bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Implantable smart hyperthermia nanofibers for cancer therapy: Challenges and opportunities
Authors: Valizadeh Amir , Asghari Samira , Abbaspoor Saleheh , Jafari Abbas , Raeisi Mortaza , Pilehvar Younes
Published: June 2023

Nanofibers (NFs) with practical drug‐loading capacities, high stability, and controllable release have caught the attention of investigators due to their potential applications in on‐demand drug delivery devices. Developing novel and efficient multidisciplinary management of locoregional cancer treatment through the design of smart NF‐based systems integrated with combined chemotherapy and hyperthermia could provide stronger therapeutic advantages. On the other hand, implanting directly at the tumor area is a remarkable benefit of hyperthermia NF‐based drug delivery approaches. Hence, implantable smart hyperthermia NFs might be very hopeful for tumor treatment in the future and provide new avenues for developing highly efficient localized drug delivery systems. Indeed, features of the smart NFs lead to the construction of a reversibly flexible nanostructure that enables hyperthermia and facile switchable release of antitumor agents to eradicate cancer cells. Accordingly, this study covers recent updates on applications of implantable smart hyperthermia NFs regarding their current scope and future outlook.

This article is categorized under:

Implantable Materials and Surgical Technologies > Nanomaterials and Implants
Adaptive Thermal Error Compensation Model of a Horizontal Machining Centre
Authors: Horejš Otakar , Mareš Martin , Straka Michal , Švéda Jiří , Kozlok Tomáš
Published: June 2023

The state-of-the-art method to reduce CNC machine tool thermal errors is real-time error compensation based on the thermal error estimation models. However, it is difficult to establish a thermal error compensation model with good versatility, high accuracy, and strong robustness due to various manufacturing conditions and a thermally varying surrounding environment. It causes that thermal behaviour of the machine tools is nonlinear and varying in real time. Consequently, the pre-trained and non-adaptive model may not be accurate and robust enough for long-term application. The presented research shows a systematic adaptation technique to update the thermal error compensation model of a horizontal machining centre under varying conditions, which differ from the calibration test. System identification theory is applied to build a dynamic thermal error model for a horizontal machining centre based on calibration test. Linear parametric models of autoregressive with external input (ARX) present an established dynamic method, and its modelling and calculation speed are suitable for real-time applications. Additionally, process-intermittent probing and thermal error model are integrated into the machine management software of the horizontal machining centre to monitor and compensate for thermal errors at the tool centre point (TCP) in real time using C#/C++ programming language. The results show that the prediction accuracy measured as peak-to-peak values and the normalized root mean squared error of the thermal error compensation models are improved by up to 33% and 51%, respectively, when adaptive compensation model is applied.
Analysing the Impact of Process Dependent Thermal Loads on the Prediction Accuracy of Thermal Effects in Machine Tool Components
Authors: Wenkler Eric , Steiert Christoph , Boos Eugen , Ihlenfeldt Steffen
Published: June 2023

Thermal changes are one major reason for machining errors. The simulation of thermal compensation processes is therefore of extraordinary importance for the correction and compensation of thermal errors. Most models assume static power losses in machine components and neglect the influence of the machining task on the resulting power losses. Previews research showed that the machine tool activity has a significant effect on occurring power losses. Coupled to a FE model, thermal errors can be predicted more accurately. To investigate the advantages and disadvantages of this approach, the procedure was applied and examined on a machine basis, which is one of the most complex components of a machine tool from a thermal point of view. Therefore, this work describes the concept, application and evaluation of the task-specific thermal prediction. The paper showed that this strategy allows the extrapolation to an unknown and complex load scenario with only 30% prediction error.
Interleukin 1β triggers synaptic and memory deficits in Herpes simplex virus type-1-infected mice by downregulating the expression of synaptic plasticity-related genes via the epigenetic MeCP2/HDAC4 complex
Authors: Li Puma Domenica Donatella , Colussi Claudia , Bandiera Bruno , Puliatti Giulia , Rinaudo Marco , Cocco Sara , Paciello Fabiola , Re Agnese , Ripoli Cristian , De Chiara Giovanna , Bertozzi Alessia , Palamara Anna Teresa , Piacentini Roberto , Grassi Claudio
Published: June 2023

