bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigating the representation of heatwaves from an ensemble of km-scale regional climate simulations within CORDEX-FPS convection
Authors: Sangelantoni L. , Sobolowski S. , Lorenz T. , Hodnebrog Ø. , Cardoso R. M. , Soares P. M. M. , Ferretti R. , Lavín-Gullón A. , Fernandez J. , Goergen K. , Milovac J. , Katragkou E. , Kartsios S. , Coppola E. , Pichelli E. , Adinolfi M. , Mercogliano P. , Berthou S. , de Vries H. , Dobler A. , Belušić D. , Feldmann H. , Tölle M. H. , Bastin S.
Published: April 2023

Heatwaves (HWs) are high-impact phenomena stressing both societies and ecosystems. Their intensity and frequency are expected to increase in a warmer climate over many regions of the world. While these impacts can be wide-ranging, they are potentially influenced by local to regional features such as topography, land cover, and urbanization. Here, we leverage recent advances in the very high-resolution modelling required to elucidate the impacts of heatwaves at these fine scales. Further, we aim to understand how the new generation of km-scale regional climate models (RCMs) modulates the representation of heatwaves over a well-known climate change hot spot. We analyze an ensemble of 15 convection-permitting regional climate model (CPRCM, ~ 2–4 km grid spacing) simulations and their driving, convection-parameterized regional climate model (RCM, ~ 12–15 km grid spacing) simulations from the CORDEX Flagship Pilot Study on Convection. The focus is on the evaluation experiments (2000–2009) and three subdomains with a range of climatic characteristics. During HWs, and generally in the summer season, CPRCMs exhibit warmer and drier conditions than their driving RCMs. Higher maximum temperatures arise due to an altered heat flux partitioning, with daily peaks up to ~ 150 W/m2 larger latent heat in RCMs compared to the CPRCMs. This is driven by a 5–25% lower soil moisture content in the CPRCMs, which is in turn related to longer dry spell length (up to double). It is challenging to ascertain whether these differences represent an improvement. However, a point-scale distribution-based maximum temperature evaluation, suggests that this CPRCMs warmer/drier tendency is likely more realistic compared to the RCMs, with ~ 70% of reference sites indicating an added value compared to the driving RCMs, increasing to 95% when only the distribution right tail is considered. Conversely, a CPRCMs slight detrimental effect is found according to the upscaled grid-to-grid approach over flat areas. Certainly, CPRCMs enhance dry conditions, with knock-on implications for summer season temperature overestimation. Whether this improved physical representation of HWs also has implications for future changes is under investigation.
Executive functioning of patients with congenital heart disease: 45 years after surgery
Authors: Pelosi C. , Kauling R. M. , Cuypers J. A. A. E. , Utens E. M. W. J. , van den Bosch A. E. , Kardys I. , Bogers A. J. J. C. , Helbing W. A. , Roos-Hesselink J. W. , Legerstee Jeroen S.
Published: April 2023

Background

Nowadays, more than 90% of patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) reach adulthood. However, long-term impact on neurodevelopment and executive functioning in adults with CHD are not completely understood.

Purpose

To investigate the self- and informant-reported executive functioning in adults with CHD operated in childhood.

Material and methods

Longitudinal study of a cohort of patients (n = 194, median age: 49.9 [46.1–53.8]) who were operated in childhood (< 15 years old) between 1968 and 1980 (median follow-up time: 45 [40–53] years) for one of the following diagnoses: atrial septal defect (ASD), ventricular septal defect (VSD), pulmonary stenosis (PS), tetralogy of Fallot (ToF) or transposition of the great arteries (TGA). Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult version (BRIEF-A) questionnaire was used to assess self- and informant-reported executive functioning.

Results

40–53 years after surgery, the CHD group did show significantly better executive functioning compared to the norm data. No significant difference was found between mild CHD (ASD, VSD and PS) and moderate/severe CHD (ToF and TGA). Higher education, NYHA class 1 and better exercise capacity were associated with better self-reported executive functioning, whereas females or patients taking psychiatric or cardiac medications reported worse executive functioning.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest favorable outcomes (comparable to normative data) regarding executive functioning in adults with CHD, both self- and informant-reported. However, further study is warranted to explore more in detail the different cognitive domains of executive functioning in these patients.

Graphical abstract
Plasma p-tau181 and p-tau217 in discriminating PART, AD and other key neuropathologies in older adults
Authors: Yu Lei , Boyle Patricia A. , Janelidze Shorena , Petyuk Vladislav A. , Wang Tianhao , Bennett David A. , Hansson Oskar , Schneider Julie A.
Published: April 2023

