bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vision Zero In Suicide Prevention And Suicide Preventive Methods
Authors: Wasserman D. , Tadić I. , Bec C.
Published: May 2022

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), suicide is a global public health issue, and countries need to be working toward a comprehensive and holistic response to prevent suicide and suicidal behaviors. Vision Zero for suicide is an aspiring goal that aims to lower suicide occurrence through a combined action of public health and healthcare sectors. Vision Zero for suicide has a multilevel and multidisciplinary approach that intends to provide a systemic change in society to facilitate and put suicide prevention on the agenda. This chapter explores the origins of Vision Zero for suicide by first presenting theoretical models that influenced suicidal behavior preventive programs. Then, Vision Zero for suicide goals, advantages, challenges, and examples of implementation in some countries will be presented. Further, evidence-based suicide prevention programs in existing public health and healthcare settings will be described as they support the Vision Zero aims. Vision Zero is an ambitious goal, but one that is worth aspiring to achieve, as the potential outcomes for suicide prevention implementation and research are very worthwhile.
Can Municipalities Lead the Energy Transition? On Available Policy, Competences and Requirements for Action
Authors: Faye Cheikh , Macharia P.
Published: May 2022

The implementation of innovative, bottom-up and tailor-made sustainable energy solutions in local communities is a fundamental game-changer in countries’ energy transition agendas. Challenges related to energy governance and the action to mitigate global warming require these communities to play a leading role through increased involvement in local energy initiatives. Municipalities can play this role at different levels, as a bridge between the private sector, the development agencies and the local communities, throughout the sector value chain from energy production to end-use consumption, using locally available renewable energy resources. The study was carried out in the city of Dakar, Senegal, where data on energy behaviour were collected through a survey. The main conclusion drawn from the study is municipalities can lead the transition to energy sustainability with the support of resident communities. However, this requires a policy framework that defines the municipalities’ scope of action, which is currently missing.
Energy Potential of Crop Residues in Senegal: Technology Solutions for Valorization
Authors: Mbodji C. A. , Fall A. , Diouf D. , Seck A.
Published: May 2022

Different crops are harvested in Senegal at different periods throughout the year. Therefore, crop residues are constantly available, and there is potential for recycling these residues to produce energy. However, most of these crop residues are often burned or leftover in fields. This chapter assesses the energy potential of five crop residues available in Senegal, in terms of raw material quantities and calorific values, in order to propose adequate valorization schemes. The methodology of the study is based on a review of scientific literature in the field, the processing of data collected from the national specialized agencies, and laboratory tests of pellets manufactured from these residues. The experiments also propose techniques of hybridization in pelleting. The results show the feasibility of combining crop residues to produce pellets, with improved energy characteristics. They also demonstrate that pellets from crop residues can substitute part of industries’ heat demand with the combustion technology and part of rural communities’ electricity demand with the gasification technology.
Hidden Costs of Decarbonizing Utility Generation: Investment on Grid Stability and Contribution of Renewable Energies
Authors: Mbodji C. A. , Diouf D. , Ndour L. , Fall A. L. , Maiga A.
Published: May 2022

How much the energy transition will cost is yet to be determined. In the electricity sector, studies continue to show trends of decreasing costs for various renewable energy technologies such as solar photovoltaic and wind. Recurring recommendations are made from international organizations to phase-out energy subsidies on conventional fuels in order to make competitive electricity generation with renewable energy. In this chapter, the authors demonstrate how electricity generation with renewable resources can contribute to the decarbonization of utility generation. Considering the examples of Ghana and Senegal. They propose a new approach with five pillars to decarbonize electricity supply from the grid in the West Africa region.
Modelling Sustainable Energy Transition for Cities: Case Studies of LEAP, ENPEP-BALANCE, and MoCES
Authors: Fall A. , Mbodji C. A.
Published: May 2022

The city of Dakar, in Senegal, is endowed with solar photovoltaic, waste-to-energy, and wind energy resources that could support the transition to energy sustainability in the production of electricity for the interconnected grid. Ordinarily, energy planners use modelling software to simulate the integration of this potential into the electricity generation network. In 2018, Ringkjøb et al. identified 75 energy modelling software. The study simulates the integration of the city renewable energy potential in the electricity generation network, using three energy planning software. The main finding is the approach, which is embedded in the software programming interface, affects the model results in terms of competitiveness of renewable energy technologies when compared to existing energy technologies.
Introduction
Authors: Weller Paul
Published: May 2022

The chapter provides insight into the focus of the book, which is on the person, teaching, and practice of Fethullah Gülen, rather than on Hizmet, which his teaching and practice has inspired, and which is addressed more fully in the complementary volume by the same author and also published by Palgrave Macmillan, on Hizmet in Transitions: European Developments of a Turkish Muslim-Inspired Movement. The chapter discusses the book’s disciplinary and methodological approach which is situated within Religious Studies and takes seriously Gülen’s deep rooting in the Qu’ran and Sunnah. Given the controversies that exist around the person and work of Fethullah Gülen, it situates this book within the context of the wider literature that discusses his person and work, including other publications by the author. Finally, it explains the book’s approach to its use of evidence and discusses the issue of positionality in relation to work of this kind.
Person, Places, and Development
Authors: Weller Paul
Published: May 2022

