bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diagnostic Value of Perfusion Parameters for Differentiation of Underlying Etiology in Internal Carotid Artery Occlusions
Authors: Weiss Daniel , Lang Henrik , Rubbert Christian , Jannusch Kai , Kaschner Marius , Ivan Vivien Lorena , Caspers Julian , Turowski Bernd , Jansen Robin , Lee John-Ih , Ruck Tobias , Meuth Sven Günther , Gliem Michael
Published: October 2023

Purpose

Occlusions of the internal carotid artery (ICA) may be caused by dissection, embolic or macroangiopathic pathogenesis, which partially influences the treatment; however, inferring the underlying etiology in computed tomography angiography can be challenging. In this study, we investigated whether computed tomography perfusion (CT-P) parameters could be used to distinguish between etiologies.

Methods

Patients who received CT‑P in acute ischemic stroke due to ICA occlusion between 2012 and 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Group comparisons between etiologies regarding the ratios of CT‑P parameters between both hemispheres for relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV), relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF), time to maximum (Tmax), and mean transit time (MTT) were calculated by one-factorial analysis of variance (ANOVA) and compared by pairwise Bonferroni post hoc tests. An receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis was performed if differences in group comparisons were found. Multinomial logistic regression (MLR) including pretherapeutic parameters was calculated for etiologies.

Results

In this study 69 patients (age = 70 ± 14 years, dissection = 10, 14.5%, embolic = 19, 27.5% and macroangiopathic = 40, 58.0%) were included. Group differences in ANOVA were only found for MTT ratio (p = 0.003, η2 = 0.164). In the post hoc test, MTT ratio showed a differentiability between embolic and macroangiopathic occlusions (p = 0.002). ROC analysis for differentiating embolic and macroangiopathic ICA occlusions based on MTT ratio showed an AUC of 0.77 (p < 0.001, CI = 0.65–0.89) and a cut-off was yielded at a value of 1.15 for the MTT ratio (sensitivity 73%, specificity 68%). The MLR showed an overall good model performance.

Conclusion

It was possible to differentiate between patients with embolic and macroangiopathic ICA occlusions based on MTT ratios and to define a corresponding cut-off. Differentiation from patients with dissection versus the other etiologies was not possible by CT‑P parameters in our sample.
The joint line convergence angle (JLCA) correlates with intra‐articular arthritis
Authors: Mabrouk Ahmed , An Jae‐Sung , Glauco Loddo , Jacque Christophe , Kley Kristian , Sharma Akash , Ollivier Matthieu
Published: October 2023

Purpose

Knees with unicompartmental varus osteoarthritis (OA) usually display a combination of tibiofemoral bony deformity and increased joint line convergence angle (JLCA). The JLCA is a product of intra‐articular deformity and lateral soft tissue laxity. This study aims to define the correlation between the JLCA and progression of OA.

Methods

A retrospective radiological analysis of 501 patients, who underwent either high tibial osteotomy (HTO) or unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA), was performed. The preoperative OA grade was reported based on the Ahlbäck and the Kellgren–Lawrence (KL). The hip–knee–ankle angle (HKA), the medial proximal tibial angle (MPTA), the mechanical lateral distal femoral angle (mLDFA) and the joint line convergence angle (JLCA) were recorded. The primary outcome was the relationship between the JLCA values and the OA grade. The secondary outcomes were comparing the JLCA and other alignment parameter values between HTO and UKA groups.

Results

A total of 501 (59.3% females n = 297) cases were included, comprising 293 cases of HTO and 208 cases of UKA. Patients had a mean age of 57.63 ± 8.97 years, a mean BMI of 28.37 ± 7.39 kg/m2. Patients with Ahlbäck grade 2 represented 49.3% of all patients (n = 247) and patients with KL grade 3 represented 54.7% of all patients (n = 274). A high JLCA was observed in both groups. The reported mean JLCA in the UKA group was 3.69 ± 2.1°, and in the HTO group was 2.93 ± 1.82. There was a significant association between the increase in the JLCA and the progression of OA based on both the Ahlbäck and KL grades (both p values < 0.001). The mean JLCA in patients with Ahlbäck grades 1 and 4 was 1.48 ± 1.32°, and 7 ± 0.93°, respectively. The mean JLCA in patients with KL grades 1 and 4 was 1.77 ± 1.42°, and 4.89 ± 1.73°, respectively. The mean recorded preoperative HKA angle in the UKA group was 175.06 ± 3.08°, and in the HTO group was 173.26 ± 3.02°, whereas the mean MPTA was 88.63 ± 1.72° for the UKA group and 89.31 ± 2.29° for the HTO group.

Conclusion

The JLCA progressively increases with osteoarthritis progression in patients with unicompartmental varus knee osteoarthritis. The JLCA can potentially be used as a grading parameter for osteoarthritis progression akin to Ahlbäck and Kellgren–Lawrence grading systems.
Long‐lasting decreased pain threshold negatively affects functional recovery after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair
Authors: Ueki Hiroko , Yoshimura Hideya
Published: October 2023

Purpose

The relationship between sensitization and postoperative function in patients undergoing arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of pre‐and postoperative reductions in the pressure pain threshold (PPT) on postoperative clinical outcomes in patients with ARCR and investigate changes in PPT and clinical outcomes resulting from postoperative administration of weak opioids activating the central inhibitory system.

