bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
2D Heterostructure of CoCl2/Co3O4 Built for Strong Enhanced Magnetism
Authors: Zhang Yunxiao , Zhang Di , Gao Bo , Xu Qun
Published: November 2023

As a remarkable structure, 2D magnetic heterojunctions have attracted researchers’ attention owing to their controlled manipulation in the electronic device. However, successful fabrication as well as modulation of their structure and compound remain challenging. Herein, a novel method is designed to obtain a CoCl2/Co3O4 heterojunction on Si/SiO2 substrate with the assistance of supercritical CO2 (SC CO2), and the as‐fabricated sample has significantly increased coercivity and saturation magnetization, which is 11 times higher than pure Co3O4. Further, it can be found that the CO2 pressure has the decisive effect on the saturation magnetization of the sample. Therefore, it suggests that the tunable electronic‐magnetic device can be anticipated to be obtained in the future.
Stability‐indicating method for quantification of potential genotoxic impurity and other organic impurities of chlorzoxazone using hyphenated techniques
Authors: Nagulancha Bhujanga Rao , Rao Vandavasi Koteswara
Published: November 2023

A simple, reliable, and stability‐indicating RP‐HPLC‐UV method was developed and validated for the estimation of related substances (p‐chlorophenol and unknown impurities) of chlorzoxazone (skeletal muscle relaxant). Along with this as the compound contains a potential genotoxic impurity (2‐amino‐4‐chlorophenol), which needs to have more sensitivity in quantification, we have also developed and validated a separate RP‐HPLC‐mass spectrometry (MS)/MS method for the estimation of 2‐amino‐4‐chlorophenol impurity. Both methods (RP‐HPLC‐UV & RP‐HPLC–MS/MS) were validated in accordance with International Council for Harmonization Q2(R1) and were found to be precise, accurate, robust, linear, and specific with limit of quantification values established with respect to 100% of test concentration, 0.018% w/w of p‐chlorophenol by RP‐HPLC‐UV, and 2 ppm of 2‐amino‐4‐chlorophenol by RP‐HPLC–MS.
Leichte Dach‐ und Wandbauteile mit einem Kern aus natürlichen Rohstoffen
Authors: Lange Jörg , Pradhan Eric Man , Renaux Thibault , Gervásio Helena , Olano Xabier , Huet Valérie , Izabel David
Published: November 2023

Ziel des im Folgenden vorgestellten Forschungsprojekts ist die Entwicklung von fünf Gebäudehüllsystemen aus Stahl mit niedrigem Kohlenstoffgehalt und innovativem Einsatz von Holzfaserdämmung. Es werden drei Sandwichelemente (Schrägdach, Flachdach, Fassade), eine doppelschalige Fassade und eine Fassadenverkleidung (Kassetten) entwickelt. Das Projekt umfasst eine Reihe von Tests, um alle relevanten Eigenschaften der Systeme zu untersuchen: Tragverhalten, Brandverhalten, Wärmedämmung, Akustik, Luft‐, Wasser‐ und Dampfdurchlässigkeit. Darüber hinaus wurden zwei Prototypen in Originalgröße gebaut, um das Verhalten der Systeme unter realen Bedingungen zu untersuchen. Die Bestimmung der LCA‐Indikatoren und ein Vergleich in Bezug auf den CO2‐Fußabdruck (GWP) mit konventionellen Systemen anhand eines bestehenden Bürogebäudes als Referenz werden ebenfalls durchgeführt. Ein wirtschaftlicher Vergleich zwischen dem voraussichtlichen Liefer‐ und Installationspreis der fünf innovativen Systeme und dem der bestehenden konventionellen Systeme ist geplant. Die Produktion der Sandwichelemente kann problemlos in die derzeitigen Produktionslinien integriert werden.
Treatment of Starch Wastewater by α‐Amylase Immobilized on Silica Infused Magnetite Nanoparticles for Maltose Syrup Preparation
Authors: Patel Harsh , Desai Rucha P. , Patel Darshan , Kikani Bhavtosh A.
Published: November 2023

