bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Changes in Literacy Skills as Cohorts Age
Authors: Reiter Claudia 
Published: January 2022

AbstractAs our societies transform into knowledge societies, skills are playing an ever‐increasing role in life. Despite recent efforts to consistently measure adult skills across countries, a challenge remains to understand how skills evolve over time and what the main drivers behind these changes are. By applying demographic methods to estimate the development of skills over the life course, this paper presents the reconstruction of empirical adult literacy test results along cohort lines by age, sex, and educational attainment for 44 countries for the period 1970–2015. Results suggest significant heterogeneity in the pattern of changes in literacy skills with age, reflecting the differential exposure to cognitive stimulation over the life course and suggesting that the development of skills in a country is also the consequence of a changing composition of its population. Gender, however, was found to have hardly any effect on how literacy skills evolve between the ages of 15 and 65. On the aggregate level, findings reveal considerable differences between countries—regarding both the level of skills and their development over time. Overall, it was found that massive educational expansions happening globally in the recent past only partly resulted in a corresponding rise in skills.
Serial assessment of right ventricular function can detect acute cellular rejection in children with heart transplantation
Authors: Arthur Lindsay , Knecht Kenneth , Ferry Jennifer , Grigsby Debby , Spencer Horace , Zakaria Dala 
Published: January 2022

AbstractBackgroundEchocardiographic markers of ACR are essential for early recognition and management. The literature's primary focus has been on the LV with little attention given to the RV. This study aimed to investigate echocardiographic right ventricular indices in the detection of ACR and to evaluate their utility as prognostic indicators of graft integrity.MethodsWe performed a retrospective chart review of children with biopsy‐proven ACR following orthotopic heart transplant and an echocardiogram within 24 h of biopsy. Selected echocardiographic markers were compared at baseline, during ACR, and at follow‐up.ResultsForty‐eight patients (56% male) had a total of 84 ACR episodes. Decrease in RV FAC (mean − 17.1%, p < .001) and TAPSE (mean – 8.9%, p < .001) with increase in left ventricular posterior wall thickness in diastole and systole (LVPWTd) (mean + 9.0%, p = .012) and LVPWTs (mean + 8.3%, p = .016) were found during ACR. Interestingly, these parameters improved following the episode of rejection. Additionally, these markers were compared after recovery between children with and without graft failure. RV dysfunction (FAC and TAPSE) and changes in LV posterior wall thickness were not found to have prognostic significance for graft integrity in children with heart transplantation.ConclusionsRV echocardiographic functional parameters should be considered as valuable adjuncts in rejection surveillance. Further, the presence of RV dysfunction does not have prognostic significance for graft integrity but is reversible as ongoing damage was not detectable by such.
Relationship between sperm ubiquitination and equine semen freezability
Authors: Lançoni Renata , Celeghini Eneiva Carla Carvalho , Gonella‐Diaza Angela Maria , Júnior Valdemar De Giuli , de Carvalho Carla Patricia Teodoro , Zoca Gabriela Bertaiolli , Garcia‐Oliveros Laura Nataly , Batissaco Leonardo , Oliveira Leticia Zoccolaro , de Arruda Rubens Paes 
Published: January 2022

AbstractThis study aimed to assess the semen ubiquitin levels of stallions with good (GF) and poor semen freezability (PF) and to evaluate the relationship between sperm ubiquitination and sperm morphological defects. Five ejaculates from eight adult stallions (n = 40) were collected and cryopreserved. Then, the ubiquitin level in equine sperm cells was assessed by immunohistochemistry with epifluorescence microscopy, and sperm morphology was assessed by differential interference contrast microscopy. Sperm cells were classified according to the intensity (classification 1: from I to IV; I = very low ubiquitin intensity and IV = very high ubiquitin intensity) and location of ubiquitin staining (classification 2). Statistical analyses were performed using SAS software (version 9.4), and p ≤ .05 was considered significant. We observed that PF stallions showed higher percentages (p < .05) of sperm cells with high ubiquitination (11.82% of ubiquitin intensity grade I, 39.13% of ubiquitin intensity grade II, 27.25% of ubiquitin intensity grade III, and 20.67% of grade IV), while GF stallions showed higher percentages (p < .05) of sperm cells with lower staining intensity (28.52% grade I, 59.83% grade II, 7.92% grade III, and 7.02% grade IV). Furthermore, for PF stallions, 23 significant correlations were detected (p < .05) between sperm abnormalities and ubiquitin intensity in different sperm regions. Increased ubiquitination of the sperm head, midpiece, and tail was positively correlated with their respective morphological defects. We concluded that high sperm ubiquitin levels are observed in ejaculates from stallions with poor semen quality (poor freezability), and ubiquitin marking in specific cellular locations can identify sperm morphological defects.
Developmental analysis of reconstructed embryos of second‐generation cloned transgenic goats
Authors: Song Shaozheng , Lu Rui , Cheng Yong , Zhang Ting , Gu Leying , Yu Kangying , Zhou Mingming , Li Dan 
Published: January 2022

