bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic relationships of pour-on administered eprinomectin in nematode-infected lactating female and male castrated dairy breed goats
Authors: Gao Xiuqing , Kvaternick Valerie , Rehbein Steffen , Hamel Dietmar
Published: March 2022

Eprinomectin (EPM), a macrocyclic lactone with low excretion in milk and high efficacy against endoparasites and ectoparasites, is widely used in veterinary medicine. In this paper, EPM pharmacokinetics and anthelmintic efficacy previously established in one study with lactating female goats and three studies with male castrated growing dairy breed goats (all with induced mixed adult gastrointestinal nematode parasitism and treated with a single 1-mg/kg pour-on administration of EPM) were retrospectively evaluated using pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PK-PD) modeling. The PK-PD analyses between EPM exposure (Cmax and AUClast) and anthelmintic response (percent efficacy) were performed for lactating female goats only and pooled lactating female and male castrated goats. The Cmax and AUClast showed no significant difference between lactating female goats and combined male castrated goats. PK-PD modeling demonstrated Trichostrongylus colubriformis, a small-intestine nematode, as a suitable indicator of the EPM nematocidal efficacy. The EC90 values obtained by modeling Cmax vs T. colubriformis were 3.50 and 2.43 ng/mL for lactating female goats only and pooled lactating female and male castrated goats, respectively. The values of AUClast needed for 90% efficacy of T. colubriformis were 25.4 and 21.1 day*ng/mL for lactating female goats only and pooled lactating female and male castrated goats, respectively. Overall, the predicted pharmacological response against T. colubriformis is similar for lactating goats only and pooled lactating female and male castrated goats and correlates with observed efficacy. In conclusion, a dosage of 1-mg/kg EPM as a pour-on is sufficient to ensure efficacy against common nematodes in both lactating female and male castrated goats.
Organs-on-chip technology: a tool to tackle genetic kidney diseases
Authors: G. Valverde Marta , Faria João , Sendino Garví Elena , Janssen Manoe J. , Masereeuw Rosalinde , Mihăilă Silvia M.
Published: March 2022

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major healthcare burden that takes a toll on the quality of life of many patients. Emerging evidence indicates that a substantial proportion of these patients carry a genetic defect that contributes to their disease. Any effort to reduce the percentage of patients with a diagnosis of nephropathy heading towards kidney replacement therapies should therefore be encouraged. Besides early genetic screenings and registries, in vitro systems that mimic the complexity and pathophysiological aspects of the disease could advance the screening for targeted and personalized therapies. In this regard, the use of patient-derived cell lines, as well as the generation of disease-specific cell lines via gene editing and stem cell technologies, have significantly improved our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying inherited kidney diseases. Furthermore, organs-on-chip technology holds great potential as it can emulate tissue and organ functions that are not found in other, more simple, in vitro models. The personalized nature of the chips, together with physiologically relevant read-outs, provide new opportunities for patient-specific assessment, as well as personalized strategies for treatment. In this review, we summarize the major kidney-on-chip (KOC) configurations and present the most recent studies on the in vitro representation of genetic kidney diseases using KOC-driven strategies.
Nachhaltiger Bergbau 2050
Authors: Tost Michael , Streit Stefanie , Endl Andreas , Gugerell Katharina
Published: March 2022

Nachhaltigkeit und nachhaltige Entwicklung sind komplexe Themen. Die Gewinnung mineralischer Rohstoffe nimmt dabei aufgrund des ökonomischen Potentials und der Umwelt- und Sozialauswirkungen eine wesentliche Rolle ein. Daher wäre ein einheitlicher Rahmen zur Beschreibung einer verantwortungsvollen bzw. nachhaltigen Rohstoffgewinnung in Europa von Vorteil. Teil des Horizon 2020 Projektes SUMEX ist die Schaffung solch eines Rahmens. Das Projekt untersucht die Transformation des europäischen Rohstoffsektors von der Einhaltung bestehender Gesetze und einem verantwortungsvollen Umgang hin zu nachhaltigem Management. Mittels Recherche existierender Definitionen und Strategien zur Nachhaltigkeit im Kontext der Gewinnung mineralischer Rohstoffe, sowie Interviews mit verschiedenen Stakeholdern, wurde der SUMEX Nachhaltigkeitsansatz entwickelt. Dieser wurde speziell auf die europäische Rohstoffgewinnung zugeschnitten und soll dabei helfen, die erforderliche Transformation zu einem nachhaltigen Sektor bis zum Jahr 2050 zu verwirklichen. Der SUMEX Nachhaltigkeitsansatz beschreibt Aspekte eines nachhaltigen Managements in der europäischen Rohstoffindustrie durch verschiedene Themen und Ziele.
Efficient palmprint biometric identification systems using deep learning and feature selection methods
Authors: Trabelsi Selma , Samai Djamel , Dornaika Fadi , Benlamoudi Azeddine , Bensid Khaled , Taleb-Ahmed Abdelmalik
Published: March 2022

