bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hochdurchsatzsequenzierung in der Neonatologie: Chancen und Risiken
Authors: Rudnik-Schöneborn Sabine , Ralser Elisabeth , Konzett Karin
Published: July 2024

Genetische Erkrankungen, die bereits pränatal oder in der frühen Neonatalperiode klinisch auffällig werden, stellen an betreuende Ärzte besondere Anforderungen. Die Klärung von genetischen Verdachtsdiagnosen steht in der Mehrzahl der Fälle unter großem Zeitdruck und schwerer emotionaler Belastung der betroffenen Eltern. Die korrekte Diagnose kann eine kurative Therapie zur Folge und dann einen wesentlichen Einfluss auf die Prognose für das Kind haben. Auch ohne Therapieoptionen ist die rasche genetische Diagnose beim kranken Neugeborenen von großer Bedeutung für den Rückzug aus einer möglicherweise belastenden klinischen Diagnostik und das Einleiten einer palliativen Pflege.

Nach größeren Studien aus den letzten 10 Jahren zur genetischen Diagnostik in der pädiatrischen und neonatologischen Intensivmedizin kann durch Hochdurchsatzsequenzierung eine genetische Diagnose wahrscheinlich bei bis zu 30–50 % der Patienten gestellt werden. Zu bedenken ist, dass nicht immer ein klarer Bezug zwischen Erbgutveränderung und klinischem Bild besteht, wodurch gerade bei unspezifisch kranken Neugeborenen das Risiko einer diagnostischen Fehlinterpretation gegeben ist. Eine enge interdisziplinäre Zusammenarbeit zwischen Ärzten für Kinderheilkunde und Humangenetik ist unabdingbar für eine komplexe genetische Diagnostik. Ethisch schwierige Fragen können sich aus genetischen Zusatzbefunden ergeben; diese sind nicht nur für die (spätere) Gesundheit des Kindes, sondern auch die der ganzen Familie relevant. Anhand von 4 Fallbeispielen illustriert der vorliegende Beitrag die Chancen, aber auch die Risiken, die sich aus den aktuellen Möglichkeiten der genetischen Analysen ergeben.
DDD-costs have a strong influence on antibacterial drug prescription in Germany: a differentiated correlation analysis from 1985 to 2022
Authors: Bindel Lilly Josephine , Seifert Roland
Published: July 2024

Antibacterial drugs are vital in modern medicine, and understanding the factors influencing their prescriptions is essential for maintaining their effectiveness and accessibility. This study investigates the hypothesis that costs significantly impact the prescriptions of antibacterial drugs, a factor previously underrecognized. To investigate this, we conducted correlation analyses on defined daily dose (DDD-) prescriptions and DDD-costs for the 15 most prescribed antibacterial drugs in Germany in 2022, using data from the Arzneimittelverordnungsreport (Drug Prescription Report) (1985–2022). The analysis focused on the periods 1985–2022, 1985–2011, and 2012–2022. Our findings revealed significant correlations between DDD-prescriptions and -costs for nearly all drugs over the entire period (1985–2022), with strong negative correlations for amoxicillin (− 0.941), cefuroxime axetil (− 0.900), clindamycin (− 0.800), nitrofurantoin (− 0.895), and cefaclor (− 0.819). From 1985 to 2011, only significant negative correlations were observed. In 2012–2022, significant correlations included both negative and positive, with strong positive correlations for ciprofloxacin (0.950) and clarithromycin (0.962). Overall, DDD-costs showed a persistent and strong correlation with DDD-prescriptions, particularly in the earlier period. This influence appears to diminish slightly in recent years, suggesting other factors might become more significant as DDD-costs plateau. Notably, amoxicillin, amoxicillin clavulanic acid, and nitrofurantoin consistently exhibited strong cost-prescription correlations throughout the entire period. While correlation does not imply causation, the significant and strong correlations, coupled with logical explanations, support the hypothesis that costs are a primary factor in prescribing patterns. Further research is needed to establish causality and examine other potential systemic factors affecting antibacterial drug prescriptions.
Dexmedetomidine on the interplay of IL-6 and STAT3 pathways in adrenal gland damage-induced scalding burns in rats
Authors: Ciftel Serpil , Mercantepe Filiz , Mercantepe Tolga , Ciftel Enver , Klisic Aleksandra
Published: July 2024

Scalding burns are a common form of thermal injury that often leads to systemic complications. Pro-inflammatory cytokines like interleukin-6 (IL-6) and the activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) pathways have been linked to the pathophysiology of organ damage caused by burns. This study aimed to investigate the potential therapeutic effects of dexmedetomidine, an α2-adrenergic receptor agonist with anti-inflammatory properties, on the interplay of IL-6 and STAT3 pathways in adrenal gland damage following scalding burns in rats. Twenty-eight rats were divided randomly into four groups. Rats in group 1 (n=7, control) were given only 0.9% intraperitoneal (i.p.) NaCl. Rats in group 2 (n=7, DEX) were exposed to 25°C water for 17 s on day 1 and received 100 mcg/kg/day dexmedetomidine i.p. for 3 days; for rats in group 3 (n=7, Burn), boiling water of 94°C was applied inside for 17 s. Rats in group 4 (n=7, Burn+DEX) were exposed to 94°C water for 17 s and received 100 mcg/kg/day dexmedetomidine i.p. for 3 days. Adrenal gland tissues were histopathological examined, and STAT3, IL-6, and TUNEL staining were performed using immunohistochemically. Our results revealed that scalding burns increased IL-6 and STAT3 expression in the adrenal glands of rats. Histological analysis demonstrated that dexmedetomidine administration ameliorated adrenal gland damage and reduced inflammatory cell infiltration. Our findings suggest that dexmedetomidine protects the adrenal glands in scalding burns. This protection appears to be mediated, at least in part, by its modulation of IL-6 and STAT3 pathways.
Approximating the Stationary Distribution of the ASEP with Open Boundaries
Authors: Nestoridi Evita , Schmid Dominik
Published: July 2024

