bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Standardization of robotic right liver mobilization
Authors: Conticchio Maria , Delvecchio Antonella , Ferraro Valentina , Stasi Matteo , Casella Annachiara , Filippo Rosalinda , Tedeschi Michele , Memeo Riccardo
Published: July 2023

Background

Since its introduction 2 decades ago, robotics has been increasingly used for resection of benign and malignant liver lesions. The robotic platform seems to preserve minimally invasive approach benefits, overcoming laparoscopy limitations. Robotic right liver mobilisation represents a key step for many robotic resections from non‐anatomical resections of posterosuperior segments to right hepatectomy.

Methods

We present here a standardized technique of right hepatic lobe mobilisation including technical steps and videos. Robotic resection provide all benefits of minimally invasive approaches in terms of preserving abdominal wall, early alimentation, reduced respiratory stress, associated with more ergonomic conditions for surgeon.

Results

We present our standardized and feasible right liver lobe mobilisation needed for posterosuperior resections to the right hepatectomy.

Conclusions

The standardisation of right liver lobe represented our aim to provide a safe and reproducible initial step for many procedures to reduce the conversion rate and to improve the learning curve in young surgeons.
Describing complex disease progression using joint latent class models for multivariate longitudinal markers and clinical endpoints
Authors: Proust‐Lima Cécile , Saulnier Tiphaine , Philipps Viviane , Traon Anne Pavy‐Le , Péran Patrice , Rascol Olivier , Meissner Wassilios G. , Foubert‐Samier Alexandra
Published: July 2023

Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by numerous markers of progression and clinical endpoints. For instance, multiple system atrophy (MSA), a rare neurodegenerative synucleinopathy, is characterized by various combinations of progressive autonomic failure and motor dysfunction, and a very poor prognosis. Describing the progression of such complex and multi‐dimensional diseases is particularly difficult. One has to simultaneously account for the assessment of multivariate markers over time, the occurrence of clinical endpoints, and a highly suspected heterogeneity between patients. Yet, such description is crucial for understanding the natural history of the disease, staging patients diagnosed with the disease, unravelling subphenotypes, and predicting the prognosis. Through the example of MSA progression, we show how a latent class approach modeling multiple repeated markers and clinical endpoints can help describe complex disease progression and identify subphenotypes for exploring new pathological hypotheses. The proposed joint latent class model includes class‐specific multivariate mixed models to handle multivariate repeated biomarkers possibly summarized into latent dimensions and class‐and‐cause‐specific proportional hazard models to handle time‐to‐event data. Maximum likelihood estimation procedure, validated through simulations is available in the lcmm R package. In the French MSA cohort comprising data of 598 patients during up to 13 years, five subphenotypes of MSA were identified that differ by the sequence and shape of biomarkers degradation, and the associated risk of death. In posterior analyses, the five subphenotypes were used to explore the association between clinical progression and external imaging and fluid biomarkers, while properly accounting for the uncertainty in the subphenotypes membership.
Exploring causal mechanisms and quantifying direct and indirect effects using a joint modeling approach for recurrent and terminal events
Authors: Niu Fang , Zheng Cheng , Liu Lei
Published: July 2023

Recurrent events are commonly encountered in biomedical studies. In many situations, there exist terminal events, such as death, which are potentially related to the recurrent events. Joint models of recurrent and terminal events have been proposed to address the correlation between recurrent events and terminal events. However, there is a dearth of suitable methods to rigorously investigate the causal mechanisms between specific exposures, recurrent events, and terminal events. For example, it is of interest to know how much of the total effect of the primary exposure of interest on the terminal event is through the recurrent events, and whether preventing recurrent event occurrences could lead to better overall survival. In this work, we propose a formal causal mediation analysis method to compute the natural direct and indirect effects. A novel joint modeling approach is used to take the recurrent event process as the mediator and the survival endpoint as the outcome. This new joint modeling approach allows us to relax the commonly used “sequential ignorability” assumption. Simulation studies show that our new model has good finite sample performance in estimating both model parameters and mediation effects. We apply our method to an AIDS study to evaluate how much of the comparative effectiveness of the two treatments and the effect of CD4 counts on the overall survival are mediated by recurrent opportunistic infections.
Silver Compositing Boosts Water Electrolysis Activity and Durability of RuO2 in a Proton‐Exchange‐Membrane Water Electrolyzer
Authors: Tang Jiayi , Zhong Yijun , Su Chao , Shao Zongping
Published: July 2023

