bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
New insights on wind turbine wakes from large‐eddy simulation: Wake contraction, dual nature, and temperature effects
Authors: Wu Sicheng , Archer Cristina L. , Mirocha Jeffrey D.
Published: May 2023

Large‐eddy simulation (LES) has been adopted to study wind turbine wakes because it can capture fine‐scale details of turbulent wind flows and interactions with wind turbines. Here, we use the LES version of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model with an actuator disk model to gain insights on several wake effects that have been traditionally difficult to measure. The first finding is that the wake has a “dual nature,” meaning that the wind speed deficit behaves differently from the added turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) and the two are not co‐located in space. For example, the wind speed deficit peaks at hub height and reaches the ground within 8D (D is the rotor diameter), but added TKE peaks near the rotor tip and generally remains aloft. Second, temperature changes near the ground are driven by the added TKE in the rotor area and by atmospheric stability. The combination of these two factors determines the sign and intensity of the vertical heat flux divergence below the rotor, with convergence and warming associated with stable conditions and weak divergence and modest cooling with unstable conditions. Third, wakes do not expand indefinitely, as suggested by similarity theory applied to the wind speed deficit, but eventually stop expanding and actually contract, at different rates depending on atmospheric stability. The implication of these findings is that, in order to study wakes, it is not sufficient to focus on wind speed deficit alone, because TKE is also important and yet behaves differently from the wind speed deficit.
Quantification in Galenic Medicine
Authors: Hollerbach Teresa
Published: May 2023

The central theme of this chapter is to identify and explore various forms of quantification in the medical tradition, on which Sanctorius might possibly have drawn for his quantitative approach to physiology. First, I address theories and practices connected to dietetics and pharmacology as well as the Galenic concept of a latitude of health, which assumed a certain graduation of the state of health. Second, I reconsider the relation of Sanctorius’s work to two earlier authors who are commonly associated with Sanctorius and his static medicine: the Alexandrian physician Erasistratus (third century BCE) and the German cardinal and scholar Nicolaus Cusanus (1401–1464). Both were early proponents of quantitative approaches to medical problems. Third, I outline instances of quantitative physiological reasoning in Galen’s work as well as in the works of Renaissance scholars, and I analyze their possible connection to Sanctorius.
The Measuring Instruments
Authors: Hollerbach Teresa
Published: May 2023

As the title suggests, this chapter deals with the most famous of the devices which Sanctorius developed to measure and to quantify physiological change: pulsilogia, thermoscopes, hygrometers, and balances. Having attracted considerable scholarly attention, they form the backbone of the narrative that identifies Sanctorius as a great innovator, who founded a new medical science, a science to which mechanization, measurement, and numerical values were integral. The findings of the foregoing chapters allow us now to go beyond this selective account of Sanctorius and his works and to reevaluate his celebrated measuring instruments and their use from a closer perspective. To this end, I explore their design and basic functioning, the contexts in which they emerged, how Sanctorius possibly used them, and what precisely they measured. In this connection, I also analyze two steelyards for the measurement of climatic conditions which have hitherto been largely ignored, thereby covering the whole range of Sanctorius’s measuring instruments. Moreover, I present the results of my reconstruction of the Sanctorian weighing chair and the attendant replication of his experimental practice, and thereby show how this approach opened up new perspectives on Sanctorius’s works, his doctrine of static medicine, and the function and purpose of his weighing chair.
Chiral approach to partially-massless fields
Authors: Basile Thomas , Dhasmana Shailesh , Skvortsov Evgeny
Published: May 2023

Abstract

We propose a new (chiral) description of partially-massless fields in 4d, including the partially-massless graviton, that is similar to the pure connection formulation for gravity and massless higher spin fields, the latter having a clear twistor origin. The new approach allows us to construct complete examples of higher spin gravities with (partially-)massless fields that feature Yang-Mills and current interactions.
Enhanced neutrino polarizability
Authors: Bansal S. , Paz G. , Petrov A. A. , Tammaro M. , Zupan J.
Published: May 2023

Abstract

We point out that neutrinos can have enhanced couplings to photons, if light (pseudo)scalar mediators are present, resulting in a potentially measurable neutrino polarizability. We show that the expected suppression from small neutrino masses can be compensated by the light mediator mass, generating dimension 7 Rayleigh operators at low scales. We explore the rich phenomenology of such models, computing in detail the constraints on the viable parameter space, spanned by the couplings of the mediator to neutrinos and photons. Finally, we build several explicit models that lead to an enhanced neutrino polarizability by modifying the inverse see-saw majoron, i.e., the pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone boson of the U(1)Lglobal lepton number responsible for generating small neutrino masses.
Neutrino mass and mixing models with eclectic flavor symmetry ∆(27) ⋊ T′
Authors: Ding Gui-Jun , King Stephen F. , Li Cai-Chang , Liu Xiang-Gan , Lu Jun-Nan
Published: May 2023