We investigate the stationary distribution of asymmetric and weakly asymmetric simple exclusion processes with open boundaries. We project the stationary distribution onto a subinterval, whose size is allowed to grow with the length of the underlying segment. Depending on the boundary parameters of the exclusion process, we provide conditions such that the stationary distribution projected onto a subinterval is close in total variation distance to a product measure.
A novel adapted MRI-based scheme for Dejour classification of trochlear dysplasia
Authors: Jian-Lüssi Ni , Pfirrmann Christian W. A. , Buck Florian M. , Frauenfelder Thomas , Rosskopf Andrea B.
Published: July 2024

Purpose

To elaborate an optimized scheme for the Dejour classification of trochlear dysplasia based on axial and sagittal MR images and to evaluate its intra- and inter-reader reliability.

Material and methods

Over a period of 20 months patients with a knee MRI and the diagnosis of trochlear dysplasia were retrospectively included. Exclusion criteria were incomplete examination, qualitatively non-diagnostic examination, post trochlear surgery, missing informed consent for research purposes. Three independent evaluations were performed by two radiologists: first using an established description of the Dejour classification (types A–D) and then two evaluations using a new adapted scheme (types A–D). The adapted scheme includes a shallow trochlea, in type A no spur/no cliff, in type B with spur/no cliff, in type C no spur/with cliff, and in type D with spur/with cliff.

Results

One hundred seventy-one knee MRIs (female:65.5%; left side:52.6%) were included with a median age of 34.3 years (range:11.3–79.2). Inter-reader reliability using the established description was fair for the four-type-classification (kappa(k) = 0.23; 95%CI:0.11–0.34), fair for differentiation low-grade versus high-grade dysplasia (k = 0.28;0.13–0.43), slight for differentiation spur versus no-spur types (k = 0.20;0.05–0.34). Inter-reader reliability using the adapted scheme was substantial (k = 0.79;0.75–0.83) for the four-type-classification, substantial for differentiation low-grade versus high-grade dysplasia (k = 0.80;0.75–0.85), substantial for differentiation spur versus no-spur presence (k = 0.76;0.71–0.81). Intra-reader reliability was almost perfect for the adapted scheme (k-values: 0.88–0.95; 95%CIs: 0.84–0.98).

Conclusion

The novel adapted scheme for Dejour classification shows an almost perfect intra-reader reliability and a substantially higher inter-reader reliability. It may become a helpful tool in the daily diagnostic work of radiologists.
Modeling and solution of eigenvalue problems of laminated cylindrical shells consisting of nanocomposite plies in thermal environments
Authors: Sofiyev Abdullah H.
Published: July 2024

This work is dedicated to the modeling and solution of eigenvalue problems within shear deformation theory (SDT) of laminated cylindrical shells containing nanocomposite plies subjected to axial compressive load in thermal environments. In this study, the shear deformation theory for homogeneous laminated shells is extended to laminated shells consisting of functionally graded (FG) nanocomposite layers. The nanocomposite plies of laminated cylindrical shells (LCSs) are arranged in a piecewise FG distribution along the thickness direction. Temperature-dependent material properties of FG-nanocomposite plies are estimated through a micromechanical model, and CNT efficiency parameters are calibrated based on polymer material properties obtained from molecular dynamics simulations. After mathematical modeling, second-order time-dependent and fourth-order coordinate-dependent partial differential equations are derived within SDT, and a closed-form solution for the dimensionless frequency parameter and critical axial load is obtained for first time. After the accuracy of the applied methodology is confirmed by numerical comparisons, the unique influences of ply models, the number and sequence of plies and the temperature on the critical axial load and vibration frequency parameter within SDT and Kirchhoff–Love theory (KLT) are presented with numerical examples.
A Whitney Type Theorem for Surfaces: Characterising Graphs with Locally Planar Embeddings
Authors: Carmesin Johannes
Published: July 2024

Given a graph G and a parameter r, we define the r-local matroid of G to be the matroid generated by its cycles of length at most r. Extending Whitney’s abstract planar duality theorem from 1932, we prove that for every r the r-local matroid of G is co-graphic if and only if G admits a certain type of embedding in a surface, which we call r-planar embedding. The maximum value of r such that a graph G admits an r-planar embedding is closely related to face-width, and such embeddings for this maximum value of r are quite often embeddings of minimum genus. Unlike minimum genus embeddings, these r-planar embeddings can be computed in polynomial time. This provides the first systematic and polynomially computable method to construct for every graph G a surface so that G embeds in that surface in an optimal way (phrased in our notion of r-planarity).
A new multi-objective hyperparameter optimization algorithm for COVID-19 detection from x-ray images
Authors: Gülmez Burak
Published: July 2024

