bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genetic erosion within the Fabada dry bean market class revealed by high‐throughput genotyping
Authors: Jurado Maria , García‐Fernández Carmen , Campa Ana , Ferreira Juan Jose
Published: September 2023

The Fabada market class within the dry beans has a well‐differentiated seed phenotype with very large white seeds. This work investigated the genetic diversity maintained in the seed collections within this market class and possible genetic erosion over the last 30 years. A panel with 100 accessions was maintained in seed collections for 30 years, 57 accessions collected from farmers in 2021, six cultivars developed in SERIDA, and 16 reference cultivars were gathered and genotyped with 108,585 SNPs using the genotyping‐by‐sequencing method. Filtering based on genotypic and phenotypic data was carried out in a staggered way to investigate the genetic diversity among populations. The dendrogram generated from genotyping revealed 90 lines forming 16 groups with identical SNP profiles (redundant lines) from 159 lines classified as market‐class Fabada according to their passport data. Seed phenotyping indicated that 19 lines were mistakenly classified as Fabada (homonymies), which was confirmed in the dendrogram built without redundant lines. Moreover, this study provides evidence of genetic erosion between the population preserved for 30 years and the currently cultivated population. The conserved population contains 54.6% segregation sites and 41 different SNP profiles, whereas the cultivated population has 19.6% segregation sites and 26 SNP profiles. The loss of genetic variability cannot be attributed to the diffusion of modern cultivars, which increase genetic diversity (six new SNP profiles). The results allow for the more efficient preservation of plant genetic resources in genebanks, minimizing redundant accessions and incorporating new variations based on genotypic and phenotypic data.
How to Assess the Effectiveness of Arm Support: A Systematic Review
Authors: Lee Yun-hwan , Kim Jongbae
Published: September 2023

Arm support is a typical assistive technology device to assist shoulder and elbow movements in those with reduced upper extremity muscle strength due to neurological lesions. Recently, the assisting method, range, and manipulation method of arm support are also changing with the development of technology. Accordingly, an assessment system is required for appropriate matching and measuring the effectiveness in the clinical field. This study examines the direction of the assessment process by analyzing studies that measured the effectiveness of arm support through a systematic literature review. The databases were collected using Embase, CINAHL Plus with Full text, Web of Science, and Scopus. 19 studies were selected according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) flow chart. Most studies have been conducted on people with neuromuscular disorders. Assessment area included performance, function, usability, satisfaction, and psychosocial impact. And more than half of the studies measured performance and function. There were various assessment methods to measure the effectiveness including assessment tools, kinematics, physical examination, questionnaire, observation, and EMG, with assessment tools accounting for more than half of the studies. Most studies have set up assessment environments based on tasks related to ADLs and IADLs to measure the effectiveness. Currently, various methods such as assessment tools and kinematics were applied to measure the effectiveness of arm support. The assessment tool was used the most among them. However, assistive technology-based assessment tools are extremely limited. Therefore, it is required to develop an assessment tool centered on assistive technology based on performance related to ADL and IADL in the future.
BRAINTEASER Architecture for Integration of AI Models and Interactive Tools for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Progression Prediction and Management
Authors: Urošević Vladimir , Vojičić Nikola , Jovanović Aleksandar , Kostić Borko , Gonzalez-Martinez Sergio , Cabrera-Umpiérrez María Fernanda , Ottaviano Manuel , Cossu Luca , Facchinetti Andrea , Cappon Giacomo
Published: September 2023

The presented platform architecture and deployed implementation in real-life clinical and home care settings on four Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Multiple Sclerosis (MS) study sites, integrates the novel working tools for improved disease management with the initial releases of the AI models for disease monitoring. The described robust industry-standard scalable platform is to be a referent example of the integration approach based on loose coupling APIs and industry open standard human-readable and language-independent interface specifications, and its successful baseline implementation for further upcoming releases of additional and more advanced AI models and supporting pipelines (such as for ALS and MS progression prediction, patient stratification, and ambiental exposure modelling) in the following development.
Economic Analysis Methods Applied to Assistive Technology Devices and Services: A Literature Review
Authors: Kim Dong-wan , Kim Jongbae
Published: September 2023

Assistive technology devices (ATD) and services (ATS) are generally applied to assist the people with disabilities and the elderly who have limited independent performance in daily life. The Korean government is also providing support through various projects, but the evidence for its effectiveness is lacking, and its application is also limited. Therefore, it is necessary to objectively measure the value of ATD and present evidence. This study analyzed studies that measured the economic and non-economic values of ATD and ATS through a systematic literature review, and looked at the overall economic analysis process. The database was compiled using KCI, NDSL, Web of Science and Scopus. Nineteen studies were selected according to a set procedure for literature screening, and the quality level of studies was analyzed through the CHEERS checklist 2022. Most studies have analyzed hearing aids, and most studies have used cost-effectiveness techniques. Measurement instruments were most commonly used to measure health and quality of life, accounting for approximately 60% of all. The quality level of the studies was calculated as ‘Good’ and ‘Average’ grades. In the future, it is expected that a high-quality economic analysis study will be conducted to measure the economic and non-economic values of various ATD and ATS in Korea.
Thermochemical modification of beech wood with ammonium hydroxide
Authors: Doczekalska Beata , Stachowiak-Wencek Agata , Roszyk Edward , Sydor Maciej
Published: September 2023

