bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Derivative Linear Sweep Voltammetry and Discrete Wavelet Transform for the Simultaneous Determination of Codeine and Thebaine by Artificial Neural Networks
Authors: Moghtader Mehdi , Bahram Morteza , Farhadi Khalil
Published: June 2021

The main problem that limits the application of Linear Sweep Voltammetry (LSV) in simultaneous determinations is the presence of background interference, which affects the accurate multicomponent determinations due to the overlapping of the voltammetric signals. This study represents the chemometrics processing of a series of the first‐derivative LSVs, recorded on a glassy carbon electrode modified with Multi‐Walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs) and Poly L‐methionine, using Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) to compress the resulting data and feedforward back‐propagation Artificial neural networks (ANNs) for the simultaneous determination of codeine and thebaine, as two opium alkaloids. Linear univariate calibration curves using first‐derivative voltammograms were obtained in the ranges 2–1000 μM for codeine (at Ep=814 mV) and 5–500 μM for thebaine (at Ep=741 mV), respectively. Besides, the excellent regression parameters for the comparison graphs of ANNs and satisfactory recoveries in real serum samples in the ranges 98–102 % for codeine and 90–107 % for thebaine indicate the applicability of the proposed method for routine simultaneous analyses.
Photocatalytic Reduction of Hexavalent Chromium (Cr6+) Over BiOI Calcined at Different Temperature Under Visible Light Irradiation
Authors: Kivyiro Adinas Oswald , Darkwah Williams Kweku , Bofah‐Buoh Robert , Koomson Desmond Ato , Sandrine Masso Kody Christelle , Puplampu Joshua Buer
Published: June 2021

Synthesis of photocatalysts with high charge separation and transfer efficiency are of huge significance in the photocatalytic waste water treatment technology. Herein, we report the phase transformation of bismuth oxyiodide through the facile calcination of BiOI microsphere at different temperatures. Different phases including BiOI, Bi4O5I2 and Bi5O7I were obtained as confirmed by different characterization techniques studied. The synthesized photocatalysts depicted high visible light absorption efficiency in a range of ∼ 655 to 420 nm. The photocatalytic activity of the synthesized photocatalyst were studied on the reduction of the highly carcinogenic and toxic hexavalent chromium as the representative heavy metal in waste water. Bi4O5I2 depicted high photocatalytic activity (k=0.0366 min−1) which was ascribed to high charge separation and transfer as evidenced in PL, photocurrent response and EIS. This study may furnish a new concept in designing a series of phases that are more advantageous in solar energy conversion.
Controlled Synthesis of NiCoP/g‐C3N4 Heterostructured Hybrids for Enhanced Visible‐Light‐Driven Hydrogen Evolution
Authors: Wang Zhengyun , Xu Wentao , Ding Tao , Yang Qing
Published: June 2021

An innovative system of graphitic C3N4 with NiCoP as two‐component heterostructured hybrids (NiCoP/g‐C3N4) with efficiently photocatalytic performances for hydrogen production is demonstrated and a simple, morphologically controlled catalyst with an extremely low phosphide load was developed. The hydrogengenerate rate is 1067.11 μmol g−1 h−1 using 1 ωt% NiCoP/g‐C3N4. The incorporation of monodisperse NiCoP nanoparticles into g‐C3N4 effectively optimizes the electronic structures of the hybrids, enhances the corresponding interaction and the activity of hydrogen catalytic site, Moreover,NiCoP/g‐C3N4 Heterostructured Hybrids displayed the favorable stability during the photocatalytic.
Structural Trends in 3 d–4 f Systems. Part II: Ln(NO3)3‐Cu(NO3)2‐2,2‐biyridine/5,5‐dimethyl‐2,2‐bipyridine (Ln=La‐Nd, Sm‐Lu)
Authors: Thatipamula Krishna C. , Bhargavi Govindugari , Rajasekharan Melath V.
Published: June 2021

A series of thirty six complexes obtained from acetonitrile solutions of Cu(NO3)2, Ln(NO3)3 and 2,2‐biyridine or 5,5‐dimethyl‐2,2‐bipyridine (Ln=La‐Yb excluding Pm) have been characterized. The crystals may be grouped into six types: Type‐I, [Cu(bpy)3][La(NO3)5(OH2)]; Type‐II, [Cu(bpy)3][Ln(NO3)5(OH2)] ⋅ 2CH3CN (Ln=Ce, Pr); Type‐IIa, [Cu(5,5‐dmbpy)3][Ln(NO3)5(OH2)] ⋅ 2CH3CN (Ln=La, Ce); Type‐III, [Cu(bpy)3][Ln(NO3)5] (Ln=Nd, Sm–Lu); Type‐IIIa [Cu(5,5‐dmbpy)3][Ln(NO3)5] (Ln=Pr, Nd, Sm‐Lu); Type‐IV, [Cu(5,5‐dmbpy)2(NO3)]2[Ln(NO3)5(OH2)]⋅CH3CN [Ln=La‐Nd, Sm‐Tb). The coordination numbers of the nitrato and aquonitrato lanthanide anions are 10 and 11, respectively. The tris‐chelates in Types I, II and IIIa undergo static Jahn‐Teller distortion while Types IIa and III support fluxional tris‐chelate ions. Type‐IV contains distortion isomers of [Cu(5,5‐dmbpy)2NO3]+. The structural trends are analysed in terms of lanthanide contraction and non‐covalent interactions in the crystals. EPR and electronic spectral characteristics are discussed for the six types of compounds.
Efficiently Constructing Tetrahydroquinolines through Cascade Radical Additions and Cyclizations under the Catalysis of CuI
Authors: Zhou Weiyou , Tian Xiaoting , Zhen Yingxing , Wang Anwei , He Mingyang , Sun Shixin
Published: June 2021