Over the past two decades, several studies have paid great attention to biometric palmprint recognition. Recently, most methods in literature adopted deep learning due to their high recognition accuracy and the capability to adapt with different acquisition palmprint images. However, high-dimensional data with a large number of uncorrelated and redundant features remain a challenge due to computational complexity issues. Feature selection is a process of selecting a subset of relevant features, which aims to decrease the dimensionality, reduce the running time, and improve the accuracy. In this paper, we propose efficient unimodal and multimodal biometric systems based on deep learning and feature selection. Our approach called simplified PalmNet–Gabor concentrates on the improvement of the PalmNet for fast recognition of multispectral and contactless palmprint images. Therefore, we used Log-Gabor filters in the preprocessing to increase the contrast of palmprint features. Then, we reduced the number of features using feature selection and dimensionality reduction procedures. For the multimodal system, we fused modalities at the matching score level to improve system performance. The proposed method effectively improves the accuracy of the PalmNet and reduces the number of features as well the computational time. We validated the proposed method on four public palmprint databases, two multispectral databases, CASIA and PolyU, and two contactless databases, Tongji and PolyU 2D/3D. Experiments show that our approach achieves a high recognition rate while using a substantially lower number of features.
Precision dentistry—what it is, where it fails (yet), and how to get there
Authors: Schwendicke Falk , Krois Joachim
Published: March 2022

Objectives

Dentistry is stuck between the one-size-fits-all approach towards diagnostics and therapy employed for a century and the era of stratified medicine. The present review presents the concept of precision dentistry, i.e., the next step beyond stratification into risk groups, and lays out where we stand, but also what challenges we have ahead for precision dentistry to come true.

Material and methods

Narrative literature review.

Results

Current approaches for enabling more precise diagnostics and therapies focus on stratification of individuals using clinical or social risk factors or indicators. Most research in dentistry does not focus on predictions — the key for precision dentistry — but on associations. We critically discuss why both approaches (focus on a limited number of risk factors or indicators and on associations) are insufficient and elaborate on what we think may allow to overcome the status quo.

Conclusions

Leveraging more diverse and broad data stemming from routine or unusual sources via advanced data analytics and testing the resulting prediction models rigorously may allow further steps towards more precise oral and dental care.

Clinical significance

Precision dentistry refers to tailoring diagnostics and therapy to an individual; it builds on modelling, prediction making and rigorous testing. Most studies in the dental domain focus on showing associations, and do not attempt to make any predictions. Moreover, the datasets used are narrow and usually collected purposively following a clinical reasoning. Opening routine data silos and involving uncommon data sources to harvest broad data and leverage them using advanced analytics could facilitate precision dentistry.
A survey on extraction of causal relations from natural language text
Authors: Yang Jie , Han Soyeon Caren , Poon Josiah
Published: March 2022

As an essential component of human cognition, cause–effect relations appear frequently in text, and curating cause–effect relations from text helps in building causal networks for predictive tasks. Existing causality extraction techniques include knowledge-based, statistical machine learning (ML)-based, and deep learning-based approaches. Each method has its advantages and weaknesses. For example, knowledge-based methods are understandable but require extensive manual domain knowledge and have poor cross-domain applicability. Statistical machine learning methods are more automated because of natural language processing (NLP) toolkits. However, feature engineering is labor-intensive, and toolkits may lead to error propagation. In the past few years, deep learning techniques attract substantial attention from NLP researchers because of its powerful representation learning ability and the rapid increase in computational resources. Their limitations include high computational costs and a lack of adequate annotated training data. In this paper, we conduct a comprehensive survey of causality extraction. We initially introduce primary forms existing in the causality extraction: explicit intra-sentential causality, implicit causality, and inter-sentential causality. Next, we list benchmark datasets and modeling assessment methods for causal relation extraction. Then, we present a structured overview of the three techniques with their representative systems. Lastly, we highlight existing open challenges with their potential directions.
Emissions from fossil fuels produced on US federal lands and waters present opportunities for climate mitigation
Authors: Ratledge Nathan , Zachary Laura , Huntley Chase
Published: March 2022

Between 2005 and 2019, a quarter of US fossil fuel production came from federal lands and waters. We estimate that the extraction, transportation and combustion of these fuels resulted in emissions equivalent to roughly 1.4 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year. To better understand their future role in the US emissions profile, we use publicly available data and machine learning to model coal, oil and natural gas production on federal lands and waters to 2030, and calculate associated life cycle climate emissions. We estimate that total emissions from fossil fuels produced on federal lands and waters decline 6% below 2019 levels by 2030; and note that absent additional policy, further reductions may be challenging as some of the cheapest fossil fuels occur on federally owned lands and many are effectively subsidized.
Health impact of natural gas emission at Cava dei Selci residential zone (metropolitan city of Rome, Italy)
Authors: Carapezza Maria Luisa , Tarchini Luca , Ancona Carla , Forastiere Francesco , Ranaldi Massimo , Ricci Tullio , De Simone Gabriele , Mataloni Francesca , Pagliuca Nicola Mauro , Barberi Franco
Published: March 2022

