bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pilot‐scale photocatalytic detoxification and disinfection of hazardous medical wastewater
Authors: Berberidou Chrysanthi , Tsoumachidou Sophia , Paspaltsis Ioannis , Kitsiou Vasiliki , Kanata Eirini , Xanthopoulos Konstantinos , Sklaviadis Theodoros , Arsenakis Athansios , Poulios Ioannis
Published: May 2023

BACKGROUND

Treatment of liquid hazardous medical wastewater produced by healthcare laboratories is a global matter that has been inadequately addressed. In this study, the potential of heterogeneous and homogeneous photocatalytic oxidation to detoxify and disinfect such effluents was investigated. Experiments were performed using two toxic effluents and one of simultaneous toxic and infectious composition in pilot scale, in a novel photocatalytic inactivation system.

RESULTS

Photocatalytic experimental runs performed with both toxic effluents showed that photo‐Fenton‐assisted TiO2 photocatalytic oxidation under optimal conditions was the most efficient process among the tested ones, when the initial dissolved organic carbon values (DOC0) ranged from 100 to 1000 mg L−1. Furthermore, the potential of catalyst reuse was examined and verified for five sequential runs. Moreover, phytotoxicity was either eliminated or significantly reduced after photocatalytic processing under optimal conditions in the case of the second wastewater of toxic composition, while ecotoxicity showed a similar trend, highlighting the importance of extended mineralization for the removal of toxicity. The performance of the pilot photocatalytic inactivation system concerning the inactivation of bio‐pollutants was tested on five different types of microbes. Four of them were completely inactivated in relatively short periods, while survival of the more resistant bacterial endospores was found to be decreased to >99% after 5 h of treatment.

CONCLUSION

Toxic and infectious hazardous medical effluents are highly recalcitrant targets in terms of mineralization, detoxification and inactivation. However, photocatalytic oxidation may serve as an efficient processing tool, providing alternative or complementary solutions to this highly challenging issue. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).
Reliability and validity of behavioral‐economic measures: A review and synthesis of discounting and demand
Authors: Miller Brandon P. , Reed Derek D. , Amlung Michael
Published: May 2023

This review sought to synthesize the literature on the reliability and validity of behavioral‐economic measures of demand and discounting in human research, introduce behavioral‐economic research methodologies for studying addictive behaviors, discuss gaps in the current literature, and review areas for future research. A total of 34 studies was included in this review. The discounting literature showed similar responding regardless of whether hypothetical or actual outcomes were used, though people tended to discount the outcome presented first more steeply, suggesting order effects. Although delay‐discounting measures seem to show temporal stability, exceptions were found for probability‐ and experiential‐discounting tasks. The demand literature also demonstrated similar responding regardless of outcome type; however, some demand indices showed exceptions. Randomized price sequences tended to show modest increases in Omax and α and modestly higher rates of inconsistent or nonsystematic responses compared with sequential price sequences. Demand indices generally showed temporal stability, although the stability was weaker the larger the time interval between test sessions. Future studies would benefit by examining addictive commodities beyond alcohol, nicotine, and money; examining temporal stability over longer time intervals; using larger delays in discounting tasks; and using larger sample sizes.
Odd edge‐colorings of subdivisions of odd graphs
Authors: Petruševski Mirko , Škrekovski Riste
Published: May 2023

An odd graph is a finite graph all of whose vertices have odd degrees. A graph is decomposable into odd subgraphs if its edge set can be partitioned into subsets each of which induces an odd subgraph of . The minimum value of for which such a decomposition of exists is the odd chromatic index, , introduced by Pyber. For every , the graph is said to be odd ‐edge‐colorable. Apart from two particular exceptions, which are, respectively, odd 5‐ and odd 6‐edge‐colorable, the rest of connected loopless graphs are odd 4‐edge‐colorable, and moreover one of the color classes can be reduced to size . In addition, it has been conjectured that an odd 4‐edge‐coloring with a color class of size at most 1 is always achievable. Atanasov et al. characterized the class of loopless subcubic graphs in terms of the value . In this paper, we extend their result to a characterization of all loopless subdivisions of odd graphs in terms of the value of the odd chromatic index. This larger class is of a particular interest as it collects all “least instances” of nonodd graphs. As a prelude to our main result, we show that every connected graph requiring the maximum number of four colors, becomes odd 3‐edge‐colorable after removing a certain edge. Thus, we provide support for the mentioned conjecture by proving it for all subdivisions of odd graphs. The paper concludes with few problems for possible further work.
Three‐component synthesis of arene‐linked pyrazolo[1,5‐a]pyrimidines
Authors: Ahmed Ahmed A. M. , Mekky Ahmed E. M. , Sanad Sherif M. H.
Published: May 2023

