bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Surgeon Speciality Interest on Outcomes of Emergency Laparotomy in IBD
Authors: Bunce J. A. , Doleman B. , Lund J. N. , Tierney G. M.
Published: May 2023

Introduction

Emergency laparotomy may be required in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). NELA is the largest prospectively maintained database of adult emergency laparotomies in England and Wales and includes clinical urgency of the cases. The impact of surgeon subspeciality on outcomes after emergency laparotomy for IBD is unclear. We have investigated this association, according to the degree of urgency in IBD emergency laparotomy, including the effect of minimally invasive surgery (MIS).

Methods

Adults with IBD in the NELA database between 2013 and 2016 were included. Surgeon subspeciality was colorectal or non‐colorectal. Urgencies are ‘Immediate’, ‘2–6 h’, ‘6–18 h’ and ’18–24 h’. Logistic regression was used to investigate in‐patient mortality and post‐operative length of stay (LOS).

Results

There was significantly reduced mortality and LOS in IBD patients who were operated on by a colorectal surgeon in the least urgent category of emergency laparotomies; Mortality adjusted OR 2.99 (CI 1.2–7.8) P = 0.025, LOS IRR 1.18 (CI 1.02–1.4) P = 0.025. This association was not seen in more urgent categories. Colorectal surgeons were more likely to use MIS, P < 0.001, and MIS was associated with decreased LOS in the least urgent cohort, P < 0.001, but not in the other urgencies.

Conclusions

We found improved outcomes in the least urgent cohort of IBD emergency laparotomies when operated on by a colorectal surgeon in comparison to a non‐colorectal general surgeon. In the most urgent cases, there was no benefit in the operation being performed by a colorectal surgeon. Further work on characterising IBD emergencies by urgency would be of value.
Practicable robust stochastic optimization under divergence measures with an application to equitable humanitarian response planning
Authors: Caunhye Aakil M. , Alem Douglas
Published: May 2023

We seek to provide practicable approximations of the two-stage robust stochastic optimization model when its ambiguity set is constructed with an f-divergence radius. These models are known to be numerically challenging to various degrees, depending on the choice of the f-divergence function. The numerical challenges are even more pronounced under mixed-integer first-stage decisions. In this paper, we propose novel divergence functions that produce practicable robust counterparts, while maintaining versatility in modeling diverse ambiguity aversions. Our functions yield robust counterparts that have comparable numerical difficulties to their nominal problems. We also propose ways to use our divergences to mimic existing f-divergences without affecting the practicability. We implement our models in a realistic location-allocation model for humanitarian operations in Brazil. Our humanitarian model optimizes an effectiveness-equity trade-off, defined with a new utility function and a Gini mean difference coefficient. With the case study, we showcase (1) the significant improvement in practicability of the robust stochastic optimization counterparts with our proposed divergence functions compared to existing f-divergences, (2) the greater equity of humanitarian response that the objective function enforces and (3) the greater robustness to variations in probability estimations of the resulting plans when ambiguity is considered.
When does 0–1 Principle Hold for Prefix Sums?
Authors: Morihata Akimasa
Published: May 2023

Knuth’s 0–1 principle argues that the correctness of any swap-based sorting network can be verified by testing arbitrary sequences over Boolean values (i.e., 0 and 1). Voigtländer (Proceedings of the 35th ACM SIGPLAN-SIGACT symposium on principles of programming languages, POPL 2008, San Francisco, California, USA, January 7–12, 2008. ACM, New York, NY, pp 29–35, 2008. https://doi.org/10.1145/1328438.1328445) proved a similar result for prefix-sum networks that consist of associative binary operators: the correctness can be verified by testing arbitrary sequences and associative binary operators over three values, namely 0, 1, and 2. He raised the question of whether testing over Boolean values is sufficient if the binary operator is idempotent in addition to associative. This paper answers his question. First, there is an incorrect prefix-sum network for associative idempotent operators, the flaw of which cannot be detected by testing over Boolean values. Second, testing over Boolean values is sufficient if the binary operators are restricted to commutative in addition to associative and idempotent.
Predicting metastasis at initial diagnosis and radiotherapy effectiveness in patients with metastatic osteosarcoma
Authors: Chen Wenhao , He Xinyu , Yan Zhiyu , Lin Xiuquan , Bai Guannan
Published: May 2023

Osteosarcoma is a primary malignant bone tumor affecting mostly children and adolescents. The overall 10 year survivals of patients with metastatic osteosarcoma are typically less than 20% in the literature and remain concerning. We aimed to develop a nomogram for predicting the risk of metastasis at initial diagnosis in patients with osteosarcoma and evaluate the effectiveness of radiotherapy in patients with metastatic osteosarcoma. Clinical and demographic data of patients with osteosarcoma were collected from the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results database. We randomly split our analytical sample into the training and validation cohorts, then established and validated a nomogram for predicting the risk of osteosarcoma metastasis at initial diagnosis. The effectiveness of radiotherapy was evaluated by performing propensity score matching in patients underwent surgery + chemotherapy and those underwent surgery + chemotherapy + radiotherapy, among patients with metastatic osteosarcoma. 1439 patients met the inclusion criteria and were included in this study. 343 of 1439 had osteosarcoma metastasis by the time of initial presentation. A nomogram for predicting the likelihood of osteosarcoma metastasis by the time of initial presentation was developed. In both unmatched and matched samples, the radiotherapy group demonstrated a superior survival profile comparing with the non-radiotherapy group. Our study established a novel nomogram to evaluate the risk of osteosarcoma with metastasis, and demonstrated that radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy and surgical resection could improve 10-year survival in patients with metastasis. These findings may guide the clinical decision-making for orthopedic surgeons.
Stress-controlled ratchetting in hypoplasticity: a study of periodically proportional loading cycles
Authors: Bauer Erich , Kovtunenko Victor A. , Krejčí Pavel , Monteiro Giselle A. , Runcziková Judita
Published: May 2023

