bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Teaching English pronunciation in Croatian elementary
schools
Authors: Vančura Alma , Molnar Draženka
Published: September 2021

This chapter explores learners’ and teachers’
attitudes towards English pronunciation in elementary schools in
Croatia, as well as the relationship between pre-service education
and pronunciation teaching methods and techniques. The participants
included 152 learners and 31 teachers. The results show that
teachers feel inadequately trained, and that both teachers and
learners have positive attitudes towards pronunciation and believe
that language exposure greatly contributes to improving
pronunciation. Classroom practices include teaching word and
sentence stress, use of listen-and-repeat activities and teacher-led
corrective feedback. Some learners are motivated to improve their
pronunciation, while others wish to express their Croatian identity.
We consider the pedagogical implications of these findings and
propose recommendations that can make pronunciation teaching more
effective in this context.
Nonlinear power dependence of ferromagnetic resonance in NiFe/Pt/CoFeB trilayer
Authors: Yafuso Minoru , Miyazaki Keishi , Takayama Yusei , Obinata Sora , Kimura Takashi
Published: September 2021

The static and dynamic magnetization properties for a NiFe/Pt/CoFeB tri-layered film have been investigated. We find that the two ferromagnetic layers separated by a Pt spacer are ferromagnetically coupled even at room temperature. Moreover, the damping constant for the NiFe layer is found to show the significant enhancement with non-linear power dependence. These unique magnetic features observed in the NiFe layer can be understood by the weak ferromagnetism induced in the Pt spacer between two ferromagnetic layers.
Heat-content and diffusive leakage from material sets in the low-diffusivity limit
*
Authors: Schilling Nathanael , Karrasch Daniel , Junge Oliver
Published: September 2021

We generalize leading-order asymptotics of a form of the heat content of a submanifold (van den Berg & Gilkey 2015) to the setting of time-dependent diffusion processes in the limit of vanishing diffusivity. Such diffusion processes arise naturally when advection–diffusion processes are viewed in Lagrangian coordinates. We prove that as diffusivity ɛ goes to zero, the diffusive transport out of a material set S under the time-dependent, mass-preserving advection–diffusion equation with initial condition given by the characteristic function

1

S

, is

ε
/
π

d

A

¯

(

∂
S

)

+
o

(

ε

)

. The surface measure

d

A

¯

is that of the so-called geometry of mixing, as introduced in (Karrasch & Keller 2020). We apply our result to the characterisation of coherent structures in time-dependent dynamical systems.
Perfect reconstruction of sparse signals with piecewise continuous nonconvex penalties and nonconvexity control
Authors: Sakata Ayaka , Obuchi Tomoyuki
Published: September 2021

We consider a reconstruction problem of sparse signals from a smaller number of measurements than the dimension formulated as a minimization problem of nonconvex sparse penalties: smoothly clipped absolute deviations and minimax concave penalties. The nonconvexity of these penalties is controlled by nonconvexity parameters, and the ℓ
1 penalty is contained as a limit with respect to these parameters. The analytically-derived reconstruction limit overcomes that of the ℓ
1 limit and is also expected to overcome the algorithmic limit of the Bayes-optimal setting when the nonconvexity parameters have suitable values. However, for small nonconvexity parameters, where the reconstruction of the relatively dense signals is theoretically expected, the algorithm known as approximate message passing (AMP), which is closely related to the analysis, cannot achieve perfect reconstruction leading to a gap from the analysis. Using the theory of state evolution, it is clarified that this gap can be understood on the basis of the shrinkage in the basin of attraction to the perfect reconstruction and also the divergent behavior of AMP in some regions. A part of the gap is mitigated by controlling the shapes of nonconvex penalties to guide the AMP trajectory to the basin of the attraction.
Retraction: A New Approach for Testing Engagement Characteristics of Clutch (J. Phys.: Conf. Ser.
1885 022027)
Authors: Zou Xinyu , Wang Yang
Published: September 2021

It has come to the attention of IOP Publishing that this article should not have reached publication because the paper contains a number of fundamental errors in the initial data, calculation, and conclusion which has led to the findings being unreliable. Consequently, this paper has been retracted by IOP Publishing. The authors agree to this retraction.

Retraction published: 15 September 2021
Monte Carlo Simulations of scintillation detectors for the use as dosemeters
Authors: Alegria N. , Kessler P. , Gabay K.-L. , Legarda F. , Neumaier S. , Röttger A.
Published: September 2021

The energy dependent conversion factors from measured photon
pulse height spectra to ambient dose equivalent (H*(10)) of three
different detectors based on the scintillation materials CeBr_3,
LaBr3 and SrI2 were simulated with the three Monte Carlo
Codes, GEANT4, MCNP and PENELOPE, respectively. The performance of
the detection systems, using the calculated conversion factors
(fitted to response functions), is demonstrated for different
scenarios ranging from laboratory conditions (i.e. a precisely
defined radiation field in a calibration facility) to a free-field
irradiation scenario produced by the natural radioactivity at a
large lawn. With very simple geometric models of the detector
systems, the response function of scintillation based dosemeters can
be derived from the aforementioned Monte Carlo simulations with an
accuracy of the measured doses in H*(10) of ±10% in an photon
energy range from 100 keV to 3000 keV, as being typical for
natural environmental gamma radiation.
Generation of megawatt soliton at 1680 nm in very large mode area antiresonant fiber and application to three-photon microscopy
Authors: Delahaye H , Hage C-H , Bardet S M , Tiliouine I , Granger G , Gaponov D , Lavoute L , Jossent M , Aleshkina S , Bubnov M , Salganskii M , Lipatov D , Guryanov A , Likhachev M , Louradour F , Février S
Published: September 2021

