bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nutritional Status of One to Five Year Old Children in Rural Haryana: A Community Based Study
Authors: Samdarshi Narottam , Virk Amrit , Saini Parmal , Prabhakar Vikrant
Published: January 2021

Introduction: Under-nutrition remains one of the major causes of morbidity and premature mortality among one to five-year-old children in India. WHO recommended indicators used in the past for assessment of under-nutrition are overlapping and do not provide a comprehensive estimate of the under-nourished in the community. Aim: To assess prevalence of under-nutrition among one to five-year-old children of rural Haryana, using conventional indices and Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure (CIAF) and compare the estimated results. Materials and Methods: A community based cross sectional study was conducted on 1032 children, one to five-year-old (477 boys; 555 girls), in rural field practice area of Department of Community Medicine, AMCH, Shahabad (M), Haryana from January to December 2019. House to house visits were conducted to collect information from the child’s mother/primary caregiver using a semi-structured questionnaire followed by anthropometric assessment of the children. The WHO recommended conventional indicators of under-nutrition (stunting, wasting and underweight) as well as the CIAF were used to evaluate the nutritional status of the children following standard procedures. Z-scores were computed separately for boys and girls. Categorical data was presented as percentages (%) and Pearson’s Chi-square test was used to evaluate differences between groups for categorised variables. The p-value <0.05 was considered significant. Results: Our study results revealed 21.5% children as underweight, 30.2% children as stunted and 8.9% children as wasted according to WHO recommended indices. The prevalence of under-nutrition in studied children according to CIAF was found to be 43.7%. Of the studied children, 56.3% of children reported no failure (Group A), 4.1% reported wasting only (Group B), 2.3% reported wasting and underweight (Group C), (4.2%) reported wasting, stunting and underweight (Group D), 7.6% reported stunting and underweight (Group E), 18.4% reported stunting only (Group F) while 7.1% reported underweight only (Group Y). Conclusion: CIAF may be a better indicator of nutritional status in one to five-year-old children. The apparent advantage lies in the fact that it reveals a comprehensive picture of the severity of the actual burden of under-nutrition in a population.
A Review of Contemporary Teleaudiology: Literature Review, Technology, and Considerations for Practicing
Authors: Kim Jinsook , Jeon Seungik , Kim Dokyun , Shin Yerim
Published: January 2021

The scope of teleaudiology has been noted with telehealth due to Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) recently. As the notion has been around us for more than 20 years ever since 1999, it is necessary to perceive the knowledge accurately and prepare for the successful implementation of it. Therefore, the literature review including screening and diagnostic audiometry, cochlear implants and hearing aids, and aural rehabilitation, telecommunications technology regarding several fields of teleaudiology, and considerations for practicing were identified. Although overall internet-based audiological services showed benefits in terms of outcome and accessibility, uncertainties of cost-effectiveness, the optimal level of support, and a need for further studies of many aspects for teleaudiology has arisen. In the view of technology, the store-and-forward (asynchronous/hybrid) and a real-time (synchronous) methods were introduced with one applied and nine registered patents recorded from 2004 to 2020 for the invention of teleaudiology in the United States. Also, 10 checklists were suggested for planning teleaudiology practice from prior experience in hosting the teleaudiology program. Conclusively, it is hoped that this review sheds light on recognizing and improving the existing teleaudiology services and helps overcome the challenges faced in the era of pandemic and untact world to come.
CeIV70Oxosulfate Rings, Frameworks, Supramolecular Assembly, and Redox Activity**
Authors: Colliard Ian , Nyman May
Published: January 2021

MIVmolecular oxo‐clusters (M=Zr, Hf, Ce, Th, U, Np, Pu) are prolific in bottoms‐up material design, catalysis, and elucidating reaction pathways in nature and in synthesis. Here we introduce Ce70, a wheel‐shaped oxo‐cluster, [CeIV70(OH)36(O)64(SO4)60(H2O)10]4−. Ce70crystallizes into intricate high pore volume frameworks with divalent transition metals and Ce‐monomer linkers. Eight crystal‐structures feature four framework types in which the Ce70‐rings are linked as propellers, in offset‐stacks, in a tartan pattern, and as isolated rings. Small‐angle X‐ray scattering of Ce70dissolved in butylamine, with and without added cations (CeIV, alkaline earths, MnII), shows the metals‘ differentiating roles in ring linking, leading to supramolecular assemblies. The large acidic pores and abundant terminal sulfates provide ion‐exchange behavior, demonstrated with UIVand NdIII. Frameworks featuring CeIII/IV‐monomer linkers demonstrate both oxidation and reduction. This study opens the door to mixed‐metal, highly porous framework catalysts, and new clusters for metal‐organic framework design
Crystallization Enhancement by a High Behenic Acid Stabilizer in a Palm Oil‐Based Model Fat Blend and its Corresponding Fat‐Reduced Water‐in‐Oil Emulsion
Authors: Cordova‐Barragan Marisol , Marangoni Alejandro G. , Peyronel Fernanda , Dibildox‐Alvarado Elena
Published: January 2021

