bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Support Vector Machine-based Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension Detection on Brain MRI
Authors: Arnold Philipp G. , Kaya Emre , Reisert Marco , Lützen Niklas , Dovi-Akué Philippe , Fung Christian , Beck Jürgen , Urbach Horst
Published: October 2021

Background and Purpose

To develop a fully automatic algorithm for the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) identification of patients with spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH).

Material and Methods

A support vector machine (SVM) was trained with structured reports of 140 patients with clinically suspected SIH. Venous sinuses and basal cisterns were segmented on contrast-enhanced T1-weighted MPRAGE (Magnetization Prepared-Rapid Gradient Echo) sequences using a convolutional neural network (CNN). For the segmented sinuses and cisterns, 56 radiomic features were extracted, which served as input data for the SVM. The algorithm was validated with an independent cohort of 34 patients with proven cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks and 27 patients who had MPRAGE scans for unrelated reasons.

Results

The venous sinuses and the suprasellar cistern had the best discriminative power to separate SIH and non-SIH patients. On a combined score with 2 points, mean SVM score was 1.41 (±0.60) for the SIH and 0.30 (±0.53) for the non-SIH patients (p < 0.001). Area under the curve (AUC) was 0.91.

Conclusion

A fully automatic algorithm analyzing a single MRI sequence separates SIH and non-SIH patients with a high diagnostic accuracy. It may help to consider the need of invasive diagnostics and transfer to a SIH center.
Volatile Anästhetika zur präklinischen Analgesie durch Rettungssanitäter – Eine Übersicht
Authors: Trimmel Helmut , Egger Alexander , Doppler Reinhard , Beywinkler Christoph , Voelckel Wolfgang G. , Kreutziger Janett
Published: October 2021

Patienten mit Schmerzen können durch den nichtärztlichen Rettungsdienst mitunter nur inadäquat versorgt werden, da aufgrund rechtlicher Einschränkungen die Anwendung stark wirksamer Schmerzmittel (Opioide) bzw. ausbildungsbedingt eine i.v.-Therapie in Deutschland und Österreich oft nicht möglich ist. Häufig müssen Notärzte für schmerzgeplagte Patienten nachgefordert werden, wodurch deren Verfügbarkeit für z. B. vitale Notfälle reduziert sein kann. Inhalativ zu verabreichende Analgetika könnten hierfür eine interessante Alternative darstellen.

Derzeit steht dazu in Deutschland und Österreich Lachgas (N2O, als Livopan® im Handel) zur Verfügung, eine Mischung aus jeweils 50 % Lachgas und Sauerstoff. In Österreich ist seit 2018 auch Methoxyfluran (Penthrop®) zur Behandlung mäßiger bis starker Schmerzen nach einem Trauma für die prä- und innerklinische Anwendung bei Erwachsenen zugelassen.

In der Zusammenschau der vorhandenen Literatur, jahrzehntelanger Erfahrung in der Anwendung der Sauerstoff-Lachgas-Mischung im angloamerikanischen Bereich und von inhalativem Methoxyfluran v. a. in Australien sowie aktuellen Studien aus Europa kann gefolgert werden, dass diese bei Einhaltung der Anwendungsvorschriften effektiv, sicher und nebenwirkungsarm sind. Dies bestätigt auch eine eigene Untersuchung zu Methoxyfluran im präklinischen Einsatz. Die Anwendung von Lachgas ist aufgrund des Druckgaszylinders von der Handhabung her etwas aufwendig; Methoxyfluran ist einfacher anzuwenden und bei starken Schmerzen auch wirksamer. Die Zulassung von Methoxyfluran ist jedoch auf Erwachsene beschränkt, wo es mit zunehmendem Alter deutlich besser wirkt. Der Einsatz von Lachgas und insbesondere Methoxyfluran könnte aufgrund der Datenlage wie auch eigener Erfahrungen für rettungsdienstliches Fachpersonal nach entsprechender Einweisung empfohlen werden.
The influences of the variable speed and internal die geometry on the performance of two commercial soluble oils in the drawing process of pure copper fine wire
Authors: Martínez Gustavo Aristides Santana , Rodriguez-Alabanda Oscar , Prisco Umberto , Tintelecan Marius , Kabayama Leonardo Kyo
Published: October 2021

The cold wiredrawing process constitutes a classical-tribological system in which a stationary tribe-element (die) is in contact with a tribe-element in relative motion (wire) and both interacting with the interfacial tribe-element (lubricant). This condition is reflected in the effect of friction as a function of the drawing speed and temperature, and directly affects the wearing of the surface into the die and the final quality on the drawn wire. The aim of this work has been to determine the best conditions to process ETP-copper using two different types of oil/water emulsion lubricants. For this purpose, six different die geometries have been proposed and a set of tests have been carried out at different speeds (between 1 and 21 m/s) to determine those combinations that give a lower value in the required drawing force (Fd). The experiments allowed to know the friction coefficient (µ), the temperature profile inside the drawing die and in the lubricant and also the mean roughness (Ra) in the drawn product. The results have shown that drawing speeds above 10 m/s significantly decrease the drawing force and, as a consequence, the friction effect on the interface. The best results have been achieved in the combinations of the lower die angle (2β = 14°) with drawing speeds between 17 and 18 m/s with both types of lubricants used, obtaining the lower values of the friction coefficient between µ = 0.10–0.15 with the lubricant type D (Agip S234-60 oil at 7% concentration). It has been found that those tests carried out with dies with a smaller approach angle have generally made it possible to obtain better qualities in the final product. Additionally, FEM simulations have been done to analyse those cases with the lower values of µ, throwing values of Fd that are consistent with those measured in the experimental setting and allowing to better understand the behavior of the material as it passes through the die.
Midterm outcome and strength assessment after proximal rectus femoris refixation in athletes
Authors: Hinz Maximilian , Geyer Stephanie , Winden Felix , Braunsperger Alexander , Kreuzpointner Florian , Kleim Benjamin D. , Imhoff Andreas B. , Mehl Julian
Published: October 2021

