bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effect and mechanism of rheological properties and structure of a novel hydrophobically associating polymer on sand sedimentation rate
Authors: Zhao Zhongcong , Wang Meng , Liu Tao , Cheng Xiaoliang , Chen Tengfei , Ge Yanrong , Guo Xiupeng 
Published: July 2021

AbstractWith hydrophobic associating polymer (BCG-1) and anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) solution as the object, this work studies the different polymer concentration and surfactant concentration on the influence law of fluid properties and examines the sand sedimentation rate and the correlation of fluid properties. After the liquid was tested by electron microscope and rheometer, it was found that the interaction between the surfactant and the polymer is with phases, which provided different angles for revealing the change rule of the deposition rate of sand. When the concentration of SDBS solution is in the second phase (0.05–0.2%), although the system property changes slightly and the microscopic morphology does not change greatly, the deposition rate of sand still decreases significantly. Relaxation time spectrometry explains that the reduction in the sedimentation rate of the sand is caused by the shift of the polymer chain motion mode, whereas the phase angle can clearly manifest this change, and the phase angle is highly correlated with the deposition rate of sand.
First report on the prevalence of bacteria in cystic fibrosis patients (CF) in a tertiary care center in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Banjar Hanaa , Ghawi Afrah , AlMogarri Ibrahim , Alhaider Sami , Alomran Hanan , Hejazi Abdullah , Alfadhel Abdulrahaman , Khanjar Sharouk , AlAshgar Mais , Alghazzi Alaa , Abanemai Lama , AlFattani Areej 
Published: July 2021

Introduction:
Bacterial infections in CF patients are common and start early in life. The prognosis of the disease is substantially dependent on chronic respiratory infection and inflammation. Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) infection or chronic colonization have been established to cause a chronic decline in pulmonary function (PFT), and/or increase CF mortality.

Objectives:
To obtain the prevalence of all bacterial pathogens in our CF patients and assess their evolution over time.

Method:
A retrospective review of 327 patients with confirmed CF of all age groups, who had respiratory culture samples at the first visit and on a regular follow-up between January 1,1990 and December 2018, was conducted.

Results:
A total of 327 patients had a respiratory culture obtained at presentation. Two hundred and sixteen (66%) of 327 patients are alive, while 111 (34%) have died. Respiratory cultures were taken from nasopharyngeal aspiration (NPA) in 199 patients (61%), tracheal aspirate in 9 (3%), bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL)in one (0.29%), and in 124 patients (38%), sputum was induced. The eastern province contributed to the highest number of patients (122, 37.7%). There is a persistent increase in the prevalence of the common bacteria over the follow-up period of 7 years, namely Hemophilus influenzae (H. influenzae), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), and all Pseudomonas (P. aeruginosa) culture types.
Comparing cultures from the first and last follow-up visits, there was an increase in the prevalence of all (P. aeruginosa) cultures from 120 (34%) to 137 (53%), and a decrease in the prevalence of (S. aureus) and (H. influenzae) during the same follow-up period.

Conclusion:
There is a progressive increase in the number of patients with the most pathogenic types of bacteria because of the advanced age at presentation. As more adult patients are enrolled, there is a need for improved awareness regarding the early eradication of pathogenic bacteria to prevent progressive pulmonary damage.
Factors influencing the use of non-plastic reusable shopping bags: A cognitive-normative-habitual approach
Authors: Muposhi Asphat , Mpinganjira Mercy , Wait Marius 
Published: July 2021