Extensive research provides evidence that neuroinflammation underlies numerous brain disorders. However, the molecular mechanisms by which inflammatory mediators determine synaptic and cognitive dysfunction occurring in neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease) are far from being fully understood. Here we investigated the role of interleukin 1β (IL-1β), and the molecular cascade downstream the activation of its receptor, to the synaptic dysfunction occurring in the mouse model of multiple Herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) reactivations within the brain. These mice are characterized by neuroinflammation and memory deficits associated with a progressive accumulation of neurodegenerative hallmarks (e.g., amyloid-β protein and tau hyperphosphorylation). Here we show that mice undergone two HSV-1 reactivations in the brain exhibited increased levels of IL-1β along with significant alterations of: (1) cognitive performances; (2) hippocampal long-term potentiation; (3) expression synaptic-related genes and pre- and post-synaptic proteins; (4) dendritic spine density and morphology. These effects correlated with activation of the epigenetic repressor MeCP2 that, in association with HDAC4, affected the expression of synaptic plasticity-related genes. Specifically, in response to HSV-1 infection, HDAC4 accumulated in the nucleus and promoted MeCP2 SUMOylation that is a post-translational modification critically affecting the repressive activity of MeCP2. The blockade of IL-1 receptors by the specific antagonist Anakinra prevented the MeCP2 increase and the consequent downregulation of gene expression along with rescuing structural and functional indices of neurodegeneration. Collectively, our findings provide novel mechanistic evidence on the role played by HSV-1-activated IL-1β signaling pathways in synaptic deficits leading to cognitive impairment.
Insufficient utilization of care in male incontinence surgery: health care reality in Germany from 2006 to 2020 and a systematic review of the international literature
Authors: Baunacke Martin , Abbate Elena , Eisenmenger Nicole , Witzsch Ulrich , Borkowetz Angelika , Huber Johannes , Thomas Christian , Putz Juliane
Published: June 2023

Purpose

Data suggest that the utilization of care in male incontinence surgery (MIS) is insufficient. The aim of this study was to analyse the utilization of care in MIS from 2006 to 2020 in Germany, relate this use to the number of radical prostatectomies (RP) and provide a systematic review of the international literature.

Methods

We analysed OPS codes using nationwide German billing data and hospitals’ quality reports from 2006 to 2020. A systematic review was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA).

Results

MIS increased by + 68% from 2006 to 2011 (1843–3125; p = 0.009) but decreased by − 42% from 2011 to 2019 (3104–1799; p < 0.001). In 2020, only 1435 MISs were performed. In contrast, RP increased from 2014 to 2019 by 33% (20,760–27,509; p < 0.001). From 2012 to 2019, the number of artificial urinary sphincters (AUSs) changed minimally (− 12%; 1291–1136; p = 0.02). Sling/sling systems showed a decrease from 2011 to 2019 (− 68% 1632–523; p < 0.001). In 2019, 63% of patients received an AUS, 29% sling/sling systems, 6% paraurethral injections, and 2% other interventions. In 2019, few high-volume clinics [n = 27 (13%)] performed 55% of all AUS implantations, and few high-volume clinics [n = 10 (8%)] implanted 49% of retropubic slings.

Conclusion

MIS have exhibited a relevant decrease since 2011 despite the increase in RP numbers in Germany, indicating the insufficient utilization of care in MIS. The systematic review shows also an international deficit in the utilization of care in MIS.
Land cover and climatic conditions as potential drivers of the raccoon (Procyon lotor) distribution in North America and Europe
Authors: Cunze Sarah , Klimpel Sven , Kochmann Judith
Published: June 2023

The raccoon is listed among the invasive alien species of EU concern requiring management actions. Projections of its global distribution have been mainly based on climatic variables so far. In this study, we aim to address the impact of land cover (LC) on the raccoon distribution in North America and Europe. First, we identified the LC types in which the observation sites are predominantly located to derive preferred LC types. Second, we used an ecological niche modelling (ENM) approach to evaluate the predictive power of climatic and LC information on the current distribution patterns of raccoons in both ranges. Raccoons seem to be more often associated to forested areas and mixed landscapes, including cropland and urban areas, but underrepresented in vegetation-poor areas, with patterns largely coinciding in both ranges. In order to compare the predictive power of climate variables and land cover variables, we conducted principal component analyses of all variables in the respective variable sets (climate variables and land cover variables) and used all PC variables that together explain 90% of the total variance in the respective set as predictors. Land cover only models resulted in patchy patterns in the projected habitat suitabilities and showed a higher performance compared to the climate only models in both ranges. In Europe, the land cover habitat suitability seems to exceed the current observed occurrences, which could indicate a further spread potential of the raccoon in Europe. We conclude that information on land cover types are important drivers, which explain well the spatial patterns of the raccoon. Consideration of land cover could benefit efforts to control invasive carnivores and contribute to better management of biodiversity, but also human and animal health.
Facies character and evolution of a mixed carbonate–siliciclastic shelf: Upper Triassic–Lower Jurassic succession in the eastern Northern Calcareous Alps (Stumpfmauer, Austria)
Authors: Della Porta Giovanna , Mancini Alessandro , Berra Fabrizio
Published: June 2023