Purpose

Proximal rectus femoris avulsions (PRFA) are relatively rare injuries that occur predominantly among young soccer players. The aim of this study was to evaluate midterm postoperative results including strength potential via standardized strength measurements after proximal rectus femoris tendon refixation. It was hypothesized that the majority of competitive athletes return to competition (RTC) after refixation of the rectus femoris tendon without significant strength or functional deficits compared to the contralateral side.

Methods

Patients with an acute (< 6 weeks) PRFA who underwent surgical refixation between 2012 and 2019 with a minimum follow-up of 12 months were evaluated. The outcome measures compiled were the median Tegner Activity Scale (TAS) and mean RTC time frames, Harris Hip Score (HHS), Hip and Groin Outcome Score (HAGOS) subscales, International Hip Outcome Tool-33 (iHOT-33), and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain. In addition, a standardized isometric strength assessment of knee flexion, knee extension, and hip flexion was performed to evaluate the functional result of the injured limb in comparison to the uninjured side.

Results

Out of 20 patients, 16 (80%) patients were available for final assessment at a mean follow-up of 44.8 ± SD 28.9 months. All patients were male with 87.5% sustaining injuries while playing soccer. The average time interval between trauma and surgery was 18.4 ± 8.5 days. RTC was possible for 14 out of 15 previously competitive athletes (93.3%) at a mean 10.5 ± 3.4 months after trauma. Patients achieved a high level of activity postoperatively with a median (interquartile range) TAS of 9 (7–9) and reported good to excellent outcome scores (HHS: 100 (96–100); HAGOS: symptoms 94.6 (89.3–100), pain 97.5 (92.5–100), function in daily living 100 (95–100), function in sport and recreation 98.4 (87.5–100), participation in physical activities 100 (87.5–100), quality of life 83.1 ± 15.6; iHot-33: 95.1 (81.6–99.8)). No postoperative complications were reported. Range of motion, isometric knee flexion and extension, as well as hip flexion strength levels were not statistically different between the affected and contralateral legs. The majority of patients were “very satisfied” (56.3%) or “satisfied” (37.5%) with the postoperative result and reported little pain (VAS 0 (0–0.5)).

Conclusion

Surgical treatment of acute PRFA yields excellent postoperative results in a young and highly active cohort. Hip flexion and knee extension strength was restored fully without major surgical complications.

Level of evidence

Retrospective cohort study; III.
Genipin-crosslinked chitosan/alginate/alumina nanocomposite gels for 3D bioprinting
Authors: Condi Mainardi Jessica , Rezwan Kurosch , Maas Michael
Published: October 2021

Immobilizing microorganisms inside 3D printed semi-permeable substrates can be desirable for biotechnological processes since it simplifies product separation and purification, reducing costs, and processing time. To this end, we developed a strategy for synthesizing a feedstock suitable for 3D bioprinting of mechanically rigid and insoluble materials with embedded living bacteria. The processing route is based on a highly particle-filled alumina/chitosan nanocomposite gel which is reinforced by (a) electrostatic interactions with alginate and (b) covalent binding between the chitosan molecules with the mild gelation agent genipin. To analyze network formation and material properties, we characterized the rheological properties and printability of the feedstock gel. Stability measurements showed that the genipin-crosslinked chitosan/alginate/alumina gels did not dissolve in PBS, NaOH, or HCl after 60 days of incubation. Alginate-containing gels also showed less swelling in water than gels without alginate. Furthermore, E. coli bacteria were embedded in the nanocomposites and we analyzed the influence of the individual bioink components as well as of the printing process on bacterial viability. Here, the addition of alginate was necessary to maintain the effective viability of the embedded bacteria, while samples without alginate showed no bacterial viability. The experimental results demonstrate the potential of this approach for producing macroscopic bioactive materials with complex 3D geometries as a platform for novel applications in bioprocessing.
Total synthesis of the isoquinolinium metabolite ETM-204 of Trabectidin
Authors: Lembacher-Fadum Christian , Gissing Simon , Pour Georg , Breinbauer Rolf
Published: October 2021

Ecteinascidin-743 (Trabectidin, Trabectedin®, Yondelis®) is a synthetically obtained pharmaceutical drug originally isolated from a marine tunicate. Trabectedin is used for the chemotherapy of soft-tissue sarcoma and ovarian cancer. The isoquinolinium metabolite ETM-204 has been found in biotransformation and degradation studies of Trabectedin. We report the first total synthesis of ETM-204 and its full spectroscopic characterization confirming the postulated structure. Central elements of the 12-step synthesis starting from 2-methyl-6-nitrophenol are a Cu-mediated conversion of an iodoarene to a phenol, a Skattebøl-formylation, and a modified Pomeranz–Fritsch cyclization to assemble the isoquinoline ring. The pH-dependence of its visual absorbance could be clarified.

