bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Achieving High Voltage and Excellent Rate Capability Supercapacitor Electrodes Derived From Bio‐renewable and Sustainable Resource
Authors: Vijayakumar Manavalan , Bharathi Sankar Ammaiyappan , Sri Rohita Duggirala , Nanaji Katchala , Narasinga Rao Tata , Karthik Mani
Published: July 2020

The design and development of bio‐renewable and sustainable carbon‐carbon based supercapacitor electrodes provide high volumetric energy density and high durability even at higher potential window are one of the major technological challenges. The present study demonstrates the conversion of wheat flour as bio‐renewable and sustainable resource into hierarchical high surface area bi‐model porous carbon nanosheets (1620 m2 g−1) as high performance supercapacitor electrode. Bi‐model porous carbon can provide the high electrochemical performance because it has optimum textural characteristic. The benefit from simultaneous achievement of extended voltage window of 3.2 V and high volumetric capacitance of 86 F cm−3 with high electrode density of 0.76 g cm−3, the supercapacitor cell can provide higher volumetric energy density of 30.46 Wh L−1. Particularly, supercapacitor cell shows exceptional rate capability at commercial level active mass loading (10 mg cm−2) and high durability at 3.2 V upon 15,000 charge‐discharge cycles with 95 % of capacitance retention. The integrated power electronic booster and the concept of recovery of the stored energy from the supercapacitor are explained by a simulation as well as experimental study for the first time. This work inspires new insights to develop a sustainable high volumetric supercapacitor for portable and wearable device applications.
Theoretical Prediction of a Neutral Zero‐Valent Beryllium Compound Isoelectronic with Singlet Carbenes
Authors: Kalita Amlan J. , Rohman Shahnaz S. , Kashyap Chayanika , Ullah Sabnam S. , Mazumder Lakhya J. , Guha Ankur K.
Published: July 2020

Electronic structure and reactivity of a neutral Be(0) compound stabilized by N‐donor ligand L [L, bis(imidazolin‐2‐imine)], has been studied using density functional theory. The studied compound is found to have sufficient Be‐L bond dissociation energy. The electronic structure study reveals that this compound is isoelectronic with singlet carbenes. Topological analysis reveals the Be‐L bond to be of donor‐acceptor type. The presence of a rare Be…Hγ agostic interaction is also observed in the compound. The gas phase proton affinity of the compound is found to be very high (> 300 kcal/mol) and should be considered as “super basic”. The proton affinity of this compound (330‐334 kcal/mol) is found to be even higher than those of singlet carbenes. The promising ligating property with Lewis acid BH3 and BeCl2 has been noted. Its complex with BeCl2 is found to have very high bond dissociation energy with a strong Be−Be bond. Our computational results reveal that the proposed compound has the highest Lewis basicity among Be(0) compounds found in literature.
Effect of incorporating iron‐filing waste on the properties of silica fume blended cement paste
Authors: Yusuf Moruf O. , Shamsah Sami I. , Al‐Sodani Khaled A. , Lukman Salihu
Published: July 2020

This study is aimed at finding the contribution of the varied quantities (5, 10, and 15 wt%) of iron filing (IF) on the strength of silica fume (SF) blended ordinary Portland cement (OPC) paste. The paste was developed such that water/(IF + SF + OPC) ratio was maintained as 0.35 at a constant 10 wt% SF content in the binder. The early (7‐day) strength was found to be lower than the control (0% IF) due to disruption of hydration process. The decrease in strength of SF blended paste was increasing with the increase in the IF up to 15%. The maximum 28‐day compressive strength of 119 MPa was achieved when OPC blended binder was replaced with 5%IF. The maximum strength was reduced by 18.4 and 23.8% as the OPC substitution level increased to 10 and 15% IF, respectively. The presence of IF within the blended paste appeared not to combine chemically with hydration products. This caused nonuniformity in the microstructural texture thereby increasing the carbonation effect in the plain paste. However, the presence of SF in the paste reduced carbonation significantly as reflected in the reduction in the peak of —C—O— vibration as observed through FTIR spectroscopy.
Distribution of uterine histological changes in aged captive cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus)
Authors: Penfold Miles J. , Schulman Martin L. , Clift Sarah , du Plessis Lisa , Thompson Peter N. , Hartman Marthinus J.
Published: July 2020

The histological effect on the felid uterus of sterilization, via ovariectomy or salpingectomy, is currently unknown. To investigate the association of ovariectomy or salpingectomy with uterine health, it is first necessary to establish if changes are distributed evenly throughout the uterus. Both laparoscopic ovariectomy and salpingectomy with concurrent sampling of the tip of the uterine horn are possible in the cheetah. Currently accepted practice for histopathological screening of the uterus utilizes four biopsy samples. It is not known whether this method accurately reflects the status of the entire uterus. In this study we histologically examined the uteri of six older cheetahs (one 7‐year‐old and five 10–10.5‐year‐old animals) via 21 tissue samples (three samples from seven different anatomical regions) per cheetah to determine overall uterine health. Although no defined lesions were detected, mild endometrial gland dilation, assumed to be of no functional consequence, was observed in multiple samples. The odds of observing this dilation was lowest in the uterine body and progressively increased in a cranial direction, being significantly higher at the tip of the uterine horns (OR = 11.5; 95% CI, 2.0‐65.1;p = 0.006). This supported the reliability of sampling the tip of the uterine horn to screen for endometrial gland dilation.
Entwurf eines Prozess- und Rollenmodells für internes Crowdsourcing
Authors: Ulbrich Hannah , Wedel Marco
Published: July 2020

