bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Alterations and diagnostic performance of capillary ketonemia in pediatric acute appendicitis: a pilot study
Authors: Arredondo Montero Javier , Bronte Anaut Mónica , Bardají Pascual Carlos , Antona Giuseppa , López-Andrés Natalia , Martín-Calvo Nerea
Published: December 2022

Introduction

The diagnostic performance of capillary ketonemia (CK) has been previously evaluated in context of pediatric acute gastroenteritis. To our knowledge, there is no literature on its performance in the setting of pediatric acute appendicitis (PAA).

Materials and methods

In this study, 151 patients were prospectively included and divided into two groups: (1) patients with non-surgical abdominal pain in whom the diagnosis of PAA was excluded (n = 53) and (2) patients with a confirmed diagnosis of PAA (n = 98). In 80 patients (Group 1, n = 23 and group 2, n = 57) a CK was measured at the time of diagnosis. The PAA group was further classified into complicated (n = 18) and uncomplicated PAA (n = 39). Quantitative variables were compared between groups using the Mann–Whitney U test. Diagnostic performance of CK was evaluated with ROC curves.

Results

CK values were 0.3 [0.1–0.9] mmol/L in group 1 and 0.7 [0.4–1.4] mmol/L in group 2 (p = 0.01). Regarding the type of PAA, CK values were 0.6 [0.4–0.9] mmol/L in uncomplicated PAA and 1.2 [0.8–1.4] mmol/L in complicated PAA (p = 0.02). The AUC for the discrimination between groups 1 and 2 was 0.68 (95% IC 0.53–0.82) (p = 0.24) and the AUC for the discrimination between uncomplicated PAA and complicated PAA was 0.69 (95% IC 0.54–0.85) (p = 0.04). The best cut-off point (group 1 vs group 2) resulted in 0.4 mmol/L, with a sensitivity of 80.7% and a specificity of 52.2%. The best cut-off point (non-complicated vs complicated PAA) resulted in 1.1 mmol/L, with a sensitivity of 61.1% and a specificity of 76.9%.

Conclusions

This study found significantly higher levels of CK in patients with PAA than in those with NSAP. Similarly, significantly higher levels were observed in patients with complicated than in those with uncomplicated PAA. Nevertheless, the diagnostic performance of CK was only moderate in the two settings analyzed. The potential usefulness of CK determination as a tool to guide the preoperative rehydration regimen of patients with PAA to prevent postoperative hyporexia and vomiting is a promising line of research and should be evaluated in future studies.
Entropy rate of product of independent processes
Authors: Kułaga-Przymus Joanna , Lemańczyk Michał D.
Published: December 2022

We study the multiplicative version of the classical Furstenberg’s filtering problem, where instead of the sum$$\textbf{X}+\textbf{Y}$$X+Yone considers the product$$\textbf{X}\cdot \textbf{Y}$$X·Y($$\textbf{X}$$Xand$$\textbf{Y}$$Yare bilateral, real, finitely-valued, stationary independent processes,$$\textbf{Y}$$Yis taking values in$$\{0,1\}$${0,1}). We provide formulas for$${\textbf{H}}\,(\textbf{X}\cdot \textbf{Y}\,\,|\,\,\textbf{Y})$$H(X·Y|Y). As a consequence, we show that if$${\textbf{H}}\,({\textbf{X}})>{\textbf{H}}\,({\textbf{Y}})=0$$H(X)>H(Y)=0and$$\textbf{X}\amalg \textbf{Y}$$X⨿Y, then$$\textbf{H}\,(\textbf{X}\cdot \textbf{Y})<{\textbf{H}}\,({\textbf{X}})$$H(X·Y)<H(X)(and thus$$\textbf{X}$$Xcannot be filtered out from$$\textbf{X}\cdot \textbf{Y}$$X·Y) whenever$$\textbf{X}$$Xis not bilaterally deterministic,$$\textbf{Y}$$Yis ergodic and$$\textbf{Y}$$Yfirst return to 1 can take arbitrarily long with positive probability. On the other hand, if almost surely$$\textbf{Y}$$Yvisits 1 along an infinite arithmetic progression of a fixed difference (with possibly some more visits in between) then we can find$$\textbf{X}$$Xthat is not bilaterally deterministic and such that$${\textbf{H}}\,(\textbf{X}\cdot \textbf{Y})={\textbf{H}}\,({\textbf{X}})$$H(X·Y)=H(X). As a consequence, a$${\mathscr {B}}$$B-free system$$(X_\eta ,S)$$(Xη,S)is proximal if and only if there is always an entropy drop$$h(\kappa *\nu _\eta )<h(\kappa )$$h(κ∗νη)<h(κ)for any$$\kappa $$κcorresponding to a non-bilaterally deterministic process of positive entropy. These results partly settle some open problems on invariant measures for$${\mathscr {B}}$$B-free systems.
Climate change impacts on winter chill in Mediterranean temperate fruit orchards
Authors: Fernandez Eduardo , Mojahid Hajar , Fadón Erica , Rodrigo Javier , Ruiz David , Egea Jose A. , Ben Mimoun Mehdi , Kodad Ossama , El Yaacoubi Adnane , Ghrab Mohamed , Egea José , Benmoussa Haïfa , Borgini Nadia , Elloumi Olfa , Luedeling Eike
Published: December 2022