Graphic abstract
Spigelian hernia: current approaches to surgical treatment—a review
Authors: Hanzalova I. , Schäfer M. , Demartines N. , Clerc D.
Published: October 2021

Background

Spigelian hernias (SpH) belong to the group of eponymous abdominal wall hernias. Major reasons for diagnostic difficulties are its low incidence reaching maximum 2% of abdominal wall hernias, a specific anatomical localization with intact external oblique aponeurosis covering the hernia sac and non-constant clinical presentation.

Methods

A literature review was completed to summarize current knowledge on surgical treatment options and results.

Results

SpH presents a high incarceration risk and therefore should be operated upon even if the patient is asymptomatic. Both laparoscopic and open repair approaches are validated by current guidelines with lesser postoperative complications and shorter hospital stay in favour of minimally invasive surgery, regardless of the technique used. Overall recurrence rate is very low.

Conclusion

All diagnosed SpH should be planned for elective operation to prevent strangulated hernia and, therefore emergency surgery. Both open and laparoscopic SpH treatment can be safely performed, depending on surgeon’s experience. In most cases, a mesh repair is generally advised.
Wigner-function-based solution schemes for electromagnetic wave beams in fluctuating media
Authors: Weber Hannes , Maj Omar , Poli Emanuele
Published: October 2021

Electromagnetic waves are described by Maxwell’s equations together with the constitutive equation of the considered medium. The latter equation in general may introduce complicated operators. As an example, for electron cyclotron (EC) waves in a hot plasma, an integral operator is present. Moreover, the wavelength and computational domain may differ by orders of magnitude making a direct numerical solution unfeasible, with the available numerical techniques. On the other hand, given the scale separation between the free-space wavelength $$\lambda _0$$

λ
0

and the scale L of the medium inhomogeneity, an asymptotic solution for a wave beam can be constructed in the limit $$\kappa = 2\pi L / \lambda _0 \rightarrow \infty$$

κ
=
2
π
L
/

λ
0

→
∞

, which is referred to as the semiclassical limit. One example is the paraxial Wentzel-Kramer-Brillouin (pWKB) approximation. However, the semiclassical limit of the wave field may be inaccurate when random short-scale fluctuations of the medium are present. A phase-space description based on the statistically averaged Wigner function may solve this problem. The Wigner function in the semiclassical limit is determined by the wave kinetic equation (WKE), derived from Maxwell’s equations. We present a paraxial expansion of the Wigner function around the central ray and derive a set of ordinary differential equations (phase-space beam-tracing equations) for the Gaussian beam width along the central ray trajectory.
Continuous Labor Support and Person-Centered Maternity Care: A Cross-Sectional Study with Women in Rural Kenya
Authors: Kiti Gift , Prata Ndola , Afulani Patience A.
Published: October 2021

Objective

This study assessed whether having continuous support during labor is associated with better person-centered maternity care (PCMC) among women in rural Kenya.

Methods

Data are from a cross-sectional survey with women aged 15–49 years who delivered in the 9 weeks preceding survey completion (N = 865). PCMC was operationalized using a validated 13-item scale, with a summative score developed from responses that capture dignity and respect, communication and autonomy, and supportive care from providers (excluding support from a lay companion). Continuous support was operationalized as the continuous presence of a lay companion (friend or family) during labor. We carried out bivariate analyses using chi-squared and t-tests and ran multivariable linear regression models to examine the association between continuous labor support and PCMC.

Results

The average PCMC score was 24.2 (SD = 8.4) out of a total score of 39. About two-thirds (68%) of women had continuous support during labor. The average PCMC scores among women who had continuous support was 25.7 (SD = 8.4) compared to 21.0 (SD = 7.6) among those who did not have continuous support (p-value ≤ 0.001). After controlling for various confounders this association was still significant (coefficient = 4.0; 95% CI 2.9, 5.2; p-value ≤ 0.001).

Conclusions

Women who have continuous labor support during childbirth are more likely to have improved PCMC. Efforts to promote PCMC should thus include continuous labor support.
The role of carbonic anhydrase III and autophagy in type 2 diabetes with cardio-cerebrovascular disease
Authors: Zhang Xiao-Ming , Tao Ying-Hong , Zhou Xiu-Ling , Shang Xi-Liang , Gong Xiao-Bo , Liu Ying-Chao , Huang Yan-Yan , Chen Gang , Yu Zhong-Yu , Wang Jian-Tao , Du Zun-Guo , Wu Guo-Feng , Zhang Yu , Guo Jing-Chun , Zhou Hou-Guang
Published: October 2021