Abstract

The Kähler potentials of modular symmetry models receive unsuppressed contributions which may be controlled by a flavor symmetry, where the combination of the two symmetry types is referred to as eclectic flavor symmetry. After briefly reviewing the consistency conditions of eclectic flavor symmetry models, including those with generalised (g)CP, we perform a comprehensive bottom-up study of eclectic flavor symmetry models based on Ω(1) ≅ ∆(27) ⋊ T′, consisting of the flavor symmetry ∆(27) in a semi-direct product with the modular symmetry T′. The modular transformations of different ∆(27) multiplets are given by solving the consistency condition. The eight nontrivial singlets of ∆(27) are related by T′ modular symmetry, and they have to be present or absent simultaneously in any Ω(1) model. The most general forms of the superpotential and Kähler potential invariant under Ω(1) are discussed, and the corresponding fermion mass matrices are presented. Based on the eclectic flavor group Ω(1), two concrete lepton models which can successfully describe the experimental data of lepton masses and mixing parameters are constructed. For the two models without gCP, all six mixing parameters vary in small regions. A nearly maximal atmospheric mixing angle θ23 and Dirac CP phase δCP are obtained in the first model. After considering the compatible gCP symmetry and the assumption of $$ \mathfrak{R}\tau $$
R
τ
= 0 in the first model, the μ − τ reflection symmetry is preserved in the charged lepton diagonal basis. As a consequence, the atmospheric mixing angle and Dirac CP phase are predicted to be maximal, and two Majorana CP phases are predicted to be π.
Electroweak precision test of axion-like particles
Authors: Aiko Masashi , Endo Motoi
Published: May 2023

Abstract

We study the contributions of an axion-like particle to the electroweak precision observables. The particle is assumed to couple with the standard model electroweak gauge bosons. We provide the formulae of the contributions valid for any mass of the axion-like particle. It is found that the effects arise not only via the oblique S and U parameters but also via radiative corrections to the gauge couplings. Besides, the decay of Z → aγ affects the total width of the Z boson. All of those contributions are considered simultaneously in the global fit analysis of the electroweak precision observables. Also, we discuss the recent CDF result of the W-boson mass measurement. Since the model is tightly constrained by flavor and collider constraints, it is found that the discrepancy from the standard model prediction is solved only when the axion-like particle is heavier than 500 GeV and its coupling to di-photon is suppressed.
A new experimental setup for studying ants and similar-sized insects
Authors: Pedraza L. , Heinze J. , Dussutour A. , Bernadou A.
Published: May 2023

Laboratory studies on insects face the dual challenge of maintaining organisms under artificial conditions, and in reduced spaces while mimicking the species’ ecological requirements as much as possible. Over decades, myrmecologists have developed and continuously improved laboratory methods and artificial nests for rearing ants. However, the setups commonly used to house colony fragments of few individuals or even isolated individuals present disadvantages such as insufficient ventilation, difficult access to specific workers, and problems with water delivery. Here, we developed and tested a new setup for keeping ants or similar sized insects in small groups. The setup consisted of a Petri dish containing a piece of plaster connected underneath to a water tank by a sponge. The sponge is immersed in the water on one side and embedded in the plaster on the other side, maintaining the plaster permanently moist and thus offering a water source to the ants. We tested the setup with two ant species of different sizes, Platythyrea punctata and Cardiocondyla obscurior in feeding, starvation, and desiccation conditions. Our results showed that our new setup worked equally well for both species in all conditions in comparison to a more conventional setup with the advantage of reducing maintenance costs and ant manipulation, but also preventing death by drowning and offering water ad libitum. The setup was quick to build, with cheap and reusable materials for further experiments. Therefore, we are confident that it will facilitate future studies on isolated or small groups of individuals and that such a standardized setup will make future studies more comparable.
Questions on cardinal invariants of Boolean algebras
Authors: Santos Mario Jardón
Published: May 2023

In the book Cardinal Invariants on Boolean Algebras by J. Donald Monk many such cardinal functions are defined and studied. Among them several are generalizations of well known cardinal characteristics of the continuum. Alongside a long list of open problems is given. Focusing on half a dozen of those cardinal invariants some of those problems are given an answer here, which in most of the cases is a definitive one. Most of them can be divided in two groups. The problems of the first group ask about the change on those cardinal functions when going from a given infinite Boolean algebra to its simple extensions, while in the second group the comparison is between a couple of given infinite Boolean algebras and their free product.
A highlight on carbamazepine-induced adverse drug reactions in Saudi Arabia: a retrospective medical records-based study
Authors: Sukkarieh Hatouf H. , Khokhar Ayesha A. , Bustami Rami T. , Karbani Gulsan A. , Alturki Fatimah A. , Alvi Syed N.
Published: May 2023

