bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of high‐fidelity simulation exposure of nursing students with their objective structured clinical examination: A quasi‐experimental study
Authors: Guerrero Jefferson Garcia , Rosales Niela Sacro , Castro Grace Medalyn Tungpalan
Published: August 2022

Aim

The study aimed to establish the impact of high‐fidelity simulation (HFS) in the objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) of nursing students enrolled in four undergraduate courses (medical‐surgical, critical‐care, maternal‐health and paediatric nursing).

Design

This quasi‐experimental research study was performed during the midterm and final OSCEs of nursing students at the institution, and their OSCE performance was assessed.

Methods

The students were divided into two: those who were exposed to HFS in addition to their clinical training and the other group who underwent clinical training without HFS exposure.

Results

The combined mean midterm and final OSCE results of the group of nursing students with HFS exposure and those without HFS exposure were 92.58 and 82.66, respectively, with a mean between‐group difference of 9.92% (p < .01). Our findings reveal that the HFS exposure in addition to clinical training enhanced the students' OSCE performance.
The risk of postoperative respiratory complications following adenotonsillar surgery in children with or without obstructive sleep apnea: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Keserű Fanni , Sipos Zoltán , Farkas Nelli , Hegyi Péter , Juhász Márk Félix , Jászai Viktória Adrienn , Párniczky Andrea , Benedek Pálma Edina
Published: August 2022

Objectives

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) appears in 2%–5% of children, with first‐line treatment being adenotonsillar (AT) surgery. Our aim was to examine the risk of postoperative respiratory complications (PoRCs) in non‐OSA and the different OSA severity (mild, moderate, severe) groups.

Study Design

We conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis of studies comparing PoRCs following AT surgery in children with and without OSA.

Methods

Nineteen observational studies were identified with the same search key used in MEDLINE, Embase, and CENTRAL. The connection between PoRCs, the presence and severity of OSA, and additional comorbidities were examined. Odds ratios (OR) were calculated with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results

We found that PoRCs appeared more frequently in moderate (p = 0.048, OR: 1.79, CI [1.004, 3.194]) and severe OSA (p = 0.002, OR: 4.06, CI [1.68, 9.81]) compared to non‐OSA patients. No significant difference was detected in the appearance of major complications (p = 0.200, OR: 2.14, CI [0.67, 6.86]) comparing OSA and non‐OSA populations. No significant difference was observed in comorbidities (p = 0.669, OR: 1.29, CI [0.40, 4.14]) or in the distribution of PoRCs (p = 0.904, OR: 0.94, CI [0.36, 2.45]) between the two groups.

Conclusion

Uniform guidelines and a revision of postoperative monitoring are called for as children with moderate and severe OSA are more likely to develop PoRCs following AT surgery based on our results, but no significant difference was found in mild OSA. Furthermore, the presence of OSA alone is not associated with an increased risk of developing major complications.
Of problems and opportunities—How to treat and how to not treat crystallographic fragment screening data
Authors: Weiss Manfred S. , Wollenhaupt Jan , Correy Galen J. , Fraser James S. , Heine Andreas , Klebe Gerhard , Krojer Tobias , Thunissen Marjolein , Pearce Nicholas M.
Published: August 2022

In their recent commentary in Protein Science, Jaskolski et al. analyzed three randomly picked diffraction data sets from fragment‐screening group depositions from the PDB and, based on that, they claimed that such data are principally problematic. We demonstrate here that if such data are treated properly, none of the proclaimed criticisms persist.
Molecular proof for Lophomonas infection in a patient with history of breast cancer
Authors: Shafahi Ahmad , Sharifpour Ali , Ghadirzadeh Erfan , Taheri Amirmasoud , Fakhar Mahdi , Soleymani Mostafa
Published: August 2022

We report a 52‐year‐old patient with a history of breast cancer (BC) referred to the clinic of Afzalipour Hospital, in Kerman, eastern Iran, with a 1‐week complaint of restless dyspnea. A chest computed tomography scan revealed consolidations in the upper lobes of both lungs. The patient had no history of smoking or underlying diseases that would predispose her to consolidation, including pneumonia. Then, bronchoscopy was performed for the patient, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was sent to the Iranian National Registry Center, where the Lophomonas parasite was detected in the sample and confirmed using a polymerase chain reaction test. Finally, her symptoms improved by receiving oral metronidazole three times a day for 3 weeks.
An annoying enteric virus: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of human astroviruses and gastrointestinal complications in children
Authors: Razizadeh Mohammad Hossein , Pourrostami Kumars , Kachooei Atefeh , Zarei Mohammad , Asghari Milad , Hamldar Shahrzad , Khatami Alireza
Published: August 2022