The coronavirus occurred in Wuhan (China) first and it was declared a global pandemic. To detect coronavirus X-ray images can be used. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are used commonly to detect illness from images. There can be lots of different alternative deep CNN models or architectures. To find the best architecture, hyper-parameter optimization can be used. In this study, the problem is modeled as a multi-objective optimization (MOO) problem. Objective functions are multi-class cross entropy, error ratio, and complexity of the CNN network. For the best solutions to the objective functions, multi-objective hyper-parameter optimization is made by NSGA-III, NSGA-II, R-NSGA-II, SMS-EMOA, MOEA/D, and proposed Swarm Genetic Algorithms (SGA). SGA is a swarm-based algorithm with a cross-over process. All six algorithms are run and give Pareto optimal solution sets. When the figures obtained from the algorithms are analyzed and algorithm hypervolume values are compared, SGA outperforms the NSGA-III, NSGA-II, R-NSGA-II, SMS-EMOA, and MOEA/D algorithms. It can be concluded that SGA is better than others for multi-objective hyper-parameter optimization algorithms for COVID-19 detection from X-ray images. Also, a sensitivity analysis has been made to understand the effect of the number of the parameters of CNN on model success.
Stiffness-related disability following long segmental posterior instrumentation and fusion: is it influenced by postoperative spinopelvic alignment?
Authors: Zhang Jiaqi , Liu Yinhao , Zeng Yan , Li Weishi , Chen Zhongqiang
Published: July 2024

Purpose

The aims of this study were to investigate the correlations between Chinese version of Lumbar Stiffness Disability Index (C-LSDI) and other clinical outcomes, and to identify the factors independently affecting stiffness-related disability after long-segment fusion in patients with degenerative lumbar scoliosis (DLS).

Methods

We performed a retrospective study of 118 consecutive surgically treated DLS cases at a single institute. Pre- and post-operative radiological parameters and postoperative health related quality of life (HRQOL) were examined to determine their correlation coefficients with postoperative C-LSDI. Patients were divided into two groups by the medium number of postoperative C-LSDI: low-stiffness group (C-LSDI < 48 points) and high-stiffness group (C-LSDI ≥ 48 points). Subsequently, differences between the two groups were assessed, and the presumed factors affecting C-LSDI evaluation were further analyzed.

Results

Coronal parameters and global sagittal parameters showed significant correlations with postoperative C-LSDI. The correlation coefficients between C-LSDI and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Japanese Orthopedic Association-29 (JOA-29), the Scoliosis Research Society-22 questionnaire (SRS-22) Function, and the Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36) Physical Component Scores were over 0.5. In multiple linear regression, postoperative sagittal vertical axis (β = 0.084, p = 0.025), fusion levels (β = 2.13, p = 0.012), and body mass index (β = 0.867, p = 0.022) were independent related factors for C-LSDI.

Conclusion

This study showed that all HRQOLs demonstrated the varying degree of correlations with C-LSDI, of which the ODI, JOA-29, SRS-22 Function, and SF-36 PCS were most relevant, with moderate strength of associations.Moreover, longer fusion levels, higher BMI, and greater postoperative SVA independently affect C-LSDI after long segmental posterior instrumentation and fusion for DLS.
Growth rate of a giant Tarlov (perineural) cyst with intrapelvic extension
Authors: Kaptanoğlu Erkan , Malçok Ümit Ali , Kaptanoğlu Doğa , Çatav Serdar
Published: July 2024

Background and importance

Giant Tarlov cysts (GTCs) are perineural cysts and their presacral intrapelvic extension are extremely rare entities. We present a case of GTC with intrapelvic extension who has preoperative Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) follow-ups of 12 years, and we demonstrate the annual growth rate and the time-size correlation of a GTC.

Methods

Case report.

Clinical presentation

A 37-year-old woman was admitted with left gluteal pain radiating to left foot, left leg numbness, progressed over 12 years. On MRI, starting from the L5–S1 level, a giant Tarlov cyst with an atypical configuration, is observed. The patient had a known sacral Tarlov cyst, first discovered on MRI obtained 12 years before the surgery. She had 6 consecutive MRI follow-ups in 12 years preoperatively. The cysts diameters have been measured and the growth rate was estimated. We showed for the first time that presented GTC grows in in both Sagittal Diagonal (SD) and Sagittal Craniocaudal (SC) diameters over time with overall annual growth rates, 7.671% for RGR_SD and 6.237% for RGR_SC.

