bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Präklinische perimortale Crash-Sectio im Rahmen einer Traumareanimation
Authors: Wolff Justus , Breuer Florian , von Kottwitz Konrad , Poloczek Stefan , Röschel Tom , Dahmen Janosch
Published: August 2022

Es wird über eine präklinische Crash-Sectio bei einer schwangeren Patientin im traumatischen Herz-Kreislauf-Stillstand nach Fenstersturz berichtet. Die für die Präklinik gewonnenen Erkenntnisse der Einsatznachbereitung zu diesem Fall sollen vor dem Hintergrund der aktuellen ERC-Guidelines dargelegt und ein Literaturüberblick gegeben werden. Trotz prolongierter und umfassender Maßnahmen entlang aktueller Leitlinienempfehlungen verstarben Mutter und Kind noch am Einsatzort. Die Traumareanimation einer schwangeren Patientin, einschließlich Durchführung einer präklinischen perimortalen Crash-Sectio, stellt ein sehr seltenes und anspruchsvolles wie gleichermaßen emotional belastendes Einsatzszenario für alle Beteiligten dar.
Hängen die Stundenkontingente für ambulante Psychotherapie zur Behandlung von Depressionen mit deren Schweregrad zusammen?
Authors: Singer Susanne , Blanck Julian , Scholz Ida , Büttner Matthias , Maier Lena
Published: August 2022

Fragestellung

Vor dem Hintergrund der Debatte um eine mögliche Festlegung des Leistungsumfangs für ambulante Psychotherapie anhand der Diagnose haben wir untersucht, ob in der aktuellen Versorgungspraxis bei Patienten mit Depressionen die Anzahl der beantragten sowie die der vom Gutachter befürworteten Stunden mit dem Schweregrad der Erkrankung zusammenhängen.

Methode

Aus einer Zufallsstichprobe von 1000 Anträgen auf Kostenübernahme für ambulante analytische oder tiefenpsychologisch fundierte Psychotherapie wurden jene herausgesucht, in denen eine Depressionsdiagnose mit Schweregradeinschätzung (ICD-10 F32 oder F33) entweder im Bericht oder auf dem Antragsformular kodiert worden war. Die Zahl der beantragten und der befürworteten Stunden pro Antrag wurde extrahiert. Bei Umwandlungs- und Fortführungsanträgen wurden dabei auch die im Vorfeld stattgefundenen Therapiestunden berücksichtigt. Ein möglicher Zusammenhang des Schweregrads der Depression mit der Zahl der beantragten bzw. der vom Gutachter befürworteten Stunden wurde anhand von Spearman-Rangkorrelationen überprüft.

Ergebnisse

Insgesamt 521 Anträge (52 %) enthielten eine F32- und/oder eine F33-Diagnose. Davon waren 63 (12 %) als leicht kodiert, 349 (67 %) als mittelgradig und 50 (10 %) als schwer.

Im Median wurden 75 h bei leichter sowie je 50 h bei mittelgradiger bzw. bei schwerer Depression beantragt, wobei die Zahlen innerhalb der Gruppen stark variierten (10 bis 327 h) und der Zusammenhang zwischen Schweregrad und beantragter Stundenzahl gering war (Rho −0,10).

Die befürworteten Stundenkontingente waren im Median 74 (leichte Depression), 50 (mittelgradig) und 50 (schwer) Stunden, auch hier war die Spannweite hoch (0 bis 327 h) und die Korrelation gering (Rho −0,11).

Diskussion

Es gibt keine Anhaltspunkte dafür, dass Psychotherapeuten die benötigten Stundenkontingente allein anhand des Schweregrads der Diagnose festlegen.
Regional income convergence in Colombia: population, space, and long-run dynamics
Authors: Peiró-Palomino Jesús , Prieto-Bustos William Orlando , Tortosa-Ausina Emili
Published: August 2022

We examine the trajectory of regional income dynamics in Colombia. Using data on all 33 Colombian departments from 2000 to 2016, we employ extensions of (spatial) Markov chains, space-time mobility measures, along with a fully weighted version of the distribution analysis approach. By considering these extensions, our analysis enables us to answer questions such as whether the role of spatial context influences the distributional dynamics of Colombian departments, or the magnitude of the moderating effect of department’s population. The inclusion of additional measures such as the asymptotic half-life of convergence provides additional results, informing on how long it would take to reach the hypothetical long-run distribution of per capita income. Results, which are reported for both pre- and post-2008 trends, complement previous literature on regional economic convergence in a relevant South American context, showing stronger convergence patterns when controlling for the population living in each department. The patterns do not particularly intensify when controlling for spatial spillovers, since the role of spatial context was already playing a relevant role from the beginning of the period analyzed. Therefore, although the ergodic distributions show a conditional-convergence pattern, addressing the problems of spatial exclusion fully, persistent polarization among geographical departments and populations, along with the relevant core-periphery gaps, still requires the design and implementation of specific policies.
How to quantify the accuracy of mass anomaly time-series based on GRACE data in the absence of knowledge about true signal?
Authors: Ditmar Pavel
Published: August 2022