We examined whether plasma p-tau181 and p-tau217 are specific biomarkers of pathologically confirmed Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In particular, we investigated the utility of plasma p-tau for differentiating AD from primary age-related tauopathy (PART), as well as AD with mixed pathologies. Data came from 269 older adults who participated in the Religious Orders Study or the Rush Memory and Aging Project. Blood samples were collected during annual clinical evaluations. Participants died and underwent brain autopsy. P-tau181 and p-tau217 were quantified in the plasma samples proximate to death (average interval before death: 1.4 years) using Lilly-developed MSD immunoassays. Uniform neuropathologic evaluations assessed AD, PART, and other common degenerative and cerebrovascular conditions. Plasma p-tau217 was more strongly correlated with brain β-amyloid and paired helical filament tau (PHFtau) tangles than p-tau181. Both p-tau markers were associated with greater odds of AD, but p-tau217 had higher accuracy (area under the ROC curve (AUC): 0.83) than p-tau181 (AUC: 0.76). Plasma p-tau markers were almost exclusively associated with AD pathologic indices with the exception of cerebral amyloid angiopathy. Compared to p-tau181, p-tau217 showed a higher AUC (0.82 versus 0.74) in differentiating AD from PART. For either p-tau, we did not observe a level difference between individuals with AD alone and those with mixed AD pathologies. In summary, plasma p-tau181and p-tau217 were specifically associated with AD pathological changes. Further, our data provide initial evidence that p-tau217 may be able to differentiate between AD and PART in individuals with comparable burdens of tau tangle pathology. These results demonstrate the specificity of p-tau217 for AD, supporting its use to identify patients suitable for anti-AD therapies including β-amyloid immunotherapies.
Oncolytic adenoviruses and the treatment of pancreatic cancer: a review of clinical trials
Authors: Taylor Isobel P. , Lopez J. Alejandro
Published: April 2023

Purpose

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a common and difficult cancer to treat. Surgical resection and chemotherapy are standard of care and clinical outcomes remain poor. Oncolytic adenoviruses are a unique approach to the treatment of this challenging cancer, aiming to overcome the features of this disease that pose the key obstacles to standard therapies. This paper provides a detailed review of the clinical trials of conditionally-replicative adenoviruses in pancreatic cancer to date, with a brief summary of the past preclinical literature and future prospects of this therapy.

Methods

MEDLINE, Embase, and clinicaltrials.gov were searched from inception to December 23rd 2022 for clinical trials of conditionally-replicative adenoviruses used in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Primary features for review included patient demographics, treatment protocol including dose and administration route, adverse events, patient responses and survival rates.

Results

The six published clinical trials suggest that objective clinical responses can be achieved with a tolerable level of side effects, even at high viral doses. The more clinically adaptable intravenous route of administration also appears to be as well tolerated as the more challenging intratumoural injections.

Conclusion

Published clinical trials provide data of the safety and some signs of oncolytic activity of conditionally-replicative adenoviruses in patients with pancreatic cancer. Importantly, on the latest trials, the easier intravenous route of administration seems to be well tolerated and safe, providing the opportunity for further clinical evaluation. It is hoped that the ongoing clinical trials will yield more promising results of this therapeutic approach against a currently intractable disease.
Cancer immune escape: the role of antigen presentation machinery
Authors: Kallingal Anoop , Olszewski Mateusz , Maciejewska Natalia , Brankiewicz Wioletta , Baginski Maciej
Published: April 2023

The mechanisms of antigen processing and presentation play a crucial role in the recognition and targeting of cancer cells by the immune system. Cancer cells can evade the immune system by downregulating or losing the expression of the proteins recognized by the immune cells as antigens, creating an immunosuppressive microenvironment, and altering their ability to process and present antigens. This review focuses on the mechanisms of cancer immune evasion with a specific emphasis on the role of antigen presentation machinery. The study of the immunopeptidome, or peptidomics, has provided insights into the mechanisms of cancer immune evasion and has potential applications in cancer diagnosis and treatment. Additionally, manipulating the epigenetic landscape of cancer cells plays a critical role in suppressing the immune response against cancer. Targeting these mechanisms through the use of HDACis, DNMTis, and combination therapies has the potential to improve the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy. However, further research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms of action and optimal use of these therapies in the clinical setting.
Cross-chain payment protocols with success guarantees
Authors: van Glabbeek Rob , Gramoli Vincent , Tholoniat Pierre
Published: April 2023

In this paper, we consider the problem of cross-chain payment whereby customers of different escrows—implemented by a bank or a blockchain smart contract—successfully transfer digital assets without trusting each other. Prior to this work, cross-chain payment problems did not require this success, or any form of progress. We introduce a new specification formalism called Asynchronous Networks of Timed Automata to formalise such protocols. We present the first cross-chain payment protocol that ensures termination in a bounded amount of time and works correctly in the presence of clock drift. We then demonstrate that it is impossible to solve this problem without assuming synchrony, in the sense that each message is guaranteed to arrive within a known amount of time. Yet, we solve an eventually terminating weaker variant of this problem, where success is conditional on the patience of the participants, without assuming synchrony, and in the presence of Byzantine failures. We also discuss the relation with the recently defined cross-chain deals.
Health professionals’ perspective on the applicability of AO Spine PROST (patient reported outcome Spine trauma) in people with a motor-complete traumatic or non-traumatic spinal cord injury
Authors: Hakbijl - van der Wind Aline J. , Post Marcel W. M. , van Diemen Tijn , Schnake Klaus J. , Benneker Lorin M. , Kandziora Frank , Rajasekaran Shanmuganathan , Schroeder Gregory D. , Vaccaro Alexander R. , Öner F. Cumhur , Sadiqi Said
Published: April 2023

Purpose

The AO Spine PROST (Patient Reported Outcome Spine Trauma) was developed for people with spine trauma and minor or no neurological impairment. The purpose is to investigate health professionals’ perspective on the applicability of the AO Spine PROST for people with motor-complete traumatic or non-traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI), using a discussion meeting and international survey study.