An efficient method has been developed for the construction of tetrahydroquinolines from N,N‐dimethylanilines and electron‐deficient alkenes based on CuCl/O2. A wide scope of substrates could be well tolerated, and excellent yields of the products were obtained. A series of control experiments and kinetic isotope effect experiments have been performed to gain insight of the catalytic reaction pathway. The reaction is probably initiated by the reaction of CuI and molecular oxygen to give copper(II) superoxide (CuIIOO.) as the key reactive intermediate. The formed CuIIOO. species can directly abstract a hydrogen from the α‐site of nitrogen to give the α‐amino radical intermediate, which then finishes the transformation via radical addition and cyclization.
Achieving a Record Open‐Circuit Voltage for Organic/Si Hybrid Solar Cells by Improving Junction Quality
Authors: Lu Zhangbo , Hou Guozhi , Chen Jiaming , Xu Jun , Chen Kunji
Published: June 2021

Nanostructured Si has attracted widespread attention due to its strong light‐harvesting ability, which is beneficial to improve the performance of solar cells. However, the poor contact of the organic/nanostructured Si interface and the large number of recombination centers on the Si surface result in an unsatisfactory open circuit voltage (VOC) and fill factor (FF) of the device. Herein, a simple and versatile method, Si nanowires modified with tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) and poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) doped with 3‐glycidoxypropyltrimethoxydsilane (GOPS), is proposed to improve the contact quality of the heterojunction. TMAH treatment adjusts the morphology of the Si nanowires and makes the surface smoother, effectively inhibiting surface recombination at the heterojunction interface. Moreover, the GOPS‐doped PEDOT:PSS solution can achieve conformal contact on the surface of nanostructured Si, which is more conducive to the extraction and separation of charges. As a result, a record VOC of 660 mV is obtained for PEDOT:PSS/nanostructured Si hybrid solar cells. In addition, the short circuit current density (JSC) is as high as 33.00 mA cm−2, and the FF is as high as 69.03%; therefore, the efficiency of the device reaches 15.01%. The results provide a simple and feasible strategy to improve the junction quality and performance of organic/Si solar cells.
Oxygen‐derived free radicals: Production, biological importance, bioimaging, and analytical detection with responsive luminescent nanoprobes
Authors: Liu Jianping , Wu Miaomiao , Zhang Run , Xu Zhi Ping
Published: June 2021

Oxygen‐derived free radicals (ODFRs) are partially reduced oxygen reactive intermediates in living organisms during various biological processes, such as mitochondrial respirations, enzyme‐catalyzed oxidations, and radiolysis. Of various ODFRs being identified, superoxide anion (O2•–) and hydroxyl (•OH) radicals are extensively investigated. Due to their high reactivity, these radicals can oxidize many biomolecules, including nucleic acids, proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates, which would damage some key cellular components. Under oxidative stress, elevated oxygen radical levels are closely associated with various diseases, such as neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, and cancers. In this context, a number of responsive nanoprobes have been developed for luminescent detection of ODFRs in living organisms. In this review, we briefly introduce the production of ODFRs and their biological importance for various diseases. We then extensively summarize responsive nanoprobes for detection and bioimaging of these two oxygen radicals, O2•–and •OH, which are designed and developed based on their specific oxidation mechanisms in the recent decade. Challenges and some future research directions are also proposed as the conclusion.
Microexon alternative splicing of small GTPase regulators: Implication in central nervous system diseases
Authors: Lee Jee‐San , Lamarche‐Vane Nathalie , Richard Stéphane
Published: June 2021

Microexons are small sized (≤51 bp) exons which undergo extensive alternative splicing in neurons, microglia, embryonic stem cells, and cancer cells, giving rise to cell type specific protein isoforms. Due to their small sizes, microexons provide a unique challenge for the splicing machinery. They frequently lack exon splicer enhancers/repressors and require specialized neighboring trans‐regulatory and cis‐regulatory elements bound by RNA binding proteins (RBPs) for their inclusion. The functional consequences of including microexons within mRNAs have been extensively documented in the central nervous system (CNS) and aberrations in their inclusion have been observed to lead to abnormal processes. Despite the increasing evidence for microexons impacting cellular physiology within CNS, mechanistic details illustrating their functional importance in diseases of the CNS is still limited. In this review, we discuss the unique characteristics of microexons, and how RBPs participate in regulating their inclusion and exclusion during splicing. We consider recent findings of microexon alternative splicing and their implication for regulating the function of small GTPases in the context of the microglia, and we extrapolate these findings to what is known in neurons. We further discuss the emerging evidence for dysregulation of the Rho GTPase pathway in CNS diseases and the consequences contributed by the mis‐splicing of microexons.

This article is categorized under:

RNA Processing > Splicing Mechanisms

RNA Processing > Splicing Regulation/Alternative Splicing

RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Disease
PageRank: B
Authors: Walrand Jean
Published: June 2021

In this chapter, we take a second look at the concepts that we introduced in PageRank-A. The main ideas concern the long-term behavior of Markov chains and, in particular, the significance of the invariant distribution. As explained in the Introduction, part B of each chapter can be omitted in an introductory course.

