bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effectiveness of various biochar types in enhancing the phytoremediation of soils polluted with petroleum hydrocarbon
Authors: Umoren Abasiama Sunday , Mijinyawa Yahaya , Sridhar Mynepali , Bishoge Obadia
Published: April 2024

Background

Biochar can enhance phytoremediation in petroleum hydrocarbon polluted soils, making it an intriguing soil amendment option for remediating polluted soil. Biochar can improve the fertility of depleted soils through a range of mechanisms. This study can contribute valuable insights into the origin of biochar and enhance our understanding of the efficacy of different biochar types in remediating petroleum hydrocarbon polluted soils.

Aims

To assess the efficacy of different biochar types and plant growth in remediating petroleum hydrocarbon polluted soils.

Methods

A field experiment was conducted at the automobile workshop (commonly called mechanic village) from July to October 2021, using a randomized complete block design. The land was sectioned into designated plots with three replicates. Maize stalk biochar (MSB) and nipa palm biochar (NPB) were treated differently in each plot at a rate of 20 t ha−1. Plots containing no biochar were used as controls. Initial and final soil analyses were conducted.

Results

Preliminary soil assessments revealed higher values of soil bulk density (1.51 g cm−3), moisture content (35.02%), organic carbon (41.01 g kg−1), cation exchange capacity (13.27 cmol kg−1), total petroleum hydrocarbon content (PHCt) (775.83 mg kg−1), cadmium (Cd) (5.41 mg kg−1), chromium (Cr) (25 mg kg−1), lead (Pb) (33.51 mg kg−1), and zinc (Zn) (0.91 mg kg−1) in the polluted soil than in the unpolluted counterpart. The polluted soil displayed lower hydraulic conductivity (Ks) (1.17 cm h−1), available phosphorus (69.46 mg kg−1), manganese (Mn) (6.38 mg kg−1) and iron (Fe) (4.18 mg kg−1) contents than the unpolluted soil. The PHCt, Cd, and Cr were significantly decreased following the application of biochar. NPB recorded the lowest petroleum hydrocarbon (19%), lead (37%), manganese (57%), and zinc (69%) contents, whereas MSB had the lowest cadmium (50%) and chromium (27%) contents when compared with the control. Between heavy metal accumulations in the leaves and fruits, a greater accumulation of Cd, Cr, and Pb was found in the leaves, whereas Ni accumulation was found in the fruits. The highest Cd (47.0 mg kg−1) and Ni (8.3 mg kg−1) accumulations in the leaves were recorded in NPB treated plots. Similarly, Cd (5.3 mg kg−1), Cr (3.7 mg kg−1), Pb (21.6 mg kg−1), and Ni (23.4 mg kg−1) accumulation in the fruits recorded the highest values in the NPB treated plots. The NPB plants were the tallest compared with the other treatments. In addition, NPB plants had the widest leaf area compared with other treatments.

Conclusion

The results indicated that the amendment of NPB may be suitable for the phytoremediation of soils polluted with petroleum hydrocarbons.
Developing sensitized green fluorescence for efficient, stable narrowband organic light emitting diodes
Authors: Palanisamy Paramasivam , Kumar Odugu Pavan , Kim Hae Ung , Kwon Jang Hyuk
Published: April 2024

The thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) or phosphorescence‐sensitized organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) based on multi‐resonance TADF (MR‐TADF) emitters are greatly studied to develop an effective narrowband emitting system for wide color gamut display applications. However, developing pure green OLEDs to meet BT2020 and NTSC requirements is challenging. In this study, we investigated the TADF and phosphorescence‐sensitized OLEDs based on two green MR‐TADF final emitters, namely, BpIC‐DPA and BpIC‐Cz. The unique molecular structure of these emitters resulted in a pure green emission with narrow full width at half‐maximum (FWHM) and high PLQY in both solution and solid state. Notably, under optimal conditions, the BpIC‐Cz‐based OLEDs demonstrated a maximum external quantum efficiency (EQEmax) of 25.7% with alleviated efficiency roll‐off characteristics even at high luminescence (EQE5000 nits = 22.6%). The corresponding CIE coordinates are almost at the level of BT2020 and NTSC green‐color industrial standards. Additionally, the BpIC‐Cz‐based device displayed remarkable stability as seen by a noticeably longer device lifetime (LT90) of 25.3 h at a high initial luminance of 5000 nits.
Public enforcement and corporate maturity mismatch
Authors: Ye Yongwei , Yun Feng , Zhang Lei
Published: April 2024

The root of corporate maturity mismatch in developing economies may dwell in the fact that weak contract enforcement capacities suppress financial intermediates' willingness to supply long‐term credit. This study examines the impact of improvements in the legal enforcement environment on corporate maturity mismatch, focusing on the unique setting of China's free trade zones. Using data from non‐financial listed companies between 2010 and 2021, the study investigates how the establishment of FTZs, which signifies an improvement in contract enforcement efficiency, influences firms' financing decisions and maturity mismatch. We find that improvements in the contract enforcement environment significantly discipline the behavior of raising short‐term debt for long‐term investments. The effect is more pronounced for small‐to‐medium‐sized enterprises and non‐state‐owned enterprises, suggesting that such improvements alleviate ownership and size discrimination faced by firms. Mechanism test reveals that access to long‐term loans is the core mechanism. Besides, improvements in public enforcement reduce business risk and enhance firm performance. Strengthening the legal enforcement environment serves as a critical determinant to mitigate corporate maturity mismatch and foster sustained economic development.
Ultrasonic Shears Decrease Postoperative Hematomas in Head and Neck Microvascular Reconstruction
Authors: Danielian Arman , Razfar Ali , Labib Manwel T. , Seth Rahul , Nabili Vishad , Blackwell Keith E. , Kerr Rhorie P.R.
Published: April 2024

