by Gary W. Shugart  and Tessa G. Nania

Received: 09 July 2021;  Published: 29 September 2021;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2103023

On the Washington and Oregon coast of the NE Pacific Ocean from 2008-2015, we found that juveniles represented 83% of Northern Fulmars that were beached. In comparison to older birds, juveniles averaged more mass and pieces of plastic in stomachs. This reflected relatively larger plastic loads in the cranial stomach section, the proventriculus, which we found was associated with relatively large accumulations in the caudal stomach section, the ventriculus. We estimate that the proventriculus could retain almost 10 [...]

by Michelle Lynne LaBonte

Received: 29 July 2021;  Published: 29 September 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.genet.2103139

This article uses cystic fibrosis as a case study to examine how physicians and scientists have navigated uncertainty following newborn screening. Despite the many benefits of newborn screening, including earlier diagnosis, therapeutic intervention, and a reduced diagnostic odyssey, this public health approach also comes with challenges. For example, physicians began to document infants with indeterminate diagnoses - those with a positive screen who did not clearly fit into the cystic fibrosis or “normal” categorie [...]

by Bhuamik Patel  , Yeswanthi Kamineni  , Shashank Gorityala  and M Hima Bindu

Received: 19 August 2021;  Published: 28 September 2021;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2103039

Dental caries are one of the major causes of oral degeneration diseases. In order to treat dental-related diseases, it is often challenging and expensive. Recent literature has reported many advances in designing delivery systems utilizing polymers and novel biomaterials. Polymers play an important role in designing many nanoformulations like liposomes, polymeric micelles, polymeric nanoparticles, carbon-based nanoparticles, nano-hydroxyapatite, iron oxide, zirconia, silica, and silver nanoparticles were used to tr [...]

by Francesco V. Marino

Received: 27 April 2021;  Published: 28 September 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2103032

Homeopathy, a system of Traditional and Complementary Medicine (T&CM, according to WHO definition), is under frequent attack by skeptics because of its supposed “lack of evidence.” To overcome the distrust of skeptics and the public, many databases have been created, which focused on collecting all the published and indexed studies; however, none of these seem to be “comprehensive” and systematic enough. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the most reliable and available homeopathic studies in order to systemat [...]

by Alison Schmidt  and Anthony Shanks

Received: 16 June 2021;  Published: 27 September 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.genet.2103138

Cell-free DNA has emerged as the most reliable, non-invasive prenatal screening tool for fetal aneuploidies. It has come to replace the previously widely used quadruple screen offered in the second trimester of pregnancy. This change comes with improved detection for aneuploidy but also presents potential gaps in prenatal diagnosis including detection of open fetal defects and emerging data on prediction of adverse pregnancy outcomes. This review article provides a historical summary of the quadruple marker screen [...]

by Argyrios V. Karatrantos  , Md Sharif Khan  , Chuanyu Yan  , Reiner Dieden  , Koki Urita  , Tomonori Ohba  and Qiong Cai

Received: 24 May 2021;  Published: 27 September 2021;  doi: 10.21926/jept.2103043

The performance of metal-ion batteries at low temperatures and their fast charge/discharge rates are determined mainly by the electrolyte (ion) transport. Accurate transport properties must be evaluated for designing and/or optimization of lithium-ion and other metal-ion batteries. In this review, we report and discuss experimental and atomistic computational studies on ion transport, in particular, ion diffusion/dynamics, transference number, and ionic conductivity. Although a large number of studies focusing on l [...]

by Khaled Hassan  , Ian Sims  , Murray Reid  , Alex Smith  and Mohammed Al-Kuwari

Received: 18 April 2021;  Published: 26 September 2021;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2103038

Wadi gravel is a local aggregate in Qatar that could contribute to enhanced sustainability by replacing expensive imported gabbro. The material needs to be processed before use to reduce sulfate content to acceptable levels. The paper presents the performance assessment of three full-scale buildings, variously made with 50% and 100% Wadi gravel and conventional gabbro concretes. Site monitoring up to four years in service demonstrated the strength development with age and resistance to the aggressive exposure condi [...]

by Hong Yong Sohn  , Mohamed Elzohiery  and De-Qiu Fan

Received: 28 June 2021;  Published: 23 September 2021;  doi: 10.21926/jept.2103042

This article describes the development of a novel ironmaking technology based on flash reduction. The development started with the proof of the kinetic feasibility, considering that a typical flash reactor provides only a few seconds of residence time. This was followed by tests in a laboratory flash reactor and finally a pilot plant operation. The rate equations formulated in this work were developed considering the optimum combination of temperature, residence time, and reducing gas partial pressure to achieve &# [...]

by Hironari Minami  , Hiroaki Izumi  , Takumi Hasegawa  , Fan Bai  , Daisuke Mori  , Sou Taminato  , Yasuo Takeda  , osamu yamamoto  and Nobuyuki Imanishi