A novel technique has been developed to assess noise levels in GRACE-based mass anomaly time-series when the true signal is not known. The technique is based on computing an optimal combination of analyzed time-series in the presence of a regularization. To find the optimal weights associated with individual time-series, variance component estimation is used. In this way, noise variance (and, therefore, noise standard deviation) for each time-series is estimated. To validate the developed technique, altimetry-based water level variations in several lakes are used as independent information. Those variations are compared with mass anomaly time-series extracted from eight GRACE models of time-varying Earth’s gravity field from different data processing centers. The lake tests demonstrate a good performance of the developed technique, provided that the regularization functional is properly chosen. The best results are obtained with a novel regularization functional, which can be understood as a minimization of year-to-year differences between the values of the second time-derivative of the unknown function. Finally, the GRACE models under consideration are analyzed globally. It is found that the models produced at the Institute of Geodesy at Graz University of Technology (ITSG) and at the Center of Space Research of the university of Texas at Austin (CSR) show, in general, the lowest noise levels. The aforementioned lake tests also allow the signal damping in GRACE models to be quantified. It is shown, among others, that regularized GRACE models may suffer from a noticeable signal damping (up to $$\sim 15\%$$

∼
15
%

).
Cardiovascular protection by DPP-4 inhibitors in preclinical studies: an updated review of molecular mechanisms
Authors: Zakaria Esraa M. , Tawfeek Walaa M. , Hassanin Mohamed H. , Hassaballah Mohammed Y.
Published: August 2022

Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) inhibitors are a class of antidiabetic medications that cause glucose-dependent increase in incretins in diabetic patients. One of the two incretins, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), beside its insulinotropic activity, has been studied for extra pancreatic effects. Most of DPP4 inhibitors (DPP4i) have been investigated in in vivo and in vitro models of diabetic and nondiabetic cardiovascular diseases including heart failure, hypertension, myocardial ischemia or infarction, atherosclerosis, and stroke. Results of preclinical studies proved prominent therapeutic potential of DPP4i in cardiovascular diseases, regardless the presence of diabetes. This review aims to present an updated summary of the cardiovascular protective and therapeutic effects of DPP4 inhibitors through the past 5 years focusing on the molecular mechanisms beneath these effects. Additionally, based on the results summary presented here, future studies may be conducted to elucidate or illustrate some of these findings which can add clinical benefits towards management of diabetic cardiovascular complications.
Spatial quantitation of antibiotics in bone tissue compartments by laser-capture microdissection coupled with UHPLC-tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: Kaya Firat , Zimmerman Matthew D. , Antilus-Sainte Rosleine , Gengenbacher Martin , Carter Claire L. , Dartois Véronique
Published: August 2022

Bones are the site of multiple diseases requiring chemotherapy, including cancer, arthritis, osteoporosis and infections. Yet limited methodologies are available to investigate the spatial distribution and quantitation of small molecule drugs in bone compartments, due to the difficulty of sectioning undecalcified bones and the interference of decalcification methods with spatially resolved drug quantitation. To measure drug concentrations in distinct anatomical bone regions, we have developed a workflow that enables spatial quantitation of thin undecalcified bone sections by laser-capture microdissection coupled to HPLC/tandem mass spectrometry, and spatial mapping on adjacent sections by mass spectrometry imaging. The adhesive film and staining methods were optimized to facilitate histology staining on the same sections used for mass spectrometry image acquisition, revealing drug accumulation in the underlying bone tissue architecture, for the first time. Absolute spatial concentrations of rifampicin, bedaquiline, doxycycline, vancomycin and several of their active metabolites are shown for both small rodent bones and larger rabbit bones that more closely resemble human bone density. Overlaid MALDI mass spectrometry images of drugs and histology staining enabled the generation of semi-quantitative data from regions of interest within anatomical bone compartments. These data correlated with absolute drug concentrations determined by HPLC–MS/MS in laser-capture microdissection samples. Collectively, these techniques enable semi- and fully quantitative drug distribution investigations within bone tissue compartments for the first time. Our workflow can be translated to image and quantify not only drugs but also biomarkers of disease to investigate drug penetration as well as mechanisms underlying bone disorders.

Graphical abstract
Prevalence and Severity of Burn Scars in Rural Mozambique
Authors: Barba Patrick , Neubauer Daniel C. , Cossa Matchecane , Sieker Jeremy , Hornacek Michael W. , Lance Samuel H. , Ewing Emily , Tsai Catherine , Funzamo Carlos , Amado Vanda , Adamo Fatima , Rose John , Bendix Peter , Vaz Fernando , Noormahomed Emilia , Bickler Stephen W. , Gosman Amanda
Published: August 2022

Background

Burn injuries are common in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs) and their associated disability is tragic. This study is the first to explore burn scars in rural communities in Mozambique. This work also validated an innovate burn assessment tool, the Morphological African Scar Contractures Classification (MASCC), used to determine surgical need.

Methods

Using a stratified, population‐weighted survey, the team interviewed randomly selected households from September 2012 to June 2013. Three rural districts (Chókwè, Nhamatanda, and Ribáuè) were selected to represent the southern, central and northern regions of the country. Injuries were recorded, documented with photographs, and approach to care was gathered. A panel of residents and surgeons reviewed the burn scar images using both the Vancouver Scar Scale and the MASCC, a validated visual scale that categorizes patients into four categories corresponding to levels of surgical intervention.

