bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Brunner's gland hyperplasia and recurrent gastric impaction in a horse
Authors: Scarin Giulia , Guerzoni Kian , Pickles Kirstie , Chance Taylor , Eu Winsome
Published: April 2021

While Brunner's gland hyperplasia may rarely be considered as a cause of chronic gastric impaction in horses, it should be included in the differential diagnoses. A 7‐year‐old Cob cross‐breed gelding was presented with weight loss over a 3‐week period, and a diagnosis of chronic gastric impaction was made. Initial medical management was successful; however, the impaction recurred a further three times, at progressively shorter intervals, over the following 3 months. The owners subsequently elected euthanasia, and the horse was submitted for post‐mortem examination. A focal nodule within the cranial part of the duodenum was seen during the post‐mortem exam. Histopathologic evaluation of the duodenum revealed a marked increase in Brunner's glands admixed with distinct lobules of exocrine pancreatic tissue.
Omental hemangiosarcoma in five dogs
Authors: Chu Kyle , Dugat Danielle , Nafe Laura , Ritchey Jerry
Published: April 2021

Five dogs were diagnosed with omental hemangiosarcoma (HSA). Three of the dogs were Schnauzers. One dog was asymptomatic and four dogs presented with urinary or colonic obstruction. Computed tomography, performed in three cases, revealed a well‐circumscribed caudal abdominal mass that displaced local abdominal organs. Surgical exploration confirmed that the masses were associated with the omentum. The mass was removed in four cases and debulked in one. Histopathologic evaluation in all cases was consistent with HSA. One dog underwent adjuvant chemotherapy and survived 170 days, whilst adjuvant chemotherapy was declined in the other cases, with survival times ranging from 50–120 days. Omental HSA can result in clinical signs related to fecal or urinary obstruction due to the size of the mass and caudal location within the abdomen. Although omental HSA is a rare anatomic variant of HSA, it does behave similar to splenic and other visceral HSA, with a guarded prognosis.
Investigation of protective level of rabies antibodies in vaccinated dogs in Chennai, India
Authors: Yale Gowri , Sudarshan Sampada , Taj Shaheen , Patchimuthu Ganesan Irulappan , Mangalanathan Bharathi Vijaya , Belludi Ashwin Yajaman , Shampur Madhusudana Narayan , Krishnaswamy Tirumurugaan Gopalan , Mazeri Stella
Published: April 2021

Background

Rabies is still endemic in India causing an estimated 20,000 human deaths a year. Free roaming dogs and unvaccinated owned dogs play a major role in the maintenance of the disease. Dog vaccination is the most crucial aspect of rabies prevention and control strategies; therefore vaccine immunogenicity and longevity are important determinants of the efficiency of rabies control efforts.

Methods

In this study at Madras Veterinary College, India, a total of 297 serum samples were collected from owned dogs that were vaccinated against rabies. Data regarding age, gender, breed, neuter status and last date of vaccination were collected at the time of blood collection. The level of rabies virus neutralising antibodies in the sera of these dogs was measured through rapid focus fluorescence inhibition test. The factors associated with protective level of rabies antibodies in vaccinated dogs were investigated through multivariable regression analysis.

Results

This cross‐sectional investigation shows that only 40% (119/297) of the all the dogs in the study showed presence of protective level of anti‐rabies antibodies, and 40% (72/180) of the dogs vaccinated within the last year showed presence of protective levels of antibodies causing concern about rabies vaccine quality and its impact on rabies control. The study also shows that older and neutered dogs are more likely to have protective titre among vaccinated dogs, while non‐descript breed dogs are less likely to have a protective titre compared to pure breeds.

Conclusion

In this study 60% (108/180) of young prima dogs and adult dogs did not show protective levels of antibodies within the year of last rabies vaccination, although they had previous vaccination history. This high percentage of apparent non‐responders is a cause of concern of administration, distribution, storage, potency and quality management of vaccines in India.
Assessing protectionism and its impact from consumers' perspective: The case of Senegal's poultry import ban
Authors: Boimah Mavis , Weible Daniela
Published: April 2021

Import ban, an extreme form of restriction prohibiting the trade of a good is implemented under different scenarios including an outbreak of a disease to prevent the spread of infection. While such a policy may have varying degrees of impact on different sectors of the domestic economy, end‐users of the good in question are key to providing useful information on its success or failure. In this regard, this study was conducted to assess the impact of Senegal's poultry import ban from consumers' perspective using focus group discussions. Themes arising from the analysis of the data show that the import ban has contributed to the development of the domestic poultry sector, providing jobs for many along the poultry value chain. Furthermore, the supply of domestic chicken has witnessed a surge contributing to an overall fall in prices. Notwithstanding, the ban is neglecting the group of consumers who are driven by convenience, product diversity, and safety when purchasing chicken meat. Modernization of the sector in relation to infrastructure for processing, storage, in addition to the education and training of actors on hygiene in the meat distribution chain are crucial if the gains made by the domestic poultry industry are to be sustained.
Detecting dark photons from atomic rearrangement in the galaxy
Authors: Eiger James , Geller Michael
Published: April 2021