The spectral window around 1700 nm is interesting for in-depth multiphoton microscopy of intact tissues due to reduced scattering and absorption in this wavelength range. However, wide adoption of this excitation range will rely on the availability of robust and cost-effective high peak power pulsed lasers operating at these wavelengths. Here, we report on a fiber-based femtosecond laser providing up to 95 nJ, 85 fs pulses at 1800 nm. The laser system makes use of a fiber-based chirped pulse amplifier emitting at 1560 nm followed by an in-house fabricated very large mode area antiresonant fiber for soliton self-frequency shift. Megawatt-peak power pulses at the repetition rate of 1 MHz are available directly at the output of the flexible fiber. We illustrate the potential of the source for biological microscopy by recording three-photon-excited fluorescence images of mouse nervous tissue. The flexible fiber tailored to propagate megawatt solitons in the biologically relevant window around 1700 nm opens the way to deep brain imaging of freely moving animals via miniaturized endomicroscopes.
Magnetohydrodynamic effect of internal transport barrier on EAST tokamak
Authors: CHU Yuqi , LIU Haiqing , ZHANG Shoubiao , XU Liqing , LI Erzhong , JIE Yinxian , LIAN Hui , ZHOU Tianfu , FENG Xi , ZHANG Xuexi , WANG Yunfei , ZHU Xiang , WU Chenbin , WANG Shouxin , YANG Yao , HANADA K , LYU Bo , LI Yingying , ZANG Qing
Published: September 2021

An internal transport barrier (ITB) can be formed on EAST in exploring high-parameter operation. Previous studies show that safety factor (q) profiles, Shafranov shift and magnetohydrodynamic behaviors could be helpful in ITB formation by suppressing anomalous transport. Recently, electron density evolution with high resolution demonstrates that fishbone could be dominant in electron density ITB formation and sustainment. The power threshold is low in the fishbone condition and the electron density profile is determined by traits of fishbone. Simulation shows that the low-k ion mode is suppressed by fishbone. Direct measurement of turbulence in the inner region shows that the internal kink mode could sustain an electron temperature ITB by suppressing the trapped electron mode. The multi-scale interaction between the kink mode and turbulence by current could be key in sustaining high-electron-temperature long-pulse operation.
Stability and error analysis for a second-order approximation of 1D nonlocal Schrödinger equation under DtN-type boundary conditions
Authors: Wang Jihong , Zhang Jiwei , Zheng Chunxiong
Published: September 2021

A second-order Crank-Nicolson finite difference method is designed to solve a 1D nonlocal Schrödinger equation on the whole real axis. We employ an asymptotically compatible scheme to discretize the spatially nonlocal operator, and apply the Crank-Nicolson scheme in time to achieve a fully discrete infinite system. An iterative technique for the second-order matrix difference equation is then developed to obtain Dirichlet-to-Dirichlet (DtD)-type artificial boundary conditions (ABCs) with the application of

z
z

-transform for the resulting fully discrete system. After that, with the aid of discrete nonlocal Green’s first identity, we derive Dirichlet-to-Neumann (DtN)-type ABCs from DtD-type ABCs. The resulting DtN-type ABCs are available to reduce the infinite discrete system to a finite discrete system on a truncated computational domain, and make it possible to perform stability and convergence analysis for the reduced problem. Finally, numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Stability of finite difference schemes approximation for hyperbolic boundary value problems in an interval
Authors: Benoit Antoine
Published: September 2021

In this article we are interested in the stability of finite difference schemes approximation for hyperbolic boundary value problems defined on the interval

[
0
,
1
]

\left [0,1 \right ]

. The seminal work of Gustafsson, Kreiss, and Sundström [Math. Comp. 26 (1972), pp. 649-686], mainly devoted to the half-line, gives a necessary and sufficient invertibility condition ensuring the stability of the scheme, the so-called discrete uniform Kreiss-Lopatinskii condition. An interesting point is that this condition is a discretized version of the one imposed in the continuous setting to ensure the strong well-posedness of the hyperbolic boundary value problem. However as pointed by Gustafsson, Kreiss, and Sundström [Math. Comp. 26 (1972), pp. 649-686] and as soon as several boundary conditions are concerned the solution to the scheme may develop an exponential growth with respect to the discrete time variable. The question addressed here is to characterize the schemes having this growth or not. This is made under a new invertibility condition which is a discretized version of the ones preventing the exponential growth in time of the solution to continuous hyperbolic boundary value problems in the strip studied by Benoit [Indiana Univ. Math. J. 69 (2020), pp. 2267-2323]. In some sense it shows that this continuous to discrete extension of the characterization occurs in the interval like in the half-line.
Effects of Vitamin D Supplementation on Orthostatic Hypotension: Results From the STURDY Trial
Authors: Juraschek Stephen P , Miller Edgar R , Wanigatunga Amal A , Schrack Jennifer A , Michos Erin D , Mitchell Christine M , Kalyani Rita R , Appel Lawrence J
Published: September 2021