A high behenic stabilizer (HBS) at concentrations of 0.3%, 0.6%, and 0.9% w/w was added to the oil phase of a fat‐reduced water‐in‐oil (W/O) emulsion intended for margarine manufacture. The crystallization kinetics, thermal behavior, and microstructure of an oil phase and its 35/65 w/w fat‐reduced W/O emulsion were studied. The oil phase was composed of a palm oil‐based model fat blend, three emulsifiers, and the HBS. Differential scanning calorimetry results showed that, when 0.9% of stabilizer was added, the crystallization started 2.5 °C higher than when no HBS was added, hence reducing the time needed for crystallization. Polarized light microscopy results showed that the cocrystallization of the high‐melting triacylglycerols of the oil phase with the HBS significantly decreased the fat crystal size and increased the number of crystals. The solid fat content also was increased by 2.4%. Interfacial tension experiments corroborated that HBS was located in the oil phase and not at the emulsion interface. This work shows that margarine can be successfully manufactured by adding 0.9% HBS to a 35/65 w/w fat‐reduced W/O emulsion without losing functionality, as shown by the presence of the β′ polymorph. This work also suggests that 15% fat could be removed from the system without changing functionality by merely adding up to 0.9% of HBS.
Modified Metal–Organic Frameworks as Efficient Catalysts for Lignocellulosic Biomass Conversion
Authors: Lee Jun Gyeong , Nam Eonu , An Kwangjin
Published: January 2021

Biomass, a promising replacement for fossil fuels, can be used to produce eco‐friendly liquid fuels and chemicals. Various studies are investigating catalysts for lignocellulosic biomass conversion to valuable chemicals and fuels. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are important catalysts because of their well‐ordered porous structures and large surface areas. Although MOFs can be applied directly, four modification strategies can be used to alter their catalytic properties and improve catalytic performance. In the first strategy, coordinatively unsaturated sites are created by changing the bonding state of the metal node. In the second approach, organic linkers with additional functional groups or active elements are used. In the third strategy, MOFs and other active elements are combined. In the final approach, MOFs are carbonized to produce carbon‐supported metal catalysts. We review the applications of modified MOFs for the catalytic conversion of biomass derivatives and discuss the factors that contribute to their improved catalytic performance.
Design of Trehalose‐Based Amide/Sulfonamide C‐type Lectin Receptor Signaling Compounds
Authors: Rasheed Omer K. , Buhl Cassandra , Evans Jay T. , Ryter Kendal T.
Published: January 2021

Mincle agonists have been shown to induce inflammatory cytokine production, such as tumor necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF) and promote the development of a Th1/Th17 immune response that might be crucial to development of effective vaccination against pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. As an expansion of our previous work, a library of 6,6′‐amide and sulfonamide α,α‐d‐trehalose compounds with various substituents on the aromatic ring was synthesized efficiently in good to excellent yields. These compounds were evaluated for their ability to activate the human C‐type lectin receptor Mincle by the induction of cytokines from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. A preliminary structure–activity relationship (SAR) of these novel trehalose diamides and sulfonamides revealed that aryl amide‐linked trehalose compounds demonstrated improved activity and relatively high potency cytokine production compared to the Mincle ligand trehalose dibehenate adjuvant (TDB) and the natural ligand trehalose dimycolate (TDM) inducing dose‐dependent and human‐Mincle‐specific stimulation in a HEK reporter cell line.
Design of nine step switched capacitor multilevel inverter and its cascaded extension
Authors: Velliangiri Suresh , Ramasamy Senthilkumar , Ponnusamy Prem , M Jagabar Sathik
Published: January 2021

Conventionally, multilevel inverter topologies require components like boost converter, voltage balancing circuits in addition to its switches and gate driver circuitry resulting in increased complexity. A new multilevel inverter topology using the concept of switched‐capacitor (SC) is proposed in this article. The basic structure capable of generating 9 level (9L) output voltage waveform with magnitude twice the input voltage at its terminals is proposed. Further, two identical structures are cascaded horizontally to attain 17 level (17L) based on structural modification is suggested. Simulation results are used to analyze the performance of the proposed 9L‐SCMLI and 17L‐SCMLI in the aspects of total harmonic distortion, R, RL, and dynamic loading conditions. The 9L‐SCMLI prototype model is developed to validate the adaptability of the proposed system.
Successful identification of predictive profiles for infection utilising systems‐level immune analysis: a pilot study in patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma
Authors: Doerflinger Marcel , Garnham Alexandra L , Freytag Saskia , Harrison Simon J , Prince H Miles , Quach Hang , Slavin Monica A , Pellegrini Marc , Teh Benjamin W
Published: January 2021

Objectives

Patients with multiple myeloma (MM) are at increased risk for infection. Clinical assessment of infection risk is increasingly challenging in the era of immune‐based therapy. A pilot systems‐level immune analysis study to identify predictive markers for infection was conducted.

Methods

Patients with relapsed and/or refractory MM (RRMM) who participated in a treatment trial of lenalidomide and dexamethasone were evaluated. Data on patient demographics, disease and episodes of infection were extracted from clinical records. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) collected at defined intervals were analysed, with or without mitogen re‐stimulation, using RNA sequencing and mass cytometry (CyTOF). CyTOF‐derived cell subsets and RNAseq gene expression profiles were compared between patients that did and did not develop infection to identify immune signatures that predict infection over a 3‐month period.

