bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Solubility of Palladium in Alumina-Iron Silicate Melts
Authors: Avarmaa Katri , Klemettinen Lassi , O’Brien Hugh , Jokilaakso Ari , Lindberg Daniel , Taskinen Pekka 
Published: April 2021

AbstractDissolution and solubility of palladium in iron silicate melts saturated with alumina–iron spinel at 1300°C has been measured using an equilibration-drop quenching technique combined with electron probe microanalysis and laser ablation–inductive coupled plasma–mass spectrometry analysis from polished sections. Composition of the resulting Fe-Pd alloy allowed estimation of the activity of palladium at different oxygen partial pressures, and, thus, the solubilities of palladium in the studied slags in conditions typical of copper and nickel smelting as well as slag cleaning at pO2=10-5 to 10-10 atm. The mechanism of palladium dissolution in the studied iron silicate slags was oxidation by formation of the monovalent oxide species PdO0.5 over the entire oxygen activity range of this study. Testing the applicability of the various palladium isotopes for quantitative analyses of Pd in these types of matrices resulted in a good fit of measured concentrations of 104Pd and 105Pd with interference-corrected 106Pd and 108Pd.
Role of Catheter Ablation for Ventricular Arrhythmias in Brugada Syndrome
Authors: Chokesuwattanaskul Ronpichai , Nademanee Koonlawee 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
Purpose of Review
To discuss the role of catheter ablation in treating life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias associated with Brugada syndrome (BrS), by presenting recent findings of BrS arrhythmogenic substrate, mechanisms underlying ventricular arrhythmias, and how they can be treated with catheter ablation.

Recent Findings
Almost three decades ago when the clinical entity of Brugada syndrome (BrS) was described in patients who had abnormal coved-type ST elevation in the right precordial EKG leads in patients who had no apparent structural heart disease but died suddenly from ventricular fibrillation. Since its description, the syndrome has galvanized explosive research in this field over the past decades, driving major progress toward better understanding of BrS, gaining knowledge of the genetic pathophysiology and risk stratification of BrS, and creating significant advances in therapeutic modalities. One of such advances is the ability for electrophysiologists to map and identify the arrhythmogenic substrate sites of BrS, which serve as good target sites for catheter ablation. Subsequently, several studies have shown that catheter ablation of these substrates normalizes the Brugada ECG pattern and is very effective in eliminating these substrates and preventing recurrent VF episodes.

Summary
Catheter ablation has become an important addition for treatment of symptomatic BrS patients with recurrent VT/VF episodes.
Analysis of the Mercury Distribution in Blood as a Potential Tool for Exposure Assessment — Results from Two Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining Areas in Zimbabwe
Authors: Wahl Anna-Maria , Bose-O’Reilly Stephan , Mambrey Viola , Rooney James P. K. , Shoko Dennis , Moyo Dingani , Muteti-Fana Shamiso , Steckling-Muschack Nadine , Rakete Stefan 
Published: April 2021