Human astroviruses (HAstVs) have frequently been detected in individuals with acute gastroenteritis (AGE). However, a precise estimate of the overall prevalence of the virus in children with AGE as well as the possible association of the virus with gastrointestinal complications is not available up to now. The present study estimated the overall prevalence of HAstVs in children with gastrointestinal complications as well as the association between the virus and symptoms. We systematically searched four international databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google scholar) to find studies on the prevalence of HAstVs in people with AGE published between Jan 2000 and Sep 2021. Analysis of the 223 included studies presented a 4.2% (95% CI 3.8%–4.8%) prevalence of the virus in AGE individuals. Based on case‐control studies, a significant association between these viruses and AGE was detected (OR: 2.059, 95% CI; 1.438–2.949). HAstV‐1 and HAstV‐VA‐2 is the most and least common genotypes in the AGE patients, respectively (59.0%, 95% CI: 52.1%–65.6% vs. 4.9%, 95% CI: 2.6%–9.1%). Due to the statistically significant association between HAstV and gastrointestinal complications, more attention should be paid to these viruses in people with AGE and more studies should employ case‐control design.
Six‐Pointed Star Chiral Cobalt Superstructures with Strong Antibacterial Activity
Authors: Wang Gaoyang , Hao Changlong , Chen Chen , Kuang Hua , Xu Chuanlai , Xu Liguang
Published: August 2022

Chiral inorganic nanomaterials have shown promise as a potential means of combating bacteria due to their high levels of biocompatibility, easy surface modification, and excellent optical properties. In this study, a diverse range of chiral hierarchical nanomaterials are prepared from Co2+ and L/D‐Tartaric acid (Tar) ligands. By combining the ligands in different ratios, chiral Co superstructures (Co SS) are obtained with different morphologies, including chiral nanoflowers, chiral nanohanamaki, a chiral six‐pointed star, a chiral fan shape, and a chiral fusiform shape. It is found that the chiral six‐pointed star structures exhibit chiroptical activity across a broad range of wavelengths from 300 to 1300 nm and that the g‐factor is as high as 0.033 with superparamagnetic properties. Under the action of electromagnetic fields, the chiral six‐pointed star Co SS shows excellent killing ability against Gram‐positive Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923). Compared to L‐Co SS, D‐Co SS shows stronger levels of antibacterial ability. It is found that the levels of reactive oxygen species generated by D‐Co SS are 1.59‐fold higher than L‐Co SS which is attributed to chiral‐induced spin selectivity effects. These findings are of significance for the further development of chiral materials with antibacterial properties.
Breed distribution of spontaneous chronic corneal epithelial defects in UK dogs
Authors: Bradley Claire , Sansom Philip G. , Carter Wallace J.
Published: August 2022

Background

This study aimed to assess the risk of bilateral disease in dogs affected by spontaneous chronic corneal epithelial defects (SCCEDs) and identify any recent changes in the distribution of breeds affected.

Methods

Medical records of dogs assessed at a single ophthalmic centre for the management of SCCEDs between 2007 and 2020 were reviewed, and clinical data were extracted.

Results

Three hundred and seven dogs met the inclusion criteria. Boxers (129 dogs), Staffordshire Bull Terriers (37 dogs) and French Bulldogs (20 dogs) were most frequently affected. Overall, the median age at presentation was 8 years (range 1–15 years), but French Bulldogs had a younger median age of 6 years. Boxers, French Bulldogs and Staffordshire Bull Terriers showed higher odds of bilateral ulceration (odds ratio 1.79, 1.65 and 1.64, respectively) compared to the overall study population. The median time between presentations when both eyes were affected was 4 months (range 0–42 months). There was a statistically significant increase in French Bulldogs, a reduction in Boxers and a stable number of Staffordshire Bull Terriers treated for this condition. However, as the effective sample size from each individual breed was small, further studies would be beneficial to confirm these findings.

Conclusion

The results from this study suggest a shift in breed distribution. The risk of bilateral disease is higher in the three breeds reported here, and owners should be counselled appropriately at the initial examination.
Moxidectin use in Scottish sheep flocks suggests a need for clearer product labelling and communication of updated SCOPS guidelines
Authors: McIntyre Jennifer , Miskell Laura , Morgan Eric R. , Lovatt Fiona , Laing Roz
Published: August 2022

Background

Guidelines for sustainable use of moxidectin were established in 2020. This study aimed to identify how Scottish sheep farmers are using this key endectocide and estimate its effectiveness against gastrointestinal nematodes.

Methods

Questionnaires were distributed to sheep farmers across Scotland, and analysis focused on moxidectin use in relation to Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep (SCOPS) guidelines. Farmers using moxidectin in their flock volunteered to submit post‐treatment sheep faecal samples, which were analysed for the presence of gastrointestinal nematodes using faecal egg counts with polymerase chain reaction to determine species.

Results

Despite 70% of farmers using moxidectin in 2020, knowledge levels varied: 24% of farmers included other anthelmintics when asked about moxidectin use. Moxidectin was used for a wide variety of reasons, and most farmers did not consistently follow SCOPS guidelines. Despite only 2 of 76 farmers reporting failure of moxidectin treatment, gastrointestinal nematodes were found following moxidectin treatment on five out of six farms tested and included Teladorsagia circumcincta, Cooperia curticei, Haemonchus contortus and Nematodirus sp.