Proton‐exchange‐membrane water electrolyzers (PEMWEs) are of particular interest for green hydrogen production, where the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at the anode largely determines the overall efficiency. Up to now, only ultrafine IrO2 catalyst gives desirable performance, while its scarcity and high cost inhibit the widespread application. RuO2 catalyst is the most promising alternative, while its practical application is greatly hindered by poor durability. Herein, the greatly boosted performance of conventional sub‐micrometer RuO2 by compositing with Ag is reported, and both the morphology of Ag and the compositing way significantly affect the electrolysis performance. The PEMWE fabricated with a two‐layer RuO2/Ag nanowire (NWs) composite anode achieves 1.77 A cm−2 at 2.00 V, due to a prominent 44.6 times increase of the electronic conductivity, which greatly improves the catalyst utilization. In addition, mass transportation at high‐current‐density region is enhanced due to the highly porous feature of Ag NW layer. Long‐term stability under high current density of 1 A cm−2 for 100 h is proved with the composite anode, due to the suppressed degradation of RuO2 by silver compositing. This work may accelerate the widespread commercialization of PEMWEs by providing a new way for developing IrO2‐free anode.
Interaction Mechanism between Cyano‐Organic Molecular Structures and Energy Storage of Aluminum Complex Ions in Aluminum Batteries
Authors: Lu Yong , Chen Mingjun , Wang Yi , Hu Yunhai , Wang Xiaoxu , Zhang Wenming , Li Zhanyu
Published: July 2023

Aluminum ion batteries (AIBs) are widely regarded as the most potential large‐scale metal ion battery because of its high safety and environment‐friendly characteristics. To solve the problem of weak electrical conductivity of organic materials, different structures of cyano organic molecules with electrophilic properties are selected as the cathode materials of aluminum batteries. Through experimental characterization and density functional theory theoretical calculation, Phthalonitrile is the best cathode material among the five organic molecules and proved that the C≡N group is the active site for insertion/extraction of AlCl2+ ions. The first cycle‐specific capacity of the assembled flexible package battery is as high as 191.92 mAh g−1, the discharge‐specific capacity is 112.67 mAh g−1 after 1000 cycles, and the coulombic efficiency is ≈97%. At the same time, the influences of different molecular structures and functional groups on the battery are also proved. These research results lay a foundation for selecting safe and stable organic aluminum batteries and provide a new reference for developing high‐performance AIBs.
Ohwia caudata aqueous extract attenuates doxorubicin‐induced mitochondrial dysfunction in Wharton's jelly‐derived mesenchymal stem cells
Authors: Lee Pei‐Ying , Tsai Bruce Chi‐Kang , Sitorus Maria Angelina , Lin Pi‐Yu , Lin Shinn‐Zong , Shih Cheng‐Yen , Lu Shang‐Yeh , Lin Yueh‐Min , Ho Tsung‐Jung , Huang Chih‐Yang
Published: July 2023

Mitochondrial dysfunction has been linked to many diseases, including organ degeneration and cancer. Wharton's jelly‐derived mesenchymal stem cells provide a valuable source for stem cell‐based therapy and represent an emerging therapeutic approach for tissue regeneration. This study focused on screening the senomorphic properties of Ohwia caudata aqueous extract as an emerging strategy for preventing or treating mitochondrial dysfunction in stem cells. Wharton's jelly‐derived mesenchymal stem cells were incubated with 0.1 μM doxorubicin, for 24 h to induce mitochondrial dysfunction. Next, the cells were treated with a series concentration of Ohwia caudata aqueous extract (25, 50, 100, and 200 μg/mL) for another 24 h. In addition, an untreated control group and a doxorubicin‐induced mitochondrial dysfunction positive control group were maintained under the same conditions. Our data showed that Ohwia caudata aqueous extract markedly suppressed doxorubicin‐induced mitochondrial dysfunction by increasing Tid1 and Tom20 expression, decreased reactive oxygen species production, and maintained mitochondrial membrane potential to promote mitochondrial stability. Ohwia caudata aqueous extract retained the stemness of Wharton's jelly‐derived mesenchymal stem cells and reduced the apoptotic rate. These results indicate that Ohwia caudata aqueous extract protects Wharton's jelly‐derived mesenchymal stem cells against doxorubicin‐induced mitochondrial dysfunction and can potentially prevent mitochondrial dysfunction in other cells. This study provides new directions for the medical application of Ohwia caudata.
Quark mass hierarchies and CP violation in A4 × A4 × A4 modular symmetric flavor models
Authors: Kikuchi Shota , Kobayashi Tatsuo , Nasu Kaito , Takada Shohei , Uchida Hikaru
Published: July 2023

Abstract

We study A4× A4× A4 modular symmetric flavor models to realize quark mass hierarchies and mixing angles without fine-tuning. Mass matrices are written in terms of modular forms. At modular fixed points τ = i∞ and ω, A4 is broken to Z3 residual symmetry. When the modulus τ is deviated from the fixed points, modular forms show hierarchies depending on their residual charges. Thus, we obtain hierarchical structures in mass matrices. Since we begin with A4× A4× A4, the residual symmetry is Z3× Z3× Z3 which can generate sufficient hierarchies to realize quark mass ratios and absolute values of the CKM matrix |VCKM| without fine-tuning. Furthermore, CP violation is studied. We present necessary conditions for CP violation caused by the value of τ. We also show possibilities to realize observed values of the Jarlskog invariant JCP, quark mass ratios and CKM matrix |VCKM| simultaneously, if (10) adjustments in coefficients of Yukawa couplings are allowed or moduli values are non-universal.
NNLO subtraction for any massless final state: a complete analytic expression
Authors: Bertolotti Gloria , Magnea Lorenzo , Pelliccioli Giovanni , Ratti Alessandro , Signorile-Signorile Chiara , Torrielli Paolo , Uccirati Sandro
Published: July 2023

