experiments with 1132 paragraphs and 6826 sentences show that DRIP outperforms the popular unsupervised and supervised text segmentation algorithms with respect to processing different documents (with accuracy gains of 57.65%–187.53%) and processing paragraphs of different complexity (with average accuracy gains of 54.46%–158.68%). We also show the importance of each component of DRIP to the segmentation.
First Eocene–Miocene anuran fossils from Peruvian Amazonia: insights into neotropical frog evolution and diversity
Authors: Jansen Olivier , Gómez Raúl Orencio , Fouquet Antoine , Marivaux Laurent , Salas‐Gismondi Rodolfo , Antoine Pierre‐Olivier
Published: December 2023

Anurans are one of the most diverse vertebrate groups, particularly in Amazonia, where species richness exceeds that of anywhere else. Amazonian frogs belong to three main lineages (Hyloidea, Microhylidae and Pipidae), each of which diversified during the Cenozoic. However, due to the virtual absence of an anuran fossil record in that area, the evolutionary history of modern lineages has so far remained accessible only via molecular data. In recent decades, a series of field campaigns in Peruvian Amazonia led to the discovery of an unparalleled set of anuran bone fragments, scattered across different sites spanning the Eocene–Miocene time interval. Here, we describe these first Palaeogene and early Neogene anurans from Peru with a focus on humeral and ilial morphology, identifying five humeral and five ilial morphotypes. Humeral morphotypes suggest the presence of different lineages of Brachycephaloidea in Peruvian fossil assemblages, whereas ilial morphotypes suggest the presence of Leptodactylidae, although leptodactylid‐like ilia also occur in some extant brachycephaloids. Pipids were also identified based on both humeral and ilial fragments. This study fills a major temporal and geographical gap in the evolutionary history of South American anurans, while further uncovering a lack of knowledge in the skeletal morphology of extant anuran families, as well as their inter‐ and intra‐species variability.
Preparation of Ni and NiCu/Yttria‐Stabilized Zirconia Model Electrodes with Optimized Triple‐Phase Boundary Geometry for Fundamental Operando Spectroscopic Studies
Authors: Thurner Christoph W. , Haug Leander , Winkler Daniel , Zarth Victoria , Glätzle Johannes , Ploner Kevin , Schäfer Jonathan , Penner Simon , Klötzer Bernhard
Published: December 2023

Solid oxide cell technologies play a pivotal role in the realm of renewable energy storage, guiding us through the journey toward decarbonization. Understanding how electrocatalytic materials behave under high‐temperature conditions is an absolute necessity to push these technologies forward. Operando spectroscopic investigations, such as near‐ambient pressure X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (NAP–XPS), offer insights into the chemical nature of active working electrodes, including the dynamic response of redox states and adsorbate chemistry to changing electrochemical conditions. Mixed ceramic–metallic electrodes exhibit a limited region with electrochemically active triple‐phase‐boundary (TPB) sites, which are located close to the electrolyte/electrode interface. To monitor this specific region spectroscopically, metallic (Ni) and bimetallic (NiCu) network‐like structures are synthesized on a yttria‐stabilized zirconia electrolyte and the electrochemical state and performance are studied by using operando NAP–XPS. In the experiments, the surface oxidation states under different polarizations are revealed, the gas composition dependent Nernst shift is confirmed, electrocatalytic activities are unraveled, and hydrogen evolution is correlated with the applied potential. The findings demonstrate, the effectiveness of thin‐film model cells with spectroscopically accessible TPB regions for probing interfacial states and electrochemical processes. The obtained fundamental knowledge can provide valuable insights for the advancement of renewable energy storage technologies.
Long‐Life Lead‐Carbon Batteries for Stationary Energy Storage Applications
Authors: Sajjad Muhammad , Zhang Jing , Zhang Shiwen , Zhou Jieqing , Mao Zhiyu , Chen Zhongwei
Published: December 2023

Owing to the mature technology, natural abundance of raw materials, high recycling efficiency, cost‐effectiveness, and high safety of lead‐acid batteries (LABs) have received much more attention from large to medium energy storage systems for many years. Lead carbon batteries (LCBs) offer exceptional performance at the high‐rate partial state of charge (HRPSoC) and higher charge acceptance than LAB, making them promising for hybrid electric vehicles and stationary energy storage applications. Despite that, adding carbon to the negative active electrode considerably enhances the electrochemical performance. However, carbon brings some adverse effects, such as the severe hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in the NAM due to the low overpotential of carbon material, promoting severe water loss in LCBs. From a practical application point of view, the irreversible sulfation of the negative active material (NAM) and extreme shedding and softening of the positive active material (PAM) are the main obstacles for next‐generation LCBs. Recently, a lead‐carbon composite additive delayed the parasitic hydrogen evolution and eliminated the sulfation problem, ensuring a long life of LCBs for practical aspects. This comprehensive review outlines a brief developmental historical background of LAB, its shifting towards LCB, the failure mode of LAB, and possible potential solutions to tackle the failure problems. The detailed LCB′s development towards long life was discussed in light of the reported literature to guide the researcher to date progress. More emphasis was directed toward the new applications of LCBs for stationary energy storage applications. Finally, state‐of‐the‐art progress and further research gaps were pointed out for future work in this exciting era.
The Role of Task Types and Reading Proficiency on Young English as a Foreign Language Learners' Writing Performances
Authors: Hsieh Ching‐Ni
Published: December 2023