Section 2.1 discusses the sample space of a Markov chain: the outcomes and their probability. Section 2.2 explains the meaning of the weak and strong laws of large numbers. Section 2.3 proves these results for independent and identically distributed random variables. Section 2.4 proves the strong law of large numbers for Markov chains. Section 2.5 concludes the chapter by proving the Big Theorem for Markov chains.
Rückgang der Arbeits- und Wegeunfälle während des 1. Lockdowns 2020 im Rahmen der SARS-CoV-2-Pandemie
Authors: Hoffeld Kai , Pflüger Patrick , Pförringer Dominik , Hofmeister Martin , Stuby Fabian , Biberthaler Peter
Published: June 2021

Hintergrund

Zur Reduktion der SARS-CoV-2-Infektionszahlen wurden Maßnahmen wie z. B. Kontakt- und Ausgangsbeschränkungen getroffen, die schließlich im „1. Lockdown“ mündeten. Dies sollte Kapazitäten im Gesundheitssystem zur Bewältigung der Pandemie schaffen.

Ziel der Arbeit

Es wird analysiert, ob während des Lockdowns die Anzahl der Arbeits- und Wegeunfälle im Vergleich zum Zeitraum der Jahre 2015–2019 gesunken ist.

Material und Methoden

Es wurden retrospektiv alle Arbeits- und Wegeunfälle, die während des Beobachtungszeitraumes 16.03.–04.05.2020 im Klinikum rechts der Isar sowie in der Berufsgenossenschaftlichen Unfallklinik Murnau behandelt wurden, mit den Zahlen aus demselben Beobachtungszeitraum der Jahre 2015 bis 2019 verglichen. Die Daten über die Fallzahlen nach dem Durchgangsarztverfahren (DAV) wurden weitergehend nach dem Verletzungsartenverzeichnis der Deutschen Gesetzlichen Unfallversicherung (DGUV) in Fälle des Verletzungsartenverfahrens (VAV) und Schwerstverletzungsartenverfahrens (SAV) aufgeschlüsselt. Zudem wurden die erhobenen Daten mit Daten des Statistischen Bundesamtes zu den Zahlen der Verkehrsunfälle und Verkehrstoten verglichen.

Ergebnisse

Es wurden insgesamt 4313 Fälle berücksichtigt. Im Jahr 2020 sank die Zahl der Arbeits- und Wegeunfälle im Vergleich zum Beobachtungszeitraum 2015–2019 um 31 %. Die VAV-Fälle waren 2020 um 26 % verringert. Die SAV-Fälle sind im Jahr 2020 um 5 % gesunken. Die Zahl der Straßenverkehrsunfälle sank in den ersten 4 Monaten im Jahr 2020 im Vergleich zu den ersten 4 Monaten 2019 um 17 %; die Zahl der Verkehrstoten sank um 11 %.

Diskussion

Es zeigt sich ein Rückgang der Arbeits- und Wegeunfälle um 31 %. Dies hat zur Ressourcenreallokation im Rahmen der Pandemie beigetragen. Dennoch zeigen sich nahezu konstante Zahlen schwerstverletzter Patienten und Unfalltoter, was die Relevanz unfallchirurgischer Strukturen besonders in Krisenzeiten aufzeigt und in der Kalkulation der intensivmedizinischen Ressourcen unabdingbar macht.
Management of Morgagni's Hernia in the Adult Population: A Systematic Review of the Literature
Authors: Katsaros Ioannis , Katelani Stamatia , Giannopoulos Spyridon , Machairas Nikolaos , Kykalos Stylianos , Koliakos Nikolaos , Kapetanakis Emmanouil I. , Bakopoulos Anargyros , Schizas Dimitrios
Published: June 2021

Background

Morgagni's hernia (MH) is defined by the protrusion of abdominal viscera through an anterior retrosternal diaphragmatic defect. The objective of this study was to systematically review current literature on MHs in adult population and assess their clinical characteristics and therapeutic approach.

Methods

PubMed and Cochrane bibliographical databases were searched (last search: 15th January 2021) for studies concerning MHs.

Results

Inclusion criteria were met by 189 studies that included 310 patients (61.0% females) with an age of 57.37 ± 18.41 (mean ± SD) years. Pulmonary symptoms, abdominal pain, and nausea‐vomit were among the most frequent symptomatology. MHs were predominantly right‐sided (84.0%), with greater omentum (74.5%) and transverse colon (65.1%) being the most commonly herniated viscera. The majority of cases underwent an open procedure, while 42.3% of patients had a minimally invasive procedure. Abdominal approach was mostly preferred, while a thoracic one was chosen at 20.6% of cases and a thoracoabdominal at 3.2%. Thirty‐day postoperative complications were recorded at 29 patients and 30‐day mortality was 2.3%.

Conclusions

MH is a rare type of congenital diaphragmatic hernia which rarely manifests in adult population with atypical pulmonary and gastrointestinal symptoms. Surgery is the gold standard for their management. Open surgical approach is preferable in emergency cases, while laparoscopic surgery is favored in elective setting and is associated with shorter hospitalization. Further studies are crucial in order to elucidate etiology and optimal therapeutic approach.
[18F]FDG uptake of axillary lymph nodes after COVID-19 vaccination in oncological PET/CT: frequency, intensity, and potential clinical impact
Authors: Skawran Stephan , Gennari Antonio G. , Dittli Manuel , Treyer Valerie , Muehlematter Urs J. , Maurer Alexander , Burger Irene A. , Mader Cäcilia , Messerli Olivia , Grünig Hannes , Gebhard Catherine , Huellner Martin W. , Curioni-Fontecedro Alessandra , Berger Christoph , Messerli Michael
Published: June 2021

Objectives

To assess the frequency, intensity, and clinical impact of [18F]FDG-avidity of axillary lymph nodes after vaccination with COVID-19 vaccines BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) and mRNA-1273 (Moderna) in patients referred for oncological FDG PET/CT.