AbstractTo improve the efficiency of the production of transgenic cloned goats by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), the development of reconstructed embryos of first‐generation (G1) and second‐generation (G2) cloned transgenic goats was compared and analysed. Primary transgenic foetal fibroblasts were used as donor cells for G1 somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). When the G1 transgenic embryos developed to 35 days in the recipient goats, transgenic foetal fibroblasts were isolated from them and used as donor cells for the G2 clone. In the G1 clones, the average fusion rate of reconstructed embryos was 73.62 ± 2.9%, the average development rate (2–4 cells) was 33.96 ± 2.36%, and the pregnancy rate of transplant recipients was 31.91%. In the G2 clones, the average fusion rate of the reconstructed embryos was 90.29 ± 2.03%, the average development rate was 66.46 ± 3.30%, and the pregnancy rate was 58.14%. These results indicate that in the G2 clones, the fusion rate of eggs, the development rate of reconstructed embryos and the pregnancy rate of transplant recipients were significantly higher than those of G1 clones. We believe these results will lay a solid foundation for the efficient production of transgenic cloned animals in the future.
The stratigraphic significance of self‐organization: Exploring how autogenic processes can generate cyclical carbonate platform strata
Authors: Xi Haiwei , Burgess Peter M. 
Published: January 2022

AbstractAutogenic spatial self‐organization can produce coherent patterns of ordered cyclical strata through interaction of system components, independent of initial conditions and without external forcing. Previous numerical modelling work that partially explored self‐organized cyclicity in carbonate strata is expanded, refined and tested using a different numerical model formulation of an existing carbonate forward model ‘CarboCAT’. Results show that cross‐platform sediment transport creates a series of self‐organized prograding islands and shorelines that generate upward‐shallowing autocycles, defined by strong statistical evidence for ordered facies successions. A subtidal factory in front of each shoreline supplies sediment that drives shoreline progradation and these subtidal supply‐zone widths are also self‐organized to an optimal characteristic width due to island progradation, such that an accommodation creation/sediment supply ratio of around one maintains self‐organized shoreline progradation. The resulting island progradation rate determines autocycle thickness, which is very different from the accommodation control assumed in most sequence stratigraphic and cyclostratigraphic interpretations. This self‐organization process is comparable to the reaction–diffusion model first suggested by Alan Turing. The simplest possible combination of processes that leads to self‐organization are water‐depth‐dependent production, straight long‐distance cross‐platform transport and uniform subsidence. Additional more complex processes can produce self‐organization, but also more diverse island morphologies, less ordered autocyclic strata and more variable lateral facies continuity. Exploration of the model parameter space shows that self‐organization occurs for only a limited range of accommodation creation/sediment supply ratios. The modelling is calibrated and checked for realism against shoreline progradation rates measured on the Peros Banhos carbonate platform, British Indian Ocean Territory, and a Holocene Abu Dhabi shoreline, suggesting that this is a realistic and perhaps ubiquitous process in geological history. Given the fundamental nature of processes modelled here, and the match with observed processes in modern depositional systems, it seems possible that similar autogenic, self‐organizing processes have operated on many carbonate platforms and are an important component in the stratigraphic record.
Adolescents’ exposure to classmates from non‐immigrant families and adulthood volunteerism
Authors: Tong Yuying , Kim Jinho 
Published: January 2022

