bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Impulse oscillometry indices to detect an abnormal lung clearance index in childhood cystic fibrosis
Authors: Bokov Plamen , Gerardin Michele , Le Clainche Laurence , Houdouin Véronique , Delclaux Christophe 
Published: August 2021

AbstractThe objective of our cross‐sectional study was to assess the relationships between indices of multiple breath washout (MBW) and impulse oscillometry system (IOS) in cystic fibrosis in forty consecutive children (median age 8.1 years) in stable conditions and to evaluate whether cut‐off values of IOS indices may help to avoid MBW, which is time‐consuming. IOS measurements took a median duration of 3 min, while MBW measurements took a median duration of 49 min. Lung Clearance Index (LCI2.5%) depicted significant linear correlations with z‐scores of R5Hz, R5‐20Hz, X5Hz, AX, and Fres (r2 = 0.27 to 0.51). Receiver‐operator characteristic curves were constructed and showed that the best compromise was obtained with the z‐score of Fres, with a cut‐off value of −1.37 that had a sensitivity of 0.966, a specificity of 0.636, and a negative predictive value of 0.875. This z‐score is useful for excluding increased LCI2.5% when below −1.37 using the reference set of Gochicoa et al. In conclusion, IOS measurement is easily and rapidly obtained in children and may be clinically useful for excluding increased LCI2.5%, thus allowing the time‐consuming MBW test to be avoided.
The cardiovascular‐protective properties of saffron and its potential pharmaceutical applications: A critical appraisal of the literature
Authors: Kadoglou Nikolaos P. E. , Christodoulou Eirini , Kostomitsopoulos Nikolaos , Valsami Georgia 
Published: August 2021

Saffron, the dried stigma of Crocus sativus L., is used in traditional medicine for its healing properties and the treatment of various pathological conditions. The present literature review aimed to summarize and evaluate the preclinical and clinical data regarding the protective effects and mechanisms of saffron and its main components (crocin, crocetin, safranal) on cardiovascular risk factors and diseases. Many in vitro and animal studies have been conducted implicating antioxidant, hypolipidemic, anti‐diabetic, and antiinflammatory impact of saffron and its constituents. Notably, there is evidence of direct atherosclerosis regression and stabilization in valid atherosclerosis‐prone animal models. However, current clinical trials have shown mostly weak effects of saffron and its constituents on cardiovascular risk factors: (a) Modest lowering of fasting blood glucose, without significant reduction of HbA1c in type 2 diabetic patients, (b) moderate/controversial hypolipidemic effects, (c) negligible hypotensive effect, and (d) inconsistent modification of metabolic syndrome parameters. There are important drawbacks in clinical trial design, including the absence of pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic tests, the wide variance of doses and cohorts' characteristics, the small number of patients, the short duration.Therefore, large, properly designed, high‐quality clinical trials, focusing on specific conditions are required to evaluate the biological/pharmacological activities and firmly establish the clinical efficacy of saffron and its possible therapeutic uses in cardiovascular diseases.
Conservative management of a complete primary spontaneous pneumothorax
Authors: Jayawardena Thisuri , Krivinskas Sophie , Lee Y. C. Gary 
Published: August 2021

AbstractLarge primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) has traditionally been managed with needle aspiration, chest tube drainage and, in refractory cases, thoracic surgery. A recent randomized trial, however, provided evidence that a conservative observational approach was safe and 85% of patients recovered without requiring pleural drainage interventions. A conservative approach provided similar re‐expansion rates at 8 weeks compared with chest tube drainage and offered the advantages of early hospital discharge, fewer days off work and avoidance of procedural risks. Nonetheless, clinicians are understandably anxious with conservative (non‐drainage) management for patients with very large pneumothorax. Here, we report a patient with a right‐sided PSP and total lung collapse that was managed successfully without intervention with minimal time in hospital or off work.
A review and evaluation of secondary school accountability in England: Statistical strengths, weaknesses and challenges for ‘Progress 8’ raised by COVID‐19
Authors: Prior Lucy , Jerrim John , Thomson Dave , Leckie George 
Published: August 2021