Objective

To evaluate postoperative hematoma and takeback rates in a large series of microvascular reconstructions. We sought to determine whether the use of ultrasonic shears reduced these rates.

Study Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

Tertiary referral hospital.

Methods

A total of 2288 patients undergoing free flap reconstruction for head and neck defects between 1995 and 2022 were reviewed. Patients undergoing dissection with and without ultrasonic shears were compared to determine postoperative hematoma and takeback rates.

Results

The overall hematoma rate was 1.3% (29/2288) for the entire cohort. The postoperative hematoma rates with and without ultrasonic shears were 0.63% (9/1418) and 2.3% (20/870), relative risk = 0.28, P = .0015. Of 870 patients undergoing surgery without ultrasonic shears, 14 (1.61%) were taken back to the operating room for control of bleeding compared to 8 of 1418 (0.56%) in the ultrasonic shears cohort.

Conclusion

Our large series of patients undergoing microvascular reconstruction shows a decrease in postoperative hematoma rate and takeback for bleeding with the adoption of ultrasonic shears. Ultrasonic shears are an effective tool that can help decrease perioperative morbidity secondary to hematoma after head and neck tumor resection and microvascular reconstruction.
Linking perceived job insecurity and work passion: The mediating role of mindful self‐care in academic staff
Authors: Elemo Aman S. , Ahmed Abdulatif H. , Kara Ergün
Published: April 2024

Self‐care is proactive action that involves a repertoire of practices aimed at developing, maintaining and improving physical health and mental well‐being. Although there is a growing number of studies on mindfulness in a variety of academic fields, there is a dearth of studies that look at academics' mindful self‐care in relation to job insecurity and work passion in the higher education institutions. This study aims to examine how job insecurity is related to academic staff's work passion in Ethiopia. It also looks at the role of mindful self‐care in lessening the impact of job insecurity. A cross‐sectional study was carried out, and snowball sampling was used to collect data from a total of 251 academics, ranging in age from 23 to 66 years, who voluntarily consented to participate in the self‐report survey. Job insecurity was inversely related to passion for work and mindful self‐care. Mindful self‐care was a mediator in the link between job insecurity and passion for work. The study encourages workplace mental health professionals to consider the role of mindful self‐care in their psychological intervention programs aimed at minimizing job insecurity and increasing passion for work.
Novel Azidobenzohydrazide Schiff Bases: Unveiling Effective Synthesis Strategy and Antimicrobial Efficacy Evaluation
Authors: Hamasharif Muslih S. , Rasul Braiem Rostam , Dilawer Issa Kovan , Erfan Omar Shahnaz , Amin Hawraz Ibrahim M.
Published: April 2024

Benzohydrazide analogues are interesting compounds in the field of pharmaceutical, medicinal chemistry, and coordination chemistry, since they are diverse in biological activities, and they are contributing in medicines and drugs. In the present paper, a series of 4‐azido‐N’‐(benzylidene)benzohydrazides have been synthesized with excellent yields via a four steps procedure from amino benzoic acid as the starting substrate. The products have been fully characterized and their antimicrobial activity evaluated by disc diffusion procedure. Notably, such compounds exhibits activity against gram‐positive and gram‐negative bacteria and fungi.
Chemical Reaction of FA Cations Enables Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Wang Baohua , Hui Wei , Zhao Qiangqiang , Zhang Yuezhou , Kang Xinxin , Li Maoxin , Gu Lei , Bao Yaqi , Su Jiacheng , Zhang Jie , Gao Xingyu , Pang Shuping , Song Lin
Published: April 2024

Organometal halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have received great attention owing to a rapid increase in power conversion efficiency (PCE) over the last decade. However, the deficit of long‐term stability is a major obstacle to the implementation of PSCs in commercialization. The defects in perovskite films are considered as one of the primary causes. To address this issue, isocyanic acid (HNCO) is introduced as an additive into the perovskite film, in which the added molecules form covalent bonds with FA cations via a chemical reaction. This chemical reaction gives rise to an efficient passivation on the perovskite film, resulting in an improved film quality, a suppressed non‐radiation recombination, a facilitated carrier transport, and optimization of energy band levels. As a result, the HNCO‐based PSCs achieve a high PCE of 24.41% with excellent storage stability both in an inert atmosphere and in air. Different from conventional passivation methods based on coordination effects, this work presents an alternative chemical reaction for defect passivation, which opens an avenue toward defect‐mitigated PSCs showing enhanced performance and stability.
Sonochemical Synthesis of Natural Polyphenolic Nanoparticles for Modulating Oxidative Stress
Authors: Wang Tianyou , Zhang Jianhua , Chen Zhan , Zhang Rong , Duan Gaigai , Wang Zhao , Chen Xianchun , Gu Zhipeng , Li Yiwen
Published: April 2024