Conclusion

Findings from this project indicate the need for improved anthelmintic product labelling and farmer support to encourage sustainable use. The presence of nematodes in treated animals is suggestive of anthelmintic resistance.
High seroprevalence of Leishmania infantum infection in dogs and its associated risk factors in selected towns of Southwest and West Shewa zones of Oromia, Ethiopia
Authors: Gebremedhin Endrias Zewdu , Weya Weraka , Dima Chala , Zewde Demeke , Lo Presti Vincenzo Di Marco , Vitale Maria
Published: August 2022

Background

Leishmania infantum infection can result in serious vector‐borne zoonotic disease such as visceral leishmaniasis. The objectives of the study were to estimate the seroprevalence and associated risk factors in Weliso, Ambo, and Ejaji towns in the Southwest and West Shewa zones, Oromia, Ethiopia.

Methods

A cross‐sectional study was conducted from October 2019 to September 2020. A total of 368 canines were sampled for the study using a basic random sampling procedure. An Indirect ELISA kit was used to test the presence of rK39 antigen eliciting specific antibodies in a serum sample. The association between L. infantum seropositivity and possible risk factors was assessed using Pearson's Chi‐square and logistic regression tests.

Results

The overall seroprevalence of L. infantum in dogs was found to be 84.24% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 80%–88%) with seroprevalences ranging from 76.11% (95% CI: 67%–84%) in Ambo to 79.82% (95% CI: 71%–87%) in Weliso, and higher seroprevalence, in Ejaji 93.84% (95% CI: 89%–97%). In a univariable logistic regression analysis, town (p = 0.001), season (p = 0.001), mixed living (indoor/outdoor) environment (p = 0.003), and kebele (p ≤ 0.05) were all found to be significantly linked with L. infantum seropositivity. In the multivariable analysis, wet season (p = 0.001) and mixed living environments (p = 0.025) were found to be independent predictors of L. infantum seropositivity.

Conclusions

This is the first comprehensive report of L. infantum infection in Ethiopian dogs. The very high seroprevalence suggests that dogs may play an important role in maintaining and spreading the infection to humans. Improvement of the living environment and health care facilities for dogs and humans as well health education for people awareness is suggested.
High Resolution Measurements of Heat Transfer During Drop Impingement onto a Heated Wall
Authors: Gholijani Alireza , Fischer Sebastian , Gambaryan-Roisman Tatiana , Stephan Peter
Published: August 2022

Drop impact on a hot surface heated above the saturation temperature of the fluid plays an important role in spray cooling. The heat transferred from the wall to the fluid is closely interrelated with drop hydrodynamics. If the surface temperature is below the Leidenfrost temperature, the heat transport strongly depends on the transport phenomena in the vicinity of the three-phase contact line. Due to extremely high local heat flux, a significant fraction of the total heat flow is transported through this region. The local transport processes near the three-phase contact line, and, therefore, the total heat transport, are determined by the wall superheat, contact line velocity, system pressure, fluid composition, surface structure and physical properties on the wall. The effect of the aforementioned influencing parameters on fluid dynamics and heat transport during evaporation of a single meniscus in a capillary slot are studied in a generic experimental setup. The hydrodynamics and evolution of wall heat flux distribution during the impact of a single drop onto a hot wall are also studied experimentally by varying the impact parameters, wall superheat, system pressure, and wall topography. In addition, the fluid dynamics and heat transport behavior during vertical and horizontal coalescence of multiple drops on a heated surface are studied experimentally.
Mechanical and Electrical Phenomena of Droplets Under the Influence of High Electric Fields
Authors: Löwe Jens-Michael , Kempf Michael , Hinrichsen Volker
Published: August 2022

High-voltage composite insulators are specially designed to withstand different environmental conditions to ensure a reliable and efficient electric power distribution and transmission. Especially, outdoor insulators are exposed to rain, snow or ice, which might significantly affect the performance of the insulators. The interaction of sessile water droplets and electric fields is investigated under various boundary conditions. Besides the general behavior of sessile droplets, namely the deformation and oscillation, the inception field strength for partial discharges is examined depending on the droplet volume, strength and frequency of the electric field and the electric charge. Particularly, the electric charge is identified to significantly affect the droplet behavior as well as the partial discharge inception field strength. In addition to ambient conditions, the impact of electric fields on ice nucleation is investigated under well-defined conditions with respect to the temperature and electric field strength. High electric field strengths are identified to significantly promote ice nucleation, especially in case of alternating and transient electric fields. Different influencing factors like the strengths, frequencies and time constants of the electric fields are investigated. Consequently, the performed experiments enhance the knowledge of the behavior of water droplets under the impact of electric fields under various conditions.
Investigation of the Behaviour of Supercooled Droplets Concerning Evaporation, Sublimation and Freezing Under Different Boundary Conditions
Authors: Reutzsch Jonathan , Kunberger Verena , Reitzle Martin , Ruberto Stefano , Weigand Bernhard
Published: August 2022

Phase change processes of supercooled droplets at different boundary conditions are presented. This study is a summary of the current developments within subproject B1 of the SFB-TRR 75 with the focus on evaporation, sublimation, and freezing of supercooled droplets. To this end, new numerical methods to describe the phase transition were developed and novel strategies dealing with the challenges of droplets under extreme conditions are presented. The numerical solution procedure of all phase changes are summarized in a compact way within this work. In order to validate the numerical models, experiments were conducted. For this, new experimental setups and approaches were developed. These comprise a test chamber for optical levitation of supercooled droplets, which is able to trap a droplet by means of a laser beam at subzero temperatures and variable ambient humidity. Comparisons of the numerical simulations and the conducted experiments are presented for several phase change processes. The results are in very good agreement and proof the capability of the methods.
Experimental Investigations of Near-critical Fluid Phenomena by the Application of Laser Diagnostic Methods
Authors: Lamanna Grazia , Steinhausen Christoph , Preusche Andreas , Dreizler Andreas
Published: August 2022