Four variants of the thermochemical modification were conducted on beech wood at a temperature of 130 °C, employing NH4OH concentrations of 5% or 10% for durations of either 12 or 24 h. The weight% gain (WPG) and bulking coefficient (BC) were initially calculated. Subsequently, the wood’s degree of discoloration was assessed using the CIELAB-colour-system. Chemical structure alterations were determined through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), while the compressive strength of the wood parallel to the grain was measured. As the NH4OH concentration increased and the treatment duration extended, the samples displayed simultaneous weight increase and volume reduction. The ΔE* values of the samples ranged from 19.33 to 21.09 units, indicating significant color alteration. FTIR analysis revealed differences between the spectra of the unmodified control sample and the NH4OH-treated samples. The modification reduced in hydroxyl and carboxyl groups within the main and side chains of hemicelluloses. Additionally, a decrease in the absorption peak intensity of the unconjugated carbonyl group at 1740 cm− 1 indicated a relative reduction in hemicellulose content. Compressive strength tests showed that the thermochemical modification improved the modulus of elasticity, increasing it from 10,898 MPa (in the control sample) to a range of 11,663 − 13,390 MPa. Similarly, the compressive strength increased from 77.10 MPa to 81.56-107.19 MPa. Interestingly, this improvement was more pronounced with higher concentrations of NH4OH and prolonged modification durations.
Global Bifurcation and Highest Waves on Water of Finite Depth
Authors: Kozlov Vladimir , Lokharu Evgeniy
Published: September 2023

We consider the two-dimensional problem for steady water waves with vorticity on water of finite depth. While neglecting the effects of surface tension we construct connected families of large amplitude periodic waves approaching a limiting wave, which is either a solitary wave, the highest solitary wave, the highest Stokes wave or a Stokes wave with a breaking profile. In particular, when the vorticity is nonnegative we prove the existence of highest Stokes waves with an included angle of 120$$^\circ $$∘. In contrast to previous studies, we fix the Bernoulli constant and consider the wavelength as a bifurcation parameter, which guarantees that the limiting wave has a finite depth. In fact, this is the first rigorous proof of the existence of extreme Stokes waves with vorticity on water of finite depth. Aside from the existence of highest waves, we provide a new result about the regularity of Stokes waves of arbitrary amplitude (including extreme waves). Furthermore, we prove several new facts about steady waves, such as a lower bound for the wavelength of Stokes waves, while also eliminating a possibility of the wave breaking for waves with non-negative vorticity.
Improved ParaDiag via low-rank updates and interpolation
Authors: Kressner Daniel , Massei Stefano , Zhu Junli
Published: September 2023

This work is concerned with linear matrix equations that arise from the space-time discretization of time-dependent linear partial differential equations (PDEs). Such matrix equations have been considered, for example, in the context of parallel-in-time integration leading to a class of algorithms called ParaDiag. We develop and analyze two novel approaches for the numerical solution of such equations. Our first approach is based on the observation that the modification of these equations performed by ParaDiag in order to solve them in parallel has low rank. Building upon previous work on low-rank updates of matrix equations, this allows us to make use of tensorized Krylov subspace methods to account for the modification. Our second approach is based on interpolating the solution of the matrix equation from the solutions of several modifications. Both approaches avoid the use of iterative refinement needed by ParaDiag and related space-time approaches in order to attain good accuracy. In turn, our new algorithms have the potential to outperform, sometimes significantly, existing methods. This potential is demonstrated for several different types of PDEs.
Small Vertex Cover Helps in Fixed-Parameter Tractability of Graph Deletion Problems over Data Streams
Authors: Bishnu Arijit , Ghosh Arijit , Kolay Sudeshna , Mishra Gopinath , Saurabh Saket
Published: September 2023

In the study of parameterized streaming complexity on graph problems, the main goal is to design streaming algorithms for parameterized problems such that $$\mathcal {O}(f(k) \log ^{\mathcal {O}(1)} n)$$

O
(
f

(
k
)

log

O
(
1
)

n
)

space is enough, where f is an arbitrary computable function depending only on the parameter k. However, in the past few years very few positive results have been established. Most of the graph problems that do have streaming algorithms of the above nature are ones where localized checking is required, like Vertex Cover or Maximum Matching parameterized by the size k of the solution we are seeking. Chitnis et al. (SODA’16) have shown that many important parameterized problems that form the backbone of traditional parameterized complexity are known to require $$\Omega (n)$$

Ω
(
n
)

bits of storage for any streaming algorithm; e.g. Feedback Vertex Set, Even Cycle Transversal, Odd Cycle Transversal, Triangle Deletion or the more general $$\mathcal{F}$$
F
-Subgraph Deletion when parameterized by solution size k. Our contribution lies in overcoming the obstacles to efficient parameterized streaming algorithms in graph deletion problems by utilizing the power of parameterization. We focus on the vertex cover size K as the parameter for the parameterized graph deletion problems we consider. In this work, we consider the four most well-studied streaming models: the Ea, Dea, Va (vertex arrival) and Al (adjacency list) models. Surprisingly, the consideration of vertex cover size K in the different models leads to a classification of positive and negative results for problems like $$\mathcal{F}$$
F
-Subgraph Deletion and $$\mathcal{F}$$
F
-Minor Deletion.
Detection of Cutibacterium (Propionibacterium) acnes in orthopaedic surgery: serious problem or contamination?
Authors: Otto-Lambertz Christina , Yagdiran Ayla , Boschert Alessa Lalinka , Eysel Peer , Walker Sarah Victoria
Published: September 2023

Purpose

Bone and joint infections are an important and increasing problem. Whether intraoperatively detected bacteria should be considered relevant or not is often difficult to assess.