AbstractSchool performance measures are published annually in England to hold schools to account and to support parental school choice. This article reviews and evaluates the ‘Progress 8’ secondary school accountability system for state‐funded schools. We assess the statistical strengths and weaknesses of Progress 8 relating to: choice of pupil outcome attainment measure; potential adjustments for pupil input attainment and background characteristics; decisions around which schools and pupils are excluded from the measure; presentation of Progress 8 to users, choice of statistical model, and calculation of statistical uncertainty; and issues related to the volatility of school performance over time, including scope for reporting multi‐year averages. We then discuss challenges for Progress 8 raised by the COVID‐19 pandemic. Six simple recommendations follow to improve Progress 8 and school accountability in England.
Context and implicationRationale for this studyThis study fulfils a need for a comprehensive statistical evaluation of the Progress 8 school accountability system in England, which has been in place since 2016.Why the new findings matterA review of Progress 8 is an important contribution as decisions on its calculation and presentation have important consequences for schools and pupils.Implications for educational researchers and policy makersOur findings on the statistical strengths and weaknesses of Progress 8 and the resulting recommendations made for improvements to the measure and school accountability have clear implications for informing policy makers in the educational system. This includes wider lessons extending beyond Progress 8 to other performance metrics and to other school systems internationally where similar issues apply. Additionally, the review highlights key concerns that the public and school practitioners may like to consider when drawing upon Progress 8 to make decisions around school choice and in assessing how well a school is performing.
Property rights attitudes are a source of public opposition to flood mitigation policies in the United States
Authors: Strother Logan , Hatcher Laura 
Published: August 2021

AbstractFloods are the costliest disasters in American history—and today, floods are getting both worse and more common. As flooding becomes ever more salient one might expect that public support for flood prevention and mitigation policies would grow, yet we see significant opposition to a wide range of flood policies. We find, across four samples and a range of study designs and measurement strategies, that citizens are more likely to oppose flood mitigation policies when they think the policy in question will harm someone's property rights. This finding has important real‐world implications, as many policy proposals aimed at addressing flood disasters, including approaches as diverse as floodwater diversion and elimination of flood insurance subsidies, can infringe on property rights and interests. This study highlights one tension in addressing flood policy in democratically acceptable ways, and also the important effects that framing can have on mass support for flood mitigation policies.
History and prospects of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and the development of golden hamster ICSI embryos
Authors: Morishita Nami , Ochi Masanori , Horiuchi Toshitaka 
Published: August 2021

AbstractBackgroundGolden (Syrian) hamsters have many advantages for the study of reproductive biology and developmental biology, including a consistent estrous cycle, a stable superovulation response, and a short gestation period. However, there are serious difficulties in doing in vitro manipulations of hamster embryos, because they are very sensitive to various environmental factors. Thus, biotechnological researches of hamster embryos should be performed with high‐level skills of embryo manipulations.MethodsThe authors summarized the history of hamster intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and introduced key points for hamster ICSI, which were found in our previous studies on the production of embryos by ICSI and offspring by embryo transfer.Main findingsThe key points for hamster ICSI were in vitro manipulations under the light‐controlled environment, injection of acrosome‐less sperm heads into oocytes as soon as possible before spontaneous oocyte activation occurs, and determination of the optimal culture conditions.ConclusionTo our knowledge, there are no available reports on production of offspring from ICSI embryos in hamsters except our reports. Moreover, success rates of hamster ICSI remain very low. For the purpose of spreading hamster ICSI, it is necessary to make further researches to improve manipulation techniques and to resolve experimental problems.
Improved developmental potential of mouse vitrified‐warmed oocytes achieved by culturing in recovery medium with glutathione ethyl ester (GSH‐OEt)
Authors: Harada Yoshihisa , Kinutani Masayuki , Horiuchi Toshitaka 
Published: August 2021