Methods

One hundred forty patients referred for FDG PET/CT during February and March 2021 after first or second vaccination with Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna were retrospectively included. FDG-avidity of ipsilateral axillary lymph nodes was measured and compared. Assuming no knowledge of prior vaccination, metastatic risk was analyzed by two readers and the clinical impact was evaluated.

Results

FDG PET/CT showed FDG-avid lymph nodes ipsilateral to the vaccine injection in 75/140 (54%) patients with a mean SUVmax of 5.1 (range 2.0 – 17.3). FDG-avid lymph nodes were more frequent in patients vaccinated with Moderna than Pfizer-BioNTech (36/50 [72%] vs. 39/90 [43%] cases, p < 0.001). Metastatic risk of unilateral FDG-avid axillary lymph nodes was rated unlikely in 52/140 (37%), potential in 15/140 (11%), and likely in 8/140 (6%) cases. Clinical management was affected in 17/140 (12%) cases.

Conclusions

FDG-avid axillary lymph nodes are common after COVID-19 vaccination. The avidity of lymph nodes is more frequent in Moderna compared to that in Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines. To avoid relatively frequent clinical dilemmas, we recommend carefully taking the history for prior vaccination in patients undergoing FDG PET/CT and administering the vaccine contralateral to primary cancer.

Key Points

• PET/CT showed FDG-avid axillary lymph nodes ipsilateral to the vaccine injection site in 54% of 140 oncological patients after COVID-19 vaccination.

• FDG-avid lymphadenopathy was observed significantly more frequently in Moderna compared to patients receiving Pfizer-BioNTech-vaccines.

• Patients should be screened for prior COVID-19 vaccination before undergoing PET/CT to enable individually tailored recommendations for clinical management.
Gross morphology, histology, and ultrastructure of the olfactory rosette of a critically endangered indicator species, the Delta Smelt, Hypomesus transpacificus
Authors: Triana-Garcia Pedro Alejandro , Nevitt Gabrielle A. , Pesavento Joseph B. , Teh Swee J.
Published: June 2021

The Delta Smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) is a small, semi-anadromous fish native to the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary and has been declared as critically endangered. Their olfactory biology, in particular, is poorly understood and a basic description of their sensory anatomy is needed to advance our understanding of the sensory ecology of species to inform conservation efforts to manage and protect them. We provide a description of the gross morphology, histological, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural features of the olfactory rosette in this fish and discuss some of the functional implications in relation to olfactory ability. We show that Delta Smelt have a multilamellar olfactory rosette with allometric growth. Calretinin immunohistochemistry revealed a diffuse distribution of olfactory receptor neurons within the epithelium. Ciliated, microvillous and crypt neurons were clearly identified using morphological and immunohistochemical features. The olfactory neurons were supported by robust ciliated and secretory sustentacular cells. Although the sense of smell has been overlooked in Delta Smelt, we conclude that the olfactory epithelium has many characteristics of macrosmatic fish. With this study, we provide a foundation for future research into the sensory ecology of this imperiled fish.
Pacific circulation response to eastern Arctic sea ice reduction in seasonal forecast simulations
Authors: Seidenglanz Anne , Athanasiadis Panos , Ruggieri Paolo , Cvijanovic Ivana , Li Camille , Gualdi Silvio
Published: June 2021

Recent studies point to the sensitivity of mid-latitude winter climate to Arctic sea ice variability. However, there remain contradictory results in terms of character and timing of Northern Hemisphere large-scale circulation features to Arctic sea ice changes. This study assesses the impact of realistic late autumn eastern Arctic sea ice anomalies on atmospheric wintertime circulation at mid-latitudes, pointing to a hidden potential for seasonal predictability. ​Using a dynamical seasonal prediction system, an ensemble of seasonal forecast simulations of 23 historical winter seasons is run with reduced November sea ice cover in the Barents-Kara Seas, and is compared to the respective control seasonal hindcast simulations set. ​A non energy-conserving approach is adopted for achieving the desired sea ice loss, with artificial heat being added conditionally to the ocean surface heat fluxes so as to inhibit the formation of sea ice during November. Our results point to a robust atmospheric circulation response in the North Pacific sector, similar to previous findings on the multidecadal timescale. Specifically, an anticyclonic anomaly at upper and lower levels is identified over the eastern midlatitude North Pacific, leading to dry conditions over the North American southwest coast. The responses are related to a re-organization (weakening) of west-Pacific tropical convection and interactions with the tropical Hadley circulation. ​A possible interaction of the poleward-shifted Pacific eddy-driven jet stream and the Hadley cell is discussed​. ​The winter circulation response in the Euro-Atlantic sector is ephemeral in character and statistically significant in January only, corroborating previous findings of an intermittent and non-stationary Arctic sea ice-NAO link during boreal winter. These results ​aid our understanding of the seasonal impacts of reduced eastern Arctic sea ice on the midlatitude atmospheric circulation with implications for seasonal predictability in wintertime.
Establishing a cardiac training group for patients with heart failure: the “HIP-in-Würzburg” study
Authors: Güder Gülmisal , Wilkesmann Joana , Scholz Nina , Leppich Robert , Düking Peter , Sperlich Billy , Rost Christian , Frantz Stefan , Morbach Caroline , Sahiti Floran , Stefenelli Ulrich , Breunig Margret , Störk Stefan
Published: June 2021

Background

Exercise training in heart failure (HF) is recommended but not routinely offered, because of logistic and safety-related reasons. In 2020, the German Society for Prevention&Rehabilitation and the German Society for Cardiology requested establishing dedicated “HF training groups.” Here, we aimed to implement and evaluate the feasibility and safety of one of the first HF training groups in Germany.