Casein decorated silicainfused magnetite (Fe3O4‐SiO2) nanoparticles are employed to immobilize commercial α‐amylase, where glutaraldehyde serves as a cross linker. The optimal concentration of variables, such as casein (1.4%w/v), Fe3O4‐SiO2 (106 µl), glutaraldehyde (55µl) and amylase (1 mg/ml) are defined by a Box Behnken design. The binding of casein, glutaraldehyde and enzyme over the nanoparticles are further confirmed structurally by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The loading capacity is 37 µg amylase over 1 µg of silica infused magnetite nanoparticles. The optimum pH for the catalysis of soluble and immobilized amylases is the same, i.e. pH 7. However, the pH range for catalysis is improved upon immobilization. The temperature optimum of soluble and immobilized amylases are 40 and 70 °C, respectively. The amylase stability is improved upon immobilization, as shown by enhanced half‐life and reduced deactivation rate constant. The immobilized amylase is used for 17 consecutive cycles with retention of 52% of the residual activity. The immobilized amylase produces high maltose syrup using the industrial wastewater containing corn starch. The ISO 5377 protocol determines dextrose equivalence values to be 36% and 24% during cycle 1 and cycle 2, respectively. The findings point out its possible commercial use.
Reduction in cervical length after vaginal progesterone in women with short cervix is significantly associated with preterm delivery at ≤ 34 weeks and < 37 weeks of gestation
Authors: Hernandez‐Andrade E. , Huntley E. S. , Sibai B. , Blackwell S. C. , Soto‐Torres E. E.
Published: November 2023

Objective

To evaluate the association between changes in cervical length (CL) after vaginal progesterone treatment and preterm delivery (PTD).

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study that included 197 singleton pregnancies without (n = 178) and with (n = 19) a history of PTD which were found to have a short cervix (≤ 25 mm) between 18 + 0 and 23 + 6 weeks' gestation with a follow‐up transvaginal CL measurement taken at least 1 week after vaginal progesterone treatment started. Receiver‐operating‐characteristics (ROC)‐curve analysis was performed and three CL shortening patterns were evaluated: (1) ≥ 10% reduction; (2) ≥ 20% reduction; and (3) ≥ 5 mm reduction relative to the first CL measurement. The predictive performance of each CL reduction cut‐off and its association with PTD ≤ 34 weeks and PTD < 37 weeks were evaluated.

Results

Overall, the rate of PTD ≤ 34 weeks was 16.8% (33/197) and that of PTD < 37 weeks was 36.5% (72/197). The area under the ROC curve of cervical shortening expressed in % for predicting PTD ≤ 34 weeks and PTD < 37 weeks was 0.703 and 0.608, respectively. Cervical shortening was observed in 60/197 (30.5%) patients, with 49/60 (81.7%) women showing ≥ 10% reduction, 32/60 (53.3%) ≥ 20% reduction and 27/60 (45.0%) ≥ 5 mm reduction in CL. Sensitivity and specificity for PTD ≤ 34 weeks were, respectively, 48.5% and 79.9% for ≥ 10% reduction; 36.4% and 87.8% for ≥ 20% reduction; and 27.3% and 89.0% for ≥ 5 mm reduction in CL. For PTD < 37 weeks, sensitivity and specificity were, respectively, 36.1% and 81.6% for ≥ 10% reduction; 27.8% and 90.4% for ≥ 20% reduction; and 20.8% and 90.4% for ≥ 5 mm reduction in CL. The highest positive likelihood ratios for PTD ≤ 34 and < 37 weeks were for ≥ 20% CL reduction (2.98 (95% CI, 1.62–5.49) and 2.89 (95% CI, 1.52–5.57), respectively). Despite significant differences in sensitivity among the different cut‐offs for cervical shortening, favoring the ≥ 10% reduction cut‐off, a reduction of ≥ 20% in CL showed the strongest association with PTD ≤ 34 weeks (odds ratio (OR), 4.11 (95% CI, 1.75–9.62)) and < 37 weeks (OR, 3.62 (95% CI, 1.65–7.96)), as compared with a less pronounced reduction in CL.

Conclusions

In women with a short cervix treated with vaginal progesterone, a reduction in CL on a subsequent ultrasound scan can predict PTD ≤ 34 and < 37 weeks. A ≥ 20% reduction in CL had the highest positive likelihood ratio and strongest association with PTD ≤ 34 and < 37 weeks compared with ≥ 10% or ≥ 5 mm reduction. © 2023 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Affecting the Colonist
Authors: Amico Stephen
Published: November 2023

This chapter argues that queerness’s collegial alignment with ethnomusicology stems from a shared colonialist-masculinist foundation. Focusing on the ways in which the textual artifacts of queerness adhere closely to citation-based formats reliant upon theoretical canons, and the propensity of queer theory to ‘encompass’ globally dispersed sites, subjects, and practices, a provincial discourse on sexuality and subjectivity is revealed as continually self-represented as universal and unmarked, and instrumental in the monologic creation of a Euro- and Anglocentric epistemic line. Highlighting the differences between emotion and affect, it is ultimately argued that a queer embrace of both rage and its own capitalist/postmodern lineage would be instrumental in its annihilating occupation of ethnomusicology—a type of home work (rather than imperialist expansion) with salubrious consequences for a more global, epistemic equity.
Materialising Hygiene: Remedies, Commodities and Images
Authors: Ratschiller Nasim Linda Maria
Published: November 2023