We investigate rate-independent strain paths in a granular material generated by periodically oscillating stress cycles using a particular constitutive model within the hypoplasticity theory of Kolymbas type. It is assumed that the irreversible hypoplastic effects decay to zero when the void ratio reaches its theoretical minimum, while the void ratio is in turn related to the evolution of the volumetric strain through the mass conservation principle. We show that under natural assumptions on material parameters, both isotropic and anisotropic stress cycles are described by a differential equation whose solution converges asymptotically to a limiting periodic process taking place in the shakedown state when the number of loading cycles tends to infinity. Furthermore, an estimation of how fast, in terms of the number of cycles, the system approaches the limit state is derived in explicit form. It is shown how it depends on the parameters of the model, on the initial void ratio, and on the prescribed stress interval.
Coverage and similarity of bibliographic databases to find most relevant literature for systematic reviews in education
Authors: Heck Tamara , Keller Carolin , Rittberger Marc
Published: May 2023

Systematic literature reviews in educational research have become a popular research method. A key point hereby is the choice of bibliographic databases to reach a maximum probability of finding all potentially relevant literature that deals with the research question analyzed in a systematic literature review. Guidelines and handbooks on review recommend proper databases and information sources for education, along with specific search strategies. However, in many disciplines, among them educational research, there is a lack of evidence on the relevance of databases that need to be considered to find relevant literature and lessen the risk of missing relevant publications. Educational research is an interdisciplinary field and has no core database. Instead, the field is covered by multiple disciplinary and multidisciplinary information sources that have either a national or international focus. In this article, we discuss the relevance of seven databases in systematic literature reviews in education, based on results of an empirical data analysis of three recently published reviews. To evaluate the relevance of a database, the relevant literature of those reviews served as the gold standard. Results indicate that discipline-specific databases outperform international multidisciplinary sources, and a combination of discipline-specific international and national sources is most efficient in finding a high proportion of relevant literature. The article discusses the relevance of the databases in relation to their coverage of relevant literature, while considering practical implications for researchers performing a systematic literature search. We, thus, present evidence for proper database choices for educational and discipline-related systematic literature reviews.
On the unfairness of actuarial fair annuities
Authors: Chen An , Vanduffel Steven
Published: May 2023

Actuarial fairness pertains to the situation in which the price of an insurance contract is equal to its expected outcome. We show that actuarial fairness leads to “unfairness” in that annuitants with higher survival rates can choose a better payoff in the sense of second-order stochastic dominance than those with lower survival rates. To deal with this issue, we propose equal utility pricing, i.e., we determine prices such that all contracts have the same (nonlinear) utility from the viewpoint of a third party (e.g., a social planner). This approach is of particular relevance with respect to the design of group self-annuitization schemes.
Vulture perceptions in a socio-ecological system: a case study of three protected areas in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Authors: Manqele Nomthandazo S. , Selier S. A. Jeanetta , Taylor Jim , Downs Colleen T.
Published: May 2023

Vultures are presently the most threatened raptor guild in the world. Threats to vultures are numerous and mainly anthropogenic. Understanding human communities' relationship with threatened species can guide and strengthen conservation initiatives. We assessed the awareness, benefits, beliefs, threats, and conservation perspectives of people surrounding protected areas accommodating the few remaining vulture strongholds in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. We conducted a total of 450 semi-structured interviews and seven focus group discussions. Respondents demonstrated a strong awareness of vultures and reportedly derived benefits from having these avian scavengers in their localities. The most cited benefit (65%) was carrion removal. A predominant belief amongst local people was that vultures are potent in traditional medicine (66%); this was regarded by the majority of respondents (79%) as the main driver for the illegal killing of vultures. Most participants (84%) viewed vulture populations to have declined. Overall, local people demonstrated complex but predominantly positive perceptions towards vultures. Mounting evidence of the use of vultures in traditional medicine compels urgent action. We recommend co-learning-based engagements between resource users and conservation scientists.
Loyal Allies or Stubborn Establishment?
Authors: Böller Florian
Published: May 2023