This study examined the role of writing task types and L2 reading proficiency on young English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' writing performances. The participants were 185 students (Grades 7 and 8) from Denmark, Finland, and the Netherlands. The students responded to a descriptive and an email writing tasks that assessed their writing ability. The written responses were scored holistically and analyzed for aspects of lexical sophistication, syntactic complexity, writing fluency, and idea development. The students were grouped into strong or emergent readers based on their performances on an English reading comprehension test. Results showed that the students' writing performances differed across task types and were associated with their reading proficiency. The students produced more unique and concrete words and more complex syntactic structures and wrote longer essays in the descriptive writing task. Strong readers outperformed the emergent readers in both tasks and in writing fluency and idea development. Findings corroborate previous research on the connection between reading and writing skills and highlight the importance of strengthening young EFL learners' reading skills to support their writing development.
Patterns of on‐scene and healthcare system trauma deaths in the Western Cape of South Africa
Authors: Finn Julia , Dixon Julia M. , Moreira Fabio , Herbst Celeste , Bhaumik Smitha , Fleischer Chelsie L. , Stassen Willem , Beaty Brenda , Lourens Denise , Verster Janette , Fosdick Bailey , Lategan Hendrick J. , de Vries Shaheem , Uren Grace , Wylie Craig , Steyn Elmin , Geduld Heike , Mould‐Millman Nee‐Kofi
Published: December 2023

Background

Injuries account for 8% or 4.4 million deaths annually worldwide, with 90% of injury deaths occurring in low‐ and middle‐income countries. Inter‐personal violence and road traffic injuries account for most injury deaths in South Africa, with rates among the highest globally. Understanding the location, timing, and factors of trauma deaths can identify opportunities to strengthen care.

Methods

This is a retrospective cross‐sectional secondary analysis of trauma deaths from 2021 to 2022 in the Western Cape of South Africa. Healthcare system trauma deaths were identified from a multicenter study paired with a dataset for on‐scene (i.e., prior to ambulance or hospital) trauma deaths in the same jurisdictions. We describe locations, timing, injury factors, and cause of death. We assess associations between those factors.

Results

There were 2418 deaths, predominantly young men, with most (2274, 94.0%) occurring on‐scene. The most frequent mechanism of injury for all deaths was firearms (32.6%), followed by road traffic collisions (17.8%). On‐scene deaths (33.2%) were significantly more likely to be injured by firearms compared to healthcare system deaths (23.6%) (p‐value <0.01). Most healthcare system deaths within 4–24 h of injury occurred in a hospital emergency center. Among healthcare system decedents, half died in the emergency unit.

Conclusions

We identified a large burden of deaths from interpersonal violence and road traffic collisions, mostly on‐scene. In addition to primary prevention, shortening delays to care can improve mortality outcomes especially for deaths occurring within 4–24 h in emergency centers.
Conservation and health policy implications linked to the human consumption of sea turtles in northwestern Mexico
Authors: Aguirre A. Alonso , Fleming Lila C. , Sandoval‐Lugo Alejandra G. , Leal‐Moreno Renato , Ley‐Quiñónez César P. , Zavala‐Norzagaray Alan A. , Jacobsen Kathryn H.
Published: December 2023