Western Tethys sedimentary successions constitute fundamental archives of Late Triassic–Early Jurassic environmental, carbonate production and tectonic changes. During the Late Triassic, the Northern Calcareous Alps (Austria) belonged to the Western Tethys passive margin, characterised by the deposition of the early-dolomitized peritidal Hauptdolomit (Norian) adjacent basinward to the Dachstein carbonate shelf and passing upward to the mixed carbonate–siliciclastic Kössen Formation (Upper Norian–Rhaetian). The Kössen Fm. was subdivided into the lower shallow-water Hochalm Member and the upper Eiberg Member, accumulated in an intraplatform basin coeval to shallow-water carbonates (Upper Rhaetian Limestone). The Eiberg Mb. and overlying Jurassic strata were extensively studied as a continuous marine record across the Triassic/Jurassic boundary. In contrast, shallow-water successions, time-equivalent to the Eiberg Mb. and Upper Rhaetian Limestone, located North of the Eiberg Basin, are poorly investigated. This study focusses on the approximately 350 m thick Norian to Lower Jurassic succession cropping out in the eastern Northern Calcareous Alps (Stumpfmauer). The 32 distinguished lithofacies compose seven, vertically superimposed, sedimentary units (A–G), belonging to the Hochalm Mb. of the Kössen Fm. (Unit A peritidal cyclothems, Unit B claystone/marlstone with fossiliferous beds, Unit C coral boundstone to floatstone), Upper Rhaetian Limestone (Unit D subtidal cyclothems with claystone), shallow-water carbonate strata transitional to Lower Jurassic (Unit E ooidal coated grain peloidal grainstone with basal transgressive lag, Unit F bivalve-rich, microbialite and oncoidal lithofacies, previously attributed to the Upper Rhaetian Limestone) and Hettangian–Sinemurian Kalksburg Fm. (Unit G cross-laminated coated grain peloidal grainstone with quartz and chert). The detailed lithofacies characterisation presented in this study contributes to the knowledge on the Northern Calcareous Alps stratigraphy and depositional environments across the Triassic/Jurassic boundary. The identified sedimentary units can be framed in the evolution of Western Tethys and share similarities with depositional systems from the Western Carpathians, Transdanubian Range, Southern Alps and Dinarides suggesting coherent sedimentary response and environmental, climate and tectonic controls in different palaeogeographic domains.
Policy initiatives towards enhancing consumer knowledge and tackling consumer confusion in aquaculture sector
Authors: Kaimakoudi Eleni
Published: June 2023

Aquaculture sector is considered an important economic activity both at global and European levels. It contributes in food security, employment, and social cohesion especially in coastal areas. Furthermore, it provides high nutritional value products and plays a significant role in constant supply of fish products in the market. However, major marketing challenges are observed within the sector. Particularly, product communication is considered a major marketing issue as it has been indicated by a plethora of studies. Notably, it has been observed that there is a higher consumer preference of captured fish versus farmed fish, especially in coastal areas. This is due to the fact that there is a substantial consumer knowledge gap regarding aquaculture production process. Interestingly, this is also being observed in organic aquaculture sector, indicating a substantial consumer knowledge gap and consequently consumer confusion unable to identify the added value of organic aquaculture products. Therefore, the present study aims to review the literature regarding consumer knowledge and confusion in aquaculture production. Thus, a scoping review of research was conducted based on systematic search from relevant research, review articles, and online documents. Policy and marketing strategy recommendations are provided on how to improve consumers’ knowledge and consequently how to tackle consumers’ confusion regarding sustainability production practices.
The effect of fines on the consolidation of Eucalyptus/PLA fiber air-laid sheets
Authors: Santos A. S. , Zamani E. S. , Sousa A. P. M. , Pinto P. C. O. R. , Ferreira P. J. T. , Maloney T.
Published: June 2023

Bio-based nonwoven products are potentially more sustainable with a lower environmental impact than the current generation of petrochemical nonwovens. This work aims to examine the structure and performance of an air-laid sheet composed of defibratedEucalyptuspulp and polylactic acid (PLA) fibers. In this work,Eucalyptuspulp dry fibers were prepared through two different methodologies, yielding fibers with distinct morphological properties. In an air-laid former, specially conceived for this work, sheets with a grammage of 100 g m−2were prepared from fiber blends with moisture to aid in the consolidation. The resulting air-laid sheets were characterized by their structural, mechanical, and water sorption properties. The results showed thatEucalyptusfibers with fewer fines and fiber deformations yielded more absorbent sheets. The high fines group gave higher sheet strength. 30% of PLA fiber gave the best combination of strength and absorption capacity and stretch at break. The improvement in bulk, dry and wet strength was possible for air-laid sheets produced from theEucalyptus/PLA mixture. The results showed that PLA has a strong interaction with the sheet fines, affecting consolidation and performance of the final product.
Somatics and phenomenological psychopathology: a mental health proposal
Authors: Sánchez Sánchez Camilo
Published: June 2023

This work begins with a brief review – from the physical education movement that began in ancient Greece and is deeply rooted in 19th century Europe, to the somatics movement alive today. The review captures primary historical and conceptual references, relevant to the therapeutic-embodied exploratory work. Then, G. Stanghellini’s mental health care model [2] is reviewed. This model is considered within reflexive self-awareness and spoken dialogue: the main vehicles in relation with alterity and its consequences in the realm of psychotherapeutic encounter and intervention. This will highlight the individual’s bodily movement and inter-corporeal ‘proto-dialogue’ as a prior realm of therapeutic intervention. Next, a brief consideration of E. Strauss work [31] is presented. This paper’s hypothesis is that bodily qualitative dynamics highlighted by phenomenology are essential for an effective mental health therapeutic intervention. A ‘seed’ of a framework is proposed in this paper; this seed assesses some phenomenological assets of a positive conception of mental health, for which self-awareness education is key to develop skills such as kinaesthetic intelligence and attunement and to educate healthy persons who can promote edifying social relations and environments.
Association between thyroid function and regorafenib efficacy in patients with relapsed wild-type IDH glioblastoma: a large multicenter study
Authors: Caccese Mario , Desideri Isacco , Padovan Marta , Bruno Francesco , Cerretti Giulia , Fiorentino Alba , Denaro Luca , Chioffi Franco , Della Puppa Alessandro , Maccari Marta , Cavallin Francesco , Coppola Marina , Pittaro Alice , Rudà Roberta , Livi Lorenzo , Lombardi Giuseppe
Published: June 2023