Physics of supercritical fluids is extremely complex and not yet fully understood. The importance of the presented investigations into the physics of supercritical fluids is twofold. First, the presented approach links the microscopic dynamics and macroscopic thermodynamics of supercritical fluids. Second, free falling droplets in a near to supercritical environment are investigated using spontaneous Raman scattering and a laser induced fluorescence/phosphorescence thermometry approach. The resulting spectroscopic data are employed to validate theoretical predictions of an improved evaporation model. Finally, laser induced thermal acoustics is used to investigate acoustic damping rates in the supercritical region of pure fluids.
Masculinity in Early Feminist Philosophy
Authors: Almassi Ben
Published: August 2022

In this chapter we turn to early Western feminist political philosophy, with particular attention to Mary Wollstonecraft, Harriet Taylor, and John Stuart Mill, to see what sort of visions for men and masculinity can be found there. Since Wollstonecraft’sVindication of the Rights of Woman(1792), Taylor’s “The Enfranchisement of Women” (1851), and Mill’sThe Subjection of Women(1869), liberal political philosophy has been a fertile ground for feminism. These texts in particular offer powerful critiques of traditional femininity and distinctive defenses of sexual equality. This is not to say Wollstonecraft, Taylor, and Mill have nothing to say about masculinity or men’s relationship to sexual equality; the harmful effects of patriarchy on both women and men are central to their positions. Yet these foundational texts offer limited positive visions for men and masculinity, with a kind of partial androgyny on the one side and universal masculinity on the other.
Facets of ICP-MS and their potential in the medical sciences—Part 2: nanomedicine, immunochemistry, mass cytometry, and bioassays
Authors: Clases David , Gonzalez de Vega Raquel
Published: August 2022

Inductively coupled–plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) has transformed our knowledge on the role of trace and major elements in biology and has emerged as the most versatile technique in elemental mass spectrometry. The scope of ICP-MS has dramatically changed since its inception, and nowadays, it is a mature platform technology that is compatible with chromatographic and laser ablation (LA) systems. Over the last decades, it kept pace with various technological advances and was inspired by interdisciplinary approaches which endorsed new areas of applications. While the first part of this review was dedicated to fundamentals in ICP-MS, its hyphenated techniques and the application in biomonitoring, isotope ratio analysis, elemental speciation analysis, and elemental bioimaging, this second part will introduce relatively current directions in ICP-MS and their potential to provide novel perspectives in the medical sciences. In this context, current directions for the characterisation of novel nanomaterials which are considered for biomedical applications like drug delivery and imaging platforms will be discussed while considering different facets of ICP-MS including single event analysis and dedicated hyphenated techniques. Subsequently, immunochemistry techniques will be reviewed in their capability to expand the scope of ICP-MS enabling analysis of a large range of biomolecules alongside elements. These methods inspired mass cytometry and imaging mass cytometry and have the potential to transform diagnostics and treatment by offering new paradigms for personalised medicine. Finally, the interlacing of immunochemistry methods, single event analysis, and functional nanomaterials has opened new horizons to design novel bioassays which promise potential as assets for clinical applications and larger screening programs and will be discussed in their capabilities to detect low-level proteins and nucleic acids.

Graphical abstract
A novel fast image encryption scheme based on a new one-dimensional compound sine chaotic system
Authors: Tang Jianeng , Zhang Feng , Ni Hui
Published: August 2022

In the paper, a new one-dimensional (1-D) compound Sine chaotic system (CSCS) is first proposed. Then new chaotic maps are generated by the CSCS. And four novel generated maps are used for the illustration about the CSCS. Secondly, the results of performance analysis show that the four maps have large Lyapunov exponents and high complexity. Thirdly, a high-efficiency image encryption scheme is proposed by employing two of the four new produced chaotic maps. In the proposed encryption scheme, the simplest diffusion operation is used. And we use a variety of scrambling operations, such as Zigzag transform, Magic confusion and the row confusion. In addition, to increase key space and in order to improve the ability to resist two kinds of attacks, namely the known plaintext attack and the selected plaintext attack, the control parameters and the initial values of the two new chaotic systems are generated based on the SHA-256 function. Finally, compared to other schemes, simulation tests show that our scheme not only has higher security but also faster encryption speed.
A Simple Algorithm for Higher-Order Delaunay Mosaics and Alpha Shapes
Authors: Edelsbrunner Herbert , Osang Georg
Published: August 2022