Human consumption of sea turtles remains prevalent throughout Mexico even though laws restricting trade and take of threatened and endangered species have been in place for several decades. The illegal consumption of sea turtles represents a risk to animal conservation, and the pathogens in the meat can adversely affect human health. In 2017, we surveyed 201 adult residents of 22 coastal communities about their diets, health, and attitudes about the environment, and we collected hair samples that were tested for heavy metals. A large percentage of the samples had high levels of mercury (87%), arsenic (81%), lead (65%), aluminum (57%), and cadmium (31%). Odds ratios suggested that the 28% of participants who reported recent sea turtle consumption had an increased likelihood of high metal levels even after adjusting for sex, age, and consumption of fish that bioaccumulate heavy metals. Conservation efforts may be more successful when they appeal to people's self‐interest rather than merely focusing on ecological benefits. Concerns about toxins in sharks, tuna, and other types of deep‐sea fish have reduced human consumption of some species. Both sea turtle conservation and human health may benefit from awareness campaigns that emphasize the adverse outcomes associated with eating sea turtles while continuing to affirm the economic benefits of healthy ecosystems. Transdisciplinary research that draws on ecology, epidemiology, toxicology, law, and public policy provides a valuable foundation for solving complex health issues. Creative reframing of biodiversity concerns will be necessary for promoting planetary health in a time of accelerating environmental change.
Impure Realism, Pure Eventness, and Horror Cinema in the Post-truth Era: A Case Study of One Cut of the Dead
Authors: Zhu Yeqi
Published: December 2023

Through the case study ofOne Cut of the Dead—a 2017 zombie-comedy about how a film crew stage a zombie-film-within-a-zombie-film for live broadcast—this article examines contemporary media’s appropriation of the meta- or hyper-realism to represent “impure monsters” in the guise of the uncanny return of the repressed. By comparison, by moving away from the anthropomorphic realism that mainstreams zombie narratives as “alternative facts,”One Cut of the Deadinterrupts the production of post-truth and liberates its characters from the “anthropological machine” responsible for people’s anxiety about being impure. In this light, the article intends, by providing an interpretation of how subjectivities can be generated within the apocalyptic experience of filmmaking/filmviewing, to bring about a reconsideration of the uncanny realism as a radical openness towards zombie events’ impact. This openness requires us not to reduce the singularity of the event to preexisting means of understanding. Rather than assume that the fictional genre has become either escapist fantasy or doomsday visions, I suggest instead that today’s horror cinema has increasingly highlighted tensions between “eventness” and the post-truth illusory mechanism.
Methanolkonzentrationen im Serum nach dem Verzehr von Birnen
Authors: Jübner Martin , Lucuta Lina , Neis Maximilian , Andresen-Streichert Hilke
Published: December 2023

Hintergrund

Methanol hat als Begleitalkohol eine besondere Bedeutung bei der Beurteilung von Nachtrunkbehauptungen hinsichtlich der Dauer der Trinkphase und der Einschätzung einer Alkoholgewöhnung. Serummethanolkonzentrationen ab 10 mg/l werden grundsätzlich als Indiz für einen chronischen Alkoholabusus angesehen. Der Verzehr pektinhaltiger Früchte soll zu einem erheblichen Anstieg der Methanolkonzentration im Blutserum führen können. Ziel dieser Studie war daher die Untersuchung der aus einem Verzehr von Birnen resultierenden Serummethanolkonzentrationen hinsichtlich des zeitlichen Verlaufs und der maximalen Werte.

Methodik

Durch zwei Versuchspersonen wurde innerhalb von 15 min jeweils 1 kg Birnen verzehrt. Die Methanolkonzentrationen im Serum wurden über einen Zeitraum von etwa 8 h mittels Gaschromatographie-Flammenionisationsdetektor (GC-FID) bestimmt.

Ergebnisse

Physiologische Methanolserumkonzentrationen lagen bei beiden Probanden unterhalb von 1 mg/l. Nach Zeitintervallen von 95 min bzw. 160 min wurden Maxima von 2,5 mg/l bzw. 3,0 mg/l erreicht. Über den gesamten Versuchszeitraum lagen die Serumkonzentrationen oberhalb des Ausgangswertes (Nullprobe).

Diskussion

Der Verzehr von 1 kg Birnen resultierte in einer deutlichen Erhöhung der Serummethanolkonzentrationen. Die Konzentrationen zeigten einen ähnlichen zeitlichen Verlauf bei beiden Probanden. Die Maxima liegen deutlich unterhalb der Werte, welche für eine chronische Alkoholaufnahme sprechen. Die Resultate dieser Studie können die gutachterliche Beurteilung einer Alkoholgewöhnung sowie von Nachtrunkbehauptungen bei Angabe eines Verzehrs von Früchten unterstützen.
Initial results with [18F]FAPI-74 PET/CT in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Authors: Mori Yuriko , Kramer Vasko , Novruzov Emil , Mamlins Eduards , Röhrich Manuel , Fernández René , Amaral Horacio , Soza-Ried Cristian , Monje Barbara , Sabbagh Eduardo , Florenzano Matías , Giesel Frederik L. , Undurraga Álvaro
Published: December 2023

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic fibrosing interstitial lung disease with a poor prognosis. 68Ga-labeled FAP ligands exhibited highly promising results due to the crucial role of activated fibroblasts in fibrosis imaging of the lung. However, 18F-labeled FAP ligands might provide qualitatively much higher imaging results with accompanying economic benefits due to large-scale production. Thus, we sought to investigate the potential of [18F]FAPI-74 prospectively in a small patient cohort.