Results

Twenty‐three patients participated in the original treatment trial, and we were able to access samples from 17 RRMM patients for further evaluation in our study. Nearly half the patients developed an infection (8/17) within 3 months of sample collection. Infections were mostly clinically diagnosed (62.5%), and the majority involved the respiratory tract (87.5%). We did not detect phenotypic or numerical differences in immune cell populations between patients that did and did not develop infections. Transcriptional profiling of stimulated PBMCs revealed distinct Th2 immune pathway signatures in patients that developed infection.

Conclusion

Immune cell counts were not useful predictors of infection risk. Functional assessment of stimulated PBMCs has identified potential immune profiles that may predict future infection risk in patients with RRMM.
Development and validation of a new 18 X‐STR typing assay for forensic applications
Authors: Zhang Yinming , Yu Zhengliang , Mo Xiaoting , Zhao Xingchun , Li Wanshui , Liu Hong , Liu Chao , Wu Riga , Sun Hongyu
Published: January 2021

With a unique inheritance pattern compared to autosomal short tandem repeats (A‐STRs), X chromosomal STRs (X‐STRs) have special usage in forensic relationship testing. In this study, we designed a multiplex amplification system (named TYPER‐X19 multiplex assay) consisting of 18 STR loci spreading from 7.837 to 149.460 Mb on the X chromosomes (DXS9895, DXS8378, DXS9902, DXS6810, DXS7132, DXS10079, DXS6789, DXS7424, DXS101, DXS6797, DXS7133, DXS6804, GATA165B12, DXS10103, HPRTB, GATA31E08, DXS8377, and DXS7423), and the amelogenin. PCR primers were marked with four kinds of fluorophores including FAM, HEX, TAMRA, and ROX. The multiplex system was optimized and tested for precision, concordance, reproducibility, sensitivity, stability, DNA mixture, and species specificity according to the conventional validation guidelines. The results indicated that the system was accurate, reliable, and sensitive enough, and was suitable for common forensic case‐type samples. In the population genetic study, a total of 148 alleles were detected at the 18 X‐STR loci in 398 Southern Han Chinese. Relatively high combined power of discrimination in male (PDm), power of discrimination in female (PDf), mean paternity exclusion chance in trios (MECtrio), and mean paternity exclusion chance in duos (MECDuo) by Desmarais were detected, and HPRTB‐DXS10103 was in linkage disequilibrium. The results suggested that the TYPER‐X19 multiplex assay was suitable for forensic applications.
Characterization of the microbiota and chemical properties of pork loins during dry aging
Authors: Endo Akihito , Koizumi Ryosuke , Nakazawa Yozo , Shiwa Yuh , Maeno Shintaro , Kido Yoshihiko , Irisawa Tomohiro , Muramatsu Yoshiki , Tada Kotaro , Yamazaki Masao , Myoda Takao
Published: January 2021

Dry aging (DA) allows for the storage of meat without packaging at 0 to 3°C for several weeks. It enhances the production of pleasant flavors, tenderness, and juiciness in meat. Due to the long storage period and roles of indigenous microbiota in the maturation of several meat products, the microbiota of DA meat is of interest in terms of microbial contributions and food hygiene but has not yet been characterized in detail. This study identified the microbiota of pork loins during DA using culturing and culture‐independent meta‐16S rRNA gene sequencing and elucidated its characteristics. The amounts of free amino acids and profiles of aroma‐active compounds were also monitored by high‐performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography, respectively. The meta‐16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that Pseudomonas spp. generally dominated the microbiota throughout DA; however, the culturing analysis showed marked changes in the species composition during DA. Acinetobacter spp. were the second most dominant bacteria before DA in the culture‐independent analysis but became a minor population during DA. The cell numbers of yeasts showed an increased tendency during DA, and Debaryomyces hansenii was the only microorganism isolated from all meat samples throughout DA. Well‐known foodborne pathogens were not observed in two microbiota analyses. The amounts of free amino acids were increased by DA, and the number of aroma‐active compounds and their flavor dilution values markedly changed during DA. Most microbial isolates showed positive reactions with proteolytic and lipolytic activities, suggesting their contribution to tenderness and aroma production in DA meats.
Toward achieving sustainable development goal 3: Determinants, innovations, and reactions from 110 countries with different income levels
Authors: Fu Guoxin
Published: January 2021

Well‐being has a major impact on sustained development of economies worldwide; and unionized well‐being‐improving decisions are key to achieving SDG3, but research on such is rare. This article investigates the determinants of well‐being using Life Ladder (LLD), log GDP per capita (LGDP), social support (SSP), and life expectancy at birth (HLE) for panels of 110 countries selected from World Happiness Report 2020, and grouped according to income levels. The empirical panel Granger causality results show that LGDP, SSP and HLE Granger causes LLD in the long‐run for low, upper‐middle, and high‐income countries; but find no evidence of such for the Lower‐Middle Income Countries and Global Panel. Evidence from the impulse response and variance decomposition analysis shows that majority of the innovations needed to promote well‐being can be found within LLD itself. The policy implication is that though all countries plan to improve well‐being, the determinants, innovations, and corresponding reactions vary across countries.
Dichrostachys cinerea Growth Rings as Natural Archives for Climatic Variation in Namibia
Authors: Mapani Benjamin , Shikangalah Rosemary , Mapaure Isaac , Musimba Aansbert
Published: January 2021