In this study, we aimed to establish an efficient method for synthesizing two new series of arene‐linked pyrazolo[1,5‐a]pyrimidines. This was achieved by reacting 1H‐pyrazole‐3,5‐diamines with the respective acetophenones and benzaldehydes in a 1:1:1 ratio. To optimize this three‐component reaction, various bases, and solvents were investigated. Use of two equivalents of KOH in ethanol at reflux for 4–6 h resulted in 89%–96% yields of the desired products. Structure of new products was elucidated by considering their elemental and spectral data.
Interference of cardiac implantable electronic devices and computed tomography imaging in the current era with a phantom model
Authors: Ideishi Akihito , Yamagata Kenichiro , Nishii Tatsuya , Miyanooi Hideto , Miyazaki Yuichiro , Wakamiya Akinori , Shimamoto Keiko , Ueda Nobuhiko , Nakajima Kenzaburo , Wada Mitsuru , Kamakura Tsukasa , Ishibashi Kohei , Inoue Yuko , Miyamoto Koji , Noda Takashi , Nagase Satoshi , Aiba Takeshi , Kusano Kengo
Published: May 2023

Introduction

Cardiac implantable electronic devices are used in patients with cardiac rhythm disorders. Computed tomography irradiation is not prohibited for patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices, despite adverse events being reported. Hence, appropriate preparation and knowledge are required before computed tomography irradiation can be carried out in these patients. Since there is limited knowledge or literature about the influence of computed tomography irradiation in cases with recent cardiac implantable electronic devices, we aimed to evaluate the adverse events and elucidate the necessary and sufficient safety measures associated with this therapy.

Methods and Results

We placed cardiac implantable electronic devices on an anthropomorphic phantom model and observed their electrical activity in electrograms, while various protocols of computed tomography irradiation were implemented and adverse events evaluated. Oversensing with pauses of up to 3.2 s was observed in standard computed tomography protocols, but ventricular tachyarrhythmia or other clinically significant events could not be confirmed. Oversensing with pauses of up to 8.0 s was observed and ventricular tachyarrhythmia was detected in the maximum‐dose protocols. However, treatments such as antitachycardia pacing or shock therapy for ventricular tachyarrhythmia were not observed because of their absence.

Conclusion

Computed tomography irradiation for patients using cardiac implantable electronic devices is highly unlikely to cause clinically significant adverse events with the device settings and computed tomography protocols currently being used. Changing or monitoring the device settings routinely before computed tomography irradiation is not necessarily required for most patients.
On the varied impact of the Storegga tsunami in northwest Scotland
Authors: Woodroffe Sarah A. , Hill Jon , Bustamante‐Fernandez Emmanuel , Lloyd Jerry M. , Luff Jake , Richards Sarah , Shennan Ian
Published: May 2023

In this paper we evaluate new data and those from previous studies in northwest Scotland and perform a modelling study to test the hypothesis that the Storegga tsunami (submarine slope failure off the continental shelf of Central Norway dated to 8120–8175 bp) impacted this region. The model used is a 2D non‐linear, non‐conservative, Shallow Water Equation solver incorporating inundation and realistic glacial isostatic adjustment‐corrected palaeobathymetry, with horizontal resolution down to 30 m at sites of interest. The 15 coastal study sites analysed range from south of the Isle of Skye to Assynt. We predict run‐up between 2.7 and 9.4 m above contemporaneous mean tide level across the region, with the highest on the west coast of the Outer Hebrides, the east coast of Skye and at the head of long sea lochs east of Skye. We re‐evaluate evidence from previously studied open coastal marshes, isolation basins and barrier locations for the tsunami and suggest that in many locations the Storegga tsunami is the most likely cause of erosion, deposition and changes in microfossil assemblages in the early Holocene. The predictions of wave height and inundation produced by the tsunami modelling fit well with the range of available field evidence in the region. We predict significant wave heights at least as far south as Mull on the west coast.
WALKING THE LEADERSHIP TIGHTROPE
Authors: Cherches Todd
Published: May 2023

The author, the CEO of a management consulting firm, explains his concept of “Visual Leadership” also expressed as “VisuaLeadership.” He describes it as “one of the most effective ways to think, to communicate, to connect, to coach, and to lead is via the use of visual imagery and visual language. This could include anything from pictures and props to mental models, metaphors, and stories.” He employs as example and metaphor the tightrope walking of Nik Wallenda’s famous 2013 Grand Canyon wire‐walk. He outlines in more detail ten concepts, which in his words are 1. You’re not alone up there; 2. Know who to listen to—and when; 3. There are people rooting for you… to fall; 4. Don’t look down, and don’t look back; 5. Stop and catch your breath occasionally; 6. Keep your eyes on the prize; 7. Confidence is key; 8. Don’t start with the Grand Canyon; 9. Practice, Practice, Practice; 10. Don’t Forget to Reflect, Celebrate, and Share the Success. For instance, with the latter: “Too often, we move on to the next challenge before making the time and taking the time to reflect on and to celebrate our accomplishments…along with recognizing the contributions of the people who helped us along the way.”
THE SLOW LANE: MOVEMENTS FOR SOCIAL PROGRESS
Authors: Haselmayer Sascha
Published: May 2023