Abstract

We use the Local Analytic Sector Subtraction scheme to construct a completely analytic set of expressions implementing a fully local infrared subtraction at NNLO for generic coloured massless final states. The cancellation of all explicit infrared poles appearing in the double-virtual contribution, in the real-virtual correction and in the integrated local infrared counterterms is explicitly verified, and all finite contributions arising from integrated local counterterms are analytically evaluated in terms of ordinary polylogarithms up to weight three. The resulting subtraction formula can readily be implemented in any numerical framework containing the relevant matrix elements up to NNLO.
Evaluation of occupational factors influencing the experience of an autopsy demonstration
Authors: Panusch Philipp , Heide Steffen , Lessig Rüdiger , Richter Carolin , Stiller Dankwart , Medenwald Daniel , Schmidt Uwe , Weber Marko
Published: July 2023

Background

Autopsy demonstrations have been an integral part of medical school, medical and nonmedical education for many decades; however, a direct comparison of the experience of an autopsy demonstration of different groups of participants is missing so far. In this study, the experience of such a situation by the different professional groups was analyzed and discussed in order to improve future dissections for the participant groups.

Methods

Evaluations of 54 autopsy demonstrations were performed at the Institute of Legal Medicine of the University Hospital Halle (Saale) and the branch office in Magdeburg in the period 2017–2020. A total of 794 questionnaires were answered and statistically analyzed. Participants rated the autopsies in various question categories and, if applicable, provided reasons for discontinuation of the demonstration on their part (e.g., circulatory dysregulation). To analyze the results the Kruskall Wallis test, the Mann-Whitney U-test and the χ2-test were applied.

Results

Findings showed that the professional background has a significant influence on the experience and the dropout rates from an autopsy. Furthermore, the professional groups have different areas of interest and expectations of an autopsy.

Conclusion

The results require customized preparation of an autopsy demonstration as well as differentiation of knowledge transfer to different groups of participants to optimize their benefit.
Determination of antioxidant activity by in situ synthesis of AgNPs using in-tube SPME coupled on-line to capillary liquid chromatography
Authors: Prieto-Blanco María Carmen , Pardo-Puñal María , Moliner-Martínez Yolanda , Campíns-Falcó Pilar
Published: July 2023

A chromatographic system based on in-tube SPME coupled to capillary LC-DAD has been used to study the synthesis of silver nanoparticles using polyphenols in different scenarios: excess of the reducing agent or of the silver salt, addition of the cationic surfactants, and thermal synthesis. The optimized synthesis conditions allowed to quantify the polyphenols used as reducing agents, such as Trolox and chlorogenic acid. Two chromatographic peaks with different absorption spectrum were monitored during the syntheses. Depending on the molar relationship, a linear relation between the area of the chromatographic peaks and the concentration of the silver or polyphenol was established. For stabilization of silver nanoparticles, different cationic surfactants were used allowing to evaluate the role of anion (chloride and bromide) and of the alkyl chain. The proposed methodology can be used to determine chlorogenic acid up to 3 mM with a detection limit of 34 μM at λ= 400 nm. Chlorogenic acid was determined in dietary products with successful results. Precision (RSD=10%) and recovery (97–100%) were also satisfactory.

Graphical Abstract
Bayesian optimization over the probability simplex
Authors: Candelieri Antonio , Ponti Andrea , Archetti Francesco
Published: July 2023

Gaussian Process based Bayesian Optimization is largely adopted for solving problems where the inputs are in Euclidean spaces. In this paper we associate the inputs to discrete probability distributions which are elements of the probability simplex. To search in the new design space, we need a distance between distributions. The optimal transport distance (aka Wasserstein distance) is chosen due to its mathematical structure and the computational strategies enabled by it. Both the GP and the acquisition function is generalized to an acquisition functional over the probability simplex. To optimize this functional two methods are proposed, one based on auto differentiation and the other based on proximal-point algorithm and the gradient flow. Finally, we report a preliminary set of computational results on a class of problems whose dimension ranges from 5 to 100. These results show that embedding the Bayesian optimization process in the probability simplex enables an effective algorithm whose performance over standard Bayesian optimization improves with the increase of problem dimensionality.
Tick populations and molecular detection of selected tick-borne pathogens in questing ticks from northern and central Tanzania
Authors: Haji Isihaka , Simuunza Martin , Jiang Ning , Chen Qijun
Published: July 2023