AbstractPeople in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) areas are frequently exposed to high levels of mercury (Hg). Hg analyses in urine and whole blood are the gold standard of biomonitoring, although this may not provide sufficient information about the source of exposure, e.g., due to the use of Hg for gold extraction or due to nutrition. To evaluate, whether the pharmacokinetic properties of individual Hg species may be useful for exposure assessment, we determined the Hg levels in different blood components from 199 participants. Therefore, whole blood was centrifuged on-site to yield erythrocytes and plasma. Globin was isolated from the erythrocytes by precipitation with ethyl acetate. Albumin was isolated from plasma by gradual precipitation with saturated ammonium sulfate solution. Hg levels in all samples were determined by using a direct Hg analyzer. Median Hg levels for whole blood, erythrocytes, and plasma were 2.7, 3.7, and 1.3 μg/l, respectively. In globin and albumin, median Hg levels were 10.3 and 7.9 μg/kg, respectively. The distribution of Hg was strongly correlated with whole blood Hg levels (p < 0.01) and the time between the last use of Hg and the date of the participation (p < 0.01). The results suggest that the distribution of Hg in blood is substantially affected by the extent and the frequency of the exposure to elemental Hg. Therefore, the analysis of Hg in erythrocytes and plasma may be a valuable tool for Hg exposure assessment in ASGM areas.
Pandemic grief in Poland: adaptation of a measure and its relationship with social support and resilience
Authors: Skalski Sebastian , Konaszewski Karol , Dobrakowski Paweł , Surzykiewicz Janusz , Lee Sherman A. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractMillions of people are mourning the death of a loved to COVID-19. According to previous studies, the circumstances of coronavirus disease-related deaths may lead to dysfunctional grief. The purpose of this study was to introduce the Polish adaptation of the Pandemic Grief Scale (PGS) as well as to assess the relationship between dysfunctional grief due to a COVID-19 death, resilience and perceived social support. The adaptation was carried out on a general population sample of 286 individuals aged 18–54 years, with the evaluation being performed on a group comprising 214 people aged 18–78 years, who lost a loved one during the pandemic. The Polish version of PGS revealed a single-factor structure with strong internal consistency (α = 0.89). The PGS scores were associated with measures of complicated grief (Inventory of Complicated Grief), depression (Kutcher Adolescent Depression Scale) and lower resilience (Resilience Scale 14), which confirmed the scale’s convergent validity. No relation between PGS scores and health behaviors (Inventory of Health Behaviors) was observed, which confirmed the scale’s discriminant validity. The results of the bootstrapping technique revealed that resilience mediates the relationship between perceived social support (Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support) and dysfunctional grief (total mediation). The results of this study suggest the need for practitioners to focus on resilience-enhancing interventions and perceived social support in order to improve mental health in people who lost their loved ones during the new coronavirus pandemic.
Thrust measurements and evaluation of asymmetric infrared laser resonators for space propulsion
Authors: Neunzig O. , Weikert M. , Tajmar M. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractSince modern propulsion systems are insufficient for large-scale space exploration, a breakthrough in propulsion physics is required. Amongst different concepts, the EMDrive is a proposed device claiming to be more efficient in converting energy into propulsive forces than classical photon momentum exchange. It is based on a microwave resonator inside a tapered cavity. Recently, Taylor suggested using a laser instead of microwaves to boost thrust by many orders of magnitude due to the higher quality factor of optical resonators. His analysis was based on the theory of quantised inertia by McCulloch, who predicted that an asymmetry in mass surrounding the device and/or geometry is responsible for EMDrive-like forces. We put this concept to the test in a number of different configurations using various asymmetrical laser resonators, reflective cavities of different materials and size as well as fiber-optic loops, which were symmetrically and asymmetrically shaped. A dedicated high precision thrust balance was developed to test all these concepts with a sensitivity better than pure photon thrust, which is the force equivalent to the radiation pressure of a laser for the same power that is used to operate each individual devices. In summary, all devices showed no net thrust within our resolution at the Nanonewton range, meaning that any anomalous thrust must be below state-of-the-art propellantless propulsion. This puts strong limits on all proposed theories like quantised inertia by at least 4 orders of magnitude for the laboratory-scale geometries and power levels used with worst case assumptions for the theoretical predictions.
Machine learning for flux regression in discrete fracture networks
Authors: Berrone S. , Della Santa F. , Pieraccini S. , Vaccarino F. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractIn several applications concerning underground flow simulations in fractured media, the fractured rock matrix is modeled by means of the Discrete Fracture Network (DFN) model. The fractures are typically described through stochastic parameters sampled from known distributions. In this framework, it is worth considering the application of suitable complexity reduction techniques, also in view of possible uncertainty quantification analyses or other applications requiring a fast approximation of the flow through the network. Herein, we propose the application of Neural Networks to flux regression problems in a DFN characterized by stochastic trasmissivities as an approach to predict fluxes.
Fiber-Optic Microstructure Sensors: A Review
Authors: Ran Zengling , He Xiu , Rao Yunjiang , Sun Dong , Qin Xiaojuan , Zeng Debiao , Chu Wangwei , Li Xiankun , Wei Yabin 
Published: April 2021