The link between human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles and carbamazepine-induced cutaneous, respiratory, and gastrointestinal adverse drug reactions (ADR) has created a window of opportunity for preventing certain forms of cutaneous adverse drug reactions (cADRs); however, there is not enough data to make pharmacogenomic recommendations that can be implemented globally. The aim of this study is to assess and document carbamazepine-induced adverse reactions among prescribed Saudi/non-Saudi patients. A retrospective chart review was performed for patients who received carbamazepine (CBZ) in the period between 2016 and 2020, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Data were gathered and descriptive statistical analyses were performed on the data for the study sample. Comparisons were made using the chi-square test or independent samples’ t-test. Statistical significance was considered at p < .05. All statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS 21.0 (Armonk, NY; IBM Corp). Results from multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that higher likelihood of carbamazepine-induced adverse reactions was significantly associated with younger age, OR = 0.82, 95% CI (0.74, 0.90); p < 0.001. Patients who were prescribed CBZ for reasons other than epilepsy or seizures were significantly more likely to develop carbamazepine-induced adverse reactions (epilepsy vs. other; OR = 0.63, p = 0.013; seizures vs. other; OR = 0.59, p = 0.018). Gender or medication duration were not related to carbamazepine-induced adverse reactions (p > 0.05). The findings of this study are comparable with those of other studies assessing carbamazepine-associated adverse reactions in children and adults. Recommendations include genetic prescreening, educating patients and parents on the possibility of adverse reactions, and routine laboratory monitoring.
Haemosporidian blood parasites of passerine birds in north-western Siberia
Authors: Yusupova Dina A. , Schumm Yvonne R. , Sokolov Aleksandr A. , Quillfeldt Petra
Published: May 2023

Host–parasite interactions include effects on both proximate and ultimate levels: parasite infections affect individual’s fitness and play a significant role in shaping the life history of host species. Global environmental changes as well as significant shifts in abiotic factors might impact the dynamics of parasite–host interactions, especially in Arctic regions, where the climate is changing at an alarming rate. With global warming, parasites and their vectors are predicted to spread to polar latitudes, and it is crucial to follow the changes occurring in the ecosystems in the era of global changes. We studied blood parasites (Haemosporidae) of passerine birds (Passeriformes: Aves) in southwest Yamal (north-western Siberia) using genetic and morphological methods. We found an overall parasite prevalence of 76.3%, with highest values for Leucocytozoon (72.0%) and lower values for Parahaemoproteus and Plasmodium (8.9 and 8.2%, respectively). We determined 26 genetic lineages in total, five of them were novel. The most common parasite lineages were TRPIP2 (18%), BT1 (14%), novel ACAFLA06 (13%), BT2 (7%), novel ACAFLA07 (6%), BT4 (5%) for Leucocytozoon; SISKIN1 (4%) for Parahaemoproteus; TURDUS1 (4%) for Plasmodium. For redpoll (Acanthis flammea), brambling (Fringilla montifringilla), bluethroat (Luscinia svecica) and little bunting (Emberiza pusilla) overall prevalence exceeded 90%. We also found significant differences in prevalence and lineage composition between sample sites, species and sexes, and a positive correlation between number of infections and host body mass. Our study provides knowledge about haemosporidian infections in the region, which had been barely studied for blood parasites. Gathered information is essential for the future monitoring and assessing potential shifts due to global change.
The ideal intravitreal injection setting: office, ambulatory surgery room or operating theatre? A narrative review and international survey
Authors: Veritti Daniele , Sarao Valentina , Chhablani Jay , Loewenstein Anat , Lanzetta Paolo ,   Società Italiana della Retina (SIR) Study Group, Bandello Francesco , Midena Edoardo , Nicolò Massimo , Parravano Mariacristina , Pilotto Elisabetta , Ricci Federico , Staurenghi Giovanni , Virgili Gianni ,   Intravitreal Injection Setting Study Group (I2SG), Arnold Jennifer J. , Augustin Albert J. , Creuzot-Garcher Catherine , Adrian Monica Lövestam , Mekjavić Polona Jaki , Patel Praveen J. , Rodriguez Francisco J. , Schumann Ricarda , Sharma Ashish , Silva Rufino , Zarranz-Ventura Javier
Published: May 2023

Purpose

This study reviews evidence and provides recommendations for the ideal setting of intravitreal injection (IVI) administration of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors.

Methods

A multi-step approach was employed, including content analysis of regulations and guidelines, a systematic literature review, and an international survey assessing perioperative complications and endophthalmitis incidence in relation to injection settings. The literature review searched PubMed and Cochrane databases from 2006 to 2022, focusing on studies reporting correlations between complications and treatment settings. The survey utilized a web-based questionnaire distributed to clinical sites and the international ophthalmic community, with data managed using electronic capture tools.

Results

We reviewed regulations and guidelines from 23 countries across five continents, finding significant variation in IVI administration settings. In most countries, IVI is primarily administered in outpatient clean rooms (96%) or offices (39%), while in others, it is restricted to ambulatory surgery rooms or hospital-based operating theatres (4%). The literature review found that endophthalmitis risk after IVI is generally low (0.01% to 0.26% per procedure), with no significant difference between office-based and operating room settings. The international survey (20 centers, 96,624 anti-VEGF injections) found low overall incidences of severe perioperative systemic adverse events and endophthalmitis, independent of injection settings.

