bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A review on the performance of oscillating heat pipe used in battery cooling
Authors: Suresh Kumar R. , Jayanthi N. , Sudhakar K. , Muralidharan K. , Jayaprabakar J.
Published: January 2023

When comparing base paths for converting to renewable energy with conventional based routes, electric vehicles (EVs) offer the most efficient and affordable solution for the aforementioned problem. EVs use lithium‐ion batteries to store energy, but these batteries face an array of difficulties, includes poor performance at both high and low temperatures, high temperature electrode life reduction and thermal runaway safety worries. These issues have a direct impact based on performance, dependability, cost, and security of the vehicle. For Lithium‐ion (Li‐ion) battery packs used in Electric Drive Vehicles (EDVs), selecting the best cooling technique and developing an effective cooling control strategy are crucial for enhancing security, increasing the pack's validity, and decreasing expenses. The appropriate range of temperatures for such battery packs range between 15°C and 35°C. Trade‐offs must be regarded when deciding how to cool and creating strategies, including those involving prices, complexity, weight, cooling results, homogeneity of temperature, and parasitic power. The batteries may be fatally destroyed if they overheat due to chemical reactions triggered by the flow of electrons during the charging and discharging operation in hot temperatures. Therefore, numerous thermal management of batteries system types as well as potential for progress are explored in this evaluation study. The Battery Thermal Management Systems (BTMS) for electric vehicles has a lot of room for further research, it is concluded. Temperature regulation of lithium‐ion batteries is challenging due to the weak heat resistance of lithium ions. The internal working temperature significantly affects influence on the functionality and lifespan of lithium‐ion batteries. To guarantee a Li‐ion batteries reliable performance for a given application, battery cell thermal characterization is crucial. Due to the high heat that commonly used Lithium‐ion (Li‐ion) batteries produce during fast charging and discharging, Thermal Management Systems (TMS) are necessary for the operation of electric cars. In this paper, an experimentally verified OHP system is suggested as a module for cooling batteries.
Colorado pet owners’ perceptions of and attitudes towards antimicrobial drug use and resistance
Authors: Taylor Daniel D. , Scallan Walter Elaine J.
Published: January 2023

Background

Antimicrobial drug (AMD) use in companion animal medicine may contribute to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in both pets and humans. However, pet owners' attitudes and perceptions regarding AMD use and AMR have not been extensively studied in the United States.

Methods

A cross‐sectional survey at five Colorado veterinary hospitals collected information about pet owners' knowledge and perceptions of AMD use and AMR, adherence with AMD treatment instructions and the role of the veterinarian in the AMD prescribing process.

Results

The pet owners surveyed did not have an adequate understanding of AMR and were unaware of the potential human health impact of AMD use in pets. However, most pet owners reported adherence with veterinary prescription instructions and indicated that they trusted their veterinarian to make appropriate decisions for their pets.

Limitations

The cross‐sectional design focusing on Colorado pet owners limits the generalisability of the results. Selection and social desirability biases may have occurred, which could have affected who participated and how participants responded to statements.

Conclusions

Pet owners play an important role in the AMD prescription process, and their lack of AMR understanding should be addressed in antimicrobial stewardship plans. Further research on how to effectively incorporate pet owners into  stewardship interventions is needed.
Mitigating floods and attenuating surface runoff with temporary storage areas in headwaters
Authors: Roberts Martyn T. , Geris Josie , Hallett Paul D. , Wilkinson Mark E.
Published: January 2023

Temporary storage areas (TSAs) represent a category of soft‐engineered nature‐based solutions that can provide dispersed, small‐scale storage throughout a catchment. TSAs store and attenuate surface runoff, providing new additional storage during flood events. The need for such additional catchment storage will become more urgent as the frequency and magnitude of extreme hydrological events increases due to climate change. Implementation of TSAs in headwater catchments is slowly gaining momentum, but practitioners still require further evidence on how such measures function during flood events. This review focuses on the role of relatively small‐scale (<10,000 m3) TSAs in headwater catchments for flood risk management. It also explores the potential wider benefits for implementing these as part of an integrated catchment management approach. TSA flood mitigation effectiveness is primarily determined by the TSA's available storage prior to the event. At the local scale, this can be represented by the relationship between TSA inputs, outputs and total storage. Factors influencing the local functioning and effectiveness of TSAs are discussed, with potential considerations for optimizing future TSA design and management. Hydrological models have suggested that TSAs could be used to effectively attenuate high magnitude events. However, future considerations should involve addressing the lack of empirical evidence showing TSA catchment scale effectiveness and how local TSA functioning might change in time. Small‐scale headwater TSAs offer a holistic and sustainable approach to catchment management that can deliver both local benefits to landowners and wider flood risk mitigation for society.