Für die erfolgreiche Umsetzung von internem Crowdsourcing (IC) im Unternehmen bedarf es einer genauen Beschreibung und Definition der personellen Zuständigkeiten für die unterschiedlichen Prozessebenen sowie Prozesskomponenten innerhalb der einzelnen Prozessphasen von IC. Im Rahmen des Forschungsprojektes ICU wurde daher auf der Basis einer modellhaften IC – Praxisanwendung im Energieunternehmen GASAG AG ein neues IC-Prozess- sowie Rollenmodell entwickelt, das hier in seinen Grundzügen vorgestellt werden soll. Das vorgeschlagene Rollenmodell orientiert sich an der Rollenkonzeption des agilen Vorgehensmodells von Scrum, da Teilaspekte des IC-Prozesses und gewisse Prozesssteuerungsaktivitäten Ähnlichkeiten mit dem Vorgehen und den Aufgabenbeschreibungen von Scrum haben. Angesichts dieser Tatsache hält Scrum als ausgereiftes und praxisbewehrtes Regelwerk mit Rollenbeschreibungen, Prinzipien, Events und Artefakten daher hilfreiche Implikationen für den Entwurf eines IC-Rollenmodelles bereit.
Matching Professionals in Coworking-Spaces
Authors: Sington Robert , Görmar Lars , Gantert Till Marius
Published: July 2020

Basierend auf den wissenschaftlich ausgearbeiteten Elementen für gute Arbeit in Coworking-Spaces wurden Matching-Instrumente erarbeitet, die Nutzende von Coworking-Spaces sowohl untereinander als auch mit Externen zusammenbringen. Dafür konnten drei verschiedene Matchingformate identifiziert werden, (1) Netzwerkformate, (2) Kooperationsformate und (3) Transferformate. In einem Coworking-Space im ländlichen Raum wurden dafür Veranstaltungen angeboten, um die o. g. Ziele zu erreichen. Es konnte festgestellt werden, dass sowohl kleine als auch große Veranstaltung notwendig sind, um alle Bedürfnisse der Beteiligten abdecken zu können. Potenziale Nachteile der Vielfalt von Veranstaltungsformaten haben sich bei genauer Analyse als Vorteile herausgestellt.
Rechtliche Anforderungen an ein System zur Erreichbarkeitssteuerung
Authors: Miedzianowski Nadine
Published: July 2020

Die zunehmende Verbreitung moderner Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologien prägt und verändert die Arbeitswelt. Vermehrt sehen sich Unternehmen und Beschäftigte daher mit dem Problem der ständigen technikbedingten Erreichbarkeit konfrontiert. Solche Technologien bieten neben Risiken, aber auch die Chance zur effektiven Gestaltung eines Erreichbarkeitsmanagements. Als technische Lösung wurde im Projekt „SANDRA“ ein System zur Erreichbarkeitssteuerung entwickelt. Der Beitrag geht der Frage nach, welche rechtlichen Anforderungen an ein solches System zu stellen sind, das im Arbeitskontext zur Anwendung kommt, und welche technischen Anforderungen aus den teils abstrakten und unbestimmten rechtlichen Vorgaben abgeleitet werden können. Neben Bestimmungen aus dem Arbeits- und Betriebsverfassungsrecht, sind aufgrund der Daten, die bei der Nutzung eines technischen Systems verarbeitet werden, vor allem Vorgaben des Datenschutzrechts und der Datensicherheit ausschlaggebend.
Empowerment als Schlüssel für die agile Arbeitswelt
Authors: Boes Andreas , Gül Katrin , Kämpf Tobias , Lühr Thomas
Published: July 2020

Mit der digitalen Transformation stehen zahlreiche Unternehmen vor der Herausforderung, Neuland gestalten zu lernen. Richtungsweisend wirkt dabei das Leitbild der „agilen Organisation“ mit einer ausgeprägten Kundenorientierung, beschleunigten Innovationszyklen und enger Kollaboration. In diesem Umbruch entstehen neue Anforderungen an die Beschäftigten: Die Mitarbeitenden sollen fachübergreifend zusammenarbeiten, selbstorganisiert agieren und eine hohe Veränderungsbereitschaft mitbringen. Diese Phase der Neueinstellung bietet die Chance, ein konsequentes Empowerment der Mitarbeitenden zu fördern. Dafür muss allerdings der Autonomiezuwachs auf Seiten der Beschäftigten in Organisationsstrukturen eingebettet sein, die echte Handlungsfähigkeit sowie nachhaltige Arbeitsbedingungen ermöglichen. In dem Beitrag werden Ansatzpunkte für eine Stärkung des Empowerments von Beschäftigten vorgestellt.
Empowerment in der agilen Arbeitswelt
Authors: Gül Nesrin , Gül Katrin , Knapp Daniel , Mattes Ralf
Published: July 2020

Agilität ist die Antwort der Unternehmen auf die digitale Transformation und die neue Leitorientierung im gegenwärtigen Umbruch. Ohne Empowerment jedoch ist eine menschengerechte Gestaltung der agilen Arbeitswelt nicht möglich. Dabei machen die gemeinsamen Forschungsergebnisse des EdA-Projektverbundes allerdings deutlich, dass die Umsetzung von Empowerment in der Praxis kein Selbstläufer ist. Die Praxispartner des Verbundes haben verschiedene zukunftsweisende Gestaltungsansätze für Empowerment entwickelt und getestet. Dazu gehören ein Analyse- und Gestaltungstool für die Identifikation von betrieblichen Handlungsbedarfen, Methoden zur Weiterentwicklung von Partizipation und Mitbestimmung in den Unternehmen sowie die Entwicklung von Instrumenten für ein nachhaltiges Empowerment agil arbeitender Entwicklerteams. Sie zeigen exemplarisch, wie breit gefächert der Zugang zu Empowerment ist, welche Chancen es bietet und worauf es ankommt, wenn man es in der betrieblichen Praxis verankern will.
Social Business Transformation
Authors: Zinke-Wehlmann Christian , Friedrich Julia , Wölke Mandy
Published: July 2020

