bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Developing biomedical engineering technologies for reproductive medicine
Authors: Zhu Yujuan , Kong Bin , Liu Rui , Zhao Yuanjin 
Published: December 2022

AbstractInfertility is a rising global health issue with a far‐reaching impact on the socioeconomic livelihoods. As there are highly complex causes of male and female infertility, it is highly desired to promote and maintain reproductive health by the integration of advanced technologies. Biomedical engineering, a mature technology applied in the fields of biology and health care, has emerged as a powerful tool in the diagnosis and treatment of infertility. Nowadays, various promising biomedical engineering approaches are under investigation to address human infertility. Biomedical engineering approaches can not only improve our fundamental understanding of sperm and follicle development in bioengineered devices combined with microfabrication, biomaterials, and relevant cells, but also be applied to repair uterine, ovary, and cervicovaginal tissues and restore tissue function. Here, we introduce the infertility in male and female and provide a comprehensive summary of the various promising biomedical engineering technologies and their applications in reproductive medicine. Also, the challenges and prospects of biomedical engineering technologies for clinical transformation are discussed. We believe that this review will promote communications between engineers, biologists, and clinicians and potentially contribute to the clinical transformation of these innovative research works in the immediate future.
False negative of defects estimation in crowdsourced testing
Authors: Wu Kaishun , Shi Yaqing , Zhu Jing , Yao Yongming , Tang Shiqi 
Published: December 2022

AbstractEstimating the population of defects is a key reference for completion evaluation in crowdsourced testing. Current studies commonly use the biological capture–recapture model (CRC model) to estimate the population of defects in crowdsourced tests with good results. However, the lack of consideration of false negatives for defects in existing studies leads to imprecise estimation of completion in crowdsourced testing, which in turn influences decision support during crowdsourced testing. This study analyzes the basic assumptions of the CRC model in biology and maps them to the field of crowdsourced testing, improves the Lincoln–Peterson estimator and sample coverage estimator utilizing false negative assumptions, and compares them with original estimators in 29 real crowdsourced testing projects. The experimental results show that our improved estimators can effectively reduce the estimation relative error of the population of defects caused by false negatives.
Successful management of cloud‐based global software development projects: A multivocal study
Authors: Akbar Muhammad Azeem , Khan Arif Ali , Mahmood Sajjad , Smolander Kari 
Published: December 2022

AbstractSoftware industry is continuously exploring better ways to develop applications. A new phenomenon to achieve this is cloud‐based global software development (CGSD), which refers to the adoption of cloud computing services by organizations to support global software development projects. The CGSD approach affects the strategic and operational aspects of the way projects are managed. The objective of the study is to identify the success factors which contribute to management of CGSD projects. We carried out a multivocal literature review (MLR) to identify the success factors from the state‐of‐the‐art and the state‐of‐the‐practice in project management of CGSD projects. We identified 32 success factors that contribute to the management of CGSD projects. The findings of MLR indicate that time to market, continuous development, financial restructuring, and scalability are the most critical success factors for CGSD. Moreover, the findings of the study show that there is a positive correlation between the success factors reported in both formal literature and industry based gray literature. The findings of this study can assist the practitioners to develop the strategies needed for effective project management of CGSD projects.
Finding the variables that react: Relationships between ability beliefs and student achievement in an inquiry‐based introductory chemistry laboratory course
Authors: Wheeler Lindsay B. , Gonczi Amanda L. 
Published: December 2022

AbstractThis quantitative, exploratory study examined whether a Project‐Based Guided Inquiry (PBGI) chemistry laboratory course supported more incremental ability beliefs among students, examined achievement outcomes for students grouped based on changes in student‐reported chemistry ability beliefs from pre‐ to post‐course, and provided explanations for differences in achievement and chemistry ability beliefs. Data sources included pre/post surveys of 367 undergraduate students' and 18 teaching assistants' (TAs) content knowledge, ability beliefs, sociodemographics (e.g., gender, race), and prior chemistry experience. The hierarchical linear regression (HLR) model accounted for 27.4% of the variance in post‐content scores, with male students and students with more prior chemistry experience scoring significantly higher than their counterparts. Student ability beliefs was not a significant predictor of content knowledge at the end of the course. Women had a significant decrease in their ability beliefs while male students did not. Furthermore, there were significant differences in achievement depending upon whether and how students' chemistry ability beliefs changed during the course. HLR indicated that student race and TA research experience significantly predicted students' ability beliefs and accounted for 32.7% of variance in this model. Finally, students had more positive perceptions of their TA when their TA held more incremental ability beliefs. These results also indicate that redesigning undergraduate chemistry labs to a PBGI approach does not necessarily level the academic playing field for students who identified as Black, Hispanic, or Multi‐racial, women, or students with less chemistry experience. Providing additional scaffolding for students and developing professional learning experiences to explicitly support TAs incremental ability beliefs may be beneficial in reform‐based laboratory contexts. Further research is needed to understand who benefits from reform‐based instruction and for what reasons.
Tactile sensory processing as a precursor of executive attention: Toward early detection of attention impairments and neurodevelopmental disorders
Authors: Anquetil Marie , Roche‐Labarbe Nadège , Rossi Sandrine 
Published: December 2022