This article is categorized under:

Engineering Water > Sustainable Engineering of Water

Science of Water > Water Extremes

Science of Water > Hydrological Processes
The political ecology of small freshwater bodies in Kerala, India
Authors: Sankar Vinay , Suresh Lavanya
Published: January 2023

This article situates the empirical context of small freshwater bodies in the theoretical debates of commons and political ecology to understand the processes of institutionalization. We argue that a “politics of empty space” operating in the policy narratives and the practices have resulted in a partial decommodification of rural waters in Kerala. The communities, especially the oppressed and the marginalized, have managed to co‐produce ecological assets like rural ponds. Such efforts towards re‐embedding the economy in the society could be a starting point to address the water and the larger environmental crisis that we are in today.
Imaging optimisation process of human lung tissue using synchrotron radiation microcomputed tomography in PLS‐II
Authors: Lim Jae‐Hong , Lee Jeong Hyeon , Kim Seob‐Gu , Lee Sungho , Seo Seung‐Jun , Seok Yangki , Yi Eunjue
Published: January 2023

Synchrotron radiation microcomputed tomography (SR‐μCT) can provide non‐destructive three‐dimensional investigation for soft tissue with high resolution. The aim of this study is to evaluate technical improvements in microcomputed tomographic imaging of human lung tissue using a synchrotron radiation source at the 6C biomedical beamline. SR‐μCT images of excised human lung tissue (6 mm vertically and 10 mm horizontally sized) were explored at the 6C biomedical beamline in the Pohang accelerator laboratory (Pohang, Republic of Korea) using phase retrieval methods with a modified Bronnikov algorithm. Experimental data collection was performed with changes in the following conditions: the presence of a graphite attenuator, sample to detector distance, the presence of different scintillators and increasing pixel sizes. We identified that the resolution of lung tissue images was sufficiently enhanced when the graphite attenuator was not applied, 550 mm of sample to detector distance, with Cadmium tungsten (CdWO4) scintillator and twice binning of the pixel data and could be comparable with images from pathologic examination. Refinement of SR‐μCT techniques for soft tissue originating from the human body would advance the potential clinical application of synchrotron radiation in the near future.
Novel Modality of Endoluminal Anastomotic Integrity Assessment with Fluoroangiography After Left‐sided Colorectal Resections
Authors: Castagneto‐Gissey Lidia , Iodice Alessandra , Urciuoli Paolo , Pontone Stefano , Salvati Bruno , Casella Giovanni
Published: January 2023

Background

Several methods have been described for the intraoperative evaluation of colorectal anastomotic integrity. Technological evolution has allowed to progress from basic mechanical methods to the use of more sophisticated techniques. This study describes a novel endoluminal modality of colorectal anastomotic assessment through the use of a Disposable Rigid Scope Introducer (DRSI) also allowing for intraoperative endoluminal perfusion evaluation by indocyanine green (ICG) fluoroangiography in patients undergoing left‐sided colorectal resection.

Methods

The DRSI consists of an endoluminal introducer device made up of an insertion tube and port connected to an insufflation bulb to manually insufflate the sigmoid and rectum and is compatible with any laparoscopic camera, also allowing for ICG fluoroangiography for perfusion purposes.

Results

The DRSI was successfully used to assess anastomotic integrity after left‐sided colorectal resections performed in 16 consecutive patients. The DRSI allowed to visualize by fluoroangiography the quality of tissue perfusion at the anastomotic site in all cases, contributing to the decision of avoiding loop ileostomies in low rectal resections. In 2 cases, the DRSI showed the presence of significant anastomotic bleeding which was successfully controlled by laparoscopic suture placement. No adverse event resulted from the use of this device.

Conclusions

The DRSI combines direct endoluminal visualization of the anastomosis together with real‐time evaluation of its blood flow. This device holds great potential for prompt intraoperative detection of anastomotic alterations, possibly reducing the risk of postoperative anastomotic bleeding or leaks related to mechanical construction/perfusion issues. Potential advantages of this device warrant larger cohort studies and prospective randomized trials.
Characterizing porous disk wakes in different turbulent inflow conditions with higher-order statistics
Authors: Vinnes Magnus K. , Neunaber Ingrid , Lykke Hauk-Morten H. , Hearst R. Jason
Published: January 2023

The wakes of a uniform and a non-uniform porous disk exposed to two different turbulent flows are investigated experimentally. The disks are representative of static wind turbine models found in literature. Six wake profiles were collected through hot-wire anemometry between three and 30 diameters downstream of the disks. Both one-point and two-point statistics are studied. The results show that higher freestream turbulence affects the wake of the uniform disk more than that of the non-uniform disk, also changing the wake’s shape and recovery rate. Furthermore, we confirm earlier findings that the turbulence at the centerline in the developed part of the wake is independent of both the design of the wake-generating object and the inflow. Similar to findings in the wake of a wind turbine, a ring of high intermittency is found at the very edge of the wakes of both disks and in both inflow conditions. We identify the existence of this ring over a range of scales. The results show that, even for higher-order two-point statistics, the developed wake of different porous disks qualitatively agrees well with the wake of wind turbine models.

