bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Biomechanical evaluation of multi-rod constructs to stabilize an S1 pedicle subtraction osteotomy (PSO): a finite element analysis
Authors: Shekouhi Niloufar , Tripathi Sudharshan , Goel Vijay K. , Theologis Alekos A.
Published: November 2023

Purpose

To develop and validate a finite element (FE) model of a sacral pedicle subtraction osteotomy (S1-PSO) and to compare biomechanical properties of various multi-rod configurations to stabilize S1-PSOs.

Methods

A previously validated FE spinopelvic model was used to develop a 30° PSO at the sacrum. Five multi-rod techniques spanning the S1-PSO were made using 4 iliac screws and a variety of primary rods (PR) and accessory rods (AR; lateral: Lat-AR or medial: Med-AR). All constructs, except one, utilized a horizontal rod (HR) connecting the iliac bolts to which PRs and Med-ARs were connected. Lat-ARs were connected to proximal iliac bolts. The simulation was performed in two steps with the acetabula fixed. For each model, PSO ROM and maximum stress on the PRs, ARs, and HRs were recorded and compared. The maximum stress on the L5–S1 disc and the PSO forces were captured and compared.

Results

Highest PSO ROMs were observed for 4-Rods (HR + 2 Med-AR). Constructs consisting of 5-Rods (HR + 2 Lat-ARs + 1 Med-AR) and 6-Rods (HR + 2 Lat-AR + 2 Med-AR) had the lowest PSO ROM. The least stress on the primary rods was seen with 6-Rods, followed by 5-Rods and 4-Rods (HR + 2 Lat-ARs). Lowest PSO forces and lowest L5–S1 disc stresses were observed for 4-Rod (Lat-AR), 5-Rod, and 6-Rod constructs, while 4-Rods (HR + Med-AR) had the highest.

Conclusion

In this first FE analysis of an S1-PSO, the 4-Rod construct (HR + Med-AR) created the least rigid environment and highest PSO forces anteriorly. While 5- and 6-Rods created the stiffest constructs and lowest stresses on the primary rods, it also jeopardized load transfer to the anterior column, which may not be favorable for healing anteriorly. A balance between the construct’s rigidity and anterior load sharing is essential.
Robert Schumann: Piano Concerto
Authors: Horton Julian
Published: November 2023

Offering a concise introduction to one of the most important and influential piano concertos in the history of Western music, this handbook provides an example of the productive interaction of music history, music theory and music analysis. It combines an account of the work's genesis, Schumann's earlier, unsuccessful attempts to compose in the genre and the evolving conception of the piano concerto evident in his critical writing with a detailed yet accessible analysis of each movement, which draws on the latest research into the theory and analysis of nineteenth-century instrumental forms. This handbook also reconstructs the Concerto's critical reception, performance history in centres including London, Vienna, Leipzig and New York, and its discography, before surveying piano concertos composed under its influence in the century after its completion, including well-known concertos by Brahms, Grieg, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov, as well as lesser-known music by Scharwenka, Rubinstein, Beach, Macdowell and Stanford.
Political Technology
Authors: Wilson Andrew
Published: November 2023

'Political technology' is a Russian term for the professional engineering of politics. It has turned Russian politics into theatre and propaganda, and metastasised to take over foreign policy and weaponise history. The war against Ukraine is one outcome. In the West, spin doctors and political consultants do more than influence media or run campaigns: they have also helped build parallel universes of alternative political reality. Hungary has used political technology to dismantle democracy. The BJP in India has used it to consolidate unprecedented power. Different countries learn from each other. Some types of political technology have become notorious, like troll farms or data mining; but there is now a global wholesale industry selling a range of manipulation techniques, from astroturfing to fake parties to propaganda apps. This book shows that 'political technology' is about much more than online disinformation: it is about whole new industries of political engineering.
We Hold These Truths
Authors: Maurer Stephen M.
Published: November 2023

The Federalist remains the best single account of how American democracy is supposed to work. That said, it remains incomplete. While generations of scholars from Alexis de Tocqueville to Anthony Downs have worked hard to fill these gaps, America's constantly-changing society and political institutions continue to encounter new puzzles and challenges. We Hold These Truths provides a comprehensive survey of recent scholarship about the Framers' vision, stressing how long-established political patterns can abruptly change as voters become more polarized, and even lead to feedbacks that amplify public anger still further. Developing a theory of American democracy for the age of the internet, Trump, and polarization, this study mixes modern social science with a detailed knowledge of history, asking where the Framers' scheme has gone wrong – and what can be done to fix it.
Syndromic Surveillance Implementation During Disaster Events
Authors: Alkhattabi Eyad F. , Hart Alexander , Issa Fadi , Hertelendy Attila , Alrusyani Yasir , Voskanyan Amalia , Ciottone Gregory
Published: November 2023

Introduction:

Disease surveillance is an integral part of public health. These systems monitor disease trends and detect outbreaks, whereas they should be evaluated for efficacy. The United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention publish Guidelines for Evaluating Surveillance Systems to encourage efficient and effective use of public health surveillance that are accepted worldwide.

Objective:

This study reviews syndromic surveillance during natural and man-made disasters internationally. It aims to (1) review the performance of syndromic surveillance via pre-specified attributes during disaster and to (2) understand its strengths and limitations.

