bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tools to measure and improve animal welfare: reward-related behaviour
Authors: Van der Harst JE , Spruijt BM
Published: January 2023

There is an increasing requirement for tools to assess and improve animal welfare in an objective and scientifically based manner. In our research a concept of welfare is applied which states that welfare is determined by the balance between positive and negative experiences. This concept implies that an interaction exists between stress systems and reward systems in the brain and, as a consequence: (I) negative experiences induce an increased sensitivity (ie need) for positive experiences; and (II) negative experiences can be compensated for by positive experiences. On this basis, two uses of reward-related behaviour can be hypothesised: (I) reward sensitivity may be used as a tool to assess the state of an animal in terms of welfare because it can indicate the current state of the balance that is dependent on previous (stressful) experiences; and (II) regular presentation of rewards may serve as a tool to counteract stress by shifting the balance to the positive side and, thus, to improve welfare. In order to investigate this, we used the rat as a model. Reward sensitivity was determined by the spontaneous behavioural response shown during expectation of a reward (ie anticipatory behaviour). A third (III) use of reward-related behaviour derives from the fact that anticipatory behaviour is influenced by the (rewarding) properties of the forthcoming reward (or other event) and, thus, may serve as a tool to assess the animal's perception of this reward/event. This paper presents a descriptive overview of the evidence obtained thus far for the three proposed uses of reward-related behaviour. The biological background of our concept of welfare can be generalised to all (vertebrate) species, and anticipatory behaviour can be evoked in a wide range of other species. Therefore, this tool for measuring and improving the welfare of captive animals has great potential and will contribute to a good quality of life for captive animals.
Enhancing quality of life for dogs and cats in confined situations
Authors: Timmins RP , Cliff KD , Day CT , Hart BL , Hart LA , Hubrecht RC , Hurley KF , Phillips CJC , Rand JS , Rochlitz I , Serpell JA , Zawistowski SL
Published: January 2023

An international panel of experts in the fields of canine and feline health, welfare and behaviour conducted an online discussion addressing two questions: (1) how can one define quality of life (QoL) for dogs and cats in confined living situations, such as laboratories; and (2) what additional research is needed to determine how optimal QoL can be achieved? The panel suggested that QoL encompasses animal welfare and the subjective ‘feelings’ of the animal regarding its life, and that it can only be inferred from behavioural, physiological and other measures. Two methods for measuring QoL were proposed: establishing an ethogram defining QoL for individuals; and developing a ‘quality of living’ scale that can be applied to facilities housing groups of dogs and cats. Constructing these measures requires a comprehensive research program, and the paper discusses overall research objectives, specific questions that must be addressed, and some proposed research methods.
Laboratory animal, pet animal, farm animal, wild animal: which gets the best deal?
Authors: Wolfensohn S , Honess P
Published: January 2023

A veterinary surgeon wishing to practice in the UK promises, on admission to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, that their “constant endeavour will be to ensure the welfare of the animals committed to [their] care” (RCVS 2006 Guide to Professional Conduct). Yet a constant dilemma is that the veterinary surgeon deals with the animal's welfare differently depending on the category into which the particular animal fits at a particular time — even though its ability to suffer is the same whatever the circumstance. A laboratory animal is considered by many to suffer the most insults to welfare, yet its welfare is protected by a plethora of regulations, ethical reviews, best-practice guidelines and vociferous public opinion. While any decision on its treatment will take into account the scientific outcome, the judgement will have been considered by many and the outcome already decided. The companion animal may be much loved by its owner but its veterinary treatment will be affected by the psychological state of that owner and his/her ability to pay; the animal's treatment becomes a ‘family management’ issue. In veterinary treatment of a farm animal, the benchmark for ‘acceptable’ suffering can be quite different; lower levels of welfare may be tolerated over considerable periods. When a wild animal is presented for treatment, the welfare of the individual may not be best served by anything other than euthanasia, yet treatment is often enthusiastically attempted. We explore this inconsistency of approach to animal welfare, using examples, and we attempt to rationalise and raise awareness of the inconsistencies. We propose the use of a welfare illustrator grid to increase cross-sector objectivity and improve harmonisation of approach across the sectors.
Breeding for quality of life
Authors: McGreevy PD
Published: January 2023

Many breeds of companion animal have inherited disorders that may impair quality of life (QoL) to the extent that it is unkind to keep them alive. If we struggle to discern when this point is reached, why do we breed compromised, short-lived animals in the first place? If we struggle to judge when environmental conditions cause an unacceptable QoL, why not breed appropriately for modern environments? In breeding pedigree dogs, five major problems arise: (1) some breed standards and selection practices run counter to dog welfare; (2) insufficient selection pressure seems to be exerted on some traits that would improve animal well-being and produce dogs better suited to modern environments; (3) the incidence of certain inherited defects in some breeds is unacceptably high; (4) the dearth of registered animals of certain breeds in particular countries makes it extremely difficult for breeders to avoid mating close relatives; and (5) there may be financial disincentives for veterinarians to reduce the incidence of inherited diseases. Before we can judge when behavioural or morphological changes caused by selective breeding result in an unacceptable QoL, we have to know which are prevalent. This paper reviews progress in two Australian schemes to monitor trends in the prevalence of inherited disorders in dogs and to promote behavioural phenotypes likely to cope with contemporary domestic environments.
Cultural variation, animal welfare andtelos
Authors: Rollin BE
Published: January 2023

