bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intra‐tooth isotopic analysis (δ13C and δ15N) of dentine collagen in high‐crowned teeth: A new experimental study with modern sheep specimens
Authors: Díez‐Canseco Celia , Aguilera Mònica , Tornero Carlos
Published: June 2022

Hypsodont teeth molars develop in a short lapse of time. Both dentine and enamel dental tissues do not regenerate once formed. This fact allows the reconstruction of isotopic sequences covering short moments of the individual's life span, a useful approach in current zooarchaeological and paleontological studies. Sampling design usually follows a serial or sequential extraction of dental bands perpendicular to the tooth growth axis, from the apex to the root. However, dentine develops following a secretion of layers oblique to the tooth vertical axis, and this pattern makes hard to isolate isotopic signals. A new experimental study with modern sheep breeds was conducted, covering a whole year and where carbon and nitrogen isotopic signatures of consumed plants were known. Three diet periods with different isotopic compositions were alternated during sheep's life. In this contribution, we test the resolution of a dentine sampling procedure to obtain intra‐tooth isotopic variability of δ13Ccollagen and δ15Ncollagen values tied to diet shifts in sheep. Dentine was sequentially sampled in previously demineralized second and third mandibular molars. Samples were treated with standard protocols of collagen purification and then subjected to stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis. In M2 and M3 isotopic sequences obtained, diet shifts are recorded along two progressive trends of increasing–decreasing values, but some affections of the sampling procedure are also present. We conclude that the dentine sequential sampling here implemented allows for obtaining reliable intra‐tooth isotopic data tied to dietary conditions in high‐crowned teeth, although dentine growth patterns should be considered in detail in final interpretations. The integration of this high‐resolution analysis in archaeological studies offers a new scope of possibilities for studying dietary patterns, seasonal dietary changes, and animal husbandry practices in past populations.
Be3Ru: Polar Multiatomic Bonding in the Closest Packing of Atoms
Authors: Agnarelli Laura , Prots Yurii , Schmidt Marcus , Krnel Mitja , Svanidze Eteri , Burkhardt Ulrich , Leithe‐Jasper Andreas , Grin Yuri
Published: June 2022

The new phase Be3Ru crystallizes with TiCu3‐type structure (space group Pmmn (59), a=3.7062(1) Å, b=4.5353(1) Å, c=4.4170(1) Å), a coloring variant of the hexagonal closest packing (hcp) of spheres. The electronic structure revealed that Be3Ru has a pseudo‐gap close to the Fermi level. A strong charge transfer from Be to Ru was observed from the analysis of electron density within the Quantum Theory of Atoms in Molecules (QTAIM) framework and polar three‐ and four‐atomic Be−Ru bonds were observed from the ELI−D (electron localizability indicator) analysis. This situation is very similar to the recently investigated Be5Pt and Be21Pt5 compounds. The unusual crystal chemical feature of Be3Ru is that different charged species belong to the same closest packing, contrary to typical inorganic compounds, where the cationic components are located in the voids of the closest packing formed by anions. Be3Ru is a diamagnet displaying metallic electrical resistivity.
Place‐embedded agency: Exploring knowledge–place connections for enabling plurality in governance of social–ecological systems
Authors: Hakkarainen Viola , Soini Katriina , Dessein Joost , Raymond Christopher M.
Published: June 2022

Including different forms of knowledges and views in decision‐making is crucial to managing the complexity of social–ecological systems (SES) in ways that are inclusive and embrace diversity.

Sense of place scholarship can explain subjectivity in SES; however, it has hardly been considered together with the literature on knowledge processes, overlooking the epistemic dimension of sense of place and its potential to shed light on the roles and views of individuals in respect to natural resources and their management.

This paper explores how local knowledge and place‐belonging (as a form of sense of place) intersect, and what kinds of implications these knowledge–place connections have for the interactions between actors and their agency in the High Coast/Kvarken Archipelago UNESCO World Heritage Site (Sweden/Finland).

Drawing on participant observation in workshops and semi‐structured interviews with diverse actors in this transboundary governance context, we identify five types of knowledge–place connections, which exemplify diverse positions on local knowledge shaped by place‐belonging.

We propose a concept of place‐embedded agency to reveal how these positions shape action and interaction between people inside and outside formal decision‐making processes. We argue that recognising and taking place‐embedded agency into account can help to overcome tensions and enhance plurality in SES governance.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
The effect of layered materials on the ablation resistance and heat insulation performance of liquid silicone rubber
Authors: Li Shuai , Zhang Hao , Yan Liwei , Zhou Chuxiang , Heng Zhengguang , Liang Mei , Zou Huawei , Chen Yang
Published: June 2022

With the rapid development in the aerospace field, there is an increasing demand for flexible ablation materials with excellent cyclic ablation property, which attracts more and more attention from researchers all over the world. In this paper, the uniform experimental design method is used to prepare lamellar material filled epoxy modified vinyl silicone rubber (EMVSR) flexible ablation resistant composite materials. The effects of three layered materials (lamella sericite, MoS2, and GO) on the ablation performance and thermal insulation performance of EMVSR materials under cyclic ablation conditions are discussed. In addition, the compressive strength of the composites after ablation and the density of the char layer are tested and analyzed. The test results show that all these sheet materials can enhance the heat resistance and thermal conductivity of the EMVSR composites and GO has the greatest impact. The back‐face temperature of the EMVSR composites after the second ablation is higher than that after the first ablation, and GO can significantly improve the material's heat insulation performance under cyclic ablation conditions. The mass ablation rate of the EMVSR composites after the second ablation is generally greater than that after the first ablation. GO and sericite will reduce the ablation resistance of the materials, while MoS2 will increase the ablation resistance of EMVSR composites. The compressive strength of the char layer and the ablative resistance of the materials are positively correlated with the density of char layer.
Rapid classification and identification of chemical components of Astragali radix by UPLC‐Q‐TOF‐MS
Authors: Liang Chenrui , Yao Yaqi , Ding Haoran , Li Xiaomeng , Li Yubo , Cai Ting
Published: June 2022