Purpose

Regorafenib demonstrated encouraging results in recurrent glioblastoma patients. Some studies showed that changes in circulating thyroid hormones (fT3, fT4, fT3/fT4 ratio) can be considered as prognostic factors in patients with various types of tumors. We designed this study to investigate the relationship between baseline thyroid variables and outcome in IDH-wild type GBM patients who were treated with regorafenib.

Methods

This multicenter retrospective study included recurrent IDH-wild-type glioblastoma patients treated with regorafenib. Only patients with baseline thyroid function values (TSH, fT3, fT4, fT3/fT4 ratio) available were evaluated. RANO criteria were used to analyze neuroradiological response. Survival curves were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method. The relationships between baseline thyroid variables (TSH, fT3, fT4, fT3/fT4) and survival (PFS, OS) were investigated with Cox regression models.

Results

From November 2015 to April 2022, 134 recurrent IDH-wildtype GBM patients were treated with regorafenib and 128 of these had information on baseline thyroid function value. Median follow-up was 8 months (IQR 4.7–14.0). Objective Response Rate was 9% and Disease Control Rate was 40.9%. Median PFS was 2.7 months (95%CI 2.2–3.6) and median OS was 10.0 months (95%CI 7.0–13.0). Lower baseline TSH value in the blood was correlated with a higher rate of disease progression to regorafenib (p = 0.04). Multivariable analyses suggested a non-linear relationship between PFS (p = 0.01) and OS (p = 0.03) with baseline fT3/fT4 ratio.

Conclusion

In recurrent wild-type IDH glioblastoma patients, baseline fT3/fT4 ratio showed a non-linear relationship with survival, with different impacts across the spectrum of fT3/fT4 ratio. Moreover, baseline TSH may be a predictor of regorafenib activity.
Loneliness as Cause
Authors: Popa Elena
Published: June 2023

While loneliness has been linked to various mental and physical health problems, the sense in which loneliness is a cause of these conditions has so far attracted little philosophical attention. This paper aims to fill this gap by analyzing research on health effects of loneliness and therapeutic interventions through current approaches to causality. To deal with the problem of causality between psychological, social, and biological variables, the paper endorses a biopsychosocial model of health and disease. I will investigate how three main approaches to causality used in psychiatry and public health apply to loneliness: interventionism, mechanisms, and dispositional theories. Interventionism can specify whether loneliness causes specific effects, or whether a treatment works, incorporating results from randomized controlled trials. Mechanisms help explain how loneliness brings about negative health effects, spelling out psychological processes involved in lonely social cognition. Dispositional approaches help stress particular features of loneliness connected to negative social interactions, such as defensiveness. I will conclude by showing that previous research alongside emerging approaches to health effects of loneliness lend themselves to analysis in terms of the causal models under discussion.
On Making SIFT Features Affine Covariant
Authors: Barath Daniel
Published: June 2023

An approach is proposed for recovering affine correspondences (ACs) from orientation- and scale-covariant, e.g., SIFT, features exploiting pre-estimated epipolar geometry. The method calculates the affine parameters consistent with the epipolar geometry from the point coordinates and the scales and rotations which the feature detector obtains. The proposed closed-form solver returns a single solution and is extremely fast, i.e., 0.5 $$\upmu $$μseconds on average. Possible applications include estimating the homography from a single upgraded correspondence and, also, estimating the surface normal for each correspondence found in a pre-calibrated image pair (e.g., stereo rig). As the second contribution, we propose a minimal solver that estimates the relative pose of a vehicle-mounted camera from a single SIFT correspondence with the corresponding surface normal obtained from, e.g., upgraded ACs. The proposed algorithms are tested both on synthetic data and on a number of publicly available real-world datasets. Using the upgraded features and the proposed solvers leads to a significant speed-up in the homography, multi-homography and relative pose estimation problems with better or comparable accuracy to the state-of-the-art methods.
A look at financial dependencies by means of econophysics and financial economics
Authors: Raddant M. , Di Matteo T.
Published: June 2023