The effect of varied cultural traditions on concepts of animal welfare appears to be a novel issue, growing out of recent societal concerns with globalisation, multi-culturalism, and diversity. In more imperialistic times, Western culture cared little about such issues. Upon reflection, however, it is apparent that this is not a new issue, as even within our culture the concept of welfare has been variously defined, based on differences in values in general and ethics in particular, varying enormously with different views of the moral status of animals. A most dramatic example of this can be found in production agriculture's view that (to paraphrase) ‘the animal is experiencing good welfare when it fulfils the human (production) purpose for which it is kept’, as expressed in the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) report of 1981. Clearly, an animal welfare advocate opposed to confinement agriculture would have expressed a very different view. If the concept of animal welfare is both intra- and cross-culturally varied, how then does one resolve differences? The answer may be found in what I have termed the ‘new social ethic for animals’ that is fairly uniform across Western societies, as I explain in this paper. In essence, the new ethic focusses on satisfying animals' needs dictated by theirtelosor biological nature. Insofar as Western democratic societies dictate to the rest of the world, which is economically dependent upon them, we will see this animal ethic achieve global hegemony, much as the notion of human rights has become globally ubiquitous as an ideal.
Predicting quality of life outcomes as a guide for decision-making: the challenge of hitting a moving target
Authors: McMillan FD
Published: January 2023

In animal care, when current decisions are made to maximise long-term quality of life (QoL), a key necessity is being able to make accurate predictions about how current choices will affect the animal's future QoL. However, in the procession of any individual's life, many factors that influence QoL change — some are foreseeable, many are not. Moreover, QoL has no fixed anchor points; it is dynamic, mutable, with a shifting frame of reference over time. In addition to actual changes in QoL over time, numerous factors have been identified that influence one's ability to adopt the mindset of the individual at a later point in time — for one's self as well as that of others. It has been shown that in people, across a wide range of health conditions, individuals with illness or disability typically report greater happiness and QoL than do healthy people envisioning themselves in similar circumstances (‘the disability paradox‘). Difficulties in QoL outcome prediction fall into two categories: (1) predictions made with the wrong mindset, in which there is a mismatch between the mindset of the assessor/predictor and that of the assessee/experiencer; and (2) predictions made on the basis of unforeseen or incorrectly estimated psychological changes in the assessee/experiencer.
Tail and ear biting lesions in pigs: an epidemiological study
Authors: Smulders D , Hautekiet V , Verbeke G , Geers R
Published: January 2023

Tail and ear biting lesions have a negative effect both on the animal welfare status of pigs (Sus scrofus) and the economical revenue of the pig farm. Tail biting behaviour is an unpredictable, abnormal behaviour that is thought to have a multifactorial origin. On-farm factors influencing tail biting have been described, but the real triggers are poorly understood. Much of the research into tail biting has been done on a small scale within a well-controlled environment and small sample sizes. This well-controlled environment is not always representative of the contemporary commercial conditions. Therefore, an observational epidemiological approach at farm level was adopted to gain a better insight into the factors influencing the occurrence of tail and ear biting lesions. Tail and ear biting lesions were observed at pen level three times a year on sixty farms across Belgium. A questionnaire was conducted to build a multifactorial model indicating different risk factors concerning the lesions scored. The temperature and the number of feeding places per animal in the nursery, the percentage of floor space covered with slats in the farrowing unit, the feed type in the growing unit and the overall hygiene policy were the most important indicators for the appearance of tail and ear biting lesions during fattening. The leave-one-out cross validation of the model demonstrated an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.55 between the predicted model outcomes and the observed data. This epidemiological study provides important potential risk factors in relation to the incidence of tail and ear biting lesions. However, experimental and/or longitudinal studies have to confirm that the correlations found in this work are causal factors.
Disrupted Learning about Democracy: Instructor Strategies for Navigating Temporary Modality Shifts
Authors: Jansa Joshua M. , Ringsmuth Eve M.
Published: January 2023

Within-semester shifts in course modality in response to pandemics, weather, or accommodation for travel and health are increasingly common and can interrupt student learning. We tracked temporary modality changes across 10 sections of “Introduction to American Government” to examine the extent to which instructors have tools to help students successfully navigate such changes and mitigate learning loss. We find that students rated instructors’ handling of shifts well if they made course material engaging, communicated clearly, and effectively used technology. The analysis suggests that instructors can mitigate the impact of unplanned changes to modality on students’ learning when there are three or fewer shifts during a semester.
JHET INTERVIEWS: E. ROY WEINTRAUB
Authors: Giraud Yann
Published: January 2023

The following is a transcription of a 2019 conversation with Duke historian E. Roy Weintraub about his intellectual development over the 1980s from mathematician to economist to historian. The conversation also explored Weintraub’s early and continuing attempts to forge new ways to study the history of contemporary economics, and the role of science studies in providing a natural language for such explorations. A French translation has already been published in the journal Zilsel: Science, technique, société.
Language and cultural capital in the discursive maintenance of Japanese identity
Authors: Capobianco Paul
Published: January 2023