Introduction

Pharmacological studies indicate that Astragalus (AR) has various bioactivities, including anticancer, antiaging, anti‐inflammatory, antiviral, and antioxidant activities. Flavonoids, saponins, amino acids, and polysaccharides are the main active components in AR. However, its complex chemical compositions bring certain difficulties to the analysis of this traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Therefore, there is an urgent need to establish a method for rapid classification and identification of the chemical constituents in AR.

Objective

To establish a method for rapid classification and identification of the main components of flavonoids, saponins, and amino acids in AR.

Methods

The samples were analysed with ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography time‐of‐flight quadrupole mass spectrometry (UPLC‐Q‐TOF‐MS) and data post‐processing techniques. Firstly, fragmentation information was obtained in the positive and negative ion modes. Then, to realize the rapid classification and identification of AR components, the characteristic fragmentations (CFs) and neutral losses (NLs) were compared with information described in the literature.

Results

A total of 45 chemical constituents were successfully screened out, including 22 flavonoids, 13 saponins, and 10 amino acids.

Conclusion

The established method realised the efficient classification and identification of flavonoids, saponins, and amino acid compounds in AR, which provided a basis for further study on AR.
Physical function and fatigue recovery at 6 months after hospitalization for COVID‐19
Authors: Qin Evelyn S. , Gold Laura S. , Singh Namrata , Wysham Katherine D. , Hough Catherine L. , Patel Payal B. , Bunnell Aaron E. , Andrews James S.
Published: June 2022

Introduction

There are an increasing number of individuals with long‐term symptoms of coronavirus‐19 disease (COVID‐19); however, the prognosis for recovery of physical function and fatigue after COVID‐19 is uncertain.

Objective

To report the changes in functional recovery between 1 and 6 months after hospitalization of adults hospitalized for COVID‐19 and explore the baseline factors associated with physical function recovery.

Design

A prospective cohort study.

Setting

Tertiary care hospital.

Participants

U.S. adult COVID‐19 survivors.

Intervention

N/A.

Main Outcome Measures

Telephone interviews assessed three outcome domains: basic and instrumental activities of daily living (ADLs) performance, fatigue, and general physical function (Health Assessment Questionnaire [HAQ]).

Results

The age of participants (n = 92) ranged from 22 to 95 years (54.3 ± 17.2). Across outcome domains, a majority (63%–67%) of participants developed new ADL impairment, fatigue, or worsening HAQ severity by 1 month. Of those, 50%–79% partially or fully recovered by 6 months, but 21%–50% did not recover at least partially. Fifteen to 30% developed new impairment between 1 and 6 months. For those without any improvement in ADL impairments at 6 months, lower socioeconomic status was significantly more common (p = .01) and age ≥ 65 (p = .06), trending toward being more common.

Conclusion

In this cohort, a substantial proportion of the participants who developed new ADL impairment, worsening fatigue, or HAQ severity after hospitalization for COVID‐19 did not recover at least partially by 6 months after discharge. Evaluating functional status 1 month after discharge may be important in understanding functional prognosis and recovery after hospitalization for COVID‐19.
Supportive care needs and psychosocial outcomes of rural versus urban women with breast cancer
Authors: Eggins Renee , Fowler Helen , Cameron Jessica , Aitken Joanne F. , Youl Philippa , Turrell Gavin , Chambers Suzanne K. , Dunn Jeff , Pyke Chris , Baade Peter D. , Goodwin Belinda
Published: June 2022

Objective

To identify whether supportive care needs vary according to remoteness and area–level socio‐economic status and to identify the combinations of socio‐demographic, area‐level and health factors that are associated with poorer quality of life, psychological distress and severity of unmet supportive care needs.

Methods

Cross sectional data was collected from women with a breast cancer diagnosis (n = 2635) in Queensland, Australia, through a telephone survey including socio‐demographic, health, psychosocial and supportive care needs measures. Hierarchical regression and cluster analyses were applied to assess the predictors of unmet need and psychosocial outcomes and to identify socio‐demographic and health status profiles of women, comparing their level of unmet needs and psychosocial outcomes.

Results

Women living in outer regional areas reported the highest severity of unmet need in the patient care domain. Greater unmet need for health systems and information and patient care was also evident for those in moderately and most disadvantaged areas. Three clusters were identified reflecting (1) older women with poorer health and lower education (19%); (2) younger educated women with better health and private insurance (61%); and (3) physically active women with localised cancer who had completed treatment (20%). Poorer outcomes were evident in the first two of these clusters.