Global Circulation Models (GCMs) are used to forecast climate change in Southern Africa, and the evidence shows that the region is going to warm up by up to 2° by the year 2050. Namibia is one of the driest countries in Southern Africa and is at a high risk of becoming much drier than current situation by 57%. Very few studies have been carried out in Southern Africa to show actual impacts of climate change. Practical applicability of GCMs at a local spatial scale remains limited due to the coarse nature of the models. Hence, improvement of the GCMs must begin with better understanding of the local microclimates and how they respond to regional circulation patterns. In many regions of Southern Africa, the lack of potential tools to access old climatic records precludes the estimation of climate trends beyond 100 years. In spite of these impediments, there are areas with excellent tree species such as Dichrostachys cinerea that are able to be used as climatic archives for specific time periods. In this chapter, the study shows that the combination of tree ring chronologies and precipitation records is a powerful methodology in climate modeling in the southern hemisphere and reveals nuances that show climate change. The evaluation of data from tree rings coupled with precipitation trends reveals signals that show that climate has indeed been changing over the past ten decades and will have a negative impact on livelihoods. These data can now be used in predictive models that can be used to project future scenarios and assist policy makers and planners to see how climate will evolve in the next 50–60 years.
Effects of shot peening and artificial surface defects on fatigue properties of 50CrV4 steel
Authors: Saklakoglu Nursen , Bolouri Amir , Irizalp Simge Gencalp , Baris Fatih , Elmas Ali
Published: January 2021

Shot peening processes are commonly used for improving the fatigue properties of steels. Shot peening introduces a compressive residual stress field in the near surface of steel, which can reduce or stop the growth of fatigue cracks and improve fatigue properties. This study experimentally investigated the effect of shot peening on the fatigue properties of 50CrV4 steel alloys with different artificial surface defects. Drilling tools were used to introduce different artificial defects with root radii of 0.585 mm and 0.895 mm on the surface of unpeened samples. The shot peening was applied to the drilled and undrilled samples. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations, micro-hardness and X-ray diffraction residual stress measurements were conducted to analyse the characteristics of the shot-peened and unpeened samples. The results show that the shot peening leads to the transformation of the retained austenite to martensite in the near-surface microstructure. The hardness rates of the surface and near surface both increase by 8% after the shot peening. The peened samples exhibit compressive residual stresses with a high degree of isotropy in the near surface. The fatigue properties of samples were experimentally evaluated by conducting 3-point bending tests. The results indicate that the shot peening improves the fatigue life of drilled and undrilled samples. For the defects with the root radius of 0.895 mm, the shot peening leads to a 500% improvement in the fatigue life compared to unpeened samples regardless of defect depth. For the defects with the root radius of 0.585 mm, the improvement in fatigue life is 40% for the defect depth of 0.2 mm compared to unpeened samples. The improvement increases to 60% and 200% by increasing the defect depths to 0.4 mm and 0.6 mm. The fatigue properties are linked to the changes in the features of defects mainly caused by the deformation hardening and compressive residual stress after shot peening.
Cylindrically and non-cylindrically symmetric expansion dynamics of tin microdroplets after ultrashort laser pulse impact
Authors: de Faria Pinto Tiago , Mathijssen Jan , Meijer Randy , Zhang Hao , Bayerle Alex , Kurilovich Dmitry , Versolato Oscar O. , Eikema Kjeld S. E. , Witte Stefan
Published: January 2021

In this work, the expansion dynamics of liquid tin micro-droplets irradiated by femtosecond laser pulses were investigated. The effects of laser pulse duration, energy, and polarization on ablation, cavitation, and spallation dynamics were studied using laser pulse durations ranging from 220 fs to 10 ps, with energies ranging from 1 to 5 mJ, for micro-droplets with an initial radius of 15 and 23 $$\upmu$$μm. Using linearly polarized laser pulses, cylindrically asymmetric shock waves were produced, leading to novel non-symmetric target shapes, the asymmetry of which was studied as a function of laser pulse parameters and droplet size. A good qualitative agreement was obtained between smoothed-particle hydrodynamics simulations and high-resolution stroboscopic experimental data of the droplet deformation dynamics.
Impact of prescription drug monitoring program mandate on postoperative opioid prescriptions in children
Authors: Theodorou Christina M. , Jackson Jordan E. , Rajasekar Ganesh , Nuño Miriam , Yamashiro Kaeli J. , Farmer Diana L. , Hirose Shinjiro , Brown Erin G.
Published: January 2021

Purpose

Prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) have been established to combat the opioid epidemic, but there is no data on their efficacy in children. We hypothesized that a statewide PDMP mandate would be associated with fewer opioid prescriptions in pediatric surgical patients.

Methods

Patients < 18 undergoing inguinal hernia repair, orchiopexy, orchiectomy, appendectomy, or cholecystectomy at a tertiary children’s hospital were included. The primary outcome, discharge opioid prescription, was compared for 10 months pre-PDMP (n = 158) to 10 months post-PDMP (n = 228). Interrupted time series analysis was performed to determine the effect of the PDMP on opioid prescribing.