Natural gas hazard was assessed at Cava dei Selci, a residential neighbourhood of Marino (Rome) by a joint study of gas emissions and related health problems. Here a densely urbanized zone with 4000 residents surrounds a dangerous natural gas discharge where, along the years, dozens of animals were killed by the gas. Gas originates from Colli Albani volcano and consists mostly of CO2 with ~ 1 vol% of H2S. In recent years, several gas-related accidents occurred in the urbanized zone (gas blowouts and road collapses). Some houses were evacuated because of hazardous indoor air gas concentration. Gas hazard was assessed by soil CO2 flux and concentration surveys and indoor and outdoor air CO2 and H2S concentration measurements. Open fields and house gardens release a high quantity of CO2 (32.23 tonnes * day−1). Inside most houses, CO2 air concentration exceeds 0.1 vol%, the acceptable long-term exposure range. In several houses both CO2 and H2S exceed the IDLH level (Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health). An epidemiological cohort study was carried out on the residents of two Cava dei Selci zones with high (zone A) and medium (zone B) gas hazard exposure, using the rest of Marino as reference zone. We found excess mortality and emergency room visits (ERV) related to high exposure to CO2 and H2S; in particular, an increased risk of mortality and ERV for diseases of central nervous system (HR 1.57, 95% CI 0.76–3.25 and HR 5.82, 95% CI 1.27–26.56, respectively) was found among men living in zone A.
DRAMSys4.0: An Open-Source Simulation Framework for In-depth DRAM Analyses
Authors: Steiner Lukas , Jung Matthias , Prado Felipe S. , Bykov Kirill , Wehn Norbert
Published: March 2022

The simulation of Dynamic Random Access Memories (DRAMs) on system level requires highly accurate models due to their complex timing and power behavior. However, conventional cycle-accurate DRAM subsystem models often become a bottleneck for the overall simulation speed. A promising alternative are simulators based on Transaction Level Modeling, which can be fast and accurate at the same time. In this paper we present DRAMSys4.0, which is, to the best of our knowledge, the fastest and most extensive open-source cycle-accurate DRAM simulation framework. DRAMSys4.0 includes a novel software architecture that enables a fast adaption to different hardware controller implementations and new JEDEC standards. In addition, it already supports the latest standards DDR5 and LPDDR5. We explain how to apply optimization techniques for an increased simulation speed while maintaining full temporal accuracy. Furthermore, we demonstrate the simulator’s accuracy and analysis tools with two application examples. Finally, we provide a detailed investigation and comparison of the most prominent cycle-accurate open-source DRAM simulators with regard to their supported features, analysis capabilities and simulation speed.
Measuring Changes in Social Skills Throughout an Intervention Program for Children with ASD, Contributions from Polar Coordinate Analysis
Authors: Alcover Carlota , Mairena M. Ángeles , Rodríguez-Medina Jairo , Mezzatesta Marcela , Balañá Gemma , Elias Neus , Elias Maria , Arias-Pujol Eulàlia
Published: March 2022

The demand of social skills interventions for people with ASD has grown in recent years. The main goal of this research was to study social skills: “responding to interaction” and “initiating interaction”, and to capture whether there were differences between an initial and a final session in a program for children with ASD. Additionally, we aimed to compare social skills patterns according to the VIQ level. The sample (N = 20) was divided into 2 subgroups depending on whether the VIQ was > 90 or < 90. We employed a mixed methods approach based on a systematic observation of social behaviors. The observational design was nomothetic, follow-up, and multidimensional. Once we confirmed inter-observer reliability for the ad hoc observational instrument we performed descriptive statistics and polar coordinate analysis using LINCE software. The results show high intragroup and intergroup variability. In general, participants with VIQ < 90 showed a better improvement in responding to interaction, whereas participants with VIQ > 90 showed more complex patterns to initiate interactions. The polar coordinate technique was useful for detecting significant relationships between autism’s social micro-behaviors. Results and information obtained through observational methodology could allow professionals to understand communication and interaction of participants.
Materialising the Social Relationships of Hunter-Gatherers: Archaeological and Geochemical Analyses of 4th Millennium BC ‘Slate Ring Ornaments’ from Finland
Authors: Ahola Marja , Holmqvist Elisabeth , Pesonen Petro
Published: March 2022

During the 4th millennium BC, an intensive artefact circulation system existed among the hunter-gatherer peoples of north-eastern Europe. Along with other goods, ring-shaped ornaments that were mainly made of different kinds of slates or tuffites were commonly distributed. Although commonly referred to as ‘slate rings’, these ornaments consist mainly of fragments of rings. In this paper, we suggest that the ‘slate rings’ were never meant to be intact, complete rings, but were instead fragmented on purpose and used as tokens of social relationships relating to the gift-giving system. By refitting artefact fragments together, analysing their geochemical composition, micro details, and use-wear, we were able to prove that these items were not only intentionally fragmented but also likely worn as personal ornaments. Moreover, ED-XRF analysis of 56 of the artefacts showed a correlation between their geochemical characteristics and stylistic detailing, suggesting different production phases or batches. Comparative data analysis confirmed the provenance hypothesis that the majority of the analysed objects, or at least their raw materials, were exported over hundreds of kilometres from the Lake Onega region.
Child-to-Parent Cyber Violence: What Is the Next Step?
Authors: Suárez-Relinque Cristian , del Moral-Arroyo Gonzalo
Published: March 2022