AbstractPurposeThe aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of glutathione ethyl ester (GSH‐OEt) in the recovery medium on the developmental competence of mouse vitrified‐warmed MII oocytes.MethodsVitrified‐warmed oocytes were incubated for 1 h in recovery medium in the presence or absence of 0.5 mM GSH‐OEt. The authors examined the effects of GSH‐OEt, first on the levels of glutathione (GSH) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in vitrified‐warmed oocytes, and second, on in vitro blastocyst development, division speed to blastocysts, and total cell numbers of blastocysts from vitrified‐warmed oocytes fertilized by Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).ResultsAdding GSH‐OEt to the recovery medium significantly (p < 0.05) increased GSH content and decreased ROS levels in vitrified‐warmed oocytes. The blastocyst rate did not differ significantly between the two groups, but the speed of development to blastocysts in the GSH‐OEt (+) group was significantly more rapid. In addition, the total blastocyst cell number was significantly higher in the GSH‐OEt (+) group than in the GSH‐OEt (−) group (92.8 ± 5.1 vs. 71.4 ± 3.5, p < 0.01).ConclusionAdding GSH‐OEt to the recovery medium of vitrified‐warmed mouse oocytes enhances the development potential of oocytes and improves the quality of blastocysts.
Making an impression: What do students who attended an informal evolution enrichment program in the sixth‐grade recall from the experience 3 years later?
Authors: Nesimyan‐Agadi Dina , Assaraf Orit Ben Zvi 
Published: August 2021

AbstractInformal learning environments such as Natural History Museums can introduce visitors to a variety of topics in evolution by providing accessible representations of concepts like geological time, evolutionary mechanisms, biological diversity, geological time, and fossil dating. Our study examined sixth‐grade students' conceptualization of evolutionary ideas following four extracurricular, evolution‐themed “Science Days” at Nature Campus—an informal learning environment that employs an extensive combination of resources, including fossils, mounted specimens, and labs, as well as zoological and botanical gardens. The purpose of this study was to identify changes in the students' personal constructs over time, in order to determine which aspects of what they had learned during the Science Days had been retained. I, therefore, conducted two sets of interviews, which employed Kelly's Repertory Grid technique to elicit “personal constructs” representing these students' perceptions of evolution and the concepts and ideas associated with it. The first round of interviews was held immediately after the program's conclusion, and the second was conducted 3 years later (ninth‐grade). I then compared the results of the two sets of interviews. Our results showed that multiple elements of the Nature Campus learning experience were retained by the students, emphasizing the contribution of its characteristics as an authentic learning environment that uses visualization, tactile, physical examples, and interactive, inquiry‐based activities to promote meaningful learning. They also showed changes in the prominence and complexity of certain constructs that reflect the nature of the relationship between what the students learned in the informal environment of the Nature Campus and what they have since been taught (or not been taught) in the formal environment of their school.
From rain to data: A review of the creation of monthly and daily station‐based gridded precipitation datasets
Authors: Serrano‐Notivoli Roberto , Tejedor Ernesto 
Published: August 2021

AbstractMonthly and daily gridded precipitation datasets are one of the most demanded products in climatology and hydrology. These datasets describe the high spatial and temporal variability of precipitation as a continuous surface and for defined periods. However, due to the complex characteristics of precipitation, it is difficult to obtain accurate estimations. Thus, the creation of a gridded dataset from observations requires the comprehensive and precise application of quality control, reconstruction, and gridding procedures. Yet, despite multiple advances, most of the gridded datasets created and published since the mid‐1990s to the present use a wide variety of techniques, methods, and outputs, which can completely change the final representativity of the data. It is, therefore, critical to provide general guidelines for the development of future and more robust gridded datasets based on the data characteristics, geographical factors, and advanced statistical techniques. We identified gaps and challenges for near‐future perspectives and provide guidelines for implementing improved approaches based on the performance of 48 products. Finally, we concluded that, despite better spatial and temporal resolutions, data access, and data processing capabilities, observational coverage remains a challenge. Moreover, scientists should adopt tailored strategies to improve the representativity and uncertainty of the estimates.This article is categorized under:
Science of Water > Hydrological Processes
Science of Water > Water Extremes
Science of Water > Methods
Review of wake management techniques for wind turbines
Authors: Houck Daniel R. 
Published: August 2021