AbstractThe widespread use and irresponsible disposal of single-use plastic shopping bags are posing a significant threat to environmental sustainability. The use of non-plastic reusable shopping bags (NPRSBs) is being promoted in several jurisdictions to avert this challenge. However, this form of pro-environmental behaviour is failing to embed among consumers in emerging markets. This study therefore examines the factors influencing the behaviour of using NPRSBs among consumers, using a modified theory of planned behaviour. Data were collected from 487 South African consumers using a structured questionnaire and were analysed using structural equation modelling. The results identified ‘attitudes’ and ‘personal norms’ as the building blocks for the formation of pro-reusable shopping bags use intentions, which, in turn, influence actual behaviour. The findings also pointed to the need to foster the development of descriptive norms related to the use of NPRSBs in order to enhance mainstream use. Accordingly, this study recommends the use of rational and norm-based strategies to stimulate the behaviour of using NPRSBs.
Numerical and experimental testing of aircraft tyre impact during landing
Authors: Gan Y. , Fang X. , Wei X. , Nie H. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractThe capability of aircraft tyres to sustain landing impact loads is essential for flight landing safety. Hence, the development of a reliable experimental database is necessary to validate numerical models. The experimental data on aircraft tyre landing impact in the public literature are somewhat sparse. This paper describes a detailed design rig for aircraft tyre impact testing. A finite element model is then created and simulated using a finite element tool (ABAQUS). Inflation and static load simulations are analysed based on the FE tyre model to confirm its reliability. Comparison of experimental measurements with the results reveals that the model can predict the significant features of aircraft tyre impact in a landing scenario. Very little experimental data are publicly available to verify aircraft tyre models. Therefore, the experimental data in this paper fill this gap in the literature.
Xanthene-stained nanoparticles for phosphorescence anisotropy measurements
Authors: Schmidt Markus J. , Rösgen Thomas 
Published: July 2021

Abstract
For the measurement of flow-induced microrotations in flows utilizing the depolarization of phosphorescence anisotropy, suitable luminophores are crucial. The present work examines dyes of the xanthene family, namely Rhodamine B, Eosin Y and Erythrosine B. Both in solution and incorporated in particles, the dyes are examined regarding their luminescent lifetimes and their quantum yield. In an oxygen-rich environment at room temperature, all dyes exhibit lifetimes in the sub-microsecond range and a low intensity signal, making them suitable for sensing fast rotations with sensitive acquisition systems.
A Religious Vaccination? How Christian Communities React to Right-Wing Populism in Germany, France and the US
Authors: Cremer Tobias 
Published: July 2021

AbstractRight-wing populists across Western democracies have markedly increased references to Christianity in recent years. While there is much debate about how and why they have done so, less attention has been paid to how Christian communities react to this development. The present study addresses this gap through a comparative analysis of Christian responses to right-wing populist politics in Germany, France and the US. It relies on quantitative studies, survey data and the qualitative analysis of 39 in-depth interviews with right-wing populist leaders, mainstream party politicians and church officials. The findings of this analysis suggest a potential ‘religious vaccination effect’ among Christian voters against right-wing populism but underline its connection to elite actor behaviour. Specifically, the availability of a ‘Christian alternative’ in the party system, as well as religious leaders’ willingness and ability to create a social taboo around the populist right seem critically to impact religious immunity to populism.
‘The Days of their Heedless Power Were Over and Done’: Dynamics of Power in the Military Structures of the Precolonial Asante State, 1874–1900
Authors: Manu-Osafo Manuel J. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractThe British surprisingly faced no military resistance when they captured Asante in 1896. Previous works have focused on the agency of actors like Prempe and Frederick Hodgson to explain why. This paper, in contrast, approaches this epoch in Asante history from the context of the sociopolitical power structure within which the precolonial Asante state operated. It asserts that Asante's independence was contingent on having a strong military. But since it had no standing army, the state used Asante's ‘social contract’ to coerce its subjects into ad hoc armies to meet military threats. Starting from the 1874 Sagrenti War, however, the state disregarded the social contract. This unleashed a series of events that undermined the state's power to coerce Asantes into military service. The article posits further that this erosion of the state's coercive power ultimately prevented it from countering the British with armed resistance in 1896 to maintain independence.
Long-term size and range changes of the Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus population in the Balkans: a review
Authors: DOBREV DOBROMIR , TSIAKIRIS RIGAS , SKARTSI THEODORA , DOBREV VLADIMIR , ARKUMAREV VOLEN , STARA KALLIOPI , STAMENOV ANTON , PROBONAS NIKOS , KOMINOS THEODOROS , GALANAKI ANTONIA , KRET ELZBIETA , HALLMANN BEN , GRUBAČ BRATISLAV , SUŠIĆ GORAN , MARINKOVIĆ SAŠA , HRIBŠEK IRENA , SKORIĆ STEFAN , JERRENTRUP HANS , LUCIĆ VEDRAN , KAPELJ SVEN , STOYANOV GEORGI , ZAKKAK SYLVIA , HRISTOV HRISTO , STOYCHEV STOYCHO , SIDIROPOULOS LAVRENTIS , BINO TAULANT , DEMERDZHIEV DIMITAR 
Published: July 2021