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is one of the most common chronic diseases among the elderly people. The T2DM increases the risk of cardio-cerebrovascular disease (CCD), and the main pathological change of the CCD is atherosclerosis (AS). Meanwhile, the carbonic anhydrases (CAs) are involved in the formation and progression of plaques in AS. However, the exact physiological mechanism of carbonic anhydrase III (CAIII) has not been clear yet, and there are also no correlation study between CAIII protein and T2DM with CCD. The 8-week old diabetic mice (db/db−/− mice) and wild-type mice (wt mice) were feed by a normal diet till 32 weeks, and detected the carotid artery vascular opening angle using the method of biomechanics; The changes of cerebral cortex and myocardium were watched by the ultrastructure, and the autophagy were observed by electron microscope; The tissue structure, inflammation and cell injury were observed by Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining; The apoptosis of cells were observed by TUNEL staining; The protein levels of CAIII, IL-17, p53 were detected by immunohistochemical and Western Blot, and the Beclin-1, LC3, NF-κB were detected by Western Blot. All statistical analysis is performed using PRISM software. Compared with wt mice, db/db−/− mice’ carotid artery open angle increased significantly. Electron microscope results indicated that autophagy in db/db−/− mice cerebral cortex and heart tissue decreased and intracellular organelle ultrastructure were damaged. HE staining indicated that, db/db−/− mice’ cerebral cortex and heart tissue stained lighter, inflammatory cells infiltration, cell edema were obvious, myocardial fibers were disorder, and myocardial cells showed different degrees of degeneration. Compared with wt mice, TUNEL staining showed that there was obviously increase in db/db−/− mice cortex and heart tissue cell apoptosis. The results of immunohistochemistry and Western Blot indicated that CAIII, Beclin-1 and LC3II/I expression levels conspicuously decreased in cortex and heart tissue of db/db−/− mice, and the expression level of IL-17, NF-κB and p53 obviously increased. The carotid artery’ vascular stiffness was increased and which was probably related with formation of AS in diabetic mice. And the autophagy participated in the occurrence and development of diabetic CCD. CAIII protein might somehow be involved in the regulation of autophagy probably through affecting cell apoptosis and inflammation, but the underlying mechanism remains to be further studied.
SynergyGrids: blockchain-supported distributed microgrid energy trading
Authors: Aloqaily Moayad , Bouachir Ouns , Özkasap Öznur , Ali Faizan Safdar
Published: October 2021

Growing intelligent cities is witnessing an increasing amount of local energy generation through renewable energy resources. Energy trade among the local energy generators (aka prosumers) and consumers can reduce the energy consumption cost and also reduce the dependency on conventional energy resources, not to mention the environmental, economic, and societal benefits. However, these local energy sources might not be enough to fulfill energy consumption demands. A hybrid approach, where consumers can buy energy from both prosumers (that generate energy) and also from prosumer of other locations, is essential. A centralized system can be used to manage this energy trading that faces several security issues and increase centralized development cost. In this paper, a hybrid energy trading system coupled with a smart contract named SynergyGrids has been proposed as a solution, that reduces the average cost of energy and load over the utility grids. To the best of our knowledge, this work is the first attempt to create a hybrid energy trading platform over the smart contract for energy demand prediction. An hourly energy data set has been utilized for testing and validation purposes. The trading system shows 17.8% decrease in energy cost for consumers and 76.4% decrease in load over utility grids when compared with its counterparts.
The fundamental constants of physics and the International System of Units
Authors: Wiersma Diederik Sybolt , Mana Giovanni
Published: October 2021

Air Canada managed to have a passenger aircraft run out of fuel in mid-air due to confusion about metric units (Stephenson in Mars climate orbiter mishap investigation board phase I report, NASA, 1999), and NASA lost an entire spacecraft due to a misunderstanding amongst engineers about the units used in the propulsion system design (Witkin in Jet’s fuel ran out after metric conversion errors, The New York Times, 1983). Measurements only make sense if the units are correct and well-defined. A unit of measurement is a definite magnitude of a quantity, defined by convention or law. Any other quantity of that kind can then be expressed as a multiple or submultiple of the unit of measurement. The Egyptians used the Farao as definite magnitude, while many years later, the french revolutionists introduced the earth as a reference and laid the foundations for the modern decimal system. Since recently, we have a truly universal and stable system that uses physics’s natural constants and laws to define the base units of measurement. This paper explains how this new concept works and how it is implemented in practice.
Applications of Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAV) Technology to Support Integrated Coastal Zone Management and the UN Sustainable Development Goals at the Coast
Authors: Kandrot Sarah , Hayes Samuel , Holloway Paul
Published: October 2021

Data and information obtained from low-cost uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly referred to as ‘drones’, can be used to support integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) and sustainable development at the coast. Several recent studies in various disciplines, including ecology, engineering, and several branches of physical and human geography, describe the applications of UAV technology with practical coastal management potential, yet the extent to which such data can contribute to these activities remains underexplored. The main objective of this paper is to collate this knowledge to highlight the areas in which UAV technology can contribute to ICZM and can influence the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the coast. We focus on applications with practical potential for coastal management activities and assess their accessibility in terms of cost, ease of use, and maturity. We identified ten (out of the 17) SDGs to which UAVs can contribute data and information. Examples of applications include surveillance of illegal fishing and aquaculture activities, seaweed resource assessments, cost-estimation of post-storm damages, and documentation of natural and cultural heritage sites under threat from, for example, erosion and sea-level rise. An awareness of how UAVs can contribute to ICZM, as well as the limitations of the technology, can help coastal practitioners to evaluate their options for future management activities.
Innovative strategies in metastatic gastric cancer: a short review
Authors: Puhr Hannah Christina , Ilhan-Mutlu Aysegul
Published: October 2021

