bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Children with Mathematical Learning Difficulties—How Do Their Working Memory Skills Differ from Typically Developing First Graders?
Authors: Winkel Kirsten , Zipperle Isabell 
Published: June 2023

AbstractChildren with mathematical learning difficulties differ from their peers not only in terms of their mathematics-specific competencies, but also in terms of other cross-curricular areas of competence. In many of these areas, they make more mistakes and need more time. Numerous studies show that they also make more mistakes in working memory tasks. However, there is little research on whether they also need more time in working memory tasks. The present study addresses this question. Methodologically, our study is aligned to peer studies that are included in a current meta-analysis. Our results from over 400 first graders reveal that children with mathematical learning difficulties do not only make more mistakes in working memory tasks, but also need significantly more time for these cognitive processes already. Our findings highlight how important it is to consider not only mathematics-specific competencies but also working memory skills and the time needed when diagnosing and supporting children in order to effectively implement individualized interventions and meet heterogeneous learning conditions in mathematics classroom in primary school.
Numerical analytic continuation
Authors: Trefethen Lloyd N. 
Published: June 2023

AbstractLetfbe an analytic function on a simply-connected compact continuumEof the complexz-plane. This might be an interval of the real line, wherefmight be real analytic. How can we calculate good estimates of the analytic continuation offto other points$$z\in {\mathbb C}$$z∈C? How can we estimate the locations of real or complex singularities off? We review both the theory and the practice of some existing methods for these problems and propose that excellent results can be obtained from the computation of rational approximations offby the AAA algorithm. In the case of analytic functions of two or more variables, the rational approximations are applied along line segments or other analytic arcs.
Thermoresponsive M1 macrophage-derived hybrid nanovesicles for improved in vivo tumor targeting
Authors: Barone Antonella , Zimbo Anna Maria , d’Avanzo Nicola , Tolomeo Anna Maria , Ruga Stefano , Cardamone Antonio , Celia Christian , Scalise Mariangela , Torella Daniele , La Deda Massimo , Iaccino Enrico , Paolino Donatella 
Published: June 2023

AbstractDespite the efforts and advances done in the last few decades, cancer still remains one of the main leading causes of death worldwide. Nanomedicine and in particular extracellular vesicles are one of the most potent tools to improve the effectiveness of anticancer therapies. In these attempts, the aim of this work is to realize a hybrid nanosystem through the fusion between the M1 macrophages-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs-M1) and thermoresponsive liposomes, in order to obtain a drug delivery system able to exploit the intrinsic tumor targeting capability of immune cells reflected on EVs and thermoresponsiveness of synthetic nanovesicles. The obtained nanocarrier has been physicochemically characterized, and the hybridization process has been validated by cytofluorimetric analysis, while the thermoresponsiveness was in vitro confirmed through the use of a fluorescent probe. Tumor targeting features of hybrid nanovesicles were in vivo investigated on melanoma-induced mice model monitoring the accumulation in tumor site through live imaging and confirmed by cytofluorimetric analysis, showing higher targeting properties of hybrid nanosystem compared to both liposomes and native EVs. These promising results confirmed the ability of this nanosystem to combine the advantages of both nanotechnologies, also highlighting their potential use as effective and safe personalized anticancer nanomedicine.
Graphical Abstract
High Adsorption Capacity of Ammonia Gas Pollutant Using Adsorbents of Carbon Composites
Authors: Mohamed Elham F. , El-Mekawy Asmaa , Ahmed Sohair A. Sayed , Fathy Nady A. 
Published: June 2023

AbstractAir pollution is one of the most environmentally harmful to the human health and the climate change. The present study is aimed to investigate the effectiveness and capability of novel composite adsorbents prepared from modification of activated carbons (ACs) in the removal of air pollutants. The effect of both triethoxysilane propylamine (TEPSA) and carbon nanotube (CNT) on the adsorption properties of AC (TEPSA/CNT/AC); in addition, silica gel prepared from TEPSA to form silica nanoparticles (SiNP) along with CNT and AC (SiNP/CNT/AC), was studied. Ammonia gas (NH3) was used in this study as a typical emerging gas air pollutant. The physicochemical characteristics of the prepared ACs samples were analyzed using BET surface area, SEM, EDX, TEM and FTIR. Their results proved considerable changes in the porosity and surface functional groups after modifying AC surface with TEPSA or SiNP and CNT instantly. The adsorption findings showed that the NH3removal efficiency using the prepared AC samples reached almost 97, 86 and 75% during 90 min at 25 °C for each sample of SiNP/CNT/AC, TESPA/CNT/AC and AC, respectively. Adsorption of NH3relied mainly on the presence of silica particles and mesopore distributions in CNT rather than large total surface area in AC alone. Thus, the combination of SiNP as silanol and siloxane groups with CNT on AC surface raised significantly the adsorption capacity of NH3from 194 to 300 mg/g. Conclusively, the SiNP/CNT/AC sample exhibited the best performance among all prepared samples used for the adsorption of NH3gas from the indoor air. Also, Langmuir and Freundlich models were applied, and the results revealed that Freundlich model fits well the equilibrium adsorption data.
A qualitative comparison of the intended curriculum ideologies of STEM subjects in South Africa
Authors: Ramulumo Moleboheng , Mnguni Lindelani 
Published: June 2023