We present a simple algorithm for computing higher-order Delaunay mosaics that works in Euclidean spaces of any finite dimensions. The algorithm selects the vertices of the order-k mosaic from incrementally constructed lower-order mosaics and uses an algorithm for weighted first-order Delaunay mosaics as a black-box to construct the order-k mosaic from its vertices. Beyond this black-box, the algorithm uses only combinatorial operations, thus facilitating easy implementation. We extend this algorithm to compute higher-order $$\alpha $$
α
-shapes and provide open-source implementations. We present experimental results for properties of higher-order Delaunay mosaics of random point sets.
Mindfulness is associated with severity of peripheral neuropathy and related patient-reported outcomes among colorectal cancer patients
Authors: Bonhof Cynthia S. , van de Poll-Franse Lonneke V. , de Hingh Ignace H. , Vreugdenhil Gerard , Mols Floortje
Published: August 2022

Purpose

Despite the detrimental impact of chronic (chemotherapy-induced) peripheral neuropathy PN on patients’ lives, treatment options remain limited. We examined the association between mindfulness and chronic PN symptom severity and impairments in related patient-reported outcomes (PROs) among colorectal cancer (CRC) patients up to 2 years after diagnosis.

Methods

Newly diagnosed stage I–IV CRC patients from four Dutch hospitals were eligible for participation. Patients (N = 336) completed a questionnaire on mindfulness (MAAS) at 1 year after diagnosis, and questionnaires on sensory (SPN) and motor peripheral neuropathy (MPN) (EORTC QLQ-CIPN20), anxiety and depressive symptoms (HADS), sleep quality (PSQI), and fatigue (EORTC QLQ-C30) before initial treatment (baseline) and 1 and 2 years after diagnosis.

Results

At 1-year follow-up, 115 patients (34%) and 134 patients (40%), respectively, reported SPN or MPN symptoms. In multivariable regression analyses, higher mindfulness at 1-year follow-up was associated with less severe MPN and fewer anxiety and depressive symptoms, better sleep quality, and less fatigue. Of the patients with SPN or MPN at 1-year follow-up, symptoms had not returned to baseline level at 2-year follow-up in 59 (51%) and 72 (54%) patients, respectively. In this subgroup, higher mindfulness was associated with less severe SPN and fewer anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and fatigue at 2-year follow-up.

Conclusion

Mindfulness was associated with less severe PN and better related PROs among CRC patients with chronic PN. More research is needed to examine the role of mindfulness in the transition from acute to chronic PN.
Dynamic capital allocation rules via BSDEs: an axiomatic approach
Authors: Mastrogiacomo Elisa , Rosazza Gianin Emanuela
Published: August 2022

In this paper, we study capital allocation for dynamic risk measures, with an axiomatic approach but also by exploiting the relation between risk measures and BSDEs. Although there is a wide literature on capital allocation rules in a static setting and on dynamic risk measures, only a few recent papers on capital allocation work in a dynamic setting and, moreover, those papers mainly focus on the gradient approach. To fill this gap, we then discuss new perspectives to the capital allocation problem going beyond those already existing in the literature. In particular, we introduce and investigate a general axiomatic approach to dynamic capital allocations as well as an approach suitable for risk measures induced by g-expectations under weaker assumptions than Gateaux differentiability.
Efficient scalarization in multiobjective optimal control of a nonsmooth PDE
Authors: Bernreuther Marco , Müller Georg , Volkwein Stefan
Published: August 2022

This work deals with the efficient numerical characterization of Pareto stationary fronts for multiobjective optimal control problems with a moderate number of cost functionals and a mildly nonsmooth, elliptic, semilinear PDE-constraint. When “ample” controls are considered, strong stationarity conditions that can be used to numerically characterize the Pareto stationary fronts are known for our problem. We show that for finite dimensional controls, a sufficient adjoint-based stationarity system remains obtainable. It turns out that these stationarity conditions remain useful when numerically characterizing the fronts, because they correspond to strong stationarity systems for problems obtained by application of weighted-sum and reference point techniques to the multiobjective problem. We compare the performance of both scalarization techniques using quantifiable measures for the approximation quality. The subproblems of either method are solved with a line-search globalized pseudo-semismooth Newton method that appears to remove the degenerate behavior of the local version of the method employed previously. We apply a matrix-free, iterative approach to deal with the memory and complexity requirements when solving the subproblems of the reference point method and compare several preconditioning approaches.
Regulation of the growth of sprouting roots of black locust seedlings using root barrier panels
Authors: Kitaoka Satoshi , Matsunami Shiro , Wang Yannan , Fujita Saki , Makoto Kobayashi , Hirata Toshiyuki , Koike Takayoshi
Published: August 2022

How can we regulate an invasive alien species of high commercial value? Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) has a unique capacity for seed dispersal and high germination. Field surveys indicate that black locust increases its growing area with sprouting roots and the elongation of horizontal roots at a soil depth of 10 cm. Therefore, a method to regulate the development of horizontal roots could be effective in slowing the invasiveness of black locust. In this study, root barrier panels were tested to inhibit the growth of horizontal roots. Since it is labor intensive to observe the growth of roots in the field, it was investigated in a nursery setting. The decrease in secondary flush, an increase in yellowed leaflets, and the height in the seedlings were measured. Installing root barrier panels to a depth of 30 cm effectively inhibit the growth of horizontal roots of young black locust.
1H, 13C, 15N resonance assignment of the enzyme KdgF from Bacteroides eggerthii
Authors: Petersen Agnes Beenfeldt , Christensen Idd Andrea , Rønne Mette E. , Stender Emil G. P. , Teze David , Svensson Birte , Aachmann Finn Lillelund
Published: August 2022