Methods

Eight patients underwent both [18F]FAPI-74-PET/CT and HRCT scans and were then compared with a control group without any fibrosing pulmonary disease. The tracer uptake of fibrotic lung areas was analyzed in synopsis with radiological and clinical parameters.

Results

We observed a positive correlation between the fibrotic active volume, the Hounsfield scale, as well as the vital and diffusing capacity of the lung.

Conclusion

The initial results confirm our assumption that [18F]FAPI-74 offers a viable non-invasive assessment method for pulmonary fibrotic changes in patients with IPF.
Parallel auxin transport via PINs and plasmodesmata during the Arabidopsis leaf hyponasty response
Authors: Li Jiazhou , Yang Jintao , Gao Yibo , Zhang Ziyu , Gao Chen , Chen Shaolin , Liesche Johannes
Published: December 2023

Key message

The leaf hyponasty response depends on tip-to-petiole auxin transport. This transport can happen through two parallel pathways: active trans-membrane transport mediated by PIN proteins and passive diffusion through plasmodesmata.

A plant’s ability to counteract potential shading by neighboring plants depends on transport of the hormone auxin. Neighbor sensing at the leaf tip triggers auxin production. Once this auxin reaches the abaxial petiole epidermis, it causes cell elongation, which leads to leaf hyponasty. Two pathways are known to contribute to this intercellular tip-to-petiole auxin movement: (i) transport facilitated by plasma membrane-localized PIN auxin transporters and (ii) diffusion enabled by plasmodesmata. We tested if these two modes of transport are arranged sequentially or in parallel. Moreover, we investigated if they are functionally linked. Mutants in which one of the two pathways is disrupted indicated that both pathways are necessary for a full hyponasty response. Visualization of PIN3-GFP and PIN7-GFP localization indicated PIN-mediated transport in parallel to plasmodesmata-mediated transport along abaxial midrib epidermis cells. We found plasmodesmata-mediated cell coupling in the pin3pin4pin7 mutant to match wild-type levels, indicating no redundancy between pathways. Similarly, PIN3, PIN4 and PIN7 mRNA levels were unaffected in a mutant with disrupted plasmodesmata pathway. Our results provide mechanistic insight on leaf hyponasty, which might facilitate the manipulation of the shade avoidance response in crops.
Herbert Coddington Major (1850–1921)
Authors: Larner Andrew J.
Published: December 2023

Herbert Coddington Major (Fig. 1) was a late nineteenth century pioneer in neuropathology and comparative neurology. No previous biographical article has been identified, suggesting he is now almost totally, yet unjustifiably, forgotten.
Post-acute exercise cardiovagal modulation in older male adults with and without type 2 diabetes
Authors: Marôco João Luís , Arrais Inês , Silvestre Tiago , Pinto Marco , Laranjo Sérgio , Magalhães João , Santa-Clara Helena , Fernhall Bo , Melo Xavier
Published: December 2023

Purpose

We examined heart rate variability (HRV) and baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) disease- and age-related response at 10-and 60-min after an acute high-intensity interval (HIIE) and moderate continuous exercise (MICE) in older adults with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and healthy young adults.

Methods

Twelve older male adults with (57–84 years) and without T2DM (57–76 years) and 12 healthy young male adults (20–40 years) completed an isocaloric acute bout of HIIE, MICE, and a non-exercise condition in a randomized order. Time and Wavelets-derived frequency domain indices of HRV and BRS were obtained in a supine position and offline over 2-min time-bins using Matlab.

Results

HIIE but not MICE reduced natural logarithm root mean square of successive differences (Ln-RMSSD) (d = − 0.85; 95% CI − 1.15 to − 0.55 ms, p < 0.001), Ln-high-frequency power (d = − 1.60; 95% CI − 2.24 to − 0.97 ms2; p < 0.001), and BRS (d = − 6.32; 95% CI − 9.35 to − 3.29 ms/mmHg, p < 0.001) in adults without T2DM (averaged over young and older adults without T2DM), returning to baseline 60 min into recovery. These indices remained unchanged in older adults with T2DM after HIIE and MICE. Older adults with T2DM had lower resting Ln-RMSSD and BRS than aged-matched controls (Ln-RMSSD, d = − 0.71, 95% CI − 1.16 to − 0.262 ms, p = 0.001; BRS d = − 3.83 ms/mmHg), 95% CI − 6.90 to − 0.76, p = 0.01).