This is a review about financial dependencies which merges efforts in econophysics and financial economics during the last few years. We focus on the most relevant contributions to the analysis of asset markets’ dependencies, especially correlational studies, which in our opinion are beneficial for researchers in both fields. In econophysics, these dependencies can be modeled to describe financial markets as evolving complex networks. In particular, we show that a useful way to describe dependencies is by means of information filtering networks that are able to retrieve relevant and meaningful information in complex financial datasets. In financial economics these dependencies can describe asset comovement and spill-overs. In particular, several models are presented that show how network and factor model approaches are related to modeling of multivariate volatility and asset returns, respectively. Finally, we sketch out how these studies can inspire future research and how they contribute to support researchers in both fields to find a better and a stronger common language.
Compound muscle action potential (CMAP) scan examination of paretic and contralateral muscles reveals motor unit alterations after stroke
Authors: Chen Maoqi , Lu Zhiyuan , Li Xiaoyan , Zong Ya , Xie Qing , Li Sheng , Zhou Ping
Published: June 2023

This study presents a novel compound muscle action potential (CMAP) examination of motor unit changes in paretic muscle post stroke. CMAP scan of the first dorsal interosseous (FDI) muscle was performed bilaterally in 16 chronic stroke subjects. Various parameters were derived from the CMAP scan to examine paretic muscle changes, including CMAP amplitude, D50, step index (STEPIX) and amplitude index (AMPIX). A significant decrease in CMAP amplitude and STEPIX was observed in paretic muscles compared with contralateral muscles (CMAP amplitude: paretic (9.0±0.5) mV, contralateral (11.3±0.9) mV, P=0.024; STEPIX: paretic 101.2±7.6, contralateral 121.9±6.5, P=0.020). No significant difference in D50 and AMPIX was observed between the paretic and contralateral sides (P>0.05). The findings revealed complex paretic muscle changes including motor unit degeneration, muscle fiber denervation, reinnervation and atrophy, providing useful insights to help understand neuromuscular mechanisms associated with weakness and other functional deterioration post stroke. The CMAP scan experimental protocols and the applied processing methods are noninvasive, convenient, and automated, offering practical benefits for clinical application.
Intraoperative estimation of liver boundary conditions from multiple partial surfaces
Authors: Mendizabal Andrea , Tagliabue Eleonora , Dall’Alba Diego
Published: June 2023

Purpose

A computer-assisted surgical system must provide up-to-date and accurate information of the patient’s anatomy during the procedure to improve clinical outcome. It is therefore essential to consider the tissue deformations, and a patient-specific biomechanical model (PBM) is usually adopted. The predictive capability of the PBM is highly influenced by proper definition of attachments to the surrounding anatomy, which are difficult to estimate preoperatively.

Methods

We propose to predict the location of attachments using a deep neural network fed with multiple partial views of the intraoperative deformed organ surface directly encoded as point clouds. Compared to previous works, providing a sequence of deformed views as input allows the network to consider the temporal evolution of deformations and to handle the intrinsic ambiguity of estimating attachments from a single view.

Results

The method is applied to computer-assisted hepatic surgery and tested on both a synthetic and in vivo human open-surgery scenario. The network is trained on a patient-specific synthetic dataset in less than 5 h and produces a more accurate intraoperative estimation of attachments than applying the ones generally used in liver surgery (i.e., fixing vena cava or falciform ligament). The obtained results show 26% more accurate predictions than other solution previously proposed.

Conclusions

Trained with patient-specific simulated data, the proposed network estimates the attachments in a fast and accurate manner also considering the temporal evolution of the deformations, improving patient-specific intraoperative guidance in computer-assisted surgical systems.
Molecular properties of betahistine—an ab initio study
Authors: Boča Roman , Štofko Juraj
Published: June 2023

Betahistine serves as a medicament widely used in curing some diseases related to the nervous system. Its molecular properties have been studied by ab initio MO-LCAO-SCF method followed by the correction to the electron correlation (MP2) in vacuo as well as in water as a solvent. The chemical potential (electronegativity) and chemical hardness were verified as valuable molecular descriptors and compared with structurally analogous species.
Prediction of cementation factor using different methods of reservoir rock classification in heterogeneous carbonate reservoirs
Authors: Mansouri Yalda , Kamkar Rouhani Abolghasem , Soleymanzadeh Aboozar , Arab-Amiri Alireza
Published: June 2023

Cementation exponent or factor is one of most crucial factors in the Archie’s equations that should be estimated precisely in order to accurately determine relevant petrophysical characteristics of the reservoir. Inaccurate estimation of this factor leads to incorrect petrophysical analysis and inaccurate determination of water saturation which is highly important for the economic forecasting of hydrocarbon reservoirs. An alternative to the cementation factor precise estimation is to classify rocks based on a common petrophysical property such as permeability. This research aims to investigate the cementation factor in different rock types and eventually to provide a suitable model for estimating this parameter based on different approaches of rock classification. In this paper, first, conventional methods of rock classification (e.g., current zone indicator (CZI), flow zone indicator (FZI), permeability and electrical efficiency) have been used for cementation factor estimation. Then, the data, taken from Regnet et al. (J Geophys Res Solid Earth 120:790–811, 2015), have been analyzed by these methods in order to find the best way of rock classification. The analyzed data show that only electrical efficiency method is accurate enough to classify rocks into different groups as high values of determination coefficient (i.e., 0.9828 and 0.9725) are obtained as a result of classification by this method in which the data are classified into distinct groups. The obtained values of determination coefficient as a result of classification by permeability, FZI and CZI methods are 0.805, 0.809 and 0.7568 respectively. Due to this result and high scattering of the classified data, it can be concluded that these three methods have not been precise enough for rock classification of the data. In addition to the above-mentioned existing methods, a new rock classification method based on tortuosity coefficient or factor has also been proposed in this paper. This new method has been proven to be accurate due to low scattering of the data results and falling them into distinct groups in addition to obtaining high values of determination coefficient (i.e., 0.9996, 0.9986 and 0.9951) in the classification by this new method.
Detection of heterodera mani in Western Australia
Authors: Huston Daniel C. , Hodda Mike , Hills Andrea , Collins Sarah
Published: June 2023