The author, a seasoned social entrepreneur who is based in Berlin and works for Ashoka Innovators for the Public, writes about his concept of the Slow Lane, and how it contrasts with quick fixes, which he feels mostly do not work and can be destructive. He points to slow lane effectiveness in the wake of the 2007–2008 global financial crisis, and the subsequent strength of decisions taken by the Spanish government. He also describes the slow lane economic triumphs of Iceland. “Slowing down to listen,” he writes, “helped Iceland not only lower the pain for citizens, but it also delivered a much faster recovery. I like to think of this as the dividend of slowness.” There are also smaller examples, such as the nonprofit User Voice at “Pentonville Prison, a notorious prison in London.” The organization “brings ex‐offenders into prisons, to find out what prisoners really need.” The author delineates five slow lane principles, which in his words are 1. Hold the urgency; 2. Listen; 3. Share the agency; 4. Nurture curiosity; 5. Use technology as an enabler. He concludes that the slow lane is “a space of creativity, activism, and entrepreneurship that serves as our repository of social imagination.”
NO GOING BACK: IT iS TIME TO ACCELERATE ORGANIZATION CULTURE CHANGE
Authors: Miller Frederick A. , Katz Judith H.
Published: May 2023

The authors, who have significant experience in Organization Development/OD, write about the unprecedented need for organizations to “change faster!” This situation has been brought on by the pandemic, which “accelerated many of the changes that have been underway or talked about for years.” This has major implications for how organizations treat their employees, and how those employees can carry out their work most effectively. “The work contract between the individual and their employer,” according to the authors, “was under pressure to be more favorable to employees, once again the pandemic said, go faster.” They note that this is happening not just in the corporate sectors, but everywhere. They caution that “the need today is to give these current opportunities and challenges your best thinking and act as fast as possible to respond to today’s situations.” They delineate “five key areas of change,” which in their words are: 1. Listening and Curiosity Become Core Competencies; 2. The “Employee” Centric Workplace is Happening; 3. Defining and Repurposing the Workplace for Today’s Reality; 4. Diversity of Thought and an Inclusive Culture Wins! 5. Creating the Glue for a Community of Effort. As the authors point out, “It is time to redefine, repurpose, and recreate the organization.”
THE IMPORTANCE OF A TAILORED HYBRID WORK MODEL DECISION FRAMEWORK FOR DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND ROLES
Authors: Tsipursky Gleb
Published: May 2023

The author, CEO of the boutique future‐of‐work consultancy Disaster Avoidance Experts, explains how executives can help making decisions in today’s fluid and often‐confusing world of hybrid work. He points to examples of organizations he has worked with, and research carried out by others on the topic. He outlines the need for a “customized approach, dependent on the job function and nature of collaboration between team members within each one.” These changes have been accelerated due to the pandemic, but now executives must plan for new realities in which these changes, once thought to be temporary, are fast‐becoming the norm. “The basis for the decision framework,” he writes, “centers around two distinct questions. First, what kind of work is best done remotely, and what in the office? Second, what type of work is done in each department and by different roles within them?” These ideas prompt thoughts such as what becomes the role of areas such as spontaneity, and chance in‐encounters that can fuel productivity and creativity. He writes that “one of the key challenges of maintaining company culture for remote or hybrid workers is the decrease in cross‐functional weak connections across staff. This loss of connections can negatively impact long‐term company success, since achieving organizational goals often requires cross‐functional collaboration.”
PROTACs: A novel strategy for cancer drug discovery and development
Authors: Han Xin , Sun Yi
Published: May 2023

Proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) technology has become a powerful strategy in drug discovery, especially for undruggable targets/proteins. A typical PROTAC degrader consists of three components: a small molecule that binds to a target protein, an E3 ligase ligand (consisting of an E3 ligase and its small molecule recruiter), and a chemical linker that hooks first two components together. In the past 20 years, we have witnessed advancement of multiple PROTAC degraders into the clinical trials for anticancer therapies. However, one of the major challenges of PROTAC technology is that only very limited number of E3 ligase recruiters are currently available as E3 ligand for targeted protein degradation (TPD), although human genome encodes more than 600 E3 ligases. Thus, there is an urgent need to identify additional effective E3 ligase recruiters for TPD applications. In this review, we summarized the existing RING‐type E3 ubiquitin ligase and their small molecule recruiters that act as effective E3 ligands of PROTAC degraders and their application in anticancer drug discovery. We believe that this review could serve as a reference in future development of efficient E3 ligands of PROTAC technology for cancer drug discovery and development.
A Reflection on Motor Overflow, Mirror Phenomena, Synkinesia and Entrainment
Authors: Quattrone Andrea , Latorre Anna , Magrinelli Francesca , Mulroy Eoin , Rajan Roopa , Neo Ray Jen , Quattrone Aldo , Rothwell John C. , Bhatia Kailash P.
Published: May 2023