Conclusions

Cardiovagal modulation following acute aerobic exercise is intensity-dependent only in adults without T2DM, and appears age-independent. These findings provide evidence of cardiac autonomic impairments in older adults with T2DM at rest and following aerobic exercise.
National peatland strategies in Europe: current status, key themes, and challenges
Authors: Nordbeck Ralf , Hogl Karl
Published: December 2023

Peatlands are globally important ecosystems that reflect many of today’s environmental challenges, particularly climate change and biodiversity loss. In recent years, several European countries have adopted national peatland strategies as integrated strategies that provide cross-sectoral policy frameworks to promote the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of peatlands. This paper reviews eight national peatland strategies that have been formally adopted in Europe, i.e., the peatland strategies of Austria, England, Germany, Finland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The strategies are analyzed based on six key themes: (1) the motivation for adopting national peatland strategies, (2) the generation of a sufficient database, (3) stakeholder participation and outreach, (4) institutional arrangements for cross-sectoral policy coordination and integration, (5) financial management strategies, and (6) mechanisms for monitoring and reporting. Our comparative study shows that there is a growing political commitment to sustainable peatland management in Europe. Although the national strategies show some differences in terms of the six key themes, they also show a high degree of similarity in terms of procedural aspects and the issues addressed. We conclude that the national strategies are currently performing quite well in terms of raising awareness and building capacity. However, the main challenge for the effective implementation of national peatland strategies is the issue of cross-sectoral policy integration.
Implementation quality of cooperative learning and teacher beliefs—a mixed methods study
Authors: Adl-Amini Katja , Völlinger Vanessa A. , Eckart Agnes
Published: December 2023

Cooperative learning (CL) refers to teaching methods in which students work in small groups to help one another learn and improve their learning outcomes. Often CL is described by five basic elements: (1) positive interdependence, (2) individual accountability, (3) promotive interaction, (4) social skills and (5) group processing. The positive effects of CL have been extensively documented. The quality of implementation, mostly determined by application of the five basic elements of CL, has been shown to be significantly related to the effectiveness of the methods. However, due to the complex demands that designing CL sequences places on teachers, the question of how and why they implement CL methods is not trivial. The present study used an explanatory mixed methods design with sequential phases (quantitative–qualitative) to investigate the implementation of CL in school practice. A survey, structured interviews with teachers and classroom observations rated on an observation scale including indicators of the basic elements of CL were used to gather data in a total of 49 German classrooms. Results show that the implementation quality of CL lessons was rather low. Only 7% of the observed teachers implemented the basic elements. Even group goals and individual accountability, the two most important elements of CL, were implemented in only 17% of the lessons observed. Survey results indicated that implementation quality is related to teachers’ evaluation of CL with regard to its appropriateness for different learning goals (r = .40*) and diverse students (r = .36*). Qualitative analysis of the teacher interviews analysed by thematic coding showed differences between teachers with high and low implementation quality regarding their beliefs. Teachers with high implementation quality see more value in social learning processes and feel more responsible for the success of CL. The results show a theory–practice gap and point to the relevance of beliefs for CL implementation.
Return to work after cancer–the impact of working conditions: A Norwegian Register-based Study
Authors: Le Giang Huong , Hermansen Åsmund , Dahl Espen
Published: December 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to compare a cohort of cancer survivors with a cohort of cancer-free employees (1) with respect to employment prospects over a 15-year period and (2) with respect to the differential impact of working conditions on employment over this time period.

Methods

The cancer cohort is retrieved from the Cancer Registry of Norway, while data on the non-cancer cohort are retrieved from register data managed by Statistics Norway. Job exposure matrices were used to remedy the lack of working-conditions information in the register data. We use nearest-neighbor matching to match the non-cancer cohort (the control group) to the cancer-survivor cohort (the treatment group). Cox regression analysis was applied to examine the relationships between working conditions, employment, and cancer. The results are reported separately for mechanical-job exposures and psychosocial exposures, as well as by gender.

Results

Cancer survivors are more likely to experience reduced employment as compared to individuals without a history of cancer. Male cancer survivors in physically demanding occupations have an increased risk of reduced employment after being diagnosed with cancer. This does not apply to female cancer survivors. Regarding the impact of psychosocial exposures on employment, we find no differences over time between cancer survivors and the non-cancer population.

Conclusions

Male cancer survivors in physically demanding occupations have an increased risk of reduced employment after being diagnosed with cancer, whereas this is not the case for female cancer survivors. Psychosocial exposures do not impact the relative risk of reduced employment over time.