Results

Of the 6104 survey participants, 6% (n = 370) reported one or more burn injuries. Burn injuries were more common in females (57%) and most often occurred on the extremities. Individuals less than 25 years old had a significantly higher odds of reporting a burn scar compared to people older than 45 years. Based on the MASCC, 12% (n = 42) would benefit from surgery to treat contractures.

Conclusion

Untreated burn injuries are prevalent in rural Mozambique. Our study reveals a lack of access to surgical care in rural communities and demonstrates how the MASCC scale can be used to extend the reach of surgical assessment beyond the hospital through community health workers.
Changes in the Electrically Evoked Compound Action Potential over time After Implantation and Subsequent Deafening in Guinea Pigs
Authors: Ramekers Dyan , Benav Heval , Klis Sjaak F. L. , Versnel Huib
Published: August 2022

The electrically evoked compound action potential (eCAP) is a direct measure of the responsiveness of the auditory nerve to electrical stimulation from a cochlear implant (CI). CIs offer a unique opportunity to study the auditory nerve’s electrophysiological behavior in individual human subjects over time. In order to understand exactly how the eCAP relates to the condition of the auditory nerve, it is crucial to compare changes in the eCAP over time in a controlled model of deafness-induced auditory nerve degeneration. In the present study, 10 normal-hearing young adult guinea pigs were implanted and deafened 4 weeks later, so that the effect of deafening could be monitored within-subject over time. Following implantation, but before deafening, most examined eCAP characteristics significantly changed, suggesting increasing excitation efficacy (e.g., higher maximum amplitude, lower threshold, shorter latency). Conversely, inter-phase gap (IPG) effects on these measures – within-subject difference measures that have been shown to correlate well with auditory nerve survival – did not vary for most eCAP characteristics. After deafening, we observed an initial increase in excitability (steeper slope of the eCAP amplitude growth function (AGF), lower threshold, shorter latency and peak width) which typically returned to normal-hearing levels within a week, after which a slower process, probably reflecting spiral ganglion cell loss, took place over the remaining 6 weeks (e.g., decrease in maximum amplitude, AGF slope, peak area, and IPG effect for AGF slope; increase in IPG effect for latency). Our results suggest that gradual changes in peak width and latency reflect the rate of neural degeneration, while peak area, maximum amplitude, and AGF slope reflect neural population size, which may be valuable for clinical diagnostics.
Analytical enclosure of the set of solutions of the three-species multivariate curve resolution problem
Authors: Andersons Tomass , Sawall Mathias , Neymeyr Klaus
Published: August 2022

In 1985 Borgen and Kowalski published a geometry-based mathematical approach in order to determine the set of feasible solutions of the multivariate curve resolution problem for chemical systems with three species. Twenty years later Rajkó and István devised an algorithm for the analytical derivation of the feasible regions. They showed that the precise boundary of the solution set is piecewise representable in terms of analytical expressions for the boundary curve. This paper generalizes the approach for finding analytical boundary curves by means of duality arguments, provides the precise functional form of the curves in detail, shows how to determine the contact change values and suggests improved analytical expressions which can numerically be evaluated in a stable way. Additionally, it offers detailed instructions for an algorithmic solution and provides the underlying analysis. A program code is presented which generates a piecewise functional representation of the boundary curve.
Review of human—robot coordination control for rehabilitation based on motor function evaluation
Authors: Shi Di , Wang Liduan , Zhang Yanqiu , Zhang Wuxiang , Xiao Hang , Ding Xilun
Published: August 2022

As a wearable and intelligent system, a lower limb exoskeleton rehabilitation robot can provide auxiliary rehabilitation training for patients with lower limb walking impairment/loss and address the existing problem of insufficient medical resources. One of the main elements of such a human—robot coupling system is a control system to ensure human—robot coordination. This review aims to summarise the development of human—robot coordination control and the associated research achievements and provide insight into the research challenges in promoting innovative design in such control systems. The patients’ functional disorders and clinical rehabilitation needs regarding lower limbs are analysed in detail, forming the basis for the human—robot coordination of lower limb rehabilitation robots. Then, human—robot coordination is discussed in terms of three aspects: modelling, perception and control. Based on the reviewed research, the demand for robotic rehabilitation, modelling for human—robot coupling systems with new structures and assessment methods with different etiologies based on multi-mode sensors are discussed in detail, suggesting development directions of human—robot coordination and providing a reference for relevant research.
„Evaluative Diskriminierung“: Arbeitsbewertung als blinder Fleck in der Analyse des Gender Pay Gaps
Authors: Klammer Ute , Klenner Christina , Lillemeier Sarah , Heilmann Tom
Published: August 2022