In patients with movement disorders, voluntary movements can sometimes be accompanied by unintentional muscle contractions in other body regions. In this review, we discuss clinical and pathophysiological aspects of several motor phenomena including mirror movements, dystonic overflow, synkinesia, entrainment and mirror dystonia, focusing on their similarities and differences. These phenomena share some common clinical and pathophysiological features, which often leads to confusion in their definition. However, they differ in several aspects, such as the body part showing the undesired movement, the type of this movement (identical or not to the intentional movement), the underlying neurological condition, and the role of primary motor areas, descending pathways and inhibitory circuits involved, suggesting that these are distinct phenomena. We summarize the main features of these fascinating clinical signs aiming to improve the clinical recognition and standardize the terminology in research studies. We also suggest that the term “mirror dystonia” may be not appropriate to describe this peculiar phenomenon which may be closer to dystonic overflow rather than to the classical mirror movements.
Characterization of a diode dosimeter for UHDR FLASH radiotherapy
Authors: Rahman Mahbubur , Kozelka Jakub , Hildreth Jeff , Schönfeld Andreas , Sloop Austin M. , Ashraf M. Ramish , Bruza Petr , Gladstone David J. , Pogue Brian W. , Simon William E. , Zhang Rongxiao
Published: May 2023

Background

Ultra‐high dose rate (UHDR) FLASH beams typically deliver dose at rates of  >40 Gy/sec. Characterization of these beams with respect to dose, mean dose rate, and dose per pulse requires dosimeters which exhibit high temporal resolution and fast readout capabilities.

Purpose

A diode EDGE Detector with a newly designed electrometer has been characterized for use in an UHDR electron beam and demonstrated appropriateness for UHDR FLASH radiotherapy dosimetry.

Methods

Dose linearity, mean dose rate, and dose per pulse dependencies of the EDGE Detector were quantified and compared with dosimeters including a W1 scintillator detector, radiochromic film, and ionization chamber that were irradiated with a 10 MeV UHDR beam. The dose, dose rate, and dose per pulse were controlled via an in‐house developed scintillation‐based feedback mechanism, repetition rate of the linear accelerator, and source‐to‐surface distance, respectively. Depth‐dose profiles and temporal profiles at individual pulse resolution were compared to the film and scintillation measurements, respectively. The radiation‐induced change in response sensitivity was quantified via irradiation of ∼5kGy.

Results

The EDGE Detector agreed with film measurements in the measured range with varying dose (up to 70 Gy), dose rate (nearly 200 Gy/s), and dose per pulse (up to 0.63 Gy/pulse) on average to within 2%, 5%, and 1%, respectively. The detector also agreed with W1 scintillation detector on average to within 2% for dose per pulse (up to 0.78 Gy/pulse). The EDGE Detector signal was proportional to ion chamber (IC) measured dose, and mean dose rate in the bremsstrahlung tail to within 0.4% and 0.2% respectively. The EDGE Detector measured percent depth dose (PDD) agreed with film to within 3% and per pulse output agreed with W1 scintillator to within −6% to +5%. The radiation‐induced response decrease was 0.4% per kGy.

Conclusions

The EDGE Detector demonstrated dose linearity, mean dose rate independence, and dose per pulse independence for UHDR electron beams. It can quantify the beam spatially, and temporally at sub millisecond resolution. It's robustness and individual pulse detectability of treatment deliveries can potentially lead to its implementation for in vivo FLASH dosimetry, and dose monitoring.
Metabolic consequences of gender‐affirming hormone therapy in transgender adult persons
Authors: Vloemans Nadia , Al‐Mrayat Ma'en
Published: May 2023

As more individuals seek to align their physical characteristics with their gender identity, transgender health care is a growing medical field which is no longer the remit of a few selected clinicians. Gender‐affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) is a mainstay treatment in gender reassignment and its medium‐ to long‐term metabolic sequelae are gradually emerging. Although hampered by the scarcity of prospective controlled studies involving large diverse cohorts, evidence suggests a potential adverse impact for at least some cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. If left unmanaged, this could manifest in a higher CVD events rate for this treatment group. Increased vigilance and awareness among health care professionals about the consequential risks of GAHT are important for proactive mitigation of this. Copyright © 2023 John Wiley & Sons.
Gender diversity, inclusive innovation and firm performance
Authors: del Mar Fuentes‐Fuentes Mª , Quintana‐García Cristina , Marchante‐Lara Macarena , Benavides‐Chicón Carlos G.
Published: May 2023

This study delves into intra‐organizational dimensions that might impact inclusive innovation. Based on the expectation states theory, we explore how gender diversity in management positions and on the board of directors affects inclusive innovation. Furthermore, drawing on the signaling theory, we examine the relationship between inclusive innovation and a firm's performance. Using a comprehensive panel data of European manufacturing companies for a period of 10 years, we provide evidence that gender diversity in management positions and the presence of at least one woman on the board of directors have a positive effect on inclusive innovation. Our results also reveal the economic value of such strategy, showing that inclusive innovation positively influences performance. Implications for theory and managerial practice are discussed.
States of faḍl or stating faḍl: On the value of indebtedness for Iraqi exiles in Jordan
Authors: Majeed Abdulla
Published: May 2023