To fully utilize carbohydrates from seaweed biomass, the degradation of the family of polysaccharides known as alginates must be understood. A step in the degradation of alginate is the conversion of 4,5-unsaturated monouronates to 4-deoxy-L-erythro-5-hexoseulose catalysed by the enzyme KdgF. In this study BeKdgF from Bacteroides eggerthii from the human gut microbiota has been produced isotopically labelled in Escherichia coli. Here the 1H, 13C, and 15N NMR chemical shift assignment for BeKdgF is reported.
Post-remission measurable residual disease directs treatment choice and improves outcomes for patients with intermediate-risk acute myeloid leukemia in CR1
Authors: Han Lijie , Li Yilu , Wu Jiaying , Peng Jie , Han Xiaolin , Zhao Hongmian , He Chen , Li Yuanyuan , Wang Weimin , Zhang Mengmeng , Li Yafei , Sun Hui , Cao Haixia , Sang Li’na , Jiang Zhongxing , Yu Jifeng
Published: August 2022

Objectives

This study retrospectively investigated in which cycle measurable residual disease (MRD) is associated with prognosis in patients in first complete remission (CR1) of intermediate-risk acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Methods

The study enrolled 235 younger patients with intermediate-risk AML. MRD was evaluated by multiparameter flow cytometry after the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd chemotherapy cycles (MRD1–3, respectively).

Results

No significant association was detected after the 1st and 2nd cycles. However, the 5-year incidence of relapse was higher in the MRD3-positive group (n = 99) than in the negative group (n = 136) (48.7% vs. 13.7%, P = 0.005), while 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were lower in the MRD3-positive group than in the negative group (43.2% vs. 81.0% and 45.4% vs. 84.1%; P = 0.003 and 0.005, respectively). Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation led to a lower 5-year relapse, and higher DFS and OS rates than chemotherapy in the MRD3-positive group (22.3% vs. 71.5%, 65.9% vs. 23.0%, and 67.1% vs. 23.9%; P < 0.001, 0.002, and 0.022, respectively), but did not affect the MRD-negative group.

Conclusions

MRD3 could serve as an indicator for post-remission treatment choice and help improve outcomes for intermediate-risk AML in CR1.
Dysfunctional democracy(ies): characteristics, causes and consequences
Authors: Stark Toralf , Osterberg-Kaufmann Norma , Pickel Susanne
Published: August 2022

Democratic systems are currently facing multiple challenges. A central component of this is the disintegrating relationship between citizens and political actors; citizens simply do not feel represented by political actors any longer. As a result, we are seeing a decline in trust in politicians, increasing questioning of whether democracy is still the best political system, and the question of whether citizens are not also developing a changed understanding of democracy. Research into the underlying causes of these developments inevitably leads to an analysis of the outcomes resulting from political activities, which, in addition to the desired results, also produce unintended consequences due to the complexity of politics and society (Almond et al., p. 32–34). In this case, we speak of dysfunction or dysfunctionality. In this paper, which also serves as an introduction to the special section “Dysfunctional democracy(ies): Characteristics, Causes and Consequences.” we give a brief overview of the concept of dysfunctionality of democratic systems in order to distinguish it from considerations of the deterioration of the quality of democracy. The focus of our reflections is not the institutional consequences of the various challenges. The focus is on why democratic systems are unable to adapt adequately to the demands of a changing environment and thus produce unintended outcomes that harm the democratic political system.
Hair cortisol level might be indicative for a 3PM approach towards suicide risk assessment in depression: comparative analysis of mentally stable and depressed individuals versus individuals after completing suicide
Authors: Karabatsiakis Alexander , de Punder Karin , Salinas-Manrique Juan , Todt Melanie , Dietrich Detlef E.
Published: August 2022

Depression and suicidal behavior are interrelated, stress-associated mental health conditions, each lacking biological verifiability. Concepts of predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine (3PM) are almost completely missing for both conditions but are of utmost importance. Prior research reported altered levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the scalp hair of depressed individuals, however, data on hair cortisol levels (HCL) for suicide completers (SC) are missing. Here, we aimed to identify differences in HCL between subject with depression (n = 20), SC (n = 45) and mentally stable control subjects (n = 12) to establish the usage of HCL as a new target for 3PM. HCL was measured in extracts of pulverized hair (1-cm and 3-cm hair segments) using ELISA. In 3-cm hair segments, an average increase in HCL for depressed patients (1.66 times higher; p = .011) and SC (5.46 times higher; p = 1.65 × 10−5) compared to that for controls was observed. Furthermore, the average HCL in SC was significantly increased compared to that in the depressed group (3.28 times higher; p = 1.4 × 10−5). A significant correlation between HCL in the 1-cm and the 3-cm hair segments, as well as a significant association between the severity of depressive symptoms and HCL (3-cm segment) was found. To conclude, findings of increased HCL in subjects with depression compared to that in controls were replicated and an additional increase in HCL was seen in SC in comparison to patients with depression. The usage of HCL for creating effective patient stratification and predictive approach followed by the targeted prevention and personalization of medical services needs to be validated in follow-up studies.
Minimum age requirements and the role of the school choice set
Authors: Cáceres-Delpiano Julio , Giolito Eugenio
Published: August 2022