To what extent was U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s populist foreign policy agenda supported by the Republican Party (GOP) in Congress? A bourgeoning literature on Congress and U.S. foreign policy has identified increasing partisan disagreement on international issues. Trump’s “America First” policy may have further incited division and ideological controversies. At the same time, the 45th U.S. president’s foreign and security policies were, to a large degree, at odds with traditional GOP policy positions. To understand executive–legislative relations on foreign and security policy during the Trump administration, and in particular the role of the GOP, this paper first investigates voting records in Congress during the Obama and Trump presidencies. The analysis reveals that the reaction to Trump’s “America First” doctrine was not uniform and that parts of the GOP asserted themselves against the president. To explain the sources of this variance, the article focuses on two policy areas with varied GOP positioning: arms control (pro Trump) and foreign aid (contra Trump). In sum, the analysis reveals that some Republicans with traditionalist views (the so-called GOP establishment) opposed some of Trump’s anti-internationalist policies, in particular those that contradicted long-standing GOP preferences regarding vital U.S. security interests. At the same time, Republicans supported Trump on issues where the GOP could continue its policy preference, on arms control in particular.
Making university mathematics matter for secondary teacher preparation
Authors: Wasserman Nicholas H. , Buchbinder Orly , Buchholtz Nils
Published: May 2023

Internationally, questions about the perceived utility of university mathematics for teaching school mathematics pose an ongoing challenge for secondary mathematics teacher education. This special issue is dedicated to exploring this topic and related issues in the preparation of secondary mathematics teachers—by which we mean teachers of students with ages, approximately, of 12–18 years. This article introduces this theme and provides a semi-systematic survey of recent related literature, which we use to elaborate and situate important theoretical distinctions around the problems, challenges, and solutions of university mathematics in relation to teacher education. As part of the special issue, we have gathered articles from different countries that elaborate theoretical and empirical approaches, which, collectively, describe different ways to strengthen university mathematics with respect to the aims of secondary teacher education. This survey paper serves to lay out the theoretical groundwork for the collection of articles in the issue.
The impact of transsphenoidal surgery on pituitary function in patients with non-functioning macroadenomas
Authors: Mavromati Maria , Mavrakanas Thomas , Jornayvaz François R. , Schaller Karl , Fitsiori Aikaterini , Vargas Maria I. , Lobrinus Johannes A. , Merkler Doron , Egervari Kristof , Philippe Jacques , Leboulleux Sophie , Momjian Shahan
Published: May 2023

Purpose

Transsphenoidal surgery for non-functioning pituitary adenomas (NFPAs) can alter pituitary function. We assessed the rates of improvement and deterioration of pituitary function by axis and searched for predictive factors of these outcomes.

Methods

We reviewed consecutive medical files from patients having had transsphenoidal surgery for NFPA between 2004 and 2018. Pituitary functions and MRI imaging were analyzed prior and after surgery. The occurrence of recovery and new deficit were documented per axis. Prognostic factors of hormonal recovery and new deficits were searched.

Results

Among 137 patients analyzed, median tumor size of the NFPA was 24.8 mm and 58.4% of patients presented visual impairment. Before surgery, 91 patients (67%) had at least one abnormal pituitary axis (hypogonadism: 62.4%; hypothyroidism: 41%, adrenal insufficiency: 30.8%, growth hormone deficiency: 29.9%; increased prolactin: 50.8%). Following surgery, the recovery rate of pituitary deficiency of one axis or more was 46% and the rate of new pituitary deficiency was 10%. Rates of LH-FSH, TSH, ACTH and GH deficiency recovery were 35.7%, 30.4%, 15.4%, and 45.5% respectively. Rates of new LH-FSH, TSH, ACTH and GH deficiencies were 8.3%, 1.6%, 9.2% and 5.1% respectively. Altogether, 24.6% of patients had a global pituitary function improvement and only 7% had pituitary function worsening after surgery. Male patients and patients with hyperprolactinemia upon diagnosis were more likely to experience pituitary function recovery. No prognostic factors for the risk of new deficiencies were identified.

Conclusion

In a real-life cohort of patients with NFPAs, recovery of hypopituitarism after surgery is more frequent than the occurrence of new deficiencies. Hence, hypopituitarism could be considered a relative indication for surgery in patients with NFPAs.
Phylogenomics and deep convergence in cockroach hind-wing morphology
Authors: Evangelista Dominic A. , Nelson Dvorah , Varadínová Zuzana Kotyková , Legendre Frédéric
Published: May 2023

Despite regular advances in Blattodea systematics, several relationships remain controversial or untested in formal phylogenetic reconstructions. This common situation for understudied metazoan groups limits our power to answer questions about phenotypic evolution. In this study, we infer the evolutionary history of Blattodea using newly sampled taxa that improve phylogenetic resolution while also illuminating the evolutionary history of an unusual phenotype—the apically folded hind-wing. Taxa newly sequenced include those with a hind-wing apical fold (Anaplecta pulchella, A. pygmaea, A. sp. cf. malaysensis, Diplopterina parva, Prosoplecta semperi, Anaplectoidea klossi, and Oulopteryx illuminata sp. nov. that we describe herein, including its male genitalia) and other rare taxa (Dipteretrum hamstroemi, Duchailluia togoensis, Lauraesilpha mearetoi, Buboblatta vlasaki). The phylogenetic design utilizes 41 genes over 91 species in total, analyzed in a maximum likelihood and coalescent framework. To quantify the phylogenetic uncertainty of the analysis, support for various topologies is assessed. We find unambiguous support for the surprising position of Neotropical Oulopteryx (Oulopterygidae) as sister to New Caledonian/Australian Tryonicidae. This, and other phylogenetic findings, reveal that the apically folded hind-wing may have arisen nine times in Blattodea. Further investigations are needed, notably with an increased taxonomic sampling, to demonstrate stronger support for the placement of rogue taxa (e.g., Anaplecta) and to investigate the evolutionary correlates of wing evolution.
An old foe on peculiar paths: severe falciparum malaria in a Syrian refugee, possibly infected during migrant smuggling from Türkiye to Germany
Authors: Brozat Jonathan F. , Haverkamp Miriam , Hohlstein Philipp , Adams Jule K. , Wirtz Theresa H. , Klingel Hanna R. , Hürtgen Susanne , Hamesch Karim , Bruns Tony , Trautwein Christian , Jhaisha Samira Abu , Koch Alexander
Published: May 2023