This paper explains how the possession of linguistic and cultural capital, real and imagined, works to “make” people Japanese and reify the boundary of Japanese identity. Drawing on case studies of celebrities with multiple heritage and ethnographic data, this paper shows how discursive associations with possessing cultural capital (re)create boundaries of Japanese identity, incorporating potential out-group members and excluding ostensible in-group members. The paper argues that the possession of native-level cultural capital will become an important way of differentiating “Japanese” from Others henceforth. These discursive processes apply old hegemonic ideologies in novel ways, allowing for the perpetuation of extant identity discourses and cultural institutions to be reproduced with new faces. It also argues that cultural capital is a more practical way of categorizing Japanese people from Others than identity constructions such as race and ethnicity. In doing so, it also demonstrates how Japanese people possess multiple understandings of Japanese authenticity, which both facilitates and hinders the absorption of potential Others into the collective.
Mid‐Latitude Ionospheric Response to a Weak Geomagnetic Activity Event During Solar Minimum
Authors: Zhai Changzhi , Cai Xuguang , Wang Wenbin , Coster Anthea , Qian Liying , Solomon Stanley C. , Yu Tingting , He Maosheng
Published: January 2023

Salient depletions (30%–40% of the reference values) were observed in the vertical total electron content (VTEC) from the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) network and the topside ionosphere electron density from Swarm satellites measurements over the Western Atlantic and Northeast American regions during a weak geomagnetic activity event (maximum Kp = 2.3) between Day‐of‐Year (DOY) 155 and 156 in 2019. These depletions coincided with thermospheric Oxygen (O) to Nitrogen (N2) column density ratio (∑O/N2) depletions observed by the Global‐scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) mission. The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Thermosphere–Ionosphere–Electrodynamics General Circulation Model (TIEGCM) reproduces VTEC depletions qualitatively, which is used to investigate the underlying mechanisms. Term analysis of the TIEGCM oxygen ion (O+) continuity equation showed that the VTEC depletion was dominated by chemical processes and neutral wind transport effects, which were partially offset by the transport due to E × B drifts and ambipolar diffusion. On the dayside, the contribution from the neutral wind transport was induced by a weak poleward meridional wind during the geomagnetic activity. With the decrease of electron density, the loss rate in the chemical term was reduced, which led to a large reduction of the contribution from chemical processes to electron density and TEC changes during the event, and the contribution of the neutral wind to VTEC depletion even exceeded that of chemical processes after 14:10 UT.
UFKW Propagation in the Dissipative Thermosphere
Authors: Forbes Jeffrey M. , Zhang Xiaoli , Palo Scott E.
Published: January 2023

“Ultra‐fast” Kelvin waves (UFKWs) serve as a mechanism for coupling the tropical troposphere with the mesosphere, thermosphere and ionosphere. Herein, solutions to the linearized wave equations in a dissipative thermosphere in the form of “Hough Mode Extensions (HMEs)” are employed to better understand the vertical propagation of the subset of these waves that most effectively penetrate into the thermosphere above about 100 km altitude; namely, UFKWs with periods ≲4 days, vertical wavelengths (λz) ≳30 km, and zonal wavenumber s = −1. Molecular dissipation is found to broaden latitude structures of UFKWs with increasing height while their vertical wavelengths (λz) increase with latitude. Collisions with ions fixed to Earth's magnetic field (“ion drag”) are found to dampen UFKW amplitudes, increasingly so as the densities of those ions increase with increased solar flux. The direct effect of ion drag is to decelerate the zonal wind. This leads to suppression of vertical velocity and the velocity divergence, and related terms in the continuity and thermal energy equations, respectively, that lead to diminished perturbation temperature and density responses. Access is provided to the UFKW HMEs analyzed here in tabular and graphical form, and potential uses for future scientific studies are noted.
The Effects of Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition on the Marine Ecosystem of the Northern South China Sea
Authors: He Wenbo , Lai Zhigang , Lu Wenfang , Li Dongdong , Chen Changsheng
Published: January 2023

The rapid economic developments in countries surrounding the South China Sea have caused a significant increase in the atmospheric deposition of nitrogen (AD‐N) into the ocean. The impact of AD‐N on the regional ecosystem has not been quantitatively assessed, and its driving mechanism has not been explored, either. Here, we applied a one‐dimensional European Regional Seas Ecosystem Model to examine the responses of the ecosystem to AD‐N. The physical‐biological coupled model reproduced the seasonal and interannual variabilities of observed nutrients, chlorophyll a, phytoplankton community structure, and particulate organic carbon (POC) exports at the South East Asia Time‐series Station. Seasonally, the increase of POC flux by AD‐N was most significant in winter, with a ∼2‐month lag behind the associated surface response. It can exist in the following spring, as supported by the larger population size of zooplankton after the previous winter's feeding up. Notably, the ratio of POC export to primary production varied seasonally and interannually, which was controlled by the phytoplankton and zooplankton's size compositions. The surface nutrient input thus caused a significant seasonal change in the biological carbon pump efficiency. Interannually, the modulation of the POC flux by AD‐N was inversely phase‐locked with wind variations. The out‐of‐phase of the surface‐ and subsurface‐nutrient‐driven POC fluxes suggested a potentially more considerable contribution of AD‐N to the total carbon export during years under the weak subsurface influence. This study highlights the importance of AD‐N in the regional ecosystem, which needs a better representation in the present biogeochemical modeling framework.
Solar Rotation Effects in Earth's and Mars' Thermospheric Densities as Revealed by Concurrent MAVEN, Swarm‐C, and GOES Observations
Authors: Gasperini F. , Hughes J. , Thiemann E. M. B.
Published: January 2023