Methods:

PubMed was systematically searched for the articles assessing syndromic surveillance during a disaster. A narrative review was carried out based on those articles. Updated Guidelines for Evaluating Public Health Surveillance Systems were used to review performance of systems.

Results:

5,059 studies from PubMed were evaluated, and 16 met inclusion criteria. The majority of these studies considered the implementation of syndromic surveillance useable during disaster events. Studies described systems giving relevant and timely information. Simplicity and timeliness were the most highlighted attributes.

Conclusion:

Syndromic surveillance is simple, flexible, useful and usable during a disaster. Timely data can be obtained, but the quality of this type of data is sensitive to incomplete and erroneous reporting; because of this, a standardized approach is necessary to optimize these systems.
White Coats with Blue Collars: Doctors’ Labor Protests and the Struggle for Democracy in Brazil, 1978–1982 – CORRIGENDUM
Authors: Weinberg Eyal
Published: November 2023

This article explores the labor struggles of doctors in late 1970s and early 1980s Brazil, the final years of the nation's dictatorship. Health workers’ protests for better salaries and working conditions were extensive and reflected a dramatic change in the way medical practitioners in Brazil perceived their professional and political identities. Fusing together histories of medicine and labor, the article shows how physicians not only led strikes and unionized by their tens of thousands but also collaborated with blue-collar sectors in a larger struggle for working rights, access to healthcare, and structural reforms. Dictatorship officials, the article reveals, were significantly concerned by hospital strikes and particularly by the emerging cross-sector alliance. In this sense, the doctors’ movement played a significant role in challenging Brazil's military rule and advancing the nation's transition to democracy.
On minimum spanning trees for random Euclidean bipartite graphs
Authors: Correddu Mario , Trevisan Dario
Published: November 2023

We consider the minimum spanning tree problem on a weighted complete bipartite graph
$K_{n_R, n_B}$
whose
$n=n_R+n_B$
vertices are random, i.i.d. uniformly distributed points in the unit cube in
$d$
dimensions and edge weights are the
$p$
-th power of their Euclidean distance, with
$p\gt 0$
. In the large
$n$
limit with
$n_R/n \to \alpha _R$
and
$0\lt \alpha _R\lt 1$
, we show that the maximum vertex degree of the tree grows logarithmically, in contrast with the classical, non-bipartite, case, where a uniform bound holds depending on
$d$
only. Despite this difference, for
$p\lt d$
, we are able to prove that the total edge costs normalized by the rate
$n^{1-p/d}$
converge to a limiting constant that can be represented as a series of integrals, thus extending a classical result of Avram and Bertsimas to the bipartite case and confirming a conjecture of Riva, Caracciolo and Malatesta.
The vernacular modern in the shadow of totalitarianism: Hans Döllgast’s Alte und neue Bauernstuben
Authors: Sternberg Maximilian
Published: November 2023

The architect Hans Döllgast (1891–1974) has steadily gained in international recognition. His works of postwar reconstruction in Munich have been heralded as original contributions to modern architecture that resist historiographic classifications, such as modernist vs regionalist, avant garde vs traditionalist, or internationalist vs nationalist. Döllgast was also a revered pedagogue and prolific author, and his varied writings have yet to receive much scholarly attention. Döllgast’s books and essays present a significant body of sources that shed light on the complexity of architectural discourse in the formative years of modern architecture in Germany. This article considers Döllgast’s study of farmhouse ‘parlours’, entitled Alte und neue Bauernstuben (‘Old and New Farmhouse Parlours’) was first published in 1937. It was both his most popular book and the one that critics and historians have paid least attention to. Though it may appear antiquarian at first glance, it is in fact both critical and contemporary in spirit. Döllgast’s study sheds light upon his mature thinking about the relevance of the vernacular for the modern house. It also serves to question a general assumption in the existing literature that Döllgast only engaged with tenets of modern architecture after the war, having been a regionalist aloof from the discourse of the modern movement prior to the war. Scholars have shown that the loaded motif of the vernacular was never the sole preserve of anti-modernist conservatives and played a significant, if ambivalent, role within modernist discourse, from the late Wilhelmine period to postwar West Germany. While it reflects these wider trends, Alte und neue Bauernstuben also eschews alignment with the dominant strands of architectural discourse of its time by charting an independent-minded path in the context of imposed totalitarian uniformity. Döllgast’s text thus stands out in modern architectural discourse less for adducing the farmhouse as such, than for developing such a close, multifaceted reading of a particular vernacular interior, while alluding to more than elaborating its relevance for contemporary architecture. Ultimately, Döllgast’s study served him to develop a practical phenomenology of dwelling.
Some High-Threat Volcanoes Are Severely Understudied
Authors: Sidik Saima
Published: November 2023

Scientists have little understanding of where magma is stored along the Cascade Volcanic Arc or how its volcanoes could affect population centers.
Optimizing Seasonal‐To‐Decadal Analog Forecasts With a Learned Spatially‐Weighted Mask
Authors: Rader Jamin K. , Barnes Elizabeth A.
Published: November 2023