This retrospective cohort study analyzes the relevance of C. acnes cultured from deep intraoperative specimens.

Methods

All deep tissue samples collected intraoperatively between 2015 and 2020 from a quartiary care provider were evaluated for detection of C. acnes and its therapeutical consequences. Infection rates were determined according to a standardized definition and protocol and analyzed in dependence of patient’s demographic data (age and gender), operative parameters (type of surgery, body region/location of surgery, and impression of the surgeon), and initiated therapy.

Results

In 270 cases of more than 8500 samples, C. acnes was detected. In 30%, the detection was considered an infection. The number of samples taken and tested positive for C. acnes correlated significantly with its classification as a cause of infection. If more than one sample of the patient was positive, the detection was significantly more likely to be treated as infection (p < 0.001).

In 76% of cases, a consultation to the infectious diseases (ID) department took place regarding the classification of the pathogen detection and the therapy to be carried out.

Almost all of the tested isolates demonstrated the wild-type susceptibility for penicillin and clindamycin.

Conclusion

Intraoperative detection of skin-colonizing bacteria such as C. acnes is not always synonymous with infection. In particular, if other examination results contradict an infection (pathological sample without evidence of an infectious event, detection of malignant cells, etc.), the situation must be considered in a very differentiated manner. Interdisciplinary boards, for example, are suitable for this purpose. Care should be taken to obtain a sufficiently large number of tissue samples for microbiological examination to be able to better classify the result.
Preliminary exploration of deep learning-assisted recognition of superior labrum anterior and posterior lesions in shoulder MR arthrography
Authors: Ni Ming , Gao Lixiang , Chen Wen , Zhao Qiang , Zhao Yuqing , Jiang Chenyu , Yuan Huishu
Published: September 2023

Purpose

MR arthrography (MRA) is the most accurate method for preoperatively diagnosing superior labrum anterior–posterior (SLAP) lesions, but diagnostic results can vary considerably due to factors such as experience. In this study, deep learning was used to facilitate the preliminary identification of SLAP lesions and compared with radiologists of different seniority.

Methods

MRA data from 636 patients were retrospectively collected, and all patients were classified as having/not having SLAP lesions according to shoulder arthroscopy. The SLAP-Net model was built and tested on 514 patients (dataset 1) and independently tested on data from two other MRI devices (122 patients, dataset 2). Manual diagnosis was performed by three radiologists with different seniority levels and compared with SLAP-Net outputs. Model performance was evaluated by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, area under the ROC curve (AUC), etc. McNemar’s test was used to compare performance among models and between radiologists’ models. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to assess the radiologists’ reliability. p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

SLAP-Net had AUC = 0.98 and accuracy = 0.96 for classification in dataset 1 and AUC = 0.92 and accuracy = 0.85 in dataset 2. In dataset 1, SLAP-Net had diagnostic performance similar to that of senior radiologists (p = 0.055) but higher than that of early- and mid-career radiologists (p = 0.025 and 0.011). In dataset 2, SLAP-Net had similar diagnostic performance to radiologists of all three seniority levels (p = 0.468, 0.289, and 0.495, respectively).

Conclusions

Deep learning can be used to identify SLAP lesions upon initial MR arthrography examination. SLAP-Net performs comparably to senior radiologists.
Intracorporeal Vessel Ligation in Laparoscopic Right Colectomy for Cancer is Associated with Increased Lymph Node Yield
Authors: Garoufalia Zoe , Emile Sameh Hany , Gefen Rachel , Watson Kaylee , Emolo Jared , Horesh Nir , DaSilva Giovanna , Weiss Eric G. , Wexner Steven D.
Published: September 2023

Background

This study aimed to compare intra‐ and extracorporeal division of the vascular pedicle in laparoscopic right colectomy regarding pathological outcomes, short‐term morbidity, and local recurrence and distant metastases.

Methods

Retrospective analysis of an IRB‐approved database of all patients who underwent laparoscopic right colectomy for cancer between 01/2011 and 08/2021. Main outcome measures were number of harvested lymph nodes, length of resected colon, R1 rate, positive lymph node ratio, short‐term post‐operative morbidity, local recurrence, and distant metastases.

Results

Two‐hundred seventy‐one consecutive patients (136 males) patients underwent laparoscopic right hemicolectomy for cancer during the study period. Vessel ligation was intracorporeal in 171 (63%) and extracorporeal in 100 patients (37%); groups had similar baseline characteristics except for extent of resection as extended right hemicolectomy was significantly more often performed in the intracorporeal group. When the two groups were matched for the extent of resection (standard versus extended right hemicolectomy), the mean number of harvested lymph nodes (28.61 ± 12.04 versus 25.37 ± 10.06, p = 0.04) and median length of the resected colon [26.00 (IQR: 21.00, 32.00) versus 23.00 (IQR: 19.00, 27.00) cm, p = 0.003] were significantly higher in the intracorporeal than in the extracorporeal group. The intracorporeal group required a significantly longer operative time than did the extracorporeal group (168.94 ± 57.9 vs. 139.7 ± 41.3 mins, p = 0.001). No significant differences were noted between the groups in terms of ileus, hemorrhage, surgical site infection, re‐operation rates, recurrence, or distant metastases.