Natural polyphenolic compounds play a vital role in nature and are widely utilized as building blocks in the fabrication of emerging functional nanomaterials. Although diverse fabrication methodologies are developed in recent years, the challenges of purification, uncontrollable reaction processes and additional additives persist. Herein, a modular and facile methodology is reported toward the fabrication of natural polyphenolic nanoparticles. By utilizing low frequency ultrasound (40 kHz), the assembly of various natural polyphenolic building blocks is successfully induced, allowing for precise control over the particle formation process. The resulting natural polyphenolic nanoparticles possessed excellent in vitro antioxidative abilities and in vivo therapeutic effects in typical oxidative stress models including wound healing and acute kidney injury. This study opens new avenues for the fabrication of functional materials from naturally occurring building blocks, offering promising prospects for future advancements in this field.
Significantly enhanced ion‐migration and sodium‐storage capability derived by strongly coupled dual interfacial engineering in heterogeneous bimetallic sulfides with densified carbon matrix
Authors: Zhao Wenxi , Ma Xiaoqing , Wang Guangzhao , Tan Linglin , Wang Xinqin , He Xun , Wang Yan , Luo Yongsong , Zheng Dongdong , Sun Shengjun , Liu Qian , Li Luming , Chu Wei , Sun Xuping
Published: April 2024

The development of highly efficient sodium‐ion batteries depends critically on the successful exploitation of advanced anode hosts that is capable of overcoming sluggish reaction kinetics while also withstanding severe structural deformation triggered by the large radius of Na+‐insertion. Herein, a hierarchically hybrid material with hetero‐Co3S4/NiS hollow nanosphere packaged into a densified N‐doped carbon matrix (Co3S4/NiS@N‐C) was designed and fabricated utilizing CoNi‐glycerate as the self‐sacrifice template, making the utmost of the synergistic effect of hetero‐Co3S4/NiS with strong electric field and rich reaction active‐sites together with the densified outer‐carbon scaffolds with remarkable electronic conductivity and robust mechanical toughness. As anticipated, as‐fabricated Co3S4/NiS@N‐C anode affords remarkable specific capacity, prolonged cycle lifespan up to 2 400 cycles with an only 0.05% fading each cycle at 20.0 A g−1, and excellent rate feature (354.9 mAh g−1 at 30.0 A g−1), one of the best performances for most existing Co3S4/NiS‐based anodes. Ex situ structural characterizations in tandem with theoretical analysis demonstrate the reversible insertion‐conversion mechanism of initially proceeding with Na+ de‐/intercalation and superior heterogeneous interfacial reaction behavior with strong Na+‐adsorption ability. Further, sodium‐ion full cell and hybrid capacitor based on Co3S4/NiS@N‐C anode exhibit impressive electrochemical characteristics on cycling performance and rate capability, showcasing its outstanding feasibility toward practical use.
Effect of Temperature on Calcium‐Based Chemical Garden Growth
Authors: Knoll Pamela , Loron Corentin C.
Published: April 2024

Hydrothermal vents maintain far‐from equilibrium conditions that may have provided the necessary settings for the origin of life. To understand reactions under these physicochemical conditions, scientists have turned to the classic demonstration experiment, chemical gardens. The self‐organization of precipitate tubes separates high and low pH environments similarly to the naturally occurring geological structures. Here, we report calcium‐based chemical gardens forming in solutions containing anions of silicate, carbonate, or a mixture of the two in 100 °C and 23 °C environments. Under high temperature conditions, chemical gardens tend to have faster average growth velocities and form taller structures. We measure the composition of the precipitate tubes using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and find the formation of all polymorphs of calcium carbonate along with calcium silicates.
Towards Autonomous Materials–Challenges in Chemical Communication
Authors: de Jong P. Jarne , Trigka Foteini , Lerch Michael M.
Published: April 2024

The front cover artwork is provided by the Lerch group at the Stratingh Institute for Chemistry at the University of Groningen, The Netherlands. The cover illustrates a robot communicating with surrounding entities using various (chemical) signals. Not all communication and signal processing are successful, hence the slight confusion on the robot′s face. The cover alludes to the breadth of and future challenges for chemical communication within autonomous materials and robots. Cover design by Dr. Kaja Sitkowska. Read the full text of the Concept at 10.1002/syst.202400005.
Community‐based rainwater harvesting management: A lesson from best rural practices
Authors: Vadikar Prashant
Published: April 2024

Water is human life's most important natural gift to achieve health and wealth. The study attempts to trace the rural community‐based best practices to achieve water harvesting through an explanatory research and survey method. The study realized that there are various practices for water conservation in rural communities, especially in hilly regions, which enjoy numerous benefits. India has community‐based practices, including Artificial Lakes, Pani‐kheti, Kuhls, and a bamboo‐based drip irrigation system. In this study, data were collected through a questionnaire, and the benefits of community‐based water management in Dang, a district of Gujrat, India, were assessed. The case studies have revealed how water problems have been solved through community participation. It can be seen from Dang's case studies, which are also in line with the reviews of related literature, that his efforts have only had some success. The rural people, predominantly tribal, are facing a resource crunch and water crisis, and through community partnership, they can achieve desirable outcomes with the government's support. The study found that rural people have achieved cost efficiency and revenue benefits from cooperative strategies.
Back to the Roots? The War in Ukraine and Grand Theories in International Relations
Authors: Costa Oriol , Martínez Blanc Carme
Published: April 2024