Conclusion

When the time-size correlation is observed, it becomes evident that the GTSs’ growing speed increases over the years because of minimal resistance in the intrapelvic cavity. Early surgery may be considered to prevent rapid growth in the intrapelvic cavity and to reduce possible complications of the giant cyst.
On the influence of sorbents on the static stiffness of Air Springs
Authors: Breitenbach Stephan , Skoglund Marcel , Lillepärg Jelena , Emmler Thomas , Mantwill Frank
Published: July 2024

Air Springs are deployed in many technical areas today. In the premium segment of the automotive industry in particular, they are being used more and more frequently. The load-independent spring rate results in a better ride comfort. Since the stiffness of the Air Spring is significantly influenced by the enclosed air volume, this usually leads to a conflict of objectives between the available installation space and the stiffness optimum. To reduce the spring stiffness while maintaining the same design space, Coackley and Elliot describe in their patent the use of adsorbents such as activated carbon in the enclosed air volume of the spring. By binding air molecules to the adsorbent, more air molecules fit into the enclosed Air Spring volume, while the size and pressure of the Air Spring remain the same.

This paper describes how the so-called “virtual volume” is created by adsorption and how it can be determined by simplified measurements using a gas pycnometer. Furthermore, it is shown how these measurements are related to the static stiffness of an Air Spring, so that a prediction of the static stiffness of an Air Spring filled with sorbent, in this case activated carbon, is possible by simple pycnometric measurements.
Exanthem, Fieber und Schocksymptomatik bei einem 28-jährigen Patienten nach zahnärztlicher Behandlung
Authors: Dehina Nora , Janßen Sarah , Joost Insa , Maier Oliver , Reifenberger Julia , Meller Stephan , Bernhard Michael
Published: July 2024

Hautveränderungen sind mit 5–8 % ein häufiger Vorstellungsgrund in Notaufnahmen und stellen in der klinischen Akut- und Notfallmedizin eine große Herausforderung dar. In der Notaufnahme sind neben der genauen Beschreibung der Hautmanifestationen eine Einschätzung über die Dringlichkeit einer sofortigen Behandlung, der Beginn einer Initialtherapie und ggf. eine Überwachung des Patienten notwendig. Einige Hautveränderungen sind mit einer vitalen Bedrohung für den Patienten assoziiert. Da in den meisten Notaufnahmen nicht permanent ein Dermatologe anwesend ist, erscheint es umso wichtiger, dass Notfallmediziner dringliche dermatologische Pathologien erkennen. Zu den dermatologischen Notfällen gehören neben ausgedehnten Hautverbrennungen, akuten Infektionserkrankungen und allergischen Reaktionen vom Soforttyp auch verzögerte, arzneimittelbedingte Hautreaktionen mit ausgeprägter Klinik (z. B. „drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms“ [DRESS], toxische epidermale Nekrolyse [TEN], akut generalisierte exanthematische Pustulose [AGEP]).
Value and limitations of targeted next-generation sequencing in idiopathic hypereosinophilia: an integrative diagnostic tool in challenging cases
Authors: Cattaneo Daniele , Marchetti Alfredo , Bucelli Cristina , Galli Nicole , Lionetti Marta , Bellani Valentina , Gianelli Umberto , Passamonti Francesco , Bolli Niccolò , Iurlo Alessandra
Published: July 2024

Here, we reviewed clinical-morphological data and investigated mutational profiles by NGS in a single-center series of 28 consecutive patients admitted to our hospital between September 2011 and November 2021 for idiopathic hypereosinophilia (HE).

Bone marrow (BM) morphology was evaluated in 22 patients: while in six subjects BM was unremarkable, in the remaining cases an increase in BM eosinophils was observed, together with a slight increase in BM fibrosis (MF-1) in 5/22 patients.

A total of 4/28 patients had at least one genetic lesion by targeted NGS. In particular, the genes involved were: two each of TET2 and DNMT3A; and one each of JAK2V617F, ASXL1, PPM1D, and ZBTB33. Notably, JAK2V617F and TET2 mutations co-occurred, with the JAK2V617F-mutated sample also carrying TET2 lesions. Median VAF was 21%, with the exception of the oncodriver JAK2V617F, which showed a VAF > 50% in the reported case. Of note, of the four cases bearing lesions, 2/4 had multiple hits in different genes.

While in recent years mutational analysis using NGS has proven to be able to differentiate clonal hematopoietic neoplasms from reactive processes in diagnostically difficult cases, we found somatic mutations in only 14.3% of patients who acceded to our hospital for idiopathic HE. More importantly, excluding the JAK2V617F-mutated case with an underlying MPN-Eo diagnosis, NGS was able to identify somatic mutations in only three cases, all older than 70 years. Consequently, the detection of these mutations in idiopathic HE patients should be interpreted with caution and only in the context of other supportive clinical-pathological findings.
Tailoring support following summative assessments: a latent profile analysis of student outcomes across five medical specialities
Authors: Ding Huiming , Homer Matt
Published: July 2024

Summative assessments are often underused for feedback, despite them being rich with data of students’ applied knowledge and clinical and professional skills. To better inform teaching and student support, this study aims to gain insights from summative assessments through profiling students’ performance patterns and identify those students missing the basic knowledge and skills in medical specialities essential for their future career. We use Latent Profile Analysis to classify a senior undergraduate year group (n = 295) based on their performance in applied knowledge test (AKT) and OSCE, in which items and stations are pre-classified across five specialities (e.g. Acute and Critical Care, Paediatrics,…). Four distinct groups of students with increasing average performance levels in the AKT, and three such groups in the OSCE are identified. Overall, these two classifications are positively correlated. However, some students do well in one assessment format but not in the other. Importantly, in both the AKT and the OSCE there is a mixed group containing students who have met the required standard to pass, and those who have not. This suggests that a conception of a borderline group at the exam-level can be overly simplistic. There is little literature relating AKT and OSCE performance in this way, and the paper discusses how our analysis gives placement tutors key insights into providing tailored support for distinct student groups needing remediation. It also gives additional information to assessment writers about the performance and difficulty of their assessment items/stations, and to wider faculty about student overall performance and across specialities.
Small data challenges for intelligent prognostics and health management: a review
Authors: Li Chuanjiang , Li Shaobo , Feng Yixiong , Gryllias Konstantinos , Gu Fengshou , Pecht Michael
Published: July 2024