In this chapter, Weller sets out Fethullah Gülen’s early historical and contextual environments, an understanding of which he argues is necessary for understanding the book’s overall argument. While not a biography of Gülen, Weller advocates the importance of interactivity between his context and his person and teaching for understanding the changes and developments in his teaching and practice. This chapter focuses particularly on four Turkish contexts—Erzurum, Edirne, Izmir, and Istanbul—each of which corresponds with particular phases in Gülen’s and Hizmet’s development: from traditional formation in Erzurum; through secular and plural encounter in Edirne; to new creativity and differentiation from other Islamic movements in Izmir; and via withdrawal while being treated as an “enemy of the state,” followed by cosmopolitan engagement in Istanbul.
Biography, Context, and Substance in Interplay
Authors: Weller Paul
Published: May 2022

The chapter begins by identifying the specificity of the Turkish context in terms of particular balances of historical and contemporary forces in relation to which Gülen and Hizmet have had to position themselves. It shows how out of this, Gülen emerged as a distinctive scholar, teacher, and innovator, becoming differentiated from the inheritance of Said Nursi, while also drawing upon it. It discusses Gülen’s particular understanding of interplay between Islamic sources; his conscious engagement of those sources with historical and contemporary places and times; and his understanding of revelation in dynamic terms. Out of this interplay, Weller provides a range of examples of Gülen’s role as taboo-breaker in teaching and action with regard to the kind of secular-political taboos; national-cultural identity taboos; and religious boundary taboos that have otherwise had a strong and constraining hold on Turkish society.
Islamic Spirituality and Social Processing
Authors: Weller Paul
Published: May 2022

Weller starts by discussing the evident historical and sociological insecurity of many contemporary Muslims. He also identifies a sense of theological insecurity, some of the roots of which he locates in an “Heroic” tradition of Islam that has shaped a combative and reactive hermeneutic. By contrast with such stories, Fethullah Gülen’s hermeneutics are centrally rooted in the narratives of Muhammad and his first Companions. Weller furthermore explains how the spirituality promoted by Gülen centres around the Sufi emphases on love and the idea of the ‘true human.’ These are then explored in engagement with Gülen’s expansive approach to human (including religious) freedom; his stance against claimed theocracies and in support of democracy; and finally, the challenge that his hermeneutics brings to the conflation of Islam and terror in the mind of the general public as well the legitimacy of an association between the two in the worldview of some Muslims.
Learning from Loss?
Authors: Weller Paul
Published: May 2022

This chapter underlines the profoundly traumatic impact of the events of July 2016 in Turkey and their aftermath for Gülen and for Hizmet. It gives insight into Gülen’s current situation as being one that Weller describes as that of a “wounded exile,” who nevertheless has retained an eternal perspective in relation to the current Turkish powers-that-be. It explores the ways in which both Gülen and Hizmet are trying to deal with this trauma, including the interpretations of it with which people are working, including a reinterpretation of the important Islamic trope of hijrah. This reinterpretation is brought together with a critical discussion of the phenomenon of what can be seen as an approach to understanding difficult historical events through the lens of post-fact religious causality. Finally, Weller discuss the degree of self-criticism, together with its limits and the resistance found to such self-criticism in some parts of Hizmet.
The mechanism of activation of MEK1 by B-Raf and KSR1
Authors: Maloney Ryan C. , Zhang Mingzhen , Liu Yonglan , Jang Hyunbum , Nussinov Ruth
Published: May 2022

MEK1 interactions with B-Raf and KSR1 are key steps in Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK signaling. Despite this, vital mechanistic details of how these execute signal transduction are still enigmatic. Among these is why, despite B-Raf and KSR1 kinase domains similarity, the B-Raf/MEK1 and KSR1/MEK1 complexes have distinct contributions to MEK1 activation, and broadly, what is KSR1’s role. Our molecular dynamics simulations clarify these still unresolved ambiguities. Our results reveal that the proline-rich (P-rich) loop of MEK1 plays a decisive role in MEK1 activation loop (A-loop) phosphorylation. In the inactive B-Raf/MEK1 heterodimer, the collapsed A-loop of B-Raf interacts with the P-rich loop and A-loop of MEK1, minimizing MEK1 A-loop fluctuation and preventing it from phosphorylation. In the active B-Raf/MEK1 heterodimer, the P-rich loop moves in concert with the A-loop of B-Raf as it extends. This reduces the number of residues interacting with MEK1 A-loop, allowing increased A-loop fluctuation, and bringing Ser222 closer to ATP for phosphorylation. B-Raf αG-helix Arg662 promotes MEK1 activation by orienting Ser218 towards ATP. In KSR1/MEK1, the KSR1 αG-helix has Ala826 in place of B-Raf Arg662. This difference results in much fewer interactions between KSR1 αG-helix and MEK1 A-loop, thus a more flexible A-loop. We postulate that if KSR1 were to adopt an active configuration with an extended A-loop as seen in other protein kinases, then the MEK1 P-rich loop would extend in a similar manner, as seen in the active B-Raf/MEK1 heterodimer. This would result in highly flexible MEK1 A-loop, and KSR1 functioning as an active, B-Raf-like, kinase.
New insights into the molecular mechanisms of ROR1, ROR2, and PTK7 signaling from the proteomics and pharmacological modulation of ROR1 interactome
Authors: Raivola Juuli , Dini Alice , Salokas Kari , Karvonen Hanna , Niininen Wilhelmiina , Piki Emilia , Varjosalo Markku , Ungureanu Daniela
Published: May 2022