Received: 30 June 2021;  Published: 23 September 2021;  doi: 10.21926/jept.2103041

Rechargeable batteries with higher energy and power density exceeding the performance of the currently available lithium-ion batteries are suitable for application as the power source in electric vehicles (EVs). Aqueous lithium-air batteries are candidates for various EV applications due to their high energy density of 1910 Wh kg-1. The present study reports a rechargeable aqueous lithium-air battery with high power density at room temperature. The battery cell comprised a lithium anode, a non-aqueous anode electro [...]

by Janika Epe  , Rudolf Stark  and Ulrich Ott

Received: 29 June 2021;  Published: 18 September 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2103031

Yogic breathing techniques are fundamental to the physical and mental practice of yoga. They are closely connected to meditation, which involves the observation of breath. There are many yogic techniques based on the active regulation of the breath. Breathing practices influence many processes in the body, e.g. heart rate variability, and the mind, e.g. relaxation and stress, through their impact on the autonomic nervous system. This study intended to investigate differential effects of four yogic breathing techniq [...]

by Lin Xie  and Donald Kirk

Received: 09 June 2021;  Published: 16 September 2021;  doi: 10.21926/cr.2103003

Fe-rich alloys have been widely studied as catalyst materials for the cathodic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in hydrogen fuel cells, and many have shown high activities. The stability of Fe-rich catalysts has also been researched, and some studies have shown promising results using an accelerated stress test (AST), which uses a potential cycling method. However, for commercial fuel cell applications, such as standby power systems, the catalyst has to tolerate a high potential for a long period, which can not be r [...]

by Siamak Shirani Bidabadi  , Parisa Sharifi  and S. Mohan Jain

Received: 09 June 2021;  Published: 15 September 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.genet.2103137

Plant breeding programs have used conventional breeding methods, such as hybridization, induced mutations, and other methods to manipulate the plant genome within the species' natural genetic boundaries to improve crop varieties. However, repeatedly using conventional breeding methods might lead to the erosion of the gene reservoir, thereby rendering crops vulnerable to environmental stresses and hampering future progress in crop production, food and nutritional security, and socio-economic benefits. Integrating in [...]

by Meir Djaldetti

Received: 26 July 2021;  Published: 15 September 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.hg.2103061

Spices have been used for many decades, and although new and improved culinary spices have been developed, black pepper (Piper nigrum) continues to retain its distinguished title as the “King of spices” due to its particular pungent taste. An alkaloid called piperine is the main component in black pepper that, besides generating the well-known taste, imparts well-documented immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and even anti-cancer properties; these properties have led to rigorous researc [...]

by Selvaraju Sivamani  , Rajoo Baskar  and Balasubramanian Lakshmi

Received: 29 April 2021;  Published: 14 September 2021;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2103037

One of the crucial steps in the enzymatic hydrolysis of biomass is pretreatment. We investigated the applicability of a hybrid pretreatment method, This involved acid treatment followed by alkali before the production of fermentable sugars from cassava stem. The substrate was initially treated with acid (1% oxalic acid at 100 °C for 2 h), followed by treatment with a 10% NaOH–urea mixture (by mixing 5 g each of NaOH and urea in 100 mL of water) at 100 °C for 1 h. A cellulose recovery of 98.55% was obtained with the [...]

by Minato Nakamura  and Yoshinori Murakami

Received: 17 August 2021;  Published: 13 September 2021;  doi: 10.21926/cr.2103002

The photocatalytic reaction involved in TiO2 photocatalysis was investigated using a microreactor coated with TiO2 film on the glass plate attached on one side of the microreactor. It was confirmed that the effect of H2O2 on the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of azo dyes (acid orange 7, acid red 151, and acid yellow 23) was dependent on the polymorphs (anatase and rutile) of TiO2 coated on the glass plate of the UV-irradiated microreactor. Scavengers of holes (KI) and electrons (p-benzoquinone) were added to [...]

by Karin Matko  , Holger C. Bringmann  and Peter Sedlmeier

Received: 08 March 2021;  Published: 13 September 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2103030

Traditional yoga encompasses a variety of practices, such as postures, breathing techniques, meditation, and ethical teachings. However, little is known about how different components of yoga contribute to its overall effect. In this meta-synthesis, we comprehensively summarized the current evidence on differential and incremental effects of various yoga components collected from available meta-analyses. For this meta-analysis, we searched Medline/PubMed, Scopus, PsychInfo, and the Cochrane Library in July 2021. We [...]

by Ioannis Syros  , Aggeliki Karantzali  and Xenia Anastassiou-Hadjicharalambous

Received: 16 December 2020;  Published: 13 September 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2103106