Methods

A discussion meeting with SCI rehabilitation physicians in the Netherlands was performed, followed by a worldwide online survey among the AO Spine International community, involved in the care of people with SCI. Participants rated the comprehensibility, relevance, acceptability, feasibility and completeness of the AO Spine PROST on a 1–5 point scale (5 most positive). Comments could be provided per question.

Results

The discussion meeting was attended by 13 SCI rehabilitation physicians. The survey was completed by 196 participants. Comprehensibility (mean ± SD: 4.1 ± 0.8), acceptability (4.0 ± 0.8), relevance (3.9 ± 0.8), completeness (3.9 ± 0.8), and feasibility (4.1 ± 0.7) of the AO Spine PROST were rated positively for use in people with motor-complete traumatic or non-traumatic SCI. Only a few participants questioned the relevance of items on the lower extremities (e.g., walking) or missed items on pulmonary functioning and complications. Some recommendations were made for improvement in instructions, terminology and examples of the tool.

Conclusion

Health professionals found the AO Spine PROST generally applicable for people with motor-complete traumatic or non-traumatic SCI. This study provides further evidence for the use of the AO Spine PROST in spine trauma care, rehabilitation and research, as well as suggestions for its further development.
Deep spatial and tonal data optimisation for homogeneous diffusion inpainting
Authors: Peter Pascal , Schrader Karl , Alt Tobias , Weickert Joachim
Published: April 2023

Diffusion-based inpainting can reconstruct missing image areas with high quality from sparse data, provided that their location and their values are well optimised. This is particularly useful for applications such as image compression, where the original image is known. Selecting the known data constitutes a challenging optimisation problem, that has so far been only investigated with model-based approaches. So far, these methods require a choice between either high quality or high speed since qualitatively convincing algorithms rely on many time-consuming inpaintings. We propose the first neural network architecture that allows fast optimisation of pixel positions and pixel values for homogeneous diffusion inpainting. During training, we combine two optimisation networks with a neural network-based surrogate solver for diffusion inpainting. This novel concept allows us to perform backpropagation based on inpainting results that approximate the solution of the inpainting equation. Without the need for a single inpainting during test time, our deep optimisation accelerates data selection by more than four orders of magnitude compared to common model-based approaches. This provides real-time performance with high quality results.
Hyperbolicity cones are amenable
Authors: Lourenço Bruno F. , Roshchina Vera , Saunderson James
Published: April 2023

Amenability is a notion of facial exposedness for convex cones that is stronger than being facially dual complete (or ‘nice’) which is, in turn, stronger than merely being facially exposed. Hyperbolicity cones are a family of algebraically structured closed convex cones that contain all spectrahedral cones (linear sections of positive semidefinite cones) as special cases. It is known that all spectrahedral cones are amenable. We establish that all hyperbolicity cones are amenable. As part of the argument, we show that any face of a hyperbolicity cone is a hyperbolicity cone. As a corollary, we show that the intersection of two hyperbolicity cones, not necessarily sharing a common relative interior point, is a hyperbolicity cone.
Myocardial Biomechanics and the Consequent Differentially Expressed Genes of the Left Atrial Ligation Chick Embryonic Model of Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome
Authors: Lashkarinia S. Samaneh , Chan Wei Xuan , Motakis Efthymios , Ho Sheldon , Siddiqui Hummaira Banu , Coban Mervenur , Sevgin Bortecine , Pekkan Kerem , Yap Choon Hwai
Published: April 2023

Left atrial ligation (LAL) of the chick embryonic heart is a model of the hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) where a purely mechanical intervention without genetic or pharmacological manipulation is employed to initiate cardiac malformation. It is thus a key model for understanding the biomechanical origins of HLHS. However, its myocardial mechanics and subsequent gene expressions are not well-understood. We performed finite element (FE) modeling and single-cell RNA sequencing to address this. 4D high-frequency ultrasound imaging of chick embryonic hearts at HH25 (ED 4.5) were obtained for both LAL and control. Motion tracking was performed to quantify strains. Image-based FE modeling was conducted, using the direction of the smallest strain eigenvector as the orientations of contractions, the Guccione active tension model and a Fung-type transversely isotropic passive stiffness model that was determined via micro-pipette aspiration. Single-cell RNA sequencing of left ventricle (LV) heart tissues was performed for normal and LAL embryos at HH30 (ED 6.5) and differentially expressed genes (DEG) were identified.After LAL, LV thickness increased by 33%, strains in the myofiber direction increased by 42%, while stresses in the myofiber direction decreased by 50%. These were likely related to the reduction in ventricular preload and underloading of the LV due to LAL. RNA-seq data revealed potentially related DEG in myocytes, including mechano-sensing genes (Cadherins, NOTCH1, etc.), myosin contractility genes (MLCK, MLCP, etc.), calcium signaling genes (PI3K, PMCA, etc.), and genes related to fibrosis and fibroelastosis (TGF-β, BMP, etc.). We elucidated the changes to the myocardial biomechanics brought by LAL and the corresponding changes to myocyte gene expressions. These data may be useful in identifying the mechanobiological pathways of HLHS.
In a nutshell: exploring single tree parameters and above-ground carbon sequestration potential of common walnut (Juglans regia L.) in agroforestry systems
Authors: Schindler Zoe , Morhart Christopher , Sheppard Jonathan P. , Frey Julian , Seifert Thomas
Published: April 2023