Seasonal‐to‐decadal climate prediction is crucial for decision‐making in a number of industries, but forecasts on these timescales have limited skill. Here, we develop a data‐driven method for selecting optimal analogs for seasonal‐to‐decadal analog forecasting. Using an interpretable neural network, we learn a spatially‐weighted mask that quantifies how important each grid point is for determining whether two climate states will evolve similarly. We show that analogs selected using this weighted mask provide more skillful forecasts than analogs that are selected using traditional spatially‐uniform methods. This method is tested on two prediction problems using the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology Grand Ensemble: multi‐year prediction of North Atlantic sea surface temperatures, and seasonal prediction of El Niño Southern Oscillation. This work demonstrates a methodical approach to selecting analogs that may be useful for improving seasonal‐to‐decadal forecasts and understanding their sources of skill.
Measuring Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Terminals With Imaging Spectroscopy
Authors: Zhang Zhan , Cusworth Daniel H. , Ayasse Alana K. , Sherwin Evan D. , Brandt Adam R.
Published: November 2023

The rapid growth of liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports underscores the importance of CO2 monitoring for LNG export terminals. We present a method for measuring LNG terminal CO2 emissions using remote sensing imaging spectroscopy. The method is first validated using 47 power plant emission events with in situ measured data, then applied to 22 emission events in Sabine Pass and Cameron. The power plant data set shows a robust correlation between our estimates and in situ data, with R2 0.9146 and the average error −2%. At Sabine Pass, eight point sources are identified with emission rates from 219.69 ± 54.95 to 1,083.22 ± 308.06 t/hr. At Cameron, three point sources are identified with emission rates from 91.64 ± 25.81 to 265.61 ± 67.80 t/hr. The liquefaction carbon intensity estimates also align with past study ranges. This illustrates that remote sensing can validate environmental reporting and CO2 inventories for industrial facilities.
Assessing Memory in Convection Schemes Using Idealized Tests
Authors: Hwong Y.‐L. , Colin M. , Aglas‐Leitner P. , Muller C. J. , Sherwood S. C.
Published: November 2023

Two assumptions commonly applied in convection schemes—the diagnostic and quasi‐equilibrium assumptions—imply that convective activity (e.g., convective precipitation) is controlled only by the large‐scale (macrostate) environment at the time. In contrast, numerical experiments indicate a “memory” or dependence of convection also on its own previous activity whereby subgrid‐scale (microstate) structures boost but are also boosted by convection. In this study we investigated this memory by comparing single‐column model behavior in two idealized tests previously executed by a cloud‐resolving model (CRM). Conventional convection schemes that employ the diagnostic assumption fail to reproduce the CRM behavior. The memory‐capable org and Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique Zoom cold pool schemes partially capture the behavior, but fail to fully exhibit the strong reinforcing feedbacks implied by the CRM. Analysis of this failure suggests that it is because the CRM supports a linear (or superlinear) dependence of the subgrid structure growth rate on the precipitation rate, while the org scheme assumes a sublinear dependence. Among varying versions of the org scheme, the growth rate of the org variable representing subgrid structure is strongly associated with memory strength. These results demonstrate the importance of parameterizing convective memory, and the ability of idealized tests to reveal shortcomings of convection schemes and constrain model structural assumptions.
Personal transcriptome variation is poorly explained by current genomic deep learning models
Authors: Huang Connie , Shuai Richard W. , Baokar Parth , Chung Ryan , Rastogi Ruchir , Kathail Pooja , Ioannidis Nilah M.
Published: November 2023

Genomic deep learning models can predict genome-wide epigenetic features and gene expression levels directly from DNA sequence. While current models perform well at predicting gene expression levels across genes in different cell types from the reference genome, their ability to explain expression variation between individuals due to cis-regulatory genetic variants remains largely unexplored. Here, we evaluate four state-of-the-art models on paired personal genome and transcriptome data and find limited performance when explaining variation in expression across individuals. In addition, models often fail to predict the correct direction of effect of cis-regulatory genetic variation on expression.
Decoding motor plans using a closed-loop ultrasonic brain–machine interface
Authors: Griggs Whitney S. , Norman Sumner L. , Deffieux Thomas , Segura Florian , Osmanski Bruno-Félix , Chau Geeling , Christopoulos Vasileios , Liu Charles , Tanter Mickael , Shapiro Mikhail G. , Andersen Richard A.
Published: November 2023

Brain–machine interfaces (BMIs) enable people living with chronic paralysis to control computers, robots and more with nothing but thought. Existing BMIs have trade-offs across invasiveness, performance, spatial coverage and spatiotemporal resolution. Functional ultrasound (fUS) neuroimaging is an emerging technology that balances these attributes and may complement existing BMI recording technologies. In this study, we use fUS to demonstrate a successful implementation of a closed-loop ultrasonic BMI. We streamed fUS data from the posterior parietal cortex of two rhesus macaque monkeys while they performed eye and hand movements. After training, the monkeys controlled up to eight movement directions using the BMI. We also developed a method for pretraining the BMI using data from previous sessions. This enabled immediate control on subsequent days, even those that occurred months apart, without requiring extensive recalibration. These findings establish the feasibility of ultrasonic BMIs, paving the way for a new class of less-invasive (epidural) interfaces that generalize across extended time periods and promise to restore function to people with neurological impairments.
The link between cognitive abilities and risk preference depends on measurement
Authors: Olschewski Sebastian , Rieskamp Jörg , Hertwig Ralph
Published: November 2023