Recent innovative advances, especially concerning immunotherapeutic agents and targeted therapies, have changed the face of modern oncology. The year 2020 represents a milestone in the treatment of gastroesophageal cancer because several trials showed promising survival benefits, at least for a specific subgroup of patients. Not only immunotherapeutic agents, but also targeted therapies seem to be beneficial, particularly when the target is well defined and the threshold value is selected appropriately. Thus, many new innovative treatment strategies are underway and might lead to a further paradigm change in the therapy of patients with advanced gastric tumors. This review gives a concise overview of these new therapeutic options and recently approved strategies as well as ongoing studies.
Site-selective and metal-free C–H nitration of biologically relevant N-heterocycles
Authors: Moon Junghyea , Ji Hyun Ku , Ko Nayoung , Oh Harin , Park Min Seo , Kim Suho , Ghosh Prithwish , Mishra Neeraj Kumar , Kim In Su
Published: October 2021

The site-selective and metal-free C–H nitration reaction of quinoxalinones and pyrazinones as biologically important N-heterocycles with t-butyl nitrite is described. A wide range of quinoxalinones were efficiently applied in this transformation, providing C7-nitrated quinoxalinones without undergoing C3-nitration. From the view of mechanistic point, the radical addition reaction exclusively occurred at the electron-rich aromatic region beyond electron-deficient N-heterocycle ring. This is a first report on the C7–H functionalization of quinoxalinones under metal-free conditions. In contrast, the nitration reaction readily takes place at the C3-position of pyrazinones. This transformation is characterized by the scale-up compatibility, mild reaction conditions, and excellent functional group tolerance. The applicability of the developed method is showcased by the selective reduction of NO2 functionality on the C7-nitrated quinoxalinone product, providing aniline derivatives. Combined mechanistic investigations aided the elucidation of a plausible reaction mechanism.
Quantitative Evaluation for Differential Diagnosis of Breast Lesions in Diffusion-Weighted MR Imaging
Authors: Dkhar Winniecia , Kadavigere Rajagopal , Mustaffa Samir Paruthikunnan
Published: October 2021

Diffusion-weighted MR Imaging is a rapidly emerging technique, that allows in-vivo mapping processes of the water diffusion in tissues. It has the potential capabilities for clinical application in breast imaging. The aim of this study was to find out the optimal b-value for calculation of ADC value for differential diagnosis of breast lesions. A total of 124 subjects (mean age 46 years) with 141 lesions were included. The protocol consists of axial T2 sequence for lesion localization and measurement and DW sequence with three sets of b-values of 0, 300, 600, and 1000 s/mm2. The mean ADC values of the breast lesions for b-values (0, 300, 600, and 1000) were 1.75 ± 0.18 × 10−3mm2/sec, 1.66 ± 0.12 × 10−3mm2/sec and 1.57 ± 0.15 × 10−3mm2/sec for the benign lesions and 1.26 ± 0.048 × 10−3mm2/sec, 1.14 ± 0.11 × 10−3mm2/sec and 0.93 ± 0.14 × 10−3mm2/sec for malignant lesions respectively. Statistical significant differences were noted on the ADC value of benign and malignant lesions among the three sets of b values (p = 0.001). ADC values of malignant lesion was significantly lower compared to benign lesions. The AUC (0.998) was substantially large for b-value of 0,600 s/mm2 with a threshold ADC cut off value of 1.28 × 10−3mm2/sec with 98.4% sensitivity, 93.2% specificity and 98.5% positive predictive value(PPV). In conclusion, diffusion weighted imaging has the ability for differential diagnosis of breast lesions with the optimal b value of 0,600 s/ mm2. DWI is a reliable tool for characterising breast lesions and may increase the overall specificity of breast MRI.
The Impact of the Combined Administration of 1MeTIQ and MK-801 on Cell Viability, Oxidative Stress Markers, and Glutamate Release in the Rat Hippocampus
Authors: Wąsik Agnieszka , Białoń Magdalena , Jantas Danuta , Żarnowska Marcelina
Published: October 2021

MK-801, as an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor inhibitor, causes elevation in glutamate release, which may lead to an increase in excitotoxicity, oxidative stress and, consequently, cell death. 1-Methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline (1MeTIQ) shows antioxidant activity. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of combined treatment with 1MeTIQ and MK-801 on cell viability, antioxidant enzyme activity, and glutamate release in the rat hippocampus. Cytotoxicity was measured using lactate dehydrogenase leakage assay (LDH) and the methyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay; antioxidant enzyme activity (glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT)) were measured by ELISA kits. The release of glutamate in the rat hippocampus was measured using in vivo microdialysis methodology. An in vitro study showed that MK-801 induced cell death in a concentration-dependent manner and that 1MeTIQ partially reduced this adverse effect of MK-801. An ex vivo study indicated that MK-801 produced an increase in antioxidant enzyme activity (GPx, GR, and SOD), whereas coadministration of MK-801 and 1MeTIQ restored the activity of these enzymes to the control level. An in vivo microdialysis study demonstrated that combined treatment with both drugs decreased the release of glutamate in the rat hippocampus. The above results revealed that 1MeTIQ shows limited neuroprotective activity under conditions of glutamate-induced neurotoxicity.
Clinical outcome of the patients with femoropopliteal artery disease after endovascular therapy: focused on drug-coated-balloon-related distal embolism detected by laser doppler flowmetry
Authors: Fukai Kuniyoshi , Nakagami Takuo , Hamaoka Tetsuro , Kikai Masakazu , Yamaguchi Shinichiro
Published: October 2021