Ticks are vectors and reservoirs of a variety of pathogens including protozoa, bacteria and viruses which cause tick-borne diseases (TBDs) in humans and livestock. TBDs pose serious constraints to the improvement of livestock production in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Despite their wide distribution, information on the tick and pathogen relationship is scarce in Tanzania. We used nested PCR and sequencing to screen pathogens of public and veterinary health importance in ticks collected by flagging from four districts of Tanzania. In total, 2021 ticks comprising nine species were identified. DNA from ticks was pooled according to tick species, developmental stage, and location, then screened for Babesia bigemina, Babesia bovis, Theileria parva and Coxiella burnetii. Out of 377 pools, 34.7% were positive for at least one pathogen. Theileria parva was the most abundant with a minimum infection rate (MIR) of 2.8%, followed by B. bigemina (MIR = 1.8%) and B. bovis (MIR = 0.8%). Multiple pathogens detection was observed in 7.2% of the tested pools. However, PCR screening of individual tick DNA revealed that only 0.3% of the examined pools had co-infection. DNA of C. burnetii was never detected in any tick DNA pool. The MIR of tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) differed significantly among districts, seasons, tick species, and tick developmental stages. Sequence analysis showed that B. bigemina RAP-1a, B. bovis SBP-4, and T. parva p104 genes were conserved among pathogens in the four districts. Despite the absence of C. burnetii in ticks, considering its pathogenic potential, it is essential to continue monitoring for its possible recurrence in ticks. This information adds to the knowledge of TBPs epidemiology and will contribute to the scientific basis for planning future control strategies.
Opportunities and challenges of using immersive technologies to support students’ spatial ability and 21st-century skills in K-12 education
Authors: Serrano-Ausejo Elisa , Mårell-Olsson Eva
Published: July 2023

Organic chemistry, also known as stereochemistry, is a subject considered to be notably complex for students to understand. Knowledge construction in stereochemistry might demand the ability to imagine or visualise the distribution of atoms. For students with insufficient spatial ability, this could be confusing. This study aimed to explore empirically students and teachers’ experiences regarding the opportunities and challenges they encountered when using virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies to teach and learn stereochemistry, as well as how these technologies might support students’ spatial ability and 21st-century skills in K-12 education by participating in virtual lab environments. Using design-based research methods, an exploratory study based on the utilization of immersive technologies was designed and carried out with three groups in Grade 8. Two researchers observed the activities that were implemented, after which the participating students answered a qualitative survey about how these technologies and the specific teaching design might support their understanding of molecules in 3D space. The schoolteacher was interviewed afterwards, and she shared her motives and goals (e.g., what she sought to achieve) by using the technologies in her teaching. The results show that the students had a positive experience in their learning of chemistry through immersive realities, increased motivation to learn the subject, and their test results improved slightly. However, it is essential for a teacher to possess technological know-how regarding VR and AR to achieve the intended goals. The findings highlight the added value of these immersive technologies by enhancing students’ learning processes and the central role of the teacher as a designer and technological leader of the group.
Prescriptive Building Regulations, Safety Objectives, and Residual Risk in Germany
Authors: Maiworm Björn , Hammann Claudius , Schleich Michael
Published: July 2023

In Germany, building codes relating to fire safety are mainly prescriptive nature. Therefore, fire safety engineering is based on a combination of expert judgment and reverse engineering of prescriptive rules. This necessitates to connect the given objectives with the detailed prescriptive rules—if not already described within the law or bylaw. This paper proposes a table relating the fire safety objectives of European building regulations and their German counterpart with the prescriptive model building code in Germany. In addition, a risk curve for prenormative work is also given. This represents the prescriptive regulations concerning in terms of fatalities of a level acceptable to society and emphasizes the lower degree of acceptance of multiple fatalities occurring in a single incident. This residual risk limit represents the opinion of German firefighting associations. Data taken from the London area supports the suggested slope rate, as the level of safety in Britain is similar to that in Germany. The table of prescriptive building regulations and their corresponding objectives aids everyday planning decisions in the context of determining adequate compensation without missing out any essential aspects, such as firefighting and firefighter safety. The proposed table forms the basis of the current discussion of a European model performance-based model building code (PBC) within the European Committee for Standardization CEN. Moreover, the risk curve is the first to be discussed in Germany that takes into consideration the societal aspect. It forms an appropriate basis for performing fire safety risk calculations based on fault tree analysis or Bayes nets. The CEN working group for fire safety engineering discusses both aspects of the current development of a European, performance-based fire safety code. It is presented here for the first time.
Electroencephalographic monitoring of anesthesia during surgical procedures in mice using a modified clinical monitoring system
Authors: Joyce Leesa , Wenninger Alissa , Kreuzer Matthias , García Paul S. , Schneider Gerhard , Fenzl Thomas
Published: July 2023

Monitoring brain activity and associated physiology during the administration of general anesthesia (GA) in mice is pivotal to guarantee postanesthetic health. Clinically, electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring is a well-established method to guide GA. There are no established methods available for monitoring EEG in mice (Mus musculus) during surgery. In this study, a minimally invasive rodent intraoperative EEG monitoring system was implemented using subdermal needle electrodes and a modified EEG-based commercial patient monitor. EEG recordings were acquired at three different isoflurane concentrations revealing that surgical concentrations of isoflurane anesthesia predominantly contained burst suppression patterns in mice. EEG suppression ratios and suppression durations showed strong positive correlations with the isoflurane concentrations. The electroencephalographic indices provided by the monitor did not support online monitoring of the anesthetic status. The online available suppression duration in the raw EEG signals during isoflurane anesthesia is a straight forward and reliable marker to assure safe, adequate and reproducible anesthesia protocols.
Strength of Religious Faith and Attitude Towards Euthanasia Among Medical Professionals and Opinion Makers
Authors: Guzowski Andrzej , Fiłon Joanna , Krajewska-Kułak Elżbieta
Published: July 2023

