bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predicting disease activity in patients with multiple sclerosis: An explainable machine‐learning approach in the Mavenclad trials
Authors: Basu Sreetama , Munafo Alain , Ben‐Amor Ali‐Frederic , Roy Sanjeev , Girard Pascal , Terranova Nadia
Published: May 2022

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is among the most common autoimmune disabling neurological conditions of young adults and affects more than 2.3 million people worldwide. Predicting future disease activity in patients with MS based on their pathophysiology and current treatment is pivotal to orientate future treatment. In this respect, we used machine learning to predict disease activity status in patients with MS and identify the most predictive covariates of this activity. The analysis is conducted on a pooled population of 1935 patients enrolled in three cladribine tablets clinical trials with different outcomes: relapsing–remitting MS (from CLARITY and CLARITY‐Extension trials) and patients experiencing a first demyelinating event (from the ORACLE‐MS trial). We applied gradient‐boosting (from XgBoost library) and Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP) methods to identify patients' covariates that predict disease activity 3 and 6 months before their clinical observation, including patient baseline characteristics, longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging readouts, and neurological and laboratory measures. The most predictive covariates for early identification of disease activity in patients were found to be treatment duration, higher number of new combined unique active lesion count, higher number of new T1 hypointense black holes, and higher age‐related MS severity score. The outcome of this analysis improves our understanding of the mechanism of onset of disease activity in patients with MS by allowing their early identification in clinical settings and prompting preventive measures, therapeutic interventions, or more frequent patient monitoring.
An additive power‐transformed half‐logistic model and its applications in reliability
Authors: Xavier Thomas , Jose Joby K. , Nadarajah Saralees
Published: May 2022

An additive power‐transformed half‐logistic distribution is proposed to model lifetime data having bathtub‐shaped hazard rate function. The model is derived as the sum of hazard rates of two independently distributed power transformed half‐logistic distributions. Some properties of the model like shapes of hazard function, quantile function, mean time between failure (MTBF), probability of failure due to early birth defect and due to ageing are discussed. The graphical estimation technique based on probability plotting procedure is demonstrated to be useful in estimating the parameters of this model. The method of maximum likelihood estimation is discussed for estimating the model parameters and simulation study is considered to show the performance of the estimates. Finally the usefulness of the developed distribution is illustrated by applying it to two real life datasets from engineering reliability.
Design of MOF‐Derived NiO‐Carbon Nanohybrids Photocathodes Sensitized with Quantum Dots for Solar Hydrogen Production
Authors: Shi Li , Benetti Daniele , Li Faying , Wei Qin , Rosei Federico
Published: May 2022

Nickel oxide (NiO) is a promising p‐type material for a wide range of optoelectronic devices, as well as photocathode for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. However, traditional NiO photoelectrodes exhibit a wide bandgap (3.6 eV), intrinsic poor electrical conductivity, and low surface area, leading to low PEC systems performance. Herein, the authors explore a Ni‐based metal–organic framework (MOF) template method to obtain hierarchical hollow spheres of carbon/NiO nanostructure by successive carbonization and oxidation treatments. After sensitization with core and core–shell quantum dots (QDs), the optimized NiO‐photocathode exhibits a maximum current density of −93.6 µA cm−2 at 0 V versus RHE (reversible hydrogen electrode) in neutral pH (6.8) and −285 µA cm−2 at −0.4 V versus RHE. Compared to pure NiO and single‐core CdSe QDs, a 2.2‐fold increase in photocurrent can be obtained. The improvement in the performance of this hybrid is not only due to the high surface area for loading QDs and light scattering, but also to the presence of a highly conductive carbon matrix that promotes fast charge transfer. The proposed MOFs‐based NiO/carbon photocathode sensitized with QDs can be an effective strategy to improve the efficiency of metal oxide‐based PEC systems for hydrogen generation.
Molybdenum‐doped ordered L10‐PdZn nanosheets for enhanced oxygen reduction electrocatalysis
Authors: Liang Jiashun , Xia Yu , Liu Xuan , Huang Fanyang , Liu Jinjia , Li Shenzhou , Wang Tanyuan , Jiao Shuhong , Cao Ruiguo , Han Jiantao , Wang Hsing‐Lin , Li Qing
Published: May 2022

Ultrathin Pd‐based two‐dimensional (2D) nanosheets (NSs) with tunable physicochemical properties have emerged as promising candidate for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Unfortunately, structurally ordered Pd‐based NSs can be hardly prepared as high temperature annealing (>600°C) is necessary for disorder to order phase transition, making it a considerable challenge for morphology control. Herein, a new class of ultrathin structurally ordered Mo‐doped L10‐PdZn NSs with curved geometry and abundant defects/lattice distortions is reported as an efficient oxygen reduction electrocatalyst in alkaline solution. It is found that Mo(CO)6 serves as reducing agent and Mo source to generate the unique ordered 2D morphology, which leads to the significantly modified electronic structure. The developed L10‐Mo‐PdZn NSs exhibit excellent ORR mass activity of 2.6 A mgPd−1 at 0.9 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode, 31.5 and 17.6 times higher than those of Pd/C and Pt/C, respectively, outperforming most of the reported Pd‐based ORR electrocatalsyts. Impressively, L10‐Mo‐PdZn NSs is extremely stable for ORR, with only 2.3% activity loss after 10 000 potential cycles. Density functional theory study suggests that ordered L10 structure and Mo doping can raise the vacancy formation energy of Pd atom and thus promote the ORR stability.
Creating law to seek information and protect the public, Part 2
Authors: Rainsberger Richard
Published: May 2022