Abstract

We study a new dark sector signature for an atomic process of “rearrangement” in the galaxy. In this process, a hydrogen-like atomic dark matter state together with its anti-particle can rearrange to form a highly-excited bound state. This bound state will then de-excite into the ground state emitting a large number of dark photons that can be measured in experiments on Earth through their kinetic mixing with the photon. We find that for DM masses in the GeV range, the dark photons have enough energy to pass the thresholds of neutrino observatories such as Borexino and Super-Kamiokande that can probe for our scenario even when our atomic states constitute a small fraction of the total DM abundance. We study the corresponding bounds on the parameters of our model from current data as well as the prospects for future detectors.
Plahte diagrams for string scattering amplitudes
Authors: Srisangyingcharoen Pongwit , Mansfield Paul
Published: April 2021

Abstract

Plahte identities are monodromy relations between open string scattering amplitudes at tree level derived from the Koba-Nielsen formula. We represent these identities by polygons in the complex plane. These diagrams make manifest the appearance of sign changes and singularities in the analytic continuation of amplitudes. They provide a geometric expression of the KLT relations between closed and open string amplitudes. We also connect the diagrams to the BCFW on-shell recursion relations and generalise them to complex momenta resulting in a relation between the complex phases of partial amplitudes.
Collider searches for scalar singlets across lifetimes
Authors: Fuchs Elina , Matsedonskyi Oleksii , Savoray Inbar , Schlaffer Matthias
Published: April 2021

Abstract

Spin-0 singlets arise in well-motivated extensions of the Standard Model. Their lifetime determines the best search strategies at hadron and lepton colliders. To cover a large range of singlet decay lengths, we investigate bounds from Higgs decays into a pair of singlets, considering signatures of invisible decays, displaced and delayed jets, and coupling fits of untagged decays. We examine the generic scalar singlet and the relaxion, and derive a matching as well as qualitative differences between them. For each model, we discuss its natural parameter space and the searches probing it.
Complex Eigenvalue Splitting for the Dirac Operator
Authors: Hirota Koki , Wittsten Jens
Published: April 2021

We analyze the eigenvalue problem for the semiclassical Dirac (or Zakharov–Shabat) operator on the real line with general analytic potential. We provide Bohr–Sommerfeld quantization conditions near energy levels where the potential exhibits the characteristics of a single or double bump function. From these conditions we infer that near energy levels where the potential (or rather its square) looks like a single bump function, all eigenvalues are purely imaginary. For even or odd potentials we infer that near energy levels where the square of the potential looks like a double bump function, eigenvalues split in pairs exponentially close to reference points on the imaginary axis. For even potentials this splitting is vertical and for odd potentials it is horizontal, meaning that all such eigenvalues are purely imaginary when the potential is even, and no such eigenvalue is purely imaginary when the potential is odd.
Dissolution of wood components during hot water extraction of birch
Authors: Wojtasz-Mucha Joanna , Hasani Merima , Theliander Hans
Published: April 2021

Autohydrolysis-based pretreatments enable extraction of hemicellulose from wood tissue prior to the paper pulp cooking processes enabling their further use as platform chemicals and in material applications. In this study, hot water extraction of birch meal was conducted in a small flow-through system. The combination of high surface area of the milled material with increased driving force induced by constant flow of freshwater, together with fast evacuation of extract, enabled a detailed study of the dissolution process. Based on the findings, deeper insight into acidification and autohydrolysis progress was obtained.
Evaluation and Management Outcomes and Burdens in Patients with Refractory Chronic Cough Referred for Behavioral Cough Suppression Therapy
Authors: Slovarp Laurie J. , Jetté Marie E. , Gillespie Amanda I. , Reynolds Jane E. , Barkmeier-Kraemer Julie M.
Published: April 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate the typical symptoms and medical management characteristics of adult patients with refractory chronic cough (RCC) who are referred to speech-language pathology (SLP) for behavioral cough suppression therapy (BCST) in order to estimate cost-effectiveness and efficiency of current practice patterns for this population.

Methods

One hundred sixty-four (164) patients with RCC referred for BCST were surveyed. Patients completed an initial survey at BCST onset related to symptom pattern and prior treatment, including the Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ). Every four to six weeks patients completed follow-up surveys to assess their response to BCST.

Results

Mean age was 58 years (83.5% women). The majority of patients reported their cough began two or more years prior to BCST. Approximately half (49%) reported seeing four or more physicians (including primary care physicians) and being prescribed four or more medications (57%) prior to BCST. Medications targeting post-nasal drip (72%), reflux (70%), asthma (56%), and allergies (56%) were most commonly prescribed. BCST resulted in a clinically significant improvement in 70.1% of participants. The mean change in LCQ for those who improved with BCST was 6.61. Over half (58%) reported they were quite satisfied to completely satisfied with their treatment response. The average time from enrollment to study completion was 64 days.