Graphical abstract
Effect of particle size on the suction mechanism in granular grippers
Authors: Santarossa Angel , D’Angelo Olfa , Sack Achim , Pöschel Thorsten
Published: January 2023

Granular grippers are highly adaptable end-effectors that exploit the reversible jamming transition of granular materials to hold and manipulate objects. Their holding force comes from the combination of three mechanisms: frictional forces, geometrical constraints, and suction effects. In this work, we experimentally study the effect of particle size on the suction mechanism. Through X-ray computed tomography, we show that small particles (average diameter $$d \approx {120}\,\upmu \hbox {m}$$

d
≈
120

μ
m

) achieve higher conformation around the object than larger particles ($$d \approx {4}\,\hbox {mm}$$

d
≈
4

mm

), thus allowing the formation of air-tight seals. When the gripper is pulled off, mimicking lifting of an object, vacuum pressure is generated in the sealed cavity at the interface gripper–object. If the particles used as filling material are too large, the gripper does not conform closely around the object, leaving gaps between the gripper’s membrane and the object. These gaps prevent the formation of sealed vacuum cavities between the object and the gripper and in turn hinder the suction mechanism from operating.

Graphical abstract
Secondary Lip Flow in a Cyclone Separator
Authors: Misiulia Dzmitry , Lidén Göran , Antonyuk Sergiy
Published: January 2023

Three secondary flows, namely the inward radial flow along the cyclone lid, the downward axial flow along the external surface of the vortex finder, and the radial inward flow below the vortex finder (lip flow) have been studied at a wide range of flow rate 0.22–7.54 LPM using the LES simulations. To evaluate these flows the corresponding methods were originally proposed. The highly significant effect of the Reynolds number on these secondary flows has been described by equations. The main finding is that the magnitude of all secondary flows decrease with increasing Reynolds number. The secondary inward radial flow along the cyclone lid is not constant and reaches its maximum value at the central radial position between the vortex finder external wall and the cyclone wall. The secondary downward axial flow along the external surface of the vortex finder significantly increases at the lowest part of the vortex finder and it is much larger than the secondary flow along the cyclone lid. The lip flow is much larger than the secondary inward radial flow along the cyclone lid, which was assumed in cyclone models to be equal to the lip flow, and the ratio of these two secondary flows is practically independent of the Reynolds number.
The Barriers and Facilitators to Decentralised Nurse-Led Mental Health Service Delivery in Sierra Leone
Authors: Hopwood Helen , Harris Dawn , Sevalie Stephen , Iyawa Gloria , Langan Martin Julie
Published: January 2023

In 2009, 98.0% of people with mental illness in Sierra Leone were not receiving treatment, partly due to the absence of public psychiatric facilities outside the capital. In response to this situation, the Ministry of Health and Sanitation rolled out nurse-led mental health units (MHUs) to every district. This study evaluates the barriers and facilitators to mental health service delivery in decentralised MHUs in Sierra Leone using key informant interviews and focus group discussions with 13 purposefully sampled clinical staff and senior management personnel. The interviews were audio-recorded, translated from Krio if necessary, transcribed, and analysed using manifest content analysis. The findings suggest that factors affecting nurse-led mental health service delivery include small workforce and high workload, culture and beliefs, risks, lack of safety measures and required resources, outdated policies, poor salaries, lack of funds for medication, distance, power, influence, and stigma. Factors that could facilitate nurse-led mental health services include: increasing motivation, increasing the workforce, knowledge sharing, mentorship, availability of medication, passion and modern psychiatry. The findings contribute towards understanding the challenges and opportunities faced by the recently established nurse-led decentralised mental health services across Sierra Leone, in order to address the large mental health treatment gap. We hope the findings will inform further policy and planning to improve the quality of decentralised mental healthcare.
Development of a New Event-Based Rainfall-Runoff Equation Based on Average Rainfall Intensity During an Event
Authors: Shokri Ali
Published: January 2023

Event-based rainfall-runoff models are practical tools commonly used to predict catchments’ response to a rainfall event. However, one of the main concerns is that the characteristics of rain events are neglected in the model development. This paper develops a novel event-based rainfall-runoff equation to incorporate rainfall characteristics into account. The performance of the new equation is evaluated based on the root mean square error, Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient, and per cent bias for 13,339 rainfall-runoff events between 2005 and 2020 over 23 catchments across New Zealand and Australia with oceanic, mediterranean, tropical, subtropical, and semiarid climates. Compared to the previous event-based models, the new equation shows an improvement in runoff estimation in almost all case studies. Furthermore, considering the new equation is simple, efficient, and takes the rain event duration into account, the new equation has the potential to become a robust alternative method to the conventional curve number method in hydrological engineering projects.
Adaptations to the Learning Environment for Elementary School Children in Georgia during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Casimir Olivia A. , Blake Sarah C. , Klosky Jill V. , Gazmararian Julie A.
Published: January 2023