Child-to-parent violence (CPV) presents important correlations with other forms of violence in the adolescent stage such as bullying and dating violence. The evolution of these forms of violence in recent years has followed a path from offline to online, although there is a high correlation between the two modalities of abusive behavior: Is it the same case with CPV? Based on the opinion of a group of experts, this original brief report reflects on the existence of child-to-parent cyber violence (CPCV) and proposes some preliminary indicators to identify it. A Delphi method was applied with a sample consisted of 12 experts in CPV (psychologists, social educators and social workers) with at least 5 years of experience (M = 7.32, SD = 4.21) and from both sexes (50% women). In the results, 8 indicators of CPCV have been identified. Two of them are related to the control of communication by adolescents and the need to obtain reinforcers immediately. Four other indicators are related to the damage of parent image in their social network sites. Finally, we found two indicators of violence exerted by adolescents oriented to get the economic resources to do online shopping and maintain their regular activity on the internet. There is unanimous agreement among experts on the existence of some behaviors that can be defined as CPCV. This study provides novel information on CPV and raise some questions that could help researchers interested in cyber violence to enter this emerging field.
Performance comparison of different flow arrangements of 4-fluid internally-cooled liquid desiccant dehumidifiers
Authors: Pakari Ali , Ghani Saud
Published: March 2022

In this study, the performance of 10 different flow arrangements of 4-fluid internally-cooled liquid desiccant dehumidifiers were compared. The four fluids are supply air, exhaust air, liquid desiccant, and water. The comparison was performed using a two-dimensional heat and mass transfer model of the dehumidifier that was solved numerically. The model’s predictions of supply air outlet humidity ratio matched experimental measurements within 6.7%. The two-dimensional variation of the air temperature and humidity ratio in the supply channel showed the importance of using a two-dimensional heat and mass transfer model when at least one of the fluids is in cross-flow with the other fluids. Moreover, a sensitivity analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of nine input parameters (supply air temperature and humidity ratio, exhaust air temperature and humidity ratio, liquid desiccant temperature, concentration, and flow rate, supply air mass flow rate, and exhaust to supply air mass flow rate ratio) on the performance of the dehumidifiers. The results showed that the best performance, in terms of the supply air humidity ratio and enthalpy decrease, was obtained when the supply air was in counter-flow with the exhaust air, liquid desiccant, and water. While the poorest performance was obtained when the supply air was in parallel-flow with the exhaust air and in counter-flow with the liquid desiccant and water. The approximate difference between the best and poorest performing flow arrangements in terms of the decrease in supply air humidity ratio and enthalpy is 4.3% and 10.5%, respectively. The results of the sensitivity analysis showed that for the 10 flow arrangements, the liquid desiccant inlet temperature, and flow rate have the least effects on the performance of the dehumidifier.
Corner’s theorem on modules with anti-isomorphic endomorphism algebras
Authors: Goldsmith Brendan , White Noel
Published: March 2022

We present a version of an unpublished result of A.L.S. Corner on p-adic modules with anti-isomorphic endomorphism algebras. The result gives a complete description of necessary conditions for two such modules to have anti-isomorphic endomorphism algebras and a sufficient condition is also given. A main difference in the current version is that extensive use is made of our ability to describe certain homomorphism groups.
Strong one-sided density without uniform density
Authors: Buczolich Zoltán , Hanson Bruce , Maga Balázs , Vértesy Gáspár
Published: March 2022

In this paper we give an example of a closed, strongly one-sided dense set which is not of uniform density type. We also show that there is a set of uniform density type which is not of strong uniform density type.
Asymptotic expansion of Fourier coefficients of reciprocals of Eisenstein series
Authors: Heim Bernhard , Neuhauser Markus
Published: March 2022

In this paper we give a classification of the asymptotic expansion of the q-expansion of reciprocals of Eisenstein series $$E_k$$

E
k

of weight k for the modular group $$\mathop {\mathrm{SL}}_2(\mathbb {Z})$$

SL
2

(
Z
)

. For $$k \ge 12$$

k
≥
12

even, this extends results of Hardy and Ramanujan, and Berndt, Bialek, and Yee, utilizing the Circle Method on the one hand, and results of Petersson, and Bringmann and Kane, developing a theory of meromorphic Poincaré series on the other. We follow a uniform approach, based on the zeros of the Eisenstein series with the largest imaginary part. These special zeros provide information on the singularities of the Fourier expansion of $$1/E_k(z)$$

1
/

E
k

(
z
)

with respect to $$q = e^{2 \pi i z}$$

q
=

e

2
π
i
z

.
Toward greater consistency and validity in measuring interdisciplinarity: a systematic and conceptual evaluation
Authors: Zwanenburg Sander , Nakhoda Maryam , Whigham Peter
Published: March 2022