Risk preference is an important construct for understanding individual differences in risk taking throughout the behavioral sciences. An active stream of research has focused on better understanding risk preference through its connection to other psychological constructs, in particular, cognitive abilities. Here, we examine two large-scale multimethod data sets and demonstrate that the method used to measure risk preference is an important moderator. In self-report measures, we found small but consistent positive correlations between working memory capacity/numeracy, facets of cognitive abilities, and risk tolerance. In behavioral measures, we found, on average, no correlation and large intermethod heterogeneity. This heterogeneity can be explained by the choice architecture that is created in behavioral methods—in particular, the relation between risk and reward and the impact of decision error in a task. Consequently, investigating how risk preference relates to psychological constructs such as cognitive abilities require a profound understanding of the choice architecture in measurements of risk preference and in the real world.
Teamwork and safety climate in Polish long-term care facilities: questionnaire reliability and usability
Authors: Świtalski Jakub , Radomska Agnieszka , Tatara Tomasz , Wnuk Katarzyna , Miazga Wojciech , Szpakowski Rafał , Borowska Mariola , Zdęba-Mozoła Agnieszka , Kozłowski Remigiusz , Marczak Michał , Czerw Aleksandra , Dykowska Grażyna
Published: November 2023

The Teamwork and Safety Climate Survey (TSCS) is one of the questionnaires used to measure patient safety. The questionnaire includes two scales: teamwork climate and safety climate. The objective of the study is the linguistic and cultural adaptation of the TSCS to Polish conditions and checking the reliability and usability of the tool in long-term care facilities. Firstly, the TSCS was translated into Polish. Then, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among the medical and auxiliary personnel of long-term care facilities all over Poland. The psychometric properties of the questionnaire were analysed (including Cronbach’s alpha coefficient). Correlations between the areas of the questionnaire and individual variables relating to facility parameters were also calculated. Respondents (n = 558) working in 26 different long-term care facilities participated in the study. The analysis has provided four scales instead of two of the original version of the questionnaire (teamwork climate, safety climate, ability to speak up and following the rules, work organisation). Correlation analysis revealed a number of significant correlations between the scales and individual variables corresponding to the parameters of long-term care facilities and respondents themselves. In conclusion, the Polish version of the TSCS may be a useful tool to measure aspects related to patient safety culture in long-term care facilities.
Predicting preterm birth using machine learning techniques in oral microbiome
Authors: Hong You Mi , Lee Jaewoong , Cho Dong Hyu , Jeon Jung Hun , Kang Jihoon , Kim Min-Gul , Lee Semin , Kim Jin Kyu
Published: November 2023

Preterm birth prediction is essential for improving neonatal outcomes. While many machine learning techniques have been applied to predict preterm birth using health records, inflammatory markers, and vaginal microbiome data, the role of prenatal oral microbiome remains unclear. This study aimed to compare oral microbiome compositions between a preterm and a full-term birth group, identify oral microbiome associated with preterm birth, and develop a preterm birth prediction model using machine learning of oral microbiome compositions. Participants included singleton pregnant women admitted to Jeonbuk National University Hospital between 2019 and 2021. Subjects were divided into a preterm and a full-term birth group based on pregnancy outcomes. Oral microbiome samples were collected using mouthwash within 24 h before delivery and 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing was performed to analyze taxonomy. Differentially abundant taxa were identified using DESeq2. A random forest classifier was applied to predict preterm birth based on the oral microbiome. A total of 59 women participated in this study, with 30 in the preterm birth group and 29 in the full-term birth group. There was no significant difference in maternal clinical characteristics between the preterm and the full-birth group. Twenty-five differentially abundant taxa were identified, including 22 full-term birth-enriched taxa and 3 preterm birth-enriched taxa. The random forest classifier achieved high balanced accuracies (0.765 ± 0.071) using the 9 most important taxa. Our study identified 25 differentially abundant taxa that could differentiate preterm and full-term birth groups. A preterm birth prediction model was developed using machine learning of oral microbiome compositions in mouthwash samples. Findings of this study suggest the potential of using oral microbiome for predicting preterm birth. Further multi-center and larger studies are required to validate our results before clinical applications.
Bacterial diversity in arboreal ant nesting spaces is linked to colony developmental stage
Authors: Nepel Maximilian , Mayer Veronika E. , Barrajon-Santos Veronica , Woebken Dagmar
Published: November 2023

The omnipresence of ants is commonly attributed to their eusocial organization and division of labor, however, bacteria in their nests may facilitate their success. Like many other arboreal ants living in plant-provided cavities, Azteca ants form dark-colored “patches” in their nesting space inside Cecropia host plants. These patches are inhabited by bacteria, fungi and nematodes and appear to be essential for ant colony development. Yet, detailed knowledge of the microbial community composition and its consistency throughout the life cycle of ant colonies was lacking. Amplicon sequencing of the microbial 16S rRNA genes in patches from established ant colonies reveals a highly diverse, ant species-specific bacterial community and little variation within an individual ant colony, with Burkholderiales, Rhizobiales and Chitinophagales being most abundant. In contrast, bacterial communities of early ant colony stages show low alpha diversity and no ant species-specific community composition. We suggest a substrate-caused bottleneck after vertical transmission of the bacterial patch community from mother to daughter colonies. The subsequent ecological succession is driven by environmental parameters and influenced by ant behavior. Our study provides key information for future investigations determining the functions of these bacteria, which is essential to understand the ubiquity of such patches among arboreal ants.
Machine-learning-assisted performance improvements for multi-resonance thermally activated delayed fluorescence molecules
Authors: Cai Wanlin , Zhong Cheng , Ma Zi-Wei , Cai Zhuan-Yun , Qiu Yue , Sajid Zubia , Wu De-Yin
Published: November 2023