§99.31 Under what conditions is prior consent not required to disclose information?
Empower students, advisors, administrators with your degree audit tool
Authors: Hope Joan
Published: May 2022

PORTLAND, Ore. — When advisors created degree audits for undergraduate students using the University of Chicago's legacy system, two students with the same major could end up with widely differing results. And students didn't have access to the system to check their progress on their own, said Zachary Swartz, Deputy University Registrar. He spoke at the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers annual conference.
Review key data from the NCES
Authors: Hope Joan
Published: May 2022

Every year, the National Center for Education Statistics compiles data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System and from other sources in the Condition of Education.
Capture and handling of animals in the wild
Authors: Knight John
Published: May 2022

Reviewed by John Knight, an independent veterinary zoo and wildlife management consultant.
Fe5Ge2Te2: Iron‐rich Layered Chalcogenide for Highly Efficient Hydrogen Evolution
Authors: Lee Eunsoo , Rezaie Amir A. , Luong Diana , Yapo Johan A. , Fokwa Boniface P. T.
Published: May 2022

Recent research on van der Waals (vdW) metal chalcogenides electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) has been devoted to finding new catalysts with active basal planes. Here, we report on experimental and theoretical investigations of the HER activity of a recently discovered iron‐rich vdW spintronic material, Fe5Ge2Te2 (FG2T) in alkaline media (1 M KOH). We show that a densified electrode of FG2T requires an overpotential of only −90.5 mV to drive a current density of 10 mA/cm2. Free energy calculations of hydrogen adsorption using density functional theory (DFT) proved that the numerous sites present on the hexagonal Te layer are more active than those found in the recently proposed Fe3GeTe2 (FGT) catalyst, supporting higher activity for the new Fe‐richer catalyst. Like in FGT, XPS analysis has found that a thin oxide layer covers the active FG2T layers, suggesting the real active surface to be a hybrid FG2T/oxide layer. These results strengthen the idea of continued screening of iron‐based vdW materials to replace the non‐abundant platinum group electrocatalysts toward HER and other electrocatalytic processes.
Recent advances in pillar‐layered metal‐organic frameworks with interpenetrated and non‐interpenetrated topologies as supercapacitor electrodes
Authors: Hong Ye , Wang Yuting , Guo Yuxuan , Wang Kuaibing , Wu Hua , Zhang Cheng , Zhang Qichun
Published: May 2022

Metal‐Organic Frameworks (MOFs), one type of porous materials with designable and tunable structures, are being actively studied as electrode materials in the supercapacitors (SCs) field. During the recent decade, various MOFs branches with special shapes and topological architectures have been studied. Among them, the pillar‐layered MOFs, the particular two‐dimensional (2D) frameworks, have gained much attention in energy‐storage fields. From the perspective of spatial topology, pillar‐layered MOFs can be divided into interpenetrating and non‐interpenetrating MOFs. These two MOFs with remarkable structures play different positive roles in SCs. In this review, we will focus on summarizing the current development of pillar‐layered MOFs from the two aspects: interpenetration and non‐interpenetration. Moreover, the strategies to improve the electrochemical performance of pillar‐layered MOFs as electrode materials are also discussed. We hope that this review could provide researchers with some new guidelines to develop high‐performance, energy‐saving and environmentally‐friendly MOF‐based materials for SCs in the future.
Bulk-Fitness Measurements Using Barcode Sequencing Analysis in Yeast
Authors: Chochinov Claire A. , Nguyen Ba Alex N.
Published: May 2022

The use of DNA barcodes for determining changes in genotype frequencies has been instrumental to increase the scale at which we can phenotype strain libraries by using next-generation sequencing technologies. Here, we describe the determination of strain fitness for thousands of yeast strains simultaneously in a single assay using recent innovations that increase the precision of these measurements, such as the inclusion of unique-molecular identifiers (UMIs) and purification by solid-phase reverse immobilization (SPRI) beads.
N-Substituted 4-sulfamoylbenzoic acid derivatives as inhibitors of cytosolic phospholipase A2α
Authors: Borecki Daniel , Lehr Matthias
Published: May 2022

The N,N-disubstituted 4-sulfamoylbenzoic acid derivative 3, which was found to be an inhibitor of cytosolic phospholipase A2α (cPLA2α) with micromolar activity in a ligand-based virtual screening approach, was structurally modified to increase its enzyme inhibitory potency. Replacing the substituents on the sulfonamide nitrogen with other residues such as naphthyl, naphthylmethyl, indolylalkyl and differently substituted phenyl moieties did not lead to a significant increase in activity. Only strong structural convergence to the potent known benzhydrylindole-substituted benzoic acid derivatives that had served as templates in the virtual screening resulted in compounds with considerable potency. Thus, the sulfamoyl benzoic acid derivatives 85 and 88 showed submicromolar IC50 values against cPLA2α.
Orthopaedic, trauma surgery, and Covid-2019 pandemic: clinical panorama and future prospective in Europe
Authors: Migliorini Filippo , Weber Christian David , Pappalardo Geatano , Schenker Hanno , Hofmann Ulf Krister , Eschweiler Joerg , Hildebrand Frank
Published: May 2022

Purpose

This study investigated the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in Europe on consultations, surgeries, and traumas in the field of orthopaedic and trauma surgery. Strategies to resume the clinical activities were also discussed.