Infectious diseases and their imperative awareness gain major relevance through global warming and multi-continent refugee crises. Here, we demonstrate the challenges of malaria diagnosis, disease course, and treatment, including post-artesunate hemolysis in a Syrian refugee with severe falciparum malaria, most probably infected during migrant smuggling from Türkiye to Germany.
Multiparametric Ultrasound in Testicular Emergencies: State-of-the-Art
Authors: Paparella Maria Teresa , Eusebi Laura , Pagliara Martina Pia , Palladino Nicola , Sortino Giuseppe , Giannubilo Willy , Guglielmi Giuseppe
Published: May 2023

Purpose of Review

This review article aims to provide an overview of testicular multiparametric ultrasound features in emergency setting, to bring the reader up to date with new technologies and to provide insights into the ultrasound diagnosis of scrotal pathologies.

Recent Findings

Multiparametric ultrasound is increasingly recognized as a fundamental problem-solving technique in testicular diseases. Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography and elastography represent recent technologies that may be advantageous over conventional ultrasonography especially when diagnosis is controversial.

A wide range of acute diseases, including torsion, infection, ischaemia, and trauma, may affect the testis. These conditions represent frequently surgical emergencies, thus understanding their imaging appearance is imperative to help guide adequate management.
Behavioural biases in the interaction with food objects in virtual reality and its clinical implication for binge eating disorder
Authors: Max Sebastian M. , Schag Kathrin , Giel Katrin E. , Plewnia Christian
Published: May 2023

Cognitive processes play a central role in the development, maintenance and remission in mental disorders, like in Binge Eating Disorder (BED). Insights into cognitive mechanisms reflected by embodied interaction with food and its connections to clinically relevant psychopathology offer new possibilities for translational diagnostics and interventions. We longitudinally investigated the manual interaction with food in a virtual reality (VR) in 31 patients with BED. Patients were assessed at baseline before participating in a randomized-controlled trial (RCT) investigating a computer-based inhibitory control training programme enhanced by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and at a 6-week follow-up. At both assessments, an experimental VR paradigm was conducted and patients were characterized concerning eating disorder psychopathology, eating behaviour, general impulsivity and food craving. In the experimental task, one of two simultaneously presented objects (food vs. office tools) had to be collected. Food was recognized faster than office tools and subsequent approach behaviour was initiated faster, whereas thereafter, food was collected slower than office tools. Exploratory, we could not find a modulatory effect of applied tDCS on the interaction with food. No relationship between behavioural biases and sample characterizations could be detected. Two different stages in the manual interaction with food were found: a faster first stage that comprises recognition and movement initiation and a slower second stage that comprises controlled handling and may reflect aversive motivational processes. As the behavioural patterns do not change with an ameliorated BED-psychopathology at the second assessment, the task seems insensitive in detecting translational interconnections between behavioural biases and BED-characteristics.

Level of evidence: Level I, experimental study.
Functionalized Hydrogel-Based Wearable Gas and Humidity Sensors
Authors: Luo Yibing , Li Jianye , Ding Qiongling , Wang Hao , Liu Chuan , Wu Jin
Published: May 2023

Breathing is an inherent human activity; however, the composition of the air we inhale and gas exhale remains unknown to us. To address this, wearable vapor sensors can help people monitor air composition in real time to avoid underlying risks, and for the early detection and treatment of diseases for home healthcare. Hydrogels with three-dimensional polymer networks and large amounts of water molecules are naturally flexible and stretchable. Functionalized hydrogels are intrinsically conductive, self-healing, self-adhesive, biocompatible, and room-temperature sensitive. Compared with traditional rigid vapor sensors, hydrogel-based gas and humidity sensors can directly fit human skin or clothing, and are more suitable for real-time monitoring of personal health and safety. In this review, current studies on hydrogel-based vapor sensors are investigated. The required properties and optimization methods of wearable hydrogel-based sensors are introduced. Subsequently, existing reports on the response mechanisms of hydrogel-based gas and humidity sensors are summarized. Related works on hydrogel-based vapor sensors for their application in personal health and safety monitoring are presented. Moreover, the potential of hydrogels in the field of vapor sensing is elucidated. Finally, the current research status, challenges, and future trends of hydrogel gas/humidity sensing are discussed.
Two-phase heat transfer microchannel system identification with Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) approach
Authors: Yatim Hanim Mohd , Mohd-Ghazali Normah , Mohamad Maziah , Pamitran Agus Sunjarianto , Novianto Sentot
Published: May 2023