While interdisciplinary research (IDR) has attracted much attention, this has not yet resulted in a coherent body of knowledge of interdisciplinarity. One of the impediments is a lack of consensus on its conceptualization and measurement. Some of the proposed measures have shown to misalign empirically, meaning that conclusions about IDR can differ across measures. To clarify this disagreement conceptually, and to stimulate better coherence in measurement, this paper starts with a review of the IDR definitions. From a synthesis of these definitions, we provide a conceptual definition and a logical structure of the construct, and derive evaluation criteria for its measures. We use these to evaluate 21 measures of IDR. The results show that measures vary widely in meeting the criteria, which can explain some of the observed inconsistencies in earlier studies. We discuss the most common limitations and present empirical analyses to gauge their severity. We present several suggestions for future measurement of the interdisciplinarity of research. We hope that with these suggestions, researchers can draw more consistent conclusions, aiding in the development of a coherent body of knowledge of this ever-important phenomenon.
How should evaluation be? Is a good evaluation of research also just? Towards the implementation of good evaluation
Authors: Daraio Cinzia , Vaccari Alessio
Published: March 2022

In this paper we answer the question of how evaluation should be by proposing a good evaluation of research practices. A good evaluation of research practices, intended as social practices à la MacIntyre, should take into account the stable motivations and the traits of the characters (i.e. thevirtues) of researchers. We also show that a good evaluation is alsojust, beyond the sense offairness, as working on good research practices implies keep into account abroader sense of justice. After that, we propose the development of a knowledge base for the assessment of “good” evaluations of research practices to implement a questionnaire for the assessment of researchers’ virtues. Although the latter is a challenging task, the use of ontologies and taxonomic knowledge, and the reasoning algorithms that can draw inferences on the basis of such knowledge represents a way for testing the consistency of the information reported in the questionnaire and to analyse correctly and coherently how the data is gathered through it. Finally, we describe the potential application usefulness of our proposal for the reform of current research assessment systems.
Paradigms and paradoxes: complementarity in chemical structures—a tribute to Erwin Chargaff
Authors: Hargittai Istvan
Published: March 2022

Linus Pauling pronounced the importance of complementarity in chemical structures and processes involving biological molecules. Erwin Chargaff’s discovery of base equivalence in DNA provided the most beautiful example of such complementarity. He taught us to appreciate both generalization and the understanding of minute differences in advancing science.
Molecular taxonomical identification and phylogenetic relationships of some marine dominant algal species during red tide and harmful algal blooms along Egyptian coasts in the Alexandria region
Authors: El-Hadary Mona H. , Elsaied Hosam E. , Khalil Nehma M. , Mikhail Samia K.
Published: March 2022

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) threaten the aquatic ecosystems due to either poisonous effects on living organisms or oxygen-consuming. So HABs’ accurate identification, including red tide, is crucial. This study aimed to molecular identification of dominant species during tide period in nine stations along Alexandria region at Egyptian costs during one year. Samples were collected weekly before water discoloration but daily during red tide intensive growth from both 50 cm below the surface and 3 m depth over the bottom from the water surface. The red tide detection was highly from early August to half of September, since its highest peak with a maximum frequency inside the Eastern Harbor. The examined cultures samples isolated during red tide had four dominant species. Peroxidase profile showed an expression pattern of three loci (Px1, Px2, and Px3) in most species. The Px2 was the only heterozygous locus among the three loci in all species. Protein profiling showed that 17 bands out of 65 were specific to the species. The phylogenetic relationships derived from profiles of protein and 18S rRNA gene operon sequences for the four isolated species were mostly similar. We identified the four dominant HABs species asAplanochytriumsp.,Chlamydomonassp.,Cryptophyceaesp., andPsammodictyonsp. based on their 18S rRNA sequences and deposited them at DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank database.Aplanochytriumsp. is recorded as a red tide causative species for the first time in the screened region despite belonging to the defunct fungi.
Enhancement in soil fertility, early plant growth and nutrition and mycorrhizal colonization by vermicompost application varies with native and exotic tree species
Authors: Xue Jianming , Bakker Mark R. , Milin Sylvie , Graham Doug
Published: March 2022

Purpose

The impact of vermicompost on tree-soil systems is not yet fully understood. This study aimed to comparatively investigate the effects of chemical fertilizer, compost and vermicompost on soil enzymatic activities, seedling mycorrhizal colonization, growth and nutrition of one exotic tree species (radiata pine, Pinus radiata D. Don) and two native tree species (mānuka, Leptospermum scoparium and tōtara, Podocarpus totara).

Methods

A 12-month-long pot trial was set up in the glasshouse with a factorial design of three tree species (radiata pine, tōtara and manuka) by six treatments, including T1-control, T2-chemical fertilizer, T3-HS compost, T4-HS vermicompost, T5-LS vermicompost and T6-CM vermicompost. We assessed the main effects and interactions of treatment and species on soil chemical and biological properties, plant growth and nutritional responses.

Results

Compared to the untreated control (T1), application of vermicomposts (T4-T6) and compost (T3) significantly improved soil chemical properties and enzymatic activities, and increased total seedling dry weight by 160–260%, shoot concentrations of nitrogen (N) by 54–97% and phosphorus (P) by 61–91%. Vermicomposts were comparable to diammonium phosphate (DAP) applied at 133 kg N ha−1 (T2) in stimulating the growth of native species (mānuka and tōtara) without negative impact on mycorrhizal colonization, with T5 being better than DAP (T2) in promoting mānuka growth. However, application of vermicompost alone was less effective than DAP in stimulating the exotic radiata pine growth. Overall, soil activities of dehydrogenase, urease, acid phosphatase and invertase were significantly and positively correlated to total C and N and exchangeable Ca and Mg.