Temperate trees require low temperatures during winter and subsequent warm conditions in early spring to flower and eventually bear fruit. Many parts of the Mediterranean region feature winters with low and sometimes marginal chill accumulation. To assess historic and future agroclimatic conditions for cultivating temperate trees (including almonds, pistachios, apricots, sweet cherries and apples), we mapped winter chill throughout this important growing region. We used on-site weather records (1974–2020) to calibrate a weather generator and produced data for historic and future scenarios. To broaden our analysis, we spatially interpolated chill for the whole Mediterranean basin. We supplemented our simulation outcomes by collecting expert knowledge (from farmers and researchers) regarding observed climate change impacts on temperate orchards as well as future risks and concerns generated by climate change. Results showed that northern African growing regions have experienced major chill losses, a likely cause of the irregular and delayed bloom highlighted by experts. The same regions, together with southern Europe, may lose up to 30 Chill Portions by 2050 under a moderate warming scenario. For the future, experts foresee increasing risk of spring frost in early-blooming cultivars, exacerbated bloom-related problems and increasing occurrence of heat waves. Our results provide evidence of likely climate change impacts on temperate orchards. Expert knowledge proved instrumental in interpreting the simulation results as well as in orienting climate change adaptation strategies. The results we present are useful for farmers and orchard managers planning new plantings, as well as for researchers and policy makers developing strategies to adapt fruit orchards to the impacts of climate change.
Hofstede’s cultural dimensions in technology acceptance models: a meta-analysis
Authors: Jan Jeffy , Alshare Khaled A. , Lane Peggy L.
Published: December 2022

This paper employs a quantitative meta-analysis to investigate the direct, moderating, and mediating role of cultural dimensions in technology acceptance models. A comprehensive literature review of hypothesized relationships of technology acceptance models with cultural dimensions as direct, moderating, and mediating factors found in articles published from 1989 to 2019 is included. Results of reviewed research studies are analyzed, and a parsimonious model is developed based on the ‘best predictors’ as identified by the meta-analysis approach.
Application of logistic regression to explain internet use among older adults: a review of the empirical literature
Authors: Leukel Joerg , Özbek Gülistan , Sugumaran Vijayan
Published: December 2022

Participation in online activities offers older adults enhanced opportunities to cope with age-related limitations and live a socially connected life. For investigating the factors explaining whether older adults use the internet or not, logistic regression has been used, which requires considerable care in the computation and reporting of regression models. The objective of this review is to assess the extent to which the empirical literature examining internet use among older adults (aged 55 +) addresses commonly recommended quality criteria for logistic regression analysis. We carried out a systematic search in Scopus and PubMed for English-language peer-reviewed articles reporting the application of logistic regression, published between 2010 and 2020. Thirty-six articles were eligible for inclusion. We evaluated the articles for six analytic and three documentation criteria. Every article described the selection of independent variables and their coding. Most studies had sufficient events per independent variable (83%), reported point and interval estimates of effect sizes (81%), and stated the fitting procedure used (81%). The reporting rates were lower for the assessment of model fit (53%), consideration of interactions (44%), and testing for conformity with linear gradient (42%) and collinearity (31%). This review provides comprehensive insights into the state of adoption of logistic regression analysis. We suggest improvements for reporting on the studies specific to older adults’ internet use, which can promote the accurate interpretation of articles and the integration of evidence from single studies.
External radiotherapy combined with sorafenib has better efficacy in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Li Han , Wu Zhenying , Chen Jiali , Su Ke , Guo Lu , Xu Ke , Gu Tao , Jiang Yi , Wang Pan , Zeng Hao , Chi Hao , He Kun , Han Yunwei
Published: December 2022

Advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a very low resectable rate. This meta-analysis aimed to compare efficacy of three combination strategies in treatment of advanced unresectable HCC with a view of guiding future selection of the best combination therapy for sorafenib and local therapy. A search was conducted to identify relevant literature published between April 2013 and May 2022, and then compared efficacy of sorafenib combined with external radiotherapy (SOF + RT), sorafenib with transarterial chemoembolization (SOF + TACE), sorafenib with hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy (SOF + HAIC), sorafenib (SOF), external radiotherapy (RT), transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), and hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) were studied and analyzed. Finally, the results were statistically analyzed using R 3.5.3 software and Stata/SE 15.0 software. A total of 46 studies, involving 7595 patients, were included in the meta-analysis. Analysis of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of seven related treatment interventions revealed that the combination therapy had significantly higher efficacy than monotherapies. Among the combination therapies, SOF + RT was associated with the best OS and PFS rates, and the least adverse events compared to the other treatment modalities. The efficacy of combination therapy was better than monotherapy. In combination therapy, the overall survival time and progression-free survival time of SOF + RT were longer, and the adverse reactions were less. Therefore, SOF + RT may be the best choice for sorafenib combined with local therapy.
Towards a lightweight framework for service management evaluation in SMEs
Authors: Feversani Daniela Patricia , De Castro Valeria , Marcos Esperanza , Piattini Mario G. , Martín-Peña María Luz
Published: December 2022

Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) are currently immersed in Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity (VUCA) environments and need to adapt and innovate both their services and their management practices and processes. Unfortunately, models and standards for service management are focused on large organisations, therefore, their application in SMEs is expensive and, generally, unfeasible. In order to contribute to the sustained success and development of SMEs, this paper presents a framework for service management evaluation. The objective of this framework, which is based on international standards and the main models for service management, is to be a roadmap containing well-defined and formalised processes that helps SMEs to improve the quality of their customer services. The proposal is validated in this work by means of its application to a real case study.
BCGen: a comment generation method for bytecode
Authors: Huang Yuan , Huang Jinbo , Chen Xiangping , He Kunning , Zhou Xiaocong
Published: December 2022

Bytecode is a form of instruction set designed for efficient execution by a software interpreter. Unlike human-readable source code, bytecode is even harder to understand for programmers and researchers. Bytecode has been widely used in various software tasks such as malware detection and clone detection. In order to understand the meaning of the bytecode more quickly and accurately and further help programmers in more software activities, we propose a bytecode comment generation method (called BCGen) using neural language model. Specifically, to get the structured information of the bytecode, we first generate the control flow graph (CFG) of the bytecode, and serialize the CFG with bytecode semantic information. Then a transformer model combining gate recurrent unit is proposed to learn the features of bytecode to generate comments. We obtain the bytecode by building the Jar packages of the well-known open-source projects in the Maven repository and construct a bytecode dataset to train and evaluate our model. Experimental results show that the BLEU of BCGen can reach 0.26, which outperforms several baselines and proves the effectiveness and practicability of our method. It is concluded that it is possible to generate natural language comments directly from the bytecode. Meanwhile, it is important to take structured and semantic information into account in generating bytecode comments.
Environmental monitoring for invasive fungal pathogens of ʽŌhiʽa (Metrosideros polymorpha) on the Island of Hawaiʽi
Authors: Atkinson Carter T. , Roy Kylle
Published: December 2022

The invasive rust Austropuccina psidii was detected in the Hawaiian Islands in 2005 and has become widely established throughout the archipelago in both native and introduced species of Myrtaceae. Initial predictions about the impacts of the fungus on native ʽōhiʽa lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha), a keystone native tree, have not materialized, but there is ongoing concern that introductions of new genotypes of the fungus could lead to widespread mortality with catastrophic effects on native ecosystems. By contrast, two recently emergent Ascomycete pathogens, Ceratocystis lukuohia (Ceratocystis wilt of ‘ōhi‘a) and C. huliohia (Ceratocystis canker of ‘ōhi‘a), collectively known to cause Rapid ʽŌhiʽa Death (ROD), are causing significant mortality in native forests on Hawaiʻi and Kauaʻi Islands, but pathways of spread are still incompletely understood. We used a network of passive environmental samplers for collecting windblown urediniospores of Austropuccina to evaluate the effectiveness of environmental monitoring to detect seasonal and landscape-scale differences in airborne propagules of this rust on Hawai`i Island. The samplers were also used to determine if windborn ambrosia beetle frass or spores of Ceratocystis can spread long distances. We found frequent detections and regional and seasonal differences in numbers of samplers that were positive for urediniospores of Austropuccinia, but little evidence of long-distance airborne dispersal of the ROD-causing fungi. The simple, inexpensive platform for sampling airborne fungal spores that we used may have value as a monitoring tool for detecting spread of airborne fungal pathogens, evaluating habitats for suitability for restoration efforts, and for detecting new pathogen introductions, particularly new Austropuccinia genotypes both in Hawaiʻi and other parts of the world.
Review, role of lactoferrin in preventing preterm delivery
Authors: Otsuki Katsufumi , Nishi Takshi , Kondo Tetsuro , Okubo Kazutoshi
Published: December 2022

Prevention of preterm birth (PTB) is a global challenge and is one of the most important issues to be addressed in perinatal care. The hypothesis that ascending lower genital infection leads to PTB has been tested in numerous in vitro and in vivo studies. For patients with intractable vaginitis or high-risk patients with successive PTBs, mainly due to intra-uterine infection, the vaginal flora is enhanced to increase systemic immunity and locally propagateLactobacillusspecies. It has been shown that the administration of lactoferrin (LF), a prebiotic with minimum side effects, may be effective in suppressing PTB. This hypothesis has been evaluated in this review using various relevant test examples. The findings suggest that LF may play a role in inflammatory protection in pregnant human cervical tissue. The antibacterial and anti-cytokine effects of LF in human-derived mucus-producing cervical cell lines were also demonstrated. It was also clarified that LF suppresses PTB and improves the prognosis of pups in inflammation-induced PTB animal models. Thus, we have identified that LF, a prebiotic contained in breast milk, can be clinically applied to suppress PTB in humans and to prevent PTBs in high-risk pregnancies.
Recognition
Authors: Dietz Christina H.
Published: December 2022