Conclusion

No significant differences in perioperative complications were observed among various settings, including operating theatres, ambulatory surgery rooms, offices, hospitals, or extra-hospital environments. Choosing the appropriate clinical setting can optimize patient management, potentially increasing effectiveness, quality, productivity, and capacity.
Spinocerebellar ataxia 38: structure–function analysis shows ELOVL5 G230V is proteotoxic, conformationally altered and a mutational hotspot
Authors: Ferrero Enza , Di Gregorio Eleonora , Ferrero Marta , Ortolan Erika , Moon Young-Ah , Di Campli Antonella , Pavinato Lisa , Mancini Cecilia , Tripathy Debasmita , Manes Marta , Hoxha Eriola , Costanzi Chiara , Pozzi Elisa , Rossi Sebastiano Matteo , Mitro Nico , Tempia Filippo , Caruso Donatella , Borroni Barbara , Basso Manuela , Sallese Michele , Brusco Alfredo
Published: May 2023

Fatty acid elongase ELOVL5 is part of a protein family of multipass transmembrane proteins that reside in the endoplasmic reticulum where they regulate long-chain fatty acid elongation. A missense variant (c.689G>T p.Gly230Val) in ELOVL5 causes Spinocerebellar Ataxia subtype 38 (SCA38), a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by autosomal dominant inheritance, cerebellar Purkinje cell demise and adult-onset ataxia. Having previously showed aberrant accumulation of p.G230V in the Golgi complex, here we further investigated the pathogenic mechanisms triggered by p.G230V, integrating functional studies with bioinformatic analyses of protein sequence and structure. Biochemical analysis showed that p.G230V enzymatic activity was normal. In contrast, SCA38-derived fibroblasts showed reduced expression of ELOVL5, Golgi complex enlargement and increased proteasomal degradation with respect to controls. By heterologous overexpression, p.G230V was significantly more active than wild-type ELOVL5 in triggering the unfolded protein response and in decreasing viability in mouse cortical neurons. By homology modelling, we generated native and p.G230V protein structures whose superposition revealed a shift in Loop 6 in p.G230V that altered a highly conserved intramolecular disulphide bond. The conformation of this bond, connecting Loop 2 and Loop 6, appears to be elongase-specific. Alteration of this intramolecular interaction was also observed when comparing wild-type ELOVL4 and the p.W246G variant which causes SCA34. We demonstrate by sequence and structure analyses that ELOVL5 p.G230V and ELOVL4 p.W246G are position-equivalent missense variants. We conclude that SCA38 is a conformational disease and propose combined loss of function by mislocalization and gain of toxic function by ER/Golgi stress as early events in SCA38 pathogenesis.
Oxime and thiazolidine chemoselective ligation reactions: a green method for cotton functionalization
Authors: Albini Francesca , Biondi Barbara , Lastella Luana , Peggion Cristina
Published: May 2023

During the last years, the need to create textile materials provided with peculiar properties has grown significantly. In particular, new textiles are studied to be a first protection in the prevention of living organisms from pathogens. In this regard, modifying a textile material with biologically active compounds, such as antibacterial or antiviral peptides would be useful for many applications. Our work shows a study on the possibility of modifying cotton fabrics with peptides using thiazolidine and oxime chemoselective ligations. For this purpose, an enzymatic oxidation of cellulose in a heterogeneous phase and the possibility to reuse the oxidation solution for multiple times was successfully applied. Model peptides have been designed and synthesized in order to set up the conditions for conjugating peptides to cotton via either thiazolidine or oxime bond. A systematic study of the time, pH, and quantities needed for the best reaction conditions has been conducted. The efficiency and stability of the two chemoselective ligation bonds have been studied and compared.

Graphical abstract
Space allowance impacts behavior, productivity, reproductivity and immunity of sheep—a review
Authors: El Sabry Mohamed I. , Motsei Lebogang E. , Abdel-Mageed Ibrahim I. , Almasri Obaida
Published: May 2023

Sheep is an important producing animal in subtropical and arid regions; however, sheep farming practices and welfare standards are still not well established. To move to either intensive or intensive sheep production, stocking density (animal/area, SD) is a significant factor that influencing the welfare and productivity of animals. However, there are discrepancies in space allowance standards for wool, meat, and dairy sheep at different stages. Thus, this review article sheds light on (1) the geographical distribution of wool, meat-type, and dairy sheep populations; (2) the effects of interaction among space allowances, housing systems, and group size on the social, feeding, and aggressive behaviors and human-sheep contact; (3) the effects of space allowance on wool, growth performance, and milk production of sheep; (4) the relationship between space allowance and reproductive performance; (5) the effects of stocking rate on immunity; and (6) suggestions to mitigate the stress and deleterious influences of SD on the productivity of sheep. In conclusion, the larger space allowance with access to an outdoor yard can improve social and feeding behaviors, meat and milk yield, and wool quality. Moreover, ewes are more sensitive to SD, so they should receive an adequate space allowance at each stage. The changes in behavioral responses of each sheep breed refer to their different requirements. Therefore, there is a need to determine the impact of housing aspects, especially space allowance and enrichment tools on the productive performance and welfare indices of sheep for implementing welfare-economic standards for sheep production.
Using latent variable models to make gaming-the-system detection robust to context variations
Authors: Huang Yun , Dang Steven , Elizabeth Richey J. , Chhabra Pallavi , Thomas Danielle R. , Asher Michael W. , Lobczowski Nikki G. , McLaughlin Elizabeth A. , Harackiewicz Judith M. , Aleven Vincent , Koedinger Kenneth R.
Published: May 2023