A condition of excess characterizes Iraqi exiles' everyday life in Jordan: excesses of waiting and anticipation, bureaucratic work, and aspirations for future benevolent governance. To grapple with this excess, they have had to develop strategies that render their lives in exile more manageable. Despite being hosted as “guests” of the Hashemite monarchy—an ambitious status evoking notions of pan‐Arab solidarity and Arab traditions of hospitality—this status does not guarantee or grant them access to substantive citizenship rights. In light of this, Iraqi exiles who arrived in Jordan following the US‐led invasion of Iraq in 2003 have often found themselves dependent on potentially injurious ways to navigate their presence. One of these strategies are relations and practices of faḍl, a form of exchange governed by a foreclosure of reciprocity and necessity of public recognition. Based on ethnographic fieldwork among what I refer to as the Iraqi exilic milieu in Jordan, this article examines how, in the absence and denial of expected forms of exchange, the circulation of stately faḍl and its cooptation by ordinary people articulate new notions and practices of valuable yet nevertheless wounding citizenship.
Taxation and the Polanyian forms of integration in socialist and postsocialist Hungary
Authors: Hann Chris
Published: May 2023

Reciprocity, redistribution, and (market) exchange were the “forms of integration” put forward by Karl Polanyi as a “special tool box” to investigate relations between economy and society where the principle of price‐forming markets is not (yet) dominant. Though intended as the basis for a comparative alternative to the universalist assumptions of mainstream (neoclassical) economics, Polanyi did not make significant use of these concepts to analyze the noncapitalist societies of his day. This article investigates his Hungarian homeland, which in four decades of socialism evolved from Stalinist central planning to a mixed economy in which (re)distribution was supplemented by the expansion of market exchange, with personal taxation playing a negligible role. The constellation of (re)distribution and market has changed significantly in the postsocialist (neoliberal) era, but Scandinavian‐type societal reciprocity has remained elusive. Long after admission to the European Union, Hungarian fiscal and social policy regimes are distinctive as the market form of integration combines with low taxation and political interventions to (re)distribute resources (including transfer income from the EU) to support the formation of a national bourgeoisie. Theoretically, the perspective of the socialist Karl Polanyi is contrasted with that of the liberal institutionalist economist János Kornai.
The value of values: Sufficiency among single‐person businesses in the United States
Authors: Rivers Dawn R.
Published: May 2023

According to the cultural consensus model of business ownership in the United States, business entities seek to grow both in organization size and in revenues. To borrow the framing used by Patrick Bigger and Morgan Robertson (2017), business firms create value for their owners and/or shareholders through growth and maximization of profit, but the underlying societal value of business growth is the foundational semiotic value of the orderly conduct of US society, which, it could be argued, flows from the moralized, economic value (Braverman, [1974] 1998) of human material well‐being. In this article, I examine nonemployer (single‐person) businesses in the context of the economic values of capitalism and the fundamental societal values underlying the capitalist values. In doing so, I ask: What is the noneconomic value contributed to the United States by its 27 million nonemployer business firms? What value does the operation of a nonemployer business firm offer to its owner? My research suggests that nonemployer business firms, through practices of sufficiency, create both economic and social value for their owners. Their foundational societal semiotic value is self‐produced, material self‐sufficiency, which flows from the almost‐mythically American values of independence, freedom, and humility.
Recent Advances, Challenges, and Future Perspectives of ZnO Nanostructure Materials Towards Energy Applications
Authors: Saeed Mohsin , Marwani Hadi M. , Shahzad Umer , Asiri Abdullah M. , Rahman Mohammed M.
Published: May 2023

In this approach, zinc oxide (ZnO) is a multipurpose substance with remarkable characteristics such as high sensitivity, a large specific area, non‐toxicity, excellent compatibility, and a high isoelectric point, which make it attractive for discussion with some limitations. It is the most favorable possible option for the collection of nanostructures in terms of structure and their characteristics. The development of numerous ZnO nanostructure‐based electrochemical sensors and biosensors used in health diagnosis, pharmaceutical evaluation, food hygiene, and contamination of the environment monitoring is described, as well as the production of ZnO nanostructures. Nanostructured ZnO has good chemical and temperature durability as an n‐type semiconducting material, making it useful in a wide range of uses, from luminous materials to supercapacitors, batteries, solar cells, photocatalysis, biosensors, medicinal devices, and more. When compared to the bulk materials, the nanosized materials have both a higher rate of disintegration and a higher solubility. Furthermore, ZnO nanoparticles are regarded as top contenders for electrochemical sensors due to their strong electrochemical behaviors and electron transmission characteristics. The impact of many factors, including selectivity, sensitivity, detection limit, strength, and structures, arrangements, and their respective functioning processes, has been investigated. This study concentrated a substantial amount of its attention on the recent advancements that have been made in ZnO‐based nanoparticles, composites, and modified materials for use in the application areas of energy storage and conversion devices as well as biological applications. Supercapacitors, Li‐ion batteries, dye‐sensitized solar cells, photocatalysis, biosensors, medicinal, and biological systems have been studied. ZnO‐based materials are constantly analyzed for their advantages in energy and life science applications.
E-Cigarettes and the Burdens of History: Children, Bystanders and the American War on Nicotine
Authors: Bayer Ronald , Fairchild Amy L.
Published: May 2023