In March 2020, the rapid spread of COVID-19 led to physical school closures across the United States. Schools quickly transitioned to a remote and/or virtual learning environment. This transition had implications for students at all levels of education, especially for those most vulnerable and school-dependent for ancillary resources. The goal of this qualitative exploratory research study was to examine how public elementary schools in Georgia adapted their learning environments for students in kindergarten through third grade during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data collection activities included school demographic surveys, parent surveys, interviews with twelve school administrators, and six focus groups with twenty-six parents. The participants discussed schools’ preparation capabilities, implementation of learning modalities, and resources for students and families. Most school personnel described the new virtual teaching demands as a hurdle for their teachers and identified several academic consequences stemming from inadequate technology access or training, such as student absenteeism and lower teaching performance. Schools lacked appropriate preparation as well as limited resources to transition to virtual learning. The COVID-19 pandemic aggravated pre-existing education and technology resource disparities for students and families of low socio-economic status or who live in rural areas. Findings from this study provide educators with information regarding deficiencies in the learning environment and provide recommendations for ongoing academic remedial efforts. Additionally, this study provides important context for the shortcomings of the COVID-19 learning environments and highlights the need to strengthen school community infrastructure and emergency planning.
Detecting Patient Deterioration Early Using Continuous Heart rate and Respiratory rate Measurements in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients
Authors: Peters Guido M , Peelen Roel V , Gilissen Vincent JHS , Koning Mark V , van Harten Wim H , Doggen Carine J.M.
Published: January 2023

Background

Presenting symptoms of COVID-19 patients are unusual compared with many other illnesses. Blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate may stay within acceptable ranges as the disease progresses. Consequently, intermittent monitoring does not detect deterioration as it is happening. We investigated whether continuously monitoring heart rate and respiratory rate enables earlier detection of deterioration compared with intermittent monitoring, or introduces any risks.

Methods

When available, patients admitted to a COVID-19 ward received a wireless wearable sensor which continuously measured heart rate and respiratory rate. Two intensive care unit (ICU) physicians independently assessed sensor data, indicating when an intervention might be necessary (alarms). A third ICU physician independently extracted clinical events from the electronic medical record (EMR events). The primary outcome was the number of true alarms. Secondary outcomes included the time difference between true alarms and EMR events, interrater agreement for the alarms, and severity of EMR events that were not detected.

Results

In clinical practice, 48 (EMR) events occurred. None of the 4 ICU admissions were detected with the sensor. Of the 62 sensor events, 13 were true alarms (also EMR events). Of these, two were related to rapid response team calls. The true alarms were detected 39 min (SD = 113) before EMR events, on average. Interrater agreement was 10%. Severity of the 38 non-detected events was similar to the severity of 10 detected events.

Conclusion

Continuously monitoring heart rate and respiratory rate does not reliably detect deterioration in COVID-19 patients when assessed by ICU physicians.
Nestin expression in intact and hypertrophic myocardium of spontaneously hypertensive rats during aging
Authors: Cizkova Dana , Zurmanova Jitka M. , Gerykova Lucie , Kouvelas Alexandros , Heles Mario , Elsnicova Barbara , Galatik Frantisek , Silhavy Jan , Pravenec Michal , Mokry Jaroslav
Published: January 2023

Nestin is a unique intermediate filament expressed for a short period in the developing heart. It was also documented in several cell types of the adult myocardium under pathological conditions such as myocardial infarction or fibrosis. However, circumstances of nestin re-occurrence in the diseased or aging heart have not been elucidated yet. In this work we immunohistochemically detected nestin to determine its expression and distribution pattern in the left ventricular myocardium of normotensive Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats and in the hypertrophic ones of spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) rats, both at the age of 1 and 1.5 year. No nestin+ cells were identified in the intact myocardium of 1-year-old WKY rats, whereas in the aged 1.5-year-old WKY rats nestin+ endothelial cells in some blood vessels were discovered. In the hypertrophic myocardium of all SHR rats, nestin was rarely detected in desmin+ vimentin− cardiomyocytes and in some vimentin+ interstitial cells often accumulated in clusters, varying in intensity of desmin immunoreactivity. Moreover, nestin was infrequently expressed in the endothelial cells of some myocardial blood vessels in 1-year-old SHR rats, but not in 1.5-year-old ones. Quantitative image analysis of nestin expression in the myocardium confirmed significant increase in 1.5-year-old WKY rats and in SHR rats of both ages compared to the intact 1-year-old WKY rats. This study firstly documents nestin re-expression indicating cytoskeletal remodelling in different cell types of the aging intact and chronically pressure over-loaded hypertrophied myocardium. Our findings confirm nestin involvement in complex changes during myocardial hypertrophy and progressive aging.
Understanding translational research in schizophrenia: A novel insight into animal models
Authors: Malik Jonaid Ahmad , Yaseen Zahid , Thotapalli Lahari , Ahmed Sakeel , Shaikh Mohd Farooq , Anwar Sirajudheen
Published: January 2023