Unternehmen haben das Potenzial von Social Media im Hinblick auf Marketing und Kundenbindung lange erkannt. Zunehmend werden soziale Netzwerke und Technologien inzwischen auch unternehmensintern sowie in der überbetrieblichen Kommunikation eingesetzt. Diese sind elementare Bestandteile des Konzeptes Social Business. Social Business ist als Strategie oder Rahmenwerk zu verstehen, welche(s) einen sozialen, ökologischen oder ökonomischen Nutzen aus dem Einsatz digitaler sozialer Netzwerke generiert. Dieser Ansatz bietet insbesondere für die Gestaltung kollaborativer Arbeitsprozesse erhebliches Potenzial. Um Unternehmen bei der Umsetzung dieses Konzeptes zu unterstützen, werden im vorliegenden Beitrag methodische und technische Möglichkeiten aufgezeigt, um digitale Kollaboration bedarfsorientiert und zielgerichtet zu etablieren. Dies geschieht auf Basis eines eigens entwickelten Reifegradmodells. Anhand eines exemplarischen Anwendungsfalles, welcher sich auf den Einsatz innerbetrieblicher sozialer Netzwerke zur Unterstützung der Orientierung und Motivation von Mitarbeitende fokussiert, werden konkrete Zielstellungen und Leitlinien erarbeitet und umgesetzt.
Gut microbiota and atherosclerosis: role of B cell for atherosclerosis focusing on the gut-immune-B2 cell axis
Authors: Chen Lin , Ishigami Tomoaki , Doi Hiroshi , Arakawa Kentaro , Tamura Kouichi
Published: July 2020

Atherosclerosis is the leading cause of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity worldwide and is described as a complex disease involving several different cell types and their molecular products. Recent studies have revealed that atherosclerosis arises from a systemic inflammatory process, including the accumulation and activities of various immune cells. However, the immune system is a complicated network made up of many cell types, hundreds of bioactive cytokines, and millions of different antigens, making it challenging to readily define the associated mechanism of atherosclerosis. Nevertheless, we previously reported a potential persistent inflammatory process underlying atherosclerosis development, centered on a pathological humoral immune response between commensal microbes and activated subpopulations of substantial B cells in the vicinity of the arterial adventitia. Accumulating evidence has indicated the importance of gut microbiota in atherosclerosis development. Commensal microbiota are considered important regulators of immunity and metabolism and also to be possible antigenic sources for atherosclerosis development. However, the interplay between gut microbiota and metabolism with regard to the modulation of atherosclerosis-associated immune responses remains poorly understood. Here, we review the mechanisms by which the gut microbiota may influence atherogenesis, with particular focus on humoral immunity and B cells, especially the gut-immune-B2 cell axis.
Hilfreiche psychosoziale Unterstützung für Eltern in der pädiatrischen Onkologie
Authors: Gajda Jana , Thiel Beate , Zimmermann Tanja
Published: July 2020

Hintergrund

Krebserkrankungen im Kindes- und Jugendalter haben Auswirkungen auf die gesamte Familie – auch für die betroffenen Eltern hinsichtlich psychischer Aspekte. Gegenwärtig existieren nur wenige Untersuchungen zu den Anforderungen an hilfreiche psychosoziale Unterstützungsangebote für Eltern.

Ziel der Arbeit

Zur Gewinnung weiterer Erkenntnisse für die psychosoziale Versorgung wurden Eigenschaften und inhaltliche Komponenten von hilfreichen psychosozialen Unterstützungsangeboten für Eltern mit an Krebs erkrankten Kindern untersucht.

Methodik

Im Rahmen einer qualitativen Studie wurden N = 15 Expert_innen verschiedener Disziplinen und Standorte aus Akut- und Rehakliniken sowie ambulant tätige Kolleg_innen eingeschlossen. Die Durchführung basierte auf einem teilstrukturierten Interviewleitfaden. Die Auswertung erfolgte anhand der qualitativen Inhaltsanalyse.

Ergebnisse

Grundsätzlich erachteten die eingeschlossenen Expert_innen niedrigschwellige und flexible Angebote als ideale psychosoziale Unterstützungsform. Hinsichtlich des optimalen Zeitpunkts zeigte sich hingegen ein heterogenes Bild. Inhaltlich wurden häufig die Förderung der Familienkohäsion, der Kommunikationsfähigkeiten sowie der Selbstfürsorge, aber auch Erziehungsthemen und angenehme gemeinsame Aktivitäten in der Gemeinschaft als essenziell angesehen.

Diskussion

Die psychosoziale Versorgung von Eltern mit an Krebs erkrankten Kindern ist herausfordernd, da die Langzeitverläufe individuell und dynamisch fluktuierend beschrieben werden. Eine Kombination aus verschiedenen Interventionsformaten (Präsenztermine vs. E‑Health-Module, Gruppen‑, Einzel- oder partnerschaftliche Sitzungen, strukturiert vs. themenoffen) scheint am praktikabelsten zu sein.
The bone attachments of the medial collateral and posterior oblique ligaments are defined anatomically and radiographically
Authors: Athwal K. K. , Willinger L. , Shinohara S. , Ball S. , Williams A. , Amis Andrew A.
Published: July 2020

Purpose

To define the bony attachments of the medial ligaments relative to anatomical and radiographic bony landmarks, providing information for medial collateral ligament (MCL) surgery.