AbstractThe democratically elected government of South Africa has enacted several curricular reforms which sought to promote citizenship education. By instituting citizenship education, the government intended to promote student engagement in decision-making, rebuilding, and emancipation of society. The curriculum would facilitate the training of students to become logical thinkers and informed citizens who actively participate in rectifying the injustices and inequalities of the apartheid state. However, a curriculum ideology foregrounding citizenship education has not been extensively understood, especially in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) education. In the current study, we investigated the intended ideologies foregrounding the curriculum of three purposively selected subjects: Natural Sciences, Life Sciences, and Physical Sciences. While Life Sciences and Physical Sciences are taught in grades 10 to 12, Natural Sciences is compulsory and taught in grades 7 to 9. We used structured document analysis to analyze the curriculum documents qualitatively. We discovered evidence of a combination of citizenship-centered, service-centered, discipline-centered, and student-centered ideologies in the subjects to varying degrees. We found neither a single dominant ideology nor evidence of coherence and integration of these ideologies. Given the lack of a dominant curriculum ideology, we argue that teachers and other educational stakeholders may interpret and use the curriculum differently, leading to an “ideological war.” We conclude that these science subjects are unlikely to promote citizenship education as the South African government intends.
The Macro-Political Context and Interest Groups' Access to Policymakers
Authors: Labanino Rafael , Dobbins Michael 
Published: June 2023

AbstractThe article explores how macro-level political factors in conjunction with micro- and meso-level factors affect interest-group access to policymakers. The analysis is conducted based on two original data sets: a population ecology database of Czech, Hungarian, Polish and Slovenian national-level energy policy, healthcare and higher education organizations, and an online survey of these populations. Combining the two data sets allows us to investigate both polity-, population- and organizational-level factors. As the sampled countries have recently experienced democratic backsliding, we also test the effect of closing deliberative structures. The analysis reveals that the political process influences access: legislative fractionalization affects access positively, while the closure of deliberative structures has a negative effect. Nevertheless, the political contextual factors are mediated through variables at both the population (e.g. the size of latent constituency) and organizational (e.g. expertise provision) levels, as well as the meso-level of interorganizational cooperation.
Cold tolerance and overwintering survival of Aphelinus certus (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae), a parasitoid of the soybean aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in North America
Authors: Stenoien Carl M. , Christianson Lindsey , Welch Kelton , Dregni Jonathan , Hopper Keith R. , Heimpel George E. 
Published: June 2023

AbstractBroad-spectrum insecticides are the main control measure of the invasive and economically damaging soybean aphid (Aphis glycines) in North America, although biological control by resident natural enemies can also greatly diminish population levels. One such natural enemy is the accidentally introduced Eurasian parasitoid Aphelinus certus (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae), though its impact appears to be limited by low rates of parasitism early in the growing season. We tested the hypothesis that A. certus might experience high overwintering mortality. In the laboratory, we used thermocouple thermometry to measure the supercooling points of diapausing parasitoids and assessed parasitoid survival after exposure to ecologically relevant durations of low temperature. We found A. certus to be freeze-intolerant with a median supercooling point of −28°C. When exposed to temperatures of 0°C for up to 7 months, adults emerged only after exposures of at least 60 days and survival decreased with durations beyond 150 days. We also conducted in-field studies at sites from northern Minnesota to southern Iowa to determine if diapausing A. certus could overwinter above and below the snowpack. Survival was negatively correlated with increasing latitude and was greater for parasitoids placed on the ground than 1 meter off the ground, likely due to the warmer and stabler temperatures of the subnivean microclimate. Our results suggest that A. certus is capable of overwintering in the region inhabited by soybean aphid but may experience substantial mortality even under ideal conditions. Climate change is predicted to bring warmer, drier winters to the North American Midwest, with decreased depth and duration of snow cover, which may further reduce overwintering survival.
The problem with decolonisation: entanglements in the politics of knowledge
Authors: Jansen Jonathan 
Published: June 2023