Conclusions

This better understanding of the combinations of characteristics associated with poorer psychosocial outcomes and higher unmet need can be used to identify women with higher supportive care needs early and to target interventions.
The role of need for control and self‐reliance in gender and age differences in bowel cancer screening participation
Authors: Goodwin Belinda C. , Myers Larry , McKenna Kirsten N. , Anderson Laura E. , Ireland Michael J.
Published: June 2022

Objective

To examine the relationships between need for control and self‐reliance and barriers to bowel cancer screening to better understand the reasons for lower bowel cancer screening adherence in males and younger individuals.

Methods

Participants (n = 506) aged between 54 and 75 years old completed an online survey measuring demographic information, the four‐factor Barriers to Home Bowel Cancer Screening Scale (BB‐CanS) and a measure of Need for Control and Self‐Reliance (NCSR). Model fit statistics were compared for seven path models testing the relationships between NCSR and BB‐CanS factors and the moderating and mediating effects of age and gender.

Results

Models where age and gender were included as moderators showed the best fit. When compared to females and those under 60 years of age, stronger positive associations between NCSR and BB‐CanS factors were evident among males (βavoidance = 0.539, p < 0.001); βdisgust = 0.558, p < 0.001; βdifficulty = 0.489, p < 0.001; βautonomy = 0.619, p = 0.002) and those over 60 years of age (βavoidance = 0.400, p < 0.001); βdisgust = 0.462, p < 0.001; βdifficulty = 0.447, p < 0.001; βautonomy = 0.378, p < 0.001.

Conclusions

When encouraging males and people aged 60 years and over to participate in bowel cancer screening, public health messages may benefit from conveying preventative health behaviour and cancer screening participation as actions that reflect self‐control and self‐reliance.
Physiotherapy practice patterns in the management of patients with knee osteoarthritis: A national survey on the use of clinical practice guidelines
Authors: Ackah Martin , Boakye Hosea , Yeboah Cynthia Osei , Bello Ajediran Idowu
Published: June 2022

Background and Purpose

Most published clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) endorsed therapeutic exercises, education, and body weight management as the gold standard for managing knee osteoarthritis (OA). However, it is difficult to ascertain whether the physiotherapy practice pattern in Ghana uniformly conforms to the generally accepted standard. Our aim was to describe the patterns of physiotherapists' practice with respect to Knee OA in a low‐resource setting.

Method

A web‐based nationwide cross‐sectional survey was performed among registered members of the Ghana Physiotherapy Association. Consented participants were sampled into the study through a purposive sampling method. A self‐designed and validated questionnaire was administered to obtain the participants' awareness of CPGs, while the selection of modalities by the physiotherapists was based on a clinical vignette. Exploratory analysis of data was performed for the association of the age, sex, education, and the number of patients managed per week with the awareness of CPGs, using the Chi‐square test at a significance level of p < 0.05.

Results

Of the total 165 participants, only 148 responded and were included for data analysis. Sixty‐one (41.2%) of the 148 respondents were aware of specific CPGs for knee OA management, even though 98 (66.2%) utilized OA‐specific outcome measures for management evaluation. Majority of the participants (90.5%) commonly selected therapeutic exercises, and 83.8% utilized education for weight management. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and ice therapy were selected by 68.2% and 66.2% of the respondents, respectively. The number of patients managed per week was not significantly associated (p > 0.05) with the awareness of CPGs.

Discussion

Our findings show high utilization of therapeutic exercises and patients' education in the management of knee OA despite the low awareness of OA‐specific CPGs.

Implication for Physiotherapy

The inclusion of passive modalities coupled with the physiotherapists' low awareness underpins the need for continuing education on condition‐specific CPGs.
Simplified approach for making risk decisions in a fast‐paced business environment
Authors: Lu Jianming , Lutostansky Elizabeth M.
Published: June 2022

For facilities where hazardous events of high consequences can happen, quantitative risk analysis (QRA) is used to determine whether the risk is tolerable against the risk criteria of the operating company or local regulations. Specific risk reduction measures may need to be defined and evaluated based on the QRA. A risk analysis considering both consequences and frequencies is typically time‐consuming and requires the collection of sufficient information regarding process, equipment, operation methods, weather, geographic conditions, the population, and so forth. Business management often requires prompt decisions in a fast‐paced business environment; therefore, the risk analysis must be done expediently to provide adequate information for business decisions. Some examples related to industrial gas facilities are summarized to show simplified analyses done to help define risk reduction measures and priorities in a shorter time frame than typically possible by using detailed quantitative risk assessment. Some generic methods for simplification are proposed.
Nucleation of Nickel Disilicide Precipitates in Float‐Zone Silicon: The Role of Vacancies
Authors: Saring Philipp , Abrosimov Nikolay V. , Seibt Michael
Published: June 2022

Nickel is one of the fast diffusion transition metal impurities in silicon that tends to form precipitates during cooling from processing temperature. The typically observed NiSi2 plate‐shaped precipitates are well‐understood from structural and electrical perspectives with the exception of the initial stages of particle nucleation. Herein, the fact that excess vacancies bound into nitrogen‐vacancy complexes react with interstitial nickel to form substitutional nickel atoms, Nis is exploited. Furthermore, excess vacancies can be removed by thermal annealing thus providing a scheme, where nickel precipitation can be studied with and without the presence of Nis. It is shown by deep‐level transient spectrocopy (DLTS) that Nis considerably enhances nickel precipitate nucleation by reducing the nucleation barrier by about 1.7 eV and that Nis is consumed by precipitate formation. Simple energy considerations and an atomistic model of particle nucleation will be discussed.
Enhancing the Elastocaloric Strength by Combining Positive and Negative Elastocaloric Effects
Authors: Zhu Wenxuan , Shi Xiaoming , Gao Rongzhen , Wang Jing , Zhang Guangzu , Xu Jiwen , Huang Houbing
Published: June 2022