ROR1, ROR2, and PTK7 are Wnt ligand-binding members of the receptor tyrosine kinase family. Despite their lack of catalytic activity, these receptors regulate skeletal, cardiorespiratory, and neurological development during embryonic and fetal stages. However, their overexpression in adult tissue is strongly connected to tumor development and metastasis, suggesting a strong pharmacological potential for these molecules. Wnt5a ligand can activate these receptors, but lead to divergent signaling and functional outcomes through mechanisms that remain largely unknown. Here, we developed a cellular model by stably expressing ROR1, ROR2, and PTK7 in BaF3 cells that allowed us to readily investigate side-by-side their signaling capability and functional outcome. We applied proteomic profiling to BaF3 clones and identified distinctive roles for ROR1, ROR2, and PTK7 pseudokinases in modulating the expression of proteins involved in cytoskeleton dynamics, apoptotic, and metabolic signaling. Functionally, we show that ROR1 expression enhances cell survival and Wnt-mediated cell proliferation, while ROR2 and PTK7 expression is linked to cell migration. We also demonstrate that the distal C-terminal regions of ROR1 and ROR2 are required for receptors stability and downstream signaling. To probe the pharmacological modulation of ROR1 oncogenic signaling, we used affinity purification coupled to mass spectrometry (AP-MS) and proximity-dependent biotin identification (BioID) to map its interactome before and after binding of GZD824, a small molecule inhibitor previously shown to bind to the ROR1 pseudokinase domain. Our findings bring new insight into the molecular mechanisms of ROR1, ROR2, and PTK7, and highlight the therapeutic potential of targeting ROR1 with small molecule inhibitors binding to its vestigial ATP-binding site.
Assessing the inhibitory activity of culture supernatants against foodborne pathogens of two psychrotrophic bacteria isolated from river trout
Authors: Condò Carla , Gómez Irene , Farfán Maribel , Rius Núria
Published: May 2022

There is a need for new natural products with antimicrobial activity to treat multidrug resistant bacteria that can cause human illness. Some of them are foodborne pathogens. Two different Gram-negative psychrotrophic strains were isolated from healthy trout river samples (Salmotrutta). Based on phenotypic characterization, proteomics, genotyping and phylogenetic analyses of 16 rRNA gene, strains TCPS12 and TCPS13 were identified as Shewanellabaltica and Pseudomonasfragi, respectively. Both of them produced an exopolysaccharide that showed antimicrobial activity against four foodborne pathogens. P. fragi supernatant (AS13) showed higher antimicrobial activity than S. baltica supernatant (AS12) against all tested pathogens. The stability of the antimicrobial activity of AS13 was assessed against Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212 under different conditions. This solution was stable when exposed for 30 min to temperatures ranging from 40 to 100 °C. In addition, it retained its activity within a pH range of 2–8 during 2 h of incubation, showing higher activity at pH 6. Serine proteases and α-amylase inactivated significantly the antimicrobial activity of AS13, suggesting that the active molecule could most likely be a glycoprotein. These products are interesting for their possible application as biopreservatives in the food industry.
Sex Differences in Bone Health Among Indian Older Adults with Obesity, Sarcopenia, and Sarcopenic Obesity
Authors: Gandham Anoohya , Scott David , Bonham Maxine P. , Kulkarni Bharati , Kinra Sanjay , Ebeling Peter R. , Zengin Ayse
Published: May 2022

Age-related changes in fat and lean mass contribute to bone health, but these associations may be influenced by sex and ethnicity. This study investigated sex-specific associations of obesity and sarcopenia with bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral apparent density (BMAD) among Indian older adults. 1057 adults aged ≥ 50 years were included. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) measured BMD at the hip, spine and whole-body, and BMAD was calculated as BMD/√bone area. Obesity was defined by body fat percentage (cut points; > 25% for men and > 35% for women), and sarcopenia was defined using the revised Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia classification with low hand grip strength (< 28 kg for men and < 18 kg for women) and appendicular lean mass index (< 7.0 kg/m2 for men and < 5.4 kg/m2 for women). Participants were classified into four groups: controls (no obesity or sarcopenia), obesity, sarcopenia, or sarcopenic obesity. Linear regression (β-coefficients and 95%CI) analyses were performed with adjustments for age, smoking status, protein intake, and socioeconomic status. Prevalence of sarcopenia (37%) and sarcopenic obesity (6%) were higher in men than women (17% and 4%, respectively). Compared with controls, men with obesity had lower whole-body BMD and BMAD, but women with obesity had higher hip and spine BMD and BMAD (all p < 0.05). Men, but not women, with sarcopenic obesity, had lower hip and whole-body BMD and BMAD (all p < 0.05) than controls. Men with sarcopenia had lower BMD and BMAD at the hip only, whereas women had lower BMD at all three sites and had lower BMAD at the hip and spine (all p < 0.05), compared with controls. Obesity, sarcopenia, and sarcopenic obesity have sex-specific associations with BMD and BMAD in Indian older adults. With the aging population in India, it is important to understand how body composition contributes to poor bone health among older adults.
Evaluation and Potential Uses of Site Investigation Soil Contamination Data Submitted to Uk Local Government
Authors: Hellawell Emma E. , Hughes Susan J.
Published: May 2022