Using several data sources from Chile, we study the impact of the size of the school choice set at the time of starting primary school. With that purpose, we exploit multiple cutoffs defining the minimum age at entry, which not only define when a student can start elementary school, but also the set of schools from which she/he can choose. Moreover, differences across municipalities in the composition of the schools according to these cutoffs allow us not only to account for municipality fixed factors (educational markets) but also for differences in the characteristics between schools choosing different deadlines. That is, we compare the difference in outcomes for children living in the same municipality around the different cutoffs with those for children in other municipalities that experience a different change in the available set of schools across cutoffs (double difference in RD). We show that a larger set of schools increases the probability of starting in a better school, measured by a non-high-stakes examination. Moreover, this quasi-experimental variation reveals an important reduction in the likelihood of dropping out and a reduction in the probability that a child would switch schools during her/his school life. Second, for a subsample of students who have completed high school, we observe that a larger school choice set at the start of primary school increases students’ chances of taking the national examination required for higher education and the likelihood of being enrolled in college.
On the nearly freeness of conic-line arrangements with nodes, tacnodes, and ordinary triple points
Authors: Gałecka Aleksandra
Published: August 2022

In the present note, we provide a partial classification of nearly free conic-line arrangements in the complex plane having nodes, tacnodes, and ordinary triple points. In this setting, our theoretical bound tells us that the degree of such an arrangement is bounded from above by 12. We construct examples of nearly free conic-line arrangements having degree 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and we prove that in degree 10, 11, and 12, there is no such arrangement.
AI-Aided Printed Line Smearing Analysis of the Roll-to-Roll Screen Printing Process for Printed Electronics
Authors: Gafurov Anton Nailevich , Phung Thanh Huy , Ryu Beyong-Hwan , Kim Inyoung , Lee Taik-Min
Published: August 2022

Screen printing has been adopted for fabricating a wide variety of electronic devices. However, the printing defects and reliability have been an obstacle for industrialization of printed electronics. In this research, the artificial intelligence (AI) model was developed and integrated with the in-house roll-to-roll screen printing system to detect smearing defect, which is one of the main defects of screen printing. The U-Net architecture was adopted, and a total of 19 models were designed with model sizes ranging from 8E + 3 to 3E + 7 number of parameters. Their performances as validation mean Intersection over Union (IoU) were analyzed, and the optimal model was chosen with a validation mean IoU of 95.1% and a number of parameters of 8E + 6. The printed line images were evaluated by the AI model for various printing conditions, such as printed line widths, printing paste premixing, printing speeds, and printed line directions, which showed that the model could effectively detect the smearing defects. Also, the AI model capabilities were investigated for repeated printing, which demonstrated that it can be used for the reliability assessment of the screen printing process.
Nonlocal Controllability of Sobolev-Type Conformable Fractional Stochastic Evolution Inclusions with Clarke Subdifferential
Authors: Ahmed Hamdy M. , Ragusa Maria Alessandra
Published: August 2022

In this paper, Sobolev-type conformable fractional stochastic evolution inclusions with Clarke subdifferential and nonlocal conditions are studied. By using fractional calculus, stochastic analysis, properties of Clarke subdifferential and nonsmooth analysis, sufficient conditions for nonlocal controllability for the considered problem are established. Finally, an example is given to illustrate the obtained results.
Effect of Various Rainfall Conditions on the Roadside Stabilisation of Slopes in Gippsland
Authors: Wang Yujia , Smith John V. , Nazem Majidreza
Published: August 2022

A distinctive slope stabilisation method that integrates two well-developed methods for slope stabilisation is analysed in this paper. The slope stabilisation method utilises embedded piles and geogrid-reinforced retaining walls with gabion basket wall facing. To study the effect of this integrated slope stabilisation method on the stability of the slope under the negative impacts of rainfall, a three-dimensional finite element model with fluid–solid coupling is adopted to indicate the rainfall infiltration process and investigate the corresponding slope responses. The shear strength reduction method is applied after fluid–solid coupling analysis to investigate the impact of various rainfall intensities and rainfall patterns on the stability of slopes with different configurations. The results from the comparison of slope responses among various configurations indicate that under the highest rainfall intensity, the integrated method improves the stability of the slope up to $$41.2\%$$

41.2
%

and restrains the displacement increment of the road edge to a maximum of $$12.5$$

12.5

 mm. The most critical rainfall pattern for the stability of the slope has also been recognised in terms of the factor of safety and the variation in the negative pore-water pressure of the slope. The numerical results indicate that the back-loaded rainfall pattern always yields the lowest factor of safety and induces the highest loss of matric suction, which can be $$23$$

23

 kPa at the toe of the slope. Moreover, a comparison between two construction scenarios under various rainfall intensities was also conducted, which demonstrates that the reinforced filled slope configuration is preferable when the site conditions permit.
Evaluation of the skin protective effects of niosomal-entrapped annona squamosa against UVA irradiation
Authors: Mohamad Ebtesam A. , Ahmed Kawkab A. , Mohammed Haitham S.
Published: August 2022