The complex behavior of two-phase flow particularly in microchannels can be unpredictable. Experimental measurements are near impossible because of the unavailable compatible assessment equipment. Meanwhile, repeated experiments for reliability of outcomes are costly and involved much time and effort. Environmentally friendly propane is currently being considered as a replacement for hazardous coolants in available refrigeration and air-conditioning systems. This paper reports a system identification (SI) analysis of the collected experimental data of two-phase flow of refrigerant R290 in a microchannel test rig. An ARX model was chosen as the dynamic model, and the modeling of the input–output data was done using a new methodology based on particle swarm optimization (PSO) technique. Measured temperature difference across the microchannel test section and the mass flow rate were the input and output, respectively. The performance of the particle swarm optimization with discoverer (PSOd) was investigated and compared to the original PSO technique. The model was then validated by mean-squared error (MSE). Results demonstrate the advantages of discoverer in PSOd over its standard counterpart with a smaller MSE of 6.2629 × 10−11 and a faster convergence. The SI allows a better prediction of the mass flow rate before any further experiments to obtain the heat transfer coefficient are done. The model provides better management of design of experiments that involve the complex two-phase flow in a microchannel, consequently saving experimental time and cost.
CLinician and patient characteristics effect on Antimicrobial Stewardship Interventions (CLASI) study
Authors: Ausman Sara E. , Mara Kristin C. , Brown Caitlin S. , Epps Kevin L. , Kooda Kirstin , Mendez Julio , Rivera Christina G.
Published: May 2023

Objective:

To determine whether the gender of clinicians making antimicrobial stewardship recommendations has an impact on intervention acceptance rate.

Design:

A retrospective, multivariable analysis of antimicrobial stewardship prospective audit and feedback outcomes.

Setting:

A multisite healthcare system including Mayo Clinic Rochester (MN), Mayo Clinic Arizona, Mayo Clinic Florida and 17 health-system hospital sites, where prospective audit and feedback is performed and documented within an electronic tool embedded in the medical record.

Participants:

The study included 143 Mayo Clinic clinicians (84 cisfemales and 59 cismales).

Methods:

Outcomes were analyzed from July 1, 2017, to June 30, 2022, for intervention rates, communication methods, and intervention acceptance by clinician gender, profession, patient age, and intensive care unit (ICU) status of patient.

Results:

Of 81,927 rules, 71,729 rules met study inclusion. There were 18,175 (25%) rules associated with an intervention. Most of the rules were reviewed by pharmacists (86.2%) and stewardship staff (85.5%). Of 10,363 interventions with an outcome documented, 8,829 (85.2%) were accepted and 1,534 (14.8%) were rejected. Female clinicians had 6,782 (86.5%) of 7,843 interventions accepted, and male clinicians had 2,047 (81.2%) of 2,520 interventions accepted (P = .19). Female patients had more interventions than male patients (female vs male: 25.9% vs 24.9%; OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.02–1.08; P = .001). Patients in the ICU had a significantly lower intervention acceptance rate (ICU vs non-ICU: 78.2% vs 86.7%; OR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.45–0.7; P < .001).

Conclusions:

Female and male clinicians were equally effective at prospective audit and feedback in a multisite antimicrobial stewardship program. Patients in the ICU were less likely to have stewardship interventions accepted.
Possessed or Insane? Diagnostic Puzzles in Contemporary Egypt
Authors: Vinea Ana
Published: May 2023

“At the heart of this topic is a puzzle (lughz),” my long-term friend and interlocutor Ahmad often said. I long thought Ahmad's interest in questions of disease at the intersection of psychiatry and Islam was only intellectual until I learned about one of his cousins’ past ailments. A skillful narrator, Ahmad had colorful ways of depicting that puzzle. “Imagine,” he once told me, “a young pious woman, a college student. Suddenly, she stops praying and studying, is morose, even aggressive sometimes. She locks herself in her room when she does not wander the streets, disappearing for hours. The family is worried, and they wonder: what is the problem?” Switching the tone from evocative to analytic, Ahmad continued: “In Egypt, when it comes to symptoms like seizures, hallucinations, and sudden behavioral changes, people use one of two main diagnoses: jinn possession (mass al-jinn) or mental illness (maraḍ nafsī). The young woman is either possessed or insane.” Ahmad's appeal to the imagination worked, as I came to think of Wittgenstein's famous duck-rabbit image that can alternatively be seen as a duck or a rabbit, with the duck's beak appearing as the rabbit's ears and vice versa.
The significance of extended high-frequency audiometry in tinnitus patients with normal hearing as evaluated via conventional pure tone audiometry
Authors: Ma Xiaoyan , Shen Weidong , Yang Shiming , Wang Fangyuan
Published: May 2023

Objective

This study was designed to determine whether extended high-frequency audiometry was capable of better differentiating between participants with normal hearing who did or did not have subjective tinnitus.

Methods

A total of 96 study participants were enrolled: 36 patients with unilateral tinnitus, 28 patients with bilateral tinnitus and 32 volunteers as controls. All 96 participants exhibited normal audiometry findings and hearing thresholds. Extended high-frequency audiometry was used to evaluate these patients.