Methods

Twelve patients (three women) with symptomatic HF (NYHA class II/III) and an ejection fraction ≤ 45% participated and were offered weekly, physician-supervised exercise training for 1 year. Patients received a wrist-worn pedometer (M430 Polar) and underwent the following assessments at baseline and after 4, 8 and 12 months: cardiopulmonary exercise test, 6-min walk test, echocardiography (blinded reading), and quality of life assessment (Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire, KCCQ).

Results

All patients (median age [quartiles] 64 [49; 64] years) completed the study and participated in 76% of the offered 36 training sessions. The pedometer was worn ≥ 1000 min per day over 86% of the time. No cardiovascular events occurred during training. Across 12 months, NT-proBNP dropped from 986 pg/ml [455; 1937] to 483 pg/ml [247; 2322], and LVEF increased from 36% [29;41] to 41% [32;46]%, (p for trend = 0.01). We observed no changes in exercise capacity except for a subtle increase in peak VO2% predicted, from 66.5 [49; 77] to 67 [52; 78]; p for trend = 0.03. The physical function and social limitation domains of the KCCQ improved from 60 [54; 82] to 71 [58; 95, and from 63 [39; 83] to 78 [64; 92]; p for trend = 0.04 and = 0.01, respectively. Positive trends were further seen for the clinical and overall summary scores.

Conclusion

This pilot study showed that the implementation of a supervised HF-exercise program is feasible, safe, and has the potential to improve both quality of life and surrogate markers of HF severity. This first exercise experiment should facilitate the design of risk-adopted training programs for patients with HF.
Surgery and the kings of medical science
Authors: Demir Ihsan Ekin , Ceyhan Güralp O. , Friess Helmut
Published: June 2021

Background

Surgeons are frequently compared in terms of their publication activity to members of other disciplines who publish in journals with naturally higher impact factors. The time intensity of daily clinical duties in surgery is yet not comparable to that of these competitor disciplines.

Purpose

Here, we aimed to critically comment on ways for improving the academic productivity of university surgerons.

Conclusions

To ensure high-quality science in surgery, it is imperative that surgeons actively ask for and generate the time for high-quality research. This necessitates coordinated and combined efforts of leading university surgeons at the political level and effective presentation of the magnificent studies performed by young and talented university surgeons.
k-Approximate Quasiperiodicity Under Hamming and Edit Distance
Authors: Kędzierski Aleksander , Radoszewski Jakub
Published: June 2021

Quasiperiodicity in strings was introduced almost 30 years ago as an extension of string periodicity. The basic notions of quasiperiodicity are cover and seed. A cover of a text T is a string whose occurrences in T cover all positions of T. A seed of text T is a cover of a superstring of T. In various applications exact quasiperiodicity is still not sufficient due to the presence of errors. We consider approximate notions of quasiperiodicity, for which we allow approximate occurrences in T with a small Hamming, Levenshtein or weighted edit distance. In previous work Sim et al. (J Korea Inf Sci Soc 29(1):16–21, 2002) and Christodoulakis et al. (J Autom Lang Comb 10(5/6), 609–626, 2005) showed that computing approximate covers and seeds, respectively, under weighted edit distance is NP-hard. They, therefore, considered restricted approximate covers and seeds which need to be factors of the original string T and presented polynomial-time algorithms for computing them. Further algorithms, considering approximate occurrences with Hamming distance bounded by k, were given in several contributions by Guth et al. They also studied relaxed approximate quasiperiods. We present more efficient algorithms for computing restricted approximate covers and seeds. In particular, we improve upon the complexities of many of the aforementioned algorithms, also for relaxed quasiperiods. Our solutions are especially efficient if the number (or total cost) of allowed errors is small. We also show conditional lower bounds for computing restricted approximate covers and prove NP-hardness of computing non-restricted approximate covers and seeds under the Hamming distance.
A novel Veress needle mechanism that reduces overshooting after puncturing the abdominal wall
Authors: Postema Roelf R. , Cefai David , van Straten Bart , Miedema Rein , Hardjo Latifa Lesmana , Dankelman Jenny , Nickel Felix , Horeman-Franse Tim
Published: June 2021

Background

Complications that occur in laparoscopic surgery are often associated with the initial entry into the peritoneal cavity. The literature reported incidences of Veress needle (VN) injuries of e.g. 0.31% and 0.23%. In a 2010 national survey of laparoscopic entry techniques in the Canadian General Surgical practice, 57.3% of respondents had either experienced or witnessed a serious laparoscopic entry complication like bowel perforation and vascular injury. As those complications are potentially life threatening and should be avoided at all costs, improving safety of this initial action is paramount.

Methods

Based on a bare minimum design approach with focus on function expansion of existing components, a new Safety mechanism was developed for the VN that decreases the risks of VN overshooting. The mechanism works by preventing the puncturing acceleration of the tip of the VN by decoupling the surgeon’s hand from the VN immediately after entering the abdomen.

Results

Based on a set of requirements, a first prototype of the VN+ with force decoupling safety mechanism is presented and evaluated on an ex vivo porcine abdominal wall tissue model in a custom setup. The experiments conducted by two novices and one experienced surgeon indicated a significant difference between the attempts with a standard, conventional working VN (41.4 mm [37.5–45 mm]) and VN+ with decoupling mechanism (20.8 mm [17.5–22.5 mm]) of p < 0.001.