The responses of Earth's and Mars' thermospheric densities to quasi‐periodic (∼27‐day) solar rotation variations in flux were measured contemporaneously by the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN, Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites, and Swarm‐C satellites. While large solar rotation variability is found in both planetary thermospheres, correlation analyses performed on over 6 years of observations reveal that, independently of extreme ultraviolet flux level, Earth's daytime density response is about 10%–50% larger than Mars' at a similar density level. Important altitude dependencies in the density sensitivity to the solar rotation in solar flux are found in the Martian thermosphere, while the terrestrial thermosphere is shown to exhibit only small (±5%) day/night and latitude variations in the response. Detailed analyses focused on correlative periods in 2015–2016 and 2020 indicate important solar cycle effects in the sensitivities of both planetary thermospheres, with increased slopes under low solar flux conditions. These results provide important new insights into processes relevant to the interpretation of the sources of short‐term density variability in Mars' and Earth's thermospheres associated with solar drivers and point to the need for targeted modeling efforts along with dedicated data analyses to help resolve current unknowns in thermal balance processes.
Low‐Temperature Thermochronology for Defining the Tectonic Controls on Heterogeneous Gold Endowment Across the Jiaodong Peninsula, Eastern China
Authors: Qiu Kun‐Feng , Deng Jun , Sai Sheng‐Xun , Yu Hao‐Cheng , Tamer Murat T. , Ding Zheng‐Jiang , Yu Xue‐Feng , Goldfarb Richard
Published: January 2023

This study presents a low‐temperature thermochronological data set from the Jiaodong Peninsula in eastern China, including new zircon U‐Th/He and apatite fission‐track data from the Sulu Terrane in the eastern side of the Jiaodong Peninsula and published data from the Jiaobei Uplift to the west. These data reveal differential tectonic evolution between the Jiaobei Uplift and the Sulu Terrane, which is responsible for their heterogeneous gold endowment. Thermal history inverse modeling and structural analysis indicate three broad periods of cooling in the Sulu Terrane. These include: (a) slow cooling from 114 to 50 Ma; (b) rapid cooling from 50 to 40 Ma; and (c) tectonic stability after 40 Ma with little cooling. This thermotectonic evolution pattern shows that the local tectonic evolution of Sulu Terrane and Jiaobei Uplift are relatively independent, although they share identical far‐field geodynamic controls. The critical characteristic is the Early Cretaceous extension within the Sulu Terrane was much weaker than that in the Jiaobei Uplift that underwent a rapid period of uplift in the Aptian. The differential tectonic evolution of the two areas induced variation in structural architecture and consequential differences in degree of extension that are important factors in defining the heterogeneous gold endowment rather than simply suggested differences in ore‐forming fluid chemistry, metal precipitation mechanism, and/or exhumation levels. The intense extension in the Jiaobei Uplift was conducive to voluminous fluid migration and gold precipitation. In contrast, the much weaker extensional setting in the Sulu Terrane was not conducive to large‐scale fluid migration from deep.
Emergent Scaling of Dissolved Oxygen (DO) in Freshwater Streams Across Contiguous USA
Authors: Abdul‐Aziz Omar I. , Gebreslase Aron K.
Published: January 2023

Dissolved oxygen (DO) indicates the overall stream water quality and ecosystem health. We investigated emergent scaling of DO with the dominant environmental drivers in freshwater (non‐coastal) streams across the contiguous United States. Available data of monthly to quarterly sampling frequencies during 1998–2015 were obtained for 86 U.S. streams. Data analytics indicated water temperature (Tw) and pH (a proxy of carbon dioxide) dominating the key environmental process components of DO concentrations in the freshwater streams. The “climatic” process component (comprising Tw and net radiation) had, respectively, ∼3 and ∼9 times stronger control on DO than the “biogeochemical” (total nitrogen, total phosphorus, pH, and specific conductivity) and “hydro‐atmospheric” exchange (stream flow and atmospheric pressure) components. The predominant climatic control on stream DO was linked to the high extent of vegetated land (on average ∼53%) and steep slope (∼10%) in the draining watersheds, despite the notable presence of agricultural land (∼35%). An emergent power law scaling relationship was then developed to acceptably predict DO (mg/l) based on Tw (K) and pH, with the approximate exponents of −15/2 and 1/2, respectively (Nash‐Sutcliffe Efficiency = 0.72–0.73). The scaling law demonstrated the underlying organizing principles such as the depletion of stream DO due to reduced dissolution and increased metabolic respiration with the increasing temperature and nutrients. The scaling law was persistent across the various U.S. streams, representing gradients in climate, hydrology, biogeochemistry, and land use/cover. The findings would help understand and manage water quality and ecosystem health in freshwater streams across the United States and beyond.
Use of mouse primary epidermal organoids for USA300 infection modeling and drug screening
Authors: Xie Xiaorui , Tong Xuebo , Li Zhihong , Cheng Quan , Wang Xiaowei , Long Yin , Liu Fangbo , Wang Yonghui , Wang Juan , Liu Li
Published: January 2023