Gaming the system, a behavior in which learners exploit a system’s properties to make progress while avoiding learning, has frequently been shown to be associated with lower learning. However, when we applied a previously validated gaming detector across conditions in experiments with an algebra tutor, the detected gaming was not associated with reduced learning, challenging its validity in our study context. Our exploratory data analysis suggested that varying contextual factors across and within conditions contributed to this lack of association. We present a new approach, latent variable-based gaming detection (LV-GD), that controls for contextual factors and more robustly estimates student-level latent gaming tendencies. In LV-GD, a student is estimated as having a high gaming tendency if the student is detected to game more than the expected level of the population given the context. LV-GD applies a statistical model on top of an existing action-level gaming detector developed based on a typical human labeling process, without additional labeling effort. Across three datasets, we find that LV-GD consistently outperformed the original detector in validity measured by association between gaming and learning as well as reliability. LV-GD also afforded high practical utility: it more accurately revealed intervention effects on gaming, revealed a correlation between gaming and perceived competence in math and helped understand productive detected gaming behaviors. Our approach is not only useful for others wanting a cost-effective way to adapt a gaming detector to their context but is also generally applicable in creating robust behavioral measures.
Choice models and recommender systems effects on users’ choices
Authors: Hazrati Naieme , Ricci Francesco
Published: May 2023

Nowadays, the users of a web platform, such as a video-on-demand service or an eCommerce site, are routinely using the platform’s recommender system (RS) when choosing which item to consume or buy (e.g. movies or books). It is therefore important to understand how the exposure to recommendations can influence the users’ choices, particularly the quality and distribution of the chosen items. However, users, even in the presence of the same RS, may show diverse and even atypical choice behaviours, which are independent of the RS; they may have a preference for choosing more popular or recent items. The effect of these behaviours on the collective evolution of the choices and the performance of the RS is not well-understood yet. In fact, in previous analyses, the users were supposed to only choose among the top recommendations, without any further discrimination. Hence, we first perform a correlation analysis, in some choice data sets, revealing that three kinds of choice behaviours, namely the tendency to choose popular, recent, and highly rated items, are actually observable in large percentages of the users. Then, we investigate how these choice behaviours, implemented as algorithmic choice models (Popularity-CM, Age-CM and Rating-CM), can influence the overall choice distribution and performance of the RS. With the aim of understanding such relationships and consequences, we have designed a simulation framework where the considered choice models (CMs) are adopted to simulate users’ choices when they are exposed to recommendations from alternative RSs. We found that (1) the choices’ distribution of a user population is significantly influenced not only by the RS, but also by the prevalent choice model of the population, (2) RS have some effects on the choices that are independent of the adoption of the CM, and (3) some important effects of the RS on users’ choice distribution depend also on the choice model that the users adopt. The study contributes to the start of a new line of research where the impact of recommendation technologies can be studied with respect to alternative decision-making approaches, which are actually followed by real users. Additionally, the simulation approach can help other researchers and practitioners to investigate the effect of deploying an RS when a certain CM is identified in a population of users.
Hydrology and hydrological extremes under climate change scenarios in the Bosque watershed, North-Central Texas, USA
Authors: Tefera Gebrekidan Worku , Ray Ram Lakhan
Published: May 2023

This study evaluates hydrology and hydrological extremes under future climate change scenarios. The climate change scenarios were developed from multiple Global Circulation Models (GCMs), Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) scenarios, and statistical downscaling techniques. To ensure hydrological model robustness, the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was calibrated and validated using the Differential Split Sample Test (DSST) approach. The model was also calibrated and validated at the multi-gauges of the watershed. Future climate change scenarios revealed a reduction in precipitation (in the order of −9.1% to 4.9%) and a consistent increase in maximum temperature (0.34°C to 4.10°C) and minimum temperature (−0.15 °C to 3.7°C) in different climate model simulations. The climate change scenarios triggered a reduction of surface runoff and streamflow and a moderate increase in evapotranspiration. Future climate change scenarios projected a decrease in high flow (Q5) and low flow (Q95). A higher reduction of Q5 and annual minimum flow is also simulated in future climate scenarios, whereas an increase in annual maximum flow is simulated in climate change scenarios developed from the RCP8.5 emission scenario. The study suggests optimal water management structures which can reduce the effect of change in high and low flows.
EDTA as a legacy soil chelatant: a comparative study to a more environmentally sensitive alternative for metal removal by Pistia stratiotes L.
Authors: Lebrun Manhattan , Száková Jiřina , Drábek Ondřej , Tejnecký Václav , Hough Rupert Lloyd , Beesley Luke , Wang Hailong , Trakal Lukáš
Published: May 2023