AbstractObjectiveSchools are important conduits for the core American value of volunteerism. School peers influence each other's civic knowledge, engagement, and eventual identity. However, whether the influence of peers on volunteerism differs based on immigrant and/or ethnic background is largely unknown. We examine whether and how exposure to classmates born to non‐immigrant parents is associated with volunteering behavior in adulthood.MethodsUsing the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, this study employs a quasi‐experimental research design.ResultsWe find that a higher concentration of classmates from non‐immigrant families increases the likelihood of engaging in volunteer work in adulthood. This association is large and statistically significant only among children of immigrants, which suggests that school peer contexts facilitate the long‐term social integration of children of immigrants in civic engagement. Moreover, the peer effect on volunteering is more salient for Hispanic children of immigrants compared to their Asian counterparts, suggesting the distinct pathways of civic learning between them.ConclusionThese findings provide empirical evidence on the heterogeneous effect of peers across people with different immigrant and ethnic backgrounds.
Molecular phylogeography and evolutionary history of the pink rice borer (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae): Implications for refugia identification and pest management
Authors: Tang Xiao‐Tian , Lu Ming‐Xing , Du Yu‐Zhou 
Published: January 2022

AbstractUnderstanding phylogeography, demographic dynamics as well as evolutionary forces of agricultural pests can enhance our understanding of their distribution dynamics, which is critical for developing effective control strategies. The pink rice borer (PRB), Sesamia inferens (Walker), is a destructive pest of rice that is widely distributed in Asia; however, little is known regarding its phylogeography and evolutionary history. In this study, we investigated the genetic diversity, population genetic structure and demographic history of the PRB at the scale of its whole distribution in China. Both mitochondrial and microsatellite datasets indicated that PRB individuals exhibit high levels of genetic diversity. Two large phylogeographic clusters were identified, corresponding to Northern and Southern China regions, respectively. The glacial events during the penultimate glacial period likely led to the separation of these two clusters, and parts of Northern and Southern China areas acted as independent refugia for PRB during glacial period. Two microrefugia in the Sichuan Basin and Yunnan‐Guizhou Plateau were also identified, and the PRB from Sichuan Basin could be one of the ancestral sources for PRB individuals from the Northern China lineage. Our study not only provides information that has implications for refugia identification, but also provides an example on how to reveal the phylogeography, demography history and evolutionary forces of an agriculture pest.
Glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency is more prevalent in Duffy‐null red blood cell transfusion in sickle cell disease
Authors: Yee Marianne E. , Francis Richard O. , Luban Naomi L. C. , Easley Kirk A. , Lough Christopher M. , Roback John D. , Josephson Cassandra D. , Fasano Ross M. 
Published: January 2022

AbstractBackgroundResistance to malaria infection may be conferred by erythrocyte genetic variations including glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency and lack of Duffy antigens. In red blood cell (RBC) transfusion, G6PD deficiency may shorten transfusion survival. Because Duffy‐null units are commonly transfused in sickle cell disease (SCD) due to antigen matching protocols, we examined whether Duffy‐null donor RBC units have a higher prevalence of G6PD deficiency.Materials and methodsPediatric patients with SCD on chronic transfusion therapy were followed prospectively for multiple transfusions. RBC unit segments were collected to measure G6PD activity and RBC genotyping. The decline in donor hemoglobin (ΔHbA) following transfusion was assessed from immediate posttransfusion estimates and HbA measurements approximately 1 month later.ResultsOf 564 evaluable RBC units, 59 (10.5%) were G6PD deficient (23 severe, 36 moderate deficiency); 202 (37.6%) units were Duffy‐null. G6PD deficiency occurred in 40 (19.8%) Duffy‐null units versus 15 (4.5%) Duffy‐positive units (p < .0001). In univariate analysis, the fraction of Duffy‐null RBC units per transfusion was associated with greater decline in HbA (p = .038); however, in multivariate analysis, severe G6PD deficiency (p = .0238) but not Duffy‐null RBC (p = .0139) were associated with ΔHbA.ConclusionSelection of Duffy‐null RBC units may result in shorter in vivo survival of transfused RBCs due to a higher likelihood of transfusing units from G6PD deficient donors.
Performing an upper airway examination in dogs
Authors: Loewen Jennifer M. , Bach Jonathan F. 
Published: January 2022