Several trials have shown that paclitaxel drug-coated balloons (DCBs) significantly reduce restenosis rates. However, some reports have shown distal embolisms occurring after DCBs. No study has analyzed the clinical outcomes of patients with DCB-induced distal embolism. This study aimed to investigate the clinical outcomes of DCB-induced distal embolism in patients with femoropopliteal artery disease. Between February 2018 and April 2019, consecutive patients (n = 32) who presented with de novo femoropopliteal artery disease and underwent endovascular therapy using DCB were retrospectively reviewed in a single-center study. Patients were divided into two groups based on whether distal embolism was detected using laser doppler flowmetry (DEL group) or not (non-DEL group). Baseline characteristics and 1-year clinical outcomes were compared between the groups. DEL was found in 44% of limbs (DEL group: n = 15, non-DEL group: n = 19). Below-the-knee arterial runoff ≤ 1 (p = 0.033), popliteal lesion (p = 0.044), ambulation difficulty (p = 0.021), and previous history of coronary artery disease (p = 0.013) were identified as predictive factors of DEL. Procedural factors, reference vessel diameter, lesion length, and total drug amount were not predictive of DEL. The overall target lesion restenosis (TLR) rate was 17.4% (n = 5). The TLR rate was not significantly different between the DEL and non-DEL groups (13.3% vs. 15.8%, p = 0.55). Severe calcification was the only significant factor for TLR (4.2% vs. 40.0%, p = 0.02). Among patients with femoropopliteal disease, there was no difference in 1-year clinical outcome between patients who underwent DEL and those who did not.
Climate modelling and structural stability
Authors: Lam Vincent
Published: October 2021

Climate modelling plays a crucial role for understanding and addressing the climate challenge, in terms of both mitigation and adaptation. It is therefore of central importance to understand to what extent climate models are adequate for relevant purposes, such as providing certain kinds of climate change projections in view of decision-making. In this perspective, the issue of the stability of climate models under small relevant perturbations in their structure (or small relevant ‘structural model errors’ with respect to the target system) seems particularly important. Within this framework, a debate has emerged in the philosophy of science literature about the relevance for climate modelling of the mathematical notion of structural stability. This paper adresses several important foundational and epistemological questions that arise in this context, in particular about the the role of abstract mathematical considerations of a qualitative nature (in some precise, topological sense) for concrete modelling projects with mainly quantitative purposes.
Airfoil buffet aerodynamics at plunge and pitch excitation based on long short-term memory neural network prediction
Authors: Zahn R. , Breitsamter C.
Published: October 2021

In the present study, a nonlinear system identification approach based on a long short-term memory (LSTM) neural network is applied for the prediction of transonic buffet aerodynamics. The identification approach is applied as a reduced-order modeling (ROM) technique for an efficient computation of time-varying integral quantities such as aerodynamic force and moment coefficients. Therefore, the nonlinear identification procedure as well as the generalization of the ROM are presented. The training data set for the LSTM–ROM is provided by performing forced-motion unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes simulations. Subsequent to the training process, the ROM is applied for the computation of the aerodynamic integral quantities associated with transonic buffet. The performance of the trained ROM is demonstrated by computing the aerodynamic loads of the NACA0012 airfoil investigated at transonic freestream conditions. In contrast to previous studies considering only a pitching excitation, both the pitch and plunge degrees of freedom of the airfoil are individually and simultaneously excited by means of an user-defined training signal. Therefore, strong nonlinear effects are considered for the training of the ROM. By comparing the results with a full-order computational fluid dynamics solution, a good prediction capability of the presented ROM method is indicated. However, compared to the results of previous studies including only the airfoil pitching excitation, a slightly reduced prediction performance is shown.
The inhomogeneous Cauchy-Riemann equation for weighted smooth vector-valued functions on strips with holes
Authors: Kruse Karsten
Published: October 2021

This paper is dedicated to the question of surjectivity of the Cauchy-Riemann operator$$\overline{\partial }$$∂¯on spaces$${\mathcal {E}}{\mathcal {V}}(\varOmega ,E)$$EV(Ω,E)of$${\mathcal {C}}^{\infty }$$C∞-smooth vector-valued functions whose growth on strips along the real axis with holesKis induced by a family of continuous weights$${\mathcal {V}}$$V. Vector-valued means that these functions have values in a locally convex Hausdorff spaceEover$${\mathbb {C}}$$C. We derive a counterpart of the Grothendieck-Köthe-Silva duality$${\mathcal {O}}({\mathbb {C}}\setminus K)/{\mathcal {O}}({\mathbb {C}})\cong {\mathscr {A}}(K)$$O(C\K)/O(C)≅A(K)with non-empty compact$$K\subset {\mathbb {R}}$$K⊂Rfor weighted holomorphic functions. We use this duality and splitting theory to prove the surjectivity of$$\overline{\partial }:{\mathcal {E}} {\mathcal {V}}(\varOmega ,E)\rightarrow {\mathcal {E}}{\mathcal {V}} (\varOmega ,E)$$∂¯:EV(Ω,E)→EV(Ω,E)for certainE. This solves the smooth (holomorphic, distributional) parameter dependence problem for the Cauchy-Riemann operator on$${\mathcal {E}}{\mathcal {V}}(\varOmega ,{\mathbb {C}})$$EV(Ω,C).
Ethnopharmacological survey and antibacterial activity of medicinal plant extracts used against bacterial enteritis in rabbits
Authors: Chouegouong Mireille Tuedom , Majoumouo Michele Stella , Menkem Elisabeth Zeuko’o , Yimgang Lorette Victorine , Toghueo Rufin Marie Kouipou , Etchu Kingsley Agbor , Boyom Fabrice Fekam
Published: October 2021