Conclusion

The results of this study suggest early intervention with BCST may be a cost-effective and efficient option for patients with RCC.
Evidence for the transfer of methadone and EDDP by sweat to children’s hair
Authors: Feld Katharina , Dahm Patrick , Kieliba Tobias , Klee Axel , Rothschild Markus A. , Andresen-Streichert Hilke , Beike Justus
Published: April 2021

In cases where there is a question as to whether children have come into contact with drugs, examinations of their scalp hair are frequently carried out. Positive test results are often discussed in the forensic community due to the various possible modes via which drugs and their metabolites can be incorporated into the hair. These include drug uptake by the child (e.g. oral ingestion or inhalation), but also contamination of hair via contact with the sweat from drug users. In this study, the possibility of methadone and its metabolite EDDP being incorporated into children’s hair by contact with sweat from persons undergoing opiate maintenance therapy (methadone) was examined. The transfer of methadone and EDDP via sweat from methadone patients (n = 15) to children’s hair was simulated by close skin contact of drug-free children’s hair, encased in mesh-pouches, for 5 days. Sweat-collecting patches (hereafter referred to as ‘sweat patches’) were applied to the test persons’ skin. One strand of hair and one sweat patch were collected daily from each patient. Analyses were performed using GC–MS/MS (hair) and LC–MS/MS (serum, sweat patches). After 4 days of skin contact, methadone was detectable in the formerly drug-free hair strands in all 15 study participants. EDDP was detectable in 34 of 75 hair strands, with the maximum number of positive results (11 EDDP-positive hair strands) being detected after 5 days. These results show that transfer of methadone and EDDP to drug-free hair is possible through close skin contact with individuals taking part in methadone substitution programmes. A correlation between serum concentration, sweat concentration and substance concentration in hair strands could not be demonstrated, but a tendency towards higher concentrations due to longer contact time is clearly evident.
A technique for obtaining true approximations for k-center with covering constraints
Authors: Anegg Georg , Angelidakis Haris , Kurpisz Adam , Zenklusen Rico
Published: April 2021

There has been a recent surge of interest in incorporating fairness aspects into classical clustering problems. Two recently introduced variants of the k-Center problem in this spirit are Colorful k-Center, introduced by Bandyapadhyay, Inamdar, Pai, and Varadarajan, and lottery models, such as the Fair Robust k-Center problem introduced by Harris, Pensyl, Srinivasan, and Trinh. To address fairness aspects, these models, compared to traditional k-Center, include additional covering constraints. Prior approximation results for these models require to relax some of the normally hard constraints, like the number of centers to be opened or the involved covering constraints, and therefore, only obtain constant-factor pseudo-approximations. In this paper, we introduce a new approach to deal with such covering constraints that leads to (true) approximations, including a 4-approximation for Colorful k-Center with constantly many colors—settling an open question raised by Bandyapadhyay, Inamdar, Pai, and Varadarajan—and a 4-approximation for Fair Robust k-Center, for which the existence of a (true) constant-factor approximation was also open. We complement our results by showing that if one allows an unbounded number of colors, then Colorful k-Center admits no approximation algorithm with finite approximation guarantee, assuming that $$\mathtt {P}\ne \mathtt {NP}$$

P
≠
NP

. Moreover, under the Exponential Time Hypothesis, the problem is inapproximable if the number of colors grows faster than logarithmic in the size of the ground set.
About the Use of Entropy Production for the Landau–Fermi–Dirac Equation
Authors: Alonso R. , Bagland V. , Desvillettes L. , Lods B.
Published: April 2021

In this paper, we present new estimates for the entropy dissipation of the Landau–Fermi–Dirac equation (with hard or moderately soft potentials) in terms of a weighted relative Fisher information adapted to this equation. Such estimates are used for studying the large time behaviour of the equation, as well as for providing new a priori estimates (in the soft potential case). An important feature of such estimates is that they are uniform with respect to the quantum parameter. Consequently, the same estimations are recovered for the classical limit, that is the Landau equation.
On the Logic of Belief and Propositional Quantification
Authors: Ding Yifeng
Published: April 2021

We consider extending the modal logic KD45, commonly taken as the baseline system for belief, with propositional quantifiers that can be used to formalize natural language sentences such as “everything I believe is true” or “there is something that I neither believe nor disbelieve.” Our main results are axiomatizations of the logics with propositional quantifiers of natural classes of complete Boolean algebras with an operator (BAOs) validating KD45. Among them is the class of complete, atomic, and completely multiplicative BAOs validating KD45. Hence, by duality, we also cover the usual method of adding propositional quantifiers to normal modal logics by considering their classes of Kripke frames. In addition, we obtain decidability for all the concrete logics we discuss.
The demand impacts of train punctuality in great britain: systematic review, meta-analysis and some new econometric insights
Authors: Wardman Mark , Batley Richard
Published: April 2021

This paper updates and extends the systematic review and meta-analysis of Wardman and Batley (Transportation 41:1041–1069, 2014), which hitherto was the most comprehensive study of the impacts of punctuality on passenger rail demand in the literature. Whereas the 2014 paper covered 51 elasticities from 6 studies in Great Britain published between 2003 and 2011, this updated paper adds 11 subsequent British studies yielding a further 201 observations. The meta-model recovers a range of significant effects, relating to whether the elasticity was short versus long run, flow type and distance, season versus nonseason tickets, the relevant measure of lateness, and whether the purpose of the study was specifically the estimation of late time elasticities. Allowance was also made for study quality-related issues. The data indicated that, despite dynamic models being commonplace, there is some uncertainty as to how long the long run is. Alongside the meta-model, the paper also reports new econometric evidence that addresses some gaps in existing evidence and knowledge, especially in relation to functional form and non-linearity of effects. Findings from both strands of analysis would seem to suggest that rail industry guidance has tended to overstate the demand impacts of punctuality.
The classification of education in surveys: a generalized framework for ex-post harmonization
Authors: Schneider Silke L.
Published: April 2021