AbstractThis paper reviews a wide variety of fiber-optic microstructure (FOM) sensors, such as fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors, long-period fiber grating (LPFG) sensors, Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) sensors, Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) sensors, Michelson interferometer (MI) sensors, and Sagnac interferometer (SI) sensors. Each FOM sensor has been introduced in the terms of structure types, fabrication methods, and their sensing applications. In addition, the sensing characteristics of different structures under the same type of FOM sensor are compared, and the sensing characteristics of the all FOM sensors, including advantages, disadvantages, and main sensing parameters, are summarized. We also discuss the future development of FOM sensors.
The Role of RNA-Sequencing as a New Genetic Diagnosis Tool
Authors: Curry Philippa D. K. , Broda Krystyna L. , Carroll Christopher J. 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
Purpose of Review
Whole exome sequencing (WES) and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) are frontline approaches for the genetic diagnosis of rare diseases. However, WES/WGS fails in up to 75% of cases. Transcriptomics via RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) is a novel approach that aims to increase the diagnostic yield in rare diseases.

Recent Findings
Recent publications focus on the success of RNA-Seq for increasing diagnosis rates in WES/WGS-negative patients in up to 36% of cases, across a range of different diseases, sample sizes, and tissue types.

Summary
RNA-Seq is beneficial for aiding prioritisation of causative variants currently not detected or often overlooked by WES/WGS alone. An improvement in diagnostic yields has been demonstrated using multiple source tissues, with muscle and fibroblasts being the most representative, but the more accessible blood still demonstrating diagnostic success, particularly in neuromuscular disorders. The introduction of RNA-Seq to the genetic diagnosis toolbox promises to be a useful complementary tool to WES/WGS for improving genetic diagnosis in patients with rare disease.
High-strength porous alumina ceramics prepared from stable wet foams
Authors: Wang Linying , An Liqiong , Zhao Jin , Shimai Shunzo , Mao Xiaojian , Zhang Jian , Liu Juan , Wang Shiwei 
Published: April 2021

AbstractPorous ceramics have been widely used in heat insulation, filtration, and as a catalyst carrier. Ceramics with high porosity and high strength are desired; however, this high porosity commonly results in low strength materials. In this study, porous alumina with high porosity and high strength was prepared by a popular direct foaming method based on particle-stabilized wet foam that used ammonium polyacrylate (PAA) and dodecyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (DTAC) as the dispersant and hydrophobic modifier, respectively. The effects of the dispersant and surfactant contents on the rheological properties of alumina slurries, stability of wet foams, and microstructure and mechanical properties of sintered ceramics were investigated. The microstructure of porous ceramics was regulated using wet foams to achieve high strength. For a given PAA content, the wet foams exhibited increasing stability with increasing DTAC content. The most stable wet foam was successfully obtained with 0.40 wt% PAA and 0.02 wt% DTAC. The corresponding porous alumina ceramics had a porosity of 82%, an average grain size of 0.7 µm, and a compressive strength of 39 MPa. However, for a given DTAC content, the wet foams had decreasing stability with increasing PAA content. A possible mechanism to explain these results is analyzed.
Using process drama to explore the causes of dental anxiety in primary-school children
Authors: Tahmassebi J. F. , Malik M. , Berg N. , Pavitt S. , Gray-Burrows K. , O’Grady A. 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
Background
Drama and role play can be unlisted as methods to allow children to view problems from a range of different perspectives that may differ from their own experience. Application of drama technique to assess the cause of dental fear and anxiety in a school setting is novel.

Aim
The aim of this study was to engage primary school children in the core investigation via participatory arts methodologies, namely, process drama to gain understanding of the causes of dental anxiety.

Design
Sixty-three children, aged 7–10 years from three primary schools participated in this study. A 90-min drama workshop was carried in each school. The children were encouraged to identify the causes of dental anxiety using key concepts from process drama. The sessions were audio-recorded and transcribed.

Results
Four key concepts emerged: (1) fear of the unknown; (2) unpleasant sensory experience; (3) society’s perception and portrayal of the dentist; and (4) learnt negative associations with the dentist. Within each four key concepts, two sub-themes were identified.