The ryegrass cyst nematode, Heterodera mani, is reported from Western Australia for the first time. Cysts were recovered from soil samples collected on a broadacre cropping property near the town of Esperance. The production area is dominated by cereal/oilseed rotation and a species of annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum) is a common weed issue in these paddocks. Morphometrics of cysts and second stage juveniles (J2s) from the Western Australian population were consistent with data from other reports of this species. Sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene region were generated and matched those of H. mani from previous reports. Sequences of the large subunit ribosomal RNA (28S rRNA) were produced for H. mani for the first time. Although interspecific variation is relatively low for this gene in the Heterodera avenae species complex, our analyses indicate that 28S gene sequences sufficiently differentiate H. mani from other H. avenae-group members. Lolium rigidum is likely the host for the H. mani population discovered, although this requires further confirmation.
Terug naar het normaal
Authors: Mulders Peter F.A.
Published: June 2023

Samenvatting

Vele wetenschappelijke voordrachten van abstracts zijn geaccepteerd via het selectiesysteem van de wetenschappelijke commissie. De abstracts blinken uit in diversiteit qua onderwerp, regio en ziekenhuis, en dat is bijzonder, want er zijn ziekenhuizen die hun onderzoeksportefeuille goed op orde hebben, en dus zorgen voor veel inzendingen. Bij de indeling van de vergadering wordt hier echter rekening mee gehouden, en worden, via een goed en objectief scoringssysteem, alleen de beste inzendingen geaccepteerd.
Students Helping Students: Implementation of Elementary Math Facts Fluency Interventions by High Schoolers
Authors: Powell Steven L. , Rist Kortney , Stein Brit’ny , Banks Elizabeth , Villanueva Sierra , Alwadi Bian , Dupree Kaylee , Frau-Canabal Andrea , Patel Manali
Published: June 2023

Many schools face barriers that hinder access to services, including limited funding and staff trained in evidence-based interventions. In particular, rural schools must provide targeted intervention to promote academic growth and narrow achievement gaps despite these barriers. One seldom-considered solution to ease the resource costs in the provision of intervention services is to provide high school students with the training and supervision necessary to carry them out. Thirty elementary students participated in an explicit timing intervention administered by either a high school student or graduate student in school psychology. A 2 × 2 mixed factorial ANOVA found significant growth from pre- to post-test with no effects of interventionist education level. These findings imply that school-based interventionists may be able to expand the reach of their practice by recruiting and training older students to carry out interventions.
Experimental investigation on the triaxial unloading mechanical characteristics of sandstone immersed in different brines
Authors: Yang Sheng-Qi , Xu Shuai-Bo , Liu Zhen , Sun Bo-Wen , Yin Peng-Fei
Published: June 2023

In this study, the stress–strain curves of sandstone soaked in 5% NaCl and 5% K2SO4 solutions under different loading and unloading paths were obtained by carrying out different paths of unloading confining pressure tests on sandstone specimens. Thereafter, the strength, deformation, and failure characteristics of the specimens were analysed. First, the unloading capacity of sandstone specimens soaked in 5% NaCl was found to be greater than those soaked in 5% K2SO4, and the unloading amount increased in the order of increasing axial pressure unloading confining pressure < constant axial pressure unloading confining pressure < constant deviatoric stress unloading confining pressure. When unloading the confining pressure, the strain change rate of the sandstone specimens soaked in 5% K2SO4 was greater than that of the sandstone specimen soaked in 5% NaCl, and the strain change rate had the following trend: increasing adding axial pressure and unloading confining pressure > constant axial pressure unloading confining pressure > constant deviatoric stress unloading confining pressure. The deformation modulus and Poisson's ratio of the sandstone specimens during unloading exhibited an exponential change with increasing unloading ratio. The deformation modulus and Poisson’s ratio of the sandstone soaked in 5% NaCl during the unloading period was respectively greater and less than those of the sandstone soaked in 5% K2SO4. Second, the total energy absorbed by 5% NaCl soaked sandstone specimens was always less than that soaked in 5% K2SO4 under different unloading paths. The effect of immersing the specimens in different solution on acoustic emission and failure characteristics was unclear. Compared with the dry sandstone specimens, the sandstone specimens soaked in brine solutions lower mineral composition and higher, clay mineral content. The contents of plagioclase and calcite contents in the sandstone specimens soaked in 5% NaCl was similar to those in dry sandstone, but no plagioclase or calcite was detected in the specimens soaked in 5% K2SO4.
Multifractal parameterization of a periodic surface microrelief formed at the face milling. 1. The distribution of elements area of surface relief
Authors: Balytska N. , Penter L. , Ihlenfeldt S. , Kryzhanivskyy V. , Melnychuk P. , Moskvin P.
Published: June 2023