Implications for cancer survivors

We suggest that return to work after cancer should be considered a process rather than only the re-entry step of resuming work. Thus, it is important to provide long-term support for cancer survivors. We recommend providing more attention to working conditions, particularly in occupations that involve a high level of mechanical-job exposures.
Transaortic septal myectomy at the time of aortic valve replacement for severe aortic stenosis: a case series of 55 cases
Authors: Karapanagiotidis Georgios Theodoros , Anastasakis Evangelos , Nana Chrysoula , Gukop Philemon Sylvester , Zakkar Mustafa , Tossios Paschalis , Grosomanidis Vasilios , Sarridou Despoina , Krimiotis Dimitrios , Sarsam Mazin Abdulla Ibrahim
Published: December 2023

Introduction

Symptomatic aortic valve stenosis (AS) is associated with asymmetric basal septal hypertrophy (ABSH) in 10% of cases. In this cohort, it has been suggested that rectification of the left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO) by concomitant septal myectomy (CSM) can improve the results of aortic valve replacement (AVR).

Objective

This study aims to present the technique of AVR with CSM for severe AS with ABSH and to determine the associated early and late post-operative outcomes.

Methods

Fifty-five patients were prospectively recruited to undergo AVR with CSM between 2011 and 2021 at two centres. The primary outcomes were mortality within 30 days, incidence of post-operative ventricular septal defects (VSD) and prosthetic valve sizing. The secondary outcomes were in-hospital complications, permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI), survival at 15 months and changes on transthoracic echocardiogram.

Results

Post-operative mortality was 1.8% and this figure was unchanged at 15-month follow-up. No patients developed a post-operative VSD. Intra-operatively, it was found that in 94.6% cases the direct valve sizing increased by one, when compared to the measurement made before CSM. The indexed effective orifice area (iEOA) was > 85 cm2/m2 in 96.4% and no patients had an iEOA ≤ 0.75 cm2/m2. Four patients (7.3%) required PPI due to complete atrioventricular block.

Conclusion

AVR with CSM is a simple technique that can be utilised in severe AS with ABSH. There does not appear to be an increase in mortality or incidence of iatrogenic VSDs. Importantly, CSM allows for the implantation of a larger aortic valve compared to measurements made before CSM.
Deutschlands Zeitenwende in der Sicherheits- und Verteidigungspolitik: The good, the bad, and the ambiguous
Authors: Matlé Aylin
Published: December 2023

Der erneute und breit angelegte russische Angriff auf die Ukraine seit dem 24. Februar 2022 erfordert ein grundlegendes Umdenken in der deutschen Sicherheits- und Verteidigungspolitik. Im vorliegenden Beitrag wird daher analysiert, inwiefern Deutschlands Sicherheits- und vor allen Dingen Verteidigungspolitik seit Februar 2022 angepasst wurde, und ob folgerichtig von einer tatsächlichen Zeitenwende gesprochen werden kann, oder aber, ob Berlin erst auf dem Weg ist, eine grundlegende Entwicklung zu vollziehen.
(Für‑)Sorgearbeit – Hausarbeit – Care-Arbeit: Soziale Arbeit – eine vergeschlechtlichte Profession
Authors: Schimpf Elke
Published: December 2023

Anhand der historischen Entwicklung der (Für-)Sorgearbeit in Deutschland wird gezeigt wie die geschlechtlich segregierte Arbeitsteilung als Praxis hervorgebracht und gesellschaftlich genutzt wurde. Weiter wird mit den Hausarbeitsdebatten und der Forderung nach ‚Lohn für Hausarbeit‘ der Frauenbewegungen in den 1979er Jahren, den Fragen nachgegangen, welchen Stellenwert Hausarbeit gesellschaftlich (und aktuell) hat und welche Zusammenhänge zwischen Sozialer Arbeit und Hausarbeit bestehen. Abschließend wird auf die internationalen Sorge- und Care-Debatten und deren Forderungen eingegangen wie auch deren Relevanz für die Soziale Arbeit. Dabei wird die ökonomische Eigenlogik von Sorge als ein bedeutsames Professionsmerkmal für die Positionierung der Sozialen Arbeit in den Sorge- und Reproduktionskämpfen eines sorglosen Kapitalismus benannt.
Privatisierungstendenzen in der Sozialen Arbeit
Authors: Meyer Nikolaus , Braches-Chyrek Rita
Published: December 2023

Die Qualifizierung für die Soziale Arbeit ist bereits in ihren Anfängen durch differente Zugänge und unterschiedliche Ausbildungsformen wie curriculare Inhalte oder Bildungsorte gekennzeichnet. Seit einiger Zeit zeigen sich allerdings neue Dynamiken: Die Qualifizierung für die Soziale Arbeit wird zunehmend durch private Organisationen geleistet, die gleichzeitig neue Formen der Qualifizierung vorantreiben. Der Beitrag untersucht die verschiedenen Qualifizierungswege in die Soziale Arbeit mithilfe statistischer Daten und fragt auch nach der Qualifizierung in der Sozialen Arbeit in Form von Fort- und Weiterbildungen.
Petrophysical rock typing based on the digenetic effect of the different microfacies types of Abu Madi clastic reservoir in Faraskur Gas Field, onshore Nile Delta, Egypt
Authors: Eysa Emad A. , Nabawy Bassem S. , Ghoneimi Ashraf , Saleh Ahmed H.
Published: December 2023