All social science (and many other) surveys measure respondents’ educational attainment. However, most of them do it in different ways, resulting in incoherent education variables across surveys. This complicates the cumulation of different datasets and hampers survey data reuse. For cross-national surveys that are designed to be comparative from the outset, methods for ensuring comparability in the measurement of education across countries have improved substantially over the last decades, relying onex-anteoutput harmonization. Forex-postharmonization, the situation is more difficult because the data have already been collected, with education measures that only partly overlap in the amount and kind of information they store about respondents’ education. This results in aggregated measures when harmonizing data ex-post. Such aggregated measures may underestimate associations with education in multivariate analyses, leading to biased results. They also do not allow testing hypotheses on the effects of specific types of education, such as vocational programs. This paper presents a new framework for harmonizing education variables ex-post, building on the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) and experience from cross-national surveys using ex-ante harmonization. It includes a new coding scheme called ‘generalized ISCED’ or GISCED, and extension variables standardizing aspects of education not covered by ISCED. It proposes solutions for problems that specifically occur in ex-post harmonization, for example source categories spanning ISCED levels. The paper also shows how to apply the GISCED framework to existing data. An empirical illustration shows how detailed harmonized education measures may give insights for research and policy not possible with more aggregate measures.
Performance evaluation of DNS servers to build a benchmarking system of DNS64 implementations
Authors: Lencse Gábor , Pivoda Attila , Shima Keiichi
Published: April 2021

DNS64 is an important IPv6 transition technology that facilitates the communication of an IPv6 only client with an IPv4 only server, which becomes a more and more common scenario. Several different DNS64 implementations exist, and their performance is a relevant decision factor for network operators. RFC 8219 has defined a benchmarking methodology for DNS64 servers, which requires the operation of an authoritative DNS server at 220% of the query rate used for DNS64 benchmarking. In this paper, we aim to build an authoritative DNS server that operates at 2.2 million qps (queries per second) rate, thus it facilitates DNS64 benchmarking up to 1,000,000 qps rate. To that end, we compare the performance of BIND, YADIFA, NSD, Knot DNS and FakeDNS (a special purpose software) to find the best suiting one of them. We fully disclose the details of our measurements including the configuration of the DNS implementations, the usage of our improved software tester called dns64perf ++, and the details of the hardware and software measurement environment in the NICT StarBED, Japan. We perform a series of measurements to examine, how the performance of the tested solutions scale up with the number of the active CPU cores from 1 to 32. Besides their performance, we also measure their memory consumption and zone load time. We present and discuss all the results. In addition to successfully building an authoritative DNS server with the required performance, we also make recommendations, which solutions suit to different special needs.
Toxicity of Atrazine to Marine Invertebrates Under Flow-Through Conditions—Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica) and Mysid Shrimp (Americamysis bahia)
Authors: Brain R. A. , Anderson J. C. , Hanson M. L.
Published: April 2021

The triazine herbicide atrazine is routinely detected in freshwaters, and has also been detected in coastal waters in Europe and the US. Relatively few atrazine studies have been conducted with estuarine/marine invertebrates. This study sought to contribute additional invertebrate atrazine toxicity data using model species, Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) and Mysid shrimp (Americamysis bahia). Specifically, we investigated (1) acute effects on survival and growth of Eastern oyster, and (2) acute and chronic effects on survival, reproduction, and growth of the Mysid shrimp. No oyster mortality was observed following 96-h exposure to up to 17 mg a.i./L, but shell growth was reduced by 0.55% to 16% in 1.0, 9.2, and 17 mg a.i./L treatments, resulting in a 96-h EC50 of > 17 mg a.i./L. In the 96-h Mysid test, mortality rates of 5 to 70% were observed in 1.7, 2.4, 3.6, and 6.4 mg a.i./L treatments, and the 96-h LC50 was 5.4 mg a.i./L. Sub-lethal effects were observed among surviving Mysids exposed to ≥ 2.4 mg a.i./L. After 28 days of exposure to up to 1.1 mg a.i./L, there were no effects on survival or reproduction. The LOEC was 0.50 mg a.i./L, based on reduced body size, and the NOEC was 0.26 mg a.i./L. Overall, the results indicate that atrazine is slightly toxic towards Eastern oyster and moderately toxic to the Mysid shrimp under acute exposure conditions. These data will help to fill a gap in the literature and inform risk assessment of potential effects of atrazine towards estuarine/marine communities.
Prediction of an oxygen extraction fraction map by convolutional neural network: validation of input data among MR and PET images
Authors: Matsubara Keisuke , Ibaraki Masanobu , Shinohara Yuki , Takahashi Noriyuki , Toyoshima Hideto , Kinoshita Toshibumi
Published: April 2021

Purpose

Oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) is a biomarker for the viability of brain tissue in ischemic stroke. However, acquisition of the OEF map using positron emission tomography (PET) with oxygen-15 gas is uncomfortable for patients because of the long fixation time, invasive arterial sampling, and radiation exposure. We aimed to predict the OEF map from magnetic resonance (MR) and PET images using a deep convolutional neural network (CNN) and to demonstrate which PET and MR images are optimal as inputs for the prediction of OEF maps.