The aim of the research was to examine whether the strength of religious faith among health professionals, politicians, journalists and religious leaders in Poland influences their knowledge and attitudes towards the withdrawal of futile care, and euthanasia. The study was carried out using a group of 449 respondents employed in medical professions (nurses, midwives and paramedics), and 142 respondents of non-medical professions (politicians, journalists and clergymen). The method used was a diagnostic survey with an original, anonymous Internet survey, as well as the standardised Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire (SCSORF). It has been demonstrated that the greater the influence of religion on a person’s life, the lesser their tolerance for the refusal of life-saving/life support procedures.
The flax in the “Flora’s image” in the Ariadne House (Pompeian area, Italy) as a symbol of feminine in a wedding sacred to the afterlife
Authors: Caneva G. , Bourmaud A. , Bellini A. , Melelli A.
Published: July 2023

In ancient time, life elements, like plants and animals, and unanimated forces of nature were usually associated with specific meanings related to deities and sacred rituals. In Roman archeology, the strong symbolic value of plants represented in wall paintings and artifacts was proved by several contributions, but this topic is often neglected. In this paper, for the first time, an interpretation is proposed for the plant represented in one of the most iconic paintings in Pompeii, the so-called “Flora” in Ariadne’s house. Here, the analyzed plant is picked by a girl turned away and holding a floral cornucopia, and it plays a relevant role in the scene. Through the analysis of its morphological elements, and comparing them with other ancient representations, we suggest its identification as flax (Linum usitatissimum L.). Flax was an economically and culturally very important plant, widely represented in objects and paintings in the Mesopotamian and Egyptian area. We also suggest that the meaning behind the choice of depict flax was also related to its classical attribution as a symbol of fertility and afterlife as well as linked to the “feminine” sphere. This interpretation, together with other elements of the images, strengthens the already proposed interpretation of the yellow-dressed girl a wife, which is let to go this life for an afterlife, in the figure of Persephone.

Graphical abstract
RIPK1 is aberrantly expressed in multiple B-cell cancers and implicated in the underlying pathogenesis
Authors: Wu Baoyu , Li Jingyu , Wang Han , Liu Jianguo , Li Jiayong , Sun Fang , Feng Dong chuan
Published: July 2023

According to the latest epidemiology of the US, B-cell cancers account for > 3% of all new cancer cases and > 80% of non-Hodgkin lymphomas. However, the disease-modifying small molecular drug suitable for most B-cell cancers is still lacking. RIPK1 (receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 1) has been observed to be dysregulated and implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple solid cancers, of which, however, the roles in blood cancers are quite unclear. In our study, to identify multi-function targets for B-cell cancer treatment, we reanalyzed a public transcriptomic dataset from the database of Gene Expression Omnibus, which includes CD19+ B-cell populations from 6 normal donors and patients of 5 CLL, 10 FL, and 8 DLBCL. After overlapping three groups (CLL vs. normal, FL vs. normal, and DLBCL vs. normal) of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), we obtained 69 common DEGs, of which 3 were validated by real-time quantitative PCR, including RIPK3, IGSF3, TGFBI. Interestingly, we found that the loss function of RIPK1 significantly increases the proliferation and viability of GM12878 cells (a normal human B lymphocyte cell line). Consistently, overexpression of RIPK1 in TMD8 and U2932 cells effectively inhibited cell proliferation and growth. More importantly, modifying RIPK1 kinase activity by a small molecule (such as necrostain-1, HOIPIN-1, etc.) alters the cell growth status of B-cell lymphoma, showing that RIPK1 exhibits anti-tumor activity in the context of B-cell lymphoma. Taken together, we consider that RIPK1 may be a potential target in the clinical application of B-cell lymphoma (including CLL, DLBCL, and FL) treatment.
Erwerb von sozialer und emotionaler Kompetenz im Bachelorstudium der Sozialen Arbeit: Eine explorative Annäherung
Authors: Schliermann Rainer , Rock Jasmin , Schroll-Decker Irmgard
Published: July 2023

Studiengänge Sozialer Arbeit zielen auf die Ausbildung sozialpädagogischer Professionalität. In den Modulhandbüchern wird neben der Fachkompetenz die Förderung sozialer (und emotionaler) Kompetenzen als Lernziel adressiert. Ob sich letztere durch die gängigen formellen Lernsettings und der integrierten Praxisphase(n) entwickeln lassen, bleibt unklar. Die Studie analysiert anhand von 264 validierten Fragebögen, inwiefern formelle Lernsettings einer Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften (HAW) mit der Förderung sozialer und emotionaler Kompetenzen einhergehen. Es lassen sich kaum statistisch signifikante Effekte nachweisen. Da die formellen Lernsettings kaum Einfluss auf die Entwicklung der genannten Kompetenzen haben, sind Implikationen für veränderte formelle Lernarrangements zu diskutieren.
Clinicopathological and prognostic significance of PD-L1 and TIM-3 expression in medullary thyroid carcinoma: a retrospective immunohistochemistry study
Authors: Wusiman D. , Guo L. , Li L. , Zhang X. , Zhao X. , An Z. , Huang Z. , Zhang Y. , Li Z. , Ying J. , Wei M. , Li W. , An C.
Published: July 2023

Purpose

Expression of the programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin-domain containing-3 (TIM-3) in medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) has been controversial and rarely reported.