Conclusion

Intracorporeal vessel ligation in laparoscopic right hemicolectomy was associated with increased lymph node yield and longer specimens, although requiring longer operative times. Postoperative clinical outcomes were similar to outcomes in the extracorporeal ligation group.
Frequency of actionable secondary findings in 7472 Korean genomes derived from the National Project of Bio Big Data pilot study
Authors: Kim Youngjun , Kim Jeong-Min , Cho Hye-Won , Park Hyun-Young , Park Mi-Hyun
Published: September 2023

Exome and genome sequencing (ES/GS) in genetic medicine and research leads to discovering genomic secondary findings (SFs) unrelated to the purpose of the primary test. There is a lack of agreement to return the SF results for individuals undergoing the test. The aim of this study is to investigate the frequency of actionable secondary findings using GS data obtained from the rare disease study and the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES) in the National Project of Bio Big Data pilot study. Pathogenic (P) or likely pathogenic (LP) variants of 78 SF genes recommended by the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) were screened in the rare disease study and KoGES. The pathogenicity of SF gene variants was determined according to the ACMG interpretation. The overall SF rate was 3.75% for 280 individuals with 298 P/LP variants of 41 ACMG SF genes which were identified among 7472 study participants. The frequencies of genes associated with cardiovascular, cancer, and miscellaneous phenotypes were 2.17%, 1.22%, and 0.58%, respectively. The most frequent SF gene was TTN followed by BRCA2. The frequency of actionable SFs among participants with rare disease and general population participants in the Korean population presented here will assist in reporting results of medically actionable SFs in genomic medicine.
Performance and learning rate prediction models development in FLS and RAS surgical tasks using electroencephalogram and eye gaze data and machine learning
Authors: Shafiei Somayeh B. , Shadpour Saeed , Intes Xavier , Rahul Rahul , Toussi Mehdi Seilanian , Shafqat Ambreen
Published: September 2023

Objective

This study explored the use of electroencephalogram (EEG) and eye gaze features, experience-related features, and machine learning to evaluate performance and learning rates in fundamentals of laparoscopic surgery (FLS) and robotic-assisted surgery (RAS).

Methods

EEG and eye-tracking data were collected from 25 participants performing three FLS and 22 participants performing two RAS tasks. Generalized linear mixed models, using L1-penalized estimation, were developed to objectify performance evaluation using EEG and eye gaze features, and linear models were developed to objectify learning rate evaluation using these features and performance scores at the first attempt. Experience metrics were added to evaluate their role in learning robotic surgery. The differences in performance across experience levels were tested using analysis of variance.

Results

EEG and eye gaze features and experience-related features were important for evaluating performance in FLS and RAS tasks with reasonable results. Residents outperformed faculty in FLS peg transfer (p value = 0.04), while faculty and residents both excelled over pre-medical students in the FLS pattern cut (p value = 0.01 and p value < 0.001, respectively). Fellows outperformed pre-medical students in FLS suturing (p value = 0.01). In RAS tasks, both faculty and fellows surpassed pre-medical students (p values for the RAS pattern cut were 0.001 for faculty and 0.003 for fellows, while for RAS tissue dissection, the p value was less than 0.001 for both groups), with residents also showing superior skills in tissue dissection (p value  = 0.03).

Conclusion

Findings could be used to develop training interventions for improving surgical skills and have implications for understanding motor learning and designing interventions to enhance learning outcomes.

Graphical abstract
Diagnose und Therapie der Granulomatose mit Polyangiitis und mikroskopische Polyangiitis – 2023: Konsens-Empfehlungen der Österreichischen Gesellschaften für Nephrologie (ÖGN) & Rheumatologie (ÖGR)
Authors: Odler Balazs , Windpessl Martin , Eller Kathrin , Säemann Marcus D. , Lhotta Karl , Neumann Irmgard , Öberseder Gregor , Duftner Christina , Dejaco Christian , Rudnicki Michael , Gauckler Philipp , Hintenberger Rainer , Zwerina Jochen , Thiel Jens , Kronbichler Andreas
Published: September 2023

ANCA-assoziierte Vaskulitiden (AAV) sind seltene, komplexe systemische Erkrankungen, die aufgrund unspezifischer klinischer Symptome zum Zeitpunkt der Konsultation oft schwer zu diagnostizieren sind. Der klinische Verlauf kann jedoch sehr schwerwiegend und sogar lebensbedrohlich sein und eine sofortige Diagnose und Behandlung erfordern.