Schizophrenia affects millions of people worldwide and is a major challenge for the scientific community. Like most psychotic diseases, it is also considered a complicated mental disorder caused by an imbalance in neurotransmitters. Due to the complexity of neuropathology, it is always a complicated disorder. The lack of proper understanding of the pathophysiology makes the disorder unmanageable in clinical settings. However, due to recent advances in animal models, we hope we can have better therapeutic approaches with more success in clinical settings. Dopamine, glutamate, GABA, and serotonin are the neurotransmitters involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Various animal models have been put forward based on these neurotransmitters, including pharmacological, neurodevelopmental, and genetic models. Polymorphism of genes such as dysbindin, DICS1, and NRG1 has also been reported in schizophrenia. Hypothesis based on dopamine, glutamate, and serotonin are considered successful models of schizophrenia on which drug therapies have been designed to date. New targets like the orexin system, muscarinic and nicotinic receptors, and cannabinoid receptors have been approached to alleviate the negative and cognitive symptoms. The non-pharmacological models like the post-weaning social isolation model (maternal deprivation), the isolation rearing model etc. have been also developed to mimic the symptoms of schizophrenia and to create and test new approaches of drug therapy which is a breakthrough at present in psychiatric disorders. Different behavioral tests have been evaluated in these specific models. This review will highlight the currently available animal models and behavioral tests in psychic disorders concerning schizophrenia.
Causal effects of a tax incentive on SME capital investment
Authors: Hosono Kaoru , Hotei Masaki , Miyakawa Daisuke
Published: January 2023

We estimate the causal effects of a tax incentive for specific productivity-enhancing equipment introduced in 2014 for Japanese small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Using firm-level panel data, we find, first, that the introduction of the tax incentive did not on average increase the capital investment rate of SMEs eligible for the tax incentive possibly due to the small number of firms using the incentive. Second, despite this finding, the firms using the tax incentive increased their capital investment rate and improved labor productivity more than the comparable firms holding the stated capital close to but more than the criterion of SMEs did. Third, firms using the tax incentive did not increase capital intensity. Fourth, more financially constrained firms using the tax incentive increased their capital investment rate to a greater degree. These results show that the use of the tax incentive mitigates financial constraints in upgrading capital.
Accumulation of toxic Pb(II) ions by the iron-containing minerals in the presence of ionic polyacrylamide soil conditioner
Authors: Latusek Kacper , Urban Teresa , Ulatowska Justyna , Polowczyk Izabela , Nowicki Piotr , Wiśniewska Małgorzata
Published: January 2023

The aim of this research was to determine the adsorption–desorption, surface, electrokinetic, and stability properties of aqueous suspensions of iron-containing minerals in the presence of anionic polyacrylamide (AN PAM) and lead(II) ions. Three minerals found in the soil environment, akaganeite, goethite, and magnetite, were synthesized based on the precipitation method. The interaction mechanism of heavy metal ions with polymer flocculant, which are adsorbed on the soil mineral particles, was proposed. It was shown that the best affinity to the AN PAM or/and Pb(II), adsorbed both from single and mixed solution, shows akageneite (characterized by the highly developed specific surface area). Polymer-metal complexes formed in the mixed adsorbate systems are rather stable, evidence of which is reduced desorption and consequently limited bioavailability of toxic lead ions for organisms and plants in soil environment.
Life cycle assessment of MHP (Mobile Hydrogen Powersupply), an off-grid system to charge battery electric vehicles
Authors: Konrad Johannes , Bernt Axel-Oscar , Hofmann Peter
Published: January 2023

Purpose

The paper introduces MHP (Mobile Hydrogen Powersupply), an off-grid fuel cell electric system to recharge (stranded) BEVs, and discusses MHP from the life cycle perspective. The LCA shows the effects of system architecture, charging efficiency, hydrogen supply routes, and the predicted electric vehicle recharging demand on global warming potential and energy consumption and further gives recommendations to optimize the assessed environmental impact.

Methods

Demand scenarios of mobile recharging assistances due to BEVs, stranded with an uncharged battery, are predicted for Austria and the greater Vienna area. The introduction of MHP follows the discussion of system architecture, operation strategy, and energetic charging efficiency. The LCA follows the guidance of the ISO 14040 standard and applies the Circular Footprint Formula. The functional unit is 1 kWh of electrical energy, balanced at the charging interface. The system boundary includes raw material extraction, production, transport of resources and products, use, and end of life management. The hydrogen supply is modeled representatively for Austria. The selected impact categories are global warming potential and cumulated energy demand. The data originate, among others, from GEMIS Austria, GREET2, and ProBas.

Results and discussion

Environmental impacts vary between 0.40 and 1.58 kg CO2eq/kWh-el and 4.95 to 7.68 kWh/kWh-el in the life cycle. In production and end of life processes, the hydrogen storage system leads to the highest weight-specific GWP and CED of MHP sub-systems due to the large share of CFRP. The efficiency of the MHP system is directly reflected in the use phase’s environmental impacts. The impact of MHP cooling efficiency, charging efficiency, and operation strategy on GWP and CED is below 12%. The CED primarily originates from hydrogen production. If the hydrogen supply route is mostly renewable and generates minor GWP, the MHP efficiency has only a small impact on the life cycle’s GWP and the production and end of life processes gain importance.