Annona squamosa is a medicinal plant that has been used in folk medicine since antiquity. The goal of this study is to see how effective Annona squamosa leaf extract (A.S.L.E) or its niosomal-entrapped preparation is at protecting skin from UVA irradiation. The prepared niosomal-entrapped A.S.L.E has been characterized via spectrophotometry and transmission electron microscopy imaging. Furthermore, the entrapment efficiency and in vitro release of A.S.L.E were determined. In this study, ex vivo and freshly prepared samples from the dorsal region of the rats’ skin were used as biological samples, which were divided into five groups: control UVA-unexposed, unprotected UVA-exposed, A.S.L.E-protected UVA-exposed, and niosomal-entrapped A.S.L.E UVA-exposed. UVA irradiation was performed by exposing the skin samples to a UVA-producing lamp for 4 h. Samples from various groups were then examined using FTIR spectroscopy, histopathology, and protein electrophoresis methods. The results showed that A.S.L.E has a skin protective effect against UVA irradiation. The niosomal-entrapped A.S.L.E was more effective than the native plant leaf extract in protecting skin from the damaging effects of UVA. Therefore, the nanotechnologically formulated preparation, niosomal-entrapped A.S.L.E, can be used as an effective photoprotector (sunscreen) against the adverse effects of UVA radiation.

Graphical abstract
Dynamic Spatial-Temporal Expression Ratio of X Chromosome to Autosomes But Stable Dosage Compensation in Mammals
Authors: Qian Sheng Hu , Xiong Yu-Li , Chen Lu , Geng Ying-Jie , Tang Xiao-Man , Chen Zhen-Xia
Published: August 2022

In the evolutionary model of dosage compensation, per-allele expression level of the X chromosome has been proposed to have twofold up-regulation to compensate its dose reduction in males (XY) compared to females (XX). However, the expression regulation of X-linked genes is still controversial, and comprehensive evaluations are still lacking. By integrating multi-omics datasets in mammals, we investigated the expression ratios including X to autosomes (X:AA ratio) and X to orthologs (X:XX ratio) at the transcriptome, translatome, and proteome levels. We revealed a dynamic spatial-temporal X:AA ratio during development in humans and mice. Meanwhile, by tracing the evolution of orthologous gene expression in chickens, platypuses, and opossums, we found a stable expression ratio of X-linked genes in humans to their autosomal orthologs in other species (X:XX ≈ 1) across tissues and developmental stages, demonstrating stable dosage compensation in mammals. We also found that different epigenetic regulations contributed to the high tissue specificity and stage specificity of X-linked gene expression, thus affecting X:AA ratios. It could be concluded that the dynamics of X:AA ratios were attributed to the different gene contents and expression preferences of the X chromosome, rather than the stable dosage compensation.
Theory of Prominence
Authors: Hayslett Bryan
Published: August 2022

Many twentieth and twenty-first century composers have written music with rhythmic structures that must be understood through a framework distinct from even, periodic meter, which has been a salient musical feature of Western classical music for centuries. This Element's analytical system outlines structure and phrasing in sections of music without even perceptible meter. Instead of entrainment to meter, Bryan Hayslett theorizes that listeners perceive rhythm in similar ways to how they perceive the rhythm of language. With gesture as the smallest organizational grouping unit, his analytical system combines Fred Lerdahl and Ray Jackendoff's generative theory of tonal music with Bruce Hayes's metrical stress theory from linguistics. The listener perceives the shape of a gesture according to the structure of its constituents, and larger-level phrasing is perceived through the hierarchical relationship of gestures. After developing a set of rules, the author provides analyses that outline temporal structure according to perceptual prominence.
Changing educational homogamy: shifting preferences or evolving educational distribution?
Authors: Naszodi Anna , Mendonca Francisco
Published: August 2022

We study changes in educational homogamy in the US and four European countries over the decade covering the Great Recession. The marital preferences identified point to the widening of the social gap between different educational groups since these preferences have increased the inclination of the individuals to match with others of similar educational traits in all five countries. We obtain this finding with an aggregate measure characterizing revealed preferences of individuals in relationship. We apply a novel approach for validating our finding: we compare our aggregate measure with dating data informative about the reservation points not only of those people who will be in a couple, but also those who will remain single. Finally, we challenge a commonly held view: we argue that marital preferences should not be blamed for the documented increase of the social gap since preferences are not exogenous, but are shaped by changes in the employment prospects of the potential partners.
On the cohomology of reciprocity sheaves
Authors: Binda Federico , Rülling Kay , Saito Shuji
Published: August 2022

In this paper, we show the existence of an action of Chow correspondences on the cohomology of reciprocity sheaves. In order to do so, we prove a number of structural results, such as a projective bundle formula, a blow-up formula, a Gysin sequence and the existence of proper pushforward. In this way, we recover and generalise analogous statements for the cohomology of Hodge sheaves and Hodge-Witt sheaves.

We give several applications of the general theory to problems which have been classically studied. Among these applications, we construct new birational invariants of smooth projective varieties and obstructions to the existence of zero cycles of degree 1 from the cohomology of reciprocity sheaves.