This paper offers an account of recognition and its relation to knowledge. One important observation is that while ‘know’ is a stative verb, ‘recognize’ is an achievement verb. A second is that ‘recognize’ is knowledge entailing, both when combined with a complementizer phrase and when combined with a noun phrase. The behavior of the latter kind of construction is particularly subtle and is the main focus of this paper. This paper ends with an interesting puzzle about object recognition.
Improving inpatient and daycare admission estimates with gravity models
Authors: Latruwe Timo , Van der Wee Marlies , Vanleenhove Pieter , Michielsen Kwinten , Verbrugge Sofie , Colle Didier
Published: December 2022

Growing healthcare costs have been accompanied by increased policymakers’ interest in the efficiency of healthcare systems. Network formation by hospitals as a vehicle for consolidation and achieving economies of scale has emerged as an important topic of conversation among academics and practitioners. Within networks, consolidation of particular specialties or entire campuses is expected and encouraged to take place. This paper describes the main findings of an effort to build gravity-type models to describe patient choices in inpatient and daycare hospital facilities. It analyzes the distance decay effects as a function of car travel times and great-circle distance, and it offers a method for inclusion of university hospitals. Additionally, it reviews the impact of driving and transit accessibility on hospital attraction and reviews the differences in distance decay for patient age groups and hospitalization types. In the described application, the best models achieve a Mean Absolute Percentage Error of around 10% in non-metropolitan areas, and 14.5% across different region types. Results in metropolitan areas suggest that latent factors unrelated to proximity and size have a significant role in determining hospital choices. Furthermore, the effects of relative driving and transit accessibility are found to be small or non-existent.
Teaching Early Mathematical Skills to 3- to 7-Year-Old Children — Differences Related to Mathematical Skill Category, Children’s Age Group and Teachers’ Characteristics
Authors: Parviainen Piia , Eklund Kenneth , Koivula Merja , Liinamaa Tarja , Rutanen Niina
Published: December 2022

This study explored teaching early mathematical skills to 3- to 7-year-old children in early childhood education and care (ECEC) and pre-primary education. Teachers in ECEC (N = 206) answered a web survey. The first aim was to determine whether teaching frequency or pedagogical awareness of teaching early mathematical skills varied according to the category of skills (numerical skills, spatial thinking skills and mathematical thinking and reasoning skills) and whether children’s age group moderated these differences. The second aim was to explore to what extent teacher-related characteristics and children’s age group explained variations in teaching frequency concerning early mathematical skills. Results from repeated MANOVAs demonstrated that the frequency and pedagogical awareness of teaching early mathematical skills depended on the skill category and that children’s age group moderated these differences. In 5- to 6-year-olds and 6- to 7-year-olds, numerical skills were taught more often than spatial thinking skills, whereas in 3- to 5-year-olds, they were taught as frequently. In all age groups, mathematical thinking and reasoning skills were taught the least. Pedagogical awareness was lowest in teaching spatial thinking skills in all age groups, but only in 6- to 7-year-olds was teachers’ pedagogical awareness in teaching numerical skills higher than in the two other categories. According to a univariate analysis of variance, pedagogical awareness and mathematics professional development programmes were strongly associated with teaching frequency in all skill categories. The results emphasise that children’s opportunities to learn early mathematical skills depend on teachers’ characteristics.
Image-based analysis and quantification of biofouling in cultures of the red alga Asparagopsis taxiformis
Authors: Dishon Gal , Resetarits Hannah M. , Tsai Brandon , Black Kyra , Grossmann Jenny , Smith Jennifer E.
Published: December 2022

Methane is an extremely potent yet short-lived greenhouse gas and is thus recognized as a promising target for rapid climate change mitigation. About 35% of anthropogenic methane emissions are associated with livestock production, and most of these emissions are the outcome of enteric fermentation in ruminant animals. The red seaweed Asparagopsis is currently considered the most efficient feed additive to suppress methane emissions from enteric fermentation but is not currently available on commercial scale. The ongoing effort to successfully commercialize Asparagopsis requires the development of pest control frameworks which rely on the quantitative assessment of biological contamination in cultures. Here we present a low-cost readily available approach for quantifying biofouling in Asparagopsis taxiformis cultures based on microscopic examination and automated image analysis. The proposed methodology is demonstrated to estimate contamination associated with Asparagopsis biomass with error rates lower than 2% over a wide range of contamination levels and contaminating organisms, while significantly cutting down image processing time and allowing for frequent contamination quantification.
The unheeded existence of the tubular greens: molecular analyses reveal the distribution of a new Ulva species (Ulvophyceae, Chlorophyta), Ulva capillata sp. nov. in the Atlantic-Baltic Sea transect
Authors: Steinhagen Sophie , Kramár Louise , Toth Gunilla B.
Published: December 2022

The ubiquitous and species rich genusUlvacomprises entities of green macroalgae with variable morphologies.Ulvaspecies are important from ecological and economic perspectives, but their identification is often problematic. Current knowledge onUlvadiversity has focused mainly on foliose individuals of temperate regions, but genetic and morphological data on tubular species are often insufficient and the species richness is ambiguous due to the lack of molecularly identified type vouchers. Together with a previous study, our study demonstrates that due to the crypticity of tubular entities of the genusUlvapresent in the Atlantic-Baltic Sea transect, certain species remained undetected until recently whereas molecular evidence of other historically identified species is missing. An entity which appears to be a relatively frequent species in the Atlantic-Baltic Sea transect and which was probably mis-identified with other species in the past is here described asUlva capillatasp. nov.. The description is based on molecular identification usingtufA andrbcLsequences, and by comparing the species´ phylogenetic relationships, distribution and range margins in the Atlantic-Baltic Sea transect, as well as on morpho-anatomical characters, and early ontogenetic development. By comparisons with closely related and potentially morphologically overlapping species concepts we were able to identify the uniqueness ofU. capillata. Therefore, the description ofU. capillataas a new species within the genusUlvais supported by a combination of molecular, morphological, and ontogentic evidence which confirm their uniqueness in comparison to other species concepts.