Conclusion

A new decoupling safety mechanism was integrated successfully in a standard VN resulting in a VN+ . The results from the pilot study indicate that this new VN+ reduces overshooting with a minimum of 50% in a standardised ex vivo setting on fresh porcine abdominal wall specimens.
Glucose control in diabetes during home confinement for the first pandemic wave of COVID-19: a meta-analysis of observational studies
Authors: Silverii Giovanni Antonio , Delli Poggi Chiara , Dicembrini Ilaria , Monami Matteo , Mannucci Edoardo
Published: June 2021

Aim

To assess the effect on glycaemic control of confinement due to lockdown measures, during COVID-19 pandemic, in people with type 1 (T1DM) and type 2 (T2DM) diabetes.

Methods

Meta-analysis of observational studies reporting measures of glucose control and variability before and during and/or after periods of confinement caused by COVID-19 in 2020 and/or 2021.

Results

We included 27 studies on T1DM. No significant change in Hba1c was observed after lockdown (WMD − 1.474 [− 3.26; 0.31] mmol/mol, I2 = 93.9). TIR significantly increased during and after lockdown (WMD: 2.73 1.47; 4.23 %, I2 = 81% and 3.73 [1.13; 5.33] %, I2 = 85%, respectively).We retrieved nine studies on T2DM patients. No significant variation in HbA1c was detected (WMD − 1.257 − 3.91; 1.39 mmol/mol, I2 = 98.3%). HbA1c had a more favourable trend in studies performed in Asia than in Europe (p = 0.022 between groups).

Conclusion

Lockdown showed no significant detrimental effect on HbA1c in either T1DM or T2DM. Conversely, home confinement led to a reduction in mean glucose and glucose variability in T1DM, although with a high heterogeneity of results.
Psychooncological distress in low-grade glioma patients—a monocentric study
Authors: Ley Alessandra , Kamp Marcel , von Sass Christiane , Hänggi Daniel , Sabel Michael , Rapp Marion
Published: June 2021

Background

Patients diagnosed with low-grade glioma (LGG) must live with constant knowledge of an upcoming malignant tumor transformation which may lead to increased anxiety and reduced quality of life. Here, we (1) analyzed the prevalence and risk factors for distress in LGG patients using (2) different screening tools to subsequently (3) evaluate their need for psychological support.

Method

Patients with LGG-suspicious findings in MRI studies as well as patients with histopathological confirmed LGG were screened using three established self-assessment instruments (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Distress Thermometer, EORTC-QLQ-C30-BN20). Screening results were correlated with sociodemographic factors.

Results

One hundred forty-nine patients (74 men and 75 women) were prospectively included. Patients were further divided into different subgroups regarding the time of screening and diagnosis. An increased level of distress was observed in 20.8% (mean score 1.21, 95% CI 1.15–1.28) of all patients screened by HADS. Significant associated factors were pre-existing psychiatric disorders (p = 0.003) and psychotropic medication (p = 0.029). HRQoL (p = 0.022) and global health item (p = 0.015), as well as future uncertainty (p = 0.047), assessed by the EORTC-QLQ-C30-BN20 were significantly higher in those patients without histopathological diagnosis. Increased distress was significantly correlated with results in chosen sub-items of the HRQoL questionnaire (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Our results demonstrate the need for frequent distress screening. If specific tools are not available, HRQoL questionnaires can also be used. Patients with pre-existing psychological stress should be offered additional psychooncological support, irrespectively of the time of screening or tumor diagnosis.

Clinical trial registration number: 4087
Separation of the overlapped vitamin B1 and B3 voltammetric peaks by means of Continuous Wavelet Transform and differentiation
Authors: Porada Radosław , Baś Bogusław
Published: June 2021

Due to the indubitable role of vitamins in maintaining human health, a lot of attention has been paid to the methods and analytical procedures of their determination. Voltammetric methods are of particular interest as they do not involve complex sample preparation, however, close values of the redox potential of some vitamins may result in peak overlapping, hindering the quantitative analysis. This paper addresses the separation of overlapped reduction peak of vitamins B1 and B3 by means of Continuous Wavelet Transform (with appropriately selected mother wavelets) and differentiation of the recorded voltammograms. These numerical algorithms allowed to obtained linear, single-variable calibration functions that comply with the applied in analytical chemistry criteria regarding the correlation coefficients and the limit of detection and quantification. Their relatively simple implementation does not include any manual interpretation step; thus, these algorithms provide impartial and reproducible results. The proposed methodology has been applied in the determination of vitamins B1 and B3 in dietary supplements, providing results consistent with the declaration of the manufacturer.

Graphic abstract
Association of periodontitis and diabetic macular edema in various stages of diabetic retinopathy
Authors: Lindner Marlene , Arefnia Behrouz , Ivastinovic Domagoj , Sourij Harald , Lindner Ewald , Wimmer Gernot
Published: June 2021

Objectives

Periodontitis and diabetes are known to have a bidirectional relationship. Diabetic macular edema is a complication of diabetes that is strongly influenced by inflammatory pathways. However, it remains to be established whether inflammation at other locations, such as periodontitis, affects diabetic macular edema. Here, we investigated the prevalence of periodontitis in patients treated for diabetic macular edema.

Materials and methods

Patients with diabetic macular edema were recruited for this cross-sectional study at the Medical University of Graz. Macular edema was documented by optical coherence tomography. Periodontal status was assessed by computerized periodontal probing and panoramic X-ray imaging. Bleeding on probing, clinical attachment level, probing pocket depth, and plaque index were compared between different stages of diabetic retinopathy.