Although agroforestry systems (AFS) provide numerous ecosystem services and are a recognized strategy for climate change mitigation and adaptation, knowledge on the woody component is lacking. Single tree data could improve planning, management and optimization of AFS. One tree species which is of great interest due to its valuable timber and non-timber products is walnut (Juglans regia L.). We used terrestrial laser scanning data to fit quantitative structure models (QSMs) for 65 walnut trees in AFS with diameter at breast height (DBH) ranging from 1 to 77 cm. Based on the QSMs, volumetric information as well as height and crown parameters were derived. By combining the volumetric data with bark and wood density followed by carbon and nutrient concentration, whole tree biomass, nutrient and carbon content were derived. To enable the application of our results, we modeled allometric relationships based on the DBH. The maximum crown projection area of a tree was more than 340 m2, the maximum leafless above-ground dry biomass was 7.4 t and the maximum amount of stored carbon was 3.6 t (in metric tons). A modelled AFS comprising 15 trees per hectare with a target DBH of 60 cm projects at the end of its 60-year rotation period an above-ground tree volume of more than 100 m3, about 60 t of dry biomass and roughly 30 t of sequestered carbon. By producing allometric functions, we provide much needed information for small-scale modelling of AFS.
The 3D Method: A Tool to Analyze Positions in Animal and Environmental Ethics
Authors: Camenzind Samuel
Published: April 2023

Over the past fifty years numerous ethical and political traditions, and positions and sub-positions, have emerged in the fields of animal and environmental ethics. In combination with inconsistent terminology and axiological variation, this has made it difficult for both novices and professional scholars to maintain an overview of these fields. Referring to the preliminary work of Kenneth Goodpaster, William Frankena and Kirsten Schmidt, this paper describes and explains a workable 3D method in which advantageous use is made of three dimensions in ethical argumentation: “moral considerability”, “moral significance” and “moral practice”. The method is a useful research tool for at least three reasons: it allows us to systematically analyze, reconstruct, compare and criticize different normative positions in animal and environmental ethics; it helps ethical theorists to reflect on, and define, their distinctive positions; and it leads to the construction and development of a moral position with the desirable qualities of clarity, transparency, comprehensibility and completeness. First, the 3D method is introduced, and its historical context and origins outlined. Then the three dimensions of the method (moral considerability, moral significance, and moral practice) and their interrelations are considered. The paper concludes with some critical remarks and discusses the limits of the method.
Zirconia-based coatings for the protection of ferritic-martensitic steels in a molten salt environment for CSP technology
Authors: Encinas-Sánchez Víctor , Macías-García Antonio , García-Martín Gustavo , Pérez Trujillo Francisco Javier , Rodríguez-Rego Jesús Manuel
Published: April 2023

The ferritic-martensitic 9Cr-1Mo steel was coated with a sol-gel ZrO2-3%molY2O3 solution by dip-coating. The protective properties of the coating were evaluated in contact with Solar Salt for CSP applications. The coated and uncoated steels were tested at 500 °C in contact with the Solar Salt for 2000 h. Gravimetric, microstructural and compositional studies were performed to compare their behaviour, against corrosion. Results revealed the beneficial influence of the coating on the corrosion resistance of P91 in contact with molten nitrate salt. Weight gain of the coated samples remained practically unaltered throughout the test, while the uncoated samples showed a weight increase with the formation of multi-layered, non-adherent corrosion layers that were spalled during the test. The microstructural and compositional study performed on the samples shows the maintenance of the coating layer and the presence of a 5.18 μm-thick diffusion layer primarily composed of Fe-Zr species, which reduce the ionic diffusion and improve the protective properties. Results reveal the possible suitability of the proposed system as a potential solution to the severe corrosion problems industrial tanks and pipes in contact with Solar Salt.

Graphical Abstract
Implications of building code enforcement and urban expansion on future earthquake loss in East Africa: case study—Blantyre, Malawi
Authors: Giordano Nicola , De Risi Raffaele , Macdonald John , Goda Katsuichiro , Kafodya Innocent , Ngoma Ignasio
Published: April 2023

Rapid and uncontrolled urbanisation in many parts of Africa is a significant driver of earthquake risk. New constructions are usually built with no compliance with seismic codes, which results in a critical increase in the vulnerability of the building stock. To quantitatively assess the potential consequences of unregulated urbanisation, this study investigates the effect of building code enforcement and urban expansion on the future earthquake loss in the city of Blantyre, Malawi. The analysis, performed within a probabilistic loss assessment framework, estimates the net present value of 30-year aggregated seismic loss for different urban expansion rates and code enforcement scenarios. The results show that high urbanisation rates and lack of building regulations could lead to a threefold increase in average seismic losses in the next thirty years. On the contrary, effective code enforcement could cap the seismic loss increase at 13%, highlighting the financial gain from effective disaster risk reduction programmes.
Effect of lanthanum doping on the structure and optical properties of nanocrystalline vanadium pentoxide films prepared by sol–gel method
Authors: Abdelrazek M. M. , Hannora Ahmed E. , Kamel Rasha M. , Morad Ibrahim , El-Desoky M. M.
Published: April 2023