Methods

Surgical specimens of 190 MTC patients who had initial curative-intent surgery were collected. Immunohistochemistry of PD-L1 and TIM-3 was performed using 22C3 pharmDx (Dako, Carpinteria, CA) and anti-TIM-3 (1:500, ab241332, Abcam). Stained slides were scored using a combined positive score (CPS) with a cutoff of ≥ 1. We established correlations between PD-L1 expression, TIM-3 expression, clinicopathological, and survival data.

Results

13 cases (13/190, 6.84%) were positive for PD-L1 expression, and 42 cases (42/154, 27.27%) for TIM-3 expression. PD-L1 expression was correlated to TIM-3 expression (P = 0.002), but was not related to overall survival (OS) or progression-free survival (PFS). TIM-3 expression was correlated to perineural invasion (P = 0.040). Multivariate Cox analysis showed that lymphovascular invasion (LVI) was independently associated with OS. And tumor size, LVI, and lymph node metastases were significantly associated with PFS. Furthermore, the multivariate logistic analysis showed multifocal status, LVI, pathological T stage and lymph node metastasis were independent risk factors for biochemical recurrence/persistent disease.

Conclusions

We demonstrated that PD-L1 and TIM-3 expression were not frequent in MTC and were not associated with survival prognosis. Our results should be considered when clinical trials of PD-L1 or TIM-3 blockades are implemented.
Augmented reality applications for mathematical creativity: a systematic review
Authors: Hidajat Flavia Aurelia
Published: July 2023

Augmented reality (AR) applications are often studied in education. However, little literature has systematically reviewed the applications of AR for mathematical creativity. This paper aims to analyze the research trends comprehensively and systematically on 66 articles from 2015 to 2023. Based on the NCTM Principles and Standards guidelines, trends in the application of AR in mathematics education can be analyzed into six themes: equity, mathematics curriculum, mathematics teaching, learning, assessment, and mathematics technology. The results of the study show that (1) AR for mathematical creativity has implications for improving students' cognitive performance; problem-solving process; self-potential; social skills, and self-ability of students; (2) the most dominant features in developing AR applications for mathematical creativity are the Unity3D tool and Vuforia; (3) AR has a positive impact on equity for improving the quality of teaching and learning, supporting the educational curriculum; improve the teaching and learning of mathematics; effective evaluation and technology development in the learning process; (4) AR as a creative learning media; AR helps creative collaboration between students; and able to improve students' creative thinking skills. The results of a systematic review of AR applications for mathematical creativity can help educators and the development of future educational research.
The Publications of the Bedfordshire Historical Record Society Volume XXV
Authors: Buck Anne , Freeman Charles E. , Gilmore Gaston Denis , Godber Joyce , Marsom F. W. , Tibbutt H. G. , Willan Thomas S.
Published: July 2023

Contains 'The Meeting-place of Wixamtree Hundred', by F. W. Marsom.
'Newnham Priory: A Bedford Rental, 1506-7', by W. N. Henman.
'Newnham Priory: Rental of Manor at Biddenham, 1505-6', by Barbara Cook.
'The Papers of Richard Taylor of Clapham (c. 1579-1641)', by G. D. Gilmore.
'John Crook, 1617-1699: A Bedfordshire Quaker', by H. G. Tibbutt.
'A Bedfordshire Wage Assessment of 1684', by T. S. Willan.
'A Luton Baptist Minute Book, 1707-1806', by C. E. Freeman.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) universal admission screening in patients and companions in Taiwan from May 2021 to June 2022: A nationwide multicenter study
Authors: Wu Hao-Hsin , Su Chiu-Hsia , Chien Li-Jung , Tseng Shu-Hui , Chang Shan-Chwen
Published: July 2023

Objective:

Universal admission screening and follow-up symptom-based testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) may play critical roles in controlling nosocomial transmission. We describe the performance of test strategies for inpatients and their companions during various disease incidences in Taiwan.

Design:

Retrospective population-based cohort study.

Setting:

The study was conducted across 476 hospitals in Taiwan.

Methods:

The data for both testing strategies by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction for SARS-CoV-2 in newly admitted patients and their companions during May 2021—June 2022 were extracted and analyzed.

Results:

The positivity rate of universal admission screening was 0.76% (14,640 of 1,928,676) for patients and 0.37% (5,372 of 1,438,944) for companions. The weekly community incidences of period 1 (May 2021–June 2021), period 2 (July 2021–March 2022), and period 3 (April 2022–June 2022) were 6.57, 0.27, and 1,261, respectively, per 100,000 population. The positivity rates of universal admission screening for patients and companions (4.39% and 2.18%) in period 3 were higher than those in periods 1 (0.29% and 0.04%) and 2 (0.03% and 0.003%) (all P < .01). Among the 22,201 confirmed cases, 9.86% were identified by symptom-based testing. The costs and potential savings of universal admission screening for patients and companions achieved a breakeven point when the test strategy was implemented in a period with weekly community incidences of 27 and 358 per 100,000 population, respectively.