SummaryThe Eurasian Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus is a large Palearctic, Indohimalayan and Afrotropical Old-World vulture. The species’ range is vast, encompassing territories from the Pyrenees to the Himalayas. We reviewed and analysed a long-term data set for Griffon Vulture in the Balkans to estimate the change in its population size and range between 1980 and 2019. After a large historical decline, the Griffon Vulture population slightly increased in the last 39 years (λ = 1.02) and reached 445–565 pairs in 2019. We recorded a gradual increase of Griffon Vulture subpopulations in Serbia (λ = 1.08 ± 0.003), Bulgaria (λ = 1.08 ± 0.003) and Croatia (λ = 1.05 ± 0.005) and steep to a moderate decline of the species subpopulations in Greece (λ = 0.88 ± 0.005) and North Macedonia (λ = 0.94 ± 0.01). However, species range contracted to half of its former range in the same period. It occurred in 42 UTM squares in the 1980–1990 period and only 20 UTM squares between 2011 and 2019 and concentrated into three source subpopulations in Bulgaria, Serbia, and Croatia. Following reintroductions of the Griffon Vulture in Bulgaria, new colonies were formed at three novel localities after 2010. Regular movements of individuals between the different subpopulations exist nowadays. Therefore, preservation of both current and former core areas used for breeding and roosting is essential for species conservation in the region. However, the Griffon Vulture still faces severe threats and risk of local extinction. Various hazards such as poisoning, collision with energy infrastructure, disturbance and habitat alteration are depleting the status of the Balkan population and its full recovery. Further studies should analyse age-specific survival and mortality, recruitment, genetic relatedness, spatial use to inform the viability of this population in the future.
Autonomy and control in the wish to die in terminally ill patients: A systematic integrative review
Authors: Rodríguez-Prat Andrea , Wilson Donna M. , Agulles Remei 
Published: July 2021

AbstractBackground/ObjectivePersonal autonomy and control are major concepts for people with life-limiting conditions. Patients who express a wish to die (WTD) are often thought of wanting it because of loss of autonomy or control. The research conducted so far has not focused on personal beliefs and perspectives; and little is known about patients’ understanding of autonomy and control in this context. The aim of this review was to analyze what role autonomy and control may play in relation to the WTD expressed by people with life-limiting conditions.MethodsA systematic integrative review was conducted. The search strategy used MeSH terms in combination with free-text searching of the EBSCO Discovery Service (which provides access to multiple academic library literature databases, including PubMed and CINAHL), as well as the large PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science library literature databases from their inception until February 2019. The search was updated to January 2021.ResultsAfter the screening process, 85 full texts were included for the final analysis. Twenty-seven studies, recording the experiences of 1,824 participants, were identified. The studies were conducted in Australia (n= 5), Canada (n= 5), USA (n= 5), The Netherlands (n= 3), Spain (n= 2), Sweden (n= 2), Switzerland (n= 2), Finland (n= 1), Germany (n= 1), and the UK (n= 1). Three themes were identified: (1) the presence of autonomy for the WTD, (2) the different ways in which autonomy is conceptualized, and (3) the socio-cultural context of research participants.Significance of resultsDespite the importance given to the concept of autonomy in the WTD discourse, only a few empirical studies have focused on personal interests. Comprehending the context is crucial because personal understandings of autonomy are shaped by socio-cultural–ethical backgrounds and these impact personal WTD attitudes.
Dynamics of the African Plate 75 Ma: From Plate Kinematic Reconstructions to Intraplate Paleo‐Stresses
Authors: Wouters Marius C. , Pérez‐Díaz Lucía , Tuck‐Martin Amy , Eagles Graeme , Adam Jürgen , Govers Rob 
Published: July 2021