Methods

Cerebral blood flow at rest (CBF) and during stress (sCBF), cerebral blood volume (CBV) maps acquired from oxygen-15 PET, and routine MR images (T1-, T2-, and T2*-weighted images) for 113 patients with steno-occlusive disease were learned with U-Net. MR and PET images acquired from the other 25 patients were used as test data. We compared the predicted OEF maps and intraclass correlation (ICC) with the real OEF values among combinations of MRI, CBF, CBV, and sCBF.

Results

Among the combinations of input images, OEF maps predicted by the model learned with MRI, CBF, CBV, and sCBF maps were the most similar to the real OEF maps (ICC: 0.597 ± 0.082). However, the contrast of predicted OEF maps was lower than that of real OEF maps.

Conclusion

These results suggest that the deep CNN learned useful features from CBF, sCBF, CBV, and MR images and predict qualitatively realistic OEF maps. These findings suggest that the deep CNN model can shorten the fixation time for 15O PET by skipping 15O2 scans. Further training with a larger data set is required to predict accurate OEF maps quantitatively.
Building up an ecologically sustainable and socially desirable post-COVID-19 future
Authors: Duflot Rémi , Baumeister Stefan , Burgas Daniel , Eyvindson Kyle , Triviño María , Blattert Clemens , Kuparinen Anna , Potterf Mária
Published: April 2021

COVID-19 crisis has emphasized how poorly prepared humanity is to cope with global disasters. However, this crisis also offers a unique opportunity to move towards a more sustainable and equitable future. Here, we identify the underlying environmental, social, and economic chronic causes of the COVID-19 crisis. We argue in favour of a holistic view to initiate a socio-economic transition to improve the prospects for global sustainability and human well-being. Alternative approaches to “Business-As-Usual” for guiding the transition are already available for implementation. Yet, to ensure a successful and just transition, we need to change our priorities towards environmental integrity and well-being. This necessarily means environmental justice, a different worldview and a closer relationship with nature.
Influence of Stress States on Forming Hybrid Parts with Sheet Metal and Additively Manufactured Element
Authors: Hafenecker Jan , Papke Thomas , Merklein Marion
Published: April 2021

Hybrid parts with additively manufactured elements (AME) combine the advantages of two or more manufacturing processes, e.g., forming and additive manufacturing (AM), and thus offer a solution to the increasing demands of industrial trends such as personalized mass production. Despite their advantageous properties, research in this field still lacks in clear classification and process interactions. Due to the strong influence of the AME on the formability of hybrid parts, the combination of laser-based powder bed fusion (PBF-LB) with subsequent sheet metal forming is examined in this paper. Therefore, cylindrical functional elements are built up on sheet metal and the resulting hybrid components are subsequently formed. Common forming processes such as bending, stretch forming and deep drawing are compared in regard to the different stress states. The results show a reduction in formability for hybrid components compared to conventional sheet metal materials. Reasons found are geometrical properties, gradients of mechanical properties and induced stresses. Consequently, requirements for the additive manufacturing process regarding a subsequent forming process are outlined. Namely, the gradient of mechanical properties should be smoothened, residual stresses kept low and the design of AMEs should avoid stress concentration.
Iron Deficiency – Not Only a Premenopausal Topic After Bariatric Surgery?
Authors: Kunst Ines , Krebs Michael , Dreschl Bettina , Prager Gerhard , Meyer Elias , Kautzky-Willer Alexandra , Ranzenberger-Haider Tamara
Published: April 2021

Purpose

In our centre, specialized high dose multivitamin supplementation designed to meet the needs of patients after gastric bypass surgery is routinely recommended in the early postoperative period. The aim of the present study was to analyse whether iron supplementation prescribed in clinical practice is sufficient in both sexes and whether multivitamin supplementation standardized for women might potentially lead to iron overload in men.

Materials/Methods

This was a retrospective study covering the period up to 36 months after bariatric surgery. Three groups were compared (men, premenopausal and postmenopausal women). The iron status was evaluated employing serum ferritin concentrations.

Results

A total of 283 patients who had at least one follow-up visit between January 2015 and April 2018 at a specialized academic outpatient centre were included (71 men, 130 premenopausal women, 82 postmenopausal women). Thirty-six months after surgery, 33.3%, 68.4% and 54.5% of the men, pre- and postmenopausal women, respectively, were iron deficient. The preoperative prevalence of excess ferritin levels was 13.7% in premenopausal, 3.0% in postmenopausal women, 5.7% in men and declined in the following months.

Conclusion

Iron deficiency is very common after gastric bypass surgery, and even high dosages of multivitamin and mineral supplements might not be sufficient to prevent the development of iron deficiency. Men, pre- and postmenopausal women differ in their prevalence of iron deficiency which demands adapted iron dosage regimens based on the sex and the age. Iron overload is rare in all observed groups and highest in premenopausal women.