Methods

This systematic review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: the 2020 PRISMA statement. All the comparative studies reporting data on the impact of Covid-19 in the field of orthopaedic and trauma surgery in Europe were accessed. Only comparative clinical studies which investigated the year 2020 versus 2019 were eligible.

Results

57 clinical investigations were included in the present study. Eight studies reported a reduction of the orthopaedic consultations, which decreased between 20.9 and 90.1%. Seven studies reported the number of emergency and trauma consultations, which were decreased between 37.7 and 74.2%. Fifteen studies reported information with regard to the reasons for orthopaedic and trauma admissions. The number of polytraumas decreased between 5.6 and 77.1%, fractures between 3.9 and 63.1%. Traffic accidents admissions dropped by up to 88.9%, and sports-related injuries dropped in a range of 59.3% to 100%. The overall reduction of the surgical interventions ranged from 5.4 to 88.8%.

Conclusion

The overall trend of consultations, surgeries, and rate of traumas and fragility fractures appear to decrease during the 2020 European COVID pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic era. Given the heterogeneities in the clinical evidence, results from the present study should be considered carefully.

Level of evidence

Level IV, systematic review.
Profilanalyse ambulanter Patienten einer geriatrischen Spezialsprechstunde
Authors: Rohde Jörg Martin , Kunnel Asha , Becker Ingrid , Unger Heinz L. , Hummel Jana , Röhrig-Herzog Gabriele
Published: May 2022

Hintergrund

In Deutschland werden multimorbide geriatrische Patienten primär beim Hausarzt versorgt. Regionale Modelle für eine ergänzende ambulante geriatrische Betreuung wurden entwickelt, sind aber bisher weder evaluiert noch etabliert. Auch ist noch unklar, wann ein Patient zur geriatrischen Diagnostik eher stationär oder eher ambulant fachärztlich gesehen werden sollte. Die vorliegende Untersuchung zielt auf eine Profilerstellung ambulanter geriatrischer Patienten ab, um Unterscheidungsmerkmale zu finden, die eine Abgrenzung gegenüber stationär geriatrischen Patienten erlauben.

Methode

Retrospektiver Vergleich ambulanter Patientendaten einer geriatrischen Spezialsprechstunde mit stationären Patientendaten einer benachbarten Akutgeriatrie aus dem gleichen Zeitraum; Patienten wurden hausärztlich über- bzw. eingewiesen; Studienparameter: Elemente des geriatrischen Assessments, Ergebnisse routinemäßiger Laboruntersuchungen.

Ergebnisse

Die ambulanten Patienten waren weniger funktionell eingeschränkt. Regressionsanalyse: besserer Barthel-Index, höhere GFR und normwertiges Gesamteiweiß erhöhten Chance auf ambulante Behandlung.

Schlussfolgerung

Durch eine frühzeitige Identifizierung geriatrischer Patienten, die ambulant betreut werden können, besteht die Möglichkeit, Hausärzte durch interdisziplinäre Zusammenarbeit zu entlasten und den kostenintensiven Drehtüreffekt zu verhindern.
Neurological assessment of newborns with spinal muscular atrophy identified through neonatal screening
Authors: Pane Marika , Donati Maria Alice , Cutrona Costanza , De Sanctis Roberto , Pirinu Matteo , Coratti Giorgia , Ricci Martina , Palermo Concetta , Berti Beatrice , Leone Daniela , Ticci Chiara , Sacchini Michele , Cerboneschi Margherita , Capasso Anna , Cicala Gianpaolo , Pera Maria Carmela , Bravetti Chiara , Abiusi Emanuela , Vaisfeld Alessandro , Vento Giovanni , Tiziano Francesco Danilo , Mercuri Eugenio
Published: May 2022

The possibility to identify patients with spinal muscular atrophy through neonatal screenings has highlighted the need for clinical assessments that may systematically evaluate the possible presence of early neurological signs. The aim of this study was to use the Hammersmith Neonatal Neurological Examination (HNNE) and a module specifically designed for floppy infants to assess the possible variability of neurological findings in infants identified through neonatal screening. The infants included in this study were identified as part of a pilot study exploring neonatal screening in two Italian regions. A neurological examination was performed using the HNNE and an additional module developed for the assessment of floppy infants. Seventeen infants were identified through the screening. One patient had 1 SMN2 copy, 9 had 2 copies, 3 had 3, and 4 had more than 3 copies. Nine of the 17 infants (53%) had completely normal results on both scales, 3 had minimal signs, and the other 5 had more obvious clinical signs. The number of SMN2 copies was related to the presence of abnormal neurological signs (p = 0.036) but two SMN2 copies were associated with variable clinical signs as they were found in some infants with respectively normal examination or obvious severe early signs.

Conclusions: Our results suggest that the combination of both scales increases the possibility to detect neonatal neurological signs and to define different early patterns of involvement also identifying paucisymptomatic patients.

What is Known:• The use of new therapeutic options in presymptomatic SMA patients leads to a dramatic reduction of the onset and severity of the diesease.• The already existing tools commonly used in Type I SMA (HINE and CHOP-intend) may not be suitable to identify minor neurological signs in the neonatal period.