Machine learning is used to advance the performance of multi-resonance thermally activated delayed fluorescence molecules, with a specific focus on improving colour purity and RISC rate simultaneously.
Photoactivation of the orange carotenoid protein requires two light-driven reactions mediated by a metastable monomeric intermediate
Authors: Rose Justin B. , Gascón José A. , Sutter Markus , Sheppard Damien I. , Kerfeld Cheryl A. , Beck Warren F.
Published: November 2023

The first step of the photoactivation mechanism of the orange carotenoid protein is the photodissociation of the dark-stable dimer aggregate.
Understanding the importance of atmospheric transformation in assessing the hazards of liquid crystal monomers
Authors: Wang Jinlong , Wang Shenghong , Zhang Zhizhen , Wang Xinkai , Xia Kaihui , Li Li , Liu Qifan
Published: November 2023

The results suggest that atmospheric transformation can significantly change the hazard properties of LCMs, emphasizing the importance of atmospheric transformation when evaluating the hazards of LCMs.
The synthesis and enhanced thermal-optical properties of nanocomposites fabricated from gold nanoclusters ([Au25(SC12H25)18]TOA) and non-linear S-shaped liquid crystalline materials
Authors: Yap Pui-Wing , Yeap Guan-Yeow , Saito Yuki , Hu Xiao-Yu , Shichibu Yukatsu , Konishi Katsuaki
Published: November 2023

A series of new gold nanocomposite materials, GNC_LCx (x = 6–11) derived from the non-linear liquid crystal oligomers, LCx (x = 6–11) and a gold nanocluster (GNC) possessing a formulation of [Au25(SC12H25)18]TOA or Au25.
Self-assembled 3D hydrangea-like Fe2P–CoP–NDC as an efficient carrier material of Pt nanoparticles for the methanol oxidation reaction
Authors: Xie Fei , Wang Qingchun , Gan Mengyu , Ma Li
Published: November 2023

By a facile method, 3D hydrangea-like Fe2P–CoP–NDC with a large specific surface area was synthesized, and it exhibits excellent catalytic activity and stability as the carrier material of a Pt-based catalyst due to the structure stability of the material.
Straight-chain ω-amino-α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds: versatile synthons for the synthesis of nitrogen-containing heterocycles via organocatalytic reactions
Authors: Li Shuhui , Li Xiaoxuan , Yao Hui , Tan Mengting , Xu Dan , Huang Nianyu , Wang Nengzhong
Published: November 2023

In this review, we elaborate and discuss the recent applications of straight-chain amino-α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds as versatile synthons in organocatalytic reactions for the creation of five- and six-membered saturated nitrogen-containing heterocycles.
Reliable lateral Zn deposition along (002) plane by oxidized PAN separator for zinc-ion batteries
Authors: Luo Lei , Wen Zhaorui , Hong Guo , Chen Shi
Published: November 2023

Oxidized polyacrylonitrile (OPAN) separator promotes Zn2+ transference and regulates Zn growth along (002) plane in Zn//MnO2 batteries. The symmetric cell cycles 1300 hours or 65% DOD and the full cell cycles >5000 times with little decay.
A CTAB-assisted PANI-MoS2 nanosheet flower morphology for the highly sensitive electrochemical detection of hydrazine
Authors: H. Ganesha , S. Veeresh , Y. S. Nagaraju , Devendrappa H.
Published: November 2023

In this work, cetyl trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)-assisted polyaniline-molybdenum disulfide (CPANI-MoS2) nanosheets with a flower morphology have been synthesized through in situ polymerization and a hydrothermal method.
Quantifying arsenic and mercury in aqueous media via bio-inspired gold nanoparticles modified by mango leaf extract
Authors: Boruah Bijoy Sankar , Biswas Rajib , Mazumder Nirmal
Published: November 2023

Schematic representation of modification of AuNPs via mango leaf extract along with dual detection of mercury and arsenic.
Study on a direct hydrazine borane fuel cell based on an anion exchange membrane
Authors: Zhang Yang , Jiang Wenxing , Chen Zhenying , Liu Yingying , Deng Chengwei , Zhuang Xiaodong , Zhang Junliang , Ke Changchun
Published: November 2023

The carbon-supported cobalt hydroxide (Co(OH)2–C–PPY) can catalyze N2H4BH3 to produce H2O and BO2−. Furthermore, the optimized anion exchange membrane-type direct hydrazine borane fuel cell achieves a high performance of 244 mW cm−2.
The role of phosphorylation in calmodulin-mediated gating of human AQP0
Authors: Kreida Stefan , Roche Jennifer Virginia , Missel Julie Winkel , Al-Jubair Tamim , Hagströmer Carl Johan , Wittenbecher Veronika , Linse Sara , Gourdon Pontus , Törnroth-Horsefield Susanna
Published: November 2023