AbstractIn the heat of the decolonisation struggles of the 2000s, there has been little space or tolerance for conceptual criticism of this important moment in global history. Using the South African case, this article outlines some of the dilemmas of decolonisation as a concept and method for dealing with legacy knowledge in the aftermath of colonialism and apartheid. The status of whites as citizens rather than colonials, the lack of determination of meanings of decolonisation within public universities, and the defanging of a potentially radical concept are among the concerns raised in this critical work on the uptake of the idea in post-apartheid society. What this criticism points to is the need for a theory of institutions when dealing with radical curriculum change rather than a politics that relies so much on the rhetorical, the symbolic and the performative in the demand for decolonisation.
Impact of the pandemic and its containment measures in Europe upon aspects of affective impairments: a Google Trends informetrics study
Authors: Szilagyi Istvan-Szilard , Eggeling Eva , Bornemann-Cimenti Helmar , Ullrich Torsten 
Published: June 2023

AbstractBackgroundIn late 2019, a new virus began spreading in Wuhan, China. By the end of 2021, more than 260 million people worldwide had been infected and 5.2 million people had died because of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Various countermeasures have been implemented to contain the infections, depending on the country, infection prevalence, and political and infrastructural resources. The pandemic and the containment measures have induced diverse psychological burdens. Using internet queries as a proxy, this study examines the psychological consequences on a European level of SARS-CoV-2 containment measures.MethodsUsing informetric analyses, this study reviews within 32 European countries a total of 28 search parameters derived from the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10) as aspects of affective disorder.ResultsOur results show that there are several psychological aspects which are significantly emphasized during the pandemic and its containment measures: ‘anxiety’, ‘dejection’, ‘weariness’, ‘listlessness’, ‘loss of appetite’, ‘loss of libido’, ‘panic attack’, and ‘worthlessness’. These terms are significantly more frequently part of a search query during the pandemic than before the outbreak. Furthermore, our results revealed that search parameters such as ‘psychologist’, ‘psychotherapist’, ‘psychotherapy’ have increased highly significantly (p < 0.01) since the pandemic.ConclusionsThe psychological distress caused by the pandemic correlates significantly with the frequency of people searching for psychological and psychotherapeutic support on the Internet.
Design, modeling and solar tracking control for a novel parabolic dish solar concentrator
Authors: Mo Han , Liu Fanmao , Liao Cancan , Zhang Yuanyuan 
Published: June 2023

AbstractA novel parabolic dish solar concentrator based on the improved 3-RPS parallel manipulator to drive the reflective mirror facet is proposed and designed, which can not only automatically adjust the position and orientation of the reflective mirror facet but also have the advantages of independent drive, high stiffness and no cumulative error. Then, using the coordinate transformation matrixes of the novel parabolic dish solar tracking platform, the kinematics models of the 3-RPS parallel manipulators associated with the solar altitude and azimuth angles are established. The altitude and azimuth angles of the solar movement at the installation location are calculated according to the calculation formula of solar position. To solve the problem of too many telescopic rods of the 3-RPS parallel manipulator, a genetic algorithm is used to optimize the height of the concentrator’s center of mass. Then the ideal trajectory and attitude of each telescopic rod of the 3-RPS parallel manipulators at different times of the day can be obtained with the inverse kinematics. The particle swarm optimization (PSO)-proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller, which uses PSO algorithm to tune PID parameters, is proposed for solar trajectory tracking of the novel parabolic dish solar concentrator. The visual simulation model of the parabolic dish system is established in Simscape Multibody, and the trajectory tracking control experiment is carried out. The experimental results show that the trajectory tracking error of the novel dish solar tracking platform can be within 2.6 mm by using the PSO-PID controller.
The Implementation of a Prehospital Whole Blood Transfusion Program and Early Results
Authors: Coyle Charles , Zitek Tony , Pepe Paul E. , Stotsenburg Madonna , Scheppke Kenneth A. , Antevy Peter , Giroux Richard , Farcy David A. 
Published: June 2023