AbstractRecent studies in developmental neuroscience tend to show the existence of neural attention networks from birth. Their construction is based on the first sensory experiences that allow us to learn the patterns of the world surrounding us and preserve our limited attentional resources. Touch is the first sensory modality to develop, although it is still little studied in developmental psychology in contrast to distal modalities such as audition or vision. Atypical tactile sensory processing at an early age could predict later attention dysfunction, both of them being part of the symptomatology of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD). We review the state of knowledge on tactile sensory processing and its links with attention, executive attention (EA) in particular, and propose that abnormal tactile sensory processing at an early age could provide markers of EA dysfunctions, contributing to the early detection of NDD.This article is categorized under:
Psychology > Attention
Impact of COVID-19 on Adolescent HIV Prevention and Treatment Services in the AHISA Network
Authors: Ahmed Charisse V. , Brooks Merrian J. , DeLong Stephanie M. , Zanoni Brian C. , Njuguna Irene , Beima-Sofie Kristin , Dow Dorothy E. , Shayo Aisa , Schreibman Alana , Chapman Jennifer , Chen Lydia , Mehta Shreya , Mbizvo Michael T. , Lowenthal Elizabeth D. 
Published: December 2022

AbstractWe investigated perceived impacts of COVID-19 on the delivery of adolescent HIV treatment and prevention services in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) by administering a survey to members of the Adolescent HIV Prevention and Treatment Implementation Science Alliance (AHISA) from February to April 2021. We organized COVID-19 impacts, as perceived by AHISA teams, under three themes: service interruptions, service adjustments, and perceived individual-level health impacts. AHISA teams commonly reported interruptions to prevention programs, diagnostic testing, and access to antiretroviral therapy (ART). Common service adjustments included decentralization of ART refills, expanded multi-month ART distribution, and digital technology use. Perceived individual-level impacts included social isolation, loss to follow-up, food insecurity, poverty, and increases in adolescent pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. The need for collaboration among stakeholders were commonly cited as lessons learned by AHISA teams. Survey findings highlight the need for implementation science research to evaluate the effects of pandemic-related HIV service adaptations in SSA.
Interpretable decision trees through MaxSAT
Authors: Alòs Josep , Ansótegui Carlos , Torres Eduard 
Published: December 2022

AbstractWe present an approach to improve the accuracy-interpretability trade-off of Machine Learning (ML) Decision Trees (DTs). In particular, we apply Maximum Satisfiability technology to compute Minimum Pure DTs (MPDTs). We improve the runtime of previous approaches and, show that these MPDTs can outperform the accuracy of DTs generated with the ML framework sklearn.
“It was Very Liberating”. Dialogic Literary Gatherings Supporting Mental Health Literacy
Authors: Zubiri-Esnaola Harkaitz , Racionero-Plaza Sandra , Fernández-Villardón Aitana , Carbonell Sara 
Published: December 2022

AbstractMental health is being reframed as a fundamental right for all people, and mental health literacy is a tool that can enable patients to gain the knowledge, personal skills, and confidence to take action to improve their mental health, and their lives overall. This exploratory study analysed the power of dialogic literary gatherings (DLGs) to foster it in a group of patients with mental health disorders who gathered for 1 h once a week to share their readings of literature masterpieces. During the year-long study, a total of 140 patients participated in the DLGs in groups of 12 to 15 people. Results suggest that DLGs promoted the development of the participants’ mental health literacy and produced gains in emotional and social wellbeing by strengthening reading, speaking, and listening skills, fostering supportive relations, contributing to overcoming stigma, and enhancing agency. The transferability of DLGs to mental health care is discussed.
Towards forward-looking nature governance to meet conservation goals of Natura 2000 sites in the European Union: experts’ perspectives
Authors: Boćkowski Mariusz D. , Raymond Christopher M. , Plieninger Tobias , Grodzińska-Jurczak Małgorzata 
Published: December 2022