Skin infections caused by drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus occur at high rates nationwide. Mouse primary epidermal organoids (mPEOs) possess stratified histological and morphological characteristics of epidermis and are highly similar to their derived tissue at the transcriptomic and proteomic levels. Herein, the susceptibility of mPEOs to methicillin-resistant S. aureus USA300 infection was investigated. The results show that mPEOs support USA300 colonization and invasion, exhibiting swollen epithelial squamous cells with nuclear necrosis and secreting inflammatory factors such as IL-1β. Meanwhile mPEOs beneficial to observe the process of USA300 colonization with increasing infection time, and USA300 induces mPEOs to undergo pyroptosis and autophagy. In addition, we performed a drug screen for the mPEO infection model and showed that vancomycin restores cell viability and inhibits bacterial internalization in a concentration-dependent manner. In conclusion, we establish an in vitro skin infection model that contributes to the examination of drug screening strategies and antimicrobial drug mechanisms.
A reliable vaccine tracking and monitoring system for health clinics using blockchain
Authors: Biswas Kamanashis , Muthukkumarasamy Vallipuram , Bai Guangdong , Chowdhury Mohammad Jabed Morshed
Published: January 2023

Vaccines are delicate biological substances that gradually become inactive over time and must be kept under a recommended temperature range of 2–8 °C for both short and long-term storage. Exposure to heat or freezing temperatures can highly affect the immunological properties of these vaccines and make them completely ineffective. Research shows that vaccine exposure to temperatures outside the recommended range is 33% in developed countries and 37.1% in developing countries. In practice, vaccines are stored in refrigerators, while thermometers and data loggers are used to record and monitor temperatures. However, traditional systems are unreliable due to lack of battery backup, human error, periodic logging of temperatures, etc. Therefore, an effective and reliable vaccine tracking and monitoring system is urgently needed. This paper proposes a blockchain-based, smart contract enabled solution that ensures an enhanced level of security, transparency, and traceability of stored vaccines in a health clinic, and enables the complete history of every vaccine to be checked from the day the vaccine is received by the health clinic to the date it is used or expires. We also formally analyze the resiliency of the proposed system against several attacks and compare the system with existing blockchain and non-blockchain-based solutions.
An operations research approach to automated patient scheduling for eye care using a multi-criteria decision support tool
Authors: Evans Luke , Acton Jennifer H. , Hiscott Carla , Gartner Daniel
Published: January 2023

Inefficient management of resources and waiting lists for high-risk ophthalmology patients can contribute to sight loss. The aim was to develop a decision support tool which determines an optimal patient schedule for ophthalmology patients. Our approach considers available booking slots as well as patient-specific factors. Using standard software (Microsoft Excel and OpenSolver), an operations research approach was used to formulate a mathematical model. Given a set of patients and clinic capacities, the model objective was to schedule patients efficiently depending on eyecare measure risk factors, referral-to-treatment times and targets, patient locations and slot availabilities over a pre-defined planning horizon. Our decision support tool can feedback whether or not a patient is scheduled. If a patient is scheduled, the tool determines the optimal date and location to book the patients’ appointments, with a score provided to show the associated value of the decisions made. Our dataset from 519 patients showed optimal prioritization based on location, risk of serious vision loss/damage and the referral-to-treatment time. Given the constraints of available slots, managers can input hospital-specific parameters such as demand and capacity into our model. The model can be applied and implemented immediately, without the need for additional software, to generate an optimized patient schedule.
Nitrate contamination in drinking water and adverse reproductive and birth outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Lin Luling , St Clair Sophie , Gamble Greg D. , Crowther Caroline A. , Dixon Lesley , Bloomfield Frank H. , Harding Jane E.
Published: January 2023