Frauen verdienen in Deutschland durchschnittlich 18 % weniger pro Stunde als Männer. Vertikale und horizontale Segregationslinien, Unterschiede im Beschäftigungsumfang sowie in den Erwerbsverläufen von Frauen und Männern sind als Erklärungsfaktoren dafür statistisch identifiziert worden. Bislang ist jedoch unklar, welche Bedeutung die Arbeitsbewertung für den Gender Pay Gap hat und welche Rolle evaluative Diskriminierungen in der Verdienststruktur spielen. Die in diesem Artikel vorgestellten Analysen bieten erstmals eine statistische Grundlage zur Überprüfung der Annahmen der Devaluationshypothese. Danach wird angenommen, dass die beruflichen Anforderungen und Belastungen von Frauen geringer bewertet und somit auch geringer entlohnt werden als die von Männern und somit eine geschlechterdifferente Arbeitsbewertung den Gender Pay Gap mitverursacht. Die dargestellten statistischen Ergebnisse belegen unter Anwendung des neu entwickelten Comparable Worth Index die Relevanz solcher evaluativen Diskriminierungen und zeigen, dass die geringere Bewertung und Bezahlung weiblicher gegenüber männlicher Erwerbsarbeit auch unter Kontrolle weiterer verdienstrelevanter Faktoren zentral zum Gender Pay Gap beitragen.
Jumping on the Bandwagon: The Role of Voters’ Social Class in Poll Effects in the Context of the 2021 German Federal Election
Authors: Unkelbach Fabienne , John Melvin , Vogel Vera
Published: August 2022

Published findings of opinion polls are an important part of the political coverage before elections. Thus, researchers have long investigated whether the perceived popularity of political parties can lead to even more voters following this majority. However, empirical findings on this so-called political bandwagon effect are mixed. In the present paper, we integrate theories from political science and social psychology to explain these inconsistencies through social class as a potential moderating variable. Based on previous findings regarding consumer decisions, we hypothesized that bandwagon effects are greater among voters with lower social class. To investigate this hypothesis, we combined data from the German Longitudinal Election Study (GLES) Rolling Cross-Section 2021, which was collected over the 55 days before the 2021 German federal election, with the results of published preelection polls. Using separate multilevel models for each of the parties, we found no evidence for bandwagon effects. Only for the Social Democratic Party were poll results related to voting intentions assessed on the following day, suggesting that polls might have contributed to the party’s electoral success. However, there was no evidence for a moderation of bandwagon effects by voters’ social class. Accordingly, we could not resolve the mixed findings in this field of research. Our results point to important open questions in research on bandwagon effects in multiparty systems as well as on effects of social class in Germany.
Leveraging the potential of wild food for healthy, sustainable, and equitable local food systems: learning from a transformation lab in the Western Cape region
Authors: Pereira Laura M. , Kushitor Sandra Boatemaa , Cramer Carolyn , Drimie Scott , Isaacs Moenieba , Malgas Rhoda , Phiri Ethel , Tembo Chimwemwe , Willis Jenny
Published: August 2022

Food insecurity and diet-related diseases do not only have detrimental effects to human health, but are also underpinned by food systems that are environmentally unsustainable and culturally disconnected. Ensuring access to a healthy, affordable, and sustainable diet is one of the greatest challenges facing many low- and middle-income countries such as South Africa. These challenges in accessing a diverse diet often persist despite biocultural richness. For example, South Africa is globally recognised for its rich biodiversity, an ecologically unrivalled coastline, and a rich body of traditional knowledge amongst wild-food users. In this paper, we explore the potential that coastal wild foods as neglected and underutilised species (NUS) can play in local food systems in South Africa’s Western Cape Province. Following a previously established transformation lab (T-Lab) method, here we report the observations and outcomes emerging from a two-day workshop held in May 2019 with a group of 40 actors involved in the local food system in diverse ways. Farmers, small-scale fishers, indigenous knowledge holders, representatives from non-profit organisations, chefs, bartenders, academics, activists, conservationists, and government officials were brought together with the aim of strengthening an emerging coalition of coastal wild food actors. Findings highlighted the existence of a fledgling economy for coastal wild foods, driven by high-end chefs. The T-Lab was essentially a tool of knowledge co-production around food system transformation and helped to surface deeply embedded issues on land, race, history, and culture that warrant engagement if a better food system is to emerge. In a country that is drought prone and vulnerable to climate change, a more resilient and sustainable food system is a necessity. But defining alternative governance systems to shift towards a healthier, more sustainable, and more equitable food system will require concerted effort across all stakeholders.
A comparison of physical disturbance and pollution stressors in sandy beaches using nematode functional biological traits
Authors: Mitwally Hanan M.
Published: August 2022