The accuracy of environmental risk assessment depends upon selecting appropriate matrices to extract the most risk-relevant portion of contaminant(s) from the soil. Here, we applied the chelatants EDTA and tartaric acid to extract a metal-contaminated soil. Pistia stratiotes was applied as an indicator plant to measure accumulation from the metal-laden bulk solutions generated, in a hydroponic experiment lasting 15 days. Speciation modeling was used to elucidate key geo-chemical mechanisms impacting matrix and metal-specific uptake revealed by experimental work. The highest concentrations of soil-borne metals were extracted from soil by EDTA (7.4% for Cd), but their uptake and translocation to the plant were restricted due to the formation of stable metal complexes predominantly with DOC. Tartaric acid solubilized metals to a lesser extent (4.6% for Cd), but a higher proportion was plant available due to its presence mainly in the form of bivalent metal cations. The water extraction showed the lowest metal extraction (e.g., 3.9% for Cd), but the metal species behaved similarly to those extracted by tartaric acid. This study demonstrates that not all extractions are equal and that metal-specific speciation will impact accurate risk assessment in soil (water)-plant systems. In the case of EDTA, a deleterious impact on DOC leaching is an obvious drawback. As such, further work should now determine soil and not only metal-specific impacts of chelatants on the extraction of environmentally relevant portions of metal(loid)s.
Evaluating the effect of upper-body morbidity on quality of life following primary breast cancer treatment: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Macdonald Eliza R. , Amorim Nadia M. L. , Hagstrom Amanda D. , Markovic Katarina , Simar David , Ward Rachel E. , Clifford Briana K.
Published: May 2023

Purpose

Improvements in breast cancer management continue to increase survival and life expectancy after treatment. Yet the adverse effects of treatment may persist long term, threatening physical, psychological, and social wellbeing, leading to impaired quality of life (QOL). Upper-body morbidity (UBM) such as pain, lymphoedema, restricted shoulder range of motion (ROM), and impaired function are widely reported after breast cancer treatment, but evidence demonstrating its impact on QOL is inconsistent. Therefore, the aim of the study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis evaluating the effect of UBM on QOL following primary breast cancer treatment.

Methods

The study was prospectively registered on PROSPERO (CRD42020203445). CINAHL, Embase, Emcare, PsycInfo, PubMed/Medline, and SPORTDiscus databases were searched for studies reporting QOL in individuals with and without UBM following primary breast cancer treatment. Primary analysis determined the standardised mean difference (SMD) in physical, psychological, and social wellbeing scores between UBM + /UBM − groups. Secondary analyses identified differences in QOL scores between groups, according to questionnaire.

Results

Fifty-eight studies were included, with 39 conducive to meta-analysis. Types of UBM included pain, lymphoedema, restricted shoulder ROM, impaired upper-body function, and upper-body symptoms. UBM + groups reported poorer physical (SMD =  − 0.99; 95%CI =  − 1.26, − 0.71; p < 0.00001), psychological (SMD =  − 0.43; 95%CI =  − 0.60, − 0.27; p < 0.00001), and social wellbeing (SMD =  − 0.62; 95%CI =  − 0.83, − 0.40; p < 0.00001) than UBM − groups. Secondary analyses according to questionnaire showed that UBM + groups rated their QOL poorer or at equal to, UBM − groups across all domains.

Conclusions

Findings demonstrate the significant, negative impact of UBM on QOL, pervading physical, psychological, and social domains.

Implications for Cancer Survivors

Efforts to assess and minimise the multidimensional impact of UBM are warranted to mitigate impaired QOL after breast cancer.
Willingness to participate in marine volunteering: an international survey
Authors: Lucrezi Serena , Cilliers Charmaine Danielle
Published: May 2023

With the launch of the UN Ocean Decade, the value of inclusive approaches encouraging better stewardship and improving the management of ocean resources has been increasingly advocated. Public engagement in marine issues through volunteering in marine conservation and science can be a tool to strengthen the connection to the ocean, stimulating behaviour change and support for solutions that can mitigate human impacts on marine environments and resources. This study investigated, through an international online survey, behavioural intentions to partake in marine volunteering among people with a vested interest in marine tourism and recreation, conservation and research. Particular focus was given to drivers, barriers and enablers in marine volunteering. The participants (N = 473) were interested in marine volunteering, driven mainly by ecocentric motives, self-development, and personal well-being. Important barriers to marine volunteering included money and access, with time and skills being secondary. While the participants were convinced they would participate in marine volunteering in the future, they agreed that information and education, time, better access and incentives would enable participation. Previous volunteering experience resulted in stronger drivers to participate in marine volunteering, and perspectives also varied according to demographic variables including age and educational background. The results of this study were used to guide strategies for marine volunteer recruitment, highlighting the importance of well-designed outreach campaigns, inclusivity, and partnerships to support marine volunteering as a positive form of public engagement in marine stewardship and science.
The Application of SDS-PAGE Protein and HPTLC Amino Acid Profiling for Verification of Declared Variety and Geographical Origin of Honey
Authors: Dżugan Małgorzata , Miłek Michał , Sidor Ewelina , Buczkowicz Justyna , Hęclik Joanna , Bocian Aleksandra
Published: May 2023