What is New:• Combining the HNNE and the floppy infant module, we were able to identify early neurological signs in SMA infants identified through newborn screening and may help to predict the individual therapeutic outcome of these patients.• Iinfants with 2 SMN2 copies identified through the screening had a more variable neonatal examination compared to those with three or more copies, in agreement with similar findings in older infants.
Laboratory Simulation of Groundwater Along Uranium-Mining-Affected Flow Paths Near the Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA
Authors: Bern Carleton R. , Campbell Kate M. , Walton-Day Katherine , Van Gosen Bradley S.
Published: May 2022

Mining of volumetrically small, but relatively enriched (average 0.6% U3O8) breccia pipe uranium (BPU) deposits near the Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA has the potential to affect groundwater and springs in the area. Such deposits also contain base metal sulfides that can oxidize to generate acid mine drainage and release trace metals. In this study, sequential batch experiments were conducted to simulate the geochemistry of local shallow groundwater that contacts BPU ore and then moves downgradient through sedimentary strata. The experiments simulated shallow groundwater in a carbonate aquifer followed by contact with BPU ore. The experiments subsequently simulated contact with sedimentary rocks and changing oxygen availability. Concentrations of several contaminants of potential concern became substantially elevated in the waters exposed to BPU ore, including As, Co, Ni, U, and Zn, and to a lesser extent, Mo. Of these, Co, Mo, Ni, and U were minimally attenuated by downgradient processes, whereas Zn was partially attenuated. Sb and Tl concentrations were more moderately elevated but also generally minimally attenuated. Although the mixture of elements is particular to these BPU ore deposits, sulfide oxidation in the ore and carbonate buffering of pH by sedimentary rocks generates patterns of water chemistry common in acid mine drainage settings. Ultimately, downgradient concentrations of elements sourced from BPU ore will also be strongly influenced by non-geochemical factors such as the quantities of water contacting BPU materials, heterogeneity of materials along flow paths, and mixing with waters that have not contacted BPU materials.
People versus machines: introducing the HIRE framework
Authors: Will Paris , Krpan Dario , Lordan Grace
Published: May 2022

The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the recruitment process is becoming a more common method for organisations to hire new employees. Despite this, there is little consensus on whether AI should have widespread use in the hiring process, and in which contexts. In order to bring more clarity to research findings, we propose the HIRE (Human, (Artificial) Intelligence, Recruitment, Evaluation) framework with the primary aim of evaluating studies which investigate how Artificial Intelligence can be integrated into the recruitment process with respect to gauging whether AI is an adequate, better, or worse substitute for human recruiters. We illustrate the simplicity of this framework by conducting a systematic literature review on the empirical studies assessing AI in the recruitment process, with 22 final papers included. The review shows that AI is equal to or better than human recruiters when it comes to efficiency and performance. We also find that AI is mostly better than humans in improving diversity. Finally, we demonstrate that there is a perception among candidates and recruiters that AI is worse than humans. Overall, we conclude based on the evidence, that AI is equal to or better to humans when utilised in the hiring process, however, humans hold a belief of their own superiority. Our aim is that future authors adopt the HIRE framework when conducting research in this area to allow for easier comparability, and ideally place the HIRE framework outcome of AI being better, equal, worse, or unclear in the abstract.
Analogical proportions
Authors: Antić Christian
Published: May 2022

Analogy-making is at the core of human and artificial intelligence and creativity with applications to such diverse tasks as proving mathematical theorems and building mathematical theories, common sense reasoning, learning, language acquisition, and story telling. This paper introduces from first principles an abstract algebraic framework of analogical proportions of the form ‘ais tobwhatcis tod’ in the general setting of universal algebra. This enables us to compare mathematical objects possibly across different domains in a uniform way which is crucial for AI-systems. It turns out that our notion of analogical proportions has appealing mathematical properties. As we construct our model from first principles using only elementary concepts of universal algebra, and since our model questions some basic properties of analogical proportions presupposed in the literature, to convince the reader of the plausibility of our model we show that it can be naturally embedded into first-order logic via model-theoretic types and prove from that perspective that analogical proportions are compatible with structure-preserving mappings. This provides conceptual evidence for its applicability. In a broader sense, this paper is a first step towards a theory of analogical reasoning and learning systems with potential applications to fundamental AI-problems like common sense reasoning and computational learning and creativity.
Microstructural and hardness evolution of additively manufactured Al–Si–Cu alloy processed by high-pressure torsion
Authors: Al-Zubaydi Ahmed S. J. , Gao Nong , Wang Shuncai , Reed Philippa A. S.
Published: May 2022

Nanostructured Al-9%Si-3%Cu alloy was achieved by direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) and then processed using high-pressure torsion (HPT) processing, which resulted in considerable grain refinement down to 60 nm associated with a substantial dislocation density up 6.2 × 1014 m−2 and a significant reduction in the porosity. Hardness measurements across the horizontal and vertical cross sections showed an improvement in the strength homogeneity for processed samples after 10 turns of HPT processing. These results indicate that a controllable ultrafine-grained microstructure can be achieved by employing additive manufacturing, followed by effective severe plastic deformation processing.
Spectroscopic Behavior and Photophysical Parameters of 2-(Acetoxymethyl)-6-(1,2,4-triazinylaminodihydroquinazolinyl)tetrahydropyran Derivative in Different Solid Hosts
Authors: Sakr Mahmoud E. M. , Kana Maram T. H. Abou , Elwahy Ahmed H. M. , Abdelwahed Mohamed S. , El-Daly Samy A. , Ebeid El-Zeiny M.
Published: May 2022