Method

The femoral and tibial attachments of the superficial MCL (sMCL), deep MCL (dMCL) and posterior oblique ligament (POL), plus the medial epicondyle (ME) were defined by radiopaque staples in 22 knees. These were measured radiographically and optically; the precision was calculated and data normalised to the sizes of the condyles. Femoral locations were referenced to the ME and to Blumensaat’s line and the posterior cortex.

Results

The femoral sMCL attachment enveloped the ME, centred 1 mm proximal to it, at 37 ± 2 mm (normalised at 53 ± 2%) posterior to the most-anterior condyle border. The femoral dMCL attachment was 6 mm (8%) distal and 5 mm (7%) posterior to the ME. The femoral POL attachment was 4 mm (5%) proximal and 11 mm (15%) posterior to the ME. The tibial sMCL attachment spread from 42 to 71 mm (81–137% of A-P plateau width) below the tibial plateau. The dMCL fanned out anterodistally to a wide tibial attachment 8 mm below the plateau and between 17 and 39 mm (33–76%) A-P. The POL attached 5 mm below the plateau, posterior to the dMCL. The 95% CI intra-observer was ± 0.6 mm, inter-observer ± 1.3 mm for digitisation. The inter-observer ICC for radiographs was 0.922.

Conclusion

The bone attachments of the medial knee ligaments are located in relation to knee dimensions and osseous landmarks. These data facilitate repairs and reconstructions that can restore physiological laxity and stability patterns across the arc of knee flexion.
GPS and GLONASS observable-specific code bias estimation: comparison of solutions from the IGS and MGEX networks
Authors: Wang Ningbo , Li Zishen , Duan Bingbing , Hugentobler Urs , Wang Liang
Published: July 2020

Different from differential code biases, the observable-specific code biases (OSBs) directly describe the biases of individual pseudorange measurements, which provide full flexibilities for multi-GNSS code biases handling. We present the method for the parameterization, computation and alignment of multi-GNSS OSBs as part of the local ionospheric modeling. As a representative example, GPS L1/L2/L5 and GLONASS L1/L2 OSBs were estimated during 2017–2018 from the independent International GNSS Service (IGS) and its multi-GNSS experimental (MGEX) network stations. The stability of the estimated satellite OSBs is at the level of 0.06–0.12 and 0.09–0.15 ns for GPS and GLONASS, respectively. The bias root-mean-square (RMS) differences between IGS- and MGEX-based OSBs generated by the identical estimation method are on the order of 0.1–0.2 ns for GPS and two times worse for GLONASS. The comparison between GPS L1/L2 satellite OSBs during August and October of the years 2014 and 2017 reveals that the stability of OSB estimates during high solar conditions is around 1.5 times worse than that during low solar conditions for both IGS and MGEX solutions. To check the sensitivity of OSB estimation results to distinct receiver types, the bias discrepancy between different groups of receivers (i.e., Javad, Septentrio and Trimble) was investigated during a 3-month period in 2018. The maximum OSB RMS difference between different groups of receivers is found to be 0.6–0.9 ns for GPS and 1.4–1.7 ns for GLONASS. The reason might be that the response of receivers’ correlator and front-end designs differs between receiver manufacturers. As such, further investigation has to be carried to take into account the different groups of receivers, i.e., groups of several receiver models/brands which exhibit similar OSBs.
On the expansion of solutions of Laplace-like equations into traces of separable higher dimensional functions
Authors: Yserentant Harry
Published: July 2020

This paper deals with the equation $$-\varDelta u+\mu u=f$$

-
Δ
u
+
μ
u
=
f

on high-dimensional spaces $${\mathbb {R}}^m$$

R

m

where $$\mu $$
μ
is a positive constant. If the right-hand side f is a rapidly converging series of separable functions, the solution u can be represented in the same way. These constructions are based on approximations of the function 1/r by sums of exponential functions. The aim of this paper is to prove results of similar kind for more general right-hand sides $$f(x)=F(Tx)$$

f
(
x
)
=
F
(
T
x
)

that are composed of a separable function on a space of a dimension n greater than m and a linear mapping given by a matrix T of full rank. These results are based on the observation that in the high-dimensional case, for $$\omega $$
ω
in most of the $${\mathbb {R}}^n$$

R

n

, the euclidian norm of the vector $$T^t\omega $$

T
t

ω

in the lower dimensional space $${\mathbb {R}}^m$$

R

m

behaves like the euclidian norm of $$\omega $$
ω
.
Gas sensors based on mass-sensitive transducers. Part 2: Improving the sensors towards practical application
Authors: Oprea Alexandru , Weimar Udo
Published: July 2020

Within the framework outlined in the first part of the review, the second part addresses attempts to increase receptor material performance through the use of sensor systems and chemometric methods, in conjunction with receptor preparation methods and sensor-specific tasks. Conclusions are then drawn, and development perspectives for gravimetric sensors are discussed.
Does Preoperative Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment and Frailty Predict Postoperative Complications?
Authors: Dogrul Rana Tuna , Dogrul Ahmet Bulent , Konan Ali , Caglar Omur , Sumer Fatih , Caliskan Hatice , Kizilarslanoglu Muhammet Cemal , Kilic Mustafa Kemal , Balci Cafer , Arik Gunes , Aycicek Gozde Sengul , Ozsurekci Cemile , Halil Meltem , Cankurtaran Mustafa , Yavuz Burcu Balam
Published: July 2020

Background

The influence of preoperative comprehensive geriatric assessment and frailty on postoperative morbidity, mortality, delirium were examined.