Prognostics and health management (PHM) is critical for enhancing equipment reliability and reducing maintenance costs, and research on intelligent PHM has made significant progress driven by big data and deep learning techniques in recent years. However, complex working conditions and high-cost data collection inherent in real-world scenarios pose small-data challenges for the application of these methods. Given the urgent need for data-efficient PHM techniques in academia and industry, this paper aims to explore the fundamental concepts, ongoing research, and future trajectories of small data challenges in the PHM domain. This survey first elucidates the definition, causes, and impacts of small data on PHM tasks, and then analyzes the current mainstream approaches to solving small data problems, including data augmentation, transfer learning, and few-shot learning techniques, each of which has its advantages and disadvantages. In addition, this survey summarizes benchmark datasets and experimental paradigms to facilitate fair evaluations of diverse methodologies under small data conditions. Finally, some promising directions are pointed out to inspire future research.
Free open source communities sustainability: Does it make a difference in software quality?
Authors: Alami Adam , Pardo Raúl , Linåker Johan
Published: July 2024

Context

Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) communities’ ability to stay viable and productive over time is pivotal for society as they maintain the building blocks that digital infrastructure, products, and services depend on. Sustainability may, however, be characterized from multiple aspects, and less is known how these aspects interplay and impact community outputs, and software quality specifically.

Objective

This study, therefore, aims to empirically explore how the different aspects of FOSS sustainability impact software quality.

Method

16 sustainability metrics across four categories were sampled and applied to a set of 217 OSS projects sourced from the Apache Software Foundation Incubator program. The impact of a decline in the sustainability metrics was analyzed against eight software quality metrics using Bayesian data analysis, which incorporates probability distributions to represent the regression coefficients and intercepts.

Results

Findings suggest that selected sustainability metrics do not significantly affect defect density or code coverage. However, a positive impact of community age was observed on specific code quality metrics, such as risk complexity, number of very large files, and code duplication percentage. Interestingly, findings show that even when communities are experiencing sustainability, certain code quality metrics are negatively impacted.

Conclusion

Findings imply that code quality practices are not consistently linked to sustainability, and defect management and prevention may be prioritized over the former. Results suggest that growth, resulting in a more complex and large codebase, combined with a probable lack of understanding of code quality standards, may explain the degradation in certain aspects of code quality.
Postphenomenology Unchained: Rethinking Human-Technology-World Relations as Enroulement
Authors: Schürkmann Christiane , Anders Lisa
Published: July 2024

Humans experience various phenomena as threats to their biophysical integrity. Airborne viruses, leaking radioactivity, or extreme weather conditions are three examples for this. In these scenarios the focus is not unilaterally directed towards the vulnerable body but also towards a world that can potentially become hazardous and out of balance. At the same time, technology comes into play, enabling us to access such an obtruding world including its activities, forces, and agents but also to shield humans and their vulnerable bodies from potential injuries and harm. The contribution develops an approach to investigate human-technology-world relations based on Merleau-Ponty’s concept of Enroulement unfolded in The Visible and the Invisible. This concept releases a non-linear, dynamic multi-relationality in which world, human, and technology become relevant as situating as well as situated co-constitutors of such relations enveloped in a permanent process of coiling. We discuss our approach as an alternative to a linear relational perspective as found in the postphenomenological concept of technological mediation. With the approach of Enroulement it becomes evident that the situated-situating world is more than something to be technologically mediated, while technology situated in the world but also co-constituting our world is more than a mediator. First, the article emphasizes the notion of the world based on Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenology and in a critical examination of postphenomenological approaches. Second, it unfolds the concept of Enroulement involving human, world, and technology. Third, it focuses on shielding technologies required by vulnerable bodies and an intervening world. Fourth, it illustrates the suggested approach with two examples in which humans and technologies are exposed to extreme forces and material activities: combat flying and dealing with radioactivity.
Trophic niches of estuarine fish and evidence of mangrove-fishery causal links in the Southern Caribbean (Colombia)
Authors: Sandoval Luis Alejandro , Erős Tibor
Published: July 2024