Methods

This retrospective study included patients who underwent primary ARCR, categorized into Group A (excellent/good Constant scores) and B (fair/poor Constant scores). In a complementary study, patients were randomized to the Control or Tramadol groups. Both studies evaluated the PPT, visual analog scale, active range of motion (ROM), Constant score, and retear rates pre‐and postoperatively.

Results

In the primary study with 158 patients, those with poor clinical outcomes exhibited significantly lower PPT at the affected shoulder preoperatively at 3 months postoperatively compared to those with good outcomes. The PPT of the affected side was lower than that of the uninvolved side not only at 1 and 3 months but also preoperatively and at 6 months in the poor outcome group. In the secondary study involving 96 patients, weak opioid administration was associated with increased PPT for 3 months, improved ROM at 3 months postoperatively, and reduced postoperative pain 1 year postoperatively.

Conclusion

Patients experiencing poor postoperative clinical outcomes exhibited prolonged lowered PPT. Lowered PPT due to sensitization may adversely affect functional recovery and pain perception. Elevating PPT using weak opioids improved clinical outcomes during the acute perioperative period after ARCR.

Level of evidence

III.
Full-Bayes GNSS-A solutions for precise seafloor positioning with single uniform sound speed gradient layer assumption
Authors: Watanabe Shun-ichi , Ishikawa Tadashi , Nakamura Yuto , Yokota Yusuke
Published: October 2023

A systematic analysis methodology for precise seafloor positioning using the GNSS-A has been constructed and implemented in the open-source software GARPOS. It introduces a linearized perturbation field model for extraction of the 4-dimensional sound speed variation, and solves the perturbation parameters simultaneously with the seafloor position based on the empirical Bayes approach. Although it can provide the solutions stably and almost analytically, it has less expandability when imposing additional nonlinear constraint parameters in the observation equation. Even though such parameters can be optimized by applying some information criteria, information on the details of the joint posterior probability would be lost and only the conditional posterior can be estimated. To overcome the above limitations, we implemented full-Bayes estimation using the Markov-Chain Monte Carlo algorithm. This approach can not only help evaluate the dependency of the existing constraint parameters on the seafloor position, but also let us discuss the effects of the additionally imposed constraints. We imposed a constraint under the assumption that a temporally-variable gradient layer steadily lies at a certain depth in the observation scale (typically < 10 km × 10 km, < 1 day). This models the cases with temperature gradients due to a large-scale structure such as the Kuroshio current or internal waves with long-wavelength. The constraint narrows the posterior of the horizontal position and provides a better solution for many datasets, especially in the Nankai Trough region. For the other datasets, the constraint emphasized bias errors, which can also provide information on the possibility of instrumental and modelling errors.
Adipose tissue depot specific expression and regulation of fibrosis-related genes and proteins in experimental obesity
Authors: Eisinger Kristina , Girke Philipp , Buechler Christa , Krautbauer Sabrina
Published: October 2023

Transforming growth factor beta (Tgfb) is a well-studied pro-fibrotic cytokine, which upregulates cellular communication network factor 2 (Ccn2), collagen, and actin alpha 2, smooth muscle (Acta2) expression. Obesity induces adipose tissue fibrosis, which contributes to metabolic diseases. This work aimed to analyze the expression of Tgfb, Ccn2, collagen1a1 (Col1a1), Acta2 and BMP and activin membrane-bound inhibitor (Bambi), which is a negative regulator of Tgfb signaling, in different adipose tissue depots of mice fed a standard chow, mice fed a high fat diet (HFD) and ob/ob mice. Principally, these genes were low expressed in brown adipose tissues and this difference was less evident for the ob/ob mice. Ccn2 and Bambi protein as well as mRNA expression, and collagen1a1 mRNA were not induced in the adipose tissues upon HFD feeding whereas Tgfb and Acta2 mRNA increased in the white fat depots. Immunoblot analysis showed that Acta2 protein was higher in subcutaneous and perirenal fat of these mice. In the ob/ob mice, Ccn2 mRNA and Ccn2 protein were upregulated in the fat depots. Here, Tgfb, Acta2 and Col1a1 mRNA levels and serum Tgfb protein were increased. Acta2 protein was, however, not higher in subcutaneous and perirenal fat of these mice. Col6a1 mRNA was shown before to be higher in obese fat tissues. Current analysis proved the Col6a1 protein was induced in subcutaneous fat of HFD fed mice. Notably, Col6a1 was reduced in perirenal fat of ob/ob mice in comparison to the respective controls. 3T3-L1 cells express Ccn2 and Bambi protein, whose levels were not changed by fatty acids, leptin, lipopolysaccharide, tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-6. All of these factors led to higher Tgfb in 3T3-L1 adipocyte media but did not increase its mRNA levels. Free fatty acids induced necrosis whereas apoptosis did not occur in any of the in vitro incubations excluding cell death as a main reason for higher Tgfb in cell media. In summary, Tgfb mRNA is consistently induced in white fat tissues in obesity but this is not paralleled by a clear increase of its target genes. Moreover, discrepancies between mRNA and protein expression of Acta2 were observed. Adipocytes seemingly do not contribute to higher Tgfb mRNA levels in obesity. These cells release more Tgfb protein when challenged with obesity-related metabolites connecting metabolic dysfunction and fibrosis.
The development of paranasal sinuses in patients with cystic fibrosis: sinuses volume analysis
Authors: Kaluzna-Mlynarczyk Agata , Pucher Beata , Sroczynski Jakub , Kotowski Michal , Jonczyk-Potoczna Katarzyna , Szydlowski Jarosław
Published: October 2023

Background

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a severe systemic disease that affects many aspects of patients’ lives. It is known that the progression of the disease adversely affects lower and upper airways including the paranasal sinuses. However, its impact on sinus development in the pediatric population is not fully examined. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the development of the paranasal sinuses in a pediatric population with CF and compare it to a control group consisting of healthy children.