The multifractal analysis (MFA) of the spatial microform area formed on the surface of steel C35 and aluminum alloy AA2024 at the face milling was implemented. The input information for the MFA was micro-images of the machined workpiece surface. Multifractal (MF) spectra and their main parameters are calculated for the surface of samples machined at various cutting conditions. Renyi’s numbers and fractal ordering parameters were chosen as the most informative MF parameters describing the surface structure. It is shown that the MF functions of the system correspond to their canonical forms. Quantitative relationships between the parameters of MF spectra for the surface area of microforms formed during machining surfaces of steel and aluminum alloy workpieces and the cutting conditions were obtained. The physical processes that are responsible for the formation of the observed MF spectra on the surface of the workpieces depending on feed and depth of cut at the face milling were discussed. The developed computational technique can be used to describe and analyze the state of spatial fractal structures formed on the surface of other materials.
Economic attractiveness of domestic rainwater harvesting in Brazilian cities
Authors: Castier Marcelo , de Barros Barreto Paula
Published: June 2023

Brazil is the fifth largest country by area in the world, with a variety of climates in its territory. This work assesses the economic attractiveness of domestic rainwater harvesting direct feed systems, for the replacement of non-drinking water, in 148 locations of the Brazilian territory considering hourly rainfall data for the 14-year period between 2008 and 2021. The water tariff and consumption data for each location were also considered along with estimated hourly and monthly consumption patterns. With annual operating expenses at 1% of the capital expenditure and an annual discount rate of 8%, the net present value for the 14-year period is positive in only 15 locations, which are among those with the highest water tariffs in the country. The results of these base case simulations discourage the installation of domestic RWH systems in most of the Brazilian locations considered. However, the results also show that, depending on house occupancy, filtration equipment cost, water tariff, and catchment area, outcomes more favorable to the installation of RWH systems are obtained, especially in cities of Brazil’s southern and southeastern regions.
Home-based cooking intervention with a smartphone app to improve eating behaviors in children aged 7–9 years: a feasibility study
Authors: Haddad Joyce , Vasiloglou Maria F. , Scheidegger-Balmer Franziska , Fiedler Ulrich , van der Horst Klazine
Published: June 2023

Objective

To develop and evaluate the feasibility of a mobile application in Swiss households and assess its impact on dietary behavior and food acceptability between children who cooked with limited parental support (intervention group) with children who were not involved in cooking (control group).

Methods

A ten-week randomized controlled trial was conducted online in 2020. Parents were given access to a mobile-app with ten recipes. Each recipe emphasized one of two generally disliked foods (Brussels sprouts or whole-meal pasta). Parents photographed and weighed the food components from the child’s plate and reported whether their child liked the meal and target food. The main outcome measures were target food intake and acceptability analyzed through descriptive analysis for pre-post changes.

Results

Of 24 parents who completed the baseline questionnaires, 18 parents and their children (median age: 8 years) completed the evaluation phase. Mean child baseline Brussel sprouts and whole-meal pasta intakes were 19.0 ± 24.2 g and 86.0 ± 69.7 g per meal, respectively. No meaningful differences in intake were found post-intervention or between groups. More children reported a neutral or positive liking towards the whole-meal pasta in the intervention group compared to those in the control group. No change was found for liking of Brussel sprouts.

Conclusions for practice

The intervention was found to be feasible however more studies on larger samples are needed to validate feasibility. Integrating digital interventions in the home and promoting meal preparation may improve child reported acceptance of some healthy foods. Using such technology may save time for parents and engage families in consuming healthier meals.
Egyptian Gaucher disease type 3 patients: a large cohort study spanning two decades
Authors: El-Beshlawy Amal , Abdel-Azim Khaled , Abdel-Salam Amina , Selim Yasmeen M. M. , Said Fadwa , Gebril Nadine A. , Fateen Ekram , Mistry Pramod
Published: June 2023

Background

Gaucher disease (GD) has been the subject of genotype/phenotype studies as well as therapeutic innovation. A cohort of ethnically homogeneous Egyptian patients suffering from GD type 3 (GD3) is described here, with the effects of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) highlighted.

Methods

We studied the long-term outcome after 20 years of ERT in 85 patients with GD3 registered at the Pediatric Hematology Clinic of Cairo University since 1998. We obtained organ volumes, growth parameters, and neurological assessment at baseline and during ERT.