This chapter shows that hygiene had profound practical and material consequences for people in both West Africa and Europe. Hygiene was more than a metaphor used to encode religious virtues, scientific imperatives, cultural values, social interactions and colonial anxieties. It was a practice that materialised itself in and on individual bodies, and crucially depended on material aids such as drugs, medical equipment, sanitary articles and specific clothing. The Basel Mission actively engaged with these tools of hygiene, from an early interest in natural remedies in West Africa to the establishment of a thriving commodity culture surrounding tropical hygiene around 1900. Remedies and commodities circulating through missionary networks shaped bodily practices, while images produced and propagated by the Basel Mission left a visual legacy that informs our understanding of purity, health and cleanliness to this day. Examined critically, these material and visual sources reveal the profoundly interactive nature of missionary encounters and testify to the conceptual, practical and material exchanges between people in West Africa and Europe.
The Scientific Space of Knowledge: Medical Missionaries, Tropical Medicine and the Age of Hygiene
Authors: Ratschiller Nasim Linda Maria
Published: November 2023

This chapter shows that the Basel Mission doctors participated in a scientific space of knowledge, in which hygiene came to dominate a wide range of research areas and radically transformed people’s lives across all levels of European societies. It starts by asking how and why the Basel Mission embraced mission medicine based on scientific methods, making it the first Germanophone evangelical mission society to deploy academically trained medical missionaries from the 1880s. These medical missionaries moved in international academic circles, published in medical journals and contributed to the scientific debates of the time. Hygiene broadened the interests of the Basel Mission doctors, allowing them to link themselves with the contemporary zeitgeist and to free themselves from accusations of puritan narrowness. The fact that they succeeded in positioning themselves as important protagonists in the nineteenth-century hygiene movement reveals that the seemingly scientific arguments presented by medical experts, social reformers and political authorities worked in much the same way as older religious purity regulations.
Experiences and facilitators of physical activity engagement amongst colorectal and endometrial cancer survivors: the Wearable Activity Technology and Action-Planning (WATAAP) trial
Authors: Hardcastle Sarah J. , Douglass Emma , Wilson Bree , Maxwell-Smith Chloe
Published: November 2023

Purpose

This study explored colorectal and endometrial cancer survivors’ experiences of participation in a wearable intervention and the dimensions that influenced intervention engagement and physical activity behaviour change.

Methods

Semi-structured interviews (n= 23) were conducted with intervention participants (mean age 65.8 (SD ±7.1) and analysed using thematic analysis.

Results

Four main themes were identified: (i) commitment, (ii) accountability and monitoring, (iii) routine, (iv) Fitbit as health coach. Those that assigned a higher priority to PA were more likely to schedule PA and be successful in PA change. Those less successful presented more barriers to change and engaged in more incidental PA. The Fitbit acting as health coach was the active ingredient of the intervention.

Conclusions

Commitment evidenced through prioritising PA was the foundational dimension that influenced PA engagement. Interventions that foster commitment to PA through increasing the value and importance of PA would be worthwhile. Wearables holds great promise in PA promotion and harnessing the technique of discrepancy between behaviour and goals is likely a valuable behaviour change technique.
Defense against adversarial attacks via textual embeddings based on semantic associative field
Authors: Huang Jiacheng , Chen Long
Published: November 2023

Deep neural networks are known to be vulnerable to various types of adversarial attacks, especially word-level attacks, in the field of natural language processing. In recent years, various defense methods are proposed against word-level attacks; however, most of those defense methods only focus on synonyms substitution-based attacks, while word-level attacks are not based on synonym substitution. In this paper, we propose a textual adversarial defense method against word-level adversarial attacks via textual embedding based on the semantic associative field. More specifically, we analyze the reasons why humans can read and understand textual adversarial examples and observe two crucial points: (1) There must be a relation between the original word and the perturbed word or token. (2) Such a kind of relation enables humans to infer original words, while humans have the ability to associations. Motivated by this, we introduce the concept of semantic associative field and propose a new defense method by building a robust word embedding, that is, we calculate the word vector by exerting the related word vector to it with potential function and weighted embedding sampling for simulating the semantic influence between words in same semantic field. We conduct comprehensive experiments and demonstrate that the models using the proposed method can achieve higher accuracy than the baseline defense methods under various adversarial attacks or original testing sets. Moreover, the proposed method is more universal, while it is irrelevant to model structure and will not affect the efficiency of training.
A toolchain for strategy synthesis with spatial properties
Authors: Basile Davide , ter Beek Maurice H. , Bussi Laura , Ciancia Vincenzo
Published: November 2023