Furthermore, our results strongly emphasize the importance and necessity to molecularly investigate especially tubular historic type vouchers within the genusUlvato facilitate a clear species identification to omit continuing with taxonomic confusion and ongoing misapplication of names of e.g. cryptic species concepts within this important green algal genus.
Impact of Genetic Diagnosis on the Outcome of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant in Primary Immunodeficiency Disorders
Authors: Forlanini Federica , Chan Alice , Dara Jasmeen , Dvorak Christopher C. , Cowan Morton J. , Puck Jennifer M. , Dorsey Morna J.
Published: December 2022

To evaluate the relationship between knowledge of genetic diagnosis before HSCT and outcome, we reviewed all HSCTs for primary immune deficiencies (PID) performed at UCSF from 2007 through 2018. SCID, a distinct entity identified since 2010 in California by newborn screening and treated early, was considered separately. The underlying genetic condition was known at the time of HSCT in 85% of cases. Graft failure was less frequent in patients with a genetic diagnosis (19% with a genetic diagnosis versus 47% without, p = 0.020). Furthermore, event-free survival and overall survival (OS) at 5 years were better for those with a genetic diagnosis (78% with versus 44% without, p = 0.006; and 93% versus 60% without, p = 0.0002, respectively). OS at 5 years was superior for known-genotype patients with both SCID (p = 0.010) and non-SCID PID (p = 0.010). There was no difference in OS between HSCT done in 2007–2010 compared to more recently (p = 0.19). These data suggest that outcomes of HSCT for PID with known genotype may reflect specific experience and literature, or that a substantial proportion of patients with PID of undetermined genotype may have had underlying conditions for which HSCT may carry greater risk. The higher rate of graft failure in PID with unknown genotype may be in part explained by insufficient conditioning, which in turn could be dictated by compromised organ function in patients undergoing HSCT late in the course. Widespread availability of PID gene sequencing as standard care can provide genetic diagnoses for most patients with PID prior to HSCT, permitting optimization of transplant approach.
Rhamnetin ameliorates non-alcoholic steatosis and hepatocellular carcinoma in vitro
Authors: Shatta Mahmoud A. , El-Derany Marwa O. , Gibriel Abdullah A. , El-Mesallamy Hala O.
Published: December 2022

Non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFLD) is a widespread disease with various complications including Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) that could lead to cirrhosis and ultimately hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Up till now there is no FDA approved drug for treatment of NAFLD. Flavonoids such as Rhamnetin (Rhm) have been ascribed effective anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties. Thus, Rhm as a potent flavonoid could target multiple pathological cascades causing NAFLD to prevent its progression into HCC. NAFLD is a multifactorial disease and its pathophysiology is complex and is currently challenged by the ‘Multiple-hit hypothesis’ that includes wider range of comorbidities rather than previously established theory of ‘Two-hit hypothesis’. Herein, we aimed at establishing reliable in vitro NASH models using different mixtures of variable ratios and concentrations of oleic acid (OA) and palmitic acid (PA) combinations using HepG2 cell lines. Moreover, we compared those models in the context of oil red staining, triglyceride levels and their altered downstream molecular signatures for genes involved in de novo lipogenesis, inflammation, oxidative stress and apoptotic machineries as well. Lastly, the effect of Rhm on NASH and HCC models was deeply investigated. Over the 10 NASH models tested, PA 500 µM concentration was the best model to mimic the molecular events of steatosis induced NAFLD. Rhm successfully ameliorated the dysregulated molecular events caused by the PA-induced NASH. Additionally, Rhm regulated inflammatory and oxidative machinery in the HepG2 cancerous cell lines. In conclusion, PA 500 µM concentration is considered an effective in vitro model to mimic NASH. Rhm could be used as a promising therapeutic modality against both NASH and HCC pathogenesis.
ERG11 Gene Variability and Azole Susceptibility in Malassezia pachydermatis
Authors: Díaz Leyna , Castellá Gemma , Bragulat M. Rosa , Cabañes F. Javier
Published: December 2022