Conclusions
Role-playing and use of drama are a novel application and can reveal a considerable amount of information from the child’s perspective on the cause of dental fear and anxiety.
Health-Related Quality of Life in Children with Developmental Disorders
Authors: Schoemaker Marina M. , Houwen Suzanne 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
Purpose of Review
(1) To give an overview of what is currently known about health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in three common and co-occurring developmental disorders: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and developmental coordination disorder (DCD), and (2) to provide directions for future research.

Recent Findings
HRQoL is compromised in all three developmental disorders, affecting various domains of HRQoL. However, some domains are more affected than others depending on the nature of the core deficits of the disorder. Overall, parents’ rate HRQoL of their children lower than the children themselves. Children with ASD and ADHD with co-occurring disorders have lower HRQoL compared to those with singular disorders. Future studies in DCD are needed to investigate the effect of co-occurring disorder in this population.

Summary
Children with developmental disorders have lower HRQoL than typically developing children. Future research should focus on the effects of co-occurring disorders on HRQoL and on protective factors that may increase HRQoL. HRQoL should be a part of clinical assessment, as it reveals the areas in life children are struggling with that could be targeted during intervention.
Entanglement and impropriety
Authors: La Cour Brian R. , Yudichak Thomas W. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractThe relationship between quantum entanglement and classical impropriety is considered in the context of multi-modal squeezed states of light. Replacing operators with complex Gaussian random variables in the Bogoliubov transformations for squeezed states, we find that the resulting transformed variables are not only correlated but also improper. A simple threshold exceedance model of photon detection is considered and used to demonstrate how the behavior of improper Gaussian random variables can mimic that of entangled photon pairs when coincidence post-selection is performed.
Nutrients handling after bariatric surgery, the role of gastrointestinal adaptation
Authors: Camastra Stefania , Palumbo Maria , Santini Ferruccio 
Published: April 2021

AbstractBariatric surgery determines a rearrangement of the gastrointestinal tract that influences nutrient handling and plays a role in the metabolic changes observed after surgery. Most of the changes depend on the accelerated gastric emptying observed in Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and, to a lesser extent, in sleeve gastrectomy (SG). The rapid delivery of meal into the jejunum, particularly after RYGB, contributes to the prompt appearance of glucose in peripheral circulation. Glucose increase is the principal determinant of GLP-1 increase with the consequent stimulation of insulin secretion, the latter balanced by a paradoxical glucagon increase that stimulates EGP to prevent hypoglycaemia. Protein digestion and amino acid absorption appear accelerated after RYGB but not after SG. After RYGB, the adaptation of the gut to the new condition participates to the metabolic change. The intestinal transit is delayed, the gut microbioma is changed, the epithelium becomes hypertrophic and increases the expression of glucose transporter and of the number of cell secreting hormones. These changes are not observed after SG. After RYGB—less after SG—bile acids (BA) increase, influencing glucose metabolism probably modulating FXR and TGR5 with an effect on insulin sensitivity. Muscle, hepatic and adipose tissue insulin sensitivity improve, and the gut reinforces the recovery of IS by enhancing glucose uptake and through the effect of the BA. The intestinal changes observed after RYGB result in a light malabsorption of lipid but not of carbohydrate and protein. In conclusion, functional and morphological adaptations of the gut after RYGB and SG activate inter-organs cross-talk that modulates the metabolic changes observed after surgery.Level of evidence Level V, narrative literature review.
Mortality attributable to COVID-19 in nursing home residents: a retrospective study
Authors: Veronese Nicola , Koyanagi Ai , Stangherlin Vanni , Mantoan Paola , Chiavalin Marco , Tudor Florina , Pozzobon Gianfranco , Tessarin Michele , Pilotto Alberto 
Published: April 2021