Bacterial enteritis is one of the diseases negatively affecting the rabbit farming industry. Communities across the globe are using medicinal plants as an alternative treatment against many diseases in rabbits. This study aimed at identifying medicinal plants used by local farmers in Cameroon and evaluate their antibacterial activity alone and in combination with oxytetracycline against some bacterial causative agents of diarrhoea in rabbits. The ethnopharmacological survey was performed in Cameroon’s Western and Central regions, where breeders were interviewed about their knowledge on the medicinal plants and plant parts often used to cure rabbit diseases, the methods of preparation and the route of administration. Plants were collected, and extracts were prepared by decoction, infusion and maceration using distilled water. The antibacterial activity of extracts and combinations was evaluated against enteropathogenic Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica and Clostridium perfringens (WAL-14572 HM-310) using the microdilution and checkerboard methods. From the survey, fifteen medicinal plants belonging to nine families, with Asteraceae being the most represented, were identified as currently used to treat diarrhoea in rabbits. Bidens pilosa and Psidium guajava were the most mentioned medicinal plant species with 24 and 17 citations, respectively. Leaves were the most commonly used plant parts, and maceration in water was the primary preparation method of remedies administered orally. Out of the forty-five extracts prepared, only six from Tithonia diversifolia (TdlM, TdlI, TdlD) and Psidium guajava (PglM, PglI, PglD) exhibited potency with MIC values ranging from 1.25 to 5 mg/mL. The combination of infusion extract from leaves of Tithonia diversifolia (TdlI) and decoction extract from Psidium guajava (PglD) exhibited synergistic interaction (FICI = 0.312; 0.281; 0.265), while oxytetracycline in combination with decoction extract from leaves of Psidium guajava (PglD) exhibited a synergistic interaction (FICI = 0.5). The phytochemical screening of the six extracts revealed polyphenols, glycosides, saponins, terpenoids, anthraquinones, tannins and flavonoids. The antibacterial activity of extracts from medicinal plants P. guajava and T. diversifolia demonstrated in the present study supports the use of these plants by farmers of the targeted localities to treat diarrhoea in rabbits.
Front-of-pack (FOP) labelling systems to improve the quality of nutrition information to prevent obesity: NutrInform Battery vs Nutri-Score
Authors: Carruba Michele O. , Caretto Antonio , De Lorenzo Antonino , Fatati Giuseppe , Ghiselli Andrea , Lucchin Lucio , Maffeis Claudio , Malavazos Alexis , Malfi Giuseppe , Riva Enrica , Ruocco Chiara , Santini Ferruccio , Silano Marco , Valerio Alessandra , Vania Andrea , Nisoli Enzo
Published: October 2021

Many systems for classifying food products to adequately predict lower all-cause morbidity and mortality have been proposed as front-of-pack (FOP) nutritional labels. Although the efforts and advances that these systems represent for public health must be appreciated, as scientists involved in nutrition research and belonging to diverse Italian nutrition scientific societies, we would like to draw stakeholders’ attention to the fact that some FOP labels risk being not correctly informative to consumers’ awareness of nutritional food quality. The European Commission has explicitly called for such a nutrition information system to be part of the European “strategy on nutrition, overweight and obesity-related issues” to “facilitate consumer understanding of the contribution or importance of the food to the energy and nutrient content of a diet”. Some European countries have adopted the popular French proposal Nutri-Score. However, many critical limits and inadequacies have been identified in this system. As an alternative, we endorse a new enriched informative label—the NutrInform Battery—promoted by the Italian Ministry of Health and deeply studied by the Center for Study and Research on Obesity, Milan University. Therefore, the present position paper limits comparing these two FOP nutritional labels, focusing on the evidence suggesting that the NutrInform Battery can help consumers better than the Nutri-Score system to understand nutritional information, potentially improving dietary choices.

Level of evidence

II. Evidence was obtained from well-designed controlled trials without randomization.
Beeinflusst das Tragen einer Gangjustierhilfe in Sicherheitsschuhen die allgemeine Beanspruchung bei Produktionsarbeitern in der Spätschicht?
Authors: Dürrschnabel Isabelle , Dürrschnabel Lutz , Böckelmann Irina
Published: October 2021

Hintergrund

Sicherheitsschuhe sind Teil einer persönlichen Schutzausrüstung zur Minderung des Unfallrisikos am Arbeitsplatz und bei vielen Tätigkeiten in verschiedenen Berufsgruppen vorgeschrieben. Das Tragen von normierten Arbeitsschuhen kann aufgrund der besonderen Eigenschaften (Passform und Gewicht) zu einer erhöhten Beanspruchung des Arbeiters führen. Eine zusätzliche Optimierung von Arbeitsschuhen, mit dem Ziel der Symmetrisierung des Ganges und der damit einhergehenden Verminderung der Beanspruchung, unter den besonderen Bedingungen des Arbeitsschutzes ist daher anzustreben. In dieser Studie soll überprüft werden, ob das Anbringen einer Gangjustierhilfe mit dem Ziel der Symmetrisierung des Ganges einen Einfluss auf die allgemeine Beanspruchung von Schichtarbeitern hat.