Conclusions

Optimized material selection and lightweight construction reduce the life cycle impact. Further, the paper demonstrates that hydrogen supply significantly affects MHP’s environmental impact. Therefore, besides optimizing the production and end of life processes, implementing a renewable hydrogen infrastructure and providing renewable energies and fuels must be strongly accelerated.
Sharp inequalities of Bienaymé–Chebyshev and Gauß type for possibly asymmetric intervals around the mean
Authors: Ion Roxana A. , Klaassen Chris A. J. , Heuvel Edwin R. van den
Published: January 2023

Sharp upper bounds are proved for the probability that a standardized random variable takes on a value outside apossibly asymmetricinterval around 0. Six classes of distributions for the random variable are considered, namely the general class of ‘distributions’, the class of ‘symmetric distributions’, of ‘concave distributions’, of ‘unimodal distributions’, of ‘unimodal distributions with coinciding mode and mean’, and of ‘symmetric unimodal distributions’. In this way, results by Gauß  (Commentationes Societatis Regiae Scientiarum Gottingensis Recentiores 5:1–58, 1823), Bienaymé (C R Hebd Séance Acad Sci Paris 37:309–24, 1853), Bienaymé (C R Hebd Séance Acad Sci Paris 37:309–24, 1853), Chebyshev (Journal de mathématiques pures et appliqués (2) 12:177–184, 1867), and Cantelli (Atti del Congresso Internazionale dei Matematici 6:47–59, 1928) are generalized. For some of the known inequalities, such as the Gauß  inequality, an alternative proof is given.
Exome Sequencing in Monogenic Forms of Rickets
Authors: Jacob Prince , Bhavani Gandham SriLakshmi , Udupa Prajna , Wang Zheng , Hariharan Sankar V. , Delampady Kishan , Dalal Ashwin , Kamath Nutan , Ikegawa Shiro , Shenoy Rathika D. , Handattu Koushik , Shah Hitesh , Girisha Katta M.
Published: January 2023

Objective

To understand the phenotypic and genotypic spectrum of genetic forms of rickets in 10 families.

Methods

Detailed clinical, radiographic, and biochemical evaluation of 10 families with phenotypes suggestive of a genetic cause of rickets was performed. Molecular testing using exome sequencing aided in the diagnosis of six different forms of known genetic causes.

Results

Eleven disease-causing variants including five previously reported variants (CYP27B1:c.1319_1325dup, p.(Phe443Profs*24), VDR:c.1171C>T, p.(Arg391Cys), PHEX: c.1586_1586+1del, PHEX: c.1482+5G>C, PHEX: c.58C>T, p.(Arg20*)) and six novel variants (CYP27B1:c.974C>T, p.(Thr325Met), CYP27B1: c.1376G>A, p.(Arg459His), CYP2R1: c.595C>T, p.(Arg199*), CYP2R1:c.1330G>C, p.(Gly444Arg),SLC34A3:c.1336-11_1336-1del, SLC2A2: c.589G>C, p.(Val197Leu)) in the genes known to cause monogenic rickets were identified.

Conclusion

The authors hereby report a case series of individuals from India with a molecular diagnosis of rickets and provide the literature review which would help in enhancing the clinical and molecular profile for rapid and differential diagnosis of rickets.
Development and evaluation of a sensory panel for collecting reliable player perceptions of third-generation synthetic turf football surfaces
Authors: Cole David , Forrester Steph , Fleming Paul , Bauer Max , James David , Benetti Mickael , Wistel Katharina , Billingham Johsan , Roberts Jon
Published: January 2023

Perceptions of synthetic surfaces used in football can vary considerably between players, and obtaining reliable feedback is challenging. The aim of this study was to develop a suitable process and evaluate the merits of establishing a sensory panel to assess the subjective attributes of third generation synthetic turf surfaces (3G turf) used in football. Focus groups with 12 male and 13 female footballers were conducted on an outdoor 3G turf pitch to develop a common language to describe sensory feedback related to player–surface interactions. Post-session analysis revealed two main themes related to player–surface interactions: hardness and grip. These themes were broken down further into five sensory attributes (Movement Speed, Slip, Movement Confidence, Leg Shock and Give) which were investigated further in an indoor test area containing ten 3G turf surfaces with controlled surface properties. A panel consisting of 18 University footballers (11 male and 7 female) undertook a screening and training session to refine the language associated with the sensory attributes and become familiar with the testing protocol. During a final evaluation session, players were asked to discriminate between surfaces using the paired comparison method for each of the sensory attributes. Player consistency remained similar between the screening and evaluation sessions whilst the panel’s ability to discriminate between surfaces improved during the evaluation session. Sensory training can therefore be a useful approach to aid players in differentiating between surfaces and lead to a greater understanding of athlete perceptions of surface attributes.
Body Form Modulates the Prediction of Human and Artificial Behaviour from Gaze Observation
Authors: Scandola Michele , Cross Emily S. , Caruana Nathan , Tidoni Emmanuele
Published: January 2023