Background

Vitamin D3 supplementation is considered a potential intervention to prevent orthostatic hypotension (OH) based on observational evidence that vitamin D levels are inversely associated with OH. With data from The Study to Understand Fall Reduction and Vitamin D in You (STURDY), a double-blind, randomized, response-adaptive trial, we determined if higher doses of vitamin D3 reduced risk of OH.

Methods

STURDY tested the effects of higher (1,000+ IU/day, i.e., 1,000, 2,000, and 4,000 IU/day combined) vs. lower-dose vitamin D3 (200 IU/day, comparison) on fall risk in adults ages 70 years and older with low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D, 10–29 ng/ml). OH was determined at baseline, 3, 12, and 24 months by taking the difference between seated and standing blood pressure (BP). OH was defined as a drop in systolic or diastolic BP of at least 20 or 10 mm Hg after 1 minute of standing. Participants were also asked about OH symptoms during the assessment and the preceding month.

Results

Among 688 participants (mean age 77 [SD, 5] years; 44% women; 18% Black), the mean baseline systolic/diastolic BP was 130 (19)/67 (11) mm Hg, serum 25(OH)D was 22.1 (5.1) ng/ml, and 2.8% had OH. There were 2,136 OH assessments over the maximum 2-year follow-up period. Compared with 200 IU/day, 1,000+ IU/day was not associated with seated, standing, or orthostatic BP, and it did not lower risk of OH or orthostatic symptoms.

Conclusions

These findings do not support use of higher doses of vitamin D3 supplementation as an intervention to prevent OH.

Clinical trials registration

Trial Number NCT02166333.
A Cross-Sectional Survey of the Workplace Factors Contributing to Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression Among Nurses and Physicians During the First Wave of COVID-19 Pandemic in Two US Healthcare Systems
Authors: Burstyn Igor , Holt Karyn
Published: September 2021

Background

Anxiety and depression among physicians and nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic in the USA are not well described and their modifiable causes are poorly understood.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional survey of symptoms of anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) among physicians and nurses in two US healthcare systems in June through September 2020; participation rate was 5–10%. We described features of work as well as their perceptions and associated concerns in relation to the risk of anxiety and depression, while controlling for health history via regression and path analyses.

Results

About a third of 684 nurses and 185 physicians surveyed showed symptoms of anxiety or depression, and the excess of symptoms of mood disorders was particularly prominent in nurses. The belief that one was infected was a dominant correlate of both anxiety and depression. This belief was more associated with history of symptoms of pneumonia than the contact with COVID-19 diagnosed patients. Factors found to be associated with reduced anxiety and depression in this working environment were having confidence in the competent use of and access to personal protective equipment, maintaining usual working hours, being surrounded by colleagues who were both sufficient in numbers and not stressed, and the support of immediate family and religious communities. Involvement in aerosol-generating procedures with infected patients was linked with lower depression in nurses but higher among physicians. Likewise, the setting of recent patient encounters affected risk of anxiety and depression differently for physicians and nurses.

Conclusions

Our findings may help develop mitigation measures and underscore the need to help nurses and physicians bear the psychological burden of the COVID-19 pandemic and similar events in the future.
Separation and Characterization of Novel Degradation and Process Related Impurities of Bedaquiline Bulk Drug
Authors: Vanavi Pragati J , Rajput Sadhana J
Published: September 2021

Bedaquiline (BDQ) is a new drug approved by United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) in 2012 for the treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis, which has become a major threat globally. The manuscript presents the development of three liquid chromatography (LC) based analytical methods. The first is a stability indicating RP-HPLC (reverse phase-high performance liquid chromatography) method to analyze the BDQ in presence of its degradation products. Another UPLC/ESI–MS (ultra-performance liquid chromatography/electron spray ionization–mass spectrometry) method was developed for the identification of different degradation based and process related impurities and the third, preparative HPLC method was developed for the isolation of major degradation products. Eleven degradation products and one process related impurity were identified using UPLC/ESI–MS whereas preparative HPLC was used to isolate two degradation products and their chemical structure was elucidated using nuclear magnetic resonance, mass and infra-red spectral data.
Accumulation of neutral lipids and carotenoids of Rhodotorula diobovata and Rhodosporidium babjevae cultivated under nitrogen-limited conditions with glycerol as a sole carbon source
Authors: Peng Tingting , Fakankun Irene , Levin David B
Published: September 2021