Optical and photophysical properties of 6-substituted-1,2,4-Triazine fluorescent derivative dye doped in silicate based sol–gel, homopolymer of methyl methacrylate (PMMA), and copolymer (MMA/diethylene glycol dimethacrylate) (DEGDMA) were investigated. The pores of different hosts and caging of the dye were found to effect on the parameters such as molar absorptivity, cross sections of singlet–singlet electronic absorption and emission spectra, excited state lifetime, quantum yield of fluorescence. The dipole moment of electronic transition, the length of attenuation and oscillator strength of electronic transition from So → S1 have been calculated. The dye was pumped with different powers using 3rd harmonic Nd: YAG laser of 355 nm and pulse duration 8 ns, with repetition rate 10 Hz. Good photo stability for dye was attained. After 55,000 pumping pulses of (10 mJ/pulse), the photo-stabilities were decreased to 53%, 48%, and 45% of the initial ASE of dye in sol gel, PMMA, and Co-polymer respectively. The dye in sol–gel matrix showed improvement of photo stability compared with those in organic polymeric matrices.
Convergence rates for the heavy-ball continuous dynamics for non-convex optimization, under Polyak–Łojasiewicz condition
Authors: Apidopoulos Vassilis , Ginatta Nicolò , Villa Silvia
Published: May 2022

We study convergence of the trajectories of the Heavy Ball dynamical system, with constant damping coefficient, in the framework of convex and non-convex smooth optimization. By using the Polyak–Łojasiewicz condition, we derive new linear convergence rates for the associated trajectory, in terms of objective function values, without assuming uniqueness of the minimizer.
On preferring
Authors: Blumberg Kyle
Published: May 2022

In this paper, I draw attention to comparative preference claims, i.e. sentences of the form $$\ulcorner $$
⌜
S prefers p to q$$\urcorner $$
⌝
. I show that preference claims exhibit interesting patterns, and try to develop a semantics that captures them. Then I use my account of preference to provide an analysis of desire. The resulting entry for desire ascriptions is independently motivated, and finds support from a wide range of phenomena.
Dialysis or kidney transplantation in older adults? A systematic review summarizing functional, psychological, and quality of life-related outcomes after start of kidney replacement therapy
Authors: Schoot Tessa S. , Goto Namiko A. , van Marum Rob J. , Hilbrands Luuk B. , Kerckhoffs Angèle P. M.
Published: May 2022

Background

In older patients, the choice between kidney transplantation (KT) and dialysis may be complicated because of a high prevalence of comorbidities and geriatric syndromes. Ideally, this decision-making process focusses on older patients’ outcome priorities, which frequently include functional, psychological, and quality of life (QOL)-related outcomes.

Purpose

This systematic review aims to summarize functional, psychological (including cognition), and QOL-related outcomes after start of kidney replacement therapy (KRT) in older adults.

Methods

We searched PubMed and Embase for research that investigated change in these variables after start of KRT in patients aged ≥ 60 years. Data were extracted using the summary measures reported in the individual studies. Risk of bias was assessed with the ROBINS-I tool.

Results

Sixteen observational studies (prospective n = 9, retrospective n = 7; KT-recipients n = 3, dialysis patients n = 13) were included. The results show that QOL improves in the majority of the older KT recipients. After start of dialysis, QOL improved or remained stable for most patients, but this seems less prevalent than after KT. Functional status decreases in a substantial part of the older dialysis patients. Furthermore, the incidence of serious fall injuries increases after start of dialysis. Nutritional status seems to improve after start of dialysis.

Conclusion

The interpretability and comparability of the included studies are limited by the heterogeneity in study designs and significant risk of bias in most studies. Despite this, our overview of functional, psychological (including cognition), and QOL-related outcomes is useful for older adults and their clinicians facing the decision between KT and dialysis.
Messung der kardiorespiratorischen Fitness mit unterschiedlichen Kurzbelastungstests
Authors: Frühauf Alexander , Kugler Joachim , Spitzer Silvia , Seibt Reingard
Published: May 2022

Problem- und Zielstellung

Eingeschränkte kardiorespiratorische Fitness (CRF) gilt als Risikofaktor für die Entwicklung von Herz-Kreislauf-Erkrankungen. Häufig erfolgt die CRF-Ermittlung mit dem submaximalen Belastungs-EKG (Fahrradergometrie). Es mangelt an Testverfahren, die ortsunabhängig und ökonomisch als Screeninginstrument zur Früherkennung eingeschränkter CRF einsetzbar sind. Deshalb wurde untersucht, ob auch kurze Belastungstests (nachfolgend Kurztests) eine zuverlässige Aussage zur CRF ermöglichen und eine Alternative zum Belastung-EKG sein können.

Methodik

Die Untersuchungen erfolgten im Rahmen der arbeitsmedizinischen Vorsorge. Diese bestand aus einem Fragebogen (u. a. anamnestische, soziodemografische, lebensstilbezogene Angaben), körperlichen Untersuchungen (u. a. Body Mass Index, Herzfrequenz, Blutdruck) und vier Belastungstests (submaximales Belastungs-EKG, Kurztests: Kurzergometrie, Stepp-Test, Kniebeugetest). In die Analysestichprobe gingen 66 Erwerbstätige (30 Frauen, 36 Männer; Durchschnittsalter: 48 Jahre) ein. Die CRF wurde nach der Formel von Wicks et al. (2011) ermittelt.