Malassezia pachydermatis is part of the normal skin microbiota of various animal species but under certain circumstances becomes an opportunistic pathogen producing otitis and dermatitis. Commonly these Malassezia diseases are effectively treated using azoles. However, some cases of treatment failure have been reported. Alterations in the ERG11 gene have been associated with in vitro azole resistance in M. pachydermatis. In the present study, in vitro antifungal susceptibility of 89 different strains of M. pachydermatis isolated from different animal species and health status was studied. The susceptibility to fluconazole (FLZ), itraconazole (ITZ), ketoconazole and amphotericin B was tested by a disk diffusion method and 17 strains were also subjected to an ITZ E-test. Mueller–Hinton supplemented with 2% glucose and methylene blue was used as culture medium in both susceptibility assays. Multilocus sequence typing was performed in 30 selected strains using D1D2, ITS, CHS2 and β-tubulin genes. Also, ERG11 gene was sequenced. The four antifungals tested were highly effective against most of the strains. Only two strains showed no inhibition zone to antifungals and a strain showed an increased MIC to ITZ. The study of the ERG11 sequences revealed a high diversity of DNA sequences and a total of 23 amino acid substitutions, from which only two have been previously described. Also, three deleterious substitutions (A302T, G459D and G461D) previously associated with azole resistance in this yeast were recovered. A correlation between certain genotypes and ERG11 mutations was observed. Some of the ERG11 mutations recovered were correlated with a reduced susceptibility to azoles.
Consumption and Metabolism of Extracellular Pyruvate by Cultured Rat Brain Astrocytes
Authors: Denker Nadine , Harders Antonia R. , Arend Christian , Dringen Ralf
Published: December 2022

Brain astrocytes are considered as glycolytic cell type, but these cells also produce ATP via mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. Exposure of cultured primary astrocytes in a glucose-free medium to extracellular substrates that are known to be metabolised by mitochondrial pathways, including pyruvate, lactate, beta-hydroxybutyrate, alanine and acetate, revealed that among the substrates investigated extracellular pyruvate was most efficiently consumed by astrocytes. Extracellular pyruvate was consumed by the cells almost proportional to time over hours in a concentration-dependent manner with apparent Michaelis–Menten kinetics [Km = 0.6 ± 0.1 mM, Vmax = 5.1 ± 0.8 nmol/(min × mg protein)]. The astrocytic consumption of pyruvate was strongly impaired in the presence of the monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1) inhibitor AR-C155858 or by application of a 10-times excess of the MCT1 substrates lactate or beta-hydroxybutyrate. Pyruvate consumption by viable astrocytes was inhibited in the presence of UK5099, an inhibitor of the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier, or after application of the respiratory chain inhibitor antimycin A. In contrast, the mitochondrial uncoupler BAM15 strongly accelerated cellular pyruvate consumption. Lactate and alanine accounted after 3 h of incubation with pyruvate for around 60% and 10%, respectively, of the pyruvate consumed by the cells. These results demonstrate that consumption of extracellular pyruvate by astrocytes involves uptake via MCT1 and that the velocity of pyruvate consumption is strongly modified by substances that affect the entry of pyruvate into mitochondria or the activity of mitochondrial respiration.
Bandwidth selection for statistical matching and prediction
Authors: Barbeito Inés , Cao Ricardo , Sperlich Stefan
Published: December 2022

While there exist many bandwidth selectors for estimation, bandwidth selection for statistical matching and prediction has hardly been studied so far. We introduce a computationally attractive selector for nonparametric out-of-sample prediction problems like data matching, impact evaluation, scenario simulations or imputing missings. Even though the method is bootstrap based, we can derive closed expressions for the criterion function which avoids the need of Monte Carlo approximations. We study both, asymptotic and finite sample performance. The derived consistency, convergence rate and extensive simulation studies show the successful operation of the selector. The method is illustrated by applying it to real data for studying the gender wage gap in Spain. Specifically, the salary of Spanish women is predicted nonparametrically by the wage equation estimated for men while conditioned on their own (i.e., women’s) characteristics. An important discrepancy between observed and predicted wages is found, exhibiting a serious gender wage gap.
Introduction: Fertility and Social Inequalities in Migrant Populations: a Look at the Roles of Selection, Context of Reception, and Employment
Authors: Milewski Nadja , Adserà Alicia
Published: December 2022

This paper is the introduction to the Special Issue on “Fertility and social inequalities in migrant populations.” The Special Issue contains twelve empirical papers that deal with both international migrants and internal migrants, both women and men, both older migrant populations spanning several generations as well as recent immigrant groups, such as refugees, and include analyses of both behavior and intentions. The data used comprise macro indicators and individual-level data as well as qualitative material. Regional contexts include classical immigration countries in Europe and Oceania as well as relatively recent destinations. The papers draw on several comparative perspectives—migrants at destination, emigrants and stayers at origin, migrants with different numbers of children upon migration, and different migrant generations—to address three large questions. Six papers explore the role of time and sequencing in migrant fertility, in relation to both period effects and sequencing of births in the life course, as well as the role selection into migration plays in female and male migrants’ fertility behavior. Four papers focus into how regional variation in the receiving contexts shapes fertility behavior, highlighting the role of migrant type, human capital, and social capital. Two papers look at how childbearing is associated with different degrees of economic assimilation, i.e., maternal employment. Overall, this Special Issue demonstrates the large heterogeneity in fertility among migrant and ethnic minority groups. Social inequalities shape fertility differentials, which in turn influence subsequent life courses of migrants and ethnic minority group members. Future research on migrant assimilation should pay more attention to variation in demographic behavior.
Developing and renewing marketing as a scientific discipline through reflexive cocreation
Authors: Helkkula Anu , Arnould Eric
Published: December 2022