The structural and optical properties of lanthanum oxide doped nanocrystalline vanadium pentoxide films with the chemical composition xLa2O3-(1-x)V2O5.nH2O (where x = 0.25, 0.50 and 1.0 mol%) prepared by sol–gel method were studied. The XRD analysis also revealed that the (002) line is noticeable in the pure film and gets sharper by the addition of Lanthanum, which indicates a layer of intercalation between the vanadium layers. The average crystallite size decreased with increasing Lanthanum content from 4.45 nm to 3.57 nm. By using double-beam UV–VIS spectrophotometers, the optical properties were studied by measuring the absorption, reflectance and transmittance of the prepared films. Some optical parameters like absorption coefficient α, dispersion energy parameters, refractive index n, optical band gap Eop for various transition mechanisms, real parts and imaginary part of the dielectric constants and effective mass were calculated. The absorption coefficient slightly increases with increasing La content, which can be attributed to the increasing of lattice distortion as a result of crystallite size increasing as indicated in the XRD. The transition mechanism was found to be indirect allowed type with optical band gap Eop increasing relative to the La content. By assuming hydrogen like model, the carrier’s contents N were deduced. The absorption spectrum behavior in visible and UV region suggests a promising solution for solar cells and optical-electronic applications.
Shielding effectiveness performance of polyaniline-NiFe2O4:Cu composites for sub-8 GHz applications
Authors: Şahin Ethem İlhan , Emek Mehriban , Ibrahim Jamal Eldin F. M. , Yumuşak Görkem , Kartal Mesut
Published: April 2023

Herein, NiFe2O4 doped Cu was synthesized using a mixed-oxide method to investigate its potential for creating composites with high microwave shielding effectiveness. The compound NiFe2−xCuxO4 was synthesized with x values of 0.1, 0.3 and 0.5, respectively. After sintering at 1250 °C for 4 h, single-phase Ni ferrite was formed. To analyze the phase composition and the structure of the synthesized compound, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were employed. The study's findings showed that NiFe2−xCuxO4 did not exhibit a second phase. To create composites with high microwave shielding effectiveness, polyaniline-NiFe2O4:Cu composites were fabricated using a hot-pressing technique, with compositions of NiFe1.9Cu0.1O3.95, NiFe1.7Cu0.3O3.85 and NiFe1.5Cu0.5O3.75 with the aniline, The weight ratios of Cu-added nickel ferrite and aniline were changed from 1:1 to 1:3, and epoxy resin was used. Using a two-port vector network analyzer, the polyaniline-NiFe2O4:Cu composites’ microwave shielding effectiveness performance was examined in the range between 0 and 8 GHz. The study found that the shielding effect of the composites could be easily modified by changing the amount of polyaniline present in the specimens for the appropriate frequency bands. At 6.82 GHz, using a sample with a thickness of 2.0 mm, a minimum shielding effect performance of − 29.74 dB was achieved. Overall, the results of this study demonstrate the potential of polyaniline-NiFe2O4:Cu composites as effective microwave shielding materials.
Economics of field size and shape for autonomous crop machines
Authors: Al-Amin A. K. M. Abdullah , Lowenberg‑DeBoer James , Franklin Kit , Behrendt Karl
Published: April 2023

Field size and shape constrain spatial and temporal management of agriculture with implications for farm profitability, field biodiversity and environmental performance. Large, conventional equipment struggles to farm small, irregularly shaped fields efficiently. The study hypothesized that autonomous crop machines would make it possible to farm small, non-rectangular fields profitably, thereby preserving field biodiversity and other environmental benefits. Using the experience of the Hands Free Hectare (HFH) demonstration project, this study developed algorithms to estimate field times (h/ha) and field efficiency (%) subject to field size and shape in grain-oil-seed farms of the United Kingdom using four different equipment sets. Results show that field size and shape had a substantial impact on technical and economic performance of all equipment sets, but autonomous machines were able to farm small 1 ha rectangular and non-rectangular fields profitably. Small fields with equipment of all sizes and types required more time, but for HFH equipment sets field size and shape had least impact. Solutions of HFH linear programming model show that autonomous machines decreased wheat production cost by €15/ton to €29/ton and €24/ton to €46/ton for small rectangular and non-rectangular fields respectively, but larger 112 kW and 221 kW equipment with human operators was not profitable for small fields. Sensitivity testing shows that the farms using autonomous machines adapted easily and profitably to scenarios with increasing wage rates and reduced labour availability, whilst farms with conventional equipment struggled. Technical and economic feasibility in small fields imply that autonomous machines could facilitate biodiversity and improve environmental performance.
A robotic system for solo surgery in flexible ureteroscopy: development and evaluation with clinical users
Authors: Schlenk Christopher , Hagmann Katharina , Steidle Florian , Oliva Maza Laura , Kolb Alexander , Hellings-Kuß Anja , Schöb Dominik Stefan , Klodmann Julian , Miernik Arkadiusz , Albu-Schäffer Alin
Published: April 2023

Purpose

The robotic system CoFlex for kidney stone removal via flexible ureteroscopy (fURS) by a single surgeon (solo surgery, abbreviated SSU) is introduced. It combines a versatile robotic arm and a commercially available ureteroscope to enable gravity compensation and safety functions like virtual walls. The haptic feedback from the operation site is comparable to manual fURS, as the surgeon actuates all ureteroscope DoF manually.