AbstractAs Natura 2000 missed challenges of halting biodiversity decline, its’ management is being affected by factors of ecological, political, and economic character. To address the shortcomings revealed during the Fitness Check and to facilitate meeting the EU’s biodiversity targets, the European Commission developed an “Action Plan for Nature, People and the Economy” prioritizing areas for improvement. However, mixed views still exist on the Natura 2000 governance; it is not certain that Action Plan would address existing drawbacks. The aim of the research was to identify divergent and convergent experts’ attitudes towards biodiversity conservation in Europe, with a focus on forward-looking environmental governance and policy-informing perspective. Participants representing multiple disciplines and professional backgrounds related to planning, governance, or management of Natura 2000 sites provided a comprehensive overview on the topic and address-related challenges. Based on the results of a Delphi survey, we established a framework for illuminating the spaces of disjunction in experts’ views towards Natura 2000 conservation. We distinguished three main divergence areas in views towards future network operation: (1) raising public awareness of environmental problems in the network, (2) the role of the European Commission in building political ownership of Natura 2000 sites among landholders, and (3) funding of Natura 2000. Then, based on revealed dichotomies, we return with drawing a roadmap for promoting more consensual outcomes. The results should help enable the practical management of conflicting views and the effective engagement of future biodiversity conservation strategies in Europe and beyond.
Intercorporeal Construction of We-Ness in Classroom Interaction
Authors: Heinonen Pilvi , Tainio Liisa 
Published: December 2022

AbstractDrawing on multimodal conversation analysis as a method, this article explores the role of embodiment and tactility in negotiating peer relations in classroom interaction. We aim at discussing how social relations between peers are locally constructed and negotiated through embodied, tactile-haptic, and spatial practices during classroom activities. The focus of the empirical analysis is on how students sequentially co-construct specific peer-to-peer touch type—sustained leaning touch—as well as how embodied two-student formations, synchronization of bodily movements and negotiation of personal space serves as displaying social bonding and balancing between students’ dual role orientation. Our findings suggest that intercorporeal construction of we-ness—including exclusive and inclusive practices in relation to peer groups—is based on students’ embodied orientations during leaning touch as well as re-organized embodied choreographies, participation frameworks and spatial arrangements. Our empirical analysis on tactility, embodied consciousness and incorporeal compresence has its basis in a phenomenologically rooted understanding of intercorporeality, and therefore our article aims at building bridges between phenomenological understanding and conceptualization and detailed empirical analysis of clearly observable interactional phenomena.
Endogenous progesterone in unexplained infertility: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Raperport Claudia , Chronopoulou Elpiniki , Homburg Roy , Khan Khalid , Bhide Priya 
Published: December 2022

AbstractPurposeTo investigate the possibility that altered actions of endogenous progesterone affect receptivity and contribute to unexplained infertility (UI).MethodsTwo authors electronically searched MEDLINE, CINAHL and Embase databases from inception to 6 July 2022 and hand-searched according to Cochrane methodology. We included all published primary research reporting outcomes related to endogenous progesterone in natural cycles in women with UI. Studies were assessed for risk of bias using a modified Newcastle–Ottawa Score or NHLBI Score. We pooled results where appropriate using a random-effects model. Findings were reported as odds ratios or mean differences.ResultsWe included 41 studies (n = 4023). No difference was found between the mid-luteal serum progesterone levels of women with UI compared to fertile controls (MD 0.74, − 0.31–1.79,I236%). Women with UI had significantly higher rates of ‘out-of-phase’ endometrium than controls. Nine out of 10 progesterone-mediated markers of endometrial receptivity were significantly reduced in women with UI compared to fertile controls (the remaining 1 had conflicting results). Resistance in pelvic vessels was increased and perfusion of the endometrium and sub-endometrium reduced in UI compared to fertile controls in all included studies. Progesterone receptor expression and progesterone uptake were also reduced in women with unexplained infertility.ConclusionsEnd-organ measures of endogenous progesterone activity are reduced in women with UI compared to fertile controls. This apparently receptor-mediated reduction in response affects endometrial receptivity and is implicated as the cause of the infertility. Further research is required to confirm whether intervention could overcome this issue, offering a new option for treating unexplained infertility.Trial registrationPROSPERO registration: CRD42020141041 06/08/2020.
The thermodynamic and kinetic aspects of midazolam ring closure from benzophenone to benzodiazepine form, its acid–base equilibria and aromaticity: a quantum-chemical study
Authors: Oziminski Wojciech Piotr , Matysiak Michał 
Published: December 2022