Although e-cigarettes arrived on the American market in 2006, they remained unregulated at the federal level until 2022, when the Food and Drug Administration issued an order that JUUL, which once commanded some 75 per cent of the vaping market be removed from the American market. The period between introduction of e-cigarettes and FDA regulation was marked by fierce debate as states and cities sought to fill the regulatory void. Proponents of e-cigarettes embraced a harm reduction perspective, seeing in the new products a safer albeit not safe alternative to combustible cigarettes. Yet virtually the entire American public health establishment asserted that e-cigarettes threatened the 40-year effort to bring smoking to an end. In the battles over evidence and ethics, adolescents and non-vaping bystanders, as opposed to smokers, emerged as focus of concern.
Scope for Agency
Authors: Kvalnes Øyvind
Published: May 2023

This chapter presents scope for agency as the fourth of five qualities that characterises well-functioning communication climates. Human agency engages with the past, responds to the present, and is directed towards the future. When individuals face situations where a verbal initiative can make a positive difference, their agency is formed by routines and scripts developed in the past and their plans, desires, and wishes for the future. Roald Nygård’s distinction between agent and pawn helps to clarify how self-understanding among group members can affect their decision-making and behaviour in critical quality moments. Scope for agency means that group members can provide constructive verbal responses to events that deviate from established routines and scripts.
Communication Ethics
Authors: Kvalnes Øyvind
Published: May 2023

Freedom of speech and speech responsibility are the two main concepts of communication ethics. The former addresses people’s freedom to say what they want or to remain silent, while the latter concerns the responsibilities people may have for speaking up and for the consequences of saying something or remaining silent. The traditions of consequentialist ethics and duty ethics provide conflicting normative advice about how to cope with communication dilemmas, where the alternatives can be to prioritise outcomes (the good) or conduct (the right). This chapter uses examples of decisions regarding transparency or secrecy about confidential information and i-deals at work to illustrate ethical challenges and dilemmas regarding communication.
The Invisible Gorilla
Authors: Kvalnes Øyvind
Published: May 2023

The invisible gorilla experiment demonstrates that people can be blind to aspects of a situation even when such aspects are placed well within their field of vision. Inattention blindness can be an obstacle to spotting important aspects of ongoing projects and workplace processes. People tend to see what is in front of them only if they deliberately direct their attention towards it, which means they can be blind to ethical and other questionable aspects of their work. A significant purpose of having a well-functioning communication climate is to make identifying and speaking up about invisible gorillas the norm. Newcomers in an organisation can be a phenomenal resource in spotting and drawing attention to blind spots. They see things differently because they have not yet been socialised into observing the environment in the same way as everyone else in the workplace.
Blind Spots
Authors: Kvalnes Øyvind
Published: May 2023

The Johari Window is a figure Luft and Ingham (Human Relations Training News 5:6–7, 1961) developed to stimulate self-awareness and examine social relations. It distinguishes between aspects of a person’s attitudes, behaviours, and habits known and unknown to a person and to others. The most interesting quadrant in the Johari Window from a communication climate perspective is the blind spot. There we find the aspects that are unknown to a person but known to others. The communication climate at work affects the time it takes for information to move from the blind spot into the arena, where it is known both to the person and to others. The figure can also be applied more broadly to what goes on in the workplace or in a particular project. The information about the progress and obstacles in a project should be in the arena but may be hidden away in one of the other three quadrants of the Johari Window for various reasons.
Help
Authors: Kvalnes Øyvind
Published: May 2023

The communication climate at work is put to the test when people contemplate seeking or offering help. These can be critical quality moments. A silence mystery can occur when employees refrain from seeking help even when help is at hand and they are struggling to cope on their own. The social cost of admitting they are unable to manage on their own can lead them to keep silent. They take pride in being independent of others, and they are reluctant to admit their limitations. The reasons people remain bystanders and do not offer help when they witness colleagues who clearly need it can also be a silence mystery. Breaking the silence in both domains can mobilise positive behaviours of helping and supporting others that in turn influence the helping and supporting behaviours of others.
Tolerance for False Alarms
Authors: Kvalnes Øyvind
Published: May 2023

This chapter introduces the second of five qualities inherent in well-functioning and productive communication climates: tolerance for false alarms. It draws a distinction between active and passive speech mistakes, or between saying something that should have remained unsaid and refraining from saying something that should have been said. In organisations, fear of sounding a false alarm can cause people to remain silent in situations where voicing a concern could make a positive difference. A tolerance for false alarms at work can create a platform for constructive initiatives in critical quality moments.
Psychological Safety
Authors: Kvalnes Øyvind
Published: May 2023