Methods

The results of computed tomography (CT) scans of children with the disease and the control group were evaluated. The study included 114 CT images of children in the study group and 126 images of healthy children aged 0–18 years. The volumes of maxillary, frontal, and sphenoid sinuses were analyzed. The obtained results were compared with those of the control group and analyzed statistically.

Results

The volume and the development of the paranasal sinuses in both groups increased with age, but statistically significant differences were found between the study and the control group.

Conclusions

The obtained results provide valuable knowledge regarding the impact of the CF on sinuses development. Also, they may be important in understanding the progression of the disease and its influence on the quality and length of life of patients. The results may contribute to enhanced diagnostics and have implications for improving therapy for patients with chronic sinusitis associated with CF.
Error Analysis for 2D Stochastic Navier–Stokes Equations in Bounded Domains with Dirichlet Data
Authors: Breit Dominic , Prohl Andreas
Published: October 2023

We study a finite-element based space-time discretisation for the 2D stochastic Navier–Stokes equations in a bounded domain supplemented with no-slip boundary conditions. We prove optimal convergence rates in the energy norm with respect to convergence in probability, that is convergence of order (almost) 1/2 in time and 1 in space. This was previously only known in the space-periodic case, where higher order energy estimates for any given (deterministic) time are available. In contrast to this, estimates in the Dirichlet-case are only known for a (possibly large) stopping time. We overcome this problem by introducing an approach based on discrete stopping times. This replaces the localised estimates (with respect to the sample space) from earlier contributions.
Osteoporosis Prediction Using Machine-Learned Optical Bone Densitometry Data
Authors: Miura Kaname , Tanaka Shigeo M. , Chotipanich Chanisa , Chobpenthai Thanapon , Jantarato Attapon , Khantachawana Anak
Published: October 2023

Optical bone densitometry (OBD) has been developed for the early detection of osteoporosis. In recent years, machine learning (ML) techniques have been actively implemented for the areas of medical diagnosis and screening with the goal of improving diagnostic accuracy. The purpose of this study was to verify the feasibility of using the combination of OBD and ML techniques as a screening tool for osteoporosis. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and OBD measurements were performed on 203 Thai subjects. From the OBD measurements and readily available demographic data, machine learning techniques were used to predict the T-score measured by the DXA. The T-score predicted using the Ridge regressor had a correlation of r = 0.512 with respect to the reference value. The predicted T-score also showed an AUC of 0.853 for discriminating individuals with osteoporosis. The results obtained suggest that the developed model is reliable enough to be used for screening for osteoporosis.
Improved identification of left atrial enlargement in patients with obesity
Authors: Aga Yaar , Acardag Yalin , Chin Jie Fen , Kroon Daan , Snelder Sanne Marjolein , De Groot-De Laat Lotte , Biter Ulas , Zijlstra Felix , Brugts Jasper , van Dalen Bas
Published: October 2023

Accurate standardization of left atrium volume (LAV) in patients with obesity is challenging. The aim of this study was to investigate and to examine the relation between LAV indexed to height2 and left atrial function in patients with moderate to severe obesity. Echocardiograms of patients with moderate to severe obesity (body mass index (BMI) ≥ 35 kg/m2) without known cardiac disease were analyzed. LAV was indexed to body surface area (BSA) and height2, and patients were divided into those with or without left atrial enlargement (LAE) based on normalization using either BSA (LAEbsa) or height2 (LAEh2). Using speckle tracking echocardiography, LA reservoir strain (LASr), LA conduit strain (LAScd), and LA contractile strain (LASct) were assessed as a measure of LA function. LA dysfunction was defined as LASct < 14%. A total of 142 patients were included in the analysis of whom 54.2% had LAEh2 and 18.3% LAEBSA. The LAEh2 group had significantly lower LASct (12.2% ± 3.2% vs. 13.6% ± 4.5%, p = 0.019) as compared to the patients without LAEh2. Significantly more patients with LA dysfunction would be correctly identified by LAEh2 than by LAEBSA (41.5% vs. 15.0%, p < 0.001). In patients with moderate to severe obesity, the use of LAEh2 identified significantly more patients with decreased LA function. LAVh2 should be preferred over LAVBSA in patients with moderate to severe obesity.
Allocation of Users of Mental Health Services to Needs-Based Care Clusters: An Italian Pilot Study
Authors: Barbato Angelo , D’Avanzo Barbara , Corrao Giovanni , Di Fiandra Teresa , Ferrara Lucia , Gaddini Andrea , Jarach Carlotta Micaela , Monzio Compagnoni Matteo , Saponaro Alessio , Scondotto Salvatore , Tozzi Valeria D , Lora Antonio
Published: October 2023