A total of two red oleaginous yeasts, Rhodotorula diobovata and Rhodosporidium babjevae, were investigated for their potential to grow on nitrogen-limited media with sufficient glycerol as carbon source and produce biomass, triacylglycerides (TAGs) and carotenoids. The two yeasts produced equal quantities of biomass by 120 h post-inoculation (h pi), but R. diobovata consumed more glycerol than R. babajavae under the same conditions. The TAG concentrations accumulated by R. diobovata and R. babjevae were greater than 20% dry cell weight (dcw), and the major fatty acid components consisted of palmitic acid, oleic acid and linolenic acid. The highest concentration of total fatty acids in biomass were present during the late of stationary phase were 486.3 mg/g dcw for R. diobovata at 120 h pi, and 243.9 mg/g dcw for R. babjevae at 144 h pi. Both R. diobovata and R. babjevae produced high concentrations of torularhodin, and low amounts of torulene and γ-carotene. Total carotenoid concentrations in R. diobovata biomass were 31.5 mg/g dcw at 120 h pi and 43.1 mg/g dcw at 96 h pi for R. babjevae. The dcw accumulations of carotenoids by R. diobovata and R. babjevae were significantly greater than those reported for other carotenogenic Rhodotorula and Rhodosporidium strains.
Plastome Structural Evolution and Homoplastic Inversions in Neo-Astragalus (Fabaceae)
Authors: Charboneau Joseph L M , Cronn Richard C , Liston Aaron , Wojciechowski Martin F , Sanderson Michael J
Published: September 2021

The plastid genomes of photosynthetic green plants have largely maintained conserved gene content and order as well as structure over hundreds of millions of years of evolution. Several plant lineages, however, have departed from this conservation and contain many plastome structural rearrangements, which have been associated with an abundance of repeated sequences both overall and near rearrangement endpoints. We sequenced the plastomes of 25 taxa of Astragalus L. (Fabaceae), a large genus in the inverted repeat-lacking clade of legumes, to gain a greater understanding of the connection between repeats and plastome inversions. We found plastome repeat structure has a strong phylogenetic signal among these closely related taxa mostly in the New World clade of Astragalus called Neo-Astragalus. Taxa without inversions also do not differ substantially in their overall repeat structure from four taxa each with one large-scale inversion. For two taxa with inversion endpoints between the same pairs of genes, differences in their exact endpoints indicate the inversions occurred independently. Our proposed mechanism for inversion formation suggests the short inverted repeats now found near the endpoints of the four inversions may be there as a result of these inversions rather than their cause. The longer inverted repeats now near endpoints may have allowed the inversions first mediated by shorter microhomologous sequences to propagate, something that should be considered in explaining how any plastome rearrangement becomes fixed regardless of the mechanism of initial formation.
Paridad de género y representación. El caso mexicanoGender parity and representation. The Mexican case
Authors: Alterio Ana Micaela
Published: September 2021

This article will critically reflect on the jurisprudence of the Mexican Supreme Court of Justice regarding the constitutional principle of gender parity. To do so, it will rely on a theoretical reconstruction of three different foundations of the principle, based on the understanding of the political representation of women and the principle of equality. I will call these positions: “of formal equality,” “of the defense of quotas,” and “of parity,” highlighting how the arguments of the last two positions are mixed in the Mexican judgments in a disorderly and incoherent way. Finally, the article will promote an interpretation of the principle of gender parity as dynamic and therefore open to progressive contributions from the feminist political subject, avoiding both the risks of essentialism and reinforcing the binary system of sexes. This principle requires, at this historical moment, corrective, provisional, and strategic affirmative action measures to achieve substantive gender equality in political representation.
A comprehensive review of drivers influencing flu vaccine acceptance in the Middle East over the last six years: using Health Belief Model
Authors: Alalag Zahraa Adel , Al-Jumaili Ali Azeez , Al-Hamadani Fadya Yaqoob
Published: September 2021

Objectives

The objectives of this study were to review the literature covering the perceptions about influenza vaccines in the Middle East and to determine factors influencing the acceptance of vaccination using Health Belief Model (HBM).

Methods

A comprehensive literature search was performed utilizing PubMed and Google Scholar databases. Three keywords were used: Influenza vaccine, perceptions and Middle East. Empirical studies that dealt with people/healthcare worker (HCW) perceptions of influenza vaccine in the Middle East and written in English were included. The search covered articles published between January 2015 and November 2020.

Key Findings

A total of 34 cross-sectional studies covering a total of 35 518 participants from 22 countries were included in this review. The overall influenza vaccination rates were generally low (<50%) among general population, particularly among pregnant women and children. HCWs had relatively higher vaccination rates compared with general population. Old age, health comorbidities or working in high-risk environments were noted as major motivators to receive the vaccine. Concerns about adverse reactions and the lack of vaccine efficacy were the most predominant reported barriers to receiving the vaccines. Lastly, cues to actions included receiving advice from HCWs, influence of institutional requirement, awareness/educational pamphlets and influence from the media.