AbstractAimCoronavirus-19 disease (COVID-19) is a widespread condition in nursing home (NH). It is not known whether COVID-19 is associated with a higher risk of death than residents without COVID-19. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess whether COVID-19 is associated with a higher mortality rate in NH residents, considering frailty status assessed with the Multidimensional Prognostic Index (MPI).MethodsIn this retrospective study, made in 31 NHs in Venice, Italy, the presence of COVID-19 was ascertained with a nasopharyngeal swab. Frailty was evaluated using the MPI, modified according to the tools commonly used in our NHs. A Cox’s regression analysis was used reporting the results as hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), using COVID-19 as exposure and mortality as outcome and stratified by MPI tertiles. Similar analyses were run using MPI tertiles as exposure.ResultsOverall, 3946 NH residents (median age = 87 years, females: 73.9%) were eligible, with 1136 COVID-19 + . During a median follow-up of 275 days, higher values of MPI, indicating frailer people, were associated with an increased risk of mortality. The incidence of mortality in COVID-19 + was more than doubled than COVID-19- either in MPI-1, MPI-2 and MPI-3 groups. The presence of COVID-19 increased the risk of death (HR = 1.85; 95% CI 1.59–2.15), also in the propensity score model using MPI as confounder (HR = 2.48; 95% CI 2.10–2.93).ConclusionIn this retrospective study of NH residents, COVID-19 was associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality than those not affected by COVID-19 also considering the different grades of frailty.
Mono-dispersed Ag nanoparticles decorated graphitic carbon nitride: An excellent lubricating additive as PPESK composite film
Authors: Chen Beibei , Zhang Mengjie , Zhang Kan , Dong Zhe , Li Jiaye , Zhao Gai 
Published: April 2021

AbstractStudies show that two dimensional (2D) nanomaterial and its hybrid have a great promise in tribology for the special laminar microstructure. However, the majority of performed investigations about 2D graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanosheets are most focused on energy storage, catalysis, adsorption, rarely tribology. In the present study, g-C3N4 supporting mono-dispersed Ag nanoparticle hybrid (g-C3N4/Ag) is prepared, and its microstructure and chemical composition are determined. More specifically, the tribological performance as the lubricating additive of poly phthalazinone ether sulfone ketone (PPESK) composite is investigated using the ball-on-disc friction tester. Moreover, the corresponding enhancement mechanism is well proposed based on the experimental analysis and theoretical simulation. Obtained results show that Ag nanoparticles with a size of about 10–20 nm are homogeneously anchored on g-C3N4 nanosheets, favoring for good compatibility between g-C3N4/Ag and PPESK. It is found that when 0.3 wt% of g-C3N4/Ag is added to PPESK, the friction coefficient and wear rate of PPESK decrease by 68.9% and 97.1%, respectively. These reductions are mainly attributed to the synergistic self-lubricating effect of Ag nanoparticles and g-C3N4 nanosheet, the formation of transfer film, as well as the limited effect of g-C3N4/Ag on the shear deformation of PPESK composite film. Furthermore, it is found that the proposed g-C3N4/Ag-PPESK composite still keeps reasonable friction-reducing and wear-resistant properties under heavy loads and high rotating speeds. The present study demonstrates that the proposed g-C3N4/Ag hybrid is an excellent lubricating additive for polymer composites.
A novel sEMG-based force estimation method using deep-learning algorithm
Authors: Hua Shaoyang , Wang Congqing , Wu Xuewei 
Published: April 2021

AbstractThis paper discusses the problem of force estimation represented by surface electromyography (sEMG) signals collected from an armband-like collection device. The scheme is proposed for the sake of two dimensions of sEMG signals: spatial and temporal information. From the point of space, first, appropriate channel number across all subjects is investigated. During this progress, an electrode channel selection method based on Spearman’s rank order correlation coefficient is utilized to detect signals from active muscle. Then, to reduce the computation and highlight the channel information, linear regression (LR) algorithm is conducted to weight each channel. Besides, the recurrent neural network (RNN) is used to capture the temporal information and model the relation between sEMG and output force. Experiments conducted on four subjects demonstrate that six channels are enough to characterize the muscle activity. By combining the selected channels with different weight coefficients, LR algorithm can fit the output force better than simply averaging them. Furthermore, RNN with long short-term memory cell shows the superiority in time series modeling, which can improve our results to a greater degree. Experimental results prove the feasibility of the proposed method.