Graphical abstract
Outcomes of robotically assisted laparoscopic lateral suspension (RALLS) with mesh for anterior and apical prolapse
Authors: Dällenbach Patrick , Alec Milena , Boulvain Michel , Shabanov Stas
Published: April 2021

Abdominal sacral colpopexy/hysteropexy is the gold standard for the treatment of vaginal apex support. However, dissection of the promontory may expose to potentially life-threatening complications. To avoid this risk, laparoscopic lateral suspension with mesh is an alternative. Robotic assistance may be helpful in both techniques. The objective of our study was to evaluate outcomes of robotically assisted laparoscopic lateral suspension (RALLS) with mesh for anterior and apical pelvic organ prolapse (POP). From March 2012 to January 2018, 59 consecutive patients underwent RALLS using titanized polypropylene mesh. Between August 2017 and September 2019, all patients were contacted to assess outcome. We performed a clinical exam and asked them to complete the patient global impression of improvement (PGI-I) questionnaire. Fifty-four patients (91.5%) were available for follow-up. Mean age was 58.5 years (28.8–79.8). There were no perioperative complications. The mean follow-up was 33.6 months (11.2–74.1).The objective cure rate (no prolapse beyond hymen) and the subjective cure rate (PGI-I ≤ 2) were 83.3% and 77.2%, respectively. Five women (9.3%) were reoperated for POP recurrence. There was no erosion. Of the 20 women complaining of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) preoperatively, 12 (60%) were cured without any additional SUI procedure. Only two women (10%) required TVT for persistent grade 2 SUI. Two women (5.9%) developed de novo SUI, but none of them required an operation. RALLS repair for POP with mesh is safe and effective and may represent an alternative to sacral colpopexy/hysteropexy.
Rare germline variants in DNA repair-related genes are accountable for papillary thyroid cancer susceptibility
Authors: Mio Catia , Verrienti Antonella , Pecce Valeria , Sponziello Marialuisa , Damante Giuseppe
Published: April 2021

Background

Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) proved to be vital not only for diagnostic purposes but also for tailored treatments. Despite the strong evidence of heritability, only a small subset of alterations has been implicated in PTC pathogenesis. To this reason, we used targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) to identify candidate variants implicated in PTC pathogenesis, progression, and invasiveness.

Methods

A total of 42 primary PTC tissues were investigated using a targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) panel enlisting 47 genes involved in DNA repair and tumor progression.

Results

We identified 57 point mutations in 78.5% of samples (n = 32). Thirty-two somatic mutations were identified exclusively in known thyroid cancer genes (BRAF, KRAS, NRAS, and TERT). Unpredictably, 45% of the all identified mutations (n = 25) resulted to be germline, most affecting DNA repair genes. Interestingly, none of the latter variants was in the main population databases. Following ACMG classification, 20% of pathogenic/likely pathogenic and 68% of variant of unknown significance were identified.

Conclusions

Overall, our results support the hypothesis that rare germline variants in DNA repair genes are accountable for PTC susceptibility. More data, including the segregation analysis in affected families, should be collected before definitely annotate these alterations and to establish their potential prognostic and treatment implications.
Chemosensory dysfunction in Cushing’s syndrome
Authors: Heger Elena , Rubinstein German , Braun Leah T. , Zopp Stephanie , Honegger Jürgen , Seidensticker Max , Reincke Martin , Oßwald Andrea
Published: April 2021

Purpose

Cushing’s syndrome (CS) can lead to structural changes in the brain and cognitive impairment, but chemosensory function has not been investigated yet. The aim was to analyze sense of smell and taste in patients with CS and explore the effect of therapy.

Methods

The study cohort comprised 20 patients with florid CS treated between 2018 and 2020 in the outpatient clinic of the LMU Munich. We compared these 20 patients with CS to 40 healthy subjects matched for age, sex, and smoking status. Patients’ sense of smell and taste was examined at diagnosis and 3 months after successful therapeutic surgery leading to clinical and biochemical remission. Odor threshold, discrimination, and identification were measured with “Sniffin’ Sticks”, taste was measured with “Taste Strips”. Perceived sense of smell and taste was retrieved via a questionnaire.

Results

Patients with florid CS had significantly reduced smell (total smell score 30.3 vs. 34.4,p < 0.0005) and taste scores (9.5 vs. 12.0,p < 0.0005) compared to controls and significantly more frequently hyposmia (55 vs. 2.5%,p < 0.0005), hypogeusia (40 vs. 0%,p < 0.0005), and self-reported chemosensory impairment (60 vs. 0%,p < 0.0005). Three months after successful surgery, CS patients showed significant improvement of odor threshold (8.1 vs. 7.0,p < 0.0005), odor discrimination (12.0 vs. 11.0,p = 0.003), total smell score (33.4 vs. 30.3,p < 0.0005), and taste (11.5 vs. 9.5,p = 0.003).

Conclusions

Chemosensory dysfunction is a novel and clinically relevant feature of CS.
Adrenal cancer: relevance of different grading systems and subtypes
Authors: Minner S. , Schreiner J. , Saeger W.
Published: April 2021

Purpose

The subclassification of adrenal cancers according to the WHO classification in ordinary, myxoid, oncocytic, and sarcomatoid as well as pediatric types is well established, but the criteria for each subtype are not sufficiently determined and the relative frequency of the different types of adrenal cancers has not been studied in large cohorts. Therefore, our large collection of surgically removed adrenal cancers should be reviewed o establish the criteria for the subtypes and to find out the frequency of the various types.