Results

Of the total sample, 77.6% of patients were diagnosed before the age of 2 years. Our patients were highly consanguineous, and 51% had a family history of GD. The most prevalent genotype was homozygous p.Leu483Pro (75.7%), followed by homozygous p.Asp448His (11%). Hemato-visceral aspects of disease included anemia (75.6%), moderate to severe thrombocytopenia (21.7%), severe splenomegaly (49.2%), and severe hepatomegaly (10.8%). One patient had liver cirrhosis with hepatopulmonary syndrome. Oculomotor apraxia, squint, and bulbar symptoms were reported in 48.6%, 30.6%, and 29.4% of patients, respectively. Imiglucerase (Cerezyme) was administered to all patients for reversal of hemato-visceral and growth parameters. The overall survival rate was 71% at 20 years; 20 patients died of pulmonary and neurological diseases.

Conclusion

This is the largest single-center study of GD3 patients with predominant homozygous p.Leu483Pro genotype. The patients had a very early onset of disease and severe disease parameters. The renunciation of hemato-visceral disease was achieved effectively by ERT with 71% OS, and one third of patients developed complications.
Digital strategy and environmental performance: the mediating role of digitalization in SMEs
Authors: Haq Inzamam Ul , Huo Chunhui
Published: June 2023

Purpose

Digitalization and digital strategy have become one of the variant concepts these days since the fourth industrial revolution 4.0. The earlier debate a on the role of digital strategy and degree of digitalization for environmental and sustainable performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is at its nascent stages. This study aims to investigate the impact of digital strategy and digitalization on the environmental performance in Pakistani SME’s during the pandemic times. In addition, it explores the mediating role of five measures of digitalization degree such as overall digitalization degree (ODD), digitalization methods (OM), digital technology adaptation (DTA), digital product services (DPS) and digital processes (DP).

Methods

This study collected data from 298 respondents using random sampling technique. The unit of analysis was managerial staff and employees working for the organization for last 5 years. To investigate the relationship between constructs, we considered Structural-equation modeling (SEM) using SMART-PLS.

Results

Building on the contingency theory, the findings of the research reveal that digital strategy showed  a positive impact on digitalization measures but negatively impacted on overall environmental performance. In addition, (DP) ODD, OM, and DPS showed a (negative) positive meaningful impact on environmental performance and (partially) fully mediated the relationship between digital strategy and environmental performance. The digital strategy failed to improve the environmental performance however the role of digitalization is crucial to ensure environmental sustainability.

Conclusions

Digital strategy alone fails to alleviate the pressure on environmental performance however excessive digitalization can aggravate the adverse consequences on environment. This research provides useful implications for governments and policymakers to avoid excessive digitalization.
Intestinal necrosis in the context of torsion in a pregnant woman: A case report study
Authors: Hashemi Shima , Maleki Asieh , Moeindarbari Somayeh
Published: June 2023

Abstract

Introduction and importance

Bowel obstruction is known as an increasing complication during pregnancy. This case report showed a pregnant woman with intestinal necrosis in the context of torsion.

Case presentation

A 33-year-old Asian woman, primigravida at 25 weeks and 4 days gestation, presented to hospital with a history of nausea and epigastric pain. Patient’ past medical history showed usual evaluating abdominal pain with vaginal bleeding and leaking of fluid in her obstetric history.

Clinical discussion

The patient was discharged from hospital in a good general condition one week after the surgery. A full-term infant weighted 3000 g was delivered by caesarean section in 39 weeks gestational age with 1–5 minute Apgar scores of 7–10.

Conclusion

The aim of the study is to report a new case of intestinal necrosis in a pregnant woman.

Highlights
Heidegger's Interpretation of Kant
Authors: Lambeth Morganna
Published: June 2023

Heidegger has a reputation for reading himself into the philosophers he interprets, and his interpretation of Kant has therefore had little uptake in anglophone Kant scholarship. In this book, Morganna Lambeth provides a new account of Heidegger's method of interpreting Kant, arguing that it is more promising than is typically recognized. On her account, Heidegger thinks that Kant's greatest insights are located in moments of tension, where Kant struggles to articulate something new about his subject-matter. The role of the interpreter, then, is to disentangle competing strands of argument, and to determine which strand is most compelling. Lambeth traces Heidegger's interpretive method across his reading of Kant's Critique of Pure Reason and situates Heidegger's reconstruction of Kant's best line of argument against other post-Kantian readings. She finally shows how Heidegger's deep engagement with Kant sheds light on Heidegger's own philosophical views.
Corporate Lobbying and ESG Reports: Patterns among US Companies, 1999–2017
Authors: Liu Huchen , Wei Sijing , Zhang Jiarui
Published: June 2023

To lobby legislators, it is important for interest groups to signal their ability to help legislators win elections and provide them with policy-relevant information. We explore for-profit companies’ use of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reports as a signaling device to promote their reputation to legislators and convey their ability to provide electoral and policymaking support, which is valuable for lobbying. To this end, we create a panel dataset by combining ESG reports issued by US companies and the same companies’ lobbying and campaign contribution records from 1999 to 2017. We expect companies to issue more ESG reports, as well as reports containing more quantitative content, when they lobby. The data conform to our expectations. We also reason that lobbying may be more strongly related to ESG reporting when it is coupled with campaign contributions made by affiliated corporate political action committees, but the data do not support this expectation.