The future of human–robot collaboration relies on people’s ability to understand and predict robots' actions. The machine-like appearance of robots, as well as contextual information, may influence people’s ability to anticipate the behaviour of robots. We conducted six separate experiments to investigate how spatial cues and task instructions modulate people’s ability to understand what a robot is doing. Participants observed goal-directed and non-goal directed gaze shifts made by human and robot agents, as well as directional cues displayed by a triangle. We report that biasing an observer's attention, by showing just one object an agent can interact with, can improve people’s ability to understand what humanoid robots will do. Crucially, this cue had no impact on people’s ability to predict the upcoming behaviour of the triangle. Moreover, task instructions that focus on the visual and motor consequences of the observed gaze were found to influence mentalising abilities. We suggest that the human-like shape of an agent and its physical capabilities facilitate the prediction of an upcoming action. The reported findings expand current models of gaze perception and may have important implications for human–human and human–robot collaboration.
Non-traditional students’ preferences for learning technologies and impacts on academic self-efficacy
Authors: Sutherland Karen , Brock Ginna , de Villiers Scheepers Margarietha. J. , Millear Prudence M. , Norman Sherelle , Strohfeldt Tim , Downer Terri , Masters Nicole , Black Alison. L.
Published: January 2023

Blended Learning (BL) as a pedagogical approach has increased in significance during the COVID-19 pandemic, with blended and online learning environments becoming the new digital norm for higher educational institutions around the globe. While BL has been discussed in the literature for thirty years, a common approach has been to categorise learner cohorts to support educators in better understanding students’ relationships with learning technologies. This approach, largely unsupported by empirical evidence, has failed to adequately address the challenges of integrating learning technologies to fit with non-traditional students’ preferences, their BL self-efficacy and the associated pedagogical implications. Focusing on student preference, our study presents findings from a pre-COVID survey of undergraduate students across four campuses of an Australian regional university where students shared their learning technology preferences and the self-regulated learning that influenced their academic self-efficacy in a BL context. Findings show students want consistency, relevance, and effectiveness with the use of BL tools, with a preference for lecture recordings and video resources to support their learning, while email and Facebook Messenger were preferred for communicating with peers and academic staff. Our study suggests a quality BL environment facilitates self-regulated learning using fit-for-purpose technological applications. Academic self-efficacy for BL can increase when students perceive the educational technologies used by their institution are sufficient for their learning needs.
ICT efficacy and response to different needs in university classrooms: effects on attitudes and active behaviour towards technology
Authors: Latorre-Cosculluela Cecilia , Sierra-Sánchez Verónica , Rivera-Torres Pilar , Liesa-Orús Marta
Published: January 2023

Digital competence is considered to be a crucial learning outcome in education in the 21st century. In this context, research highlights the fact that the perceptions that instructors manifest about different aspects of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) condition these professionals’ behaviour towards these learning resources. In the same line, this study aims to analyse the effects that exist between a series of dimensions related to the perception of university teaching staff on the capacity of ICTs to respond to different needs of students, on perceived efficacy and attitudes towards these tools and, lastly, on active behaviour towards their use. To do so, 345 university instructors from the Spanish educational system filled in an online questionnaire. The application of a Structural Equation Model underscores the fact that the ability of ICTs to respond to the different needs of students in the university classroom and their perceived efficacy in the teaching–learning process both exert a positive effect on attitudes in favour of their incorporation into the classroom. In turn, these attitudes also have a significant effect on active behaviour with ICT resources. In addition, various mediating effects are seen to influence an active behaviour. All this gives rise to a discussion on the implications of these results to encourage the training of university teaching staff in the knowledge and management of ICTs. Increasing confidence in ICTs as effective tools to respond to different needs could significantly favour positive attitudes and behaviour so that these resources are actively integrated into the classroom.
Artificial intelligence for non-invasive glycaemic-events detection via ECG in a paediatric population: study protocol
Authors: Andellini Martina , Haleem Salman , Angelini Massimiliano , Ritrovato Matteo , Schiaffini Riccardo , Iadanza Ernesto , Pecchia Leandro
Published: January 2023

Purpose

Paediatric Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) patients are at greater risk for developing severe hypo and hyperglycaemic events due to poor glycaemic control. To reduce the risk of adverse events, patients need to achieve the best possible glycaemic management through frequent blood glucose monitoring with finger prick or Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) systems. However, several non-invasive techniques have been proposed aiming at exploiting changes in physiological parameters based on glucose levels. The overall objective of this study is to validate an artificial intelligence (AI) based algorithm to detect glycaemic events using ECG signals collected through non-invasive device.

Methods

This study will enrol T1D paediatric participants who already use CGM. Participants will wear an additional non-invasive wearable device for recording physiological data and respiratory rate. Glycaemic measurements driven through ECG variables are the main outcomes. Data collected will be used to design, develop and validate the personalised and generalized classifiers based on a deep learning (DL) AI algorithm, able to automatically detect hypoglycaemic events by using few ECG heartbeats recorded with wearable devices.

Results

Data collection is expected to be completed approximately by June 2023. It is expected that sufficient data will be collected to develop and validate the AI algorithm.