In Italy, despite strong community-based mental health services, needs assessment is unsatisfactory. Using the Mental Health Clustering Tool (MHCT) we adopted a multidimensional and non-diagnosis dependent approach to assign mental health services users with similar needs to groups corresponding to resources required for effective care. We tested the MHCT in nine Departments of Mental Health in four Italian regions. After a brief training, 318 professionals assessed 12,938 cases with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder and personality disorder through the MHCT. 53% of cases were 40–59 years, half were females, 51% had a diagnosis of schizophrenia, 48% of cases were clinically severe. Clusters included different levels of clinical severity and diagnostic groups. The largest cluster was 11 (ongoing recurrent psychosis), with 18.9% of the sample, followed by cluster 3 (non-psychotic disorders of moderate severity). The MHCT could capture a variety of problems of people with mental disorders beyond the traditional psychiatric assessment, therefore depicting service population from a different standpoint. Following a brief training, MHCT assessment proved to be feasible. The automatic allocation of cases made the attribution to clusters easy and acceptable by professionals. To what extent clustering provide a sound base for care planning will be the matter of further research.
Jail Healthcare Staffing in the US Southeast: a Cross-Sectional Survey
Authors: Rosen David L. , Carda-Auten Jessica , DiRosa Elena , Travers Debbie
Published: October 2023

Background

Jails annually incarcerate millions of people with health problems, yet jail healthcare services have not been well described.

Objective

To describe jail healthcare staffing.

Design

Phone-administered survey conducted October 2020 to May 2021.

Setting

County jails in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama.

Participants

Jail personnel “most knowledgeable” about jail healthcare.

Main Measures

Weekly on-site healthcare coverage rate (hours per 100 incarcerated person-weeks [IPWs]) by personnel type; telemedicine rates and detention officers’ healthcare duties.

Key Results

Survey response rate was 73% (254/346). Among surveyed jails, 71% had on-site non-psychiatric providers (e.g., physicians, physician assistants) (median of 3.3 h per 100 IPWs); 90% had on-site nursing (median of 57.0 h per 100 IPWs) including 50% with on-site registered nurses (median of 25 h per 100 IPWs) and 70% with on-site licensed practical nurses (median of 52 h per 100 IPWs); 9% had on-site psychiatric providers (median of 1.6 h per 100 PWs). Telemedicine was used for primary care in 13% of jails (median 2.1 h per 100 IPW); for mental healthcare in 55% (median 2.1 h per 100 IPW); and for other specialties in 5% (median 1.0 h per 100 IPW). In 81% of jails, officers conducted medical intake and in 58% assessed urgency of medical requests (i.e., “sick call”). The number of officers’ healthcare responsibilities increased inversely with weekly nursing coverage.

Conclusions

Nearly 30% of surveyed jails routinely lacked on-site healthcare providers and in most other jails providers’ on-site presence was modest. Jails relied heavily on LPNs and officers for care, resulting in missed opportunities for care and potentially endangering incarcerated persons.
Genetics, Age Demographics, and Shell Size of Atlantic Surfclams from the Southern Edge of Their Range
Authors: Wisner Brynne , Wang Zhenwei , Sheehan Ailey , Guo Ximing , Munroe Daphne
Published: October 2023

The Atlantic surfclam (Spisula solidissima solidissima) is an economically valuable clam species that supports a major US fishery. Until recently, fishery efforts along the southern edge of the surfclam range were low due to clam mortalities there in the 1990s. Recent surfclam fishing efforts off Virginia raised questions of whether the surfclam population has returned in the southern region or if a single cohort is supporting the fishery there. Questions have also arisen about whether S. s. similis is among the population fished off the coast of VA. Spisula solidissima similis is a warm-water cryptic subspecies of the Atlantic surfclam. Although morphologically indistinguishable, S. s. similis grows to a smaller size and is genetically distinct. Atlantic surfclams (n = 103) were collected from the fishing grounds off the coast of VA. Each surfclam was aged, and shell length and tissue weight recorded for comparison to surfclams of the same age from the center of the population. Analyses of mitochondrial (mtCOI) sequences suggests that the two groups sampled off VA are genetically homogeneous, both groups contain two divergent mitochondrial lineages, and one surfclam sampled shares the S. s. similis mtCOI sequence. There are multiple cohorts of surfclams, suggesting that environmental conditions may have improved for surfclams in the south, or that this population has acclimated to altered conditions. Further research should investigate the potential for subspecies hybridization.
Indigenous fertility in Aotearoa New Zealand: How does ethnic identity affect birth spacing and timing?
Authors: Rarere Moana , Jarallah Yara , Kukutai Tahu
Published: October 2023

The survival of Indigenous peoples in the CANZUS states of Canada, Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand, and the United States is nothing short of remarkable. Not only have Indigenous peoples thwarted colonial tropes of thevanishing nativebut, for decades, Indigenous population growth rates have significantly outpaced those of the dominant settler populations. The future survival of Indigenous peoples fundamentally rests on continued natural increase, and understanding the causes and consequences of fertility behaviour is critical. While total fertility rates for Indigenous women in CANZUS countries are relatively low, childbearing tends to be concentrated at younger ages in contrast to the dominant white populations. The fertility transitions of both settler and Indigenous populations in the CANZUS states are well documented, however, a significant gap remains: how cultural factors shape contemporary Indigenous fertility behaviours. Using Aotearoa as a case study, we explore the relationship between Māori cultural identity, birth timing, and the duration of birth intervals. We use the 1995 New Zealand Women: Family, Employment and Education survey data to further test the impact of cultural identity on birth transition rates using the piecewise exponential model and Kaplan-Meier estimates. We find that women who identifyMainlyMāori (exclusively or primarily)are at greater risk of bearing much earlier to first birth but not necessarily subsequent births. However, because of the earlier start, Māori have a longer reproductive window to bear more children, and at higher birth orders still bear earlier than non-Māori. The empirical evidence strengthens our case to suggest that cultural orientation has some influence on Indigenous fertility and contributes to the development of Indigenous-centred theories of fertility and demography more broadly.
Experimental study on parametric configurations of artificially downwelling aerations in stratified water
Authors: Tian Xiaoqing , Wang Zhenlin , Zhang Baofeng , Zeng Ran , Wang Jiyong , Ong Muk Chen , Yang Junyi
Published: October 2023