There has been considerable brownfield development in the UK since 2000 due to increasing demand for new housing, combined with local opposition to building on greenbelt land. To facilitate this, extensive site investigations have been carried out and the reports submitted to local government as part of the planning process. This research investigates whether this largely untapped resource of site investigation data can be used to improve understanding of potentially toxic elements (PTE) and persistent organic pollutants (POP) at a local scale. The PTE/POP data were extracted from 1707 soil samples across 120 brownfield sites in an urban/suburban region. The samples were analysed to determine the effect of site location, historical use and site age on PTE/POP concentrations. Box plots indicating statistical results together with GIS maps of PTE/POP sample data provided the optimal visualisation of results. The dataset was shown to be a valuable resource, although further exploitation would be enhanced by digitisation of the submitted data. The paper explores potential applications of this data, including background concentrations and anthropogenic enrichment factors for PTE/POP. The results were summarised in a table for the PTE/POP and a preliminary risk assessment process chart to inform developers/regulators on potential PTE/POP levels on brownfield sites on a local scale. This information could focus design and resources for developers for site investigations and risk assessments and improve planning and regulatory guidance. The lack of predictability in PTE/POP results across sites have emphasised the ongoing need for intrusive site investigation on new brownfield developments.
Preoperative Anxiety is Associated With Postoperative Complications in Vascular Surgery: A Cross‐Sectional Study
Authors: Jovanovic Ksenija , Kalezic Nevena , Sipetic Grujicic Sandra , Zivaljevic Vladan , Jovanovic Milan , Kukic Biljana , Trailovic Ranko , Zlatanovic Petar , Mutavdzic Perica , Tomic Ivan , Ilic Nikola , Davidovic Lazar
Published: May 2022

Background

Preoperative anxiety is associated with increased morbidity and/or mortality in surgical patients. This study investigated the incidence, predictors, and association of preoperative anxiety with postoperative complications in vascular surgery.

Methods

Consecutive patients undergoing aortic, carotid, and peripheral artery surgery, under general and regional anesthesia, from February until October 2019 were included in a cross‐sectional study. Anesthesiologists assessed preoperative anxiety using a validated Serbian version of the Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale. Patients were divided into groups with low/high anxiety, both anesthesia‐ and surgery‐related. Statistical analysis included multivariate linear logistic regression and point‐biserial correlation.

Results

Of 402 patients interviewed, 16 were excluded and one patient refused to participate (response rate 99.7%). Out of 385 patients included (age range 39–86 years), 62.3% had previous surgery. High‐level anesthesia‐ and surgery‐related anxieties were present in 31.2 and 43.4% of patients, respectively. Independent predictors of high‐level anesthesia‐related anxiety were having no children (OR = 0.443, 95% CI: 0.239–0.821, p = 0.01), personal bad experiences with anesthesia (OR = 2.294, 95% CI: 1.043–5.045, p = 0.039), and time since diagnosis for ≥ 4 months (OR = 1.634, 95% CI: 1.023–5.983, p = 0.04). The female sex independently predicted high‐level surgery‐related preoperative anxiety (OR = 2.387, 95% CI: 1.432–3.979, p = 0.001). High‐level anesthesia‐related anxiety correlated with postoperative mental disorders (rpb = 0.193, p = 0.001) and pulmonary complications (rpb = 0.104, p = 0.042). Postoperative nausea (rpb = 0.111, p = 0.03) and postoperative mental disorders (rpb = 0.160, p = 0.002) correlated with high‐level surgery‐related preoperative anxiety.

Conclusions

Since preoperative anxiety affects the postoperative course and almost every third patient experiences anxiety preoperatively, routine screening might be recommended in vascular surgery.
Species-specific elementomes for scleractinian coral hosts and their associated Symbiodiniaceae
Authors: Grima Amanda J. , Clases David , Gonzalez de Vega Raquel , Nitschke Matthew R. , Goyen Samantha , Suggett David J. , Camp Emma F.
Published: May 2022

Increasing anthropogenic pressure on coral reefs is creating an urgent need to understand how and where corals can proliferate both now and under future scenarios. Resolving environmental limits of corals has progressed through the accurate identification of corals’ ‘realised ecological niche’. Here we expand the ecological niche concept to account for corals’ ‘biogeochemical niche’ (BN), defined as the chemical space in which a coral is adapted to survive, and which is identifiable by a unique quantity and proportion of elements (termed “elementome”). BN theory has been commonly applied to other taxa, successfully predicting species distributions and stress responses by their elementomes. Here, we apply the BN theory to corals for the first time, by using dry combustion and inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to determine five key macronutrients and thirteen trace elements of four diverse scleractinian coral species from the Great Barrier Reef (GBR): Acropora hyacinthus; Echinopora lamellosa; Pocillopora cf. meandrina; and Pocillopora cf. verrucosa. The elementomes were investigated in both host and Symbiodiniaceae, and the latter had the highest elemental concentrations (except molybdenum). Each coral species associated with distinct members of the genus Cladocopium (determined by ITS2 analysis) with photo-physiological data suggesting specialisation of Cladocopium functional biology. Distinct endosymbiont community structure and functioning between corals with different elementomes confirms that BN theory holds as metabolic compatibility alters across host–symbiont associations. Additional work is needed to understand the plasticity of coral elementomes, and in turn BN, over space and time to aid predictions on coral distribution and survival with environmental change.
Unterstützungsbedarfe pflegeempfangender Menschen
Authors: Strube-Lahmann Sandra , Müller Franziska , Liersch-Mazan Daniela , Haink Michele , Müller-Werdan Ursula , Lahmann Nils A.
Published: May 2022