AbstractThe process of midazolam ring closure was studied from the thermodynamic and kinetic points of view by means of quantum-chemical methods. B3LYP/6–311 +  + G(d,p) model was employed for gas phase and water environment (polarizable continuum model) calculations. It was concluded that the reaction rate determining step is the first step—carbinolamine formation from amine and carbonyl ends of the opened benzodiazepine ring. The Gibbs free energy of activation was calculated as 35.1 kcal/mol for gas- phase and 33.9 kcal/mol for water environment. Intrinsic reaction coordinate calculations were performed to verify that the transition state really connects the substrate and product. Thermodynamically, this reaction is endoergic with ΔG = 9.6 kcal/mol for gas phase and 10.0 kcal/mol for water environment. However, the next step—carbinolamine protonation with immediate water molecule loss is expected to be fast and activation barrierless, which enables further progress of the ring closure, despite the positive ΔG of the fist step. Next, the protonated imine undergoes deprotonation to final closed ring, pharmacologically active molecule of midazolam. The whole chain of reaction is exoergic with ΔG equal to − 5.6 kcal/mol for gas phase and − 7.7 kcal/mol for water environment. In order to understand the role of other than benzodiazepine/imidazole molecular fragments on the ring closure process, a model was build which contains only benzodiazepine and imidazole rings. The activation barrier for the carbinolamine formation of the model is similar to midazolam in the gas phase but higher by about 10 kcal/mol for water environment. The most interesting difference is however that for the model, the carbinolamine formation step is exoergic with ΔG equal to − 2.2 kcal/mol for gas phase and − 1.8 kcal/mol for water environment. This difference can be connected to complicated conformational shape of the midazolam molecule, which during the ring closure undergoes unfavorable deformations with accompanying rise of the energy of the molecule. The protonation sites for both midazolam and the model were also studied. In the case of midazolam, the preferred protonation site is the imidazole ring nitrogen atom, but in the case of the model it is the benzodiazepine ring nitrogen atom. The aromaticity of the 5- and 7-membered rings were analyzed using two aromaticity—HOMA and pEDA. It follows that larger stability of the cation protonated at the benzodiazepine ring is accompanied with substantial increase of the 7-ring aromaticity in the model of midazolam. The complexes of midazolam and its model with a water molecule were analyzed because they are needed for evaluation of the energy of the whole process of ring closure. In the case of midazolam, the water molecule preferentially connects to imidazole ring, but in the case of the model, complexes with both imidazole and benzodiazepine rings have similar stability.
Copper-zeolites Prepared by Solid-state Ion Exchange - Characterization and Evaluation for the Direct Conversion of Methane to Methanol
Authors: Kvande Karoline , Prodinger Sebastian , Schlimpen Fabian , Beato Pablo , Pale Patrick , Chassaing Stefan , Svelle Stian 
Published: December 2022

AbstractDirect conversion of methane to methanol (MTM) over Cu-zeolites is a so-called “dream reaction” for the chemical industry. There is still a lot that can be done in order to optimize the reaction by e.g. achieving a deeper understanding of the reaction mechanism and the nature of the Cu-sites. In this study, we investigated a solid-state ion exchange method to incorporate CuI ions into zeolites (MOR, BEA, ZSM-5 and FAU), as a more scalable technique. The solid-state ion exchange led to a Cu/Al ration of about 0.8, however with a heterogeneous distribution of Cu. Regardless, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy still revealed that most Brønsted acid sites were exchanged in all four samples. Further, CH4-temperature programmed reaction experiments showed that some Cu-sites formed were reactive towards CH4, with CuI-MOR and CuI-FAU having the largest CH4 consumption. Ultimately, the CuI-zeolites were tested in the MTM reaction and proved capable of producing methanol, even without the presence of Brønsted sites. A MOR with lower Cu/Al ratio (0.30) was also tested for comparison, and as this sample obtained a much higher productivity than the CuI-MOR with high Cu-loading (0.10 vs. 0.03 molMeOH/molCu), it was demonstrated that some fine-tuning is necessary to obtain the active Cu sites for methane activation.
Prediction of Periodic Centerline Porosity and Pulse Marks by CFD and Experimentation for Continuously Cast Copper
Authors: Jones Thomas D. A. , Strachan Richard , Russell Kyle , Abdullah Mustafe , Mackie David M. , Cooper Mervyn , Frame Brian , Vorstius Jan B. 
Published: December 2022

AbstractFor 8 mm OFCu rod, the formation of pulse mark defects on the exterior of the rod and periodic macroporosity (> 1 mm diameter pores) occurring internally along the centerline of the castings have been observed and noted to limit the maximum attainable withdrawal rates (~ 4 m/s). Conversely, the same casting defects have been witnessed for slower rates; therefore, investigations were performed to investigate how the casting motions (withdrawal, dwell, and pushback) formed these defects and could be prevented. Characterization of the physical properties of the cast rods by tensile testing and analysis by optical and computed tomography (CT) imaging revealed correlations to the outer pitch length marks on the rods and confirmed relationships to casting motions and pitch lengths evaluated from metallurgical equations. Computational fluid dynamic modeling using Ansys Fluent v.R1 was applied to quantify the localized formation and dissipation of periodic hotspots internally within the die for the different motions. A mechanism leading to periodic porosity was identified, which was irrespective of the average casting withdrawal rates and enabled prediction of the location, frequency, and magnitude of the macroporosity defect.