In the wake of the Cold War’s conclusion, grand theories faded out of scholarly debates on International Relations. A more eclectic attitude took hold of the discipline—the celebration of mid-level theories that hybridized themes and variables from different theoretical traditions, shedding light on specific phenomena. History had ended, and so had the clashes between different views as to what its basic mechanisms were. This chapter asks whether the full-fledged invasion of Ukraine by Russia, which has done so much to dispel the last remains of the post-Cold War environment, is fostering a return of grand theoretical approaches to IR. More specifically, we want to understand if there is a consistent realignment of authors along paradigmatic fault lines, and what patterns form from the collision and coalition of grand theories.
Topics
Authors: Moreno-Ortiz Antonio
Published: April 2024

This chapter focuses on topic modelling, i.e. the automatic extraction of topics or themes from a corpus. Topic modelling goes a step further than keywords in the automatic identification of the contents of a corpus. Two types of approaches are considered, discussed, and contrasted. On the one hand, those that I dub “traditional”, as illustrated by the LDA and NMF algorithms, and, on the other, embeddings-based approaches, which largely surpass the former in the quality of results. The weakest aspect of topic modelling tools in general is the lack actual labels for the extracted topics, since all they return is a set of loosely related keywords that collectively identify the topic. In the last experiment I describe an approach that uses the power of Large Language Models to effectively derive high-quality labels for the extracted topics.
Lessons Learned and Key Takeaways
Authors: Moreno-Ortiz Antonio
Published: April 2024

This short chapter discusses the most relevant concluding remarks and observations from the research put forward in the previous chapters, including those regarding sampling techniques, analysis methods of keywords, topics, sentiment, and hashtags. Given the large amount of information that this chapter summarizes, readers are asked to refer to the individual chapters that discuss each of these topics in depth.
A technical perspective on integrating artificial intelligence to solid-state welding
Authors: Yaknesh Sambath , Rajamurugu Natarajan , Babu Prakash K. , Subramaniyan Saravanakumar , Khan Sher Afghan , Saleel C. Ahamed , Nur-E-Alam Mohammad , Soudagar Manzoore Elahi Mohammad
Published: April 2024

The implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) techniques in industrial applications, especially solid-state welding (SSW), has transformed modeling, optimization, forecasting, and controlling sophisticated systems. SSW is a better method for joining due to the least melting of material thus maintaining Nugget region integrity. This study investigates thoroughly how AI-based predictions have impacted SSW by looking at methods like Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), Fuzzy Logic (FL), Machine Learning (ML), Meta-Heuristic Algorithms, and Hybrid Methods (HM) as applied to Friction Stir Welding (FSW), Ultrasonic Welding (UW), and Diffusion Bonding (DB). Studies on Diffusion Bonding reveal that ANN and Generic Algorithms can predict outcomes with an accuracy range of 85 – 99%, while Response Surface Methodology such as Optimization Strategy can achieve up to 95 percent confidence levels in improving bonding strength and optimizing process parameters. Using ANNs for FSW gives an average percentage error of about 95%, but using metaheuristics refined it at an incrementally improved accuracy rate of about 2%. In UW, ANN, Hybrid ANN, and ML models predict output parameters with accuracy levels ranging from 85 to 96%. Integrating AI techniques with optimization algorithms, for instance, GA and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) significantly improves accuracy, enhancing parameter prediction and optimizing UW processes. ANN’s high accuracy of nearly 95% compared to other techniques like FL and ML in predicting welding parameters. HM exhibits superior precision, showcasing their potential to enhance weld quality, minimize trial welds, and reduce costs and time. Various emerging hybrid methods offer better prediction accuracy.
Fast parametric analysis of trimmed multi-patch isogeometric Kirchhoff-Love shells using a local reduced basis method
Authors: Chasapi Margarita , Antolin Pablo , Buffa Annalisa
Published: April 2024

This contribution presents a model order reduction framework for real-time efficient solution of trimmed, multi-patch isogeometric Kirchhoff-Love shells. In several scenarios, such as design and shape optimization, multiple simulations need to be performed for a given set of physical or geometrical parameters. This step can be computationally expensive in particular for real world, practical applications. We are interested in geometrical parameters and take advantage of the flexibility of splines in representing complex geometries. In this case, the operators are geometry-dependent and generally depend on the parameters in a non-affine way. Moreover, the solutions obtained from trimmed domains may vary highly with respect to different values of the parameters. Therefore, we employ a local reduced basis method based on clustering techniques and the Discrete Empirical Interpolation Method to construct affine approximations and efficient reduced order models. In addition, we discuss the application of the reduction strategy to parametric shape optimization. Finally, we demonstrate the performance of the proposed framework to parameterized Kirchhoff-Love shells through benchmark tests on trimmed, multi-patch meshes including a complex geometry. The proposed approach is accurate and achieves a significant reduction of the online computational cost in comparison to the standard reduced basis method.
An algorithmic approach to scalp reconstructive surgery: maximization of cosmetic and functional outcomes
Authors: Mahmood Mustafa , Eisen Daniel
Published: April 2024