The effects of pathological anxiety on public health have led to the realization that anxious children might experience significant limitations in their lives. Evidence-based cognitive-behavioral (CB) interventions are now being implemented in schools at a group level to combat anxiety.Childhood emotional health should be considered a national and global priority for an effective strategy promoting the prevention of mental health. The aim of this study is the description of novel data on the effectiveness of preven [...]

by Morgan A. Valley  and Lorann Stallones

Received: 30 June 2021;  Published: 12 September 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2103029

Hospice care workers are exposed to the hazards associated with in-home care in uncontrollable environments as well as occupational stress related to caring for terminally ill patients and their families. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of an abbreviated mindfulness intervention to improve hospice care worker occupational safety performance and well-being. This study used a single-group pre-post design to pilot test an 18-hour mindfulness training as an intervention on self-reported safety performance [...]

by Efstathios E. Michaelides

Received: 19 April 2021;  Published: 10 September 2021;  doi: 10.21926/jept.2103040

The impending adverse effects of Global Climate Change encourages the substitution of fossil fuels with non-carbon sources for electricity generation. However, while fossil fuel power plants may generate electric power at demand, the most abundant renewable energy sources-wind and solar-are intermittent or periodically variable. This necessitates the development of adequate energy storage at the utility/grid level. Using actual data for the hourly energy demand in the ERCOT electricity grid, this study examines the [...]

by Charlotte V. Farewell  , Jessica Walls  , Jamie N. Powers  , Joanne Whalen  , Meredith Shefferman  and Jenn A. Leiferman

Received: 30 June 2021;  Published: 09 September 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2103028

Mind-body interventions have shown promise for improving prenatal mental health. The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of a prenatal mind-body intervention delivered remotely due to COVID-19 and preliminary efficacy with respect to mental health outcomes. This study used a simultaneous mixed methods approach (n = 27). Mixed methods data were collected to evaluate the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of the remotely delivered program (I.e., acceptability, practicality, demand, sustainabili [...]

by Zachary Zeigler  , Jacob Lawrence  , Alexa Jamison  and Pete Salzano

Received: 02 August 2021;  Published: 02 September 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2103027

Statistical modeling indicated that COVID-19 would have afflicted more than 60% of the US population. Social distancing, self-quarantine, and widespread shutdowns were imposed. The push to stay at home and the decreased availability of exercise facilities have potentially reduced physical activity (PA). The purpose of this observational, correlational study was to determine if there is a relationship between PA level and symptoms of COVID-19. Subjects were asked to complete a single Survey Monkey questionnaire. The [...]

by Shih-Ang Hsu

Received: 25 July 2021;  Published: 02 September 2021;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2103022

Spatial relation between wind stress and storm surge during two hurricanes in 2020 is investigated. It is found that, during Laura’s landfall, the area inside of 65 knots (34 m s -1) isotach or line of equal wind speed can produce up to 18 ft (5.5 m) inundation and during Delta, the area inside of 50 knots (26 m s -1) up to 11 ft (3.3 m) high water level above the ground. The tropical cyclone (TC) surface analysis near landfall by the Regional and Mesoscale Meteorology Branch (RAMMB) is recommended as a first [...]

by O.A. Kornienko  , S.V. Yushkevych  , A.V. Sameljuk  and O.R. Andrievskaya

Received: 24 May 2021;  Published: 02 September 2021;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2103036

The phase equilibria and structural transformations in the ternary ZrO2-CeO2-Eu2O3 system at 1500 °C were studied by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy in the overall concentration range. The system was found to constitute fields of solid solutions based on the tetragonal (T) modification of ZrO2, cubic (C) and monoclinic (B) modifications of Eu2O3, cubic with a fluorite-type structure (F) modifications of CeO2 (ZrO2), and ordered intermediate phase with a pyrochlore-type structure of Eu2Zr2O [...]

by Robert Resta

Received: 22 June 2021;  Published: 01 September 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.genet.2103136

The goals of prenatal testing remain controversial and reflect competing interests of public health, patient rights, disability activists, scholars, feminist critics, commercial laboratories, judiciary/legislative trends, and medical science. This paper reviews and critiques the most common justifications of prenatal testing for fetal aneuploidy that have been put forth over the half century of its existence: reducing the medical and economic burden to society of genetic disease through selective abortion, allowing [...]

by Colin Armstrong

Received: 20 December 2020;  Published: 31 August 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2103026

Progress in technologies, notably in vivo and in situ methods, has equipped scientists with the necessary skills to explore the living human body in increasingly minute detail. This has led to a better understanding of the dynamic interplay between the various elements that make up the living human body. To further understand the interplay, this research focuses on the insights and observations of the founders of osteopathy, who placed great importance on the role of fascia in the body. Modern anatomical investigat [...]