The HBM can be helpful in identifying and analysing motivators and barriers to vaccination. Additionally, by looking at the root causation, this model can help plan campaigns to increase vaccination rates in the region. Finally, we recommend empowering HCWs to proactively advocate for vaccination as part of preventive care.
Race and Colonialism in the Construction of Labour Markets and Precarity
Authors: Ashiagbor Diamond
Published: September 2021

This article explores the interconnections and continuities between racial inequalities in the contemporary labour market and the legacies of colonialism and racial distinctions woven into the evolution of market economy. It argues that race is embedded in the legal form by which labour is regulated. In its focus on the legal relations between individual subjects, namely, the contract of employment, the dominant legal form for governing work relations, the standard employment relationship, erases from view the broader social and economic structures within which the bilateral relationship exists—that is, the unpaid work of social reproduction and the colonial extraction which make paid work possible. The article identifies a number of ways in which race, racism and the legacies of colonialism are implicated in the evolution of market economy and latterly in the construction of the postwar welfare state and contemporary labour market institutions. First, in the racial capitalism of slavery. Second, in the colonial extraction and commodification of labour power from the global South for the benefit of markets in the global North. Third, in relation to migrant labour and racialised segmentation of the labour market.
Maternal and child factors associated with early initiation of breastfeeding in Chad: evidence from nationally representative cross-sectional data
Authors: Ahinkorah Bright Opoku , Seidu Abdul-Aziz , Budu Eugene , Mohammed Aliu , Adu Collins , Ameyaw Edward Kwabena , Kissah-Korsah Kwaku , Adoboi Faustina , Yaya Sanni
Published: September 2021

Background

Early initiation of breastfeeding (EIB) is an inexpensive practice but has a substantial potential to reduce neonatal morbidity. Therefore, this study investigated the maternal and child-related factors associated with EIB and makes recommendations that could help improve the practice in Chad.

Methods

We used data from the children's recode file of the 2014–2015 Chad Demographic and Health Survey. A total of 3991 women ages 15–49 y who had last-born children in the 2 y preceding the survey were included in our study. The outcome variable for the study was EIB. Both descriptive (frequencies and percentages) and inferential (binary logistic regression) analyses were carried out. All results of the binary logistic analyses are presented as adjusted odds ratios (aORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results

We found the prevalence of EIB in Chad to be 23.8%. In terms of maternal factors, the likelihood of EIB was high among non-working women (aOR 1.37 [95% CI 1.18 to 1.59]), the richest wealth quintile women (aOR 1.37 [95% CI 1.04 to 1.79]) and non-media-exposed women (aOR 1.58 [95% CI 1.24 to 2.02]) compared with working women, the poorest wealth quintile women and media-exposed women, respectively. EIB was lower among children whose mothers had one to three antenatal care visits (ANC; aOR 0.73 [95% CI 0.61 to 0.87]) and four or more ANC visits (aOR 0.80 [95% CI 0.66 to 0.97]) compared with those who had no ANC visits. With the child factors, EIB was higher among mothers of children who were smaller than average size at birth compared with those of larger than average birth size (aOR 1.47 [95% CI 1.24 to 1.74]). Mothers of children of fifth-order or more births compared with those of first-order births (aOR 1.51 [95% CI 1.07 to 2.12]) and those who were delivered through vaginal birth compared with those delivered through caesarean section (aOR 4.71 [95% CI 1.36 to 16.24]) were more likely to practice EIB.

Conclusions

Maternal and child-related factors play roles in EIB in Chad. Hence, it is important to consider these factors in maternal and neonatal health interventions. Such initiatives, including training of outreach health workers, health education, counselling sessions and awareness-raising activities on breastfeeding geared towards EIB should be undertaken. These should take into consideration the employment status, wealth quintile, exposure to mass media, size of the baby at birth, ANC visits, parity and delivery method.
Impact of mobility restrictions on the dynamics of transmission of COVID-19 in Colombian cities
Authors: Paternina-Caicedo Angel , Alvis-Guzmán Nelson , Dueñas Carmelo , Narvaez Javier , Smith Adrian D , De la Hoz-Restrepo Fernando
Published: September 2021

Background

Our aim was to study the association between case rates and reductions in urban mobility in state capitals of Colombia.

Methods

We designed an ecological time-series study to correlate the Colombian incidence rate with reductions in mobility trends of retail stores.

Results

The meta-analysis of β coefficients describing the association between case rates and reductions in mobility trends of retail stores resulted in a mean estimate of 0.0637 (95% confidence interval 0.027 to 0.101; p<0.001) with nearly 100% heterogeneity.

Conclusions

We recommend continuing to consider mobility restrictions when the number of cases starts to climb in each local jurisdiction.
Results of an Interlaboratory Comparison of a Liquid Chromatography–Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry Method for the Determination of 13C/12C Ratios of Saccharides in Honey
Authors: Aries Eric , De Rudder Oliver , Kaklamanos Georgios , Maquet Alain , Ulberth Franz
Published: September 2021

Background

Stable carbon isotope analysis of sugars in honey by LC–isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) is a useful tool for detecting adulteration of honey with extraneous sugar. Purity criteria based on 13C/12C ratios of saccharides in honey, determined by LC–IRMS of a large number of authentic honey samples, have been elaborated. However, no interlaboratory comparison (ILC) has yet been performed to estimate the precision of the method under reproducibility conditions.

Objective

To address this knowledge gap an ILC involving 14 laboratories and using six honey samples was conducted.

Methods

The participants were allowed to use their LC–IRMS-based method of choice for sample preparation and compound separation.