Shelby V. Hunt was long interested in codifying and parameterizing the marketing discipline with a distinctive focus on the principles of making scientific claims. In their article, Hunt et al., (2022, in this issue) present their concerns about the scholarly status of marketing, highlighting the loss of a central, mainstream research focus. However, we think the real challenges are different than those that worry the authors. Marketing as a scientific discipline evolves by adapting from and contributing to theories, concepts, and methods in related research fields. Thus, we claim that the potential of marketing discipline lies in the diversity of intertwined and divergent research streams, such as service-dominant logic and consumer culture theory. We propose that a cocreational approach that questions foundational assumptions and a purely managerial orientation, is more likely to produce a renewal of marketing scholarship and provide solutions to wicked social problems than a single reductive theoretical approach.
Psychopathology and eating behaviour in people with type 2 diabetes referred for bariatric surgery
Authors: Pekin C. , McHale M. , Seymour M. , Strodl E. , Hopkins G. , Mitchell D. , Byrne G. J.
Published: December 2022

Purpose

Psychopathology and disordered eating behaviours are putative pre-operative risk factors for suboptimal outcomes post-bariatric surgery. Documented psychopathology prevalence rates vary in bariatric candidate samples. Further, less attention has been paid to vulnerable subgroups such as people with diabetes who might be at an elevated risk. For these reasons, this study aimed to investigate the rates of psychopathology and disordered eating in pre-surgical candidates with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods

Participants were 401 consecutive patients from a state-wide bariatric surgery service for people with T2DM. Psychopathology was measured using multi-modal assessment including diagnostic interview and battery of validated questionnaires. The mean age of the sample was 51 years with a mean BMI of 46 kg/m2. The majority of the sample was female (60.6%), born in Australia (87%) and 18.2% identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.

Results

Rates of current psychopathology in this sample included: major depressive disorder (MDD; 16.75%), generalised anxiety disorder (GAD; 20.25%), insomnia (17.75%) and binge eating disorder (BED; 10.75%). There were no significant differences on measures between people who endorsed Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander status compared to those who did not endorse. The mean total score on the BES was 21.82 ± 10.40 (range 0–39), with 8.2% of participants meeting criteria for severe binge eating. Presence of an eating disorder was not significantly associated with degree of glycemic compensation. Average emotional eating scores were significantly higher in this study, compared to reference samples. Significantly increased binge eating severity and emotional eating severity was revealed for people with T2DM and comorbid MDD, social anxiety and eating disorders. Binge eating severity was associated with GAD, food addiction, substance use disorders, and history of suicide attempt but not emotional eating severity.

Conclusion

Amongst people with T2DM seeking bariatric surgery, MDD, GAD and emotional eating were common. Psychopathology in a sample of people with T2DM seeking bariatric surgery was significantly associated with severity of disordered eating. These findings suggest people with T2DM seeking bariatric surgery may be vulnerable to psychopathology and disordered eating with implications for early identification and intervention.

Level of evidence

Evidence obtained from cohort or case–control analytic studies.
Green, Sustainable Architectural Bamboo with High Light Transmission and Excellent Electromagnetic Shielding as a Candidate for Energy-Saving Buildings
Authors: Wang Jing , Wu Xinyu , Wang Yajing , Zhao Weiying , Zhao Yue , Zhou Ming , Wu Yan , Ji Guangbin
Published: December 2022

Currently, light-transmitting, energy-saving, and electromagnetic shielding materials are essential for reducing indoor energy consumption and improving the electromagnetic environment. Here, we developed a cellulose composite with excellent optical transmittance that retained the natural shape and fiber structure of bamboo. The modified whole bamboo possessed an impressive optical transmittance of approximately 60% at 6.23 mm, illuminance of 1000 luminance (lux), water absorption stability (mass change rate less than 4%), longitudinal tensile strength (46.40 MPa), and surface properties (80.2 HD). These were attributed to not only the retention of the natural circular hollow structure of the bamboo rod on the macro, but also the complete bamboo fiber skeleton template impregnated with UV resin on the micro. Moreover, a multilayered device consisting of translucent whole bamboo, transparent bamboo sheets, and electromagnetic shielding film exhibited remarkable heat insulation and heat preservation performance as well as an electromagnetic shielding performance of 46.3 dB. The impressive optical transmittance, mechanical properties, thermal performance, and electromagnetic shielding abilities combined with the renewable and sustainable nature, as well as the fast and efficient manufacturing process, make this bamboo composite material suitable for effective application in transparent, energy-saving, and electromagnetic shielding buildings.
Tie a knot: human–robot cooperative workflow for assembling wooden structures using rope joints
Authors: Mitterberger Daniela , Atanasova Lidia , Dörfler Kathrin , Gramazio Fabio , Kohler Matthias
Published: December 2022