Hintergrund

Pflegeempfangende und deren Angehörige haben in Deutschland seit 2009 einen gesetzlichen Anspruch auf eine Pflegeberatung. Um Pflegeberatende angemessen auf aktuelle Beratungsbedarfe vorzubereiten, sind dafür zunächst die bestehenden Anliegen zu erfassen. Ziel der Studie war es, die unterschiedlichen Bedarfe von Pflegeempfangenden und deren Angehörigen zu ermitteln.

Methodik

Es erfolgte eine Online-Befragung von Pflegeberatenden mittels standardisiertem Fragebogen. Die Ausprägung des allgemeinen Beratungsbedarfs von Pflegeempfangenden und Angehörigen wurde mittels 10-stufiger Skala (1 [gering] bis 10 [hoch]) erhoben. Über eine 5‑stufige Likert-Skala wurde die Höhe vorliegender Beratungsbedarfe zu 16 Themenschwerpunkten bewertet. Mittels „classification and regression trees“ (CRT) und „random forest“ wurde der Zusammenhang zwischen den einzelnen Themenschwerpunkten und dem allgemeinen Beratungsbedarf analysiert.

Ergebnisse

Der allgemeine Informationsbedarf von Pflegeempfangenden bzw. Angehörigen wurde von den teilnehmenden Pflegeberatern (n = 276) mit MW 7,8 bzw. MW 9,2 eingeschätzt. Bei den Pflegeempfangenden bestand laut CRT der stärkste Zusammenhang zwischen allgemeinem Informationsbedarf und „Wohnraumberatung“, bei den Angehörigen zwischen allgemeinem Informationsbedarf und „Sozialrechtliche[n] Aspekte[n], Ansprüche[n], Leistungen“.

Diskussion

Der allgemeine Informationsbedarf von Pflegeempfangenden und Angehörigen wird als sehr hoch eingeschätzt. Dennoch lassen sich Unterschiede feststellen. Daher erscheint es notwendig, Pflegeberatungen nach den gruppenspezifischen Beratungsbedarfen auszurichten.
Cerebral oxygen saturation as outcome predictor after transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation
Authors: Seppelt Philipp C. , Mas-Peiro Silvia , Van Linden Arnaud , Iken Sonja , Zacharowski Kai , Walther Thomas , Fichtlscherer Stephan , Vasa-Nicotera Mariuca
Published: May 2022

Background

Cerebral oxygen saturation (ScO2) can be measured non-invasively by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and correlates with cerebral perfusion. We investigated cerebral saturation during transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and its impact on outcome.

Methods and results

Cerebral oxygenation was measured continuously by NIRS in 173 analgo-sedated patients during transfemoral TAVI (female 47%, mean age 81 years) with self-expanding (39%) and balloon-expanding valves (61%). We investigated the periprocedural dynamics of cerebral oxygenation. Mean ScO2 at baseline without oxygen supply was 60%. During rapid ventricular pacing, ScO2 dropped significantly (before 64% vs. after 55%, p < 0.001). ScO2 at baseline correlated positively with baseline left-ventricular ejection fraction (0.230, p < 0.006) and hemoglobin (0.327, p < 0.001), and inversely with EuroSCORE-II ( − 0.285, p < 0.001) and length of in-hospital stay ( − 0.229, p < 0.01). Patients with ScO2 < 56% despite oxygen supply at baseline had impaired 1 year survival (log-rank test p < 0.01) and prolonged in-hospital stay (p = 0.03). Furthermore, baseline ScO2 was found to be a predictor for 1 year survival independent of age and sex (multivariable adjusted Cox regression, p = 0.020, hazard ratio (HR 0.94, 95% CI 0.90–0.99) and independent of overall perioperative risk estimated by EuroSCORE-II and hemoglobin (p = 0.03, HR 0.95, 95% CI 0.91–0.99).

Conclusions

Low baseline ScO2 not responding to oxygen supply might act as a surrogate for impaired cardiopulmonary function and is associated with worse 1 year survival and prolonged in-hospital stay after transfemoral TAVI. ScO2 monitoring is an easy to implement diagnostic tool to screen patients at risk with a potential preserved recovery and worse outcome after TAVI.

Graphical abstract
Asymptotic Analysis of q-Recursive Sequences
Authors: Heuberger Clemens , Krenn Daniel , Lipnik Gabriel F.
Published: May 2022

For an integer$$q\ge 2$$q≥2, aq-recursive sequence is defined by recurrence relations on subsequences of indices modulo some powers of q. In this article,q-recursive sequences are studied and the asymptotic behavior of their summatory functions is analyzed. It is shown that everyq-recursive sequence isq-regular in the sense of Allouche and Shallit and that aq-linear representation of the sequence can be computed easily by using the coefficients from the recurrence relations. Detailed asymptotic results forq-recursive sequences are then obtained based on a general result on the asymptotic analysis ofq-regular sequences.