Conclusion

The increased growth of three tree species after application of vermicomposts was mainly related to improved N and P nutrition associated with enhanced root growth and soil enzymatic activities. Our findings imply that the vermicomposting products from septic tank waste could be a promising alternative to inorganic fertilizers in land application or greenhouse potting media of native tree species.
Indigenous artefacts and physics curriculum: teaching science as a cultural way of knowing
Authors: Mashoko Dominic
Published: March 2022

This article considers science teaching and learning as may be understood through the integration of indigenous artefacts into physics curriculum in Zimbabwean schools. It comments significance of and elaborates on the issues raised in Nadaraj Govender and Edson Mudzamiri’s paper entitled: Incorporating indigenous artefacts in developing an integrated indigenous-pedagogical model in high school physics curriculum: views of elders, teachers and learners. At the outset, I examine the study’s conceptualisation of the terms indigenous knowledge (IK) and school science. Then, I offer an alternative view on the findings in light of theubuntutheoretical framework, as used in other studies. The article foregrounds theoretical and methodological arguments put forward by Govender and Mudzamiri for the incorporation of IK artefacts with physics education in schools. After that, I analyse the applicability of the article’s proposed integrated indigenous physics pedagogical model in the school curriculum. The paper ends with the contention that school science should be taught as a cultural way of knowing rather mere facts divorced from learners’ culture.
Why International Criminal Law Can and Should be Conceived With Supra-Positive Law: The Non-Positivistic Nature of International Criminal Legality
Authors: Pastor Muñoz Nuria
Published: March 2022

International criminal law (ICL) is an achievement, but at the same time a challenge to the traditional conception of the principle of legality (lex praevia, scripta, and stricta – Sect. 1). International criminal tribunals have often based conviction for international crimes on unwritten norms the existence and scope of which they have failed to substantiate. In so doing, they have evaded the objection that they were applying ex post facto criminal laws. This approach, the relaxation of the concept of law by including norms whose existence is doubtful, has apparently served to maintain a concept of strict legality, but it is unsatisfying (Sect. 2). In my opinion, the strict principle of legality that has linked its absolute validity to the positivity of law is not the correct premise. It makes sense to state that positivity and validity do not necessarily go hand in hand (Sect. 3). Applied to ICL, this means that it is neither necessary nor convincing to “conceal” supra-positive law as positive law, as some decisions of the international criminal tribunals do. For this reason, I consider that Radbruch’s formula, consisting in admitting that there are supra-positive limits which positive law must respect in order to be valid, is well-founded (Sect. 4). The path taken by this significant philosopher of law is methodologically convincing, and it squarely faces the problem of the value of positive law. Nevertheless, if we admit Radbruch’s formula and thereby the limited value of positive law (if we claim that the validity of the law depends on it respecting supra-positive minimums of justice), we must also face the problem of the definition of supra-positive values, the epistemological difficulties of having access to them (Sect. 5), and the question of the scope and enforceability of supra-positive law (Sect. 6). In summary, this article aims to explain why Radbruch’s formula offers a convincing conceptual basis for international criminal legality and, in doing so, aims to contribute to the discussion about the foundations of ICL.
Financial managers and organizational ambidexterity in the German Mittelstand: the moderating role of strategy involvement
Authors: Weigel Christine , Derfuss Klaus , Hiebl Martin R. W.
Published: March 2022

Relying on the upper-echelons perspective, this paper investigates the effect of financial managers’ characteristics on the level of organizational ambidexterity reached in German Mittelstand firms. These firms are often depicted as highly innovative and able to compete on worldwide markets despite significant resource constraints. We theorize that skilled financial managers are very important in making the optimal use of Mittelstand firms’ scarce resources and, in particular, for balancing exploitation and exploration, thus reaching high levels of ambidexterity. Our findings from a survey of German Mittelstand firms broadly confirm our expectations and show that financial managers’ individual entrepreneurial behavior correlates positively with the firms’ level of organizational ambidexterity. In addition, we find that firms with financial managers having enjoyed business education are more likely to reach high levels of ambidexterity if these financial managers are heavily involved in strategy development. Overall, these results indicate that well-suited financial managers are an important human resource for Mittelstand firms. In addition, our findings are among the first to show that financial managers not only influence finance and accounting choices, but also innovation-related outcomes such as organizational ambidexterity.
Recent Advances in Anticancer Activity of Novel Plant Extracts and Compounds from Curcuma longa in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Gull Nighat , Arshad Fareeha , Naikoo Gowhar A. , Hassan Israr Ul , Pedram Mona Zamani , Ahmad Arif , Aljabali Alaa A. A. , Mishra Vijay , Satija Saurabh , Charbe Nitin , Negi Poonam , Goyal Rohit , Serrano-Aroca Ángel , Al Zoubi Mazhar S. , El-Tanani Mohamed , Tambuwala Murtaza M.
Published: March 2022

Purpose

Among all forms of cancers, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common cancer worldwide. There are several treatment options for HCC ranging from loco-regional therapy to surgical treatment. Yet, there is high morbidity and mortality. Recent research focus has shifted towards more effective and less toxic cancer treatment options. Curcumin, the active ingredient in the Curcuma longa plant, has gained widespread attention in recent years because of its multifunctional properties as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anticancer agent.