Results

The precision figures were estimated according to ISO 5725:1994. The repeatability relative standard deviation (RSDr) for the determination of δ13C values of fructose and glucose varied between 0.3 and 0.5%, with 0.3 and 1.0% for disaccharides, and 0.7 and 2.8% for trisaccharides. The RSDR varied between 0.8 and 1.8% for the monosaccharides, 1.0 and 1.5% for disaccharides, and 1.4 and 2.8% for trisaccharides.

Conclusion

Based on the obtained precision data the LC–IRMS method for the determination of 13C/12C ratios of saccharides in honey was considered fit for the conformity assessment of honey with established purity criteria.

Highlights

Precision estimates for a LC–IRMS method to determine 13C/12C ratios of saccharides in honey were obtained through an ILC. The data created can form the basis for the standardization of the method by interested standards-developing organizations for use in official control.
Driving Under the Influence of Flualprazolam: 10 Case Reports
Authors: Mercurio Nicholas , Triebold Craig , Coleman Dan
Published: September 2021

Ten cases of suspected driving under the influence of flualprazolam are presented. Data from police reports and drug recognition examinations, when available, were evaluated. In all cases, significant driving impairments were observed, including weaving, driving slowly, stopping in the roadway or collisions. Objective signs of impairment in all cases were generally consistent with those expected from central nervous system depressants. Both the mean and median blood flualprazolam concentrations were <15 ng/mL. Although comprehensive analysis was not performed on each specimen, the data from this study support the conclusion that flualprazolam at low concentrations may significantly impair the ability to safely drive.
Diagnosis of a new subfamily within Barbouriidae (Decapoda: Caridea)
Authors: Ditter Robert E , Mejía-Ortíz Luis M , Bracken-Grissom Heather D
Published: September 2021

In a recent revision of the Barbouridae Christoffersen, 1987, the authorship for the subfamily Calliasmatinae was cited as “Holthuis, 1973.” This is incorrect as the subfamily name has not been used before. We here diagnose the Calliasmatinae as a new subfamily and validate the name. All members of the new taxon are endemic to anchialine caves. We also provide a revised list of the species of Barbouriidae.
Coronary artery embolism and culture-negative endocarditis post Bentall’s procedure
Authors: McNeill Jared , Chew Hong , Andresen David , Muller David , Granger Emily , Wang Louis W
Published: September 2021

Infective endocarditis is an important cause of morbidity and mortality, which classically presents with fevers and nonspecific symptoms. Afebrile infective endocarditis with negative blood cultures makes diagnosis more challenging and delays in treatment can occur increasing the likelihood of complications. The presence of prosthetic heart valves places patients at an increased risk of infective endocarditis and the case described below highlights the importance of considering this diagnosis even if classic clinical features such as fever and raised inflammatory markers are not present, as well as discussing an unusual complication of infective endocarditis; coronary artery embolism leading to myocardial infarction.
Observational constraints on Tsallis modified gravity
Authors: Asghari Mahnaz , Sheykhi Ahmad
Published: September 2021

The thermodynamics-gravity conjecture reveals that one can derive the gravitational field equations by using the first law of thermodynamics and vice versa. Considering the entropy associated with the horizon in the form of non-extensive Tsallis entropy, S ∼ Aβ here, we first derive the corresponding gravitational field equations by applying the Clausius relation δQ = TδS to the horizon. We then construct the Friedmann equations of Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker Universe based on Tsallis modified gravity (TMG). Moreover, in order to constrain the cosmological parameters of TMG model, we use observational data, including Planck cosmic microwave background, weak lensing, supernovae, baryon acoustic oscillations, and redshift-space distortions data. Numerical results indicate that TMG model with a quintessential dark energy is more compatible with the low redshift measurements of large scale structures by predicting a lower value for the structure growth parameter σ8 with respect to ΛCDM model. This implies that TMG model would slightly alleviate the σ8 tension.
Atlantic meridional overturning circulation modulation of late Pleistocene to middle Holocene Asian summer monsoon variability and palaeoanthropological implications
Authors: Li Xinxia , Xiao Guoqiao , Lin Shan , Qiang Xiaoke , Ao Hong
Published: September 2021

Asia contains more than half the world’s population, and their lives are significantly related to summer monsoon moisture supply. Here, we investigate features and dynamics of late Pleistocene–middle Holocene Asian summer monsoon variability in the Nihewan Basin, North China, which was a critical home for early humans in East Asia throughout the Quaternary. We present new mineral magnetic records between ∼16 and 6 ka from the Yujiagou archeological site in the northern Nihewan Basin, which contains >40 000 stone tools, 2 pottery pieces and 19 686 mammal fossils. Magnetic properties of the Yujiagou section are dominated by pedogenic fine-grained magnetite/maghemite concentration, which ranges from superparamagnetic/single domain up to fine pseudo-single domain sizes. We use multiple environmental magnetic proxies, which measure pedogenic magnetite/maghemite concentration, to document that summer monsoon precipitation was low before ∼14.5 ka and high during the Bölling–Allerød warm period (14.5–12.8 ka), and shifted to low values at the onset of the Young Dryas cold period ∼12.4 ka, followed by a sustained long-term increasing trend from 12.4 to 6 ka. We relate these monsoon precipitation changes to the consistent Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation variability, which modulated North Hemisphere temperatures and displacements of Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone and Walker circulation over the Pacific Ocean. The observed large-amplitude deglacial Asian monsoon changes may have played a role in several key evolutionary changes in Asia implicated by the Yujiagou archeological evidence, including Paleolithic to Neolithic culture transition, Asian pottery development, and early human dispersals from Asia to America.
Geography and Agricultural Productivity: Cross-Country Evidence from Micro Plot-Level Data
Authors: Adamopoulos Tasso , Restuccia Diego
Published: September 2021