Results

Eighty-three eyes of 45 patients with diabetic macular edema were enrolled. Forty-four eyes (53.0%) had early stages of diabetic retinopathy (mild and moderate), and 39 eyes (47.0%) had late stages (severe and proliferative). Patients with mild or moderate DR were more likely to have more severe periodontal conditions than patients with severe or proliferative DR. Fourteen patients with mild DR (82.4%), 7 patients with moderate DR (87.5%), 4 patients with severe DR (100.0%), and 15 patients with proliferative DR (93.8%) had some degree of PD. The periodontal inflamed surface areas and the percentages of tooth sites that bled on probing were significantly higher in patients with early stages of diabetic retinopathy than in those with late stages of the disease (p < 0.05). Patients with periodontal inflamed surface areas of more than 500 mm2 required significantly more intravitreal injections in the last year than those with milder forms of periodontitis (n = 6.9 ± 3.1 versus n = 5.0 ± 3.5, p = 0.03).

Conclusion

In patients with diabetic macular edema, periodontitis is more prevalent in early stages of diabetic retinopathy. We suggest regular dental check-ups for diabetic patients, especially when diabetic macular edema is already present.

Clinical relevance

Patients with diabetic macular edema should be screened for periodontitis and vice versa, particularly early in the course of diabetes.
The effects of armed conflict on forest cover changes across temporal and spatial scales in the Colombian Amazon
Authors: Bautista-Cespedes Oscar V. , Willemen Louise , Castro-Nunez Augusto , Groen Thomas A.
Published: June 2021

The Amazon rainforest covers roughly 40% of Colombia’s territory and has important global ecological functions. For more than 50 years, an internal war in the country has shaped this region. Peace negotiations between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) initiated in 2012 resulted in a progressive de-escalation of violence and a complete ceasefire in 2016. This study explores the role of different deforestation drivers including armed conflict variables, in explaining deforestation for three periods between 2001 and 2015. Iterative regression analyses were carried out for two spatial extents: the entire Colombian Amazon and a subset area which was most affected by deforestation. The results show that conflict variables have positive relationships with deforestation; yet, they are not among the main variables explaining deforestation. Accessibility and biophysical variables explain more variation. Nevertheless, conflict variables show divergent influence on deforestation depending on the period and scale of analysis. Based on these results, we develop deforestation risk maps to inform the design of forest conservation efforts in the post-conflict period.
Das RCEP-Abkommen und dessen Bedeutung für die EU
Authors: Frenkel Michael , Ngo Tuyet
Published: June 2021

Im November 2020 wurde das RCEP-Abkommen als größtes Freihandelsabkommen der Welt von Brunei, Kambodscha, Indonesien, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, den Philippinen, Singapur, Thailand, Vietnam sowie Australien, China, Japan, Neuseeland und Südkorea unterzeichnet. Bis Ende 2022 soll das Abkommen ratifiziert sein und in Kraft treten. Zusammen entfallen auf die Mitgliedsländer 25 % des internationalen Waren- und Dienstleistungsverkehrs. Es stellt sich die Frage, welche positiven und negativen Auswirkungen das Freihandelsabkommen für die Mitgliedsländer sowie die EU haben wird.
Beitragsfinanzierung im „demografiegestressten“ Rentensystem möglich
Authors: Niemeier Ernst
Published: June 2021

Trotz des demografischen Wandels ist ein beitragsfinanziertes Rentensystem in Deutschland möglich und wünschenswert. Ein Rentenniveau von beispielsweise 50 % kann auch nach 2030 noch über Beiträge finanziert werden. Zum einen übersteigt die Produktivitäts- und Einkommensentwicklung die steigende Beitragsbelastung, sodass das Nettorealeinkommen trotz höherer Beiträge deutlich steigt. Außerdem müssen versicherungsfremde Leistungen sachgemäß durch Steuern und nicht durch Beiträge finanziert werden, um die Beitragshöhe zu begrenzen.
Brucella sp. sequence-type 27 associated with abortion in dwarf sperm whale Kogia sima
Authors: Hernández-Mora Gabriela , González-Barrientos Rocío , Víquez-Ruíz Eunice , Palacios-Alfaro José David , Bettoni-Rodríguez Gianmarco , Gendre Marlène , Vincent Charline , Roca-Monge Karol , Ruiz-Villalobos Nazareth , Suárez-Esquivel Marcela , Cordero-Chavarría Minor , Chaves-Olarte Esteban , Thomson Nicholas R. , Barquero-Calvo Elías , Moreno Edgardo , Guzmán-Verri Caterina
Published: June 2021

A dwarf sperm whaleKogia simastranded alive along the Central Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. The whale, handled by tourists and local inhabitants, was weak, had buoyancy difficulties, and eventually aborted and died, showing severe necrotizing placentitis and other pathological signs. Both the mother and the fetus had antibodies againstBrucellalipopolysaccharide.Brucellaorganisms were isolated from various tissues of both animals and were characterized. The bacterium genome corresponded to sequence-type 27 (ST27) and clustered together with otherBrucellaST27 isolated in humans and cetaceans.
A bone replacement-type calcium phosphate cement that becomes more porous in vivo by incorporating a degradable polymer
Authors: Shimatani Akiyoshi , Toyoda Hiromitsu , Orita Kumi , Ibara Yuta , Yokogawa Yoshiyuki , Nakamura Hiroaki
Published: June 2021