Research on organisational life widely uses the concept of psychological safety to describe the circumstances under which people sense they can take interpersonal risks and challenge assumptions and beliefs in the group to which they belong. Here, I introduce it to describe one of the five qualities found in well-functioning communication climates. High levels of psychological safety indicate that people can express their disagreement with other group members without fear of repercussions. Individuals may have different perceptions of the psychological safety in the group, and some group members may act and speak in ways that weaken other members’ safety.
Einleitung
Authors: Becker-Hingst Nadine
Published: May 2023

Im Jahr 2004 veröffentlichte Morley im Journal of Gerontology eine Auflistung von Erkrankungen, die im Bereich der Gerontopsychiatrie und -psychotherapie für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Praxis in den kommenden Jahren eine relevante Rolle spielen sollten. Das Krankheitsbild der Depression nahm, nach den dementiellen Erkrankungen, Platz 2 ein. Die Relevanz und das Interesse an dem Thema sind berechtigt.
Maturation of trauma systems in Europe
Authors: Scharringa Samantha , Dijkink Suzan , Krijnen Pieta , Schipper Inger B.
Published: May 2023

Purpose

To provide an overview of trauma system maturation in Europe.

Methods

Maturation was assessed using a self-evaluation survey on prehospital care, facility-based trauma care, education/training, and quality assurance (scoring range 3–9 for each topic), and key infrastructure elements (scoring range 7–14) that was sent to 117 surgeons involved in trauma, orthopedics, and emergency surgery, from 24 European countries. Average scores per topic were summed to create a total score on a scale from 19 to 50 per country. Scores were compared between countries and between geographical regions, and correlations between scores on different sections were assessed.

Results

The response rate was 95%. On the scale ranging from 19 to 50, the mean (SD, range) European trauma system maturity score was 38.5 (5.6, 28.2–48.0). Prehospital care had the highest mean score of 8.2 (0.5, 6.9–9.0); quality assurance scored the lowest 5.9 (1.7, 3.2–8.5). Facility-based trauma care was valued 6.9 (1.4, 4.1–9.0), education and training 7.0 (1.2, 5.2–9.0), and key infrastructure elements 10.3 (1.6, 7.6–13.5). All aspects of trauma care maturation were strongly correlated (r > 0.6) except prehospital care. End scores of Northern countries scored significantly better than Southern countries (p = 0.03).

Conclusion

The level of development of trauma care systems in Europe varies greatly. Substantial improvements in trauma systems in several European countries are still to be made, especially regarding quality assurance and key infrastructure elements, such as implementation of a lead agency to oversee the trauma system, and funding for growth, innovation and research.
Sublinear scalarizations for proper and approximate proper efficient points in nonconvex vector optimization
Authors: García-Castaño Fernando , Melguizo-Padial Miguel Ángel , Parzanese G.
Published: May 2023

We show that under a separation property, a $${{{\mathcal {Q}}}}$$
Q
-minimal point in a normed space is the minimum of a given sublinear function. This fact provides sufficient conditions, via scalarization, for nine types of proper efficient points; establishing a characterization in the particular case of Benson proper efficient points. We also obtain necessary and sufficient conditions in terms of scalarization for approximate Benson and Henig proper efficient points. The separation property we handle is a variation of another known property and our scalarization results do not require convexity or boundedness assumptions.
Transverse Domain Walls in Thin Ferromagnetic Strips
Authors: Morini M. , Muratov C. B. , Novaga M. , Slastikov V. V.
Published: May 2023

We present a characterization of the domain wall solutions arising as minimizers of an energy functional obtained in a suitable asymptotic regime of the micromagnetics for infinitely long thin film ferromagnetic strips in which the magnetization is forced to lie in the film plane. For the considered energy, we provide the existence, uniqueness, monotonicity, and symmetry of the magnetization profiles in the form of 180 $$^\circ $$

∘

and 360 $$^\circ $$

∘

walls. We also demonstrate how this energy arises as a $$\Gamma $$
Γ
-limit of the reduced two-dimensional thin film micromagnetic energy that captures the non-local effects associated with the stray field, and characterize its respective energy minimizers.
Decay of Skin-Specific Gene Modules in Pangolins
Authors: Pinto Bernardo , Valente Raul , Caramelo Filipe , Ruivo Raquel , Castro L. Filipe C.
Published: May 2023

The mammalian skin exhibits a rich spectrum of evolutionary adaptations. The pilosebaceous unit, composed of the hair shaft, follicle, and the sebaceous gland, is the most striking synapomorphy. The evolutionary diversification of mammals across different ecological niches was paralleled by the appearance of an ample variety of skin modifications. Pangolins, order Pholidota, exhibit keratin-derived scales, one of the most iconic skin appendages. This formidable armor is intended to serve as a deterrent against predators. Surprisingly, while pangolins have hair on their abdomens, the occurrence of sebaceous and sweat glands is contentious. Here, we explore various molecular modules of skin physiology in four pangolin genomes, including that of sebum production. We show that genes driving wax monoester formation, Awat1/2, show patterns of inactivation in the stem pangolin branch, while the triacylglycerol synthesis gene Dgat2l6 seems independently eroded in the African and Asian clades. In contrast, Elovl3 implicated in the formation of specific neutral lipids required for skin barrier function is intact and expressed in the pangolin skin. An extended comparative analysis shows that genes involved in skin pathogen defense and structural integrity of keratinocyte layers also show inactivating mutations: associated with both ancestral and independent pseudogenization events. Finally, we deduce that the suggested absence of sweat glands is not paralleled by the inactivation of the ATP-binding cassette transporter Abcc11, as previously described in Cetacea. Our findings reveal the sophisticated and complex history of gene retention and loss as key mechanisms in the evolution of the highly modified mammalian skin phenotypes.
Caution: shortcomings of traditional segmentation methods from magnetic resonance imaging brain scans intended for 3-dimensional surface modelling in children with pathology
Authors: Chacko Anith , Schoeman Sean , Venkatakrishna Shyam Sunder B. , Bolton Samuel , Shearn Andrew I. U. , Andronikou Savvas
Published: May 2023