Background: Scalp reconstruction requires knowledge of scalp anatomy and reconstructive options. Advances in the field have led to numerous procedures being at the disposal of the reconstructive surgeon, expanding treatment options for patients. Objective: To provide an algorithmic approach and general guidelines to consider when deciding on which scalp surgery will optimize cosmetic and functional outcomes. Methods & materials: Previous literature was searched for the last 20 years to provide an updated guide. Results: Taking into consideration the location, size and local scalp anatomy of a presenting defect will lead to optimal surgical outcomes. Other confounding factors such as bone exposure and extremely large defects will affect decision making. An algorithmic approach has been provided in this review. Conclusion: While many reconstructive surgical options are available, the best ones will depend on individual presentation of scalp defects. Location and size are first line considerations while local scalp anatomy will allow for tailoring of reconstructive options. This will help to maximize cosmetic and aesthetic considerations.
Comparing the effects of argon plasma coagulation and interferon therapy in patients with vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia: a single-center retrospective study
Authors: Gao Yuan , Chu Weixin , Hou Lin , Cheng Junlan , Zhong Guyue , Xia Baoguo , Guo Li
Published: April 2024

Purpose

This study aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of argon plasma coagulation (APC) therapy and interferon therapy in patients with grade I and II vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia (VaIN).

Methods

A total of 112 patients with VaIN were diagnosed via colposcopy-induced biopsy and classified into the APC group (n = 77) and interferon group (n = 35). Clinical data including age, grade, symptoms, historical or concomitant neoplasia of the lower genital tract, indications for hysterectomy, pregnancy history, cytology, human papillomavirus (HPV) subtype, treatment modalities, and clinical outcomes were analyzed, retrospectively. Complications and clinical outcomes were assessed at 6- and 12-month follow-ups.

Results

There was no significant difference in the HPV clearance rate between the APC (53.42%) and interferon (33.33%) groups at 6 months after treatment. However, the 12-month follow-up of the APC group showed a significantly higher HPV clearance rate as compared to the interferon group (87.67% vs. 51.52%, P < 0.05). The APC group exhibited a significantly higher cure rate (79.22% vs. 40.0%) and lower persistence rate (12.99% vs. 37.14%) than the interferon group (P < 0.05). Adverse reaction analysis revealed that the primary reaction in the APC group was vaginal drainage, in contrast to the increased vaginal discharge in the interferon group; though the difference was significant (68.83% vs. 28.57%, P < 0.05), no serious complications were observed.

Conclusions

Treatment with APC is a safe and more effective procedure against VaIN I and II, compared to interferon. APC may serve as a viable alternative to other physiotherapies.
Incidence and clinical features of endometriosis in 2484 consecutive female patients undergoing appendectomy for suspected appendicitis—a retrospective analysis
Authors: Schrempf M. , Kirmair M.-A. , Mair A. , Hoffmann M. , Dannecker C. , Anthuber M. , Anthuber L.
Published: April 2024

Introduction

Endometriosis is a common condition affecting 5 to 10% of women of childbearing age. The true incidence of endometriosis of the appendix is currently unknown. Since symptoms often overlap with those of acute appendicitis, endometriosis of the appendix presents a diagnostic challenge in the emergency department.

This large retrospective study investigates the incidence and perioperative clinical, radiologic, and laboratory findings, as well as possible differences between patients with and without endometriosis.

Methods

Data from consecutive patients who underwent appendectomy for suspected appendicitis without a history of endometriosis were analyzed. Perioperative clinical, laboratory, perioperative, and histopathologic findings were compared between women with and without endometriosis.

Results

Between January 2008 and June 2023, 2484 consecutive patients without a history of endometriosis underwent urgent appendectomy for suspected appendicitis. Endometriosis was detected on histopathologic examination in 17 (0.7%) patients. Signs of appendicitis were found less frequently on ultrasound in the endometriosis group compared to the non-endometriosis group (23.4% vs. 61.5%; p = 0.002; OR = 0.193; 95% CI 0.063–0.593). There were no differences in physical examination findings, duration of symptoms, degree of inflammation, surgical outcomes, or complication rates.