Methodik

Dafür wurde bei 29 männlichen Probanden (Interventionsgruppe: n = 15, Kontrollgruppe: n = 14) zu 2 Messzeitpunkten während der Spätschicht die Herzfrequenzvariabilität (HRV) kontinuierlich erfasst.

Ergebnisse

Nach 2‑wöchigem Tragen der Gangjustierhilfe zeigt sich eine signifikante Erhöhung der zeitbezogenen HRV-Parameter bei der Interventionsgruppe. Die frequenzbezogenen Parameter Gesamtleistung (Total Power) und Leistung im High Frequency Band (Power HF Band) zeigen bei der Kontrollgruppe eine Verringerung vom 1. zum 2. Messzeitpunkt. Die Ergebnisse sprechen dafür, dass die Gangjustierhilfe durchaus positive Effekte auf die HRV hat und damit die allgemeine Beanspruchungslage am Arbeitsplatz bei dieser Stichprobe positiv beeinflussen kann.

Diskussion

Weitere Studien zum Überprüfen eines Effektes mit größeren Fallzahlen und unter Berücksichtigung weitere Gruppierungsmöglichkeiten (bspw. Parameter der Ganganalyse, körperliche Leistungsfähigkeit und Vorerkrankungen) sind jedoch erforderlich.
Total wave power absorption by a multi-float wave energy converter and a semi-submersible wind platform with a fast far field model for arrays
Authors: Stansby Peter , Moreno Efrain Carpintero , Draycott Sam , Stallard Tim
Published: October 2021

Wave energy converters absorb wave power by mechanical damping for conversion into electricity and multi-float systems may have high capture widths. The kinetic energy of the floats causes waves to be radiated, generating radiation damping. The total wave power absorbed is thus due to mechanical and radiation damping. A floating offshore wind turbine platform also responds dynamically and damping plates are generally employed on semi-submersible configurations to reduce motion, generating substantial drag which absorbs additional wave power. Total wave power absorption is analysed here by linear wave diffraction–radiation–drag models for a multi-float wave energy converter and an idealised wind turbine platform, with response and mechanical power in the wave energy case compared with wave basin experiments, including some directional spread wave cases, and accelerations compared in the wind platform case. The total power absorption defined by capture width is input into a far field array model with directional wave spreading. Wave power transmission due a typical wind turbine array is only reduced slightly (less than 5% for a 10 × 10 platform array) but may be reduced significantly by rows of wave energy converters (by up to about 50%).
A review on the applications of machine learning for runoff modeling
Authors: Mohammadi Babak
Published: October 2021

The growing menace of global warming and restrictions on access to water in each region is a huge threat to global hydrological sustainability. Hence, the perspective at which hydrological studies are currently being carried out across the world to quantify and understand the water cycle modeling requires a further boost. In the past few decades, the theoretical understanding of machine learning (ML) algorithms for solving engineering issues, and the application of this method to practical problems have made very significant progress. In the field of hydrology, ML has been using for a better understanding of hydrological complexities. Then, using ML-based approaches for hydrological simulation have been a popular method for runoff modeling in recent years; it seems necessary to understand the application of ML in runoff modeling fully. Current research seeks to have an overview for rainfall–runoff modeling using ML approaches in recent years, including integrated and ordinary ML techniques (such as ANFIS, ANN, and SVM models). The main hydrological topics in this review study include surface hydrology, streamflow, rainfall–runoff, and flood modeling via ML approaches. Therefore, in this study, the author has critically reviewed the characteristics of machine learning models in runoff simulation, including advantages and disadvantages of three widely used machine learning models.
International students’ knowledge and emotions related to academic integrity at Canadian postsecondary institutions
Authors: Sanni-Anibire Hafizat , Stoesz Brenda M. , Gervais Loie , Vogt Lisa
Published: October 2021

This study investigated the knowledge of academic integrity and associated emotions of a small sample of international students studying at Canadian postsecondary institutions (n = 60) using survey methodology. Depending on the survey item, 25–60 participants provided responses. Many respondents appeared knowledgeable about academic integrity and misconduct and reported that expectations in their home countries and in Canada were similar. There was, however, disagreement on the concept of duplicate submission/self-plagiarism, indicating an important gap in educating students about specific aspects of policy in postsecondary education in Canada. In addition, more than a third of respondents provided neutral responses to a situation involving contract cheating, suggesting a lack of certainty in how to respond when witnessing peers’ engagement in outsourcing academic work. Many respondents reported feeling confident upon reading the academic integrity and misconduct policies of their Canadian postsecondary institution, although nearly one third indicated feeling fearful, anxious, and/or confused. These negative feelings were associated with reduced knowledge of academic integrity and misconduct. Future research should further explore the experiences and emotions of international students related to academic integrity and misconduct to better understand the successes and challenges that they face in their postsecondary studies in Canada. Our findings have important implications for the delivery of academic integrity education, enhancing supports and resources, and refining academic integrity policies and procedures to improve the experience of students who come from abroad to study in Canada.