Methods

A total of 108 patients were evaluated. The Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living (ADL), the Lawton Brody Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale (IADL), the Mini‐Nutrition Assessment test (MNA), the Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE), Yesavage Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) were performed. Fried Criteria were used to assess physical frailty. We used the Physiological and Operative Severity Scores for the Enumeration of Mortality and Morbidity score (POSSUM), the American Society of Anesthesiologists Score (ASA), and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) to determine the risk of postoperative morbidity and mortality. Assessment Test for Delirium (4AT) was applied for detection of delirium.

Results

The median age was 71 years (min–max: 65–84). IADL (p = 0.032), MNA (p = 0.01), MMSE scores (p = 0.026) were found to be significantly lower in patients with morbidity. POSSUM physiology score (p = 0.005), operative score (p = 0.015) and CCI (p = 0.029) were significantly higher in the patients with morbidity. Patients developed morbidity were found to be more frail (p < 0.001). The patients with delirium were found to have lower IADL (p = 0.049) and MMSE scores (p = 0.004), higher POSSUM physiology score (p = 0.005) and all of them were frail. It was found that frailty (OR = 23.695 95% CI: 6.912–81.231 p < 0.001), POSSUM operative score (OR:1.118 95% CI: 1.021–1.224 p = 0.016) and preoperative systolic blood pressure (OR:0.937%95 CI: 0.879–0.999 p = 0.048) were independently related factors for postoperative morbidity.

Conclusion

In our study, CGA and frailty in preoperative period were found to be indicators for postoperative morbidity and delirium.
Damage Control Laparotomy: High‐Volume Centers Display Similar Mortality Rates Despite Differences in Country Income Level
Authors: Traynor Michael D. , Hernandez Matthew C. , Aho Johnathon M. , Wise Kevin , Kong Victor , Clarke Damian , Harvin John A. , Zielinski Martin D.
Published: July 2020

Background

Comprehensive analysis of trauma care between high‐, middle‐, and low‐income countries (HIC/MIC/LIC) is needed to improve global health. Comparison of HIC and MIC outcomes after damage control laparotomy (DCL) for patients is unknown. We evaluated DCL utilization among patients treated at high‐volume trauma centers in the USA and South Africa, an MIC, hypothesizing similar mortality outcomes despite differences in resources and setting.

Methods

Post hoc analysis of prospectively collected trauma databases from participating centers was performed. Injury severity, physiologic, operative data and post‐operative outcomes were abstracted. Univariate and multivariable analyses were performed to assess differences between HIC/MIC for the primary outcome of mortality.

Results

There were 967 HIC and 602 MIC patients who underwent laparotomy. DCL occurred in 144 MIC patients (25%) and 241 HIC (24%) patients. Most sustained (58%) penetrating trauma with higher rates in the MIC compared to the HIC (71 vs. 32%, p = 0.001). Between groups, no differences were found for admission physiology, coagulopathy, or markers of shock except for increased presence of hypotension among patients in the HIC. Crystalloid infusion volumes were greater among MIC patients, and MIC patients received fewer blood products than those in the HIC. Overall mortality was 30% with similar rates between groups (29 in HIC vs. 33% in MIC, p = 0.4). On regression, base excess and penetrating injury were independent predictors of mortality but not patient residential status.

Conclusion

Use and survival of DCL for patients with severe abdominal trauma was similar between trauma centers in HIC and MIC settings despite increased penetrating trauma and less transfusion in the MIC center. While the results overall suggest no gap in care for patients requiring DCL in this MIC, it highlights improvements that can be made in damage control resuscitation.
Measuring the long-term success of small-scale marine protected areas in a Philippine reef fishery
Authors: Bayley Daniel T. I. , Purvis Andy , Nellas Angelie C. , Arias Myrtle , Koldewey Heather J.
Published: July 2020

Tropical coral reefs are subject to multiple pressures from both natural and anthropogenic sources. These pressures have caused widespread declines in reef health, resulting in the increased use of spatial management tools such as marine protected areas (MPAs). MPAs have proven generally effective if well designed and enforced, but there are limited long-term studies investigating how the presence of small-scale MPAs affects fish populations and reef communities. Using a 12-year time series, we found that small-scale (10–50 ha) community-managed MPAs along the Danajon Bank of the Philippines preserved average fish biomass within their boundaries over time relative to surrounding fished reefs. Unprotected areas are, however, showing significant long-term biomass decline. MPAs were also found to preserve more key trophic groups and larger-bodied commercially targeted reef fish families. Fish biomass of piscivore, scavenger and invertivore trophic groups inside individual MPAs is, however, still declining at a similar rate as outside. Surprisingly, long-term benthic cover and growth form composition were not significantly affected overall by MPA presence, despite the sporadic use of highly destructive dynamite fishing in this region. Coral cover has remained historically low (21–28%) throughout the study, following widespread bleaching mortality. While management tempered overall abundance declines, we found that irrespective of MPA presence, there was a generalised decline of both large- and small-bodied fish size groups across the study region, most steeply within the 20–30 cm length fish, and a shift towards proportionally higher abundances of small (5–10 cm) fish. This indicates a combination of over-exploitation, inadequate MPA size and coverage for larger fish, and the lingering effects of the 1998 bleaching event. Generalised shifts in body size and trophic structure reported here could lead to future reductions in fishery productivity and stability and will be further exacerbated unless broader fishery regulations and enforcement is instated.
Combining decision making and dynamical systems for monitoring and executing manipulation tasks
Authors: Saveriano Matteo , Piater Justus
Published: July 2020