Downwelling aeration has become a widely applied approach to cope with the water eutrophication in stratified reservoirs, rivers and lakes. The aeration parameters involving flow rate, flow locations and working periodicity and their impacts on the temperature and dissolved oxygen (DO) distributions of water have been largely unclarified, causing extra time and energy consumptions in practice. In this study, a home-built water tank and an aeration pump are used to model the downwelling aeration processes in stratified water. Temporal influences of aeration parameters on the water stratifications and eutrophicated elements are systemically investigated, with the purpose of searching parametric configurations to enhance the anti-eutrophication efficiency. It is found that the variation rates of temperature destratification and DO distribution in the water body could be saturated and strongly correlated with the flow rate. Based on such experimental saturation rates, we find an optimized working condition from the aspect of energy saving: a 300 rpm pump speed and a 15 cm distance between the flow exit and the sediment surface. In such conditions, the total nitrogen and phosphorus dissolved in the bottom layer of water decrease exponentially with aeration time, and can be reduced by 53.8 and 86% in the first 6 h of aerations, respectively, taking full advantage of the microbial bonding to the sedimentations. The present work provides better understandings for efficient implementations of downwelling aerations.
A Workflow for Accelerating Multimodal Data Collection for Electrodeposited Films
Authors: Bassett Kimberly L. , Watkins Tylan , Coleman Jonathan , Bianco Nathan , Bailey Lauren S. , Pillars Jamin , Williams Samuel Garrett , Babuska Tomas F. , Curry John , DelRio Frank W. , Henriksen Amelia A. , Garland Anthony , Hall Justin , Krick Brandon A. , Boyce Brad L.
Published: October 2023

Future machine learning strategies for materials process optimization will likely replace human capital-intensive artisan research with autonomous and/or accelerated approaches. Such automation enables accelerated multimodal characterization that simultaneously minimizes human errors, lowers costs, enhances statistical sampling, and allows scientists to allocate their time to critical thinking instead of repetitive manual tasks. Previous acceleration efforts to synthesize and evaluate materials have often employed elaborate robotic self-driving laboratories or used specialized strategies that are difficult to generalize. Herein we describe an implemented workflow for accelerating the multimodal characterization of a combinatorial set of 915 electroplated Ni and Ni–Fe thin films resulting in a data cube with over 160,000 individual data files. Our acceleration strategies do not require manufacturing-scale resources and are thus amenable to typical materials research facilities in academic, government, or commercial laboratories. The workflow demonstrated the acceleration of six characterization modalities: optical microscopy, laser profilometry, X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, nanoindentation, and tribological (friction and wear) testing, each with speedup factors ranging from 13–46x. In addition, automated data upload to a repository using FAIR data principles was accelerated by 64x.
Ultimate tensile capacity of hot-dip galvanized ultra-high-strength steel cut edges and welded joints
Authors: Lipiäinen Kalle , Ahola Antti , Javaheri Vahid , Björk Timo
Published: October 2023

Tensile tests of 6-mm-thick hot-dip galvanized (HDG) S960 specimens were performed. The study focused on room temperature but also − 40 °C cold temperature tests were performed to ensure material behavior and reliability. Microstructural characterization using a scanning electron microscopy was performed to evaluate the influence of HDG. The results showed that HDG slightly decreased the tensile strength of plain S960 specimens whereas its effect on welded joints was not significant in both room and cold temperatures.
Recent Advances and Challenges in Monitoring and Modeling Non-Growing Season Carbon Dioxide Fluxes from the Arctic Boreal Zone
Authors: Arndt Kyle A. , Hashemi Josh , Natali Susan M. , Schiferl Luke D. , Virkkala Anna-Maria
Published: October 2023

Purpose of Review

While previously thought to be negligible, carbon emissions during the non-growing season (NGS) can be a substantial part of the annual carbon budget in the Arctic boreal zone (ABZ), which can shift the carbon balance of these ecosystems from a long-held annual carbon sink towards a net annual carbon source. The purpose of this review is to summarize NGS carbon dioxide (CO2) flux research in the ABZ that has been published within the past 5 years.

Recent Findings

We explore the processes and magnitudes of CO2 fluxes, and the status of modeling efforts, and evaluate future directions. With technological advances, direct measurements of NGS fluxes are increasing at sites across the ABZ over the past decade, showing ecosystems in the ABZ are a large source of CO2 in the shoulder seasons, with low, consistent, winter emissions.