Daher ist es wichtig, die Ärzteschaft für diese Erkrankung zu sensibilisieren und Kolleg*innen zu unterstützen, die nicht regelmäßig mit diesen seltenen Krankheiten konfrontiert sind. Die Österreichische Gesellschaft für Nephrologie (ÖGN) und die Österreichische Gesellschaft für Rheumatologie (ÖGR) stellen hier einen gemeinsamen Konsens darüber vor, wie Patient*innen mit Granulomatose mit Polyangiitis (GPA) und mikroskopischer Polyangiitis (MPA) am besten diagnostiziert und behandelt werden können.
Volkskrankheit Kopfschmerz – ein Überblick
Authors: Schaller Isabella , Leis Stefan
Published: September 2023

Kopfschmerzen sind ein weitverbreitetes Symptom, wichtig ist die Unterscheidung in primäre und sekundäre Kopfschmerzen. Primäre Kopfschmerzen können bei typischer Anamnese und unauffälligem klinisch-neurologischen Untersuchungsbefund nach den Kriterien der internationalen Kopfschmerzklassifikation (ICHD-3) in der Regel ohne weitere Zusatzuntersuchung diagnostiziert werden. Am häufigsten sind Migräne und Spannungskopfschmerzen; trigeminoautonome Kopfschmerzerkrankungen sind seltener. Die Behandlung sollte eine Akuttherapie, nicht medikamentöse Maßnahmen und ggf. auch eine Prophylaxe beinhalten. Ergeben sich aus Anamnese und klinischer Untersuchung Warnzeichen für einen sekundären (symptomatischen) Kopfschmerz, muss zur differenzialdiagnostischen Abklärung eine gezielte apparative Diagnostik erfolgen, da auch schwerwiegende Erkrankungen zugrunde liegen können. Medikamentenübergebrauchskopfschmerz ist der häufigste sekundäre Kopfschmerz. Hier muss neben einer Reduktion der Kopfschmerzmittel eine Beratung der Patientin/des Patienten erfolgen und eine prophylaktische Behandlung des zugrunde liegenden primären Kopfschmerzes eingeleitet werden.
Impact of oral/dental disease burden on postoperative infective complications: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Suenaga Hanako , Schifter Mark , Chen Nancy , Ali Farheen , Byth Karen , Peck Chris
Published: September 2023

Objectives

This prospective cohort study aimed to assess the association between dental disease burden and postoperative infective complications (POICs) in patients undergoing major surgical procedures under general anaesthesia.

Methods

Pre-surgical dental assessment was undertaken on patients planned for major surgery. Demographic and surgical variables including putative risk factors for POICs and POIC status were documented. The univariable association between POIC status and each factor was examined. Those variables associated at P value ≤ 0.2 were candidates for inclusion in multiple logistic regression models. Backward stepwise variable selection was used to identify the independent predictors for POIC in the best fitting logistic regression model. The area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) was used to quantify the model’s global classification performance.

Results

Among the 285 patients, 49 patients (17.2%) had POICs. The independent predictors for POIC were expected length of hospital stay (4–6 days; odds ratio [OR] = 4.80, 95% confidence internal [CI]: 1.30–17.70, P = 0.018, 7–9 days; OR = 5.42, 95% CI: 1.51–19.41, P = 0.009, ≥ 10 days; OR = 28.80, 95% CI: 4.12–201.18, P < 0.001), four or more decayed teeth (OR = 6.03, 95% CI: 2.28–15.94, P < 0.001) and visible tongue plaque (OR = 3.21, 95% CI: 1.54–6.70, P = 0.002). The AUC was 0.78 (95% CI: 0.71–0.85) indicating good discrimination. A simple screening tool for POIC was developed.

Conclusions/Clinical relevance

In addition to systemic/surgical factors, this study identified clinically detected decayed teeth and visible tongue plaque as independent predictors for POICs. Preoperative dental assessment/care might be beneficial to assess risk for POICs and improve postoperative outcomes.
The Inclusion of Nature of Science in South African Life Sciences and Physical Sciences School Curricula
Authors: Ramnarain Umesh
Published: September 2023

Curriculum reform worldwide has often reflected changing perspectives on the teaching and learning of science. Such perspectives underline the notion that not only the teaching of science content knowledge is relevant but also the aims and methods scientists use to further their knowledge and the social context in which science is applied. We call this the ‘cognitive-epistemic’ and ‘social institutional aspects’ of science. They form the hard core of the nature of science (NOS) concept for curriculum reform. In South Africa, after years of Apartheid, a key focus of school science curriculum reform is for importance to be given to NOS due to the potential benefits of learning and understanding of NOS for students. This study analyses cognitive-epistemic and social-institutional categories of NOS in the South African Life Sciences and Physical Sciences school curricula. A critical finding for both Life Sciences and Physical Sciences curricula was the imbalance in the NOS categories. In the curricula, there is less presence of the social-institutional categories compared to the cognitive-epistemic categories. In general, there was poor interconnectedness amongst NOS categories, with the strongest interconnectedness revealed for the cognitive-epistemic categories ‘scientific practices’ and ‘methods and methodological rules’. Implications for the design of future curricula and recommendations for future research are discussed.
Critical/decolonial global citizenship education and libraries from the global south
Authors: Aguilar-Forero Nicolás , Salazar Fernando
Published: September 2023

This article presents the results of a comparative case study which seeks to understand the characteristics of two library experiences from the Global South. The study sought to (1) analyze the opportunities for and challenges of promoting critical/decolonial Global Citizenship Education from two library experiences in Colombia; (2) identify how these experiences, from diverse situations, show we can employ local solutions to resolve the great problems we face as a global community today. The article concludes that the promotion of library experiences from the Global South and the promotion of critical/decolonial Global Citizenship Education from these types of libraries require imagining and making possible a library without books, without the physical spaces usually associated with libraries, without “users”, and without conventional librarians.
Wie demenzsensibel sind Hausärzt*innen? – eine explorierende Betrachtung von Einstellungs‑, Handlungs- und Kompetenzindikatoren zur Demenzversorgung
Authors: Wangler Julian , Jansky Michael
Published: September 2023

Hintergrund

Zur Erkennung und Betreuung demenzieller Erkrankungen bietet die Hausarztmedizin gute Voraussetzungen. Dennoch wird immer wieder Kritik an der Effektivität der allgemeinärztlichen Demenzversorgung geübt. Bislang haben nur wenige Untersuchungen den Versuch unternommen, ein ganzheitliches Bild über den Status quo der hausärztlichen Demenzversorgung abzubilden und dabei die Erfahrungs- und Handlungsperspektive von Hausärzt*innen zu fokussieren.