In this paper, we propose a unified framework for online task scheduling, monitoring, and execution that integrates reconfigurable behavior trees, a decision-making framework with integrated low-level control functionalities, and reactive motion generation with stable dynamical systems. In this way, we realize a flexible and reactive system capable of coping with unexpected variations in the executive context without penalizing modularity, expressiveness, and readability of humans. The framework is evaluated in a simulated sorting task showing promising results in terms of flexibility regarding task scheduling and robustness to external disturbances.
Learn, detect, and grasp objects in real-world settings
Authors: Vincze Markus , Patten Timothy , Park Kiru , Bauer Dominik
Published: July 2020

Experts predict that future robot applications will require safe and predictable operation: robots will need to be able to explain what they are doing to be trusted. To reach this goal, they will need to perceive their environment and its object to better understand the world and the tasks they have to perform. This article gives an overview of present advances with the focus on options to learn, detect, and grasp objects. With the approach of colour and depth (RGB-D) cameras and the advances in AI and deep learning methods, robot vision has been pushed considerably over the last years. We summarise recent results for pose estimation of objects and work on verifying object poses using a digital twin and physics simulation. The idea is that any hypothesis from an object detector and pose estimator is verified leveraging on the continuous advances in deep learning approaches to create object hypotheses. We then show that the object poses are robust enough such that a mobile manipulator can approach the object and grasp it. We intend to indicate that it is now feasible to model, recognise and grasp many objects with good performance, though further work is needed for applications in industrial settings.
Impact of smoking on course and outcome of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage
Authors: Slettebø H. , Karic T. , Sorteberg A.
Published: July 2020

Background

While the smoking-related risk of experiencing an aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is well established, it remains unclear whether smoking has an unexpected “protective effect” in aSAH, or if smokers are more at risk for complications and poor outcomes.

Methods

Prospective, observational study investigating the course and outcome of aSAH in patients admitted during the years 2011 and 2012. Smoking status at admittance, demographic, medical, and radiological variables were registered along with management, complications, and outcome at 1 year in terms of mortality, modified Rankin score, and Glasgow outcome score extended. We compared current smokers with nonsmokers on group level and by paired analysis matched by aSAH severity, age, and severity of vasospasm.

Results

We included 237 patients, thereof 138 current smokers (58.2%). Seventy-four smoker/nonsmoker pairs were matched. Smokers presented more often in poor clinical grade, had less subarachnoid blood, and were younger than nonsmokers. Ruptured aneurysms were larger, and multiple aneurysms more common in smokers. Severe multi-vessel vasospasm was less frequent in smokers, whereas all other complications occurred at similar rates. Mortality at 30 days was lower in smokers and functional outcome was similar in smokers and nonsmokers. Poor clinical grade, age, cerebral infarction, and vertebrobasilar aneurysms were independent predictors of 1-year mortality and of poor functional outcome. Serious comorbidity was a predictor of 1-year mortality. Smoking did not predict mortality or poor functional outcome.

Conclusions

Notwithstanding clinically more severe aSAH, smokers developed less frequently severe vasospasm and had better outcome than expected. The risk for complications after aSAH is not increased in smokers.
Automated reference tissue normalization of T2-weighted MR images of the prostate using object recognition
Authors: Sunoqrot Mohammed R. S. , Nketiah Gabriel A. , Selnæs Kirsten M. , Bathen Tone F. , Elschot Mattijs
Published: July 2020

Objectives

To develop and evaluate an automated method for prostate T2-weighted (T2W) image normalization using dual-reference (fat and muscle) tissue.

Materials and methods

Transverse T2W images from the publicly available PROMISE12 (N = 80) and PROSTATEx (N = 202) challenge datasets, and an in-house collected dataset (N = 60) were used. Aggregate channel features object detectors were trained to detect reference fat and muscle tissue regions, which were processed and utilized to normalize the 3D images by linear scaling. Mean prostate pseudo T2 values after normalization were compared to literature values. Inter-patient histogram intersections of voxel intensities in the prostate were compared between our approach, the original images, and other commonly used normalization methods. Healthy vs. malignant tissue classification performance was compared before and after normalization.

Results

The prostate pseudo T2 values of the three tested datasets (mean ± standard deviation = 78.49 ± 9.42, 79.69 ± 6.34 and 79.29 ± 6.30 ms) corresponded well to T2 values from literature (80 ± 34 ms). Our normalization approach resulted in significantly higher (p < 0.001) inter-patient histogram intersections (median = 0.746) than the original images (median = 0.417) and most other normalization methods. Healthy vs. malignant classification also improved significantly (p < 0.001) in peripheral (AUC 0.826 vs. 0.769) and transition (AUC 0.743 vs. 0.678) zones.