The trophic organization of estuarine fish communities is poorly known. We used Stable Isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) to classify the most abundant fishes of the Atrato River Delta (Colombia) into trophic guilds. We examined trophic niches and the relationships between the abundance of the trophic guilds (catch per unit effort) and environmental variables. The zoobenthivores were the dominant trophic guild. The isotopic niche width, based on Bayesian estimate of the standard ellipse areas, was more significant for carnivores (25.3‰2) and planktivores (24.4‰2) than for omnivores (7.8‰2) and phytobenthivores (3.1‰2). The overlap combinations showed a medium probability of isotopic overlap (≈50%) between carnivores and planktivores and between carnivores and omnivores. Isotopic niche size and overlap suggested diversity in food sources and considerable niche segregation of the fish community. Mangrove area was the main factor explaining the abundance of omnivores and zoobenthivores, supporting that the causal links between mangrove habitat and local fishery production may be explained through the trophic contribution of mangroves and mangrove-related sources. The results underscore the importance of mangrove areas in the trophic organization of fish communities and can inform strategies aimed at managing the ecosystem impacts of fishing and protecting extensive mangrove areas in the southern Caribbean.
Sustainability with Limited Data: A Novel Predictive Analytics Approach for Forecasting CO2 Emissions
Authors: Filelis-Papadopoulos Christos K. , Kirshner Samuel N. , O’Reilly Philip
Published: July 2024

Unforeseen events (e.g., COVID-19, the Russia-Ukraine conflict) create significant challenges for accurately predicting CO2 emissions in the airline industry. These events severely disrupt air travel by grounding planes and creating unpredictable, ad hoc flight schedules. This leads to many missing data points and data quality issues in the emission datasets, hampering accurate prediction. To address this issue, we develop a predictive analytics method to forecast CO2 emissions using a unique dataset of monthly emissions from 29,707 aircraft. Our approach outperforms prominent machine learning techniques in both accuracy and computational time. This paper contributes to theoretical knowledge in three ways: 1) advancing predictive analytics theory, 2) illustrating the organisational benefits of using analytics for decision-making, and 3) contributing to the growing focus on aviation in information systems literature. From a practical standpoint, our industry partner adopted our forecasting approach under an evaluation licence into their client-facing CO2 emissions platform.
Why traditional rural landscapes are still important to our future
Authors: Santoro Antonio
Published: July 2024

Context

In 2005 Marc Antrop published the article “Why landscapes of the past are important for the future” that became a milestone for traditional and cultural landscapes research and planning, highlighting their multifunctional role and importance for sustainable development.

Objectives

After 20 years, this paper analyzes the current role of traditional rural landscapes in relation to the concept of Ecosystem Services, to understand if and why these landscapes are still important for the future of rural areas and communities.

Results

Traditional rural landscapes still represent a resource capable of providing a wide range of Ecosystem Services to local communities, having a potential key-role for sustainable development. Institutional initiatives for their conservation and valorization testify a growing interest towards these systems and related ecological knowledge. In the context of climate change, they represent examples of sustainable adaptation and resilient strategies and practices. The preservation of these landscapes often rely only on farmers’ everyday work, while the benefits are enjoyed by the whole society; therefore, adequate support by governments and institutions should be provided to farmers who apply traditional and sustainable practices.

Conclusions

Traditional landscapes should be preserved not as museums, but only making them the multifunctional basis of rural society and economy by applying the principles of dynamic conservation.
Consultancy firms’ roles in policy diffusion: a systematic review from the environmental governance field
Authors: Burchard-Levine Alejandra , Huitema Dave , Jager Nicolas W. , Bijlsma Iris
Published: July 2024

Since the 1980’s, the growing involvement of private consultancy firms in the public sector worldwide has instigated concerns about the outsourcing of public policy advising to market-driven actors. Although these firms participate in spreading policy ideas, their roles have not received sustained attention, despite being observed by a few scholars. Against this background, the aim of this paper is threefold. First, from established policy concepts relating to policy diffusion, we identify the potential roles that consultancy firms may take on in spreading policy ideas. Second, we use a systematic literature review to collect and distil what is currently known about what different roles consultancy firms fulfil, and what kinds of tensions arise in their interactions with both clients and other actors. Third, we draft an agenda for future research on consultancy firms’ impact in governance processes. To focus our study, our review hones in on environmental governance, more specifically water governance, a significant area of activity for such firms where they play an important in-between role in providing policy ideas. We found indications that consultancy firms possess six types of capabilities (trusted facilitators, reactors to environmental policies, shapers of environmental policies, market drivers, interest navigators, and managers of public participation), and face various dilemmas around biases, decontextualized global practices, market interests, and manipulative practices. We conclude that more attention should be given to empirically refining capabilities involved in shaping policies and markets and to further highlighting how consultancy firms impact the diffusion of governance ideas in and beyond the water and environmental sectors.
Various dynamic behaviors for the concatenation model in birefringent fibers
Authors: Ekici Mehmet , Sarmaşık Cansu Ali
Published: July 2024

This study explores various wave phenomena related to the concatenation model, which is characterized by the inclusion of the Kerr law of nonlinearity in birefringent fibers. Several distinct auxiliary functions and logarithmic transformation are utilized to formulate various analytical solutions, including multi-wave solutions, two solitary wave solutions, breather waves, periodic cross kink solutions, Peregrine-like rational solutions, and three-wave solutions. To demonstrate the influence of different parameters on the interaction of the obtained solutions, some figures are provided to vividly display these transmission and interaction characteristics.
The Medicines Optimisation Innovation Centre: a dedicated centre driving innovation in medicines optimisation-impact and sustainability
Authors: Hogg A. , Scott M. , Fleming G. , Scullin C. , Huey R. , Martin S. , Goodfellow N. , Harrison C.
Published: July 2024

Background

Sub-optimal medicines use is a challenge globally, contributing to poorer health outcomes, inefficiencies and waste. The Medicines Optimisation Innovation Centre (MOIC) was established in Northern Ireland by the Department of Health (DH) in 2015 to support implementation of the Medicines Optimisation Quality Framework.