Results

There were differences between the extended high-frequency hearing thresholds of affected and unaffected ears in those with unilateral tinnitus, and in the 20–29-year-old bilateral tinnitus group, at 11.2, 12.5 and 14 kHz. Unilateral tinnitus subgroups had higher extended high-frequency hearing thresholds than those in control subjects, at all extended high frequencies.

Conclusion

Extended high-frequency audiometry can offer additional information regarding the hearing status of patients with tinnitus who exhibit normal pure tone thresholds when analysed via conventional hearing thresholds.
Horse and donkey parasitology: differences and analogies for a correct diagnostic and management of major helminth infections
Authors: Buono Francesco , Veneziano Vincenzo , Veronesi Fabrizia , Molento Marcelo Beltrão
Published: May 2023

In June 2022, at the XXXII Conference of the Italian Society of Parasitology, the parallels of the main endoparasitic infections of horses and donkeys were discussed. Although these 2 species are genetically different, they can be challenged by a similar range of parasites (i.e. small and large strongyles, andParascarisspp.). Although equids can demonstrate some level of resilience to parasites, they have quite distinct helminth biodiversity, distribution and intensity among different geographical locations and breeds. Heavily infected donkeys may show fewer clinical signs than horses. Although parasite control is primarily provided to horses, we consider that there may be a risk of drug-resistance parasitic infection through passive infection in donkeys when sharing the same pasture areas. Knowing the possible lack of drug efficacy (<90 or 80%), it is advocated the use of selective treatment for both species based on fecal egg counts. Adult horses should receive treatment when the threshold exceeds 200–500 eggs per gram (EPG) of small strongyles. Moreover, considering that there are no precise indications in donkeys, a value >300 EPG may be a safe recommendation. We have highlighted the main points of the discussion including the dynamics of helminth infections between the 2 species.
Error or Minority? The Identification of Non-binary Gender in Prehistoric Burials in Central Europe
Authors: Pape Eleonore , Ialongo Nicola
Published: May 2023

Gender is under focus in prehistoric archaeology, with traditional binary models being questioned and alternatives formulated. Quantification, however, is generally lacking, and alternative models are rarely tested against the archaeological evidence. In this article, we test the binary hypothesis of gender for prehistoric Central Europe based on a selection of seven published burial sites dating from the Early Neolithic to the Late Bronze Age. Results show that the binary model holds for the majority of individuals, but also supports the existence of non-binary variants. We address such variants as ‘minorities’ rather than ‘exceptions’, as only the former can be integrated in interpretive models. However, we also find that quantification is undermined by several sources of error and systematic bias.
Lexicosemantic diffusion in World Englishes: variable meaning–form relations in prospective verbs
Authors: SCHNEIDER EDGAR W.
Published: May 2023

This article suggests that in the investigation of World Englishes, which has tended to focus on syntactic, phonological and lexical preferences, the analysis of shifts in word meanings (and meaning–form relations in lexical items) needs to be incorporated. Exemplary small-scale studies show that in polysemic words certain varieties come to prefer specific meanings, and in word fields some varieties begin to prefer certain forms over others. Based on analyses of different ICE corpora, a set of prospective verbs, their meaning relationships and their varying correlations with syntactic construction choices in different varieties are investigated quantitatively (using HCFA and conditional inference trees) and qualitatively (showcasing interesting innovative, possibly emerging uses in some countries). Regionality is consistently shown to be a weakly conditioning significant factor. Thus, it is suggested that lexicosemantic variability and diffusion in the evolution of World Englishes deserve and need to be investigated systematically.
Beliefs about illness: comparing foreign- and native-born persons with type 2 diabetes living in Sweden in a cross-sectional survey
Authors: Hadziabdic Emina , Hjelm Katarina
Published: May 2023

Aim:

Based on previous qualitative studies, it was hypothesised that dissimilarities in beliefs about illness, which influence healthcare-seeking behaviour, exist between foreign- and native-born persons diagnosed with type 2 diabetes living in Sweden (in the following termed ‘Swedish-born’).

Background:

Beliefs about illness are individual, culturally related, based on knowledge, and guide health-related behaviour, and thus have an impact on health. The question is whether beliefs differ between foreign- and native-born persons diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. No previous comparative studies have been found on this. Based on previous qualitative studies, it was hypothesised that dissimilarities in beliefs about illness, which influence healthcare-seeking behaviour, exist between foreign- and native-born (Swedish) persons diagnosed with type 2 diabetes living in Sweden.

Methods:

Cross-sectional survey, 138 participants, comprising 69 foreign- and 69 Swedish-born persons aged 33–90 vs 48–91 years. Data were analysed with descriptive and analytic statistics.

Findings:

Beliefs about illness differed between foreign- and Swedish-born persons concerning causes of diabetes and healthcare-seeking behaviour. Foreign-born persons more often than Swedish-born persons reported uncertainty or lack of knowledge about whether heredity (67% vs 90%, P = 0.002) and pancreatic disease (40% vs 62%, P = 0.037) could cause diabetes. To a higher extent than Swedish-born persons, they reported that emotional stress and anxiety could cause the disease. Furthermore, they claimed they had sought care due to diabetes during the last 6 months to a higher extent than Swedish-born persons (30% vs 4%, P = 0.000).