Ergebnisse

Die CRF war in den Kurztests signifikant geringer als im Belastungs-EKG (η2partial = 0,23). Mit den Kurztests wurde der submaximale Belastungsbereich nicht erreicht. Die CRF korrelierte zwischen Belastungs-EKG und Kurztests sehr gering bis gering (r = 0,16–0,23). Zwischen den Kurztests bestanden mittlere Korrelationen (r = 0,54–0,62). Geschlecht, Alter und Sportstunden/Woche beeinflussen die CRF.

Schlussfolgerung

Die Kurztests können das Belastungs-EKG nicht ersetzen. Bei ihnen wird nicht die eigentliche CRF ermittelt, sondern eine neu definierte Kurzbelastungsfitness. Ob die Kurzbelastungsfitness Aussagen über das kardiorespiratorische Erkrankungsrisiko ermöglicht, ist weiter zu untersuchen.
„Ich fand die Unterrichtsstunde interessant – du etwa nicht?“
Authors: Becker Eva S. , Keller Melanie M.
Published: May 2022

Der Umgang mit einer heterogenen Schülerschaft ist für Lehrpersonen in jeder Unterrichtsstunde eine neue Herausforderung, da es neben stabilen Unterschieden auch dynamische Schwankungen in motivational-affektiven Voraussetzungen gibt. Das Ziel des vorliegenden Beitrags ist es die Variabilität und Prädiktoren (Klassenkomposition bzgl. des individuellen Interesses, Unterrichtsqualität und adaptive Unterrichtsgestaltung) des situationalen Interesses einer Klasse zu untersuchen und zusätzlich das Ausmaß der Heterogenität zwischen den Schülerinnen und Schüler einer Klasse zu fokussieren. In einer kombinierten Fragebogen- und Tagebuchstudie mit 41 Klassen und ihren Mathematiklehrpersonen (n = 879 Schüler*innen,n = 307 Unterrichtslektionen) konnte in hierarchischen Regressionsmodellen gezeigt werden, dass das situationale Interesse durch Merkmale der spezifischen Lektion (Unterrichtsqualität und adaptive Unterrichtsgestaltung) erklärt werden konnte, während Klassenkompositionsmerkmale (individuelles Interesse) eine untergeordnete Rolle spielten. Bezüglich der Heterogenität im situationalen Interesse konnten der Enthusiasmus der Lehrperson und eine adaptive Unterrichtsgestaltung als relevante Prädiktoren identifiziert werden.
Contemplations and investigations on green coagulants in treatment of surface water: a critical review
Authors: Karnena Manoj Kumar , Saritha Vara
Published: May 2022

Coagulation is an essential and easy process to treat water and wastewater and also to adopt for point of use solutions. Coagulants have played a significant role in providing safe and potable water. Nevertheless, the ill effects of chemical coagulants, such as health effects and substantial sludge quantities, cannot be ignored. Under given conditions, the search for alternative coagulants has been the need of the hour, and researchers have presented those natural coagulants are promising alternatives. The exploration and evaluation of plant-based coagulants have shown that these are fit to substitute chemical coagulants sustainably. Previous studies have presented the efficacy of various coagulants but could not fill in the gap existing in terms of a cumulative database of natural coagulants. In these lines, the focus of the current review is to present the history of natural coagulants, the science involved and studies carried out to evaluate them at different levels. Furthermore, a cumulative database of 57 natural coagulants with their efficacy in removing impurities from raw water is presented.
Community detection with a subsampled semidefinite program
Authors: Abdalla Pedro , Bandeira Afonso S.
Published: May 2022

Semidefinite programming is an important tool to tackle several problems in data science and signal processing, including clustering and community detection. However, semidefinite programs are often slow in practice, so speed up techniques such as sketching are often considered. In the context of community detection in the stochastic block model, Mixon and Xie (IEEE Trans Inform Theory 67(10): 6832–6840, 2021) have recently proposed a sketching framework in which a semidefinite program is solved only on a subsampled subgraph of the network, giving rise to significant computational savings. In this short paper, we provide a positive answer to a conjecture of Mixon and Xie about the statistical limits of this technique for the stochastic block model with two balanced communities.
Inscription and Rebellion
Authors: Klocke Sonja E.
Published: May 2022

The healthcare system of the German Democratic Republic, based on Soviet models, reflected the importance the socialist state assigned the health of both its citizens and of the metaphorical nationalbody meant to represent and promulgate the nation's political vitality. Yet many East German literary writers depicted characters ailing and under medical care, and even after the country's dissolution in 1990, writers who had lived there continued to portray sickness and the GDR healthcare system prominently in their fiction. This book offers an innovative reading of such texts - both by theGDR's most prominent writer, Christa Wolf, and by younger writers raised in the GDR but active mainly after 1989 - employing historical research on the healthcare system and feminist and queer theoryto get at socialism's legacy. It develops a new approach to East German literature that underscores the impact of forty years of Marxist-Leninist thought on post-GDR poetics. Intertwining aestheticswith politics, the book employs the Foucauldian concept of the "symptomatic body," in this case a female character's body on which historical and political events inscribe physical or psychological illness, in so doing revealing a specifically East German literary convention: employment of such "symptomatic bodies" to either enforce or rebel against political and social norms. Sonja E.Klocke is Assistant Professor of German Studies and Affiliated Faculty in Gender and Women's Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Misunderstandings Regarding Carbohydrates in Human Nutrition
Authors: Martin Steve L.
Published: May 2022