Aim

To demonstrate how MOIC informs policy and provides support to commissioners to improve population health and wellbeing.

Setting

MOIC is a regional centre with multidisciplinary and multi-sector clinical expertise across Health and Social Care and patient representation.

Development

Core funded by DH, MOIC has a robust governance structure and oversight programme board. An annual business plan is agreed with DH. Rigorous processes have been developed for project adoption and working collaboratively with industry.

Implementation

MOIC has established partnerships with academia, industry, healthcare and representative organisations across Europe, participating in research and development projects and testing integrated technology solutions. A hosting programme has been established and evaluation and dissemination strategies have been developed.

Evaluation

MOIC has established numerous agreements, partnered in three large EU projects and strengthened networks globally with extensive publications and conference presentations. Informing pathway redesign, sustainability and COVID response, MOIC has also assisted in the development of clinical pharmacy services and antimicrobial stewardship in Europe and Africa. Northern Ireland has been recognised as a 4-star European Active and Healthy Ageing Reference Site and the Integrated Medicines Management model as an example of best practice in Central and Eastern Europe.

Conclusion

MOIC has demonstrated considerable success and sustainability and is applicable to health systems globally.
Evaluating the impact of vocabulary instruction on oral vocabulary, phonemic awareness and nonword reading
Authors: Brooks Rose , Warmington Meesha , Thomson Jenny
Published: July 2024

Vocabulary teaching has traditionally focused on word meanings to aid reading comprehension, however evidence also suggests that vocabulary knowledge influences phonemic awareness and word reading. Vocabulary instruction concentrating on the sound structure of new words alongside meaning (combined sound-meaning vocabulary instruction) improves vocabulary for learners with speech and language difficulties. Emerging research suggests it may deliver similar results as a classroom strategy for young children. Researchers have questioned whether combined instruction would additionally enhance phonemic awareness and phonic decoding. A teaching intervention with 273 children aged 5–6 in the United Kingdom compared meaning-based instruction, combined instruction and usual classroom instruction (age-matched controls) over 24 weeks with three testing points. A daily vocabulary lesson incorporating evidence-based principles was delivered by classroom teachers. After intervention both instructional groups performed significantly higher than controls on taught vocabulary, and all groups performed equally on phonemic awareness and nonword reading. Delayed post-test results require more cautious interpretation due to the lack of a hierarchical design. Combined instruction resulted in the highest taught vocabulary and phonic reading outcomes; phonemic awareness in the combined condition was significantly higher than controls. Results tentatively suggest that combined instruction is an inclusive approach for whole-class use in early schooling.
Micropropagation via somatic embryogenesis of Iris pallida Lam. ecotypes
Authors: Meucci Annalisa , Ghelardi Cristina , Maggini Rita , Malorgio Fernando , Chietera Giorgiana , Mensuali Anna
Published: July 2024

Iris pallida LAM., which has characterized the economy of small and medium-sized Tuscan farms for decades, is one of the most typical rustic species of the Mediterranean landscape. I. pallida essence is widely used in the perfumery sector for the indicative smell of violet caused by its high content of irones, ketone compounds accumulated inside the rhizome during their storage phase. One of the main critical aspects of its cultivation is the vegetative propagation method, traditionally carried out by rhizome transplanting, which does not allow obtaining a sufficient number of plants to encourage its cultivation. The state of the art indicates the micropropagation of I. pallida via somatic embryogenesis as the most effective propagation method, using immature flower components as starting tissue; however, there are no studies aimed at comparing the responses of different ecotypes of I. pallida to this technique. In this study, I. pallida clones of HE, VIC and BA ecotypes were obtained via somatic embryogenesis, starting from bud (young and immature) and leaf explants, monitoring all the development steps from callus to plantlets production, and testing clones adaptation to field conditions, using a modified acclimatization protocol. The results highlighted the different responses of the ecotypes to the in vitro protocol and demonstrated the effectiveness of somatic embryogenesis in producing I. pallida plantlets with a chromatographic profile overlapping with the donor plant; this alternative propagation method could allow to produce plantlets without sacrificing sealable rhizome.
Promotion of Different Active Phases in MnOX-CeO2 Catalysts for Simultaneous NO Reduction and o-DCB Oxidation
Authors: Martín-Martín J. A. , González-Marcos M. P. , Aranzabal A. , González-Velasco J. R. , Finocchio E.
Published: July 2024