Ecosystem carbon cycling models are being improved with some challenges, such as modeling below ground and snow processes, which are critical to understanding NGS CO2 fluxes. A lack of representative in situ carbon flux data and gridded environmental data are leading limiting factors preventing more accurate predictions of NGS carbon fluxes.
A Global Review on Innovative, Sustainable, and Effective Materials Composing Growing Media for Forest Seedling Production
Authors: Mariotti Barbara , Oliet Juan A. , Andivia Enrique , Tsakaldimi Marianthi , Villar-Salvador Pedro , Ivetić Vladan , Montagnoli Antonio , Janković Ivona Kerkez , Bilir Nebi , Bohlenius Henrik , Cvjetković Branislav , Dūmiņš Kārlis , Heiskanen Juha , Hinkov Georgi , Fløistad Inger Sundheim , Cocozza Claudia
Published: October 2023

Purpose of Review

The demand for forest tree seedlings is increasing globally, and Sphagnum peat moss is widely used as a component of growing media for container plant production. However, peat extraction is environmentally unsustainable. The forest nursery sector needs to switch to more sustainable alternatives to peat. This review aims to identify potential substitutes for peat by reviewing the worldwide literature on alternative materials for growing media in forest nurseries.

Recent Findings

Most studies on alternative growing media focused on single plant species growing under local conditions, thereby limiting generalizations about the effectiveness of alternative materials for plant production. To our knowledge, no systematic reviews of scientific literature on the effectiveness of new, alternative-to-peat materials for enhancing plant growth and the associated growing media characteristics for the forest nursery sector are currently available.

Most of the analyzed case studies focused on angiosperms (73.1%), with the majority of studies coming from tropical seasonal forests/savannas (36.5%), followed by woodlands/shrublands (31.6%), and temperate forests (15.0%) biomes. Compost was the most studied material (19.5%), followed by bark, other organic materials, and manure (9.8, 9.7, and 8.0%, respectively). Green and municipal wastes were the principal sources of compost (> 60%), while agriculture and green wastes were the first sources of other materials (> 90%). Tested materials were dependent on the geographic region. Thus, manure was the most tested material in Africa and South America, tree bark in North America, and compost in Europe, Asia, and Oceania. Alternative materials effectively provided optimal physicochemical characteristics of growing media and enhanced seedling nursery growth when compared with peat-based growing media in more than 60% of the case studies. This review helps to identify research gaps and, most importantly, provides the basis for the future application of alternative growing media materials in forest nursery management worldwide.
Influence of Green Areas on the Urban Sound Environment
Authors: Rey-Gozalo Guillermo , Barrigón Morillas Juan Miguel , Montes González David , Vílchez-Gómez Rosendo
Published: October 2023

Purpose of Review

Urban green spaces provide benefits for human health and well-being, among other properties, thanks to their ability to attenuate environmental pollutants. The sound environment is not healthy in most cities, and this situation has not changed in recent decades. These green spaces are potential quiet areas with good acoustic quality if they are designed and planned properly from a multidisciplinary perspective. Although the mitigating effects of green infrastructure have been extensively studied, their application in green areas has been very limited. The objective of this study is to analyze those characteristics of green spaces that contribute to a healthy soundscape and, in turn, the benefits that this would give them to the characteristics of green areas, users, and their physical environment.

Recent Findings

Current studies show that to accurately determine the relationship between green spaces and health and well-being benefits, it is necessary to know the interaction with other environmental variables, including the soundscape. The development and application of ISO/TS 12913-2 have promoted the consideration of the soundscape and the use of appropriate procedures for its evaluation.

The inclusion of soundscape quality in epidemiological studies will improve the quantification of the effects of green spaces on the health and well-being of citizens. Only the consideration of global indicators, such as Lden (dB), show the importance of the sound environment in the interaction with other environmental variables and user activities for the determination of the effects of green spaces on health.
Analysis of the Penetration Behavior of Molten Cast Iron into the Sand Mold
Authors: Matsushita Taishi , Belov Ilja , Svidró József Tamás , Svidró Judit , Diószegi Attila
Published: October 2023

An evaluation method for the initial penetration of molten cast iron into the sand mold was suggested based on the laboratory-scale penetration experiments for the cast iron. The horizontal penetration depth of the molten cast iron into the sand core was analyzed using the capillary model. The early stage of the penetration was discussed, and it was clarified that the penetration is not stopped by the solidification but is stopped by the decreasing of the equivalent pore radius. It was explained that the equivalent pore radius decreases with increasing the penetration depth, and the penetration is stopped when the critical pressure, i.e., the pressure required for the penetration, becomes higher than the pressure which is acting on the penetration front. Based on the analysis, an evaluation method of the penetration of depth at the early stage of the penetration was suggested. The analysis method was applied for the other type of metals (mercury and steel) as well, and reasonable results were obtained. A simplified finite-element model of liquid iron penetration into a sand core was developed, accounting for heat exchange between the melt and the porous medium, at different pore geometries.
Lord of the Words
Authors: Cuntz-Leng Vera , Leng Christof , Ellsworth Michael
Published: October 2023