Solid‐state refrigeration has received widespread attention recently because of its high refrigeration efficiency and environmental protection. Compared with other solid‐state refrigeration technologies, elastocaloric effects have great application potential. However, the current temperature change of elastocaloric effects is still low. This work explores the change law of phase transition temperature of ferroelectric materials by applying the external stress based on the thermodynamic calculation. It can be found that ferroelectric materials’ positive and negative elastocaloric effects can peak at the same temperature, so here a device to combine the positive and negative elastocaloric effects of Ba0.7Sr0.3TiO3 and BaZr0.015Ti0.085O3 is designed. This device can achieve a ΔT of 3.18 K near room temperature under applied stress of 200 MPa, which is twice as large as that of 1.4 K in BCZTO‐Fe under the same stress condition. And it can be raised to 4.1 K after applying an electric field of 10 MV m−1. It is the first time to combine positive and negative elastocaloric effects to achieve high cooling near room temperature, which provides a new solution for efficient cooling near room temperature.
Generalized likelihood ratio control charts for high‐purity (high‐quality) processes
Authors: Rizzo Caterina , Di Bucchianico Alessandro
Published: June 2022

Generalized likelihood ratio (GLR) control charts are useful for tailor‐made monitoring strategies, but they are less developed for discrete processes. In this paper, the GLR control chart framework applied to aggregate cumulative quantities data is extended. Inspired by the technical note on GLR control charts from Lee and Woodall (2018), unnecessary artificial bounds in the GLR chart for geometric data proposed in literature are removed and parameter restriction errors, common in GLR designs, are corrected. Finally, the Gamma GLR chart for continuous‐time time‐between‐event data that can be modeled by a Poisson process is proposed and its performance are evaluated and compared to its traditional competitors.
Identification of circulating plasma ceramides as a potential sexually dimorphic biomarker of pancreatic cancer‐induced cachexia
Authors: Chakedis Jeffery M. , Dillhoff Mary E. , Schmidt Carl R. , Rajasekera Priyani V. , Evans David C. , Williams Terence M. , Guttridge Denis C. , Talbert Erin E.
Published: June 2022

Background

Cancer patients who exhibit cachexia lose weight and have low treatment tolerance and poor outcomes compared with cancer patients without weight loss. Despite the clear increased risk for patients, diagnosing cachexia still often relies on self‐reported weight loss. A reliable biomarker to identify patients with cancer cachexia would be a valuable tool to improve clinical decision making and identification of patients at risk of adverse outcomes.

Methods

Targeted metabolomics, which included panels of amino acids, tricarboxylic acids, fatty acids, acylcarnitines, and sphingolipids, were conducted on plasma samples from patients with confirmed pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) with and without cachexia and control patients without cancer (n = 10/group, equally divided by sex). Additional patient samples were analysed (total n = 95), and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were performed to establish if any metabolite could effectively serve as a biomarker of cachexia.

Results

Targeted profiling revealed that cachectic patients had decreased circulating levels of three sphingolipids compared with either non‐cachectic PDAC patients or patients without cancer. The ratio of C18‐ceramide to C24‐ceramide (C18:C24) outperformed a number of other previously proposed biomarkers of cachexia (area under ROC = 0.810). It was notable that some biomarkers, including C18:C24, were only altered in cachectic males.

Conclusions

Our findings identify C18:C24 as a potentially new biomarker of PDAC‐induced cachexia that also highlight a previously unappreciated sexual dimorphism in cancer cachexia.
Massive haemoptysis in a woman with left lower lobe pulmonary artery interruption—A rare clinical presentation
Authors: Wasgewatta Sanjiwika L. , Heraganahally Subash S. , Ghimire Ram H. , Lim Aijye , Carson Phillip
Published: June 2022

Proximal interruption of the pulmonary artery (PA) is a rare congenital vascular anomaly with varying presentation. These patients can be asymptomatic or symptomatic with breathlessness, haemoptysis, recurrent chest infections and pulmonary hypertension. Here, we present a patient who presented with massive haemoptysis secondary to interruption of the left lower lobe PA. To the best of our knowledge, massive haemoptysis due to isolated interruption of the left lower lobe PA has been rarely reported in the English medical literature.
Robust learning‐based lateral tracking control for autonomous driving with input constraints
Authors: Li Xuefang , Li Hongbo , Meng Deyuan , Feng Guodong
Published: June 2022

This work investigates the robust lateral tracking control problem of autonomous vehicles subject to unmodeled system uncertainties, external disturbances as well as input constraints that commonly exist in the vehicle dynamics. The tracking controller design under such uncertain environments is challenging due to the under‐actuated characteristics of the vehicle dynamics. Targeting at this issue, a nonlinear vehicle model is firstly established and transformed into a novel parametric model to facilitate the controller design. A robust adaptive learning control (RALC) approach is then proposed based on the parametric vehicle model, where an input‐dependent auxiliary system is employed to compensate the influence of the input constraints. The convergence of the tracking errors is rigorously analyzed based on the framework of composite energy function. The proposed RALC scheme is proven to be able to achieve an impressive path tracking performance under perturbed and constrained scenarios. Moreover, the proposed technique in tackling the under‐actuated dynamics is novel that can be applied to deal with other generic non‐square systems. The proposed controller is validated with case studies under various conditions.
Effect of Nitrate Doping on the Properties of Chemically Synthesized Calcium Hydroxide Nanoparticles
Authors: Akash  , Harish  , Kumari Jyoti , Mukhopadhyay Anoop Kumar , Kumar Pushpendra
Published: June 2022