AbstractBackgroundIncreased airway resistance due to upper airway obstruction is a common cause of respiratory distress. An upper airway exam is an inexpensive and quick diagnostic procedure that can serve to localize a disease process, confirm a definitive diagnosis, and offer therapeutic benefits.DescriptionThe upper airway examination consists of an external evaluation of the head and neck as well as a sedated examination of the oral cavity, the pharyngeal cavity, larynx, and nasal passages.SummaryAn upper airway examination should be performed in patients with increased inspiratory effort or increased upper respiratory noise (eg, stertor or stridor). A complete, sedated upper airway examination should be considered for patients with clinical signs of upper airway disease for which a cause is not obvious from the physical examination.Key Points

Indications for an upper airway examination include sneezing, nasal discharge or epistaxis, reduced or absent nasal airflow, change in phonation, inspiratory difficulty, and audible respiratory sounds.
Upper airway examination helps localize pathological processes and allows the clinician to confirm or exclude several differential diagnoses.
Pre‐oxygenation of the patient for 3–5 minutes prior to sedation will help increase the amount of time available before hypoxemia occurs, should complications arise.
Upon completion of the upper airway examination, it is important to monitor the patient carefully and ensure a safe recovery.
Careful planning to ensure the availability of necessary equipment and preparation of the team to react during and after the airway examination will minimize the risks of examination to patients with upper airway disease.
Estimating costs of environmental degradation resulting from not fully reusing treated wastewater
Authors: Ghanem Adel M. , Alnashwan Othman S. , Alrwis Khaled N. , Alqahtani Safer H. , Duwais Abdulaziz , Alamri Yosef A. , Alagsam Fuad , Kamara Sahar A. , Ahmed Sharaf eldin B. , Aldawdahi Nageeb M. 
Published: January 2022

AbstractThe study aimed to estimate direct and indirect costs of environmental degradation resulting from not fully reusing treated wastewater. To achieve our objectives, the study relied on probability distributions and economics equations. The study found that the percentage of treated wastewater reused ranged within 0.9%–47.3% at a 95% confidence level and, correspondingly, the amount of unused wastewater ranged within 52.7%–99.1% at a 95% confidence level. The total costs borne by the Saudi economy for treating wastewater were 658.67 million dollars in 2019. Direct costs of environmental degradation account for 75.5% of that total, whereas indirect costs account for the remaining 24.5% of the cost of environmental degradation of 658.67 million dollars in 2019. To reduce such costs, results of this study suggest the need to continue to assess and monitor the quality of treated wastewater and make full use of it for agricultural and industrial purposes.
Fungus‐based bioremediation of olive mill wastewater and potential use in horticulture
Authors: Iwissat Sajida , Rahil Mahmoud , Shahin Nabil , Abuamsha Ruba , Hilal Hikmat S. , Zyoud Ahed , Nassar Ibrahim , Voogt Wim , Kujawa Katarzyna , Salman Mazen 
Published: January 2022