Results

Over the 20-month study period, there was an overall decrease in the rate of opioid prescriptions per month (− 3.6% change, p < 0.001). On interrupted time series analysis, PDMP implementation was not associated with a significant decrease in the monthly rate of opioid prescriptions (1.27% change post-PDMP, p = 0.4). However, PDMP implementation was associated with a reduction in opioid prescriptions of greater than 5 days’ supply (− 2.7% per month, p = 0.03).

Conclusion

Opioid prescriptions declined in pediatric surgical patients over the study time period. State-wide PDMP implementation was associated with a reduction in postoperative opioid prescriptions of more than 5 days’ duration.
Auditory performance in a group of elderly patients after cochlear implantation
Authors: Giourgas Alexandros , Durisin Martin , Lesinski-Schiedat Anke , Illg Angelika , Lenarz Thomas
Published: January 2021

Purpose

The retrospective case review investigated the effect of cochlear implantation in subjects aged 61 years or older with respect to their auditory performance. The study also analysed the effect of age on the performance, and it drew a comparison between the outcomes of older and younger adults.

Methods

The outcome in a group of 446 patients aged 61 to 89 years at the time of unilateral cochlear implantation was compared with the outcome in a group of 110 patients aged 17 to 42 years. Auditory performance was measured with open-set monosyllabic word testing and sentences in quiet and in noise.

Results

In the monosyllabic word recognition test, the group of older adults performed significantly better after cochlear implantation compared with their scores prior to implantation (p < 0.001;r = 0.59). Their auditory performance correlated negatively with their age. However, the correlation was of small strength. Significant differences in auditory performance were detected between sexagenarians and octogenarians (p < 0.001;r = 0.27). Additionally, a statistically significant difference was revealed between the groups of older and younger adults in the monosyllabic word test (p = 0.001;r = 0.15).

Conclusion

Elderly cochlear implant recipients can benefit significantly from cochlear implantation. Although higher age correlates negatively with auditory performance, its influence in the presented sample is small.
Efficacy and safety of interleukin-17A inhibitors in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Wang Peng , Zhang Shuo , Hu Binwu , Liu Weijian , Lv Xiao , Chen Songfeng , Shao Zengwu
Published: January 2021

To assess the efficacy and safety of interleukin (IL)-17A inhibitors in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science were searched up to 5 February 2020 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that assessed the efficacy and safety of IL-17A inhibitors in patients with AS. We used a meta-analytic approach to perform a random effects analysis or fixed effects analysis according to heterogeneity. Subgroup analyses between studies included medication, time to primary endpoint, and data source. Odds ratios (ORs) or mean differences (MDs) were used to assess the efficacy and safety of IL-17A inhibitors in AS. A total of ten RCTs with 2613 patients were eligible for inclusion in the analysis (six for secukinumab, two for ixekizumab, one for netakimab, and one for bimekizumab). Compared to placebo, IL-17A inhibitors improved ASAS20 response rate (OR = 2.58;p < 0.01) and ASAS40 response rate (OR = 2.80;p < 0.01), and significantly increased the risk of AEs (OR = 1.23;p = 0.03) and nasopharyngitis (OR = 1.72;p < 0.01), but not SAEs (OR = 0.87;p = 0.60). IL-17A inhibitors demonstrated better efficacy in patients with AS in several evaluation indicators. However, the safety of IL-17A inhibitors remains to be further studied in studies with larger sample size and longer follow-up times.
Porter Hypothesis vs Pollution Haven Hypothesis: Can There Be Environmental Policies Getting Two Eggs in One Basket?
Authors: Ranocchia Claudia , Lambertini Luca
Published: January 2021

The Porter hypothesis and the pollution haven hypothesis seem to predict opposite reactions by firms facing environmental regulation, as the first invokes the arising of a win–win solution while the second envisages the possibility for firms to flee abroad.
We illustrate the possibility of designing policies (taking the form of either emission taxation or environmental standards) able to eliminate firms’ incentives to relocate their plants abroad and create a parallel incentive for them to deliver a win–win solution by investing either in replacement technologies under emission taxation, or in abatement technologies under an environmental standard. This is worked out in a Cournot supergame in which firms may activate the highest level of collusion compatible with their intertemporal preferences.
Pesticide residues in daily bee pollen samples (April–July) from an intensive agricultural region in Southern Germany
Authors: Friedle Carolin , Wallner Klaus , Rosenkranz Peter , Martens Dieter , Vetter Walter
Published: January 2021

Insect-pollinated plants are essential for honey bees to feed their brood. In agricultural landscapes, honey bees and other pollinators are often exposed to pesticides used for cultivation. In order to gain more insight into the fluctuation of pesticide loads, 102 daily pollen samples were collected between April and July 2018 in a fruit-growing area in Southern Germany. Samples were analyzed with respect to more than 260 pesticides using a multi-residue pesticide analysis method. Almost 90% of the analyzed pollen samples featured between one and thirteen different pesticides. In total, 29 pesticides were detected at maximum concentrations of up to 4500 ng/g pollen. Maximum residual concentrations of most pesticides were observed during April and the first half of May, as well as during the second half of June. In most cases, serial data of pesticide residuals were detected for approximately 10 subsequent days with two or three maximum values, which were several folds higher than concentrations on the days before and thereafter. The pollen hazard quotient (PHQ) was calculated to estimate the risk of the detected pesticides to honey bees and wild pollinators.
Understanding teacher design practices for digital inquiry–based science learning: the case of Go-Lab
Authors: de Jong Ton , Gillet Denis , Rodríguez-Triana María Jesús , Hovardas Tasos , Dikke Diana , Doran Rosa , Dziabenko Olga , Koslowsky Jens , Korventausta Miikka , Law Effie , Pedaste Margus , Tasiopoulou Evita , Vidal Gérard , Zacharia Zacharias C.
Published: January 2021