AbstractPlate reconstruction studies show that the Neotethys Ocean was closing due to the convergence of Africa and Eurasia toward the end of the Cretaceous. The period around 75 Ma reflects the onset of continental collision between the two plates as convergence continued to be taken up mostly by subduction of the Neotethys slab beneath Eurasia. The Owen transform plate boundary in the northeast accommodated the fast northward motion of the Indian plate relative to the African plate. The rest of the plate was surrounded by mid‐ocean ridges. Africa was experiencing continent‐wide rifting related to northeast‐southwest extension. We aim to quantify the forces and paleostresses that may have driven this continental extension. We use the latest plate kinematic reconstructions in a grid search to estimate horizontal gravitational stresses (HGSs), plate boundary forces, and the plate's interaction with the asthenosphere. The contribution of dynamic topography to HGSs is based on recent mantle convection studies. We model intraplate stresses and compare them with the strain observations. The fit to observations favors models where dynamic topography amplitudes are smaller than 300 m. The results also indicate that the net pull transmitted from slab to the surface African plate was low. To put this into context, we notice that available tectonic reconstructions show fragmented subduction zones and various colliding micro‐continents along the northern margin of the African plate around this time. We therefore interpret a low net pull as resulting from either a small average slab length or from the micro‐continents' resistance to subduction.
The Digital Forest: Mapping a Decade of Knowledge on Technological Applications for Forest Ecosystems
Authors: Nitoslawski S. A. , Wong‐Stevens K. , Steenberg J. W. N. , Witherspoon K. , Nesbitt L. , Konijnendijk van den Bosch C. C. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractForest ecosystem resilience is of considerable interest worldwide, particularly given the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and recent instances of zoonotic diseases linked to deforestation and forest loss. Novel, digital‐based technologies are also increasingly ubiquitous. We provide a more comprehensive understanding of how these new technologies are being used for forest management in different sectors and contexts, and discuss potential implications and future research needs for forestry researchers, managers, and policymakers. We carried out a literature database search and scoping review to collect peer‐reviewed articles from 2010 to 2020, and developed a forest‐technology classification to identify hardware and/or software technologies and techniques, methodology used, forest management application(s), spatial and temporal context, subsequent challenges and limitations, and opportunities. A qualitative analysis revealed a strong emphasis on remote sensing‐based innovations for forest monitoring, planning, and management, where machine‐learning techniques also play an important role in data collection, processing, and analysis. Data fusion approaches are also becoming more common, enabled by open‐source data sets and data sharing practices. More emerging technologies and applications include virtual/augmented environments for understanding human‐nature relationships and behavior patterns, automated workflows for forestry operations, and urban green infrastructure mapping and ecosystem services assessments via social media and mobile tracking applications. The continued adoption of digital‐based tools will likely bring about new research questions about forest ecosystems as dynamic social, ecological, and technological landscapes, and future work should more closely examine how forestry researchers, managers, and stakeholders can anticipate and adapt to both environmental and technological uncertainty change in a forest‐ecosystem context.
Using a New Top‐Down Constrained Emissions Inventory to Attribute the Previously Unknown Source of Extreme Aerosol Loadings Observed Annually in the Monsoon Asia Free Troposphere
Authors: Wang Shuo , Cohen Jason Blake , Deng Weizhi , Qin Kai , Guo Jianping 
Published: July 2021