Conclusion

This is a validation study that will perform additional tests on a larger diabetes sample population to validate the previous pilot results that were based on four healthy adults, providing evidence on the reliability of the AI algorithm in detecting glycaemic events in paediatric diabetic patients in free-living conditions.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03936634. Registered on 11 March 2022, retrospectively registered, https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05278143?titles=AI+for+Glycemic+Events+Detection+Via+ECG+in+a+Pediatric+Population&draw=2&rank=1.
Long-term stability of over-the-counter cuffless blood pressure monitors: a proposal
Authors: Tamura Toshiyo , Shimizu Shigeru , Nishimura Nobuhiro , Takeuchi Masachika
Published: January 2023

Blood pressure is an important cardiovascular parameter. Currently, the cuff-based sphygmomanometer is a popular, reliable, measurement method, but blood pressure monitors without cuffs have become popular and are now available without a prescription. Blood pressure monitors must be approved by regulatory authorities. Current cuffless blood pressure (CL-BP) monitors are not suitable for at-home management and prevention of hypertension. This paper proposes simple criteria for over-the-counter CL-BP monitoring. First, the history of the sphygmomanometer and current standard blood pressure protocol are reviewed. The main components of CL-BP monitoring are accuracy during the resting condition, accuracy during dynamic blood pressure changes, and long-term stability. In this proposal we recommend intermittent measurement to ensure that active measurement accuracy mirrors resting condition accuracy. A new experimental protocol is proposed to maintain long-term stability. A medically approved automated sphygmomanometer was used as the standard device in this study. The long-term accuracy of the test device is based on the definition of propagation error, i.e., for an oscillometric automated sphygmomanometer (5 ± 8 mmHg) ± the error for the test device static accuracy (–0.12 ± 5.49 mmHg for systolic blood pressure and − 1.17 ± 5.06 mmHg for diastolic blood pressure). Thus, the long-term stabilities were − 3.38 ± 7.1 mmHg and − 1.38 ± 5.4 mmHg, which satisfied propagation error. Further research and discussion are necessary to create standards for use by manufacturers; such standards should be readily evaluated and ensure high-quality evidence.
Richard Semon (1859–1918): Expeditionen, Engramme und Epigenetik
Authors: Förstl Hans
Published: January 2023

Richard Semon (1859–1918) war Schüler von Ernst Haeckel und beschäftigte sich als Zoologe zunächst mit der Entwicklung von Seegurken, Seesternen, Hühnern und Lungenfischen, die er unter anderem am Mittelmeer und in Australien sammelte. Nach Deutschland zurückgekehrt musst er aus privaten Gründen Jena und sein universitäres Umfeld verlassen, liess sich in München nieder, wo er sich den philosophischen Aspekten der Biologie widmete, Werke über sein Gedächtniskonzept der „Mneme“ verfasste (1904) und über die Vererbung erworbener Eigenschaften nachdachte (1912). Seine Vorstellungen von Gedächtnis gingen weit über Gehirn und Individuum hinaus. Enttäuscht über eine zu geringe wissenschaftliche Anerkennung, verzweifelt nach dem Tod seiner Frau, verunsichert durch die politische Situation am Ende des ersten Weltkriegs und vor allem von einem befürchteten Gedächtnisverlust des Gedächtnisforschers, nahm er sich das Leben. Sein wichtigster Gewährsmann, der Wiener Experimentalbiologe Paul Kammerer (1880–1926), erschoss sich acht Jahre später als Zweifel an der Vererbung erworbener Eigenschaften seiner Salamander und Geburtshelferkröten auftauchten. Neuropsychiatrisch relevante Fragen nach Epigenetik, der Natur des Gedächtnisses, nach Depression und der Furcht dem Nachlassen seiner geistigen Leistungsfähigkeit, den Auswirkungen privater Umstände auf wissenschaftliche Karrieren, nach wissenschaftlichen Irrtümern und fraglichen Fälschungen, bis zum Suizid eines Wissenschaftlers finden sich verdichtet im Leben und Tod Richard Semons.
Democratizing corruption: a role structure analysis of Indonesia’s “Big Bang” decentralization
Authors: Silitonga Mala Sondang , Wittek Rafael , Snijders Tom A. B. , Heyse Liesbet
Published: January 2023

The study investigates to what degree Indonesia’s large-scale decentralization and democratization changed corruption networks. A role structure approach is developed to move current analysis of dyad-level structures to the network level. This approach is empirically tested by comparing the relational content and third-party structures of 96 corruption networks operating in the first phase of decentralization (2001–2004), characterized by a powerful local council, with 94 corruption networks detected in the second phase (2005–2013), when direct local elections were introduced, and the power of the local council declined. Building on Fiske’s relational model theory, it is argued and found that the local executive’s reduced dependence on the local council provided the opportunity to initiate corrupt exchanges with a broader set of players both inside and outside the bureaucracy. Whereas deep dependence power relations (i.e. formal authority) remained important, an increasing proportion of corruption networks involved compound role structures characterized by both shallow (non-embedded profit and work relations) and deep interdependence (kin- and friendship). Furthermore, third party intermediaries became more important. Implications for the study of networks of corruption are discussed.