Designing and implementing online or digital learning material is a demanding task for teachers. This is even more the case when this material is used for more engaged forms of learning, such as inquiry learning. In this article, we give an informed account of Go-Lab, an ecosystem that supports teachers in creating Inquiry Learning Spaces (ILSs). These ILSs are built around STEM–related online laboratories. Within the Go-Lab ecosystem, teachers can combine these online laboratories with multimedia material and learning apps, which are small applications that support learners in their inquiry learning process. The Go-Lab ecosystem offers teachers ready–made structures, such as a standard inquiry cycle, alternative scenarios or complete ILSs that can be used as they are, but it also allows teachers to configure these structures to create personalized ILSs. For this article, we analyzed data on the design process and structure of 2414 ILSs that were (co)created by teachers and that our usage data suggest have been used in classrooms. Our data show that teachers prefer to start their design from empty templates instead of more domain–related elements, that the makeup of the design team (a single teacher, a group of collaborating teachers, or a mix of teachers and project members) influences key design process characteristics such as time spent designing the ILS and number of actions involved, that the characteristics of the resulting ILSs also depend on the type of design team and that ILSs that are openly shared (i.e., published in a public repository) have different characteristics than those that are kept private.
A Matter of Timing—Pregnancy After Bariatric Surgery
Authors: Heusschen Laura , Krabbendam Ineke , van der Velde Jessika M. , Deden Laura N. , Aarts Edo O. , Merién Ashley E. R. , Emous Marloes , Bleumink Gysèle S. , Lutgers Helen L. , Hazebroek Eric J.
Published: January 2021

Purpose

Current guidelines recommend to avoid pregnancy for 12–24 months after bariatric surgery because of active weight loss and an increased risk of nutritional deficiencies. However, high-quality evidence is lacking, and only a few studies included data on gestational weight gain. We therefore evaluated pregnancy and neonatal outcomes by both surgery-to-conception interval and gestational weight gain.

Materials and Methods

A multicenter retrospective analysis of 196 singleton pregnancies following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, and one anastomosis gastric bypass was conducted. Pregnancies were divided into the early group (≤ 12 months), the middle group (12–24 months), and the late group (> 24 months) according to the surgery-to-conception interval. Gestational weight gain was classified as inadequate, adequate, or excessive according to the National Academy of Medicine recommendations.

Results

Pregnancy in the early group (23.5%) was associated with lower gestational age at delivery (267.1 ± 19.9 days vs 272.7 ± 9.2 and 273.1 ± 13.5 days, P = 0.029), lower gestational weight gain (− 0.9 ± 11.0 kg vs + 10.2 ± 5.6 and + 10.0 ± 6.4 kg, P < 0.001), and lower neonatal birth weight (2979 ± 470 g vs 3161 ± 481 and 3211 ± 465 g, P = 0.008) than pregnancy in the middle and late group. Inadequate gestational weight gain (40.6%) was associated with lower gestational age at delivery (266.5 ± 20.2 days vs 273.8 ± 8.4 days, P = 0.002) and lower neonatal birth weight (3061 ± 511 g vs 3217 ± 479 g, P = 0.053) compared to adequate weight gain. Preterm births were also more frequently observed in this group (15.9% vs 6.0%, P = 0.037).

Conclusion

Our findings support the recommendation to avoid pregnancy for 12 months after bariatric surgery. Specific attention is needed on achieving adequate gestational weight gain.
Primary and Secondary/ Metastatic Salivary Duct Carcinoma Presenting within the Sinonasal Tract
Authors: Agaimy Abbas , Mueller Sarina K. , Bishop Justin A. , Chiosea Simion I.
Published: January 2021

Traditionally, sinonasal adenocarcinomas have been subdivided into intestinal (ITAC) and non-intestinal (non-ITAC) categories. The latter encompasses salivary-type adenocarcinomas originating from the seromucinous glands of the sinonasal mucosa and non-salivary adenocarcinomas. The non-salivary adenocarcinoma category is further subdivided into low-and high-grade variants. Among salivary-type sinonasal adenocarcinomas, tumors recapitulating salivary duct carcinoma (SDC) are exceedingly rare, but some might have been lumped into the high-grade non-ITAC category. To date, only three primary SDCs originating in the sinonasal tract have been reported. We herein describe 7 cases of SDC including one previously reported case (4 primary sinonasal, 3 metastatic/ extension from parotid gland SDC). The primary tumors affected 3 males and one female aged 60 – 75. Different sites were involved by the primary tumors while the secondary tumors affected the sphenoidal (2) and the frontal + maxillary (1) sinuses. Three primary tumors were de novo high-grade SDC and one was confined to contours of a pre-existing pleomorphic adenoma. All 3 secondary tumors were SDC ex pleomorphic adenoma of the parotid with a long history of recurrences, ultimately involving the sinonasal tract. Androgen receptor was positive in 7/7 cases. Four of 6 cases were strongly HER2/neu + (either score 3 + or with verified amplification). This small case series adds to the delineation of primary sinonasal SDC highlighting that almost half of invasive SDC presenting within sinonasal tract indeed represents extension or metastasis from a parotid gland primary. There is a tendency towards overrepresentation of HER2/neu-positive cases in both categories (primary and metastatic), but this needs clarification in larger studies.
Assessment of Patient Satisfaction Among Cancer Patients Undergoing Radiotherapy
Authors: Samant R. , Cisa-Paré E. , Balchin K. , Renaud J. , Bunch L. , Wheatley-Price P. , McNeil A. , Murray S. , Meng J.
Published: January 2021