Exposure to low levels of nitrate in drinking water may have adverse reproductive effects. We reviewed evidence about the association between nitrate in drinking water and adverse reproductive outcomes published to November 2022. Randomized trials, cohort or case–control studies published in English that reported the relationship between nitrate intake from drinking water and the risk of perinatal outcomes were included. Random-effect models were used to pool data. Three cohort studies showed nitrate in drinking water is associated with an increased risk of preterm birth (odds ratio for 1 mg/L NO3-N increased (OR1) = 1.01, 95% CI 1.00, 1.01, I2 = 23.9%, 5,014,487 participants; comparing the highest versus the lowest nitrate exposure groups pooled OR (ORp) = 1.05, 95% CI 1.01, 1.10, I2 = 0%, 4,152,348 participants). Case–control studies showed nitrate in drinking water may be associated with the increased risk of neural tube defects OR1 = 1.06, 95% CI 1.02, 1.10; 2 studies, 2196 participants; I2 = 0%; and ORp = 1.51, 95% CI 1.12, 2.05; 3 studies, 1501 participants; I2 = 0%). The evidence for an association between nitrate in drinking water and risk of small for gestational age infants, any birth defects, or any congenital heart defects was inconsistent. Increased nitrate in drinking water may be associated with an increased risk of preterm birth and some specific congenital anomalies. These findings warrant regular review as new evidence becomes available.
Simplifying the detection and monitoring of protein glycosylation during in vitro glycoengineering
Authors: Saunders Matthew J. , Woods Robert J. , Yang Loretta
Published: January 2023

The majority of mammalian proteins are glycosylated, with the glycans serving to modulate a wide range of biological activities. Variations in protein glycosylation can have dramatic effects on protein stability, immunogenicity, antibody effector function, pharmacological safety and potency, as well as serum half-life. The glycosylation of therapeutic biologicals is a critical quality attribute (CQA) that must be carefully monitored to ensure batch-to-batch consistency. Notably, many factors can affect the composition of the glycans during glycoprotein production, and variations in glycosylation are among the leading causes of pharmaceutical batch rejection. Currently, the characterization of protein glycosylation relies heavily on methods that employ chromatography and/or mass spectrometry, which require a high level of expertise, are time-consuming and costly and, because they are challenging to implement during in-process biologics production or during in vitro glycan modification, are generally performed only post-production. Here we report a simplified approach to assist in monitoring glycosylation features during glycoprotein engineering, that employs flow cytometry using fluorescent microspheres chemically coupled to high-specificity glycan binding reagents. In our GlycoSense method, a range of carbohydrate-sensing microspheres with distinct optical properties may be combined into a multiplex suspension array capable of detecting multiple orthogonal glycosylation features simultaneously, using commonplace instrumentation, without the need for glycan release. The GlycoSense method is not intended to replace more detailed post-production glycan profiling, but instead, to complement them by potentially providing a cost-effective, rapid, yet robust method for use at-line as a process analytic technology (PAT) in a biopharmaceutical workflow or at the research bench. The growing interest in using in vitro glycoengineering to generate glycoproteins with well-defined glycosylation, provides motivation to demonstrate the capabilities of the GlycoSense method, which we apply here to monitor changes in the protein glycosylation pattern (GlycoPrint) during the in vitro enzymatic modification of the glycans in model glycoproteins.
Phase transformation and interface crystallography between TiO2 and different TinO2n−1 phases
Authors: Wu Xiaodong , Yang Na , Ji Yuanxiao , He Xuexia , Li Qi , Jiang Ruibin , Lei Zhibin , Liu Zonghuai , Sun Jie
Published: January 2023

Two interfaces formed after carbothermal reduction reaction was investigated by transmission electron microscopy and invariant line calculation. The crystallographic features of the two phase transition system have been successfully interpreted.
Synthesis and structural, magnetic and spectroscopic characterization of iron(iii) complexes with in situ formed ligands from methyl-2-pyridyl ketone transformations
Authors: Tzani Sofia , Pissas Michael , Psycharis Vassilis , Pantazis Dimitrios A. , Sanakis Yiannis , Raptopoulou Catherine P.
Published: January 2023

New [FeIII3] and [FeIII4] complexes with ligands formed in situ from pyCOMe transformations contain both square pyramidal and octahedral metal sites, and display distinct Mössbauer hyperfine parameters.
Replacement of the phosphodiester backbone between canonical nucleosides with a dirhenium carbonyl “click” linker—a new class of luminescent organometallic dinucleoside phosphate mimics
Authors: Skiba Joanna , Kowalczyk Aleksandra , Gorski Aleksander , Dutkiewicz Natalia , Gapińska Magdalena , Stróżek Józef , Woźniak Krzysztof , Trzybiński Damian , Kowalski Konrad
Published: January 2023

A “click” synthetic approach toward first-in-class dinucleoside phosphate mimics possessing a luminescent dirhenium carbonyl linker instead of a phosphodiester entity is reported.
Effect of geochemical conditions on PFAS release from AFFF-impacted saturated soil columns
Authors: Nickerson Anastasia , Maizel Andrew C. , Schaefer Charles E. , Ranville James F. , Higgins Christopher P.
Published: January 2023

Certain PFAS, such as 4:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate, eluted faster from high pH, high sodium columns compared to neutral columns packed with field-collected soil. Other PFAS had more mass eluted from the high pH, high sodium columns.
Deep-blue thermally activated delayed fluorescence carbon dots with ultralong lifetime
Authors: Jie Yanni , Wang Dong , Chen Runfeng , Zhang Jingyu , Li Wenqi , Huang Jianfeng , Dai Penggao , Gao Yang , Li Fuchun , Fang Jiawen
Published: January 2023