AbstractIntroduction:In far-forward combat situations, the military challenged dogma by using whole blood transfusions (WBTs) rather than component-based therapy. More recently, some trauma centers have initiated WBT programs with reported success. There are a few Emergency Medical Service (EMS) systems that are using WBTs, but the vast majority are not. Given the increasing data supporting the use of WBTs in the prehospital setting, more EMS systems are likely to consider or begin WBT programs in the future.Objective:A prehospital WBT program was recently implemented in Palm Beach County, Florida (USA). This report will discuss how the program was implemented, the obstacles faced, and the initial results.Methods:This report describes the process by which a prehospital WBT program was implemented by Palm Beach County Fire Rescue and the outcomes of the initial case series of patients who received WBTs in this system. Efforts to initiate the prehospital WBT program for this system began in 2018. The program had several obstacles to overcome, with one of the major obstacles being the legal team’s perception of potential liability that might occur with a new prehospital blood transfusion program. This obstacle was overcome through education of local elected officials regarding the latest scientific evidence in favor of prehospital WBTs with potential life-saving benefits to the community. After moving past this hurdle, the program went live on July 6, 2022. The initial indications for transfusion of cold-stored, low titer, leukoreduced O+ whole blood in the prehospital setting included traumatic injuries with systolic blood pressure (SBP) < 70mmHg or SBP < 90mmHg plus heart rate (HR) > 110 beats per minute.Findings:From the date of onset through December 31, 2022, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue transported a total of 881 trauma activation patients, with 20 (2.3%) receiving WBT. Overall, nine (45%) of the patients who had received WBTs so far remain alive. No adverse events related to transfusion were identified following WBT administration. A total of 18 units of whole blood reached expiration of the unit’s shelf life prior to transfusion.Conclusion:Despite a number of logistical and legal obstacles, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue successfully implemented a prehospital WBT program. Other EMS systems that are considering a prehospital WBT program should review the included protocol and the barriers to implementation that were faced.
Objective burden, caregiver psychological distress, and patient religion and quality of life are associated with high-intensity burden of care among caregivers of advanced cancer patients in a Latino population
Authors: Soto-Guerrero Sebastián , Palacios Josefa , Langer Paola , Carrasco Cecilia , Tupper-Satt Laura , González-Otaíza Marcela , Rodríguez-Núñez Alfredo , Pérez-Cruz Pedro E. 
Published: June 2023

AbstractObjectivesFamily caregivers (FCs) of cancer patients experience burden of care. The aims of this study are to describe the caregiving phenomenon among FCs of advanced cancer patients in a Latino community and to identify caregiver and patient characteristics associated with high-intensity subjective caregiver burden.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, advanced cancer patient–caregiver dyads assessed at a Palliative Care Unit in Santiago, Chile, enrolled in a longitudinal observational study were included. FCs completed questions to describe the caregiving phenomenon and surveys to assess burden of care, psychological distress, and perception of patients’ symptoms; patients completed surveys to assess physical distress and quality of life (QOL). We explored associations between high-intensity subjective caregiver burden with caregiver and patient variables.ResultsTwo hundred seven dyads were analyzed. FCs were on average 50 years old and 75% female. Thirty-two percent of FCs experienced high-intensity subjective burden of care. Eighty two percent of FCs took care of the patient daily and 31% took care of the patient alone. In univariate analysis, high-intensity caregiver burden was associated with caregiver depression (59% vs. 27%; p < 0.001), anxiety (86% vs. 67%; p = 0.003), caring for the patient alone (45% vs. 24%; p = 0.002), perception of patient symptom distress, patient religion, and worse patient QOL (mean [standard deviation] 58 [33] vs. 68 [27]; p = 0.03). In multivariate analysis, FC depression (OR [95% confidence interval] 3.07 [1.43–6.60]; p = 0.004), anxiety (3.02 [1.19–7.71]; p = 0.021), caring for the patient alone (2.69 [1.26–5.77]; p = 0.011), caregiver perception of patient’s fatigue (1.26 [1.01–1.58]; p = 0.04), and patient’s religion (3.90 [1.21–12.61]; p = 0.02) were independently associated with caregiver burden.Significance of resultsFCs of advanced cancer patients in a Latino community frequently experience high-intensity burden of care and are exposed to measures of objective burden. High-intensity burden is associated with both caregiver and patient factors. Policies should aim to make interventions on patient–caregiver dyads to decrease caregiving burden among Latinos.
Emergency care reconfiguration in the Netherlands: conflicting interests and trade-offs from a multidisciplinary perspective
Authors: van Velzen Nanne , Janssen Richard , Varkevisser Marco 
Published: June 2023

AbstractMany countries are reconfiguring their emergency care systems to improve quality and efficiency of care, and this often includes the concentration of emergency departments (EDs). This trend is evident in the Netherlands, but the best approach is the subject of debate among stakeholders. We (i) examined the views of stakeholders on the concentration of EDs in the Netherlands and (ii) identified the main conflicting interests and trade-offs that are relevant for health policy. To do this, we organised focus groups and semi-structured interviews with emergency care professionals, hospital executives and selected external stakeholders. First, the participants saw both advantages and disadvantages to concentration, but these were also contested and debated. Second, we found that – sometimes conflicting – public health care goals (i.e. quality, accessibility and affordability) and narrower interests (e.g. the interests of specific hospitals, insurers, medical specialists and local administrators) were both pointed out. Third, there was no clear preferred approach to the future organisation of EDs, although most stakeholders mentioned some form of centralised decision-making at the national level, combined with regional customisation. Our findings will facilitate health policy decision-making around the reconfiguration of emergency care with the long-term goal of achieving efficient and high-quality emergency care.