The patient-provider relationship is a key driver of patient satisfaction as it relates to overall healthcare experience. We surveyed patients undergoing radiation therapy to determine what they consider to be the most valued qualities in their interactions with the healthcare team. An ethics-approved 35-item patient satisfaction survey was developed in-house to gain insights on patients’ perception of their relationship with the healthcare team throughout their cancer journey. There were 199 completed survey, median age 68 years, 54% women and 45% men. Almost all (95%) “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that their physicians had been sensitive and compassionate. Over 90% felt that they received adequate explanations about their treatment, and had their questions answered. The vast majority (93%) felt included in the decision-making process. Patients reported the 5 most highly rated qualities among their healthcare providers (HCPs) as knowledge, kindness, honesty, good communication, and a cheerful attitude. Overall satisfaction was high but areas for improvement were identified including being offered future appointments for further discussion, more information about clinical trials, other treatments, and community resources. Patients noted their HCPs tended to focus on the physical and emotional needs of patients, but spiritual and cultural needs were rarely addressed. Patients receiving radiotherapy reported high rates of satisfaction across many aspects of their care. These findings also reinforce the different aspects of holistic care that can be improved, and serve as a reminder to clinicians that patients perceive their role as more than just that of a medical expert.
Advances in biotechnology of Emblica officinalis Gaertn. syn. Phyllanthus emblica L.: a nutraceuticals-rich fruit tree with multifaceted ethnomedicinal uses
Authors: Gantait Saikat , Mahanta Manisha , Bera Soumen , Verma Sandeep Kumar
Published: January 2021

Emblica officinalis Gaertn. syn. Phyllanthus emblica L., universally known as ‘Amla’ or ‘Aonla’ or ‘Indian gooseberry’, is a popular fruit tree belonging to the family Euphorbiaceae and order Geraniales. It is said to be the very first tree that originated on earth, as claimed by age-old Indian mythology. Almost all parts of the tree i.e., root, bark, leaf, flower, fruit and seed are utilized in Ayurvedic and Unani medicinal formulations to improve the overall digestive process, decrease fever, act as a blood purifier, relieve asthma and cough, improve heart health, etc. This tree contains major secondary metabolites like emblicanin-A and emblicanin-B, and also is an affluent source of vitamin-C. Additionally, some other secondary metabolites like tannins, gallic acid, pyrogallol, and pectin are also present in significant amounts. Conventional propagation has been improved via suitable interventions of agrotechnology both in production and protection areas. However, the rate of propagation remains slower; therefore, attempts have been made for biotechnological advancements on E. officinalis. The present review makes an attempt to highlight the botanical description, geographical distribution, ethnopharmacological importance, conventional propagation and protection of this medicinal tree, describing the in vitro-based plant organ and tissue culture methods like direct and indirect organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis along with interventions of molecular marker-based biotechnology and nanotechnology. Further, the prospect of the yet-to-be-explored biotechnological methods for secondary metabolite enhancement like cell suspension, protoplast culture, genetic transformation, etc. and their potential for enhanced emblicanin production have also been discussed in this appraisal.
Low levels of frailty in HIV-positive older adults on antiretroviral therapy in northern Tanzania
Authors: Bristow Clare , George Grace , Hillsmith Grace , Rainey Emma , Urasa Sarah , Koipapi Sengua , Kisoli Aloyce , Boni Japhet , Saria Grace Anderson , Ranasinghe Sherika , Joseph Marcella , Gray William K. , Dekker Marieke , Walker Richard W. , Dotchin Catherine L. , Mukaetova-Ladinska Elizabeta , Howlett William , Makupa Philip , Paddick Stella-Maria
Published: January 2021

There are over 3 million people in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) aged 50 and over living with HIV. HIV and combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) exposure may accelerate the ageing in this population, and thus increase the prevalence of premature frailty. There is a paucity of data on the prevalence of frailty in an older HIV + population in SSA and screening and diagnostic tools to identify frailty in SSA. Patients aged ≥ 50 were recruited from a free Government HIV clinic in Tanzania. Frailty assessments were completed, using 3 diagnostic and screening tools: the Fried frailty phenotype (FFP), Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) and Brief Frailty Instrument for Tanzania (B-FIT 2). The 145 patients recruited had a mean CD4 + of 494.84 cells/µL, 99.3% were receiving cART and 72.6% were virally suppressed. The prevalence of frailty by FFP was 2.758%. FFP frailty was significantly associated with female gender (p = 0.006), marital status (p = 0.007) and age (p = 0.038). Weight loss was the most common FFP domain failure. The prevalence of frailty using the B-FIT 2 and the CFS was 0.68%. The B-FIT 2 correlated with BMI (r = − 0.467, p = 0.0001) and CD4 count in females (r = − 0.244, p = 0.02). There is an absence of frailty in this population, as compared to other clinical studies. This may be due to the high standard of HIV care at this Government clinic. Undernutrition may be an important contributor to frailty. It is unclear which tool is most accurate for detecting the prevalence of frailty in this setting as levels of correlation are low.
Traditional knowledge affects soil management ability of smallholder farmers in marginal areas
Authors: Occelli Martina , Mantino Alberto , Ragaglini Giorgio , Dell’Acqua Matteo , Fadda Carlo , Pè Mario Enrico , Nuvolari Alessandro
Published: January 2021