Das Ziel dieses Aufsatzes ist ein Vergleich des Textkorpus von auf der Multifandom-Fanfiction-Plattform Archive of our Own hochgeladener The Lord of the Rings-Fanfiction mit der von J.R.R. Tolkien verfassten Roman-Trilogie (1954). Mithilfe digitaler Scraping-Tools, die am International Computer Science Institute in Berkeley entwickelt wurden, wird ein Vergleich des vollständigen Romantextes mit der zum Zeitpunkt der Erhebung am 30.07.2014 auf der Multifandom-Fanfictionplattform Archive of our Own hochgeladenen knapp 7.500 englischsprachigen The Lord of the Rings-Fanfictions möglich – mittlerweile hat sich die Zahl der Texte in diesem Fandom verfünffacht. Unser Forschungsziel ist es, mittels distant reading bestimmte Figuren, Beziehungen der Figuren zueinander (Pairings) und Verwendung findende Worte und Motive zu identifizieren, die von Fanfiction-Autor:innen ignoriert, aufgegriffen, neu hinzugefügt oder eher aus den Blockbuster-Filmen von Peter Jackson als aus Tolkiens Werken entlehnt werden. Die Studie soll hierdurch einen Beitrag zum besseren Verständnis der Beziehung zwischen Fanobjekt und Fantext leisten.
Observation and restriction of Aculops lycopersici dispersal in tomato layer cultivation
Authors: Pfaff Alexander , Gabriel Doreen , Böckmann Elias
Published: October 2023

The tomato russet miteAculops lycopersicihas become a challenging pest in tomato production in the EU. The number of available acaricides is low, and the efficacy of biological control is limited. With this study, we aim to understand better the unhindered dispersal dynamics and develop a method to reduce dispersal on plants.

To better understand the dynamics ofA. lycopersicidispersal in layered tomato cultivation under practical conditions, a first trial was carried out. The trial confirmed that firstA. lycopersicisymptoms in practical cultivation usually occur in the lower or the middle third of tomato plants and then move upwards on plants. It was observed that plants, for a limited period of time often are able to grow new healthy leaves in the same pace as existing leaves, mostly in the lower and middle part of the plant are damaged byA. lycopersici. This is possible due to the fast growth rate of hybrid tomato varieties in layer cultivation. To test if the observed effect can be supported by further slowing down the upwards movement of the pest, a second trial was conducted. Here, the stems of inoculated tomato plants were blocked weekly forA. lycopersiciby applying a ring of insect glue 15 cm below the tip of the plants. This stem blockage severely impaired the only active dispersal mode ofA. lycopersici: walking. The growth of new plant material, when the method is applied, is able to exceed the speed with whichA. lycopersicidestroys plant material in layered tomato cultivation. This resulted in significantly less plant damage and prevented fruit damage on all treated plants. The approach of manipulating the plant stem and thereby restricting the movement of the mite on tomato plants could potentially be exploited for plant protection purposes under practical conditions.
The variant of efforts avoiding strain: successful correction of a scientific discourse related to COVID-19
Authors: Lim Dongwoo , Toriumi Fujio , Yoshida Mitsuo , Tanaka Mikihito , Yang Kunhao
Published: October 2023

This study focuses on how scientifically accurate information is disseminated through social media, and how misinformation can be corrected. We have identified examples on Twitter where scientific terms that have been widely misused have been rectified and replaced by scientifically accurate terms through the interaction of users. The results show that the percentage of accurate terms (“variant” or “COVID-19 variant”) being used instead of the inaccurate terms (“strain”) on Twitter has already increased since the end of December 2020. This was about a month before the release of an official statement by the Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases regarding the accurate terminology, and the use of terms on social media was faster than it was in television. Some Twitter users who quickly started using the accurate term were more likely to retweet messages sent by leading influencers on Twitter, rather than messages sent by traditional media or portal sites. However, a few Twitter users continued to use wrong terms even after March 2021, even though the use of the accurate terms was widespread. This study empirically verified that self-correction occurs even on Twitter, and also suggested that influencers with expertise can influence the direction of public opinion on social media.
Coercion or Privatization? Crisis and Planned Economies in the Debates of the Early Frankfurt School
Authors: Corradetti Claudio
Published: October 2023

The 1930s–1940s underwent profound structural economic and political turmoil following the collapse of the nineteenth century liberal market economies. The intellectual debates of the time were dominated by the question of whether Marx’s theory of the tendency of rate of profit to fall was true, or what consequence could be imagined in the survival of capitalist societies. Placed in the middle of such debates was also the reorganization of national productions into war economies. By means of reconstructive analysis, the paper provides a critical overview of the debates that took place within the circle of the Frankfurt School during those years. It also advances an interpretive thesis suggesting that remedies to capitalist crises of the time turned state powers into privatized, illiberal coercive entities. Coercion and privatization reinforced each other. This general tendency is well illustrated by the famous Pollock-Neumann debate. These intellectuals expressed views not only intended to shed light on the historical period of time, but also to formulate long-term considerations on the authoritarian trends embedded in our contemporary democracies. Through historical reconstruction, the paper’s aim is to identify a long-term structural thread of transformation starting from the transformation of the German economy in 1930s and touching upon post Second World War problems of states’ restructuring along privatization/coercion divides.
Identification of leukocyte-lymphocyte ratio as a novel prognostic factor in Peripheral T-cell lymphoma
Authors: Gao Shi-Qi , Lei Bo-Ya , Xu Yue , Zhang Zi-Jian , Niu Xing-Jian , Zhao Wen-Hui , Zhang Qing-Yuan , Zhao Shu
Published: October 2023

Purpose

Peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) is notorious for its heterogeneity as well as poor prognosis. High mortality remains a challenge. Our study aims to assess whether the leukocyte-lymphocyte ratio (LLR) and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) can be applied as prognostic indexes for patients with PTCL and supplement the prognostic system of PTCL.