Deep blue thermally activated delayed fluorescence of carbon dots with lifetime up to 2.02 s, which the longest, has been achieved.
Enhanced aromatics selectivity and stability in a coaromatization reaction over P/[ZnCr]/HZSM-5
Authors: Lv Junmin , Wang Dan , Zhu Bing , Li Haibo , Fan Subing , Zhao Tian-sheng
Published: January 2023

P/[ZnCr]/HZSM-5 showed a higher BTEX yield of 87.5 wt% and higher stability due to less coke in the coaromatization of methanol coupling with n-hexane.
Preparation and photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance of square platform Cu2MoS4/lamellar ZnIn2S4
Authors: Zhu Meng-Yuan , Zhang Feng-Jun , Wang Ying-Rui , Meng Ze-da , Mi Chao-qun
Published: January 2023

Square platform Cu2MoS4/lamellar ZnIn2S4 composites were prepared for enhancing the photocatalytic activity. The loading of lamellar ZnIn2S4 on the surface of Cu2MoS4 can improve the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution efficiency.
Mixing properties of bi-disperse ellipsoid assemblies: mean-field behaviour in a granular matter experiment
Authors: Schaller F. M. , Punzmann H. , Schröder-Turk G. E. , Saadatfar M.
Published: January 2023

In a tomographic study of a bidisperse mixture of ellipsoidal placebo pills, a simple mixture distribution is found to reproduce the local packing fraction distributions.
Anomalous linear elasticity of disordered networks
Authors: Lerner Edan , Bouchbinder Eran
Published: January 2023

Anomalous linear-elastic response calculated in a disordered spring network.
Short range order in disordered spinels and the impact on cation vacancy transport
Authors: Hatton Peter , Uberuaga Blas Pedro
Published: January 2023

Spinels can exhibit high levels of cation disorder under irradiation. We show that short range order in spinels manifests as chains of nearest neighbor coordinated antisites, which modifies defect transport depending on the spinel chemistry and degree of disorder.
Synchronous generation of green oxidants H2O2 and O3 by using a heterojunction bifunctional ZnO/ZnS@C electrocatalyst
Authors: Ding Lei , Zhao Jinyan , Bao Zhikang , Zhang Shijie , Shi Huaijie , Liu Jia , Wang Guoliang , Peng Xiaoge , Zhong Xing , Wang Jianguo
Published: January 2023

ZnO/ZnS@C-750 achieved 90% selectivity for H2O2 and 11% Faraday efficiency for gaseous O3. H2O2 and O3 are simultaneously generated in the electrolyzer and they utilize the synergistic effect to degrade organic pollutants efficiently.
Diphenylacetylene stabilised alkali-metal nickelates: synthesis, structure and catalytic applications
Authors: Borys Andryj M. , Hevia Eva
Published: January 2023

Using diphenylacetylene as a π-accepting ligand allows access to a new family of alkali-metal nickelates, which can effectively promote the [2 + 2 + 2] cyclotrimerisation of diphenylacetylene.
Screening for in vitro systematic reviews: a comparison of screening methods and training of a machine learning classifier
Authors: Wilson Emma , Cruz Florenz , Maclean Duncan , Ghanawi Joly , McCann Sarah K. , Brennan Paul M. , Liao Jing , Sena Emily S. , Macleod Malcolm
Published: January 2023

Objective: Existing strategies to identify relevant studies for systematic review may not perform equally well across research domains. We compare four approaches based on either human or automated screening of either title and abstract or full text, and report the training of a machine learning algorithm to identify in vitro studies from bibliographic records. Methods: We used a systematic review of oxygen–glucose deprivation (OGD) in PC-12 cells to compare approaches. For human screening, two reviewers independently screened studies based on title and abstract or full text, with disagreements reconciled by a third. For automated screening, we applied text mining to either title and abstract or full text. We trained a machine learning algorithm with decisions from 2000 randomly selected PubMed Central records enriched with a dataset of known in vitro studies. Results: Full-text approaches performed best, with human (sensitivity: 0.990, specificity: 1.000 and precision: 0.994) outperforming text mining (sensitivity: 0.972, specificity: 0.980 and precision: 0.764). For title and abstract, text mining (sensitivity: 0.890, specificity: 0.995 and precision: 0.922) outperformed human screening (sensitivity: 0.862, specificity: 0.998 and precision: 0.975). At our target sensitivity of 95% the algorithm performed with specificity of 0.850 and precision of 0.700. Conclusion: In this in vitro systematic review, human screening based on title and abstract erroneously excluded 14% of relevant studies, perhaps because title and abstract provide an incomplete description of methods used. Our algorithm might be used as a first selection phase in in vitro systematic reviews to limit the extent of full text screening required.
Quantifying Spatial and Temporal Variability of Clear and Loud Speech Produced While Performing a Concurrent Visuomotor Task
Authors: Whitfield Jason A. , Kriegel Zoe , Fullenkamp Adam M.
Published: January 2023

Purpose:

The purpose of this research note was to quantify the impact of concurrent performance of an attention-demanding secondary task on utterance-to-utterance movement variability associated with higher effort speaking styles, namely, clear and loud speech.