Calcium hydroxide has drawn a significant attention of current researchers due to its multifunctional applications in the field of biomedical, catalysis, and culture heritage conservation. In this work, the synthesis of calcium hydroxide was done by using the simple chemical precipitation method. The prepared calcium hydroxide was then doped with the three different concentrations e. g., 4, 7 and 10 Wt. % of calcium nitrate. The entire prepared samples were characterized by the XRD (X‐ray diffraction), FESEM (field emission scanning electron microscope), DTA‐TGA (Thermogravimetric analysis‐ Differential thermal analysis), and UV‐Vis spectroscopy techniques. From the X‐ray diffraction results, it was observed that with increase in calcium nitrate doping the crystallites size decreases from 83 nm to 70 nm. The thermal properties also varied as a function of calcium nitrate doping. Further, the UV‐Vis spectroscopy results showed the increase in optical band gap with increase in calcium nitrate doping. These results are explained in terms of structural, microstructural, thermal, and optical band gap characteristics. Finally, the implication of these results in development of a better material for thermochemical energy storage is discussed.
3‐Bromoacetylcoumarin, a Crucial Key for Facial Synthesis of Biological Active Compounds
Authors: Hosseini Nasab Narges , Azimian Fereshteh , Kruger Hendrik G. , Kim Song Ja
Published: June 2022

Compounds containing the coumarin scaffold are widely used in the pharmaceutical and medicinal industries. The biological activities of coumarin containing derivatives make the attractive for the develop new drugs. Different methods and techniques are developed to synthesize new drugs using coumarin as a starting material. This review summarized various methods, techniques and reaction conditions for synthesis of coumarins containing compounds from 3‐bromoacetylcoumarin. A total of 79 coumarin intermediates and products are reported herein. The different reactions include nucleophilic substitutions, one‐pot and multi‐step synthesis for preparation of coumarin containing compounds through different mechanisms and the outcomes achieved through such reactions are discussed. The prepared compounds showed a range of activities resulting in antifungal, antimicrobial, anti‐inflammatory, antidiabetic and cholinesterase inhibitors. The nucleophilic substitution reactions involving urea related compounds, followed by intramolecular cyclization lead to imidazole and thiazole moieties, which exhibit antibacterial activities. It is hoped that this review provides useful insight for researchers engaged in this field to expand the knowledge gained in this area.
Examining socioeconomic disparities in changes in adolescent mental health before and during different phases of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic
Authors: Stevens Gonneke W. J. M. , Buyukcan‐Tetik Asuman , Maes Marlies , Weinberg Dominic , Vermeulen Sander , Visser Kirsten , Finkenauer Catrin
Published: June 2022

This study examined socioeconomic disparities in changes in adolescent mental health between fall 2019 (pre‐COVID‐19), spring 2020 (initial coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) phase), and fall 2020 (prevailing COVID‐19 phase). Using data from 1429 adolescents (Mage = 17.9) from tertiary vocational schools in the Netherlands with n = 386 participating in all three waves, linear and latent basis growth curve models were assessed and multigroup analyses conducted. Results showed a small but significant decrease in life satisfaction and small but significant increases in emotional problems, peer relationship problems, conduct problems, and hyperactivity‐inattention problems. For emotional problems and peer relationship problems, increases between pre‐COVID‐19 and the initial COVID‐19 phase were more pronounced than increases between the initial and prevailing COVID‐19 phase. In contrast, linear decreases were found for life satisfaction and linear increases for conduct problems and hyperactivity‐inattention problems over the course of the study. Mental health patterns were largely comparable for adolescents from families with varying socioeconomic status.
Photothermal‐Driven High‐Performance Selective Hydrogenation System Enabled by Delicately Designed IrCo Nanocages
Authors: Zhang Lingling , Pan Jing , Liu Li , Zhang Shuaishuai , Wang Xiao , Song Shuyan , Zhang Hongjie
Published: June 2022

The incorporation of a transition metal into a noble metal for the formation of nanoalloys paves a potential way to modulate the electronic structures and spatial arrangement modes, thereby manipulating the target catalysis under the desired reaction pathways. Herein, a top‐down synthetic route to fabricate IrCo nanoalloys with delicately designed compositions and morphologies at an extremely low calcination temperature of 200 °C is reported, which efficiently breaks through the thermodynamic limitations caused by the large atomic radii and electronegativity discrepancies between Co and Ir. A high‐performance selective hydrogenation system enabled by the synthesized IrCo nanoalloys and the light irradiation is further established. Significantly, the unique properties of IrCo alloy, involving the special capability of generating local heating rather than hot electrons under light irradiation (the hot‐electron effect was considered detrimental to hydrogenation reactions), as well as the highly polarized surface which aids in the hydrogen transfer from borane‐ammonia complex (AB) to 4‐nitrostyrene (4‐NS) are discovered.
Low‐Temperature, Scalable, Reactive Deposition of Tin Oxide for Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Blackburn Dominic , Routledge Thomas J. , O’Kane Mary , Cassella Elena J. , Game Onkar S. , Catley Thomas E. , Wood Christopher J. , McArdle Trevor , Lidzey David George
Published: June 2022