Ziel der Arbeit

Die Studie zielte darauf ab, anhand einer gebündelten Betrachtung relevanter Betreuungs- und Versorgungsdimensionen (Konstrukt „Demenzsensibilität“) mögliche Stärken und Schwachpunkte der hausarztbasierten Demenzversorgung zu identifizieren.

Material und Methoden

Mittels einer Online-Befragung wurden im Jahr 2022 insgesamt 2257 als Behandler*innen aktive Hausärzt*innen in Hessen und Baden-Württemberg befragt. Zur Feststellung von signifikanten Unterschieden zwischen zwei Gruppen kam ein t‑Test bei unabhängigen Stichproben zum Einsatz. Zudem wurde auf das Verfahren der Faktorenanalyse zurückgegriffen.

Ergebnisse

Die Befragten hielten es für wichtig, dass Hausärzt*innen in Fragen der Betreuung demenziell erkrankter Personen präsent sind. Die Ärzt*innen äußerten den Wunsch, Patient*innen und Angehörige aktiv zu begleiten. Zugleich wird deutlich, dass viele Hausärzt*innen sowohl praktisch-diagnostische Schritte der (leitliniengerechten) Identifizierung einer Demenz als auch das konsequente Krankheitsmanagement inklusive der Antizipierung von Versorgungs- bzw. Therapiebedarfen als herausfordernd erlebten. Ferner zeigt sich, dass ein erheblicher Teil der Stichprobe sich nur bedingt zutraute, einschlägige Hilfs- und Unterstützungsangebote zu überblicken. Ein durchgehender Befund besteht darin, dass Ärzt*innen mit urbanem Praxissitz sowie mit geriatrischer Weiterbildung teils beträchtliche Kenntnis‑, Orientierungs- und Sicherheitsvorteile in Bezug auf die Demenzversorgung aufwiesen.

Schlussfolgerung

Im Licht der Befunde scheint es v. a. geboten, die geriatrische Kompetenz von Hausärzt*innen zu stärken. Zudem erscheint es essenziell, diese stärker über Kooperations- und Hilfsstrukturen im Bereich der Demenzversorgung aufzuklären und zu integrieren.
Identification and geomorphic characterization of fluvial knickzones in bedrock rivers from Courel Mountains Geopark
Authors: García Horacio
Published: September 2023

The gradient characteristics of Courel Mountains Geopark bedrock rivers were examined. Unlike alluvial rivers, bedrock rivers have been the great forgotten of fluvial geomorphology globally. Based on the decreasing rate of gradient with increasing measurement length, a relative steepness was obtained as indicator of knickzone. Supported by GIS techniques and DEMs, the changes in slope along the longitudinal profile of the rivers were detected. The number of the extracted knickzones rises to 325, which means a frequency of knickzones of 0.467 km−1. The total length of the knickzones is 285 km, representing about half of the drainage network as knickzone (47%). The mean height, the length, and the gradient of all the knickzones were ~ 110 m, ~ 880 m, and 0.178 m·m−1, respectively. There is no distribution pattern and the knickzones are everywhere, although they are more present in reaches with NW–SE direction and order 1. Several environmental factors were crossed to know more about the occurrence and knickzones characteristics, suggesting that density and direction of fractures regulate the number and the trajectory of the knickzones, while the lithology controls the singularity of the forms. The geomorphological and the topographical characteristics of the bedrock rivers make them high ecological, scenic, landscape, and recreational value. Findings from this study can be also used by managers to develop and/or improve strategies for conservation, valorisation, and how to approach the tourist who visits the Geopark. Scientific tourism can offer a unique and educational travel experience, allowing participants to learn about bedrock rivers and knickzones.
Differential diagnosis between dilated cardiomyopathy and ischemic cardiomyopathy based on variational mode decomposition and high order spectra analysis
Authors: Han Yuduan , Zhao Yunyue , Lin Zhuochen , Liang Zichao , Chen Siyang , Zhang Jinxin
Published: September 2023

The clinical manifestations of ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) bear resemblance to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). The definitive diagnosis of DCM necessitates the identification of invasive, costly, and contraindicated coronary angiography. Many diagnostic studies of cardiovascular disease have tried modal decomposition based on electrocardiogram (ECG) signals. However, these studies ignored the connection between modes and other fields, thus limiting the interpretability of modes to ECG signals and the classification performance of models. This study proposes a classification algorithm based on variational mode decomposition (VMD) and high order spectra, which decomposes the preprocessed ECG signal and extracts its first five modes obtained through VMD. After that, these modes are estimated for their corresponding bispectrums, and the feature vector is composed of fifteen features including bispectral, frequency, and nonlinear features based on this. Finally, a dataset containing 75 subjects (38 DCM, 37 ICM) is classified and compared using random forest (RF), decision tree, support vector machine, and K-nearest neighbor. The results show that, in comparison to previous approaches, the technique proposed provides a better categorization for DCM and ICM of ECG signals, which delivers 98.21% classification accuracy, 98.22% sensitivity, and 98.19% specificity. And mode 3 always has the best performance among single mode. The proposed computerized framework significantly improves automatic diagnostic performance, which can help relieve the working pressure on doctors, possible economic burden and health threaten.
Gebrechlichkeit („frailty“) und Operabilität: die geriatrische Sicht
Authors: Kressig Reto W.
Published: September 2023