SummaryThe progression of wind turbine technology has led to wind turbines being incredibly optimized machines often approaching their theoretical maximum production capabilities. When placed together in arrays to make wind farms, however, they are subject to wake interference that greatly reduces downstream turbines' power production, increases structural loading and maintenance, reduces their lifetimes, and ultimately increases the levelized cost of energy. Development of techniques to manage wakes and operate larger and larger arrays of turbines more efficiently is now a crucial field of research. Herein, four wake management techniques in various states of development are reviewed. These include axial induction control, wake steering, the latter two combined, and active wake control. Each of these is reviewed in terms of its control strategies and use for power maximization, load reduction, and ancillary services. By evaluating existing research, several directions for future research are suggested.
Reverse chemical ecology in a moth: machine learning on odorant receptors identifies new behaviorally active agonists
Authors: Caballero-Vidal Gabriela , Bouysset Cédric , Gévar Jérémy , Mbouzid Hayat , Nara Céline , Delaroche Julie , Golebiowski Jérôme , Montagné Nicolas , Fiorucci Sébastien , Jacquin-Joly Emmanuelle 
Published: August 2021

AbstractThe concept of reverse chemical ecology (exploitation of molecular knowledge for chemical ecology) has recently emerged in conservation biology and human health. Here, we extend this concept to crop protection. Targeting odorant receptors from a crop pest insect, the noctuid moth Spodoptera littoralis, we demonstrate that reverse chemical ecology has the potential to accelerate the discovery of novel crop pest insect attractants and repellents. Using machine learning, we first predicted novel natural ligands for two odorant receptors, SlitOR24 and 25. Then, electrophysiological validation proved in silico predictions to be highly sensitive, as 93% and 67% of predicted agonists triggered a response in Drosophila olfactory neurons expressing SlitOR24 and SlitOR25, respectively, despite a lack of specificity. Last, when tested in Y-maze behavioral assays, the most active novel ligands of the receptors were attractive to caterpillars. This work provides a template for rational design of new eco-friendly semiochemicals to manage crop pest populations.
Politik zur Bewegungsförderung in Deutschland
Authors: Messing Sven , Forberger Sarah , Woods Catherine , Abu-Omar Karim , Gelius Peter 
Published: August 2021

Zusammenfassung
Hintergrund
Da Bewegungsmangel eine entscheidende Ursache für nichtübertragbare Erkrankungen ist, wurden sowohl von der Weltgesundheitsorganisation (WHO) als auch von Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftlern weltweit verschiedene Tools zum Monitoring und Audit bewegungsfördernder Politik entwickelt. Allerdings wurden diese Tools bisher noch nicht genutzt, um systematisch und umfassend Daten zu bewegungsfördernder Politik in Deutschland zu erheben und zu analysieren.

Ziel der Arbeit
Die Studie hat zum Ziel, die politischen Anstrengungen zur Bewegungsförderung in Deutschland in einem systematischen Überblick darzustellen.

Material und Methoden
Die Erhebung wurde im Rahmen des Projekts „Policy Evaluation Network“ (www.jpi-pen.eu) unter Nutzung des Health-Enhancing Physical Activity (HEPA) Policy Audit Tools (PAT) der WHO durchgeführt. Datenquellen waren Erhebungen der WHO für das European Union Physical Activity Monitoring Framework, eigene Recherchearbeiten sowie eine Expertenbefragung.

Ergebnisse
Die Ergebnisse zeigen das Spektrum der relevanten Akteure und bieten einen Überblick über aktuelle politische Maßnahmen sowie die Bereiche Surveillance, Evaluation und finanzielle Förderung. Darüber hinaus identifizieren sie wichtige Erfolge der aktuellen deutschen Politik sowie bestehende Herausforderungen.

Diskussion
Im internationalen Vergleich fällt auf, dass andere Länder im Gegensatz zu Deutschland messbare nationale Ziele für die Förderung von Bewegung formuliert haben. Hervorzuheben ist, dass Deutschland zu der Minderheit der Staaten mit spezifischen Bewegungsempfehlungen für Menschen mit nichtübertragbaren Erkrankungen zählt. Eine besonders hohe Relevanz hat die Weiterentwicklung von Strukturen für Bewegungsförderung in Deutschland.
Modelling the chemical evolution of the Milky Way
Authors: Matteucci Francesca 
Published: August 2021