The findings confirmed that dissimilarities in beliefs about illness, including the causes of diabetes and healthcare-seeking behaviour, exist between foreign- and Swedish-born persons with type 2 diabetes.
Improving Neuropsychological Rehabilitation for COVID-19 Patients
Authors: Widmann Catherine Nichols , Kolano Juliana , Peper Martin
Published: May 2023

Abstract: Cognitive sequelae after recovery from an initial COVID-19 disease are present in a subset of affected individuals, coalescing around several important issues such as effects of age, COVID-19 disease severity, comorbidities, and other factors. Some neuropsychological symptoms appear more common among certain patient populations. Comorbidities may complicate neuropsychological assessment as well. Hence, we need a guideline-based evaluation to guide neuropsychological rehabilitation. Drawing from the recent revision of the German National Guideline for the Long- and Post-COVID Syndrome and current advances in international guidance on neuropsychological assessment, this article provides practical and scientifically informed recommendations for the neuropsychological assessment of individuals recovering from coronavirus-related diseases.
Model‐Data Comparison of Antarctic Winter Sea‐Ice Extent and Southern Ocean Sea‐Surface Temperatures During Marine Isotope Stage 5e
Authors: Chadwick M. , Sime L. C. , Allen C. S. , Guarino M.‐V.
Published: May 2023

Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5e (130–116 ka) represents a “laboratory” for evaluating climate model performance under warmer‐than‐present conditions. Climate model simulations for MIS 5e have previously failed to produce Southern Ocean (SO) sea‐surface temperatures (SSTs) and sea‐ice extent reconstructed from marine sediment core proxy records. Here we compare state of the art HadGEM3 and HadCM3 simulations of Peak MIS 5e SO summer SSTs and September sea‐ice concentrations with the latest marine sediment core proxy data. The model outputs and proxy records show the least consistency in the regions located near the present‐day SO gyre boundaries, implying the possibility that model simulations are currently unable to fully realize changes in gyre extent and position during MIS 5e. Including Heinrich 11 meltwater forcing in Peak MIS 5e climate simulations improves the likeness to proxy data but it is clear that longer (3–4 ka) run times are required to fully test the consistency between models and data.
Penguin Poop May Flush Iron into the Southern Ocean
Authors: Wilke Carolyn
Published: May 2023

Nutrients from the seabirds’ guano fuels the growth of carbon-storing phytoplankton, but penguin populations have plunged in the past 4 decades.
Impact of Monthly Age Model on Coral Paleothermometer Fidelity: Insights From the Northern South China Sea
Authors: Dang Shaohua , Liu Zhongfang , Yu Kefu
Published: May 2023

The strontium‐to‐calcium (Sr/Ca) ratio of coral is widely used as a paleothermometer for tropical sea surface temperature (SST) at subannual resolutions. The fidelity of Sr/Ca‐derived SST estimates largely depends on the properties of the monthly age model selected. Here, we develop a revised monthly age model for coral Sr/Ca estimation from the northern South China Sea based on specific tie points and evaluate the impacts of different age models on SST reconstruction. Our results indicate that our revised monthly age model reduces conversion errors by up to nearly 20%–30% relative to previously reported values, thereby improving the precision of seasonal SST estimates and enabling better paleoclimate interpretations, such as El Niño–Southern Oscillation variability. The revised monthly age model provides a generalized approach for developing more robust seasonal resolution Sr/Ca–SST reconstructions in other regions.
Characteristics of Boomerang Whistler‐Mode Waves Emitted From the DSX Spacecraft
Authors: Starks M. J. , Lauben D. S. , Albert J. M. , Farrell W. M. , Galkin I. A. , Ginet G. P. , Inan U. S. , Johnston W. R. , Linscott I. R. , Sanchez J. C. , Song P. , Tu J.
Published: May 2023

The Air Force Research Laboratory's Demonstration and Science Experiments (DSX) spacecraft carried a high‐voltage very low frequency transmitter and a sensitive broadband receiver to medium Earth orbit in 2019. During many pulsed transmission experiments, DSX detected apparent “boomerang” echoes when its emitted waves refracted in the magnetosphere and returned to the spacecraft. We simulated a series of these detected pulses using cold plasma ray tracing to characterize their likely wavelengths, indices of refraction, and initial wave normal angles. The waves were shown to remain relatively local to DSX, to be lightly damped, and to have a wide variety of wavelengths and indices of refraction, but they were all emitted with very oblique wave normal angles tightly clustered about half a degree from the Gendrin angle, which theoretical antenna models predict is preferentially excited. Our results are remarkably consistent with this prediction but are statistically biased closer to the resonance cone, possibly because of limitations in the ray tracing technique. The result is robust to perturbations of the simulation and confirms a very narrow beam of oblique radiation quite unlike the behavior of a dipole in vacuo.
The Ionospheric Effects of the 2022 Hunga Tonga Volcano Eruption and the Associated Impacts on GPS Precise Point Positioning Across the Australian Region
Authors: Carter B. A. , Pradipta R. , Dao T. , Currie J. L. , Choy S. , Wilkinson P. , Maher P. , Marshall R. , Harima K. , Le Huy M. , Nguyen Chien T. , Nguyen Ha T. , Harris T. J.
Published: May 2023