Das durchschnittliche Alter sowie die Zahl von zu operierenden älteren Patienten nehmen seit Jahren stetig zu, weshalb eine sorgfältige Operabilitätsabklärung hinsichtlich Prognose und möglichen peri- und postoperativen Komplikationen grossen Sinn macht. Eine auf Alltagsfunktionalität basierte Gebrechlichkeitsklassifikation (wie die nach Fried) kann hier nicht nur schnell Klarheit hinsichtlich möglich einzugehender Risiken schaffen, sondern auch die Indikation für ein weiterführendes multidimensionales geriatrisches Assessment oder die gezielte Einleitung therapeutischer Massnahmen zur Verminderung des operativen Risikos bedeuten. Kann kein standardmässiges Gebrechlichkeitsassessment durchgeführt werden, können auch einfache Screeningtests wie der „timed up & go test“ und seine weiterentwickelte Version des „imagined timed up & go test“ auf mögliche postoperative Risiken motorischer und kognitiver Komplikationen hinweisen.
DNA methylation-dependent epigenetic regulation of Verticillium dahliae virulence in plants
Authors: Chen Yun-Ya , Zhu Chen , Zhao Jian-Hua , Liu Ting , Gao Feng , Zhang Ying-Chao , Duan Cheng-Guo
Published: September 2023

As a conserved epigenetic mark, DNA cytosine methylation, at the 5’ position (5-mC), plays important roles in multiple biological processes, including plant immunity. However, the involvement of DNA methylation in the determinants of virulence of phytopathogenic fungi remains elusive. In this study, we profiled the DNA methylation patterns of the phytopathogenic fungus Verticillium dahliae, one of the major causal pathogens of Verticillium wilt disease that causes great losses in many crops, and explored its contribution in fungal pathogenicity. We reveal that DNA methylation modification is present in V. dahliae and is required for its full virulence in host plants. The major enzymes responsible for the establishment of DNA methylation in V. dahliae were identified. We provided evidence that DNA methyltransferase-mediated establishment of DNA methylation pattern positively regulates fungal virulence, mainly through repressing a conserved protein kinase VdRim15-mediated Ca2+ signaling and ROS production, which is essential for the penetration activity of V. dahliae. In addition, we further demonstrated that histone H3 lysine 9 trimethylation (H3K9me3), another heterochromatin marker that is closely associated with 5-mC in eukaryotes, also participates in the regulation of V. dahliae pathogenicity, through a similar mechanism. More importantly, DNA methyltransferase genes VdRid, VdDnmt5, as well as H3K9me3 methyltransferase genes, were greatly induced during the early infection phase, implying that a dynamic regulation of 5-mC and H3K9me3 homeostasis is required for an efficient infection. Collectively, our findings uncover an epigenetic mechanism in the regulation of phytopathogenic fungal virulence.
Love and Relationship Satisfaction as a Function of Romantic Relationship Stages
Authors: Cassepp-Borges Vicente , Gonzales Joseph E. , Frazier Annabelle , Ferrer Emilio
Published: September 2023

The strong influence of the components of love in the relationship satisfaction is very described in the scientific literature. The current cross-sectional study evaluated the associations between participants’ love and relationship satisfaction across different phases of a relationship. For this propose, we recruited a sample of 1102 Brazilian participants, including 756 (68.6%) women and 346 (31.4%) men (mean age = 25.52 years, SD = 7.98), from 12 Brazilian states and the Federal District. Participants’ relationship was coded in order of bond levels: 0 - unrequited relationship, 1 - non-established relationship, 2 - dating, 3 - living together or engaged, and 4 - married. A linear regression analysis indicated that the influence of passion on relationship satisfaction is higher, and the influence of commitment is lower, in more advanced phases of one’s relationship. Multilevel regression showed the role of bond, interacting with the dimensions of love on the prediction of relationship satisfaction. The associations between types of love and relationship satisfaction differ across relationship stages. While the influence of passion and intimacy on relationship satisfaction grows across the relationships’ stages, the influence of commitment decreases. This study also suggests that type of relationship can be understood as an ordinal variable, instead of categorical.
Biological properties of surface modified 316 LVM steel
Authors: Dyner Aneta , Major Roman , Major Łukasz , Szewczenko Janusz , Lukaszkowicz Krzysztof , Barabaszová Karla Čech , Krzywiecki Maciej , Basiaga Marcin
Published: September 2023