Conclusion

The incidence of endometriosis of the appendix in patients undergoing appendectomy for suspected appendicitis was higher than suggested by data from autopsy series and populations with biopsy-proven endometriosis. Patients with endometriosis of the appendix were less likely to have a positive ultrasound finding, but perioperative and histopathologic findings and severity of inflammation did not differ from patients without endometriosis, presenting diagnostic challenges for clinicians.
Prognosis of Gleason score 8 prostatic adenocarcinoma in needle biopsies: a nationwide population-based study
Authors: Egevad Lars , Micoli Chiara , Delahunt Brett , Samaratunga Hemamali , Orrason Andri Wilberg , Garmo Hans , Stattin Pär , Eklund Martin
Published: April 2024

A 5-tier grouping of Gleason scores has recently been proposed. Studies have indicated prognostic heterogeneity within these groups. We assessed prostate cancer-specific mortality (PCSM) and all-cause mortality (ACM) for men diagnosed with Gleason score 3 + 5 = 8, 4 + 4 = 8 and 5 + 3 = 8 acinar adenocarcinoma on needle biopsy in a population-based national cohort. The Prostate Cancer data Base Sweden 5.0 was used for survival analysis with PCSM and ACM at 5 and 10 years as endpoints. Multivariable Cox regression models controlling for socioeconomic factors, stage and primary treatment type were used for PCSM and ACM. Among 199,620 men reported with prostate cancer in 2000–2020, 172,112 were diagnosed on needle biopsy. In 18,281 (11%), there was a Gleason score of 8 in needle biopsies, including a Gleason score of 3 + 5, 4 + 4 and 5 + 3 in 11%, 86% and 2.3%, respectively. The primary treatment was androgen deprivation therapy (55%), deferred treatment (8%), radical prostatectomy (16%) or radical radiotherapy (21%). PCSM in men with Gleason scores of 3 + 5, 4 + 4 and 5 + 3 at 5 years of follow-up was 0.10 (95% CI 0.09–0.12), 0.22 (0.22–0.23) and 0.32 (0.27–0.36), respectively, and at 10 years 0.19 (0.17–0.22), 0.34 (0.33–0.35) and 0.44 (0.39–0.49), respectively. There was a significantly higher PCSM after 5 and 10 years in men with Gleason score 5 + 3 cancers than in those with 4 + 4 and in Gleason score 4 + 4 cancers than in those with 3 + 5. Grouping of Gleason scores will eliminate the prognostic granularity of Gleason scoring, thus diminishing the prognostic significance of this proposed grading system.
Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome associated with antibiotic therapy: a case report and systematic review
Authors: Barba Lorenzo , Carrubba Carmelo , Spindler Kai , Weise Christopher M. , Sachs Torben , Foschi Matteo , D’Anna Lucio , Sehm Bernhard , Ibe Richard , Elolf Erck , Strauss Christian , Otto Markus , Mensch Alexander , Abu-Rumeileh Samir
Published: April 2024

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is an acute neurological condition associated with different etiologies, including antibiotic therapy. To date, most data regarding antibiotic-related PRES are limited to case reports and small case series. Here, we report a novel case description and provide a systematic review of the clinico-radiological characteristics and prognosis of available cases of PRES associated with antibiotic therapy. We performed a systematic literature search in PubMed and Scopus from inception to 10 January 2024, following PRISMA guidelines and a predefined protocol. The database search yielded 12 subjects (including our case). We described the case of a 55-year-old female patient with PRES occurring one day after administration of metronidazole and showing elevated serum neurofilament light chain protein levels and favorable outcome. In our systematic review, antibiotic-associated PRES was more frequent in female patients (83.3%). Metronidazole and fluoroquinolones were the most reported antibiotics (33.3% each). Clinical and radiological features were comparable to those of PRES due to other causes. Regarding the prognosis, about one third of the cases were admitted to the intensive care unit, but almost all subjects (90.0%) had a complete or almost complete clinical and radiological recovery after prompt cessation of the causative drug. Antibiotic-associated PRES appears to share most of the characteristics of classic PRES. Given the overall good prognosis of the disease, it is important to promptly diagnose antibiotic-associated PRES and discontinue the causative drug.
Cascadic degradation of selected polyolefin grades in a simulated closed-loop recycling process
Authors: Akhras Mohamad Hassan , Langwieser Johanna , Czaker Sandra , Felgel-Farnholz Alexander , Fischer Joerg
Published: April 2024

Reintroducing recycled plastics into production processes can lead to irreversible degradation and changes in their properties, thereby limiting their recycling potential to a finite number of loops. This study investigates the impact of process-induced degradation resulting from multiple reprocessing cycles on specific material properties and aims to establish structure–property relationships. Four different polyolefins, including two polypropylenes, high-density polyethylene, and low-density polyethylene, were selected for the study. The materials underwent extrusion, pelletizing, injection molding, and milling before being reintroduced into the reprocessing cycle. This sequence of processing steps was repeated six times on each material. Various characterization techniques, including high-temperature gel permeation chromatography, melt mass flow rate, parallel-plate rheology, differential scanning calorimetry, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, and optical defect control system, were performed to evaluate the molecular structure, rheological behavior, thermal stability, and the resulting contaminants and defects after each reprocessing step. The reprocessing of polypropylene resulted in a gradual decrease in the average molecular weights accompanied by a shift to lower viscosities and higher melt mass flow rates, whereas the polyethylene grades showed the opposite trend with a less pronounced effect in high-density polyethylene. The volatile organic compounds rose in polypropylene and sank in polyethylene after reprocessing. Additionally, all four materials exhibited an increase in degradation-related defects based on optical defect analysis.