Methods

The system hardware and software as well as the design of an exploratory user study on the simulator model with non-medical participants and urology surgeons are described. For each user study task both objective measurements (e.g., completion time) and subjective user ratings of workload (using the NASA-TLX) and usability (using the System Usability Scale SUS) were obtained.

Results

CoFlex enabled SSU in fURS. The implemented setup procedure resulted in an average added setup time of 341.7 ± 71.6 s, a NASA-TLX value of 25.2 ± 13.3 and a SUS value of 82.9 ± 14.4. The ratio of inspected kidney calyces remained similar for robotic (93.68 %) and manual endoscope guidance (94.74 %), but the NASA-TLX values were higher (58.1 ± 16.0 vs. 48.9 ± 20.1) and the SUS values lower (51.5 ± 19.9 vs. 63.6 ± 15.3) in the robotic scenario. SSU in the fURS procedure increased the overall operation time from 1173.5 ± 355.7 s to 2131.0 ± 338.0 s, but reduced the number of required surgeons from two to one.

Conclusions

The evaluation of CoFlex in a user study covering a complete fURS intervention confirmed the technical feasibility of the concept and its potential to reduce surgeon working time. Future development steps will enhance the system ergonomics, minimize the users’ physical load while interacting with the robot and exploit the logged data from the user study to optimize the current fURS workflow.
Composite likelihood methods for parsimonious model-based clustering of mixed-type data
Authors: Ranalli Monia , Rocci Roberto
Published: April 2023

In this paper, we propose twelve parsimonious models for clustering mixed-type (ordinal and continuous) data. The dependence among the different types of variables is modeled by assuming that ordinal and continuous data follow a multivariate finite mixture of Gaussians, where the ordinal variables are a discretization of some continuous variates of the mixture. The general class of parsimonious models is based on a factor decomposition of the component-specific covariance matrices. Parameter estimation is carried out using a EM-type algorithm based on composite likelihood. The proposal is evaluated through a simulation study and an application to real data.
A paper-based colourimetric sensor for sodium sulfite detection in beverages
Authors: Devarajan Surya , Sha Mizaj Shabil , Geetha Mithra , Alahmad Johaina Khalid , Shaikh Mohammed Shoaib Taufeeq , Muthusamy Suresh , Kushwah Kamal Kumar , Sadasivuni Kishor Kumar
Published: April 2023

Sulfite is a common food additive that prevents oxidation from damaging food nutrients, and it has long been used in the food industry as a bleaching agent. It can harm the human body if taken wrongly or excessively. In this study, three dyes (cresol red, chlorophenol red, and bromocresol green) were explored to analyze the presence of sodium sulfite (SS) in an inexpensive, disposable paper sensor with a lower visible detection limit of 0.05 M. This visual paper sensor detects sodium sulfite with high selectivity and sensitivity at room temperature. An IoT-based sensor was also developed to practically apply the developed method, which is rapid and low-cost and can replace heavy-duty instruments. Both these sensors can substantially impact scenarios such as food quality monitoring and detecting sodium sulfite in medicinal items.

Graphical Abstract
Salvage endoscopic ultrasound-guided gastrojejunostomy as a bridge to definitive surgical therapy for duodenal adenocarcinoma presenting with duodenal stent obstruction
Authors: Yu Tiffany Z. , Agnihotri Abishek , Zheng Richard , Bashir Babar , Nasher Nayeem , Yeo Charles J. , Nevler Avinoam , Lavu Harish , Bowne Wilbur B. , Kumar Anand
Published: April 2023

The utilization of endoscopic ultrasound-guided gastrojejunostomy (EUS-GJ) in the setting of an obstructed (ingrown) duodenal stent as a bridge to pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) remains undescribed. Herein, we report a case study of a 51-year-old patient who underwent EUS-GJ using lumen apposing metal stent (LAMS) for an obstructed duodenal stent during neoadjuvant treatment for duodenal adenocarcinoma. The patient ultimately underwent surgical resection by a classic PD 14 weeks after LAMS placement. EUS-GJ using LAMS represents a potential option as a salvage bridge to surgery for duodenal obstruction in the setting of an obstructed duodenal stent.
A case of advanced hypopharyngeal cervical esophageal cancer treated by curative resection with management of tracheoesophageal fistula
Authors: Ohno Shinya , Tanaka Yoshihiro , Sato Yuta , Endo Masahide , Asai Ryuichi , Fukada Masahiro , Yasufuku Itaru , Okumura Naoki , Takahashi Takao , Matsuhashi Nobuhisa
Published: April 2023