We quantify the role of geography and land quality for agricultural productivity differences across countries using high-resolution micro-geography data and a spatial accounting framework. The rich spatial data provide for each cell of land covering the entire globe, the potential yield for 18 crops, which measures the maximum attainable crop output given soil quality, climate conditions, terrain topography, and a given level of cultivation inputs. While there is considerable heterogeneity in land quality across space, even within narrow geographic regions, we find that low agricultural land productivity is not due to unfavourable geographic endowments. If countries produced current crops in each cell according to potential yields, the rich-poor agricultural yield gap would virtually disappear, from 214% to 5%. We also find evidence of additional aggregate productivity gains attainable through spatial reallocation and changes in crop production.
Phenotype, function and clinical significance of innate lymphoid cells in immunoglobulin G4–related disease
Authors: Zhang Panpan , Liu Zheng , Peng Linyi , Zhou Jiaxin , Wang Mu , Li Jieqiong , Lu Hui , Hu Chaojun , Zhao Lidan , Yang Huaxia , Wang Qian , Fei Yunyun , Zhang Xuan , Zhao Yan , Zeng Xiaofeng , Zhang Wen
Published: September 2021

Objectives

The innate immune system participates in immunoglobulin G4–related disease (IgG4-RD). While the role of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) in IgG4-RD remains to be elucidated, we aimed to evaluate the phenotype, function and clinical significance of ILCs in IgG4-RD patients.

Methods

Sixty-seven untreated IgG4-RD patients and 44 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled. Circulating and tissue infiltration of ILCs were detected by flow cytometry. Serum suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2) was detected by ELISA and membrane-bound ST2 (ST2L) was detected by flow cytometry. Tissue infiltration of IL-33 was measured by immunohistochemistry staining. Real-time quantitative PCR was performed to analyse the expression pattern of ILC2-associated genes between HCs and IgG4-RD patients. In addition, correlation analysis was performed in order to evaluate the clinical significance of ILCs in IgG4-RD.

Results

The frequency of circulating pan ILCs in IgG4-RD patients was lower than in HCs. ILC2s were higher in IgG4-RD compared with HCs, whereas ILC1s were lower in IgG4-RD. sST2 and ST2L were higher in IgG4-RD than in HCs. Infiltration of ILC1s in the submandibular glands of IgG4-RD patients was more prominent than ILC2s. Intracellular secretion of IL-9 was increased in ILC2s of IgG4-RD patients than in HCs. Circulating ILC2s correlated positively with Treg cells and the surface expression of CD154, PD-1 and CXCR5 in ILC2s correlated positively with CD19+ B cells, serum IgG4 levels and serum IgE, respectively.

Conclusion

ILCs and their subsets were significantly altered in IgG4-RD. We demonstrated the dysfunction of ILC2s in IgG4-RD by phenotype, correlation analysis and function investigation, revealing ILC2s participated in the pathogenesis of IgG4-RD.
Lower respiratory tract infections in early life are associated with obstructive sleep apnea diagnosis during childhood in a large birth cohort
Authors: Gutierrez Maria J , Nino Gustavo , Landeo-Gutierrez Jeremy S , Weiss Miriam R , Preciado Diego A , Hong Xiumei , Wang Xiaobin
Published: September 2021

Study Objectives

Several birth cohorts have defined the pivotal role of early lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) in the inception of pediatric respiratory conditions. However, the association between early LRTI and the development of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children has not been established.

Methods

To investigate whether early LRTIs increase the risk of pediatric OSA, we analyzed clinical data in children followed during the first 5 years in the Boston Birth Cohort (n = 3114). Kaplan–Meier survival estimates and Cox proportional hazards models adjusted by pertinent covariates were used to evaluate the risk of OSA by the age of 5 years between children with LRTI during the first 2 years of life in comparison to those without LRTI during this period.

Results

Early life LRTI increased the risk of pediatric OSA independently of other pertinent covariates and risk factors (hazard ratio, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.15 to 2.05). Importantly, the association between LRTI and pediatric OSA was limited to LRTIs occurring during the first 2 years of life. Complementarily to this finding, we observed that children who had severe respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis during infancy had two times higher odds of OSA at 5 years in comparison with children without this exposure (odds ratio, 2.09; 95% CI, 1.12 to 3.88).