AbstractThe contribution of biomass burning to the total aerosol loading over Monsoon Asia is both significant and continuing to increase. To better match the spatio‐temporal distribution of aerosols and trace gasses observed in the free troposphere, this work applied a 3‐D constrained emission inventory based on top‐down remotely sensed NO2 measurement to investigate the most extreme of the annually occurring biomass burning seasons in Monsoon Asia. In 2016, this constituted an extreme event observed over a 6‐day period covering millions of square kilometers, including over regions that are typically in the rainy phase of the Asian Monsoon. The results are shown to be consistent with respect to Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission precipitation, AERONET measurements, MODIS AOD, MOPITT CO, and reanalysis meteorology, over both the biomass burning source as well as the millions of square kilometers downwind both to the East and to the Southwest. Reproducing the observed long‐range transport pattern requires the time of biomass burning to be increased, regions not previously identified as burning to be actual source regions, and the emissions of Black Carbon (BC) to be 6.6 to 11.9 times larger than current inventories. The underlying mechanism for this long‐range transport involves a new 3‐D pathway that can occur during the transition from the North phase to the South phase of the Asian Monsoon. The results are also consistent with the new idea that large loadings of BC in the lower free troposphere may significantly affect the meteorological field and the overall vertical distribution of aerosols in the tropical troposphere.
Structural basis of early translocation events on the ribosome
Authors: Rundlet Emily J. , Holm Mikael , Schacherl Magdalena , Natchiar S. Kundhavai , Altman Roger B. , Spahn Christian M. T. , Myasnikov Alexander G. , Blanchard Scott C. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractPeptide-chain elongation during protein synthesis entails sequential aminoacyl-tRNA selection and translocation reactions that proceed rapidly (2–20 per second) and with a low error rate (around 10−3 to 10−5 at each step) over thousands of cycles1. The cadence and fidelity of ribosome transit through mRNA templates in discrete codon increments is a paradigm for movement in biological systems that must hold for diverse mRNA and tRNA substrates across domains of life. Here we use single-molecule fluorescence methods to guide the capture of structures of early translocation events on the bacterial ribosome. Our findings reveal that the bacterial GTPase elongation factor G specifically engages spontaneously achieved ribosome conformations while in an active, GTP-bound conformation to unlock and initiate peptidyl-tRNA translocation. These findings suggest that processes intrinsic to the pre-translocation ribosome complex can regulate the rate of protein synthesis, and that energy expenditure is used later in the translocation mechanism than previously proposed.
Cell specific variation in viability in suspension in in vitro Poiseuille flow conditions
Authors: Connolly Sinead , Newport David , McGourty Kieran 
Published: July 2021

AbstractThe influence of Poiseuille flow on cell viability has applications in the areas of cancer metastasis, lab-on-a-chip devices and flow cytometry. Indeed, retaining cell viability is important in the emerging field of adoptive cell therapy, as cells need to be returned to patients’ bodies, while the viability of other cells, which are perhaps less accustomed to suspension in a fluidic environment, is important to retain in flow cytometers and other such devices. Despite this, it is unclear how Poiseuille flow affects cell viability. Following on from previous studies which investigated the viability and inertial positions of circulating breast cancer cells in identical flow conditions, this study investigated the influence that varying flow rate, and the corresponding Reynolds number has on the viability of a range of different circulating cells in laminar pipe flow including primary T-cells, primary fibroblasts and neuroblastoma cells. It was found that Reynolds numbers as high as 9.13 had no effect on T-cells while the viabilities of neuroblastoma cells and intestinal fibroblasts were significantly reduced in comparison. This indicates that in vitro flow devices need to be tailored to cell-specific flow regimes.
A versatile microfluidic tool for the 3D culture of HepaRG cells seeded at various stages of differentiation
Authors: Boul Manon , Benzoubir Nassima , Messina Antonietta , Ghasemi Rasta , Mosbah Ismail Ben , Duclos-Vallée Jean-Charles , Dubart-Kupperschmitt Anne , Le Pioufle Bruno 
Published: July 2021

AbstractThe development of livers-on-a-chip aims to provide pharmaceutical companies with reliable systems to perform drug screening and toxicological studies. To that end, microfluidic systems are engineered to mimic the functions and architecture of this organ. In this context we have designed a device that reproduces series of liver microarchitectures, each permitting the 3D culture of hepatocytes by confining them to a chamber that is separated from the medium conveying channel by very thin slits. We modified the structure to ensure its compatibility with the culture of hepatocytes from different sources. Our device was adapted to the migratory and adhesion properties of the human HepaRG cell line at various stages of differentiation. Using this device, it was possible to keep the cells alive for more than 14 days, during which they achieved a 3D organisation and acquired or maintained their differentiation into hepatocytes. Albumin secretion as well as functional bile canaliculi were confirmed on the liver-on-a-chip. Finally, an acetaminophen toxicological assay was performed. With its multiple micro-chambers for hepatocyte culture, this microfluidic device architecture offers a promising opportunity to provide new tools for drug screening applications.