Advanced esophageal cancer with tracheal invasion is fatal due to airway narrowing and the possibility of tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) formation during the treatment process. If a TEF develops, palliative care is often chosen. It is very rare that curative treatment is performed including with chemoradiotherapy (CRT) or surgery in such cases. A 71-year-old man presented with dysphagia. He was diagnosed as having hypopharyngeal and cervical esophageal cancer with severe airway stenosis (cT4b [main bronchus, thyroid] N3 M0 cStage IIIC), and we initially created a tracheostomy. Second, we chose induction chemotherapy to avoid fistula formation by CRT, but after one course of chemotherapy, he developed a TEF due to remarkable tumor shrinkage. We strictly managed both his airway and nutrition by continuous suctioning over the cuff of the tracheal cannula and prohibiting swallowing of saliva and enteral nutrition via nasogastric tube. After three courses of chemotherapy were administered, we performed pharyngo-laryngo-esophagectomy followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. The patient remains alive and recurrence free at 9 years postoperatively. In cases of upper TEF caused by advanced hypopharyngeal and cervical esophageal cancer, radical treatment may be possible by effective induction chemotherapy combined with strict airway and nutritional management after prior tracheostomy.
Functional brain changes in sarcopenia: evidence for differential central neural mechanisms in dynapenic older women
Authors: Trost Wiebke , Hars Mélany , Fernandez Natalia , Herrmann François , Chevalley Thierry , Ferrari Serge , Gold Gabriel , Rizzoli René , Vuilleumier Patrik , Trombetti Andrea
Published: April 2023

Background

The European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP2) recently revised its definition and diagnostic criteria for sarcopenia, placing muscle strength at the forefront. The pathogenesis of dynapenia (or low muscle strength) is still not fully understood, but there is emerging evidence that central neural factors constitute critical determinants.

Methods

Our cross-sectional study included 59 community-dwelling older women (mean age 73.1 ± 4.9 years). Participants underwent detailed skeletal muscle assessments for muscle strength defined by handgrip strength and chair rise time measurements using the recently published EWGSOP2 cut-off points. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was assessed during the performance of a cognitive dual-task paradigm, consisting of a baseline, two single-tasks (motor and arithmetic) and one dual-task (motor and arithmetic combined).

Results

Forty-seven percent (28/59) of participants were classified as dynapenic. fMRI results revealed a differential recruitment of motor circuits in the brain during the dual-task condition in dynapenic as compared with non-dynapenic participants. In particular, while the brain activity during the single-tasks did not differ between the two groups, only during the dual-task non-dynapenic participants showed significant increased activation in dorsolateral prefrontal and premotor cortex, and in supplementary motor area as compared to dynapenic participants.

Conclusion

Our results point to a dysfunctional involvement of brain networks associated with motor control in dynapenia in a multi-tasking paradigm. A better knowledge of the link between dynapenia and brain functions could provide new impulses in the diagnosis and interventions for sarcopenia.
A systematic review on the performance of fracture risk assessment tools: FRAX, DeFRA, FRA-HS
Authors: Adami G. , Biffi A. , Porcu G. , Ronco R. , Alvaro R. , Bogini R. , Caputi A. P. , Cianferotti L. , Frediani B. , Gatti D. , Gonnelli S. , Iolascon G. , Lenzi A. , Leone S. , Migliaccio S. , Nicoletti T. , Paoletta M. , Pennini A. , Piccirilli E. , Tarantino U. , Brandi M. L. , Corrao G. , Rossini M. , Michieli R.
Published: April 2023

Purpose

Preventing fragility fractures by treating osteoporosis may reduce disability and mortality worldwide. Algorithms combining clinical risk factors with bone mineral density have been developed to better estimate fracture risk and possible treatment thresholds. This systematic review supported panel members of the Italian Fragility Fracture Guidelines in recommending the use of best-performant tool. The clinical performance of the three most used fracture risk assessment tools (DeFRA, FRAX, and FRA-HS) was assessed in at-risk patients.

Methods

PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched till December 2020 for studies investigating risk assessment tools for predicting major osteoporotic or hip fractures in patients with osteoporosis or fragility fractures. Sensitivity (Sn), specificity (Sp), and areas under the curve (AUCs) were evaluated for all tools at different thresholds. Quality assessment was performed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2; certainty of evidence (CoE) was evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach.

Results

Forty-three articles were considered (40, 1, and 2 for FRAX, FRA-HS, and DeFRA, respectively), with the CoE ranging from very low to high quality. A reduction of Sn and increase of Sp for major osteoporotic fractures were observed among women and the entire population with cut-off augmentation. No significant differences were found on comparing FRAX to DeFRA in women (AUC 59–88% vs. 74%) and diabetics (AUC 73% vs. 89%). FRAX demonstrated non-significantly better discriminatory power than FRA-HS among men.

Conclusion

The task force formulated appropriate recommendations on the use of any fracture risk assessment tools in patients with or at risk of fragility fractures, since no statistically significant differences emerged across different prediction tools.
Chronic kidney disease and severe mental illness: a scoping review
Authors: Carswell Claire , Cogley Clodagh , Bramham Kate , Chilcot Joseph , Noble Helen , Siddiqi Najma
Published: April 2023

Background

People who have severe mental illness experience higher rates of long-term conditions and die on average 15–20 years earlier than people who do not have severe mental illness, a phenomenon known as the mortality gap. Long-term conditions, such as diabetes, impact health outcomes for people who have severe mental illness, however there is limited recognition of the relationship between chronic kidney disease and severe mental illness. Therefore, the aim of this scoping review was to explore the available evidence on the relationship between chronic kidney disease and severe mental illness.