Three particular sequences are studied in detail: We discuss the asymptotic behavior of the summatory functions of

Stern’s diatomic sequence,

the number of non-zero elements in some generalized Pascal’s triangle and

the number of unbordered factors in the Thue–Morse sequence.

For the first two sequences, our analysis even leads to precise formulæ without error terms.
Fluorescence angiography likely protects against anastomotic leak in colorectal surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
Authors: Meyer Jeremy , Joshi Heman , Buchs Nicolas C. , Ris Frédéric , Davies Justin
Published: May 2022

Objective

Observational studies have shown that fluorescence angiography (FA) decreases the incidence of anastomotic leak (AL) in colorectal surgery, but high-quality pooled evidence was lacking. Therefore, we aimed at confirming this preliminary finding using a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in the field.

Methods

MEDLINE, Embase and CENTRAL were searched for RCTs assessing the effect of intra-operative FA versus standard assessment of bowel perfusion on the incidence of AL of colorectal anastomosis. The systematic review complied with the PRISMA 2020 and AMSTAR2 recommendations and was registered in PROSPERO. Pooled relative risk (RR) and pooled risk difference (RD) were obtained using models with random effects. Heterogeneity was assessed using the Q-test and quantified using the I2 value. Certainty of evidence was assessed using the GRADE Pro tool.

Results

One hundred and eleven articles were screened, 108 were excluded and three were kept for inclusion. The three included RCTs compared assessment of the perfusion of the bowel during creation of a colorectal anastomosis using FA versus standard practice. In meta-analysis, FA was significantly protective against AL (3 RCTs, 964 patients, RR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.46 to 0.99, I2: 0%, p = 0.04). The RD of AL was non-significantly decreased by 4 percentage points (95%CI: − 0.08 to 0, I2: 8%, p = 0.06) when using FA. Certainty of evidence was considered as moderate.

Conclusion

The effect of FA on prevention of AL in colorectal surgery exists but is potentially of small magnitude. Considering the potential magnitude of effect of FA, we advise that future RCTs have an adequate sample size, include a cost-benefit analysis of the technique and better define the subpopulation who could benefit from FA.

Graphical abstract
Cardio-oncology in Austria: cardiotoxicity and surveillance of anti-cancer therapies
Authors: Bergler-Klein Jutta , Rainer Peter P. , Wallner Markus , Zaruba Marc-Michael , Dörler Jakob , Böhmer Armin , Buchacher Tamara , Frey Maria , Adlbrecht Christopher , Bartsch Rupert , Gyöngyösi Mariann , Fürst Ursula-Maria
Published: May 2022

Survival in cancer is continuously improving due to evolving oncological treatment. Therefore, cardiovascular short-term and long-term side effects gain crucial importance for overall outcome. Cardiotoxicity not only presents as heart failure, but also as treatment-resistant hypertension, acute coronary ischemia with plaque rupture or vasospasm, thromboembolism, arrhythmia, pulmonary hypertension, diastolic dysfunction, acute myocarditis and others. Recent recommendations have proposed baseline cardiac risk assessment and surveillance strategies. Major challenges are the availability of monitoring and imaging resources, including echocardiography with speckle tracking longitudinal strain (GLS), serum biomarkers such as natriuretic peptides (NT-proBNP) and highly sensitive cardiac troponins. This Austrian consensus encompasses cardiotoxicity occurrence in frequent antiproliferative cancer drugs, radiotherapy, immune checkpoint inhibitors and cardiac follow-up considerations in cancer survivors in the context of the Austrian healthcare setting. It is important to optimize cardiovascular risk factors and pre-existing cardiac diseases without delaying oncological treatment. If left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) deteriorates during cancer treatment (from >10% to <50%), or myocardial strain decreases (>15% change in GLS), early initiation of cardioprotective therapies (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin or beta receptor blockers) is recommended, and LVEF should be reassessed before discontinuation. Lower LVEF cut-offs were recently shown to be feasible in breast cancer patients to enable optimal anticancer treatment. Interdisciplinary cardio-oncology cooperation is pivotal for optimal management of cancer patients.
Financial difficulties in breast cancer survivors with and without migration background in Germany—results from the prospective multicentre cohort study BRENDA II
Authors: Riccetti N. , Felberbaum R. , Flock F. , Kühn T. , Leinert E. , Schwentner L. , Singer S. , Taylor K. , Wöckel A. , Janni W.
Published: May 2022

Purpose

We aimed to explore the trajectory of financial difficulties among breast cancer survivors in the German health system and its association with migration background.

Methods

In a multicentre prospective study, breast cancer survivors were approached four times (before surgery, before and after adjuvant therapy, five years after surgery) and asked about their migration history and financial difficulties.

Migrants were defined as born/resided outside Germany or having citizenship/nationality other than German. Financial difficulties were ascertained with the financial difficulties item of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Core Instrument (EORTC QLQ-C30) at each time-point (cut-off > 17). Financial difficulties were classified in trajectories: always (every time-point), never (no time-point), initial (first, not fourth), delayed (only fourth), and acquired (second and/or third, not first).

A logistic regression was conducted with the trajectories of financial difficulties as outcome and migration background as exposure. Age, trends in partnership status, and educational level were considered as confounders.

Results

Of the 363 participants included, 49% reported financial difficulties at at least one time-point.

Financial difficulties were reported always by 7% of the participants, initially by 5%, delayed by 10%, and acquired by 21%.