Graphical abstract
Disentangled Variational Autoencoder for Social Recommendation
Authors: Zhang Yongshuai , Huang Jiajin , Yang Jian
Published: April 2024

Social recommendation aims to improve the recommendation performance by learning user interest and social representations from users’ interaction records and social relations. Intuitively, these learned representations entangle user interest factors with social factors because users’ interaction behaviors and social relations affect each other. A high-quality recommender system should provide items to a user according to his/her interest factors. However, most existing social recommendation models aggregate the two kinds of representations indiscriminately, and this kind of aggregation limits their recommendation performance. In this paper, we develop a model called Disentangled Variational autoencoder for Social Recommendation (DVSR) to disentangle interest and social factors from the two kinds of user representations. Firstly, we perform a preliminary analysis of the entangled information on three popular social recommendation datasets. Then, we present the model architecture of DVSR, which is based on the Variational AutoEncoder (VAE) framework. Besides the traditional method of training VAE, we also use contrastive estimation to penalize the mutual information between interest and social factors. Extensive experiments are conducted on three benchmark datasets to evaluate the effectiveness of our model.
Examining characteristics and sampling methods of phosphor dynamics in lowland catchments
Authors: Risch Henrike T. , Wagner Paul D. , Hörmann Georg , Fohrer Nicola
Published: April 2024

Despite over two decades since the EU Water Framework Directive have passed, achieving the desired water quality in German surface waters remains challenging, regardless of efforts to reduce phosphorus inputs and associated environmental impacts. This study aims at analyzing the characteristics governing the concentrations of four key water quality parameters (total phosphorus, orthophosphate, particulate phosphate, and suspended solids) in two lowland catchments: the 50 km2 catchment of the Kielstau, Germany, and its 7 km2 tributary, the Moorau, which are dominated by agricultural land use. To this end, different sampling methods, particularly high-resolution precipitation event-based sampling and daily mixed samples, are conducted and evaluated, and their effectiveness is compared. The identification of sources and characteristics that affect phosphorus and suspended sediment dynamics, both in general and specifically during heavy precipitation events, is one focus of the study. Over a 15-year period, increasing concentrations of these parameters were observed in daily mixed samples, exhibiting distinct seasonal patterns—higher in summer and lower in winter—consistent with lowland catchment behavior. Particularly during heavy precipitation events, the smaller catchment exhibits a more complex and less predictable response to chemical concentrations compared with the dilution effect observed in the larger catchment. The results underline the complexity of phosphorus dynamics in small catchments and emphasize the importance of event-based sampling for capturing short-term concentration peaks for all four parameters, particularly beneficial regarding measuring suspended solids. While daily mixed samples capture average phosphorus concentrations, event-based sampling is crucial for detecting short-term spikes, providing a more comprehensive understanding of phosphorus dynamics.
K-stability of Fano 3-folds of Picard rank 3 and degree 20
Authors: Denisova Elena
Published: April 2024

We prove K-stability of smooth Fano 3-folds of Picard rank 3 and degree 20 that satisfy very explicit generality condition.
The development of intent-based trust in moral testimony
Authors: Margoni Francesco , Nava Elena
Published: April 2024

Research has shown that by age 5–6 years, children fully integrate information about agents’ mental states into their verbal moral judgments: When asked to say whether an agent is morally good or bad, they rely on the agent’s intentions more than on its action’s outcomes. Research has also shown that from an early age, children use a plethora of social and moral cues when deciding whom to trust in learning and testimony situations. Here, for the first time, we asked if and how children’s trust in informants who relay information about the moral character of a novel agent is influenced by the valence of the intentions underlying the informants’ prior actions. Italian children aged 6 to 10 years (n = 219, 112 female) were first presented with two puppets and asked to judge them. One puppet accidentally caused harm (neutral intention, negative outcome), the other attempted but failed to do so (negative intention, neutral outcome). Next, the puppets gave contrasting testimonies about whether a novel agent was good or bad. Findings revealed that the tendency to trust the assessment of the well-intentioned puppet concerning the novel agent emerged at age 8, whereas younger children simply showed to believe that the novel agent was good, regardless of the testimonies they received. These results suggest that despite the ability to generate intent-based moral judgments emerges at age 5–6, the tendency to rely on intentions underlying past actions of informants when assessing informants’ testimonies about the moral character of a third party undergoes significant change in childhood.
Integrative Analysis of Site-Specific Parameters with Nuisance Parameters on the Common Support
Authors: Ho Ho Yi Alexis , Xu Shuoxun , Guo Xinzhou
Published: April 2024

High-throughput technologies in bioscience have pushed us into an era with high dimensionality. Swamped by thousands of predictors, detecting the valuable signal from the noise in clinical studies becomes challenging. As a common strategy, integrative analysis utilizing similarities across multiple studies might help lift the curse of dimensionality and enhance statistical power. However, due to the growing concern about individual data privacy, data-sharing constraints are often imposed in integrative analysis. These might lead to results inequivalent to ones without sharing constraints and reduce statistical power in integrative analyses. In this paper, built on Abess, we propose an integrative analysis method to estimate the site-specific parameters in the presence of high dimensional nuisance parameters in multi-site studies. Implemented with a carefully designed $$L_{2,0}$$