Nematode functional traits and community structure approaches are receiving attention and being debated regarding the similarity in gained information. This work applied two nematode methods (i.e. functional traits, community structure) and sex ratios to investigate sandy beaches experiencing physical disturbances and anthropogenic stressors along the Alexandrian coast of Egypt. It is the first study to identify the Egyptian marine benthic nematodes to genus level yielding fourteen genera. This study addressed the following questions. (A) Which analyses of functional traits, community structure, or sex ratio could distinguish beaches experiencing natural disturbances from anthropogenic stressors? (B) What are the driving forces that govern nematode assemblages? Designated beaches were high pollution and energy (HPHE), high pollution but low energy (HPLE), and clean high energy (CHE). The study was conducted in March 2014, applying a stratified random sampling design and advanced multivariate analyses. Results revealed significant discrimination among and within beaches based on functional traits, community structure, and sex ratio. The functional traits (FBM) grouped data into two main groupings, predators and scavengers. Predators and cylindrical shape-tail types were found in high salinity moderately-sorted fine-grained sand dominant at HPHE and CHE. Scavengers and a variety of tail-shape types inhabited low saline water with well-sorted coarse sediment at HPLE. The community structure (CSM) revealed three groupings, as each beach had a specific assemblage based on its response to the measured physiochemical factors (salinity, pH, and temperature). Three genera were responsible for the high contribution across each beach Graphonema sp (HPHE), Enoplolaimus sp. (HPLE), and Oncholaimus sp. (CHE), as well as the co-sharing of Axnolaimus sp at HPLE. However, Axnolaimus sp and Oncholaimus sp showed the highest dissimilarity among beaches. The contribution of the measured factors was 53.8% (FBM) and 35.7% (CSM). Trophic guilds were anthropogenic stressors dependent and tail-shape type physically disturbing-related. However, nematode genera were species-specific to habitat type. The sex ratio was male-biased, and Juvenile-stages seemed to be temperature-dependent. The dissimilarity in the functional trait and community structure data recommend their application in biomonitoring and coastal restoration programs.
Ending the Energy-Poverty Nexus: An Ethical Imperative for Just Transitions
Authors: Biswas Saurabh , Echevarria Angel , Irshad Nafeesa , Rivera-Matos Yiamar , Richter Jennifer , Chhetri Nalini , Parmentier Mary Jane , Miller Clark A.
Published: August 2022

Arguments for a just transition are integral to debates about climate change and the drive to create a carbon-neutral economy. There are currently two broad approaches rooted in ethics and justice for framing just energy transitions. The first can be described as internal to the transition and emphasizes the anticipation, assessment, and redressing of harms created by the transition itself and the inclusion in transition governance of groups or communities potentially harmed by its disruptions. In this article, we propose a second approach to ethics and justice in an energy transition, which we describe as systemic or societal in scope. This approach complements attention to the proximate dynamics and impacts of the transition process with a focus on the distant societal and economic outcomes the transition brings into being and how they compare to conditions prior to the transition. It poses the question: do the transformative social, economic, and technological changes wrought by energy systems create more just societies and economies, or do they instead reinforce or recreate long-standing injustices and inequalities? We illustrate this approach with an assessment of one of the most significant existing forms of energy injustice: the energy-poverty nexus. We argue that the energy-poverty nexus reflects configurations of socio-energy systems that create complex, extractive feedbacks between energy insecurity and economic insecurity and, over time, reinforce or exacerbate poverty. We further argue that just energy transitions should work to disentangle these configurations and re-design them so as to create generative rather than extractive feedbacks, thus ending the energy-poverty nexus and creating long-term outcomes that are more just, equitable, and fair.
Emotion regulation among Chinese and German children and adolescents: a binational comparative study
Authors: Teuber Ziwen , Schreiber Sophia , Rueth Jana-Elisa , Lohaus Arnold
Published: August 2022

Emotion regulation has been a central research topic in developmental psychology and psychopathology for several decades. Habitual use of adaptive (e.g., cognitive reappraisal) or maladaptive strategies (e.g., expressive suppression) may influence psychosocial adjustment in children and adolescents. Despite consensus on the influence of culture on emotion regulation, little is known about cultural differences in emotion regulation in children and adolescents. In this study, the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents (ERQ-CA) was used and tested for its measurement invariance between Chinese and German children and adolescents. Cultural similarities and differences in the use of cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression were examined, as well as the associations of these strategies with behavior problems and prosocial behavior. The sample consisted of 765 Chinese and 431 German students (Mage = 12.46 years, SD = 1.12). Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis revealed partial scalar measurement invariance of the ERQ-CA. A latent mean comparison showed more frequent use of both strategies in Chinese compared to German students. The results of the multi-group structural equation model showed similar patterns of relationships between emotion regulation strategies and youth behavior across groups. Cognitive reappraisal was associated with fewer behavior problems and more prosocial behavior, whereas expressive suppression was related to more behavior problems. In summary, the current findings indicate that the ERQ-CA allows comparisons of emotion regulation between Chinese and German children and adolescents. Furthermore, the relevance of the cultural context for emotion regulation and the promotion of adaptive regulation strategies is highlighted.
Fast Sensitive and Accurate Analysis of the Most Common Synthetic Food Colorants in 65 Egyptian Commercial Products Using New HPLC–DAD and UPLC-ESI–MS/MS Methods
Authors: Hameed Eman A. Abdel , Abd-ElHamid Ghada H. , El-Darder Omayma M. , Ibrahim Amany K. , Salam Randa A. Abdel , Hadad Ghada M. , Abdelshakour Mohamed A.
Published: August 2022