Tin oxide (SnO
x
) electron‐extraction layers are fabricated via a reactive electron‐beam evaporation process from a metal source under a partial pressure of oxygen. These are then used in standard (n‐i‐p) architecture perovskite solar cells and achieve power conversion efficiencies up to 19.3%. The SnO
x
deposition process is performed onto substrates maintained at low temperature compared to similar techniques, with films not requiring any subsequent high‐temperature post‐deposition annealing. This demonstrates the potential compatibility of reactive electron‐beam evaporation with roll‐to‐roll processing onto flexible polymeric substrates.
Boosting Efficiency of Non‐Fullerene Organic Solar Cells Via Introducing Multidimensional Second Acceptors
Authors: Chen Yan , Hu Lin , Chen Na , Wang Li-Hong , Ye Dong-Nai , Liu Hui , Jin Yingzhi , Li Zaifang , Liu Shi-Yong
Published: June 2022

The active layer bulk heterojunction (BHJ) blends with a suitable phase separation and crystallization are of great importance to the exciton dissociation, charge transfer, and ultimately the efficiency of the organic solar cells (OSCs). Herein, an effective approach is developed to modulate the molecule's crystallization and phase separation of BHJ blends via introducing a multidimensional (MD) second acceptor. The efficiency of the OSCs can be largely boosted when the cross‐shaped MD acceptors are introduced into the BHJs as a third component. The ternary OSCs based on PTB7‐Th:IEICO‐4F:SFCPDT exhibit a higher power conversion efficiency (PCE) (PCE = 13.29%) than that of the PTB7‐Th:IEICO‐4F binary system (PCE = 11.67%). It is found that the ternary films deliver higher and more balanced carrier mobility, as well as reduced carrier recombination. The positive effect can be also extended to the PBDB‐T‐2F: IT‐4F‐based ternary system. When FLIDT and SFIDT are employed as the third component, the PCE values can be increased from pristine 11.98–12.42% and 13.16%, respectively. It is anticipated to further boost the efficiency of the non‐fullerene OSCs by rationally designing the structure of the third component for a state‐of‐the‐art active layer system.
High Fuel Yields, Solar‐to‐Fuel Efficiency, and Excellent Durability Achieved for Confined NiCo Alloy Nanoparticles Using MgO Overlayers for Photothermocatalytic CO2 Reduction
Authors: Wu Shaowen , Ji Guanrui , Qiu Peng , Hu Qianqian , Tian Jian , Li Yuanzhi
Published: June 2022

Solar‐energy‐driven CO2 reduction to produce fuel is of great importance for alleviating the greenhouse effect and energy shortage. Here, a composite of MgO overlayers confined NiCo alloy nanoparticles supported on MgO (NiCo@MgO/MgO) is prepared. Extremely high production rates of H2 (rH2) and CO (rCO) (112.98 and 127.13 mmol min−1 g−1, respectively) and large solar‐to‐fuel efficiency (η, 39.3%) are achieved on NiCo@MgO/MgO for photothermocatalytic CO2 reduction by CH4 under ultraviolet–visible–infrared (UV–VIS–IR) illumination. The high fuel production rates and η originate from efficient light–thermal conversion and photoactivation, which can boost the photothermocatalytic activity by reducing the activation energy. Importantly, NiCo@MgO/MgO does not show deactivation during a 90 h photothermocatalytic CO2 reduction by the CH4 durability test, owing to its low carbon deposition rate. Experimental evidence reveals that the NiCo alloy and MgO overlayers can inhibit CO disproportionation and accelerate the oxidation of carbon species, thereby significantly decreasing the carbon deposition rate.
Betriebsfestigkeit und Reihenfolgeeffekte bei geschweißten Hohlprofilkonstruktionen
Authors: Dürr André , Rother Klemens , Roth Jakob , Neuhäusler Josef , Oswald Markus
Published: June 2022

Für die Ausbildung von Leichtbaukonstruktionen werden bei Kranen, im Offshore‐Bereich sowie bei Busstrukturen oder im Landmaschinenbau häufig Hohlprofile verwendet, die als geschweißte Fachwerk‐ oder Rahmenkonstruktionen zur Anwendung kommen und dabei hohen variablen Ermüdungsbeanspruchungen unterliegen. Als Grundlage für eine Betriebsfestigkeitsbemessung dient in der Praxis üblicherweise die lineare Schadensakkumulation nach Palmgren‐Miner, die jedoch aufgrund der einfachen Handhabung auch Schwächen aufweist. So können Einflüsse aus der Lastreihenfolge, das Auftreten von Überlasten sowie der Einfluss von Schweißeigenspannungen auf die Lebensdauer nicht berücksichtigt werden. Im Rahmen des FOSTA‐Forschungsvorhabens P 1195 wurden daher zum Einfluss der Reihenfolge und von Überlasten auf die Betriebsfestigkeit umfangreiche Untersuchungen zu typischen geschweißten Hohlprofilknoten aus dem Anwendungsbereich des Kranbaus und des Nutzfahrzeugbaus durchgeführt. Eine Zusammenfassung der erzielten Ergebnisse für die geschweißten Hohlprofilkonstruktionen aus dem Anwendungsbereich des Kranbaus ist im Rahmen dieses Beitrags gegeben.
Clinical workflow of sonographers performing fetal anomaly ultrasound scans: deep‐learning‐based analysis
Authors: Drukker L. , Sharma H. , Karim J. N. , Droste R. , Noble J. A. , Papageorghiou A. T.
Published: June 2022

Objective

Despite decades of obstetric scanning, the field of sonographer workflow remains largely unexplored. In the second trimester, sonographers use scan guidelines to guide their acquisition of standard planes and structures; however, the scan‐acquisition order is not prescribed. Using deep‐learning‐based video analysis, the aim of this study was to develop a deeper understanding of the clinical workflow undertaken by sonographers during second‐trimester anomaly scans.