AbstractProposed treatment processes of OMWW have not been efficient in decreasing its high toxicity or lowering its ecological impact. Bioremediation using microorganisms might be considered an environmentally friendly alternative. In this work, four fungal isolates were tested for their efficacy in lowering the toxicity of OMWW. Results of this work showed that fungal isolates were able to grow on OMWW. However, only one isolate (OMWW2) showed significant lowering in total phenols from 159.27 mg/ml (in controlled untreated water) to 57.75 mg/ml. The treated OMWW was tested on seed gemination of tomato. The results showed 83% germination rates in the presence of treated OMWW compared with 0% rates in nontreated OMWW. The results showed also that OMWW could be used as a supplement fertilizer to the presence of macronutrient and micronutrient. This work provides a promising future treatment OMWW. Further studies are needed to evaluate the possible use of OMWW in horticulture.
Effect of Delay on Control of Direct Resonance of Ships in Beam Waves Using a Proportional–Derivative Controller With Delay
Authors: Shaik Junaidvali , Uchida Thomas K. , Vyasarayani C. P. 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
A harmonically excited, single-degree-of-freedom time-delay system with cubic and quintic nonlinearities is studied. This system describes the direct resonance of a ship with an actively controlled antiroll tank (ART) that is subjected to beam waves. We consider low-, medium-, and high-freeboard ship models. A proportional–derivative (PD) controller with a constant time delay is assumed to operate the pump in the active ART system. The delay originates from the time required to pump fluid from one container to another, the inertia of large impeller blades and linkages, and the measurement and processing time of the roll-sensing unit. The stability boundary of the system, in the parametric space of the control gain and the delay, is derived analytically from the characteristic equation of the linearized system. We show that the area of the zero equilibrium region is inversely related to the derivative time constant of the PD controller; thus, we focus on a strictly proportional-gain controller. The spectral Tau method is used to identify the eigenvalues associated with the zero equilibrium since the rightmost eigenvalues determine the system's robustness to perturbations in the initial conditions. We use the method of multiple scales and harmonic balance to obtain the global bifurcation diagram in the space of the applied frequency and the amplitude of the response. Numerical simulations verify our analytical expressions. Study of the dynamics, stability, and control of the roll motion of ships is critical to avoid dynamic instabilities and capsizing.
Flow Patterns, Roller Characteristics, and Air Entrainment in Weak Hydraulic Jumps: Does Size Matter?
Authors: Estrella Jorge , Wüthrich Davide , Chanson Hubert 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
A hydraulic jump is a stationary transition from an upstream supercritical to a downstream subcritical flow. Hydraulic jumps with relatively low Froude numbers may be observed downstream of low-head hydraulic structures and their flow properties have not been not well documented. In this study, the hydraulic properties were investigated experimentally in weak hydraulic jumps with an inflow Froude number Fr1 = 2.1 and inflow depths 0.012 m &lt; d1 &lt; 0.130 m. Three novel features of the study were (1) the very wide range of inflow length scales tested systematically, (2) the relatively high Reynolds number Re = 3.05 × 105 achieved in the largest experiment, with the Reynolds number defined as Re = ρ × V1 × d1/μ, and (3) the broad range of inflow conditions. Although no air entrainment was observed at the lowest Reynolds numbers, some distinct air–water flow patterns were observed in the roller region, generally similar to those observed at higher Froude numbers. The ratio of downstream to upstream depths followed closely the analytical solution of the momentum principle irrespective of the inflow depth. On the other hand, noticeable scaling issues were observed in terms of the dimensionless roller length, length of air–water flow region, roller toe fluctuation frequency, and rate of air entrainment, with increasing dimensionless data with increasing inflow depths, hence Reynolds numbers. The present results have some practical implication in terms of physical modeling and upscaling of results for low-head hydraulic structures, including culverts and storm waterways, which typically operate with Reynolds numbers in excess of 105.
Instability of Soft Elastic Filaments Under Torsion: Experiment and Analysis
Authors: Hu Jianhui , Liu Lei , Zeng Liang , He Yuming , Liu Dabiao 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
Twist insertion in soft filaments is an efficient way to produce the twisted and coiled polymer (TCP) muscles. The study on the formation process of highly twisted filaments is significant for understanding the mechanics of filament-based artificial muscles. A novel in situ torsion tester is developed for measuring the torsional behavior of monofilaments under an array of axial forces. The torque transducer consists of a flexural pivot attached by a mirror, the rotation angle of which is measured by an electronic autocollimator. The calibration results demonstrate perfect linearity between the torque and the angular displacement. The torsion tester combines a vast torque capacity of about 8.59 × 10−3 Nm with a resolution of about 1.02 × 10−8 Nm. Torsion experiments are performed on nylon 6 monofilaments under various axial forces. The critical torques for the first and the secondary instability of monofilaments under different axial forces are obtained. Three stability criteria of filaments subjected to torsion and tension, due to Timoshenko, to Ross, and to Dwivedi and co-workers, are accessed within the context of measurement data. The critical torque for the first instability predicted by the Timoshenko model agrees with the experimental results. The critical torques for the secondary instability can be well predicted by both the Ross and the Dwivedi et al.'s models, although the latter model gives a more reliable prediction.