Methods

We reviewed the data of 108 newly diagnosed PTCL patients in the clinic. The χ2 test was applied to contrast baseline characteristics between patients in different groups divided according to the cut-off value of LLR or NLR. The Kaplan-Meier method was adapted to develop the survival curve. The COX ratio risk regression model was used to identify the indexes related to patient survival.

Results

LLR ≥ 10.30, NLR ≥ 8.25, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score ≥ 2, International prognostic index (IPI) score > 2, Prognostic Index for T cell lymphoma (PIT) ≥ 2, B symptom, Ann Arbor stage III-IV and high level of Lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) were poor prognosis factors impacting patients’ overall survival (OS) by the univariate analysis. The multivariate analysis illustrated that only LLR ≥ 10.30 was significantly related to OS (P all < 0.05).

Conclusion

Overall, our analysis revealed that LLR ≥ 10.30 was significantly associated with poorer OS and was a novel prognostic index for PTCL.
Surrogate Ensemble-Assisted Hyper-Heuristic Algorithm for Expensive Optimization Problems
Authors: Zhong Rui , Yu Jun , Zhang Chao , Munetomo Masaharu
Published: October 2023

This paper proposes a novel surrogate ensemble-assisted hyper-heuristic algorithm (SEA-HHA) to solve expensive optimization problems (EOPs). A representative HHA consists of two parts: the low-level and the high-level components. In the low-level component, we regard the surrogate-assisted technique as a type of search strategy and design the four search strategy archives: exploration strategy archive, exploitation strategy archive, surrogate-assisted estimation archive, and mutation strategy archive as low-level heuristics (LLHs), each archive contains one or more search strategies. Once the surrogate-assisted estimation archive is activated to generate the offspring individual, SEA-HHA first selects the dataset for model construction from three principles: All Data, Recent Data, and Neighbor, which correspond to the global and the local surrogate model, respectively. Then, the dataset is randomly divided into training and validation data, and the most accurate model built by polynomial regression (PR), support vector regression (SVR), and Gaussian process regression (GPR) cooperates with the infill sampling criterion is employed for solution estimation. In the high-level component, we design a random selection function based on the pre-defined probabilities to manipulate a set of LLHs. In numerical experiments, we compare SEA-HHA with six optimization techniques on 5-D, 10-D, and 30-D CEC2013 benchmark functions and three engineering optimization problems with only 1000 fitness evaluation times (FEs). The experimental and statistical results show that our proposed SEA-HHA has broad prospects for dealing with EOPs.
High Rates of Undiagnosed Target Organ Damage Among Adults with Elevated Blood Pressure or Diabetes Mellitus in a Community-Based Survey in Lesotho
Authors: Firima Emmanuel , Gonzalez Lucia , Khan Moazziz Ali , Manthabiseng Molulela , Sematle Mamoronts’sane P. , Bane Matumaole , Khomolishoele Makhebe , Leisa Ikhetheleng , Retselisitsoe Lefokotsane , Burkard Thilo , Seelig Eleonara , Lee Tristan , Chammartin Frédérique , Gupta Ravi , Leigh Bailah , Weisser Maja , Amstutz Alain , Labhardt Niklaus Daniel
Published: October 2023

Introduction

Prevalence of elevated blood pressure (BP) and diabetes mellitus (DM) is increasing in sub-Saharan Africa. Data on target organ damage such as retinopathy, left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), renal impairment and peripheral neuropathy (PN) among persons with elevated BP and/or DM in sub-Saharan Africa remain scarce.

Aim

To determine at community-level the prevalence of retinopathy, LVH, renal impairment, and PN among adults with elevated BP and/or DM, and assess the association of elevated BP and/or DM with target organ damage in Lesotho.

Methods

During a household-based survey, a sub-sample of adults with elevated BP (≥ 140/90 mmHg) and/or DM (glycosylated hemoglobin ≥ 6.5%), as well as comparators (BP < 140/90 mmHg, HbA1c < 6.5%) were screened for retinopathy, LVH, renal impairment, and PN. We used multivariable logistic regression for inferential analysis.

Results

Out of 6108 participants screened during the survey, 420 with elevated BP only, 80 with DM only, 61 with elevated BP and DM, and 360 comparators were assessed for target organ damage. Among those with elevated BP, and among those with DM with or without elevated BP, prevalence of retinopathy was 34.6% (89/257) and 14.4% (15/104); renal impairment was 45.0% (156/347) and 42.4% (56/132), respectively. Among those with elevated BP, 2.3% (7/300) and 65.7% (224/341) had LVH and left ventricular concentric remodeling, respectively. PN, only assessed among those with DM, was present in 32.6% (42/129). Elevated BP was associated with increased odds of retinopathy (aOR, 19.13; 95% CI, 8.52–42.94; P < 0.001) and renal impairment (aOR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.27–2.55; P = 0.001). Presence of both elevated BP and DM was associated with an increased odds of retinopathy (aOR, 16.30; 95%CI, 5.69–46.68; P < 0.001), renal impairment (aOR, 2.55; 95% CI, 1.35–4.81; P = 0.004), and PN (aOR, 2.13; 95% CI, 1.04–4.38; P = 0.040).

Conclusion

We found a high prevalence of undiagnosed target organ damage among adults with elevated BP and/or DM during community-based screening. These findings emphasize the importance of regular prevention and screening activities in this setting.