AbstractIn this review, I will discuss the comparison between model results and observational data for the Milky Way, the predictive power of such models as well as their limits. Such a comparison, known as Galactic archaeology, allows us to impose constraints on stellar nucleosynthesis and timescales of formation of the various Galactic components (halo, bulge, thick disk and thin disk).
A pointwise differential inequality and second-order regularity for nonlinear elliptic systems
Authors: Balci Anna Kh. , Cianchi Andrea , Diening Lars , Maz’ya Vladimir 
Published: August 2021

AbstractA sharp pointwise differential inequality for vectorial second-order partial differential operators, with Uhlenbeck structure, is offered. As a consequence, optimal second-order regularity properties of solutions to nonlinear elliptic systems in domains in$${\mathbb R^n}$$Rnare derived. Both local and global estimates are established. Minimal assumptions on the boundary of the domain are required for the latter. In the special case of thep-Laplace system, our conclusions broaden the range of the admissible values of the exponentppreviously known.
Topsy-Turvy Heart with Aortopulmonary Window and Severe Airway Malacia: Prenatal Diagnosis and Review of the Literature
Authors: Hejazi Yahia , Mann Gurdeep , Boudjemline Younes , Udassi Jai P. , Van Leeuwen Grace , Diab Karim A. 
Published: August 2021

AbstractThe topsy-turvy heart is a very rare cardiac malformation that involves a global 90° clockwise rotation of the heart along its long axis. This rotation results in the displacement of the great arteries and severe elongation and stretching of the brachiocephalic arteries and the bronchi. We present an unusual case of topsy-turvy heart diagnosed prenatally with a large aorto-pulmonary window and. This case gives an insight into the morphological details and clinical presentation of this rare malformation and its associated complications. We also present a review of the literature of this rare anomaly showing only 15 live cases that have been published with only three cases diagnosed prenatally.
Highly tunable TetR-dependent target gene expression in the acetic acid bacterium Gluconobacter oxydans
Authors: Fricke Philipp Moritz , Lürkens Martha , Hünnefeld Max , Sonntag Christiane K. , Bott Michael , Davari Mehdi D. , Polen Tino 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
For the acetic acid bacterium (AAB) Gluconobacter oxydans only recently the first tight system for regulatable target gene expression became available based on the heterologous repressor-activator protein AraC from Escherichia coli and the target promoter ParaBAD. In this study, we tested pure repressor-based TetR- and LacI-dependent target gene expression in G. oxydans by applying the same plasmid backbone and construction principles that we have used successfully for the araC-ParaBAD system. When using a pBBR1MCS-5-based plasmid, the non-induced basal expression of the Tn10-based TetR-dependent expression system was extremely low. This allowed calculated induction ratios of up to more than 3500-fold with the fluorescence reporter protein mNeonGreen (mNG). The induction was highly homogeneous and tunable by varying the anhydrotetracycline concentration from 10 to 200 ng/mL. The already strong reporter gene expression could be doubled by inserting the ribosome binding site AGGAGA into the 3’ region of the Ptet sequence upstream from mNG. Alternative plasmid constructs used as controls revealed a strong influence of transcription terminators and antibiotics resistance gene of the plasmid backbone on the resulting expression performance. In contrast to the TetR-Ptet-system, pBBR1MCS-5-based LacI-dependent expression from PlacUV5 always exhibited some non-induced basal reporter expression and was therefore tunable only up to 40-fold induction by IPTG. The leakiness of PlacUV5 when not induced was independent of potential read-through from the lacI promoter. Protein-DNA binding simulations for pH 7, 6, 5, and 4 by computational modeling of LacI, TetR, and AraC with DNA suggested a decreased DNA binding of LacI when pH is below 6, the latter possibly causing the leakiness of LacI-dependent systems hitherto tested in AAB. In summary, the expression performance of the pBBR1MCS-5-based TetR-Ptet system makes this system highly suitable for applications in G. oxydans and possibly in other AAB.

Key Points
• A pBBR1MCS-5-based TetR-Ptet system was tunable up to more than 3500-fold induction.
• A pBBR1MCS-5-based LacI-PlacUV5 system was leaky and tunable only up to 40-fold.
• Modeling of protein-DNA binding suggested decreased DNA binding of LacI at pH < 6.