Method:

Lip and jaw kinematics collected as part of a prior study were analyzed. Participants repeated “Buy Bobby a puppy” using habitual, loud, and clear speech styles in isolation and while performing a secondary tracking task. The lip aperture (LA) signal was segmented based on opening and closing gestures associated with the utterance. The standard deviation of each segment duration was calculated to quantify temporal variability. To quantify spatial variability, each segment was first time normalized. The mean standard deviation of the overlapping time-normalized LA amplitudes was computed for each segment from the repetitions produced in each speech style and condition (speaking in isolation vs. speaking while tracking). A relative measure of spatial variation was also computed to account for the potential impact of articulatory scaling.

Results:

Clear speech was associated with greater temporal and spatial variability than the habitual and loud styles. In the habitual style, talkers also exhibited a slight reduction in absolute spatial variability when speaking while tracking compared to speaking in isolation. The reduction in absolute spatial variability was likely associated with the concomitant reduction in LA range of motion, as there was no change in the relative spatial variability between conditions.

Conclusion:

The current investigation expands prior work by quantifying spatial and temporal characteristics of different speaking styles performed in isolation and while concurrently performing an attention-demanding visuomotor task.
Self-Efficacy for Clinical Tasks Among Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Students
Authors: Morris Richard J. , Constantino Christopher , Metzler Emma
Published: January 2023

Purpose:

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the first semester of a speech-language pathology (SLP) graduate program on the level of student self-efficacy for a set of clinical tasks across a variety of communication disorders.

Method:

In this study, 60 SLP graduate students participated. They were in two sections of a required first-semester course at a single university. They completed a custom-made self-efficacy scale at the beginning and end of their first semester of graduate school. The self-efficacy scale was administered as a Qualtrics survey, with participant ratings of 14 clinical skills for 12 communication disorders. As part of both administrations of the survey, the participants also provided their number of evaluation and treatment observation hours as well as their evaluation and treatment practicum hours. Descriptive statistics and mixed-effects regression models were used to analyze the data.

Results:

The data indicated that a semester of graduate school and clinical practice increased the students' self-efficacy across all 12 communication disorders. The regression analysis confirmed that all of the clinical tasks differed significantly by when the survey was completed, with the higher self-efficacy scores occurring at the end of the semester. It also revealed that student self-efficacy scores increased by 1 point with each clinical diagnostic hour the students completed.

Conclusions:

Completing a semester of graduate school resulted in increased self-efficacy in this group of students. The increased self-efficacy spread across a range of disorder types and across a variety of evaluation and treatment tasks.
Optimisation of the dual‐contra‐rotating motor dependent on propulsion characteristics of underwater vehicles
Authors: Ou Huanyu , Cheng Bo , Hu Yuli , Mao Zhaoyong
Published: January 2023

This paper proposes a dependent optimisation (DO) method for the dual‐contra‐rotating motor to improve the full‐cycle efficiency and increase the space utilizstion rate of the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). Particularly, using the DO not only improves the efficiency of the machine at low speed and high speed, but also reduces its total weight by 6.2%, which is beneficial to the heavy‐buoyancy matching and range improvement of the AUV. Moreover, the dependent optimized machine can leave about 5.5 L more space for other AUV systems. Firstly, the geometric constraints and the load characteristics of the dual‐contra‐rotating motor are presented. Based on the analytical model of the electromagnetic field and electromagnetic performance, this paper compares two analytical optimization methods for the machine. One is the independent optimization, that is, the geometric association between the dual‐contra‐rotating motors and the AUV is not considered in the optimization process. The other is DO, which considers the geometric association in the optimization process. After verifying the electromagnetic performance and temperature field with the FEA method, the dual‐contra‐rotating motor prototype was developed. Finally, the consistency of the optimization results and the prototype is verified through experiments.
Optimal operation of active distribution networks hosting hybrid hydrogen‐electricity refuelling stations considering water demand under a stochastic‐IGDT approach
Authors: Pezhmani Yasin , Oskouei Morteza Zare , Rezaei Navid , Mehrjerdi Hasan
Published: January 2023

This paper deals with the real‐time optimal operation of active distribution networks (ADNs) hosting hybrid hydrogen‐electricity refuelling stations by benefiting from renewable energy sources (RESs), conversion facilities, and energy storage systems. The hybrid refuelling stations, which are controlled by ADN operator, supply electricity and hydrogen for electric vehicles (EVs) and hydrogen vehicles (HVs), respectively. In addition, the deployment of water equipment technologies in the ADNs, is considered by utilizing water well pumps in the hybrid stations to serve water demand. The principal aim is to minimize the expected operation cost, including the cost of purchasing power from the upstream grid and maintenance and operation costs of each hybrid refuelling station. Various technical and physical constraints are considered to ensure the reliable operation and realistic scheduling of ADNs in the presence of hybrid refuelling stations. This study employs a hybrid information gap decision theory (IGDT)‐stochastic approach to address the uncertain behaviour of wholesale market price, electricity demand of EVs in refuelling stations, RESs output power and nodal demand of ADN to reach a risk‐averse strategy. The developed approach is coded under GAMS software and the effectiveness of the approach is validated by testing on the modified IEEE 33‐bus test system.