The sandstone of Abu Madi clastic reservoir constitutes the prime gas-producing reservoir in the Nile Delta region. So, the present research aims to delineate its microfacies and dominant diagenetic features and their effect on the petrophysical characteristics of the Abu Madi reservoir in the Faraskur Gas Field. This could be achieved by integrating the petrographical studies and the conventional data to divide the reservoir into some reservoir rock types (RRTs) to delineate the impact of the mineral composition and diagenetic features on their reservoir quality and hydraulic flow zones. Petrographically, most samples are immature and described as angular to subrounded, poorly sorted, and slightly cemented. Five clastic microfacies types are recorded in the Abu Madi Formation: (1) quartz arenite, (2) feldspathic quartz arenite, (3) sub-feldspathic quartz arenite, (4) quartz wacke, and (5) sub-feldspathic quartz wacke. The most important post-depositional processes affecting the reservoir quality are the precipitation of pyrite and microsparite, as well as the feldspars alteration into authigenic dispersed clays represented by kaolinite and smectite/illite mixed layers. The dominant pore types are the primary intergranular, with some subsidiary fractures and dissolution pores. To check the reservoir quality of the Abu Madi clastics, the NPI (normalized porosity index), FZI (flow zone indicator), RQI (reservoir quality index), and λk (permeability anisotropy) were estimated. Petrophysically, the studied samples are summed up into four RRTs, with the RRT4 group has the lowest ∅ and k values (av. ∅ = 16.2%, av. kH = 6.87 md) and the lowest reservoir quality parameters (av. FZI = 0.89 μm, av. DRT = 10.4, av. RQI = 0.18 μm, av. R35 = 1.26 μm). On the contrary, the RRT1 group has the best petrophysical and reservoir parameters (av. ∅ = 25.9%, av. kH = 2695 md, av. DRT = 14.9, av. RQI = 3.12 μm, av. FZI = 8.85 μm, av. R35 = 32.7 μm). The permeability anisotropy of the RRT2 and RRT3 is the highest in Faraskur Field (av. λk = 2.4 and 2.62, respectively). This study is applicable to other extensions of the Abu Madi reservoirs in the Nile Delta basin to help in predicting their reservoir quality, petrophysical properties, and their hydrocarbon potentiality.
Geochemical evaluation and source rock zonation by multi-layer perceptron neural network technique: a case study for Pabdeh and Gurpi Formations-North Dezful Embayment (SW Iran)
Authors: Jamshidipour Abolfazl , Khanehbad Mohammad , Mirshahani Maryam , Opera Ali
Published: December 2023

In this study, using a multi-layer perceptron neural network (MLPNN) model, total organic carbon (TOC) and hydrogen index (HI) values for Pabdeh and Gurpi Formations in the oil fields of Naft Sefid (NS-13), Kupal (KL-36, KL-38, and KL-48) and Palangan (PL-2) were calculated in the North Dezful Embayment located in the southwest of Iran. To build the MLPNN model, the geochemical data calculated by the Rock–Eval pyrolysis method (TOC and HI) and the conventional petrophysical well log data, including sonic transit time log (DT), formation density log (RHOB), total resistivity log (RT), spectral gamma-ray log, computed gamma-ray log and neutron porosity log from the NS-13 well were used. The log data were the input layer, and the geochemical data were the output layer of the model. Twenty-four datasets were used for MLPNN training, and seven datasets were used for MLPNN testing. Two hidden layers were considered in this technique. Each hidden layer has an activation function (tanh) and a solver parameter (lbfgs). The accuracy of measurement of TOC and HI indices of Pabdeh and Gurpi Formations in terms of R2 was 0.93 and 0.90, respectively. This model has higher accuracy than the ΔlogR technique (R2: 0.28). Considering the relationships between the input data and other wireline logs is an advantage of this technique. These two formations have five source rock zones. Pabdeh Formation has three zones. The middle zone of the Pabdeh Formation (Pz. II) has the highest TOC (2.6 wt%) and source rock potential. Pabdeh Formation has kerogen type II. Gurpi Formation has a weaker source rock potential than Pabdeh Formation due to its low TOC content (< 1%). Both source rock zones of this formation have low TOC, but in some layers of the lower zone of the Gurpi Formation (Gz. II), high values for TOC were predicted. Gurpi Formation has Kerogen types II and III.
Damage Curves Derived from Hurricane Ike in the West of Galveston Bay Based on Insurance Claims and Hydrodynamic Simulations
Authors: Xu Chaoran , Nelson-Mercer Benjamin T. , Bricker Jeremy D. , Davlasheridze Meri , Ross Ashley D. , Jia Jianjun
Published: December 2023