In a recent issue ofAmerican Antiquity, two articles (Gill et al. 2021; Lyons et al. 2021) perpetuate the common misconception that dietary carbohydrates are an essential component of the human diet and that plants—the main source of dietary carbohydrates—must be consumed to promote health. In fact, carbohydrate is a nonessential macronutrient with adequate amounts of energy—the sole function of carbohydrates in the human diet—being produced via gluconeogenesis and ketogenesis in the absence of dietary carbohydrate. Additionally, both articles erroneously employ the term “dietary staple” in reference to geophyte consumption.
Effects of crop insurance on farm input use: Evidence from Kansas farm data
Authors: Regmi Madhav , Briggeman Brian C. , Featherstone Allen M.
Published: May 2022

Crop insurance has been linked to changes in farm production decisions. In this study, we examine the effects of crop insurance participation and coverage on farm input use. Using a 1993–2016 panel of Kansas farms, evidence exists that insured farms apply more farm chemicals and seed per acre than uninsured farms. We use a fixed effects instrumental variable estimator to obtain the effects of change in crop insurance coverage on farm input use accounting farm-level heterogeneity. Empirical evidence suggests that changes in the levels of crop insurance coverage do not significantly affect farm chemical use. Thus, moral hazard effects from purchasing crop insurance are not large on a per acre basis but can lead to expenditures of $6,100 per farm.
Injuries From Explosions: More Differences Than Similarities Between Various Types
Authors: Rozenfeld Michael , Peleg Kobi , Radomislensky Irina , Ragoler Morel ,   Israel Trauma Group (I.T.G.), Bodas Moran
Published: May 2022

Objective:

To compare injury patterns of different types of explosions.

Methods:

A retrospective study of 4508 patients hospitalized due to explosions recorded in the Israel National Trauma Registry between January 1997 and December 2018. The events were divided into 4 groups: terror-related, war-related, civilian intentional explosions, and civilian unintentional explosions. The groups were compared in terms of injuries sustained, utilization of hospital resources, and clinical outcomes.

Results:

Civilian intentional and terror-related explosions were found to be similar in most aspects except for factors directly influencing mortality and a larger volume of severely injured body regions among terror-victims. Comparisons between other groups produced some parallels, albeit less consistent. Civilian intentional explosions and civilian unintentional explosions were different from each other in most aspects. The latter group also differed from others by its high volume of life-threatening burns and a higher proportion of children casualties.

Conclusions:

While consistent similarities between explosion casualties exist, especially between victims of intentional civilian and terror-related explosions, the general rule is that clinical experience with a type of explosion cannot be directly transferred to other types.
Evolution of convection in a layered porous medium
Authors: Hewitt Duncan R.
Published: May 2022

The effect of a series of thin, horizontal, low-permeability layers on convective motion from a distributed dense source along an upper boundary in an otherwise homogeneous, two-dimensional porous medium is considered. This set-up provides an idealised version of a relatively common form of heterogeneity in geological formations. The thickness and permeability of the thin layers are assumed to be small relative to the distance between them and the bulk permeability, respectively. As such, the layers can be parameterised by their impedance

$\varOmega$

– a dimensionless ratio of the effective layer thickness and permeability – while the strength of convection is controlled by the dimensionless distance

$H \gg 1$

between layers, which can also be interpreted as an effective Rayleigh number for the flow. The role of

$\varOmega$

is explored with the aid of high-resolution numerical simulations, and simple analytical models are developed for the evolution of the mean concentration and the flux in the limits of small and large

$\varOmega$

. For intermediate values of

$\varOmega$

, the flow undergoes a transition from predominantly diffusive transfer across the layers to predominantly advective transfer, and the lateral scale of the flow can become very large. This transition is characterised and a simple model is developed.
A variational theory of lift
Authors: Gonzalez Cody , Taha Haithem E.
Published: May 2022

In this paper we revive a special, less-common, variational principle in analytical mechanics (Hertz’ principle of least curvature) to develop a novel variational analogue of Euler's equations for the dynamics of an ideal fluid. The new variational formulation is fundamentally different from those formulations based on Hamilton's principle of least action. Using this new variational formulation, we generalize the century-old problem of the flow over a two-dimensional body; we developed a variational closure condition that is, unlike the Kutta condition, derived from first principles. The developed variational principle reduces to the classical Kutta–Zhukovsky condition in the special case of a sharp-edged airfoil, which challenges the accepted wisdom about the Kutta condition being a manifestation of viscous effects. Rather, we found that it represents conservation of momentum. Moreover, the developed variational principle provides, for the first time, a theoretical model for lift over smooth shapes without sharp edges where the Kutta condition is not applicable. We discuss how this fundamental divergence from current theory can explain discrepancies in computational studies and experiments with superfluids.
A possible erect coralline alga from the Ediacaran Dengying Formation in the Zhenba area of South China
Authors: Zhang Yuan , Zhang Xingliang
Published: May 2022