The Hunga Tonga Volcano eruption launched a myriad of atmospheric waves that have been observed to travel around the world several times. These waves generated traveling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs) in the ionosphere, which are known to adversely impact radio applications such as Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). One such GNSS application is Precise Point Positioning (PPP), which can achieve cm‐level accuracy using a single receiver, following a typical convergence time of 30 min to 1 hr. A network of ionosondes located throughout the Australian region were used in combination with GNSS receivers to explore the impacts of the Hunga Tonga Volcano eruption on the ionosphere and what subsequent impacts they had on PPP. It is shown that PPP accuracy was not significantly impacted by the arrival of the TIDs and Spread‐F, provided that PPP convergence had already been achieved. However, when the PPP algorithm was initiated from a cold start either shortly before or after the TID arrivals, the convergence times were significantly longer. GNSS stations in northeastern Australia experienced increases in convergence time of more than 5 hr. Further analysis reveals increased convergence times to be caused by a super equatorial plasma bubble (EPB), the largest observed over Australia to date. The EPB structure was found to be ∼42 TECU deep and ∼300 km across, traveling eastwards at 30 m/s. The Hunga Tonga Volcano eruption serves as an excellent example of how ionospheric variability can impact real‐world applications and the challenges associated with modeling the ionosphere to support GNSS.
Topology of vibrational modes predicts plastic events in glasses
Authors: Wu Zhen Wei , Chen Yixiao , Wang Wei-Hua , Kob Walter , Xu Limei
Published: May 2023

The plastic deformation of crystalline materials can be understood by considering their structural defects such as disclinations and dislocations. Although also glasses are solids, their structure resembles closely the one of a liquid and hence the concept of structural defects becomes ill-defined. As a consequence it is very challenging to rationalize on a microscopic level the mechanical properties of glasses close to the yielding point and to relate plastic events to structural properties. Here we investigate the topological characteristics of the eigenvector field of the vibrational excitations of a two-dimensional glass model, notably the geometric arrangement of the topological defects as a function of vibrational frequency. We find that if the system is subjected to a quasistatic shear, the location of the resulting plastic events correlate strongly with the topological defects that have a negative charge. Our results provide thus a direct link between the structure of glasses prior their deformation and the plastic events during deformation.
Homeostatic synaptic plasticity rescues neural coding reliability
Authors: Rozenfeld Eyal , Ehmann Nadine , Manoim Julia E. , Kittel Robert J. , Parnas Moshe
Published: May 2023

To survive, animals must recognize reoccurring stimuli. This necessitates a reliable stimulus representation by the neural code. While synaptic transmission underlies the propagation of neural codes, it is unclear how synaptic plasticity can maintain coding reliability. By studying the olfactory system of Drosophila melanogaster, we aimed to obtain a deeper mechanistic understanding of how synaptic function shapes neural coding in the live, behaving animal. We show that the properties of the active zone (AZ), the presynaptic site of neurotransmitter release, are critical for generating a reliable neural code. Reducing neurotransmitter release probability of olfactory sensory neurons disrupts both neural coding and behavioral reliability. Strikingly, a target-specific homeostatic increase of AZ numbers rescues these defects within a day. These findings demonstrate an important role for synaptic plasticity in maintaining neural coding reliability and are of pathophysiological interest by uncovering an elegant mechanism through which the neural circuitry can counterbalance perturbations.
A pilot study of closed-loop neuromodulation for treatment-resistant post-traumatic stress disorder
Authors: Gill Jay L. , Schneiders Julia A. , Stangl Matthias , Aghajan Zahra M. , Vallejo Mauricio , Hiller Sonja , Topalovic Uros , Inman Cory S. , Villaroman Diane , Bari Ausaf , Adhikari Avishek , Rao Vikram R. , Fanselow Michael S. , Craske Michelle G. , Krahl Scott E. , Chen James W. Y. , Vick Merit , Hasulak Nicholas R. , Kao Jonathan C. , Koek Ralph J. , Suthana Nanthia , Langevin Jean-Philippe
Published: May 2023

The neurophysiological mechanisms in the human amygdala that underlie post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) remain poorly understood. In a first-of-its-kind pilot study, we recorded intracranial electroencephalographic data longitudinally (over one year) in two male individuals with amygdala electrodes implanted for the management of treatment-resistant PTSD (TR-PTSD) under clinical trial NCT04152993. To determine electrophysiological signatures related to emotionally aversive and clinically relevant states (trial primary endpoint), we characterized neural activity during unpleasant portions of three separate paradigms (negative emotional image viewing, listening to recordings of participant-specific trauma-related memories, and at-home-periods of symptom exacerbation). We found selective increases in amygdala theta (5–9 Hz) bandpower across all three negative experiences. Subsequent use of elevations in low-frequency amygdala bandpower as a trigger for closed-loop neuromodulation led to significant reductions in TR-PTSD symptoms (trial secondary endpoint) following one year of treatment as well as reductions in aversive-related amygdala theta activity. Altogether, our findings provide early evidence that elevated amygdala theta activity across a range of negative-related behavioral states may be a promising target for future closed-loop neuromodulation therapies in PTSD.