Conclusion

An automated dual-reference tissue normalization of T2W images could help improve the quantitative assessment of prostate cancer.
CFO characteristics and opportunistic accounting choice in public sector organizations
Authors: Donatella Pierre , Tagesson Torbjörn
Published: July 2020

Two different theoretical foundations in the literature relate to the quality of financial reporting in public sector organizations: one theoretical foundation is based on economic theory, and the other is based on institutional theory. In addition to examining the traditional factors derived from these theories, this paper focuses on the role of the chief financial officer (CFO), in order to broaden the theoretical perspective and add explanatory power with regards to the empirical testing of opportunistic accounting choice in public sector organizations. Similar to Anessi-Pessina and Sicilia (J Public Adm Res Theory, 30:465–484, 2019), this paper uses upper echelons theory (Hambrick and Mason in Acad Manage Rev, 9(2):193–206, 1984; Hambrick in Acad Manage Rev, 32(2):334–343, 2007) to conceptually link CFO characteristics with opportunistic accounting choice. The accounting issue addressed herein is related to a statement issued by the standard-setting body within the Swedish municipal sector. Our results suggest that opportunistic accounting choice decreases with CFO tenure and prior CFO experience in municipalities.
Linking actual self-congruence, ideal self-congruence, and functional congruence to donor loyalty: the moderating role of issue involvement
Authors: Zogaj Adnan , Tscheulin Dieter K. , Lindenmeier Jörg , Olk Stephan
Published: July 2020

Nonprofit organizations need loyal donors to accomplish their mission and goals. However, organizations lose up to 60% of their first-time donors. Therefore, a deeper understanding of the determinants of donor loyalty is necessary. This study tests whether actual self-congruence, ideal self-congruence, and functional congruence strengthen the tie between nonprofit organizations and donors. In addition, and as an extension of the self-congruence theory, issue involvement is added as a moderator variable. The study results show that ideal self-congruence and functional congruence have a positive effect on donor loyalty, while actual self-congruence does not affect donor loyalty. Moreover, the study results show that issue involvement strengthens (mitigates) the effect of actual self-congruence (ideal self-congruence) on donor loyalty. Regarding the relationship between functional congruence and donor loyalty, issue involvement has no moderating effect. Based on the empirical findings, this study discusses academic implications and presents managerial implications for fundraisers and nonprofit organizations.
Adherence to Vitamin Supplementation Recommendations in Youth Who Have Undergone Bariatric Surgery as Teenagers: a Mixed Methods Study
Authors: Brorsson Anna Lena , Nordin Karin , Ekbom Kerstin
Published: July 2020

Purpose

Adherence to vitamin supplementation recommendations after bariatric surgery is generally poor, which is associated with nutritional deficiencies. Patients’ own perspectives and reasons for poor adherence to vitamin supplementation recommendations have not yet been studied in depth. The purpose of this study was first to measure the accuracy of self-reported adherence to supplementation recommendations by using objective measures of vitamin D levels in blood and thereafter to explore perceptions of barriers and facilitators to participants’ adherence to supplementation recommendations.

Material and Method

Participants were recruited from a prospective study investigating the outcome of bariatric surgery in adolescents with severe obesity. Mixed methods were used, including a quantitative part where vitamin D levels were analysed through 25(OH)D levels in blood and/or a questionnaire on adherence to supplementation programmes 5 years after surgery (n = 40) plus a qualitative part with semi-structured interviews (n = 20).

Results

We found a convergence between self-reported adherence to vitamin supplementation and vitamin D 25(OH)D levels in blood indicating honestly in self-reported responses. The qualitative evaluations resulted in the categories awareness and personal capability and external factors. In the analysis, an overall theme emerged; capacity is crucial for adherence in youth who have undergone bariatric surgery.

Conclusion

Bariatric surgery is a comprehensive procedure that requires lifelong treatment afterwards. There is coherence between what adolescents actually do and what they say they do. Capacity is crucial for adherence and social support has been shown to be important.
Bariatric Surgery for Monogenic Non-syndromic and Syndromic Obesity Disorders
Authors: Vos Niels , Oussaada Sabrina M. , Cooiman Mellody I. , Kleinendorst Lotte , ter Horst Kasper W. , Hazebroek Eric J. , Romijn Johannes A. , Serlie Mireille J. , Mannens Marcel M. A. M. , van Haelst Mieke M.
Published: July 2020

Purpose of Review

The global prevalence of obesity has increased rapidly over the last decades, posing a severe threat to human health. Currently, bariatric surgery is the most effective therapy for patients with morbid obesity. It is unknown whether this treatment is also suitable for patients with obesity due to a confirmed genetic defect (genetic obesity disorders). Therefore, this review aims to elucidate the role of bariatric surgery in the treatment of genetic obesity.

Recent Findings

In monogenic non-syndromic obesity, an underlying genetic defect seems to be the most important factor determining the efficacy of bariatric surgery. In syndromic obesity, bariatric surgery result data are scarce, and even though some promising follow-up results have been reported, caution is required as patients with more severe behavioral and developmental disorders might have poorer outcomes.

There is limited evidence in support of bariatric surgery as a treatment option for genetic obesity disorders; hence, no strong statements can be made regarding the efficacy and safety of these procedures for these patients. However, considering that patients with genetic obesity often present with life-threatening obesity-related comorbidities, we believe that bariatric surgery could be considered a last-resort treatment option in selected patients.
Death scene investigation and autopsy proceedings in identifying the victims of the terror attack on the Breitscheidplatz in Berlin 19th December 2016
Authors: Buschmann Claas , Hartwig Sven , Tsokos Michael , Oesterhelweg Lars
Published: July 2020

We describe and discuss the forensic mission after the terrorist attack on the Breitscheidplatz in Berlin on 19th December 2016, focusing on co-operation with police authorities, and the injury patterns of the deceased. Even after massive blunt trauma, severe injury patterns are often unrecognizable by visual inspection of the body (“Casper’s sign”), which could instill false security among rescuers or, as happened on the Breitscheidplatz, may lead to distress or even trauma in rescue personnel when obviously primarily uninjured patients die suddenly.
Biodiversity of Trichoderma from grassland and forest ecosystems in Northern Xinjiang, China
Authors: Ma Jing , Tsegaye Estifanos , Li Mei , Wu Beilei , Jiang Xiliang
Published: July 2020