Overexposure to food colorants above the allowed daily intake (ADI) level can provoke hyperactivity and other disturbed behaviors especially in children. Two new methods were developed to separate five synthetic colorants, which were Tartrazine (E102), Sunset Yellow (E110), Allura Red (E129), Carmoisine (E122), and Brilliant Blue (E133). They are labeled on a large variety of commercial food products in the Egyptian market without mentioning their definite concentrations. Therefore, there was a real need to determine these colorants with simple, accurate, and fast methods. This is the first study to determine these colorants in a wide variety of food products present in the Egyptian market. The HPLC approach with photodiode array detection was developed to quantify these colorants, on a C18 column, with a mobile phase composed of acetonitrile and water containing 1% ammonium acetate (pH 6.8), separation was carried out using a gradient program. The colorants were eluted and efficiently separated within 9 min. Then, as a complementary technique to HPLC, the UPLC-ESI–MS/MS approach was developed for identification and accurate mass measurement of the colorants found in high concentrations, the colorants were obtained simultaneously in negative mode, the run time was only 3 min. These developed methods were validated according to ICH recommendations and they were applied to analyze 65 food products including jelly powder, puddings, ice cream powders, concentrated soft drink powders, carbonated drinks, chewing gums, and sugar confectionery.
α-Aminoadipic acid metabolism is controlled by the glutathione-dependent redox environment in Arabidopsis
Authors: Gulyás Zsolt , Simon-Sarkadi Lívia , Moncsek Blanka , Pál Magda , Kocsy Gábor
Published: August 2022

α-Aminoadipic acid (Aaa) is an intermediate product in the Lys catabolism, on the saccharopine pathway. Since Lys content was increased by various abiotic stress factors affecting the redox environment, a glutathione-dependent redox regulation of the Aaa metabolism was assumed which was not tested earlier. The effect of the modified size and redox state of glutathione pool (reduced + oxidised, GSH + GSSG) on the Aaa content and related amino acid and transcript levels was compared in the wild-type Col-0 plants and the GSH-deficient pad2-1 Arabidopsis mutant with and without (control) treatment. Modification of the size and redox state of glutathione pool resulted in the alteration of Lys, Glu, Pro and Aaa contents and the transcription of the three investigated genes of the saccharopine pathway. Both the Aaa content and the expression of the two genes encoding enzymes of its synthesis (ketoglutarate reductase/saccharopine dehydrogenase, LKR/SDH; aminoadipic semialdehyde dehydrogenase, AASADH) was lower in the pad2-1 mutant, and these parameters, together with the GSSG content, were increased by GSH treatment both in Col-0 and mutant plants. The GSSG content and its ratio in the glutathione pool exhibited a positive correlation with the Aaa content and the transcription of the two genes of its synthesis and the Aaa catabolic gene (dihydrolipoamide-succinyltransferase), which indicates a GSH-dependent control of Aaa metabolism. This latter process in turn can affect the redox environment and stress response because of the NADPH use/formation in its several steps.
Rigid—flexible hybrid surfaces for water-repelling and abrasion-resisting
Authors: Hu Songtao , Huang Weifeng , Li Jinbang , Reddyhoff Tom , Cao Xiaobao , Shi Xi , Peng Zhike , Demello Andrew , Dini Daniele
Published: August 2022

Droplets impacting solid superhydrophobic surfaces is appealing not only because of scientific interests but also for technological applications such as water-repelling. Recent studies have designed artificial surfaces in a rigid—flexible hybrid mode to combine asymmetric redistribution and structural oscillation water-repelling principles, resolving strict impacting positioning; however, this is limited by weak mechanical durability. Here we propose a rigid—flexible hybrid surface (RFS) design as a matrix of concave flexible trampolines barred by convex rigid stripes. Such a surface exhibits a 20.1% contact time reduction via the structural oscillation of flexible trampolines, and even to break through the theoretical inertial-capillary limit via the asymmetric redistribution induced by rigid stripes. Moreover, the surface is shown to retain the above water-repelling after 1,000 abrasion cycles against oilstones under a normal load as high as 0.2 N·mm−1. This is the first demonstration of RFSs for synchronous waterproof and wearproof, approaching real-world applications of liquid-repelling.
Low friction of superslippery and superlubricity: A review
Authors: Zheng Zijian , Guo Zhiguang , Liu Weimin , Luo Jianbin
Published: August 2022

The issues regarding energy dissipation and component damage caused by the interface friction between a friction pair attract enormous attention to friction reduction. The key-enabling technique to realize friction reduction is the use of lubricants. The lubricants smooth the contact interfaces, achieving an ultralow friction contact, which is called superslippery or superlubricity. At present, superslippery and superlubricity are two isolated research topics. There is a lack of unified definition on superslippery and superlubricity from the viewpoint of tribology. Herein, this review aims at exploring the differences and relations between superslippery and superlubricity from their origin and application scenarios. Meanwhile, the challenges for developing superslippery surface and superlubricity surface are discussed. In addition, perspectives on the interactive development of these two surfaces are presented. We hope that our discussion can provide guidance for designing superslippery or superlubricity surfaces by using varies drag-reduction technologies.
Potential of basic substances in plant protection to reduce Podosphaera pannosa in cut roses
Authors: Wulf Florian , Podhorna Jana , Bandte Martina , Rybak Malgorzata , Büttner Carmen
Published: August 2022