Methods

In our series of 521 adrenal cancers the scoring systems of Weiss et al., Hough et al., van Slooten et al. and the new Helsinki score system were used for the ordinary type of cancer (97% of our series) and the myxoid type (0.8%). For oncocytic carcinomas (2%), the scoring system of Bisceglia et al. was applied.

Results

Discrepancies between benign and malignant diagnoses from the first thee classical scoring systems are not rare (22% in our series) and could be resolved by the Helsinki score especially by Ki-67 index (more than 8% unequivocally malignant). Since all our cancer cases are positive in the Helsinki score, this system can replace the three elder systems. For identification of sarcomatoid cancer as rarest type in our series (0.2%), the scoring systems are not practical but additional immunostainings used for soft tissue tumors and in special cases molecular pathology are necessary to differentiate these cancers from adrenal sarcomas. According to the relative frequencies of the different subtypes of adrenal cancers the main type is the far most frequent (97%) followed by the oncocytic type (2%), the myxoid type (0.8%) and the very rare sarcomatoid type (0.2%).

Conclusions

The Helsinki score is the best for differentiating adrenal carcinomas of the main, the oncocytic, and the myxoid type in routine work. Additional scoring systems for these carcinomas are generally not any longer necessary. Signs of proliferation (mitoses and Ki-67 index) and necroses are the most important criteria for diagnosis of malignancy.
Beyond Geodiversity Sites: Exploring the Educational Potential of Widespread Geological Features (Rocks, Minerals and Fossils)
Authors: Wolniewicz Paweł
Published: April 2021

Geosite and geodiversity site inventories are among the most important means of geological diversity conservation and promotion. However, there are other in situ geological features that have significant educational potential and are not included in many inventories, namely, localities of widespread rock types, common minerals and fossil-bearing strata. In this paper, a broad utilisation of these petrographic, mineralogical and palaeontological geodiversity elements for geoscience communication purposes is postulated, with a case study that focuses on the geological heritage of Poland. A simple quantitative framework for the evaluation of the educational potential of rock types is used for the assessment of preselected geological units on the geological map of Poland. The preferences of potential geotourists are estimated using the interactive web-based map. The promotional materials are written for the most distinctive rock types and geological units that scored the highest in the assessment procedure and/or were most frequently selected by users. This procedure stimulates geodiversity promotion in areas where few geosites and geodiversity sites are documented and no educational activities or interpretative facilities are available, potentially increasing the number of geotourism destinations. The rocks and minerals utilised here are exposed over large areas and can be sampled and studied by untrained collectors without any loss of geodiversity. Shifting the involvement of individuals interested in geosciences from extraordinary to more common rocky outcrops helps to protect the geological heritage and enhances conservation of the most spectacular features for future generations. Field activities such as individual searching and studying outcrops, in turn, play an important role in learning in geosciences, facilitating the acquisition of knowledge and encouraging interdisciplinary thinking. Future improvements could include expanding the applicability of the evaluation method, employment of a location-based learning approach #and more detailed studies of the preferences of potential geotourists.
Heat-Killed Lactic Acid Bacteria Inhibit Nitric Oxide Production via Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase and Cyclooxygenase-2 in RAW 264.7 Cells
Authors: Kang Chang-Ho , Kim Jin-Seong , Kim Hyemin , Park Hye Min , Paek Nam-Soo
Published: April 2021

Heat-killed lactic acid bacteria perform immunomodulatory functions and are advantageous as probiotics, considering their long product shelf-life, easy storage, and convenient transportation. In this study, we aimed to develop appropriate heat treatments for industrial preparation of probiotics with antioxidant activity. Among 75 heat-killed strains, Lactococcus lactis MG5125 revealed the highest nitric oxide inhibition (86.2%), followed by Lactobacillus acidophilus MG4559 (86.0%), Lactobacillus plantarum MG5270 (85.7%), Lactobacillus fermentum MG4510 (85.3%), L. plantarum MG5239 (83.9%), L. plantarum MG5289 (83.2%), and L. plantarum MG5203 (81.8%). Moreover, the heat-killed selected strains markedly inhibited lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 expression. The use of heat-killed bacteria with intact bio-functionality can elongate the shelf-life and simplify the food processing steps of probiotic foods, given their high stability. The antioxidant and immune-modulatory activities of the heat-killed strains selected in this study indicate a strong potential for their utilization probiotic products manufacturing.
Numerical analysis of high-lift configurations with oscillating flaps
Authors: Ruhland Johannes , Breitsamter Christian
Published: April 2021

This study presents two-dimensional aerodynamic investigations of various high-lift configuration settings concerning the deflection angles of droop nose, spoiler and flap in the context of enhancing the high-lift performance by dynamic flap movement. The investigations highlight the impact of a periodically oscillating trailing edge flap on lift, drag and flow separation of the high-lift configuration by numerical simulations. The computations are conducted with regard to the variation of the parameters reduced frequency and the position of the rotational axis. The numerical flow simulations are conducted on a block-structured grid using Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes simulations employing the shear stress transport $$k-\omega $$

k
-
ω

turbulence model. The feature Dynamic Mesh Motion implements the motion of the oscillating flap. Regarding low-speed wind tunnel testing for a Reynolds number of $$0.5 \times 10^{6}$$