Proteins and amino acids are minor components of honey that are rarely used for its quality evaluation, although these components create its biological activity as well as can serve for overheating detection. The aim of the study was to use these indicators to confirm a declared on the label variety. Fifty-eight honey samples of 8 different varieties meeting the commercial quality requirements were used, including 28 local Polish and 30 commercial (mainly imported from EU and non-EU) honeys. For honey protein profiling previously used, polyacrylamide electrophoresis in denaturing conditions (SDS-PAGE) was applied whereas the free amino acid profile was analyzed by high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) for the first time. As auxiliary indicators, the colorimetric determination of the protein content by the Bradford method, the activity of 5 glycolytic enzymes, including diastase, β-galactosidase, N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase, α-mannosidase, and α-glucosidase, and the content of proline were used. It has been shown that based on the determined model protein SDS-PAGE profiles for selected monofloral honeys, it is possible to detect honeys of questionable variety based on the lack of specific protein bands or their diverging intensity. The HPTLC amino acid analysis can serve as a supporting control tool, capturing differences in the amino acid profile. Due to a great variation of multifloral honey, such assays are effective for monofloral honey only. The colorimetric assays, especially for total protein and β-galactosidase, can be also useful. The applied tools can be proposed for the initial verification of honey variety for cost reduction of officially recognized melissopalynological analysis.
Integrating Knowledge Management and Governance for Innovation Outcomes: A New Framework for Managing Innovation in a Project Environment
Authors: Foster Lee , Wiewiora Anna , Donnet Timothy
Published: May 2023

Organisational competitive advantage is highly dependent on the ability to innovate and knowledge is a key component of innovation. Our understanding of knowledge processes and mechanisms is an emerging field of study and consequently, an understanding of how micro-level, knowledge governance mechanisms can assist in managing knowledge for innovation has received limited attention in the literature. Projects have additional difficulty being innovative due to their temporality and focus on their immediate performance rather than on building capability. This qualitative case study research explores the role of knowledge governance in contributing to better management of knowledge in the context of an innovation project in a government-owned, water utility in Queensland, Australia. This research contributes to the existing literature by bringing together insights from knowledge management, knowledge governance and innovation frameworks which culminated in a new knowledge-based innovation framework. The research further demonstrates how two knowledge governance mechanisms—trust and energy—influence the innovation process to make innovative outcomes more effective through the creation and transfer of new knowledge from projects to the organisation.
Prognostic impact of tumor size on patients with metastatic colorectal cancer: a large SEER-based retrospective cohort study
Authors: Zhang Qi , Li Baosong , Zhang Shiyao , Huang Qianpeng , Zhang Maorun , Liu Gang
Published: May 2023

Given the poor prognosis of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), this research aimed to investigate the correlation between tumor size and prognosis, and develop a novel prediction model to guide individualized treatment. Patients pathologically diagnosed with mCRC were recruited from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database between 2010 and 2015, and were randomly divided (7:3 ratio) into a training cohort (n = 5597) and a validation cohort (n = 2398). Kaplan–Meier curves were used to analyze the relationship between tumor size and overall survival (OS). Univariate Cox analysis was applied to assess the factors associated with the prognosis of mCRC patients in the training cohort, and then multivariate Cox analysis was used to construct a nomogram model. The area under the receiver-operating characteristics curve (AUC) and calibration curve were used to evaluate the predictive ability of the model. Patients with larger tumors had a worse prognosis. While brain metastases were associated with larger tumors compared to liver or lung metastases, bone metastases tended to be associated with smaller tumors. Multivariate Cox analysis revealed that tumor size was an independent prognostic risk factor (HR 1.28, 95% CI 1.19–1.38), in addition to the other ten variables (age, race, primary site, grade, histology, T stage, N stage, chemotherapy, CEA level and metastases site). The 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS nomogram model yielded AUC values of more than 0.70 in both the training and validation cohorts, and its predictive performance was superior to that of the traditional TNM stage. Calibration plots demonstrated a good agreement between the predicted and observed 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS outcomes in both cohorts. The size of primary tumor was found to be significantly associated with prognosis of mCRC, and was also correlated with specific metastatic organ. In this study, we presented the first effort to create and validate a novel nomogram for predicting 1-, 3- and 5-year OS probabilities of mCRC. The prognostic nomogram was demonstrated to have an excellent predictive ability in estimating individualized OS of patients with mCRC.
Parameter estimation for a bivariate beta distribution with arbitrary beta marginals and positive correlation
Authors: Trick Susanne , Rothkopf Constantin A. , Jäkel Frank
Published: May 2023