This paper aimed to investigate the selected physicochemical and biological properties of titanium dioxide thin films deposited by atomic layer deposition on 316LVM stainless steel dedicated for cardiovascular implants. The main challenge in surface modification of these implants is the complexity of the processes taking place in the circulatory system. The atomic layer deposition was carried out for a number of cycles 500 and temperature 200 °C for 316LVM stainless steel substrate. The surface topography and surface microstructure were examined. Mouse fibroblasts L929 and Human Dermal Fibroblasts (NHDF-Ad) were used for cytotoxicity assays. The following biocompatibility aspects were investigated in vitro: direct cytotoxicity, hemolysis, platelet activation and aggregation, and pro-inflammatory cytokine levels. The titanium dioxide thin films inherited the substrate topography. The surface microstructure was amorphous with the typical layer by layer growth. The film improved the in vitro cell response in terms of cell viability. The cells were also able to proliferate and adhere; however, differences in the cell morphology and the distribution of cell nuclei were observed. The host cell damage was not noted in terms of lactate dehydrogenase levels. The proposed surface modification reduced the hemolysis index and did not significantly affect platelet activation and aggregation. Acute cytotoxicity of the thin films is not predicted basing on the in vitro pro-inflammatory cytokine assay. The results of the biological tests may be basis for further biological assessment proving the full biocompatibility of the proposed surface modification dedicated for specific cardiovascular implants.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: A Multilevel Fuzzy Evaluation of Cross-Border E-Commerce Profitability Model
Authors: Zou Qijun
Published: September 2023

With the continuous development of economic globalisation, China has established free trade zones (FTA). To promote the diversification of cross-border e-commerce in FTA and increase industry competitiveness, the Porter's Five Forces model (PFFM) was used to analyse the profit model of e-commerce enterprises. Based on fuzzy logic, an evaluation model for the profit model of cross-border e-commerce was constructed, and this evaluation model was used to evaluate the profitability of cross-border e-commerce. The results show that the evaluation model constructed based on fuzzy logic can better reflect the profitability of enterprises. The accuracy of multilevel fuzzy evaluation is above 80% every year, with the highest accuracy being in 2017, and the evaluation accuracy for that year is 98.5%. The study of a cross-border e-commerce profit evaluation model based on multilevel fuzzy evaluation method can better reflect the profitability of enterprises and help them clarify their future development direction.
Physics basis for the Wisconsin HTS Axisymmetric Mirror (WHAM)
Authors: Endrizzi D. , Anderson J.K. , Brown M. , Egedal J. , Geiger B. , Harvey R.W. , Ialovega M. , Kirch J. , Peterson E. , Petrov Yu.V. , Pizzo J. , Qian T. , Sanwalka K. , Schmitz O. , Wallace J. , Yakovlev D. , Yu M. , Forest C.B.
Published: September 2023

The Wisconsin high-temperature superconductor axisymmetric mirror experiment (WHAM) will be a high-field platform for prototyping technologies, validating interchange stabilization techniques and benchmarking numerical code performance, enabling the next step up to reactor parameters. A detailed overview of the experimental apparatus and its various subsystems is presented. WHAM will use electron cyclotron heating to ionize and build a dense target plasma for neutral beam injection of fast ions, stabilized by edge-biased sheared flow. At 25 keV injection energies, charge exchange dominates over impact ionization and limits the effectiveness of neutral beam injection fuelling. This paper outlines an iterative technique for self-consistently predicting the neutral beam driven anisotropic ion distribution and its role in the finite beta equilibrium. Beginning with recent work by Egedalet al.(Nucl. Fusion, vol. 62, no. 12, 2022, p. 126053) on the WHAM geometry, we detail how the FIDASIM code is used to model the charge exchange sources and sinks in the distribution function, and both are combined with an anisotropic magnetohydrodynamic equilibrium solver method to self-consistently reach an equilibrium. We compare this with recent results using the CQL3D code adapted for the mirror geometry, which includes the high-harmonic fast wave heating of fast ions.
Rethinking the causes of Islamisation: Ontological (in)security, postcoloniality, and Islam in Malaysia
Authors: Chan Nicholas
Published: September 2023

Theories about state-led Islamisation tend to attribute the phenomenon to domestic dynamics, such as political competition, institutional co-optation, and changing social norms. When exogenous factors are considered, they usually refer to imported ideologies. Moreover, Islamisation is often depicted as a firm rejection of the West. This article seeks to complicate those explanations. Using insights from the ontological security literature in International Relations, I argue that Malaysia's state-led Islamisation cannot be understood comprehensively without looking at macro-historical factors, particularly Malaysia's postcoloniality and its elites’ perception of the global order. Instead of being a manifestation of anti-West sentiments, I argue that the initial receptivity towards Islamisation by Malaysia's largely secular ethnonationalist elites constitutes a quest for recognition within an international order within which the Muslim identity is racialised and stigmatised. This is most obvious in Mahathir Mohamad's ideas on Islam, in that his calling for a developmentalist Islam has as its (imagined) respondent the stigmatising ‘West’. I argue that the forms of Islamisation undertaken during the Mahathir administration reflected this drive to catch up with the West while simultaneously securing recognition for Islam; and that such a leitmotif persisted even into the post-September 11, post-Barisan Nasional world.
Record of the Twentieth Conference of the International Society for the Study of Early Medieval England at the University of Winchester, Concordia University, Flinders University and Leiden University (17–18; 21–22 June, 2021)
Authors: Porck Thijs
Published: September 2023

The twentieth biennial meeting of the Society took as its general theme ‘Contributions’. Featured were five keynotes, fifty-five regular papers and four project reports. 152 persons registered for the conference.