Conclusions

Children with severe LRTIs in early life have significantly increased risk of developing OSA during the first 5 years of life. Our results offer a new paradigm for investigating novel mechanisms and interventions targeting the early pathogenesis of OSA in the pediatric population.
Teacher to student feedback in distance education
Authors: Habala Petr
Published: September 2021

When mastering new topics, the importance of timely and topical feedback is hard to overestimate. Distance education forced recently on educational community by COVID brought obstacles to one-on-one interaction, making direct feedback difficult. However, it also inspired educators to consider new tools and ideas. A possible approach allowing for quality feedback is outlined, supported by a comparison of pre-COVID and COVID results.
Effects of Host Plant Resistance and Fungicide Applications on Ascochyta Blight Symptomology and Yield of Chickpea
Authors: Crutcher Frankie Kay , Mohammed Yesuf Assen , Chen Chengci , Turner Sherry
Published: September 2021

Ascochyta blight (AB), caused by the pathogen Ascochyta rabiei, is a major threat to chickpea production worldwide, causing major yield losses and decreasing quality. Control of AB requires integrating pest management options including resistant cultivars and fungicide applications. To address this, fungicides with different modes of action were evaluated on three chickpea cultivars with differing levels of susceptibility to AB under irrigated and dryland conditions in 2015 to 2017. The fungicides were applied once or twice and compared with a no-fungicide application control on AB score and yield. The mean grain yields across locations and years were 1,753, 1,283, and 981 kg/ha, with a corresponding AB mean score of 2.6, 3.2, and 3.3 on 0 to 7 scale (where 0 is no disease and 7 is completely dead) for the moderately resistant, moderately susceptible, and susceptible chickpea cultivars, respectively. Fungicide application was not enough to control disease throughout the season. The use of AB-resistant cultivars had the most significant impact on minimizing the disease and maximizing yield, irrespective of year and location. This study supports previous research indicating that planting AB-resistant chickpea cultivars is essential for disease control, regardless of the fungicides applied.
A Distance-Learning Approach to Point-of-Care Ultrasound Training (ADAPT): A Multi-Institutional Educational Response During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Nix Kahra , Liu E. Liang , Oh Laura , Duanmu Youyou , Fong Tiffany , Ashenburg Nicholas , Liu Rachel B.
Published: September 2021

Problem

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) education. Medical schools and residency programs placed restrictions on bedside teaching and clinical scanning as part of risk mitigation. In response, POCUS faculty from 15 institutions nationwide collaborated on an alternative model of ultrasound education, A Distance-learning Approach to POCUS Training (ADAPT).

Approach

ADAPT was repeated monthly from April 1 through June 30, 2020. It accommodated 70 learners, who included 1- to 4-week rotators and asynchronous learners. The curriculum included assigned prework and learning objectives covering 20 core POCUS topics. A rotating group of 30 faculty and fellows delivered daily virtual teaching sessions that included gamification to increase learner engagement and hands-on instruction through teleguidance. After participation, faculty and learners completed anonymous surveys.

Outcomes

Educators reported a significant decrease in preparatory time (6.2 vs 3.1 hours per week, P < .001) dedicated to ultrasound education after implementing ADAPT. The majority of 29 learners who completed surveys felt “somewhat confident” or “very confident” in their ability to acquire (n = 25, 86.2%) and interpret (n = 27, 93.1%) ultrasound images after the intervention; the majority of 22 educators completing surveys rated the program “somewhat effective” or “very effective” at contributing to learner’s ability to acquire (n = 13, 59.1%) and interpret (n = 20, 90.9%) images. Most learners (n = 28, 96.6%) and all educators (n = 22, 100%) were “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with ADAPT as a whole, and the large majority of educators were “very likely” (n = 18, 81.8%) to recommend continued use of this program.

Next Steps

A virtual curriculum that pools the efforts of multiple institutions nationwide was implemented rapidly and effectively while satisfying educational expectations of both learners and faculty. This collaborative framework can be replicated and may be generalizable to other educational objectives.
The Ethics of Health Professions Education Research: Protecting the Integrity of Science, Research Subjects, and Authorship
Authors: ten Cate Olle
Published: September 2021

The author was invited to write a commentary on the ethics of health professions education research. Based on the author’s own experiences, published guidelines, and discussions with international colleagues, the author found that research ethics can be roughly grouped into 3 distinct areas, each with its own distinct aims: protecting the integrity of science, protecting the integrity of research subjects, and protecting the integrity of authorship. The focus of this commentary is to provide some guiding thoughts on each of the 3 areas for mentors of emerging health professions education scholars.

While any framing logic is arbitrary, the 3 areas of research ethics can be illustrated by 9 distinct breaches of ethical principles, ranging from outright fraud to strategic authorship practices, and 27 practical lessons for learners to counter these and shape ethical research conduct. In general, the international variations in habits, rules, and regulations do not strike the author as being substantially different, but there are cultural variations in terms of what is emphasized and regulated.

The ethics of research in health professions education has developed quite extensively in the past few decades, following advances in biomedical and other research domains, and are now grounded in several useful and authoritative guidelines. At the end of the day, however, ethical research conduct is a matter of internalized rules and regulations that researchers must develop over time. Emerging scholars need both instruction and role models to develop their own moral compass to navigate the rules, regulations, and purposes of research ethics.