Trichoderma spp., a cosmopolitan fungal genus, has remarkable economic value in industry and agriculture. The resources of Trichoderma spp. in the grassland and forest ecosystems of northern Xinjiang were explored in this study. A total of 634 soil samples was collected, and 312 strains assigned to 23 species of Trichoderma spp. were identified. T. harzianum was the dominant species with 28.2% from all isolates. The principal components analysis indicated that ecosystem was the most dominant impact factor among longitude, latitude, altitude and ecosystems for the species diversities of Trichoderma spp. with the decreasing trend from the north to the south of northern Xinjiang (e.g., from Altay, followed by Yili, Changji, Bayingolin and finally Urumqi). Overall, Trichoderma spp. were more frequently encountered in forest ecosystems (coniferous forest and coniferous and broadleaf mixed forest) than in grassland ecosystems (desert steppe and temperate steppe). Frequency of Trichoderma spp. was significantly decreased along with increased altitude and only a few strains were isolated from altitudes above 3000 m. The results provided essential information on Trichoderma occurrence and distribution, which should benefit the application of Trichoderma in agriculture.
The Risk and Prognosis of COVID-19 Infection in Cancer Patients
Authors: ElGohary Ghada M. , Hashmi Shahrukh , Styczynski Jan , Kharfan-Dabaja Mohamed A. , Alblooshi Rehab M. , de la Cámara Rafael , Mohmed Sherif , Alshaibani Alfadel , Cesaro Simone , El-Aziz Nashwa Abd , Almaghrabi Reem , Gergis Usama , Majhail Navneet S. , EL-Gohary Yasser , Chemaly Roy F. , Aljurf Mahmoud , El Fakih Riad
Published: July 2020

Numerous studies have been published regarding outcomes of cancer patients infected with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus causing the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. However, most of these are single-center studies with a limited number of patients. To better assess the outcomes of this new infection in this subgroup of susceptible patients, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 infection on cancer patients. We performed a literature search using PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus for studies that reported the risk of infection and complications of COVID-19 in cancer patients and retrieved 22 studies (1018 cancer patients). The analysis showed that the frequency of cancer among patients with confirmed COVID- 19 was 2.1% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.3–3) in the overall cohort. These patients had a mortality of 21.1% (95% CI: 14.7–27.6), severe/critical disease rate of 45.4% (95% CI: 37.4–53.3), intensive care unit (ICU) admission rate of 14.5% (95% CI: 8.5–20.4), and mechanical ventilation rate of 11.7% (95% CI: 5.5–18). The double-arm analysis showed that cancer patients had a higher risk of mortality (odds ratio [OR] = 3.23, 95% CI: 1.71–6.13), severe/critical disease (OR = 3.91, 95% CI: 2.70–5.67), ICU admission (OR = 3.10, 95% CI: 1.85–5.17), and mechanical ventilation (OR = 4.86, 95% CI: 1.27–18.65) than non-cancer patients. Furthermore, cancer patients had significantly lower platelet levels and higher D-dimer levels, C-reactive protein levels, and prothrombin time. In conclusion, these results indicate that cancer patients are at a higher risk of COVID-19 infection-related complications. Therefore, cancer patients need diligent preventive care measures and aggressive surveillance for earlier detection of COVID-19 infection.
Strategy Consulting
Authors: Kraaijenbrink Jeroen
Published: July 2020

Strategy consulting is one of the most highly respected and at the same time deeply detested jobs on this planet. Despite all the attention and controversy, though, there is surprisingly little written about it specifically. To address this void, this Element provides a comprehensive overview of this fascinating and emerging profession. Relying on existing research and the author's practical experience, it describes what strategy consulting is, where it comes from, how to effectively practice it and where to take it into the future. Taking the position of the individual strategy consultant, it offers an insightful perspective that is useful for scholars, students, consultants and clients of strategy consulting. In doing so it moves away from the dominant corporate practice of analytical strategy consulting. Instead, it offers an idealized whole-brain and whole-person view on what strategy consulting could and should be like in order to fully live up its promise as a profession contributing to society.
Efficacy of novel albendazole salt formulations against secondary cystic echinococcosis in experimentally infected mice
Authors: Vural G. , Yardimci M. , Kocak M. , Yasar T. Ö. , Kurt A. , Harem I. S. , Carradori S. , Sciamanna I. , Siles-Lucas M. , Fabiani M. , Hemphill A. , Lundström-Stadelmann B. , Cirilli R. , Casulli A.
Published: July 2020

In this study, we evaluated the efficacy, expressed as a mean weight decrease of the whole echinococcal cyst mass, of novel benzimidazole salt formulations in a murineEchinococcus granulosusinfection model. BALB/c mice were intraperitoneally infected with protoscoleces ofE. granulosus(genotype G1). At 9 months post-infection, treatment with albendazole (ABZ), ricobendazole (RBZ) salt formulations, and RBZ enantiomer salts (R)-(+)-RBZ-Na and (S)-(−)-RBZ-Na formulations were initiated. Drugs were orally applied by gavage at 10 mg kg−1body weight per day during 30 days. Experimental treatments with benzimidazole sodium salts resulted in a significant reduction of the weight of cysts compared to conventional ABZ treatment, except for the (S)-(−)-RBZ-Na enantiomer formulation. Scanning electron microscopy and histological inspection revealed that treatments impacted not only the structural integrity of the parasite tissue in the germinal layer, but also induced alterations in the laminated layer. Overall, these results demonstrate the improved efficacy of benzimidazole salt formulations compared to conventional ABZ treatment in experimental murine cystic echinococcosis.