Conclusions:

Universal admission screening and follow-up symptom-based testing is important for reducing nosocomial transmission. Implementing universal admission screening at an appropriate time would balance the benefits with costs and potential unintended harms.
A mechanistic evaluation of the local Bloch wave approximation in graded arrays of vertical barriers
Authors: Wilks Ben , Montiel Fabien , Wakes Sarah
Published: July 2023

Wave interaction with graded metamaterials exhibits the phenomenon of rainbow reflection, in which broadband wave signals slow down and separate into their frequency components before being reflected. This phenomenon has been qualitatively understood by describing the wave field in the metamaterial using the local Bloch wave approximation (LBWA), which locally represents the wave field as a superposition of propagating wave solutions in the cognate infinite periodic media (so-called Bloch waves). We evaluate the performance of the LBWA quantitatively in the context of two-dimensional linear water-wave scattering by graded arrays of surface-piercing vertical barriers. To do this, we implement the LBWA numerically so that the Bloch waves in one region of the graded array are coupled to Bloch waves in adjacent regions. This coupling is computed by solving the scattering of Bloch waves across the interface between two semi-infinite arrays of vertical barriers, where the barriers in each semi-infinite array can have different submergence depths. Our results suggest that the LBWA accurately predicts the free surface amplitude across a wide range of frequencies, except those just above the cutoff frequencies associated with each of the vertical barriers in the array. This highlights the importance of decaying Bloch modes above the cutoff in rainbow reflection.
Scandinavian entry points to social medicine and postcolonial health: Karl Evang and Halfdan Mahler in India
Authors: Engh Sunniva , Brimnes Niels
Published: July 2023

Our contributions examine the Norwegian Karl Evang's (1901-1981) and the Dane Halfdan Mahler's (1923-2016) participation in international health co-operation facilitated by the World Health Organization (WHO) in India in the 1950s. While Evang’s was a hectic, but relatively short visit as part of a WHO visiting team of medical scientists in 1953, Mahler’s spanned the entire decade on assignments as WHO medical officer to tuberculosis control projects. Mahler’s name should be familiar to researchers of international health as the Director-General of the WHO 1973-88, and for his promotion of primary health care through the 1978 Alma-Ata Declaration. Evang, Norway’s Director of Health 1938-72, was also a key figure in international health in the mid-twentieth century as one of the original instigators of the WHO, and a participant in much of its early work.

A core theme is the place of social medicine, both in Evang’s and Mahler’s work, and within the WHO and its navigation of complex postcolonial settings in the 1950s. Investigating cross-regional encounters and circulations of social medicine ideas between Evang and Mahler and their Indian interlocutors as well as international WHO staff members, we ask what the role of social medicine was in international health in the early post-war period. Researchers have found that social medicine had its heyday during the 1930s and 1940s, and that a technology-focused, vertical approach became dominant soon after the war. In contrast, we suggest that continued circulation of social medical ideas points towards a more complicated picture.
Switching: Cultural fluency sustains and cultural disfluency disrupts thinking fast
Authors: Oyserman Daphna
Published: July 2023

Culture-as-situated cognition theory provides insight into the system 1 monitoring algorithm. Culture provides people with an organizing framework, facilitating predictions, focusing attention, and providing experiential signals of certainty and uncertainty as system 1 inputs. When culture-based signals convey that something is amiss, system 2 reasoning is triggered and engaged when resources allow; otherwise, system 1 reasoning dominates.
Gradient-based parameter calibration of an anisotropic interaction model for pedestrian dynamics
Authors: Turarov Zhomart , Totzeck Claudia
Published: July 2023

We propose an extension of the anisotropic interaction model which allows for collision avoidance in pairwise interactions by a rotation of forces (Totzeck (2020) Kinet. Relat. Models13(6), 1219–1242.) by including the agents’ body size. The influence of the body size on the self-organisation of the agents in channel and crossing scenarios as well as the fundamental diagram is studied. Since the model is stated as a coupled system of ordinary differential equations, we are able to give a rigorous well-posedness analysis. Then we state a parameter calibration problem that involves data from real experiments. We prove the existence of a minimiser and derive the corresponding first-order optimality conditions. With the help of these conditions, we propose a gradient descent algorithm based on mini-batches of the data set. We employ the proposed algorithm to fit the parameter of the collision avoidance and the strength parameters of the interaction forces to given real data from experiments. The results underpin the feasibility of the method.
East Indian misfortunes: the Fraser brothers and the early Raj
Authors: Minault Gail
Published: July 2023

Nothing in William Fraser's life in India is better known than his leaving of it. In March 1835, after 30 years in India, Fraser, then the East India Company's chief representative in Delhi, was gunned down by an assassin. The story of Fraser's murder is well covered in history. However, far more of Fraser's life in India—and that of his brothers—is discernible through their letters home to their family in Reelig, outside Inverness in Scotland.