Methods

Electronic databases, including MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and PsycINFO were searched. The database searches were limited to articles published between January 2000–January 2022, due to significant progress that has been made in the detection, diagnosis and treatment of both SMI and CKD. Articles were eligible for inclusion if they explored the relationship between SMI and CKD (Stages 1–5) in terms of prevalence, risk factors, clinical outcomes, and access to treatment and services. Severe mental illness was defined as conditions that can present with psychosis, including schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, and other psychotic disorders. Thirty articles were included in the review.

Results

The included studies illustrated that there is an increased risk of chronic kidney disease amongst people who have severe mental illness, compared to those who do not. However, people who have severe mental illness and chronic kidney disease are less likely to receive specialist nephrology care, are less likely to be evaluated for a transplant, and have higher rates of mortality.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there is a dearth of literature in this area, but the available literature suggests there are significant health inequalities in kidney care amongst people who have severe mental illness. Further research is needed to understand the factors that contribute to this relationship, and to develop strategies to improve both clinical outcomes and access to kidney care.

Graphical abstract
Reciprocity with stochastic loss
Authors: Chan Nathan W. , Wolk Leonard
Published: April 2023

We introduce stochastic loss into a gift exchange game to study how information on intentions affects reciprocity. In one treatment, the respondent observes the amount received and whether a loss occurred, so both the consequential outcome and the sender’s original intention are known. In the other two treatments, information about whether a loss occurred is hidden, and the respondent is only informed of the amount received (outcome) or the amount initially sent (intention). Using both regression-based approaches and non-parametric tests, we find greater reciprocity in the two treatments that reveal intentions. These differences arise even in a simple one-shot setting without reputational benefits and are economically meaningful; they are similar in magnitude to the difference attributable to a full point reduction in the amount received. Our findings show the impact of the information environment on reciprocity in settings with uncertainty and suggest that transparency is important to reciprocity.
Relationship between sarcopenia and orthostatic blood pressure recovery in older falls clinic attendees
Authors: Duggan Eoin , Knight Silvin P. , Romero-Ortuno Roman
Published: April 2023

Purpose

Sarcopenia and delayed orthostatic blood pressure (BP) recovery are two disorders increasingly associated with adverse clinical outcomes in older adults. There may exist a pathophysiological link between the two via the skeletal muscle pump of the lower limbs. Previously in a large population-based study, we found an association between probable sarcopenia and orthostatic BP recovery. Here, we sought to determine the association between confirmed sarcopenia and orthostatic BP recovery in falls clinic attendees aged 50 years or over.

Methods

One hundred and nine recruited patients (mean age 70 years, 58% women) underwent an active stand with non-invasive beat-to-beat haemodynamic monitoring. Hand grip strength and five-chair stands time were measured, and bioelectrical impedance analysis was performed. They were then classified as robust, probable sarcopenic or sarcopenic as per the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People guidelines. Mixed effects models with linear splines were used to model the effect of sarcopenia status on orthostatic BP recovery, whilst controlling for potential confounders.

Results

Probable sarcopenia was identified in 32% of the sample and sarcopenia in 15%. Both probable and confirmed sarcopenia were independently associated with an attenuated rate of recovery of both systolic and diastolic BP in the 10–20 s period after standing. Attenuation was larger for confirmed than probable sarcopenia (systolic BP β − 0.85 and − 0.59, respectively, P < 0.01; diastolic BP β − 0.65, − 0.45, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Sarcopenia was independently associated with slower BP recovery during the early post-stand period. The potentially modifiable effect of the skeletal muscle pump in orthostatic haemodynamics requires further study.
On Information Granulation via Data Filtering for Granular Computing-Based Pattern Recognition: A Graph Embedding Case Study
Authors: Martino Alessio , De Santis Enrico , Rizzi Antonello
Published: April 2023

Granular Computing is a powerful information processing paradigm, particularly useful for the synthesis of pattern recognition systems in structured domains (e.g., graphs or sequences). According to this paradigm, granules of information play the pivotal role of describing the underlying (possibly complex) process, starting from the available data. Under a pattern recognition viewpoint, granules of information can be exploited for the synthesis of semantically sound embedding spaces, where common supervised or unsupervised problems can be solved via standard machine learning algorithms. In this companion paper, we follow our previous paper (Martino et al. in Algorithms 15(5):148, 2022) in the context of comparing different strategies for the automatic synthesis of information granules in the context of graph classification. These strategies mainly differ on the specific topology adopted for subgraphs considered as candidate information granules and the possibility of using or neglecting the ground-truth class labels in the granulation process and, conversely, to our previous work, we employ a filtering-based approach for the synthesis of information granules instead of a clustering-based one. Computational results on 6 open-access data sets corroborate the robustness of our filtering-based approach with respect to data stratification, if compared to a clustering-based granulation stage.