Aquaporin-0 (AQP0) is the main water channel in the mammalian lens and is involved in accommodation and maintaining lens transparency. AQP0 binds the Ca2+-sensing protein calmodulin (CaM) and this interaction is believed to gate its water permeability by closing the water-conducting pore. Here, we express recombinant and functional human AQP0 in Pichia pastoris and investigate how phosphorylation affects the interaction with CaM in vitro as well as the CaM-dependent water permeability of AQP0 in proteoliposomes. Using microscale thermophoresis and surface plasmon resonance technology we show that the introduction of the single phospho-mimicking mutations S229D and S235D in AQP0 reduces CaM binding. In contrast, CaM interacts with S231D with similar affinity as wild type, but in a different manner. Permeability studies of wild-type AQP0 showed that the water conductance was significantly reduced by CaM in a Ca2+-dependent manner, whereas AQP0 S229D, S231D and S235D were all locked in an open state, insensitive to CaM. We propose a model in which phosphorylation of AQP0 control CaM-mediated gating in two different ways (1) phosphorylation of S229 or S235 abolishes binding (the pore remains open) and (2) phosphorylation of S231 results in CaM binding without causing pore closure, the functional role of which remains to be elucidated. Our results suggest that site-dependent phosphorylation of AQP0 dynamically controls its CaM-mediated gating. Since the level of phosphorylation increases towards the lens inner cortex, AQP0 may become insensitive to CaM-dependent gating along this axis.
Maximal Expiratory Pressure and Its Link With Cough Airflow Before and After Expiratory Muscle Strength Training in Parkinson's Disease
Authors: Dakin Avery E. , Borders James C. , Curtis James A. , Hegland Karen W. , Troche Michelle S.
Published: November 2023

Purpose:

Expiratory muscle strength training (EMST) improves maximal expiratory pressure (MEP), and several researchers have reported improvements to voluntary cough airflow in people with Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the link between the change in MEP and cough and whether patient-specific factors impact the training response is not well understood. Therefore, study aims were to examine (a) the relationship between MEP and cough pre- and post-EMST, (b) the associations between the change in MEP and change in cough, and (c) if patient-specific factors predict the change MEP.

Method:

This is a secondary analysis of data from 30 people with PD who completed MEP and voluntary and reflex cough testing via spirometry pre– and post–5 weeks of EMST. Pearson's
r
correlations were used for Aims 1 and 2. Multivariable linear regression was used for Aim 3.

Results:

Pre-EMST correlations between MEP and cough as well as correlations between the change in MEP and change in cough were nonsignificant. Post-EMST, MEP was correlated with voluntary cough expired volume (CEV,
r
= .58
, p
< .001), peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR,
r
= .56
, p
= .001), and cough volume acceleration (
r
= .47
, p
= .009
)
, as well as reflex CEV (
r
= .5,
p
= .005). Patient-specific factors did not predict the change in MEP.

Conclusions:

This study showed that there was a larger correlation between expiratory muscle strength and cough airflow post-EMST than pre-EMST for voluntary and reflex cough in PD; however, the correlation between the change was small. Future research is needed to identify additional physiologic changes that are impacting cough airflow after EMST.

Supplemental Material:

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.24602565
Les systèmes irrigués au Chili : vers la fin des tours d’eau ?
Authors: Nicolas-Artero Chloé Nelly
Published: November 2023

Cet article étudie la transformation des systèmes irrigués de la vallée semi-aride d’Elqui au Chili. Nous empruntons la notion de territoire hydrosocial pour analyser les effets des nouvelles infrastructures hydrauliques sur les pratiques d’irrigation et les règles institutionnelles de l’eau. La méthodologie repose sur la collecte et l’analyse de données qualitatives et quantitatives. L’installation de nouvelles infrastructures, associées à l’essor de l’agriculture commerciale et financées par l’État, conduit à un abandon progressif des canaux et des tours d’eau et délite le processus de prise de décision collectif au sein des associations d’irrigants.
Control strategy for a dual-axis sun tracker based on a radiometric cube to maximize the power output of the PV system
Authors: Andriamahefa Mahery H. , Bourdin Vincent , Mininger Xavier , Badosa Jordi , Parra Johan , Migan-Dubois Anne
Published: November 2023

The use of solar energy as an energy source is essential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In a photovoltaic system, the use of a sun tracker can produce up to 40% more energy than a fixed system. However, it is important, especially in temperate climates, to have an effective control strategy that can adapt the movement of the solar tracker for all weather conditions. This work presents a new control strategy for a dual-axis sun tracker based on a radiometric cube with four photodiode sensors on its East, West, South and Zenith faces. The optimal direction that maximises the irradiance received by the sun tracker can be determined through the mathematical expression of the irradiances on the four faces of the cube, considering an isotropic model for the diffuse luminance of the sky. This new control strategy adjusts the movement of the solar tracker to an optimal position in all weather conditions. The proposed control strategy provides a 40.5% gain in energy output on a cloudy day compared to the standard chronometric sun tracking strategy. For periods of clear and highly variable sky, the difference between the two strategies is only 0.15% and 1%.
Intégrer la méditation en éducation thérapeutique du patient : Enquête et réflexions
Authors: Brozzetti Anne , de la Tribonnière Xavier , Corbeau Catherine
Published: November 2023