Hurricane Ike, which struck the United States in September 2008, was the ninth most expensive hurricane in terms of damages. It caused nearly USD 30 billion in damage after making landfall on the Bolivar Peninsula, Texas. We used the Delft3d-FM/SWAN hydrodynamic and spectral wave model to simulate the storm surge inundation around Galveston Bay during Hurricane Ike. Damage curves were established through the relationship between eight hydrodynamic parameters (water depth, flow velocity, unit discharge, flow momentum flux, significant wave height, wave energy flux, total water depth (flow depth plus wave height), and total (flow plus wave) force) simulated by the model and National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) insurance damage data. The NFIP insurance database contains a large amount of building damage data, building stories, and elevation, as well as other information from the Ike event. We found that the damage curves are sensitive to the model grid resolution, building elevation, and the number of stories. We also found that the resulting damage functions are steeper than those developed for residential structures in many other locations.
Strategies to Improve Care in the Emergency Department for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Adults: a Systematic Review
Authors: Hayba Nematullah , Cheek Colleen , Austin Elizabeth , Testa Luke , Richardson Lieke , Safi Mariam , Ransolin Natália , Carrigan Ann , Harrison Reema , Francis-Auton Emilie , Clay-Williams Robyn
Published: December 2023

Background

The emergency department (ED) is an important gateway into the health system for people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds; their experience in the ED is likely to impact the way they access care in the future. Our review aimed to describe interventions used to improve ED health care delivery for adults from a CALD background.

Methods

An electronic search of four databases was conducted to identify empirical studies that reported interventions with a primary focus of improving ED care for CALD adults (aged ≥ 18 years), with measures relating to ED system performance, patient outcomes, patient experience, or staff experience. Studies published from inception to November 2022 were included. We excluded non-empirical studies, studies where an intervention was not provided in ED, papers where the full text was unavailable, or papers published in a language other than English. The intervention strategies were categorised thematically, and measures were tabulated.

Results

Following the screening of 3654 abstracts, 89 articles underwent full text review; 16 articles met the inclusion criteria. Four clear strategies for targeting action tailored to the CALD population of interest were identified: improving self-management of health issues, improving communication between patients and providers, adhering to good clinical practice, and building health workforce capacity.

Conclusions

The four strategies identified provide a useful framework for targeted action tailored to the population and outcome of interest. These detailed examples show how intervention design must consider intersecting socio-economic barriers, so as not to perpetuate existing disparity.

Registration

PROSPERO registration number: CRD42022379584.
Factors Associated with Cancer Prevention/Risk Reduction Behaviors among Latinos
Authors: Rawl Susan M. , Maupome Gerardo , Golzarri-Arroyo Lilian , Parker Erik , O’Leary Heather A. , Espinoza-Gutarra Manuel R. , Valenzuela Robin E. , Malloy Caeli , Haunert Laura , Haggstrom David A.
Published: December 2023

Improving understanding of behaviors that increase or reduce cancer risk for different Hispanic groups is a public health priority; such knowledge is sparse in new gateway immigration locations such as Indiana. The aims of this study were to: 1) describe cancer beliefs and cancer preventive/risk reduction behaviors (physical activity, tobacco, and alcohol use) among Hispanic adults; 2) examine differences in cancer beliefs and preventive behaviors by country/territory of birth, socioeconomic status, and area of residence (urban vs. rural); and 3) determine predictors of engagement in cancer prevention and risk reduction behaviors in this population. A cross-sectional online survey targeted adult Indiana residents who identified as Latino, Hispanic, or Spanish recruited using Facebook-targeted advertising. Complete survey data from 1520 respondents were analyzed using descriptive, unadjusted, and adjusted models. The majority of respondents believed they were unlikely to get cancer but held many other fatalistic beliefs about cancer. Only 35.6% of respondents had received the HPV vaccine, 37.6% reported they were currently smoking cigarettes, and 64% reported occasional or frequent drinking of alcohol. Respondents spent an average of 3.55 days per week engaged in moderate exercise. Differences were observed by country/territory of birth, income, and education but not by rural residence status. Predictors of cancer risk/risk reduction behaviors were identified. The Hispanic population in Indiana is diverse and effective interventions for cancer prevention should be culturally targeted based on country/territory of birth and individually tailored based on cancer-related beliefs.