Studies of molecular biology suggest a deep origin of coralline red algae in the Neoproterozoic, but unequivocal representatives have not been found in Precambrian rocks. Such scarcity in the fossil record significantly limits our knowledge regarding the origin and early evolution of this group. Phosphatized, fragmented columnar microfossils from the Zhenba microfossil assemblage at the base of the Ediacaran Dengying Formation, South China are presented. Morphologically they represent a novel taxon characterized by: (1) variable and irregularly shaped cross sections, and (2) discontinuous, nonisopachous laminae transversely stacked inside the columns. Integrated morphological comparisons favor their interpretation as probable erect coralline algae. Anatomically, the Zhenba columns resemble present-day geniculate coralline algae in columnar thalli and stromatolithic tissue construction, although they differ from modern geniculate corallines in lacking highly calcified skeletons and tissue-organ differentiation. These anatomical similarities collectively suggest that the Zhenba columns probably represent stem-group coralline algae. The new finding indicates that early coralline algae could be more diverse than previously thought, and their initial morphological diversification and resultant ecological expansion probably occurred in the middle to late Ediacaran.
Indigenous Responses to Protestant Missionaries: Educational Competition and Economic Development in Ottoman Turkey
Authors: Amasyali Emre
Published: May 2022

In recent years, a growing literature has claimed that there is a strong and consistent association between the presence of historic missionary societies outside Europe and positive long-term socio-economic outcomes. Yet, most of these studies fail to specify whether this finding is the result of missionary investment in human capital or of local actors stepping up their educational efforts in reaction to missionary activities. This article uses the example of Protestant missionary activity in Ottoman Turkey to separate these two mechanisms. The Ottoman state and the Armenian population responded to missionary incursions by modernizing and expanding their educational efforts. However, after the foundation of the Republic and of modern Turkey, most of the missionary schools were closed and the Armenian population was dramatically reduced. Using the blockage of direct effects, this study confirms the role that indirect effects or emulation has played in Ottoman Turkey. Results show that places with historically heightened competition between missionary schools and native educational institutions are more likely to have a higher income, as measured by night-time light density.
Implementing the AfCFTA Agreement: A Case for the Harmonization of Data Protection Law in Africa
Authors: Salami Emmanuel
Published: May 2022

The Agreement Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AEAfCFTA) is a revolutionary treaty of the African Union (AU) which creates an African single market to guarantee the free movement of persons, capital, goods and services. The AEAfCFTA is geared towards enabling seamless trade among African countries. The single market relies heavily on the processing of the personal data of persons resident within and outside the AU, thereby necessitating an effective data protection regime. However, the data protection regime across Africa is fragmented, with each country either having a distinct data protection framework or none at all. This lack of a uniform continental framework threatens to clog the wheels of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), because by demanding compliance with the various data protection laws across Africa, free trade will be inhibited, the very problem the AEAfCFTA seeks to remediate. These concerns are considered and applicable solutions are proposed to ensure the successful implementation of the AfCFTA.
Dive into the sea: first molecular phylogenetic evidence of host expansion from terrestrial/freshwater to marine organisms in Mermithidae (Nematoda: Mermithida)
Authors: Kakui K. , Shimada D.
Published: May 2022

We report the first mermithid nematode found to be parasitic in a marine tanaidacean crustacean. Ten host tanaidaceans were collected from a depth of 52 m in Otsuchi Bay, Iwate, Japan, north-western Pacific, and identified as a species in the tanaidid genus Zeuxo Templeton, 1840. Nematodes occurred in the host's body cavity; in one case, at least two individuals inhabited a single host. We provide a brief description and illustrations of the morphology of the nematode. In a phylogenetic reconstruction based on the 18S ribosomal RNA gene, the nematode nested in a clade otherwise containing mermithids from terrestrial or freshwater hosts, showing an expansion in host utilization in Mermithidae Braun, 1883 from terrestrial/freshwater hosts to a marine organism.
When information structure exploits syntax: The relation between the loss of VO and scrambling in Dutch
Authors: STRUIK TARA , SCHOENMAKERS GERT-JAN
Published: May 2022

This paper addresses the relation between two types of word order variation in two stages of Dutch: OV/VO variation in historical Dutch and scrambling in present-day Dutch. Information structural considerations influence both types of word order variation, and we demonstrate by means of a comprehensive corpus study that they have a comparable pattern: given objects tend to appear earlier in the sentence than new objects. We infer from this that the two types of word order variation are diachronically related. Our findings support an analysis of scrambling as object movement from a uniformly head-initial base via the specifier of VP to the specifier ofvP. We argue that historical Dutch allows spell out of the object in its postverbal base position, but that this possibility was eventually lost. Consequently, the boundary between the given and new domains shifts from the verb to the adverbial.
A Reformed Division of Labor for the Science of Well-Being
Authors: Fumagalli Roberto
Published: May 2022

This paper provides a philosophical assessment of leading theory-based, evidence-based and coherentist approaches to the definition and the measurement of well-being. It then builds on this assessment to articulate a reformed division of labor for the science of well-being and argues that this reformed division of labor can improve on the proffered approaches by combining the most plausible tenets of theory-based approaches with the most plausible tenets of coherentist approaches. This result does notper seexclude the possibility that theory-based and coherentist approaches may be independently improved or amended in the years to come. Still, together with the challenges that affect these approaches, it strengthens the case for combining the most plausible tenets of those approaches.