We discuss a bivariate beta distribution that can model arbitrary beta-distributed marginals with a positive correlation. The distribution is constructed from six independent gamma-distributed random variates. While previous work used an approximate and sometimes inaccurate method to compute the distribution’s covariance and estimate its parameters, here, we derive all product moments and the exact covariance, which can be computed numerically. Based on this analysis we present an algorithm for estimating the parameters of the distribution using moment matching. We evaluate this inference method in a simulation study and demonstrate its practical use on a data set consisting of predictions from two correlated forecasters. Furthermore, we generalize the bivariate beta distribution to a correlated Dirichlet distribution, for which the proposed parameter estimation method can be used analogously.
Hybrid PD-DEM approach for modeling surface erosion by particles impact
Authors: Walayat Khuram , Haeri Sina , Iqbal Imran , Zhang Yonghao
Published: May 2023

Peridynamics (PD) theory is a promising technique for modeling solids with discontinuities. Short-range repulsive force models are commonly employed in PD impact event simulations. Despite their extensive usage, short-range force models do not take damping, friction, and tangential force components into account and hence are unable to effectively describe energy dissipation, leading to uncertainty in the calculation of contact forces. However, the accuracy of impact simulations using alternate contact models has not been extensively investigated in the context of PD impact simulations. The Discrete Element Method (DEM) has been proven to be the most reliable and effective approach to model collision processes between distinct solid objects. This work presents, a particle-based hybrid PD-DEM model to accurately predict the particle impact forces and the resulting damage to the target material. The present model brings together the unique capabilities of PD and DEM and has the potential to make use of the various DEM contact laws, which allow the development and adjustment of relevant contact forces in the normal and tangential directions. Furthermore, damping effects, friction, and intra-particle stiffness are incorporated into the simulations through DEM. The proposed method has been used for modeling material failure after being validated and verified for the contact parameters during the impact process. The predicted damage patterns and resulting material loss demonstrate good agreement with the experimental results reported in the literature.
Effects of Soil–Structure Interaction on Performance of Bridges During Earthquakes. Case Study: Integral Abutment Bridge in Pennsylvania, USA
Authors: Firoozi Ali Akbar , Naji Maryam , Firoozi Ali Asghar
Published: May 2023

Bridges are among the most important transportation elements that may be damaged by earthquakes. An integral abutment bridge (IAB) is a bridge linking the superstructure directly to the substructure. As soil piles, abutments, and superstructures act as a combined system to resist lateral loading on the bridge, soil stiffness has a major impact on load distribution. This research attempts to determine how the structure and soil parameters affect the IABs. The parametric study consists of four variables, namely bridge span (short, medium, and large spans were 18.3, 35.4, and 64.5 m, respectively), backfill height/pressure (3.1, 4.6, and 6.1 m, respectively), stiffness of soil mixture backfills (high, intermediate, and low), and soil density around the piles (high, intermediate, and low). Because of the small width–length ratio of the bridge, a 2D model of an IAB with soil springs around the piles and abutments was developed with finite element software. Findings show that the value of the backfill pressure affects girder axial forces and girder bending moments at the IAB. Also, the stiffness of soil mixture backfills is an important factor to change lateral displacements, while less movement is related to high stiffness of soil mixture backfills with intermediate clay around the pile. It is clear that the maximum axial girder moments at the superstructure generally decrease when the stiffness of the soil mixture behind the abutments and around piles increases, similar to pile deflection and abutment displacements. In addition to maximum abutment, the head moment decreases when abutment backfill is dense and increases when piles are located in hard clay, similar to pile moments. Lastly, dense sand backfill behind abutments is recommended since it decreases pile deflections, pile lateral forces, abutment displacements, abutment head moments, and particularly pile bending moments.
Presentation and management outcome of symptomatic epididymal cysts in children: A case series
Authors: Hassan Moaied A.
Published: May 2023

Abstract

Introduction

Epididymal cysts usually develop in adults with rare occurrence in children. There is a shortage concerning our knowledge about this rare pathology in children. We present our experience with the presentation and management outcome of symptomatic epididymal cysts in children.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of 7 patients with symptomatic epididymal cysts during the period from October 2017 to June 2022 was conducted. Recorded data included age and mode of presentation, findings on physical examination and scrotal U/S, spontaneous resolution and its duration, indications of surgical intervention, and post management follow up. All patients underwent an initial plan of conservative management. Surgical intervention was indicated in patients with persisting symptoms and/or failure of lesion’s resolution on periodic follow up of 3 months interval.

Results

The average age of patients was 7.9 years. Scrotal pain was the leading presenting symptom in 4 (57.1%) patients. The diagnosis was confirmed in all patients by scrotal ultrasonography. Spontaneous resolution was reported in 5 (71.4%) patients with an average duration of 9 months. Surgical excision was indicated in 2 (28.6%) patients. Recurrence was not recorded in all patients who developed complete lesion’s resolution, and patients were symptom free for 6 months of post management follow up.

Conclusion

The majority of epididymal cysts in children can be managed conservatively. Resolution duration is directly proportional to the cyst size. Cysts larger than 10 mm less likely involute, and surgical excision may be indicated. Larger volume studies are needed to establish a more solid therapeutic regimen.

Highlights