Methods

We collected prospectively full‐length video recordings of routine second‐trimester anomaly scans. Important scan events in the videos were identified by detecting automatically image freeze and image/clip save. The video immediately preceding and following the important event was extracted and labeled as one of 11 commonly acquired anatomical structures. We developed and used a purposely trained and tested deep‐learning annotation model to label automatically the large number of scan events. Thus, anomaly scans were partitioned as a sequence of anatomical planes or fetal structures obtained over time.

Results

A total of 496 anomaly scans performed by 14 sonographers were available for analysis. UK guidelines specify that an image or videoclip of five different anatomical regions must be stored and these were detected in the majority of scans: head/brain was detected in 97.2% of scans, coronal face view (nose/lips) in 86.1%, abdomen in 93.1%, spine in 95.0% and femur in 92.3%. Analyzing the clinical workflow, we observed that sonographers were most likely to begin their scan by capturing the head/brain (in 24.4% of scans), spine (in 23.2%) or thorax/heart (in 22.8%). The most commonly identified two‐structure transitions were: placenta/amniotic fluid to maternal anatomy, occurring in 44.5% of scans; head/brain to coronal face (nose/lips) in 42.7%; abdomen to thorax/heart in 26.1%; and three‐dimensional/four‐dimensional face to sagittal face (profile) in 23.7%. Transitions between three or more consecutive structures in sequence were uncommon (up to 13% of scans). None of the captured anomaly scans shared an entirely identical sequence.

Conclusions

We present a novel evaluation of the anomaly scan acquisition process using a deep‐learning‐based analysis of ultrasound video. We note wide variation in the number and sequence of structures obtained during routine second‐trimester anomaly scans. Overall, each anomaly scan was found to be unique in its scanning sequence, suggesting that sonographers take advantage of the fetal position and acquire the standard planes according to their visibility rather than following a strict acquisition order. © 2022 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Cell membrane‐coated nanoparticles for the treatment of bacterial infection
Authors: Ma Jiaxin , Jiang Lai , Liu Gang
Published: June 2022

Despite the enormous success of antibiotics in antimicrobial therapy, the rapid emergence of antibiotic resistance and the complexity of the bacterial infection microenvironment make traditional antibiotic therapy face critical challenges against resistant bacteria, antitoxin, and intracellular infections. Consequently, there is a critical need to design antimicrobial agents that target infection microenvironment and alleviate antibiotic resistance. Cell membrane‐coated nanoparticles (CMCNPs) are biomimetic materials that can be obtained by wrapping the cell membrane vesicles directly onto the surface of the nanoparticles (NPs) through physical means. Incorporating the biological functions of cell membrane vesicles and the superior physicochemical properties of NPs, CMCNPs have shown great promise in recent years for targeting infections, neutralizing bacterial toxins, and designing bacterial infection vaccines. This review highlights topics where CMCNPs present great value in advancing the treatment of bacterial infections, including drug delivery, detoxification, and vaccination. Lastly, we discuss the future hurdles and prospects of translating this technique into clinical practice, providing a comprehensive review of the technological developments of CMCNPs in the treatment of bacterial infections.

This article is categorized under:

Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Infectious Disease

Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Emerging Technologies

Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology
Digital Twin Driven Smart Home: A Feasibility Study
Authors: Asvadi Alireza , Mitriakov Andrei , Lohr Christophe , Papadakis Panagiotis
Published: June 2022

We aim to facilitate the daily-life activities of frail or elderly people in collaboration with mobile assistive robots through the means of a digital twin-powered smart home. Being able to quickly and efficiently produce a digital twin of the human user’s environment, can help to further develop personalized assistive solutions. As our first investigation toward this goal, we describe our proof-of-concept “digital twin-driven smart home” implementation. It consists of a virtual representation, robot navigation and environment semantics using open-source software. The initial obtained results on the building process of the digital twin are encouraging and suggest the possibility of integration of digital twin for smart spaces.
Massive on-shell recursion relations for n-point amplitudes
Authors: Wu Chao , Zhu Shou-Hua
Published: June 2022