Migrants were almost four times more likely to report delayed (odds ratio [OR] = 3.7; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.3, 10.5) or acquired (OR = 3.6; 95% CI 1.6, 8.4) financial difficulties compared to non-migrant participants.

Conclusion

Survivors with a migration background are more likely to suffer from financial difficulties, especially in later stages of the follow-up. A linguistically/culturally competent active enquiry about financial difficulties and information material regarding supporting services/insurances should be considered.
Exploring the experiences and psychosocial support needs of informal carers of men with breast cancer: a qualitative study
Authors: Herring Beth , Lewis-Smith Helena , Paraskeva Nicole , Harcourt Diana
Published: May 2022

Purpose

The provision of practical and emotional support for men who have been diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK falls primarily on their partners, close family members or friends. However, informal carers’ experiences are omitted from the research literature. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore the care-giving experiences of informal carers (ICs) of men with breast cancer in the UK and identify psychosocial support needs and preferences.

Methods

Semi-structured interviews, conducted on the telephone or via online video calls, explored ICs’ experiences of providing support, the psychosocial issues they faced and the impact of the illness on themselves and their relationship with the patient. They were also asked about any support previously offered to them, in addition to their support preferences. Twelve ICs participated (11 females, 1 male), and 9 were spouses. Interview transcripts were analysed with reflexive thematic analysis using NVIVO software.

Results

Four key themes were identified: “The impact of caring”, “Lack of awareness”, “Isolated and alone” and “Making a difference”.

Conclusions

The physical, emotional, financial and social impact of providing emotional and practical care and support for a man diagnosed with breast cancer can be considerable. ICs may experience significant levels of distress and often feel isolated. Greater awareness and more research is needed to better understand the psychosocial impact and support needs for ICs of men with breast cancer. There is an evident necessity to address their information needs and offer sources of support throughout the cancer journey.
Estimation of missing air pollutant data using a spatiotemporal convolutional autoencoder
Authors: Wardana I Nyoman Kusuma , Gardner Julian W. , Fahmy Suhaib A.
Published: May 2022

A key challenge in building machine learning models for time series prediction is the incompleteness of the datasets. Missing data can arise for a variety of reasons, including sensor failure and network outages, resulting in datasets that can be missing significant periods of measurements. Models built using these datasets can therefore be biased. Although various methods have been proposed to handle missing data in many application areas, more air quality missing data prediction requires additional investigation. This study proposes an autoencoder model with spatiotemporal considerations to estimate missing values in air quality data. The model consists of one-dimensional convolution layers, making it flexible to cover spatial and temporal behaviours of air contaminants. This model exploits data from nearby stations to enhance predictions at the target station with missing data. This method does not require additional external features, such as weather and climate data. The results show that the proposed method effectively imputes missing data for discontinuous and long-interval interrupted datasets. Compared to univariate imputation techniques (most frequent, median and mean imputations), our model achieves up to 65% RMSE improvement and 20–40% against multivariate imputation techniques (decision tree, extra-trees, k-nearest neighbours and Bayesian ridge regressors). Imputation performance degrades when neighbouring stations are negatively correlated or weakly correlated.
Schmerzhafte Muskel-Skelett-Veränderungen bei Kindern mit neuromotorischen Erkrankungen (Teil 1)
Authors: Strobl Walter Michael
Published: May 2022

Bei allen angeborenen und erworbenen Erkrankungen des Gehirns, des Rückenmarks, der Nerven und der Muskeln können Veränderungen der Bewegung und Haltung, Sensorik und Motorik beobachtet werden. Je nach Dauer der Störung entwickeln sich reversible und/oder irreversible Veränderungen der Bewegungsfunktion und Form der Bewegungsorgane, die biomechanischen Gesetzmäßigkeiten folgen.

Da diese Muskel-Skelett-Veränderungen sehr häufig für unterschätzte Schmerzen, Immobilität, mangelnde soziale Teilhabe und damit einer massiven Einschränkung der Lebensqualität verantwortlich sind, ist die detaillierte Kenntnis der funktionellen Anatomie und dieser Gesetzmäßigkeiten als Basis einer erfolgreichen Vorbeugung und Behandlung erforderlich.

Den wichtigsten Stellenwert in der Frühdiagnostik bildet das rechtzeitige Erkennen von Kräfteungleichgewichten an Gelenken, von veränderten Hebelarmen der Muskulatur, von chronischen Schmerzen als Zeichen einer reaktiven Überlastung und von beginnenden Bewegungseinschränkungen. Screening-Programme sollten entwickelt werden, die alle Störungsbilder umfassen und einfach im klinischen Alltag implementiert werden können. Je früher Prävention und Behandlung dieser neuroorthopädischen Probleme bei chronischen neuromotorischen Erkrankungen in jeder Altersgruppe beginnen, umso erfolgreicher können Fehlentwicklungen sowie irreversible sekundäre Schäden, strukturelle Veränderungen, Fehlstellungen, Kontrakturen, (Sub‑)Luxationen, Funktionsverlust, Immobilität und Behinderungen vermieden werden.