Alternative strategies in plant protection are required due to political and environmental conditions. Basic substances can potentially benefit for modern plant protection in conventional and organic horticulture. In the case of plant protection in ornamentals, little is known about the effect of basic substances within the canopy to reduce foliar diseases. Podosphaera pannosa is one of the most severe diseases in the production of cut roses. In this study, different cultivars of cut roses were sprayed weekly with an extract of Equisetum arvense (4 g dried plant material/L), an aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide (10 g/L) and a commercial plant protection product containing potassium hydrogen carbonate (VitiSan, Biofa GmbH, Münsingen, Germany) during two experimental trials. As a result, the symptoms of infected leaf area could be reduced significantly as the experiments progressed. Furthermore, no negative effects such as a reduction of plant growth or the number of marketable flowers were observed. The results indicate that the foliar application of the basic substances hydrogen peroxide and E. arvense-extract has the potential to reduce the use of synthetic plant protection products in conventional and organic horticulture.
Transport Patterns as Heuristic Testing Variables for the Social Coherence of Taxonomic Units at Different Spatial Scales
Authors: Maier Andreas , Sauer Florian , Bergsvik Knut Andreas
Published: August 2022

Taxonomic units in archaeology strongly convey the assumption of a social connection between the people having left the sites attributed to these units. The (implicit) assumption is that people whose sites are attributed to the same unit had closer social relations among one another than they had to people whose sites are attributed to other taxonomic units, and that such social proximity is reflected in similarities in their material culture. It is often difficult to be sure about the processes behind the emergence of similarities and dissimilarities. Therefore, taxonomic units relying on this criterion require additional testing in order to be meaningful components of studies on social relations. Dynamic objects, whose location of origin is known in addition to their place of discard, provide means for such testing, because they reflect the movement or contact patterns of people, potentially providing information on social boundaries or links on different spatial scales. Social coherence—the degree of connectedness between the people having left the sites attributed to these units—is sensitive to phenomena of spatial and temporal scale. However, there is no coherent terminology that would match scale levels of taxonomic units to those of social units. This paper proposes a hierarchical systematics for taxonomic units and their social equivalents applicable to both hunter-(fisher-)gatherer and farming societies to facilitate discussions on this topic. Based on this systematics, we propose an approach to test the coherence of taxonomic units regarding different social scale levels based on transport patterns of dynamic objects. Knowledge on the mode of acquisition (direct/embedded procurement, exchange, trade) of the dynamic objects is not a prerequisite. Three case studies from the Late Upper Paleolithic in Central Europe, the Late Paleolithic in Bavaria, and the Early Neolithic in Norway will be discussed to evaluate the potential and limits of the approach.
On a Novel Hybrid Manta Ray Foraging Optimizer and Its Application on Parameters Estimation of Lithium-Ion Battery
Authors: Rizk-Allah Rizk M. , Zineldin Mohamed I. , Mousa Abd Allah A. , Abdel-Khalek S. , Mohamed Mohamed S. , Snášel Václav
Published: August 2022

In this paper, we propose a hybrid meta-heuristic algorithm called MRFO-PSO that hybridizes the Manta ray foraging optimization (MRFO) and particle swarm optimization (PSO) with the aim to balance the exploration and exploitation abilities. In the MRFO-PSO, the concept of velocity of the PSO is incorporated to guide the searching process of the MRFO, where the velocity is updated by the first best and the second-best solutions. By this integration, the balancing issue between the exploration phase and exploitation ability has been further improved. To illustrate the robustness and effectiveness of the MRFO-PSO, it is tested on 23 benchmark equations and it is applied to estimate the parameters of Tremblay's model with three different commercial lithium-ion batteries including the Samsung Cylindrical ICR18650-22 lithium-ion rechargeable battery, Tenergy 30209 prismatic cell, Ultralife UBBL03 (type LI-7) rechargeable battery. The study contribution exclusively utilizes hybrid machine learning-based tuning for Tremblay's model parameters to overcome the disadvantages of human-based tuning. In addition, the comparisons of the MRFO-PSO with six recent meta-heuristic methods are performed in terms of some statistical metrics and Wilcoxon’s test-based non-parametric test. As a result, the conducted performance measures have confirmed the competitive results as well as the superiority of the proposed MRFO-PSO.
The Challenge of Ethical Interoperability
Authors: Danks David , Trusilo Daniel
Published: August 2022

Defense organizations are increasingly developing ethical principles to guide the design, development, and use of responsible AI, most notably for defense, security, and intelligence uses. While these principles have the potential to lead to more ethical and responsible uses of AI, they also create a novel issue that we term the challenge of ethical interoperability. In particular, we start with the observation that the frequent necessity for collaboration between defense organizations results in their possible need to use one another’s AI systems, either directly or indirectly. In such cases, the AI system presumably satisfies the originator organization’s ethical principles, but the adopting organization should only use it if it also satisfies their AI principles. One might naturally consider using the operating characteristics of the AI system to establish ethical interoperability, as those parallel the features used for technical interoperability. However, we argue that if the operating characteristics are sufficient to enable such assurance, then they will be too detailed to be disclosed. Instead, we propose a system of self-certification that provides adopting organizations with assurances that a system satisfies their ethical AI principles. We argue that our proposed framework properly aligns incentives to ensure ethical interoperability between defense organizations. Moreover, although this challenge is particularly salient for defense organizations, ethical interoperability must also be addressed in non-defense settings by organizations that have developed ethical AI principles.
Inter-American Elements for a Systemic Approach to State-Owned Enterprises’ Human Rights Obligations
Authors: Schönsteiner Judith
Published: August 2022