This study investigated whether mixing low viscosity alginic acid with calcium phosphate cement (CPC) causes interconnected porosity in the CPC and enhances bone replacement by improving the biological interactions. Furthermore, we hypothesized that low viscosity alginic acid would shorten the setting time of CPC and improve its strength. CPC samples were prepared with 0, 5, 10, and 20% low viscosity alginic acid. After immersion in acetate buffer, possible porosification in CPC was monitored in vitro using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the setting times and compressive strengths were measured. In vivo study was conducted by placing CPC in a hole created on the femur of New Zealand white rabbit. Microcomputed tomography and histological examination were performed 6 weeks after implantation. SEM images confirmed that alginic acid enhanced the porosity of CPC compared to the control, and the setting time and compressive strength also improved. When incorporating a maximum amount of alginic acid, the new bone mass was significantly higher than the control group (P = 0.0153). These biological responses are promising for the translation of these biomaterials and their commercialization for clinic applications.
Pharmacometric estimation methods for aggregate data, including data simulated from other pharmacometric models
Authors: Välitalo Pyry Antti Juhana
Published: June 2021

Lack of data is an obvious limitation to what can be modelled. However, aggregate data in the form of means and possibly (co)variances, as well as previously published pharmacometric models, are often available. Being able to use all available data is desirable, and therefore this paper will outline several methods for using aggregate data as the basis of parameter estimation. The presented methods can be used for estimation of parameters from aggregate data, and as a computationally efficient alternative for the stochastic simulation and estimation procedure. They also allow for population PK/PD optimal design in the case when the data-generating model is different from the data-analytic model, a scenario for which no solutions have previously been available. Mathematical analysis and computational results confirm that the aggregate-data FO algorithm converges to the same estimates as the individual-data FO and yields near-identical standard errors when used in optimal design. The aggregate-data MC algorithm will asymptotically converge to the exactly correct parameter estimates if the data-generating model is the same as the data-analytic model. The performance of the aggregate-data methods were also compared to stochastic simulations and estimations (SSEs) when the data-generating model is different from the data-analytic model. The aggregate-data FO optimal design correctly predicted the sampling distributions of 200 models fitted to simulated datasets with the individual-data FO method.

Graphic abstract
Optical control of purinergic signaling
Authors: Wang Tao , Ulrich Henning , Semyanov Alexey , Illes Peter , Tang Yong
Published: June 2021

Purinergic signaling plays a pivotal role in physiological processes and pathological conditions. Over the past decades, conventional pharmacological, biochemical, and molecular biology techniques have been utilized to investigate purinergic signaling cascades. However, none of them is capable of spatially and temporally manipulating purinergic signaling cascades. Currently, optical approaches, including optopharmacology and optogenetic, enable controlling purinergic signaling with low invasiveness and high spatiotemporal precision. In this mini-review, we discuss optical approaches for controlling purinergic signaling and their applications in basic and translational science.
Semantics impacts response to phonics through spelling intervention in children with dyslexia
Authors: van Rijthoven Robin , Kleemans Tijs , Segers Eliane , Verhoeven Ludo
Published: June 2021

We examined the response to a phonics through spelling intervention in 52 children with dyslexia by analyzing their phonological, morphological, and orthographical spelling errors both before and after the intervention whereas their spelling errors before the intervention were compared with those of 105 typically developing spellers. A possible compensatory role of semantics on the intervention effects was also investigated. Results showed that before the intervention, children with dyslexia and the typically developing children both made most morphological errors, followed by orthographic and phonological errors. Within each category, children with dyslexia made more errors than the typically developing children, with differences being largest for phonological errors. Children with dyslexia with better developed semantic representations turned out to make less phonological, morphological, and orthographic errors compared with children with dyslexia with less developed semantic representations. The intervention for children with dyslexia led to a reduction of all error types, mostly of the orthographic errors. In addition, semantics was related to the decline in phonological, morphological, and orthographic spelling errors. This study implicates that semantic stimulation could benefit the spelling development of children at risk for or with dyslexia.
Central questions about meta-analyses in psychological research: An annotated reading list
Authors: Buecker Susanne , Stricker Johannes , Schneider Michael
Published: June 2021

A large amount of literature is available for researchers who are interested in performing meta-analyses in psychology. However, due to a large number of available sources and meta-analytic approaches, it can be difficult to get started with a meta-analysis when prior experiences are limited. In this annotated reading list, we provide an overview of and comment on 12 recommended sources that address the most relevant questions for conducting and presenting meta-analyses in psychology. Additionally, we point to various further readings and software packages that address more specific meta-analytic topics. With this guide, we aim to provide a starting point for researchers who wish to conduct a meta-analysis and for reviewers and editors who evaluate the quality of manuscripts presenting meta-analytic findings.
The Past, Present and Future of Surgical Education in Ireland
Authors: Traynor Oscar J. , O’Connell P. Ronan
Published: June 2021

The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) was founded primarily to advance the standards of surgical training and surgical practice in Ireland. Over the course of almost 240 years, the College evolved as a comprehensive University of Medicine and Health Sciences, delivering education not only in Surgery but also in Medicine, Physiotherapy, Pharmacy and Nursing. RCSI today has a large global footprint and runs healthcare education programmes in several international locations. The College works in close collaboration with the other surgical Royal Colleges in Great Britain and the four colleges have a common surgical curriculum. RCSI recognises the increasing challenges facing traditional surgical training models and therefore has developed structured education programmes to support the conventional apprenticeship model. Surgical training in Ireland includes comprehensive training in both technical (operative) skills and non-technical (human factors) skills. RCSI is committed to the integration of simulation in surgical training and has invested heavily in state-of-the-art simulation facilities and in next-generation education technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality and Artificial Intelligence-based educational technologies. Formal surgical training programmes in Ireland are complemented by a range of Masters programmes in Surgical Science and Practice and also Human Factors in Patient Safety.