Methods

A systematic search of PubMed, Embase and Google Scholar was performed for studies reporting incidence of HCC, risk factors associated with cirrhosis and experimental use of curcumin as an anti-cancer agent.

Results

This review exclusively encompasses the anti-cancer properties of curcumin in HCC globally and it’s postulated molecular targets of curcumin when used against liver cancers.

Conclusions

This review is concluded by presenting the current challenges and future perspectives of novel plant extracts derived from C. longa and the treatment options against cancers.
Association Between Antibiotic Overexposure and Adverse Outcomes in Very-Low-Birth-Weight Infants Without Culture-Proven Sepsis or Necrotizing Enterocolitis: A Multicenter Prospective Study
Authors: Hou Shanshan , Yu Yonghui , Wu Yanqiu , Cao Yangyang , Zhang Jinghui , Liu Zhijie , Guo Cheng , Chen Yao , Sun Xuemei , Li Min , Gao Yanling , Zhao Guoying , Niu Shiping , Zhou Zhiyuan , Wang Yu , Yang Zhenying , Huang Lei , Zhang Chengyuan , Chen Tong , Zhao Xinfeng , Li Xia , Zhang Yongfeng , Zhao Peng , Bi Meirong , Zhao Riming
Published: March 2022

Objectives

To explore the associations between higher antibiotic use rates (AURs) and adverse outcomes in very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants without culture-proven sepsis or necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in a multicenter of China.

Methods

A prospective cohort study was performed on VLBW infants admitted to 24 neonatal intensive care units from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2018. AUR was calculated as calendar days of antibiotic therapy divided by total hospital days. The composite primary outcome was defined as mortality or severe morbidity, including any of the following: severe neurologic injury, bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), and stage 3 or higher retinopathy of prematurity.

Results

A total of 1,034 VLBW infants who received antibiotics without culture-proven sepsis or NEC were included in this study. The overall AUR of eligible VLBW infants was 55%, and the AUR of each eligible VLBW infant ranged from 3 to 100%, with a median of 56% (IQR 33%, 86%). After generalized propensity score and logistic regression analysis of 4 groups of VLBW infants with different AUR range, infants in the higher quartile AUR, (Q3, 0.57~0.86) and (Q4, 0.87~1.00), had higher odds of composite primary outcome (adjusted OR: 1.81; 95% CI: 1.23–2.67; adjusted OR 2.37; 95% CI: 1.59–3.54, respectively) and BPD (adjusted OR: 3.09; 95% CI: 1.52–6.57; adjusted OR 3.17; 95% CI: 1.56–6.57, respectively) than those in the lowest AUR (Q1).

Conclusions

Antibiotic overexposure in VLBW infants without culture-proven sepsis or NEC was associated with increased risk of composite primary outcome and BPD. Rational empirical antibiotic use in VLBW infants is urgently needed in China.
Effect of fire on viability and germination behaviour of Cistus ladanifer and Cistus salvifolius seeds
Authors: Aguayo-Villalba Antonio Ángel , Álvarez-Gómez Concepción María , Aisa-Ahmed Mimunt , Barroso-Rodríguez Laura María , Camacho-López Samuel , Cocero-Ramírez Agustín , Sánchez-Romero Carolina
Published: March 2022

Fire is a natural phenomenon that is very frequent in ecosystems of the Mediterranean basin.Cistus ladaniferandC. salvifolius(Cistaceaefamily) are evergreen shrubs and components of plant communities found in this region. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of fire on the germination ofC. ladaniferandC. salvifoliusseeds. For this purpose, seeds of both species were subjected to different heat-shock treatments simulating natural fire conditions (50–175°C for 1 and 5 min). To elucidate the ecological significance of the effects of fire, viability and different traits informative about the dynamics of the germination process, such as final germination percentage (FGP), first day of germination (FDG), last day of germination (LDG), time spread of germination (TSG) and coefficient of velocity of germination (CVG), were determined. Seeds of both species exhibited fire-related behaviour, as they showed seed heat resistance and heat-stimulated germination. Germination in control, untreated seeds was very low, with 10 and 0% FGP forC. ladaniferandC. salvifolius, respectively. Thermal treatments significantly increased germination in both cases, with optimal results achieved at 100–125°C for 1 min and 75–100°C for 5 min. Under these conditions, greater germination percentages were obtained inC. salvifolius(92–95%) than inC. ladanifer(64–68%). Temperature proved to have a greater influence on seed viability and germination than the accumulated heat dose. The pattern of seed germination varied depending on the species and the heat shock treatments. In general,C. ladaniferexhibited earlier and faster germination. These characteristics, along with the high number of seeds produced per plant, makeC. ladanifera more competitive species for colonizing empty spaces after fire.
Changes in processing characteristics and microstructural evolution during friction extrusion of aluminum
Authors: Halak Ricardo M. , Rath Lars , Suhuddin Uceu F. H. R. , dos Santos Jorge F. , Klusemann Benjamin
Published: March 2022