MnOX-CeO2 catalysts with different Mn and Ce content were prepared to evaluate the effect of metal content on catalytic properties and activity in the simultaneous NO reduction and o-DCB oxidation, in order to elucidate the most active species for the process. Catalytic properties were evaluated by ICP-AES, XRD, skeletal FTIR, STEM-HAADF, XPS, N2-physisorption, H2-TPR, NH3-TPD and pyridine-FTIR. Catalysts with 85%Mn and 15%Ce molar content have been found to be the most active. Their excellent catalytic performance is related to the coexistence of Mn in different phases, i.e., Mn species strongly interacting with Ce and segregated Mn species. The effect of the preparation methods has also been deeply investigated: Co-precipitation method (CP) leads to Mn segregation as Mn2O3, whereas sol-gel preparation method (SG) promotes the formation of an amorphous powder. The synergy between segregated Mn2O3 species and Mn species in high interaction with Ce (resulting in a mixed oxide phase) leads to the presence of Mn with different oxidation states. This effect, together with the high oxygen mobility caused by structural defects, enhances redox, acidic and oxidative properties. The improvement of catalytic properties with Mn content also favors NO reduction side-reactions, with N2O and NO2 being the most important by-products, whereas it limits the production of chlorinated organic by-products in o-DCB oxidation.
Predicting the Severity of Acute Pain after Cesarean Delivery: A Narrative Review
Authors: Sangkum Lisa , Chalacheewa Theerawat , Tunprasit Choosak , Lavanrattanakul Phisut , Liu Henry
Published: July 2024

Purpose of the Review

Cesarean delivery is one of the most common surgical procedures performed worldwide. Approximately 28–78% of the patients have reported experiencing severe pain after Cesarean delivery, which is associated with adverse outcomes. Current analgesic management strategies employ a one-size-fits-all approach, which may not be suitable for all post-Cesarean patients. Our ongoing research and the purpose of this review are focusing on preoperative risk assessment to identify patients at risk of severe pain or needing higher doses of opioid or other analgesics.

Recent Findings

Recent clinical investigations have found that by utilizing the demographic and psychological evaluations, screening tests, quantitative sensory testing, and assessment of response to local anesthetic infiltration, clinicians were potentially able to stratify the risks for severe post-cesarean pain. Several modalities demonstrated significant correlations with pain outcomes, although most of these correlations were weak to modest. Since consensus statement regarding predicting post-CD pain control are still lacking, these correlations can be clinically helpful.

It is possible to identify patients at high risk of developing severe acute pain after cesarean section by preoperative demographic data, screening questionnaires, or other tools. Further studies are needed to identify additional variables or screening tools for more accurate prediction and investigate whether personalized analgesic regimens can lead to improved analgesic outcomes.
Two are Better Than One but Three is Best: Fast-Tracking the Attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Among In-School Adolescents in Nigeria
Authors: Tamambang Rita , Kusi-Mensah Kwabena , Bella-Awusah Tolulope , Ogunmola Olusegun , Afolayan Adeola , Toska Elona , Hertzog Lucas , Rudgard William , Evans Robin , Stöeckl Heidi , Cluver Lucie , Omigbodun Olayinka
Published: July 2024

Background

With 60% of Africa’s population under the age of 25 years, investing in youth will accelerate progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The United Nations concept of ‘Development Accelerators’ is operationalized by examining factors associated with multiple SDGs among adolescents in Nigeria.

Methodology

Through data collected on the health of 1800 adolescents in Southwest Nigeria (Ibadan), ten SDG targets were identified. Accelerator protective factors that could lead to the attainment of two or more SDG targets were identified. Associations were assessed using multivariable logistic regression adjusting for sociodemographic covariates and multiple testing. Cumulative effects were tested by marginal effects modelling.

Results

Participants’ mean age was 15.02 years (SD = 2.27). Family (parenting support), environmental (no survival work and food security) and school (safe schools) related factors emerged as development accelerators. For seven of the identified SDG-aligned targets, a combination of two or more accelerator factors showed cumulative positive associations, suggesting accelerator synergies with a combination of three accelerators showing the greatest increase. For instance, perceiving the school environment as safe, being food secure and having optimal mental health was associated with an 67% chance of not using psychoactive substances. While with safe school alone it was 39% (29%-51%), with food security alone it was 42% (31%-54%) and with optimal mental health alone it was 54% (42%-66%).

Conclusion

Several development accelerators related to family, environmental and school factors can have additive effects on the attainment of the SDGs amongst adolescents in Nigeria. This has practical and policy utility in the fastest growing economy in Africa.
Cortical Morphological Networks Differ Between Gyri and Sulci
Authors: Lin Qingchun , Jin Suhui , Yin Guole , Li Junle , Asgher Umer , Qiu Shijun , Wang Jinhui
Published: July 2024

This study explored how the human cortical folding pattern composed of convex gyri and concave sulci affected single-subject morphological brain networks, which are becoming an important method for studying the human brain connectome. We found that gyri-gyri networks exhibited higher morphological similarity, lower small-world parameters, and lower long-term test-retest reliability than sulci-sulci networks for cortical thickness- and gyrification index-based networks, while opposite patterns were observed for fractal dimension-based networks. Further behavioral association analysis revealed that gyri-gyri networks and connections between gyral and sulcal regions significantly explained inter-individual variance in Cognition and Motor domains for fractal dimension- and sulcal depth-based networks. Finally, the clinical application showed that only sulci-sulci networks exhibited morphological similarity reductions in major depressive disorder for cortical thickness-, fractal dimension-, and gyrification index-based networks. Taken together, these findings provide novel insights into the constraint of the cortical folding pattern to the network organization of the human brain.