This technical innovation assesses the adaptability of some common automated segmentation tools on abnormal pediatric magnetic resonance (MR) brain scans. We categorized 35 MR scans by pathologic features: (1) “normal”; (2) “atrophy”; (3) “cavity”; (4) “other.” The following three tools, (1) Computational Anatomy Toolbox version 12 (CAT12); (2) Statistical Parametic Mapping version 12 (SPM12); and (3) MRTool, were tested on each scan—with default and adjusted settings. Success was determined by radiologist consensus on the surface accuracy. Automated segmentation failed in scans demonstrating severe surface brain pathology. Segmentation of the “cavity” group was ineffective, with success rates of 23.1% (CAT12), 69.2% (SPM12) and 46.2% (MRTool), even with refined settings and manual edits. Further investigation is required to improve this workflow and automated segmentation methodology for complex surface pathology.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Plastic Surgery Residents Across the World: A Country-, Region-, and Income-level Analysis
Authors: Karamitros Georgios , Kontoes Paraskevas , Wiedner Maria , Goulas Sofoklis
Published: May 2023

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has upended graduate medical education globally. We investigated the COVID-19 impact on learning inputs and expected learning outputs of plastic surgery residents across the world.

Methods

We administered an online survey capturing training inputs before and during the pandemic and retrieved residents’ expected learning outputs compared with residents who completed their training before COVID. The questionnaire reached residents across the world through the mobilization of national and international societies of plastic surgeons.

Results

The analysis included 412 plastic surgery residents from 47 countries. The results revealed a 44% decline (ranging from − 79 to 10% across countries) and an 18% decline (ranging from − 76 to across 151% countries) in surgeries and seminars, respectively, per week. Moreover, 74% (ranging from 0 to 100% across countries) and 43% (ranging from 0 to 100% across countries) of residents expected a negative COVID-19 impact on their surgical skill and scientific knowledge, respectively. We found strong correlations only between corresponding input and output: surgeries scrubbed in with surgical skill (ρ = −0.511 with p < 0.001) and seminars attended with scientific knowledge (ρ = − 0.274 with p = 0.006).

Conclusions

Our ranking of countries based on their COVID-19 impacts provides benchmarks for national strategies of learning recovery. Remedial measures that target surgical skill may be more needed than those targeting scientific knowledge. Our finding of limited substitutability of inputs in training suggests that it may be challenging to make up for lost operating room time with more seminars. Our results support the need for flexible training models and competency-based advancement.

Level of evidence V

This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors http://www.springer.com/00266.
First observations of Weddell seals foraging in sponges in Erebus Bay, Antarctica
Authors: Foster-Dyer Rose T. N. , Goetz Kimberly T. , Pinkerton Matthew H. , Iwata Takashi , Holser Rachel R. , Michael Sarah A. , Pritchard Craig , Childerhouse Simon , Rotella Jay , Federwisch Luisa , Costa Daniel P. , LaRue Michelle A.
Published: May 2023

Attaching cameras to marine mammals allows for first-hand observation of underwater behaviours that may otherwise go unseen. While studying the foraging behaviour of 26 lactating Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) in Erebus Bay during the austral spring of 2018 and 2019, we witnessed three adults and one pup investigating the cavities of Rossellidae glass sponges, with one seal visibly chewing when she removed her head from the sponge. To our knowledge, this is the first report of such behaviour. While the prey item was not identifiable, some Trematomus fish (a known Weddell seal prey) use glass sponges for shelter and in which to lay their eggs. Three of the four sponge foraging observations occurred around 13:00 (NZDT). Two of the three sponge foraging adults had higher-than-average reproductive rates, and the greatest number of previous pups of any seal in our study population, each having ten pups in 12 years. This is far higher than the study population average of three previous pups (± 2.6 SD). This novel foraging strategy may have evolved in response to changes in prey availability, and could offer an evolutionary advantage to some individuals that exploit prey resources that others may not. Our observations offer new insight into the foraging behaviours of one of the world’s most studied marine mammals. Further research on the social aspects of Weddell seal behaviour may increase our understanding of the extent and mechanisms of behavioural transfer between conspecifics. Research into the specific foraging behaviour of especially successful or experienced breeders is also warranted.