Introduction : La pratique de la méditation prend de l’ampleur dans la population générale et parmi les patients. L’ETP peut être un espace pour proposer cette pratique, mais ceci est mal documenté. Notre. Notre objectif est de recenser les pratiques méditatives en ETP sur un territoire et de les analyser afin de voir leurs conditions d’émergence et de développement. Méthode : Nous avons mené une enquête rétrospective quantitative à visée descriptive par auto-questionnaire en ligne auprès de 530 acteurs d’ETP (essentiellement des coordonnateurs de programme) en Occitanie et en PACA. Puis il a été proposé à 12 répondants de participer à un entretien compréhensif par téléphone. Résultats : 86 (16 %) personnes ont répondu au questionnaire en ligne, 33 (entre 6 % des personnes interrogées et 38 % des répondants) proposaient des pratiques méditatives en ETP. Parmi ces derniers, cela était proposé à l’hôpital comme en ville, pour différentes pathologies (principalement obésité), dans le cadre de programmes d’ETP (67 %) ou hors programme (33 %). Cinquante-cinq pour cent des équipes proposaient des pratiques méditatives dans des ateliers thématiques comme la gestion de l’alimentation, du stress ou des douleurs, 36 % lors d’un atelier dédié à la découverte de la méditation et 9 % offraient un programme de méditation de type Mindfulness-based-stress-reduction (MBSR). L’animation des séances était assurée par un intervenant en ETP expérimenté en méditation mais non formé à l’animation de la méditation (58 %), par un professionnel de l’équipe formé à cet accompagnement (27 %), ou par un prestataire extérieur formé (21 %). Les professionnels pensaient que cette offre était clairement bénéfique pour les patients. Discussion : Quel que soit le format pédagogique, la proposition de méditation en ETP peut s’inscrire dans diverses intentions éducatives. Dans le cadre d’un programme d’ETP, la proposition de méditation relève de la sensibilisation, et non de l’entraînement. Des formations courtes ou des DU en méditation en santé pourraient permettre à des intervenants en ETP de mener des séances de méditation. Des propositions sur les compétences à acquérir par les patients dans cette pratique et des points de vigilances dans l’organisation de séances de méditation sont présentées. Conclusion : La méditation, bien qu’encore peu proposée en ETP, peut être intégrée en ETP et semble profitable pour les patients et les soignants. D’autres études sur l’impact de cette offre éducative chez les patients sont nécessaires.
Organentnahmen nach Herz-Kreislaufstillstand: Wo stehen
wir?
Authors: Greif-Higer Gertrud
Published: November 2023

Die Transplantationsmedizin wird durch den gravierenden Organmangel stark
eingeschränkt – mit Folgen für Patienten, die auf ein
Transplantat warten. Mit der Einführung der Organspende nach
Feststellung des Herz-Kreislaufstillstands hat sich die Möglichkeit zur
Verbesserung der Organspendezahlen ergeben. Gleichzeitig zeigten sich dabei neue
medizinische Herausforderungen sowie moralische, ethische und rechtliche
Problemlagen. In Deutschland wurde deshalb bisher von der Einführung
abgesehen zu einem hohen Preis mit dauerhaft niedrigen Organspenden.
Medical Students Understanding of The Scope of Plastic Surgery
Authors: Abdulaziz Mohammad K.H.B. , Al-Jamali Mohammad , Al-Mazidi Sundus , Albuloushi Sarah , Al-Ali Ahmad B.
Published: November 2023

Background Plastic surgery has developed to benefit in a variety of challenging areas formerly handled by other disciplines. Medical students do not have a clear picture of plastic surgery as a career due to lacking scope, clinical practice, and understanding of plastic surgery as a clinical area of expertise, including general practitioners, nursing staff, medical trainees, and the general public, and misconceptions about the extent of reconstructive and plastic surgery.

Methods A cross-sectional observational study was conducted on Kuwait University Medical students (2nd–7th Years) over a period of 1 month. A questionnaire and a consent form were provided to eligible students. The inclusion criteria were Kuwait University Medical students from 2nd to 7th Years with signed consent form. The response was collected via email sent in coordination with the Vice Dean of Student Affairs in the Faculty of Medicine. Using statistical package for the social sciences, responses were statistically analyzed. Pearson's chi-square test was used to calculate p-values, where p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results A total of 244 eligible medical students, 121 males and 123 females, were included in the study, with a mean age of 21 (±2) years. Similarly, 126 (51.6%) were preclinical students (2nd–4th-year students), while 118 (48.4%) were clinical students (5th–7th-year students). About 79.8% of medical students believed that plastic surgery plays an essential role in trauma management, whereas 9.2% did not consider plastic surgery significant for trauma management. This study found that only 15.5% of medical students were interested in enrolling in plastic surgery residency after graduation, while 47.1% of students did not consider plastic surgery residency after graduation. However, 37.4% were uncertain. The two most driving factors in deciding on plastic surgery residency were expected income (61.8%) and lifestyle (14.3%).