In diesem ersten Teil der Arbeit wird die Relevanz und Pathophysiologie dieser Muskel-Skelett-Veränderungen beschrieben.
Isolation and molecular characterization of a tomato brown rugose fruit virus mutant breaking the tobamovirus resistance found in wild Solanum species
Authors: Jewehan Ahmad , Kiemo Francis W. , Salem Nida , Tóth Zoltán , Salamon Pál , Szabó Zoltán
Published: May 2022

A new tobamovirus named tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) overcomes the effect of the Tm-1, Tm-2, and Tm-22 resistance genes introgressed from wild Solanum species into cultivated tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). Here, we report the isolation and molecular characterization of a spontaneous mutant of ToBRFV that breaks resistance in an unknown genetic background, demonstrated recently in Solanum habrochaites and Solanum peruvianum. The wild isolate ToBRFV-Tom2-Jo and the mutant ToBRFV-Tom2M-Jo were fully sequenced and compared to each other and to other ToBRFV sequences available in the NCBI GenBank database. Sequence analysis revealed five nucleotide substitutions in the ToBRFV-Tom2M-Jo genome compared to ToBRFV-Tom2-Jo. Two substitutions were located in the movement protein (MP) gene and resulted in amino acid changes in the 30-kDa MP (Phe22 → Asn and Tyr82 → Lys). These substitutions were not present in any of the previously described ToBRFV isolates. No amino acid changes were found in the 126-kDa and 183-kDa replicase proteins or the 17.5-kDa coat protein. Our data strongly suggest that breaking the newly discovered resistance in wild tomatoes is associated with one or two mutations on the MP gene of ToBRFV.
Domestication effects on social information transfer in chickens
Authors: Rutkauskaite Austeja , Jensen Per
Published: May 2022

Red junglefowl (RJF), ancestor of all domesticated chickens, is a highly social, omnivorous bird species, presumably with a capacity for social information sharing. During domestication, birds have been selected to live in large, dynamic groups, and this may have affected their social cognition. Here, we studied social information transfer in female RJF and domesticated White Leghorn (WL) chickens. Individuals were trained to open a puzzle-box feeder by pecking a lid and we then recorded the behaviour towards the same puzzle-box feeder for birds that had either observed the trained individual (“guided”) or saw the puzzle-box feeder for the first time (“naïve”). WL were considerably faster in approaching the feeder regardless of prior demonstration and pecked more at it. Both breeds were significantly faster to approach the puzzle-box feeder and pecked more after prior demonstration, but the effects were significantly stronger in WL. We conclude that both RJF and WL can utilize social information to address a novel problem, but during domestication this ability appears to have increased. The effects can be an effect of either social learning or stimulus enhancement. Some caution in this conclusion is necessary since we tested relatively few WL. Furthermore, possible confounding explanations include higher fearfulness in RJF and different effects of dominance interactions between demonstrators and observers.
Mapping agricultural vulnerability to impacts of climate events of Punjab, Pakistan
Authors: Nadeem Faisal , Jacobs Brent , Cordell Dana
Published: May 2022

Pakistan has an agriculture-dependent economy vulnerable to climate impacts. Within Pakistan, Punjab province is a leading regional producer of food and cash crops, and an exporter of agricultural commodities of significance in South Asia. Punjab agriculture provides livelihoods for agriculture-dependent communities living in one of the most populous countries of the world and these will be disrupted under incremental climate changes (e.g. rising temperatures) and the impacts of extreme climate events (such as droughts and floods). Climate impact assessments and mapping are widely accepted initial approaches to address climate change as they have the potential to facilitate bottom-up adaptation. However, to date, policy responses in Pakistan have tended to be top-down, driven by national adaptation planning processes. This paper assesses agricultural vulnerability to impacts of climate events at the district scale for Punjab province by developing maps of the individual components of vulnerability, i.e. exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity. An indicator-based approach using a composite index method was adopted for the assessment. The mapping separated and categorised districts in Punjab based on their vulnerability to climate change and revealed spatial patterns and factors influencing district-level vulnerability. These geospatial variations in vulnerability illustrate the need for a nuanced policy on adaptation that recognises the importance of local biophysical and socio-economic context to build adaptive capacity for vulnerable regions rather than the current concentration on broad-scale top-down action embedded in National Adaptation Plans.
A proposal for future data organization in enterprise systems—an analysis of established database approaches
Authors: Bender Benedict , Bertheau Clementine , Körppen Tim , Lauppe Hannah , Gronau Norbert
Published: May 2022

The digital transformation sets new requirements to all classes of enterprise systems in companies. ERP systems in particular, which represent the dominant class of enterprise systems, are struggling to meet the new requirements at all levels of the architecture. Therefore, there is an urgent need to reconsider the overall architecture of the systems and address the root of the related issues. Given that many restrictions ERP pose on their adaptability are related to the standardization of data, the database layer of ERP systems is addressed. Since database serve as the foundation for data storage and retrieval, they limit the flexibility of enterprise systems and the chance to adapt to new requirements accordingly. So far, relational databases are widely used. Using a systematic literature approach, recent requirements for ERP systems were identified. Prominent database approaches were assessed against the 23 requirements identified. The results reveal the strengths and weaknesses of recent database approaches. To this end, the results highlight the demand to combine multiple database approaches to fulfill recent business requirements. From a conceptual point of view, this paper supports the idea of federated databases which are interoperable to fulfill future requirements and support business operation. This research forms the basis for renewal of the current generation of ERP systems and proposes to ERP vendors to use different database concepts in the future.