This study focuses on characterizing the microstructural evolution of the aluminum alloy 7075 in the friction extrusion process under different extrusion forces and die angles. Depending on these conditions, two fundamentally different extrusion types are found, showing significant differences in the process characteristics and microstructural evolution. One of the two extrusion types is associated with high extrusion force and low die angle, leading to fully recrystallized wires with average grain size around 1.2 $$\upmu$$
μ
m. The microstructural analysis indicates that the microstructure present in the wires is generated in the charge material by the combination of tool geometry, load induced material flow and friction conditions in the initial stages of the friction extrusion process. The identified processing conditions and influencing factors introduce an alternative route for friction extrusion at low extrusion ratios, capable of producing completely refined wires.
Ru-functionalized Ni-doped dual phases of α/γ-Fe2O3 nanosheets for an optimized acetone detection
Authors: Tian Ruonan , Gao Zeyuan , Lang Ruifeng , Li Na , Gu Huilin , Chen Gang , Guan Hongtao , Comini Elisabetta , Dong Chengjun
Published: March 2022

Lately novel strategies to enhance the sensing properties on iron oxide have been proposed to achieve high performance gas sensors for acetone detection. In this working report, the synthesis of iron-glycerate (Fe-Gly) using glycerol to combine with Fe3+ is first presented. Depending on the thermal treatment, this compound can evolve into γ-Fe2O3, α/γ-Fe2O3 and α-Fe2O3. α/γ-Fe2O3 shows better sensing performance as far as acetone detection is concerned. Using the dual phases of α/γ-Fe2O3 as a fundamental building block, their sensing properties were further improved using Ni doping and Ru nanoparticles functionalization. The high response and selectivity to acetone detection was ascribed to the synergistic effects of unique nanosheets, mixed phases, rich oxygen vacancies and excellent catalytic activity of Ru nanoparticles.

Graphical abstract
Isotype Heterojunction-Boosted CO2 Photoreduction to CO
Authors: Ban Chaogang , Duan Youyu , Wang Yang , Ma Jiangping , Wang Kaiwen , Meng Jiazhi , Liu Xue , Wang Cong , Han Xiaodong , Cao Guozhong , Gan Liyong , Zhou Xiaoyuan
Published: March 2022

Photocatalytic conversion of CO2 to high-value products plays a crucial role in the global pursuit of carbon–neutral economy. Junction photocatalysts, such as the isotype heterojunctions, offer an ideal paradigm to navigate the photocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CRR). Herein, we elucidate the behaviors of isotype heterojunctions toward photocatalytic CRR over a representative photocatalyst, g-C3N4. Impressively, the isotype heterojunctions possess a significantly higher efficiency for the spatial separation and transfer of photogenerated carriers than the single components. Along with the intrinsically outstanding stability, the isotype heterojunctions exhibit an exceptional and stable activity toward the CO2 photoreduction to CO. More importantly, by combining quantitative in situ technique with the first-principles modeling, we elucidate that the enhanced photoinduced charge dynamics promotes the production of key intermediates and thus the whole reaction kinetics.
Prospective-randomized study comparing clinical outcomes of IVF treatments where embryos were cultured individually or in a microwell group culture dish
Authors: Fancsovits Peter , Pribenszky Csaba , Lehner Adam , Murber Akos , Kaszas Zita , Nemes Annamaria , Urbancsek Janos
Published: March 2022

Culturing embryos together in a microdrop of media may improve embryo quality, based on the results of animal studies, however individual identification of the embryos in such a system is not possible. The microwell group culture dish contains 9 or 16 microwells with a minimal well-to-well distance and a specific well morphology that facilitates paracrine and autocrine effects. The microwell group culture dish enables individual identification of the embryos while providing the environment that comes with similar benefits as group culture. Our aim was to investigate whether embryo culture in the microwell group culture dish (Primo Vision Dish, Vitrolife) improves IVF outcomes compared to individual culture in human IVF treatment. Five hundred thirty-two IVF-ET cycles were enrolled in this prospective randomized study in a university hospital. IVF cycles were randomized into microwell group culture and individual culture groups. Primary outcome measure was clinical pregnancy rate and secondary outcome measures were embryo quality, fertilization, implantation, delivery and embryo utilization rates. Fertilization rate in ICSI cycles was significantly higher in the microwell group culture group (70.6% vs. 64.9%, P = 0.001). Clinical pregnancy rate was 50.8% in the group culture and 40.6% in the individual culture (P = 0.022). Live birth rate was 41.5% in microwell and 32.9% in individual culture (P = 0.0496). Embryo utilization rate was higher in microwell group culture than in individual culture (80.6% vs. 75.0%; P < 0.001). Microwell group culture has a beneficial effect on IVF outcome and it also allows following up individual embryo development.

ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01774006.