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2
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penalization on nuisance parameters, the proposed method satisfies both the DataSHIELD constraint, which only allows the transmission of summary statistics from sites, and the equivalence property that the solution is exactly the same as the solution merging all datasets into one on a single location. Assuming the nuisance parameters share a common support, the proposed method has support recovery and selection consistency with high probability and exhibits improved estimation accuracy on the site-specific parameters and low computational cost in numerical experiments. We demonstrate the merit of the proposed method by investigating the relationship between the CD8 T cell count and the treatment effect of zidovudine-incorporated therapy in the AIDS Clinical Trials Group Study 175.
Sustainable coffee: A review of the diverse initiatives and governance dimensions of global coffee supply chains
Authors: Wright Dale R. , Bekessy Sarah A. , Lentini Pia E. , Garrard Georgia E. , Gordon Ascelin , Rodewald Amanda D. , Bennett Ruth E. , Selinske Matthew J.
Published: April 2024

With a global footprint of 10 million hectares across 12.5 million farms, coffee is among the world’s most traded commodities. The coffee industry has launched a variety of initiatives designed to reduce coffee’s contribution to climate change and biodiversity loss and enhance the socio-economic conditions of coffee producers. We systematically reviewed the literature on the sustainability and governance of coffee production and developed a typology of eleven sustainability initiatives. Our review shows that coffee sustainability research has focused primarily on the economic outcomes of certification schemes. The typology expands our knowledge of novel sustainability initiatives being led by coffee farming communities themselves, allowing for an improved consideration of power dynamics in sustainability governance. Sustainability initiatives governed by local actors can improve sustainability outcomes by empowering local decision makers to assess direct risks and benefits of sustainable practices to the local environment, economy, and culture.
Case report. Scrotaal maligne mesothelioom
Authors: Straten Frederika J. , Alberts Arnout R. , Zuiverloon Tahlita C. M. , van den Broeke Pieter J.
Published: April 2024

Samenvatting

Het scrotaal maligne mesothelioom is een agressieve tumor die uitgaat van de tunica vaginalis. Het zeldzame karakter en de atypische presentatie maken dat deze tumor vaak pas bij de histologische beoordeling wordt ontdekt en dat er geen richtlijnen bestaan voor een behandelbeleid. Aan de hand van drie casus willen we de kennis over deze zeldzame ziekte vergroten en het belang van het verwijzen van deze patiënten naar een tertiair centrum benadrukken.
Modification of electro gas weld metal microstructure reflecting mechanical property specifications in cruise vessel shipbuilding
Authors: Banaschik Richard , Brätz Oliver , Gericke Andreas , Henkel Knuth-Michael
Published: April 2024

To identify the microstructural factors effecting the electro gas welding (EGW) weld metal properties, this study investigated the influence of different prototype welding consumables and shielding gases on the microstructural composition and mechanical-technological properties. The aim was to adjust the weld metal properties as a trade-off between strength, ductility, and impact toughness to fulfill typical weld metal material specifications in cruise vessel shipbuilding under consideration of the manufacturing conditions at European shipyards. The microstructure is analyzed by quantitative metallography of the ferritic matrix, martensite-retained austenite (M/A) constituents, and non-metallic inclusions (NMI). The influence of the Ni content, the deoxidation concept by variation of Si and Ti contents, and different shielding gas activity by variation of the Ar proportions is discussed. The interaction of ferritic matrix with high acicular ferrite content of about 70 ± 10%, the existence of larger grain boundary ferrite formations, and the M/A morphology plus distribution are considered as the determining factors for the material properties.
Evaluation of antioxidant activity and fermentation properties of potential probiotic strain Lactiplantibacillus plantarum HY7720 in plant-based materials
Authors: Kim Ju-Yeon , Choi Eun Jung , Jang Woo Young , Kim Soo A. , Heo Kyeong , Kang Heerim , Kang Jeanne , Kim Yong-Tae , Shim Jae-Jung , Lee Jung-Lyoul , Lee Jae-Hwan
Published: April 2024

People on vegan diets are at risk of being deficient in varied nutrients such as vitamin B12 and certain amino acids. In this study, we investigated vitamin B12-producing lactic acid bacteria (LAB) as well as the probiotic and antioxidant properties. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum HY7720 was screened from 22 strains of LAB that were isolated from different plant foods, and its growth ability and extracellular vitamin B12-producing capacity in vitamin B12-deficient medium were investigated. To determine whether HY7720 functions as a probiotic, survival rate in the simulated gastrointestinal tract and adhesion property to human intestinal epithelial cells of HY7720 were compared with positive control, Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG). Moreover, the results showed that HY7720 recovered the gene expression levels of tight junction-associated proteins (TJPs), including TJP1, TJP2, occludin (OCLN), and claudin-1 (CLDN1) and inhibited the secretion levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8, in tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α-stimulated Caco-2 cells. Furthermore, we verified that HY7720 exhibit the antioxidant potential, by showing its intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging ability in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-stimulated Caco-2 cells. The ability of HY7720 to ameliorate H2O2-induced cytotoxicity in Caco-2 cells was inhibited by mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitors, indicating that its antioxidant responses are related to extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and c-JUN N-terminal kinase (JNK). This study also investigated the nutritional qualities of three plant-based materials (brown rice, white rice, and soy milk) fermented using HY7720. Collectively, HY7720 could be used as a promising probiotic strain for the prevention of nutritional deficiencies among people on vegetarian diets.