The Frasers sent five sons to India: William, his older brother James, and their three younger siblings, Edward, Alexander, and George. Only James ultimately returned home. If service in the East India Company in the time of Clive had offered the chance of making a killing, so too was it possible to die young of disease or in battle. By the early nineteenth century, after a series of Company reforms, it was no longer as possible to make a huge fortune in India, though early death was still a probability. Nevertheless, salaries were respectable, and one could live well and maybe even send money home. There is a great deal more than these material considerations in the Frasers’ correspondence. Among the topics covered are the brothers’ impressions of India, descriptions of travel and working life, their professional and social interactions with the British and Indians, and reflections on the contemporary state of medical care. This article will discuss the lives and travails of the Fraser brothers as exemplars of their generation of East India Company officialdom.
External Behavior of a Logic Program and Verification of Refactoring
Authors: FANDINNO JORGE , HANSEN ZACHARY , LIERLER YULIYA , LIFSCHITZ VLADIMIR , TEMPLE NATHAN
Published: July 2023

Refactoring is modifying a program without changing its external behavior. In this paper, we make the concept of external behavior precise for a simple answer set programming language. Then we describe a proof assistant for the task of verifying that refactoring a program in that language is performed correctly.
Changes in Teachers’ Perceptions of School Quality During COVID-19
Authors: Helm Christoph , Huber Stephan Gerhard
Published: July 2023

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic brought forth unique challenges for schools, requiring a sudden shift to remote learning. However, there have been no empirical studies examining the effects of the pandemic on school quality. This study aims to address this research gap by examining teacher data from a longitudinal study ( n = 2,616 teachers in 120 schools in Germany) on various aspects of school quality. Using multiple-group multiple-indicator univariate latent change score modeling based on latent covariate propensity score balancing, we investigate whether COVID-19 impacted school quality – that is, school climate, collective teacher efficacy, teacher cooperation, and distributed leadership. With a few exceptions, we could not detect significant differences in the development of teachers’ perceptions of school quality during the pandemic compared to developments that occurred prior to the pandemic. For example, adaptive teaching increased more than before the pandemic, while social support between teachers decreased more than before the pandemic.
Soil Fungi May Be a Carbon Pool
Authors: Hasler Caroline
Published: July 2023

New research suggests that mycorrhizal fungi take in 13 billion tons of carbon dioxide annually, playing a prominent role in Earth’s carbon cycle.
Revisiting the Origins of the Power‐Law Analysis for the Assessment of Concentration‐Discharge Relationships
Authors: Wymore Adam S. , Larsen William , Kincaid Dustin W. , Underwood Kristen L. , Fazekas Hannah M. , McDowell William H. , Murray Desneiges S. , Shogren Arial J. , Speir Shannon L. , Webster Alex J.
Published: July 2023

Concentration‐discharge (C‐Q) relationships are frequently used to understand the controls on material export from watersheds. These analyses often use a log‐log power‐law function (C = aQb) to determine the relationship between C and Q. Use of the power‐law in C‐Q analyses dates to two seminal papers by Francis Hall (1970, https://doi.org/10.1029/WR006i003p00845) and Francis Hall (1971, https://doi.org/10.1029/WR007i003p00591), where he compared six increasingly complex hydrological models, concluding the power‐law had the greatest explanatory power. Hall's analyses and conclusions, however, were based on a limited data set, with assumptions regarding water volume and storage, and used simple model selection criteria. While the power‐law is applied widely, it has not been rigorously tested and evaluated in over 50 years. We reexamined Hall's original models across time scales using 8 years of high‐frequency and weekly specific conductance data and evaluated model performance using more sophisticated model selection criteria. While we found the power‐law analysis remains one of the best performing models, other models performed equally as well including the log‐linear functional form. Model performance was similar at the sub‐daily to weekly scale but varied with sampling method. More complex models performed poorly relative to simpler models and tended to underpredict concentration at flow extremes due to constraints in fitting model parameters to the observed data. While we conclude, based on the data analyzed here, that the power‐law remains a suitable model for C‐Q analyses, opportunities exist to refine and differentiate among C‐Q models based on underlying assumptions of data distribution, recession analyses, and for applying models to reactive solutes.
Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD): a condition exemplifying the crosstalk of the gut–liver axis
Authors: Kim You Sun , Hurley Edward H. , Park Yoojeong , Ko Sungjin
Published: July 2023

The close relationship between primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) provides a good opportunity to comprehend the gut–liver axis. The gut and the liver have reciprocal interactions, including how gut inflammation influences the liver through immune cells and the microbiota and how the microbiota in the gut modifies bile acids, which are produced and secreted from the liver. PSC-IBD shows distinct clinical findings from classical IBD. In addition, a distinct genetic predisposition and unique microbiota composition suggest that PSC-IBD is an independent disease entity. Understanding the pathogenesis of PSC-IBD helps to develop novel and effective therapeutic agents. Given the high risk of malignancies associated with PSC-IBD, it is critical to identify patients at high risk and implement appropriate surveillance and monitoring strategies. In this review, we provide an overview of PSC-IBD, which exemplifies the gut–liver axis.