Conclusion Improving medical students' education quality can enhance their perception and awareness of plastic surgery. Students should be taught the broader scope of plastic surgery. The inclusion of formal training during undergraduation is the essence of time and should be added to or improved during plastic surgery rotations with more emphasis on reconstructive and hand/peripheral nerve surgery. Student-led interest groups can be a useful tool for educating students about their specialty.
Evaluation of Minimum Recording Time and the Influence of Time in the Supine Position on Out-of-Center Sleep Tests
Authors: Teixeira Raquel Chartuni , Cahali Michel Burihan
Published: November 2023

Introduction The prevalence of moderate to severe sleep-disordered breathing is of 17% among men aged between 50 and 70-years, and of 9% among women in the same age group. In Brazil, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is also highly prevalent, and it is associated with metabolic and cardiovascular impacts, excessive daytime sleepiness, and increasing risk of traffic accidents. Laboratory-based polysomnography is the gold standard test for OSA diagnosis. However, its complexity has led to the search for alternatives to simplify the diagnosis, such as the out-of-center sleep test (OCST).

Objectives To discusses the minimum OCST recording time and the potential effects of the supine position on this parameter.

Data Synthesis We conducted a search on the PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase databases to identify relevant studies on OCST recording time and a possible association with body position. We used a combination of terms, including Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Home Monitoring OR Home Care Services OR Portable Monitoring AND Supine OR Position OR Recording Time OR Positional Obstructive Sleep Apnea. The references of the selected articles were also reviewed to find other relevant studies. Through our approach, eighteen articles were retrieved and included in the present study.

Conclusion Since OCSTs are conducted in an unattended environment, with potential signal loss during the night, it is crucial to determine the minimum recording time to validate the test and assess how the time spent in the supine position affects this parameter. After reviewing the literature, this topic remains to be clarified, and additional studies should focus on that matter.
Current progress in the in-vivo continuous disease monitoring
Authors: Lange Katherine De
Published: November 2023

Solving challenges associated with affinity-type interactions could enable real-time monitoring of peptides and protein biomarkers for improved treatment outcomes.
In vivo continuous monitoring of peptides and proteins: Challenges and opportunities
Authors: Wilson Ellie , Probst David , Sode Koji
Published: November 2023

Fluctuations in the systemic concentration levels of metabolites, nutritionally relevant peptide hormones, protein biomarkers, and therapeutic materials provide a wealth of information that can be used to inform real-time clinical intervention. Thus, therapeutic outcomes for many disease states could be improved through the implementation of continuous monitoring systems. The most well-represented example of in vivo continuous monitoring of a small-molecule metabolite is the continuous glucose monitors used extensively in diabetes management. Unfortunately, to date, there is yet to be a marketed product that meets the engineering challenges or regulatory requirements for continuous sensing of peptides or proteins. A critical limitation of realizing this type of sensing is the limited availability of affinity-type biosensing elements, such as aptamers or antibodies. These molecules, while highly specific, have dissociation constants in the nano–picomolar range, which prevents reversibility between the biosensing element and analyte. In this review, several key challenges regarding the use of affinity-type biosensing elements to measure the concentration of peptides/proteins continuously in vivo are discussed. We discuss several examples of research groups working to overcome these limitations through specific engineering of biosensing elements, or by modulating the binding interaction itself using external energy. We then turn the discussion to insulin, a crucial therapeutic peptide for diabetes with the potential to enhance patient outcomes via continuous monitoring in vivo. This serves as a case study to explain why protein/peptide sensors currently suffer from translation. Finally, we summarize the current literature for insulin detection and discuss general translation toward in vivo continuous sensing of peptide/protein analytes.
Interplay between dynamic heterogeneity and interfacial gradients in a model polymer film
Authors: Hartley Austin D. , Drayer William F. , Ghanekarade Asieh , Simmons David S.
Published: November 2023

Glass-forming liquids exhibit long-lived, spatially correlated dynamical heterogeneity, in which some nm-scale regions in the fluid relax more slowly than others. In the nanoscale vicinity of an interface, glass-formers also exhibit the emergence of massive interfacial gradients in glass transition temperature Tg and relaxation time τ. Both of these forms of heterogeneity have a major impact on material properties. Nevertheless, their interplay has remained poorly understood. Here, we employ molecular dynamics simulations of polymer thin films in the isoconfigurational ensemble in order to probe how bulk dynamic heterogeneity alters and is altered by the large gradient in dynamics at the surface of a glass-forming liquid. Results indicate that the τ spectrum at the surface is broader than in the bulk despite being shifted to shorter times, and yet it is less spatially correlated. This is distinct from the bulk, where the τ distribution becomes broader and more spatially organized as the mean τ increases. We also find that surface gradients in slow dynamics extend further into the film than those in fast dynamics—a result with implications for how distinct properties are perturbed near an interface. None of these features track locally with changes in the heterogeneity of caging scale, emphasizing the local disconnect between these quantities near interfaces. These results are at odds with conceptions of the surface as reflecting simply a higher “rheological temperature” than the bulk, instead pointing to a complex interplay between bulk dynamic heterogeneity and spatially organized dynamical gradients at interfaces in glass-forming liquids.