Soil fertility is key to sustainable intensification of agriculture and food security in sub-Saharan Africa. However, when soil nutrients are not adequately managed, smallholder farming practices slowly erode soils to almost inert systems. This case study contributes to the understanding of such failures in marginal areas. We integrate agronomic and social sciences approaches to explore links between smallholder households’ farming knowledge and soil fertility in an ethnopedological perspective. We interview 280 smallholder households in two areas of the Ethiopian highlands, while collecting measures of 11 soil parameters at their main field. By analyzing soil compositions at tested households, we identify a novel measure of soil management ability, which provides an effective empirical characterization of the soil managing capacity of a household. Regression analysis is used to evaluate the effects of household knowledge on the soil management ability derived from laboratory analysis. Results highlight the complexity of knowledge transmission in low-input remote areas. We are able to disentangle ahome learningand asocial learningdimension of the household knowledge and appraise how they can result in virtuous and vicious cycles of soil management ability. We show that higher soil management ability is associated with farmers relying to a great extent on farming knowledge acquired within the household, as a result of practices slowly elaborated over the years. Conversely, lower soil management ability is linked to households valuing substantially farming knowledge acquired through neighbors and social gatherings. The present study is the first to formulate the concept of soil management ability and to investigate the effects of the presence and the types of farming knowledge on the soil management ability of smallholder farmers in remote areas. We show that farming knowledge has a primary role on soil fertility and we advise its consideration in agricultural development policies.
Cross corpus multi-lingual speech emotion recognition using ensemble learning
Authors: Zehra Wisha , Javed Abdul Rehman , Jalil Zunera , Khan Habib Ullah , Gadekallu Thippa Reddy
Published: January 2021

Receiving an accurate emotional response from robots has been a challenging task for researchers for the past few years. With the advancements in technology, robots like service robots interact with users of different cultural and lingual backgrounds. The traditional approach towards speech emotion recognition cannot be utilized to enable the robot and give an efficient and emotional response. The conventional approach towards speech emotion recognition uses the same corpus for both training and testing of classifiers to detect accurate emotions, but this approach cannot be generalized for multi-lingual environments, which is a requirement for robots used by people all across the globe. In this paper, a series of experiments are conducted to highlight an ensemble learning effect using a majority voting technique for cross-corpus, multi-lingual speech emotion recognition system. A comparison of the performance of an ensemble learning approach against traditional machine learning algorithms is performed. This study tests a classifier’s performance trained on one corpus with data from another corpus to evaluate its efficiency for multi-lingual emotion detection. According to experimental analysis, different classifiers give the highest accuracy for different corpora. Using an ensemble learning approach gives the benefit of combining all classifiers’ effect instead of choosing one classifier and compromising certain language corpus’s accuracy. Experiments show an increased accuracy of 13% for Urdu corpus, 8% for German corpus, 11% for Italian corpus, and 5% for English corpus from with-in corpus testing. For cross-corpus experiments, an improvement of 2% when training on Urdu data and testing on German data and 15% when training on Urdu data and testing on Italian data is achieved. An increase of 7% in accuracy is obtained when testing on Urdu data and training on German data, 3% when testing on Urdu data and training on Italian data, and 5% when testing on Urdu data and training on English data. Experiments prove that the ensemble learning approach gives promising results against other state-of-the-art techniques.
Fugl-Meyer hand motor imagination recognition for brain–computer interfaces using only fNIRS
Authors: Li Chenguang , Yang Hongjun , Cheng Long
Published: January 2021

As a relatively new physiological signal of brain, functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is being used more and more in brain–computer interface field, especially in the task of motor imagery. However, the classification accuracy based on this signal is relatively low. To improve the accuracy of classification, this paper proposes a new experimental paradigm and only uses fNIRS signals to complete the classification task of six subjects. Notably, the experiment is carried out in a non-laboratory environment, and movements of motion imagination are properly designed. And when the subjects are imagining the motions, they are also subvocalizing the movements to prevent distraction. Therefore, according to the motor area theory of the cerebral cortex, the positions of the fNIRS probes have been slightly adjusted compared with other methods. Next, the signals are classified by nine classification methods, and the different features and classification methods are compared. The results show that under this new experimental paradigm, the classification accuracy of 89.12% and 88.47% can be achieved using the support vector machine method and the random forest method, respectively, which shows that the paradigm is effective. Finally, by selecting five channels with the largest variance after empirical mode decomposition of the original signal, similar classification results can be achieved.