0.5
×

10
6

the flap movement around a dropped hinge point, which is located outside the flap, offers benefits with regard to additional lift and delayed flow separation at the flap compared to a flap movement around a hinge point, which is located at 15 % of the flap chord length. Flow separation can be suppressed beyond the maximum static flap deflection angle. By means of an oscillating flap around the dropped hinge point, it is possible to reattach a separated flow at the flap and to keep it attached further on. For a Reynolds number of $$20 \times 10^6$$

20
×

10
6

, reflecting full scale flight conditions, additional lift is generated for both rotational axis positions.
Semantic role labeling for knowledge graph extraction from text
Authors: Alam Mehwish , Gangemi Aldo , Presutti Valentina , Reforgiato Recupero Diego
Published: April 2021

This paper introduces , a new semantic role labeling method that transforms a text into a frame-oriented knowledge graph. It performs dependency parsing, identifies the words that evoke lexical frames, locates the roles and fillers for each frame, runs coercion techniques, and formalizes the results as a knowledge graph. This formal representation complies with the frame semantics used in Framester, a factual-linguistic linked data resource. We tested our method on the WSJ section of the Peen Treebank annotated with VerbNet and PropBank labels and on the Brown corpus. The evaluation has been performed according to the CoNLL Shared Task on Joint Parsing of Syntactic and Semantic Dependencies. The obtained precision, recall, and F1 values indicate that TakeFive is competitive with other existing methods such as SEMAFOR, Pikes, PathLSTM, and FRED. We finally discuss how to combine TakeFive and FRED, obtaining higher values of precision, recall, and F1 measure.
Effect of Process Parameters on Extraction of Pectin from Sweet Lime Peels
Authors: Siddiqui Arshi , Chand Khan , Shahi N. C.
Published: April 2021

Pectin is a heterogeneous polysaccharide found in the cell wall, middle lamellae of many fruits and vegetables, and is widely used as gelling agent, emulsifier and stabilizer in food industry. In keeping the importance of pectin in the food industry, ultrasound-assisted extraction of pectin from sweet lime peel was investigated. The individual and interactive effect of solid-solvent ratio, ultrasound power intensity and sonication time on the pectin yield, equivalent weight and methoxyl content were studied and analyzed using multiple regression analysis. The maximum pectin yield (36.4 g/100 g), equivalent weight (740.3 mg) and methoxyl content (7.1%) was obtained under optimal condition (solid-solvent ratio of 1:24.3 g/ml, ultrasound power intensity of 80 W/cm2 and sonication time of 18.4 min). Significant (p < 0.05) effect of process parameters was found in all responses of pectin extracted from sweet lime peel. It was also revealed from the present study that ultrasound-assisted extraction of pectin from sweet lime peel is an efficient approach toward waste valorization and extraction of pectin with high yield and good quality attributes.
Social media intention mining for sustainable information systems: categories, taxonomy, datasets and challenges
Authors: Rashid Ayesha , Farooq Muhammad Shoaib , Abid Adnan , Umer Tariq , Bashir Ali Kashif , Zikria Yousaf Bin
Published: April 2021

Intention mining is a promising research area of data mining that aims to determine end-users’ intentions from their past activities stored in the logs, which note users’ interaction with the system. Search engines are a major source to infer users’ past searching activities to predict their intention, facilitating the vendors and manufacturers to present their products to the user in a promising manner. This area has been consistently getting pertinence with an increasing trend for online purchasing. Noticeable research work has been accomplished in this area for the last two decades. There is no such systematic literature review available that provides a comprehensive review in intension mining domain to the best of our knowledge. This article presents a systematic literature review based on 109 high-quality research papers selected after rigorous screening. The analysis reveals that there exist eight prominent categories of intention. Furthermore, a taxonomy of the approaches and techniques used for intention mining have been discussed in this article. Similarly, six important types of data sets used for this purpose have also been discussed in this work. Lastly, future challenges and research gaps have also been presented for the researchers working in this domain.
A Dynamic Oligopoly with Price Stickiness and Risk-Averse Agents
Authors: Valentini Edilio , Vitale Paolo
Published: April 2021

In this paper we present a dynamic discrete-time model that allows to investigate the impact of risk-aversion in an oligopoly characterized by a homogeneous non-storable good, sticky prices and uncertainty. The continuous-time limit of our formulation nests the classical dynamic oligopoly model with sticky prices by Fershtman and Kamien (Econometrica 55:1151–1164, 1987) and extends it by accommodating uncertainty and risk-aversion. We show that in the continuous-time limit of our infinite horizon formulation the optimal production strategy and the consequent equilibrium price are, respectively, directly and inversely related to the degrees of uncertainty and risk-aversion. However, the effect of uncertainty and risk-aversion crucially depends on price stickiness since, when prices can adjust instantaneously, the steady state equilibrium in our model with uncertainty and risk-aversion collapses to Fershtman and Kamien’s analogue.