Abstract

We construct two and three-line shifts for tree-level amplitude with massless and/or massive particles, and provide a method to construct general multi-line shifts for all masses. We choose the massless-massive BCFW shift from these shifts and examine its validity in renormalizable theories. Using such a shift, we find that amplitudes with at least one massless vector boson are constructible. This reveals the importance of gauge theory in the construction of amplitudes with massive particles. We also find that this kind of amplitudes have a cancellation related to group structure among different channels, which is essential for constructibility. Furthermore, we show that in the limit of large shift parameter z, the amplitude with four massive vector bosons, which can include transverse massive vector particles, have structures proportional to the amplitude with shifted vector particles replaced by Goldstone bosons in the leading order. This is responsible for the failure of massive-massive BCFW recursion relations in the amplitudes with four massive vector bosons.
The Blunt Liver and Spleen Trauma (BLAST) audit: national survey and prospective audit of children with blunt liver and spleen trauma in major trauma centres
Authors:   Paediatric Surgery Trainee Research Network, Harwood R. , Bethell G. , Eastwood M. P. , Hotonu S. , Allin B. , Boam T. , Rees C. M. , Hall N. J. , Rhodes H. , Ampirska T. , Arthur F. , Billington J. , Bough G. , Burdall O. , Burnand K. , Chhabra S. , Driver C. , Ducey J. , Engall N. , Folaranmi E. , Gracie D. , Ford K. , Fox C. , Green P. , Green S. , Jawaid W. , John M. , Koh C. , Lam C. , Lewis S. , Lindley R. , Macafee D. , Marks I. , McNickle L. , O’Sullivan B. J. , Peeraully R. , Phillips L. , Rooney A. , Thompson H. , Tullie L. , Vecchione S. , Tyraskis A. , Maldonado B. Nezafat , Pissaridou M. , Sanchez-Thompson N. , Morris L. , John M. , Godse A. , Farrelly P. , Cullis P. , McHoney M. , Colvin D.
Published: June 2022

Purpose

To compare the reported and observed management of UK children with blunt liver or spleen injury (BLSI) to the American Pediatric Surgical Association (APSA) 2019 BLSI guidance.

Methods

UK Paediatric Major Trauma Centres (pMTCs) undertook 1 year of prospective data collection on children admitted to or discussed with those centres with BLSI and an online questionnaire was distributed to all consultants who care for children with BLSI in those centres.

Results

All 21/21 (100%) pMTCs participated; 131 patients were included and 100/152 (65%) consultants responded to the survey. ICU care was reported and observed to be primarily determined using haemodynamic status or concomitant injuries rather than injury grade, in accordance with APSA guidance. Bed rest was reported to be determined by grade of injury by 63% of survey respondents and observed in a similar proportion of patients. Contrary to APSA guidance, follow-up radiological assessment of the injured spleen or liver was undertaken in 44% of patients before discharge and 32% after discharge, the majority of whom were asymptomatic.

Conclusions

UK management of BLSI differs from many aspects of APSA guidance. A shift towards using clinical features to determine ICU admission and readiness for discharge is demonstrated, in line with a strong evidence base. However, routine bed rest and re-imaging after BLSI is common, contrary to APSA guidance. This disparity may exist due to concern that evidence around the incidence, presentation and natural history of complications after conservatively managed BLSI, particularly bleeding from pseudoaneurysms, is weak.
Existence of Nonradial Domains for Overdetermined and Isoperimetric Problems in Nonconvex Cones
Authors: Iacopetti Alessandro , Pacella Filomena , Weth Tobias
Published: June 2022

In this work we address the question of the existence of nonradial domains inside a nonconvex cone for which a mixed boundary overdetermined problem admits a solution. Our approach is variational, and consists in proving the existence of nonradial minimizers, under a volume constraint, of the associated torsional energy functional. In particular we give a condition on the domain D on the sphere spanning the cone which ensures that the spherical sector is not a minimizer. Similar results are obtained for the relative isoperimetric problem in nonconvex cones.
Comprehensive Evaluation of Pediatric Patients with Ebstein Anomaly Requires Both Echocardiography and Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Authors: Geerdink Lianne M. , van Everdingen Wouter M. , Kuipers Irene M. , Fejzic Zina , du Marchie Sarvaas Gideon J. , Frerich Stefan , ter Heide Henriëtte , Helbing Willem A. , de Korte Chris L. , Habets Jesse , Kapusta Livia
Published: June 2022

With the trend towards childhood surgery in patients with Ebstein anomaly (EA), thorough imaging is crucial for patient selection. This study aimed to assess biventricular function by echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and compare EA severity classifications. Twenty-three patients (8–17 years) underwent echocardiography and CMR. Echocardiographic parameters included tricuspid annular plane systolic excursions (TAPSE), fractional area change of the functional right ventricle (fRV-FAC), fRV free wall peak systolic myocardial velocity (fRVs’), and tricuspid regurgitation (TR). End-diastolic and end-systolic volume (EDV resp. ESV), fRV- and LV ejection fraction (EF) and TR were obtained by CMR. EA severity classifications included displacement index, Celermajer index and the total-right/left-volume index. Median fRV-FAC was 38% (IQR 33–42). TAPSE and fRVs’ were reduced in 39% and 75% of the patients, respectively. Echocardiographic TR was visually graded as mild, moderate, or severe in nine, six and eight patients, respectively. By CMR, median fRVEF was 49% (IQR 36–58) and TR was graded as mild, moderate, or severe in nine, twelve and two patients, respectively. In 70% of cases, fRV-EDV was higher than LV-EDV. LVEF was decreased in 17 cases (74%). There was excellent correlation between echocardiography-derived fRV-FAC and CMR-derived fRVEF (rho = 0.812, p < 0.001). While echocardiography is a versatile tool in the complex geometry of the Ebstein heart, it has limitations. CMR offers a total overview and has the advantage of reliable volume assessment of both ventricles. Comprehensive evaluation of pediatric patients with EA may therefore require a synergistic implementation of echocardiography and CMR.