In recent years, research in computational design and robotic fabrication in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) has made remarkable advances in automating construction processes, both in prefabrication and in-situ fabrication. However, little research has been done on how to leverage human-in-the-loop processes for large-scale robotic fabrication scenarios. In such processes, humans and robots support each other in fabrication operations that neither of them could handle alone, leading to new opportunities for the AEC domain. In this paper, we present Tie a knot, an experimental study that introduces a set of digital tools and workflows that enables a novel human–robot cooperative workflow for assembling a complex wooden structure with rope joints. The system is designed for a dually augmented human–robot team involving two mobile robots and two humans, facilitated by a shared digital-physical workspace. In this shared workspace, digital spatial data informs humans about the design space and fabrication-related boundary conditions for decision-making during assembly. As such, humans can manually place elements at locations of their choice, following a set of design rules that affect the gradual evolution of the structure. In direct response to such manually placed elements, the cooperating robots can continue the assembly cycle by precisely placing elements and stabilizing the overall structure. During robotic stabilization, the humans make rope connections, which require high dexterity. The concept and workflow were physically implemented and validated through the cooperative assembly of a complex timber structure over five days. As part of this experimental investigation, we demonstrated and evaluated the performance of two tracking methods that allowed the digitization of the manually placed elements. In closing, the paper discusses the technological challenges and how a hybrid human–robot team could open new avenues for digital fabrication in architecture, accelerating the adoption of robotic technology in AEC.
Learning and evaluating the overlapping roles of physics and physiology in perceiving contrast and resolution in microscopy
Authors: Rajdeep Prashant , Patel Lajja , Trivedi Vismay , Panchal Preeti , Chaudhari Rinkesh , Parmar Kinjal
Published: December 2022

Simple compound microscopy is widely used across the globe. However, contrast and resolution fascinate students and are difficult to learn due to their limited practical experience. Although the laws of physics have been derived thoroughly, their real implementation in the human body is uncertain. This study quantifies contrast and resolution through human perception and technological tools and assesses the degree of overlap between physics and physiology. Thus, an opaque repository for a compound microscope with a mobile holder is devised to capture the images of Leishman-stained smears and USAF targets. Another receptacle is fabricated to hold coloured filters against a light bulb, which projects on the microscope mirror through a connecting pipe. The images with a different sequence of filters are subjected to analysis by volunteers and using digital image processing techniques. The perception of contrast and resolution through the human eye and digital processing shows an overlap of 82.57% for contrast and 76.40% for resolution. Also, participants opt for contrast (81.66%) against the resolution (75.51%). The preferred sequence of light for contrast and resolution is white > green > blue > red and white > blue > green > red, respectively. Green > blue > red is preceded by white when both contrast and resolution are examined concurrently. Thus, the integrated role of the two disciplines in learning contrast and resolution has been studied and evaluated practically beyond the limits of the textbook on a hands-on basis. Simultaneously, the subjective selection of resolution or contrast using low-cost colour filters is an affordable approach to upgrade a microscope.

Graphical abstract
The photophysics of 2-cyanoindole probed by femtosecond spectroscopy
Authors: Morshedi Mahbobeh , Nolden Oliver , Janke Philipp , Haselbach Wiebke , Schmitt Michael , Gilch Peter
Published: December 2022

The photophysics of 2-cyanoindole (2-CI) in solution (water, 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol, acetonitrile‚ and tetrahydrofuran) was investigated by steady-state as well as time resolved fluorescence and absorption spectroscopy. The fluorescence quantum yield of 2-cyanoindole is strongly sensitive to the solvent. In water the quantum yield is as low as 4.4 × 10–4. In tetrahydrofuran, it amounts to a yield of 0.057. For 2-CI dissolved in water, a bi-exponential fluorescence decay with time constants of ∼1 ps and ∼8 ps is observed. For short wavelength excitation (266 nm) the initial fluorescence anisotropy is close to zero. For excitation with 310 nm it amounts to 0.2. In water, femtosecond transient absorption reveals that the fluorescence decay is solely due to internal conversion to the ground state. In aprotic solvents, the fluorescence decay takes much longer (acetonitrile: ∼900 ps, tetrahydrofuran: ∼2.6 ns) and intersystem crossing contributes.

Graphical abstract
Building a Better Forecast: Reformulating the Ensemble Kalman Filter for Improved Applications to Volcano Deformation
Authors: Albright J. A. , Gregg P. M.
Published: December 2022

As the volume of data collected at monitored volcanoes continues to expand, researchers will need quick, reliable, and automated methods of inverting those data into useful models of the underlying magma systems. Recently adapted from other fields for use in volcanology, the Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF) is one such inversion technique that has been used to produce several successful forecasts and hind‐casts of volcanic unrest, correlating geodetic deformation with mechanical stresses around the magma reservoir. However, given the similarity in which changes to a reservoir's size and pressure are expressed at the surface, the filter can have trouble fully resolving magmatic conditions. In this study, we therefore test several different published variations of the EnKF workflow to produce an optimal configuration for use in future forecasting efforts. By generating synthetic observations of ground deformation under known conditions and then assimilating them through different implementations of the EnKF, we find that many variants favored in other fields underperform for this specific application. We conclude that correlations between model parameters that develop within the EnKF's Monte Carlo ensemble distort the filter's ability to correctly update the model state, causing the filter to systematically favor changes in some parameters over others and ultimately converge to a partially inaccurate solution. This effect can be somewhat mitigated by interrupting these parameter correlations, and the filter remains sensitive to many aspects of the magma system regardless. However, further research and novel approaches will be needed to truly optimize the EnKF for use in volcanology.