This article addresses the lack of clarity regarding obligations of state-owned enterprises in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Starting from the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights’ latest report on the topic, it develops the scope of human rights obligations for state-owned enterprises in the Americas, framing them in a systemic approach that calls for using both governance and regulatory tools to achieve respect for human rights. The article furthermore argues that there are good reasons for limiting the application of due diligence to the relationships with a company’s private business partners, excluding the relationship with its (public) owner where direct responsibility applies. Finally, the article spells out several specific issues that need to be addressed when assessing SOE human rights governance and shows that the enhanced human rights accountability of state-owned enterprises need not contradict a level playing field between public and private business.
Exploratory study of the underutilization of CTSA module services
Authors: Elworth Julie T. , Vaught Melissa , Harvey Jillian , Paranal Rechelle , Zell Adrienne , El Bcheraoui Charbel
Published: August 2022

Background/Objective:

The Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) program aims to enhance the quality, efficiency, and impact of translation from discovery to interventions that improve human health. CTSA program hubs at medical research institutions across the United States develop and test innovative tools, methods, and processes, offering core resources and training for the clinical and translational research (CTR) workforce. Hubs have developed services across different domains, such as informatics and pilot studies, to provide ad hoc expertise and staffing for local research teams. Although these services can provide efficient, cost-effective ways to cover skills gaps and implement rigorous studies, three CTSAs of varying size found the majority of investigators were single domain service users, likely missing opportunities to further enhance their work.

Methods:

Through interviews with CTSA service users and a survey of CTSA service managers, this exploratory study aims to identify barriers to using services from multiple modules and solutions to overcome those barriers.

Results:

Barriers include challenges in finding information about services, unclear or unknown user needs, and users’ lack of funding to engage in services. More issues were identified for the largest CTSA.

Conclusions:

Although this study represents a small subset of CTSA hubs, we anticipate that our findings and proposed solutions will be relevant to the broader CTSA community. This study provides foundational information can use in their own efforts to increase service utilization and methods that can be used for more comprehensive studies that focus on explaining the relationship between CTSA features and rates of single versus cross-module service use.
Enchantment and critical distance in EU legal scholarship: what role for institutional lawyers?
Authors: Leino-Sandberg Päivi
Published: August 2022

The legal experts working for the European Union (EU) institutions facilitate EU policy-making activities. But no less importantly, they also shape the evolution of EU law. They have an established presence in EU legal academia and exercise authority through epistemic means. In this role, they make an important contribution to defining the scope and meaning of EU law and the limits of institutional action. Previous research demonstrates that this contribution is largely perceived in positive terms; as ‘clarifying facts’. Yet, as Union officials, institutional legal advisers are bound by Staff Regulations, which prohibit them from acting against institutional positions. This article investigates the role of institutional legal advisers in EU legal academia, placing it in the broader context of the self-image of EU legal scholarship and its ‘enchantment’ with the EU as a political project. It finds that the borderline between institutional strategy and academic research often gets blurred. It argues that EU legal scholarship should maintain a critical distance from the institutions that it studies and re-define its self-identity as a reflective and critical rather than legitimating force. This would contribute to strengthening the EU by enabling democratic debate about its policy choices and their possible alternatives.
What kind of private law for what kind of Europe? A rejoinder to Martijn Hesselink’s ‘progressive code’
Authors: Micklitz Hans-W.
Published: August 2022

Martijn Hesselink’s ‘progressive code’ stands on a century-old leftist tradition. What makes the project unique, however, is the transfer from the nation-state context to the European context and its reliance on principles instead of a fully composed catalogue of rights and obligations. My main criticisms are ultimately the lack of a convincing and fully developed background on both sides of his intellectual construct: the public and the private sphere. Martijn Hesselink has an idealising notion of the public sphere, which he does not yet support with a corresponding EU constitutional theory of the public sphere, and he marginalises society as its own private sphere. The understanding of the public sphere needs to be theoretically and conceptually better grounded in order to be convincing and he would have to recognise that the role and function of the private sphere remain a blind spot in the ‘progressive code’.
Stability conditions on Calabi-Yau double/triple solids
Authors: Koseki Naoki
Published: August 2022

In this paper, we prove a stronger form of the Bogomolov–Gieseker (BG) inequality for stable sheaves on two classes of Calabi–Yau threefolds, namely, weighted hypersurfaces inside the weighted projective spaces$\mathbb {P}(1, 1, 1, 1, 2)$and$\mathbb {P}(1, 1, 1, 1, 4)$. Using the stronger BG inequality as a main technical tool, we construct open subsets in the spaces of Bridgeland stability conditions on these Calabi–Yau threefolds.