We present an application of strategy synthesis to enforce spatial properties. This is achieved by implementing a toolchain that enables the tools and to interact in a fully automated way. The Contract Automata Library () is aimed at both composition and strategy synthesis of games modelled in a dialect of finite state automata. The Voxel-based Logical Analyser () is a spatial model checker for the verification of properties expressed using the Spatial Logic of Closure Spaces on pixels of digital images. We provide examples of strategy synthesis on automata encoding motion of agents in spaces represented by images, as well as a proof-of-concept realistic example based on a case study from the railway domain. The strategies are synthesised with , while the properties to enforce are defined by means of spatial model checking of the images with . The combination of spatial model checking with strategy synthesis provides a toolchain for checking and enforcing mobility properties in multi-agent systems in which location plays an important role, like in many collective adaptive systems. We discuss the toolchain’s performance also considering several recent improvements.
Modelling flocks of birds and colonies of ants from the bottom up
Authors: De Nicola Rocco , Di Stefano Luca , Inverso Omar , Valiani Serenella
Published: November 2023

This paper advocates the use of compositional specifications based on formal languages as a means of modelling and analysing sophisticated collective behaviour in natural systems. With the use of appropriate linguistic constructs, models can be developed that are both compact and intuitive, and can be easily refined and extended in small steps. Automated workflows can be implemented on top of this methodology to provide quick feedback, enabling rapid design iterations. To support our argument, we present three examples from the natural world, focusing on flocks of birds and colonies of ants, which feature well-known examples of emergent behaviour in collective adaptive systems. We use an agent-based language to develop simple models that aim at capturing these collective phenomena, and discuss the specific language constructs that we use in the process. Then, we adapt an existing verification tool for the language to simulate our models, and show that our simulations do display emergent behaviour.
Needle-free electronically controlled jet injection with corticosteroids in recalcitrant keloid scars: a retrospective study and patient survey
Authors: Bik Liora , Elmzoon Ixora , Wolkerstorfer Albert , Prens Errol P. , van Doorn Martijn B. A.
Published: November 2023

First-line treatment of keloids consists of intralesional needle injections with corticosteroids, but generally entails multiple painful sessions, resulting in variable clinical outcomes. Novel needle-free jet injectors may facilitate more effective and patient-friendly dermal drug delivery. Here, we evaluated the effectiveness, tolerability and patient satisfaction of intralesional triamcinolone-acetonide (TCA) treatment in recalcitrant keloids using an electronically controlled pneumatic injector (EPI). A retrospective study was conducted in recalcitrant keloid patients with a history of severe pain during needle injections who received three sessions of EPI + TCA. Outcome measures included Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (POSAS), Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS), treatment-related pain (NRS), adverse effects, and patient satisfaction (survey). Ten patients with in total 283 keloids were included. The POSAS score significantly improved at follow-up and GAIS was reported as ‘(very) improved’ for all patients. EPI + TCA was well-tolerated with a significantly lower NRS pain score compared to needle + TCA (pilot treatment). Only minor adverse effects occurred, and 90% of patients preferred EPI over needle treatment. EPI + TCA is an effective and tolerable treatment for patients with recalcitrant keloids. The minimal treatment-related pain and high patient satisfaction makes it a promising treatment for patients with needle-phobia and/or severe pain during needle injections.
An investigation of the Volatility Adjustment
Authors: Barucci Emilio , Marazzina Daniele , Rroji Edit
Published: November 2023

We use market data to reconstruct the volatility adjustment, a component of the Solvency II framework designed to mitigate the impact of market risk on insurance liabilities, of different countries on a monthly basis. Only partially in agreement with the regulation, we observe that the volatility adjustment, especially the proposed new mechanism, is not affected by credit quality, illiquidity of bonds, and investors’ risk appetite, but by turbulence in financial markets and equity market performance. We also show that the new mechanism proposed by EIOPA performs differently with respect to the one in force at the time of writing the current paper, yielding higher and smoother values and providing a relief to insurance companies on the Solvency II capital requirement front.
AMPK signaling inhibits the differentiation of myofibroblasts: impact on age-related tissue fibrosis and degeneration
Authors: Salminen Antero
Published: November 2023

Disruption of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and an accumulation of fibrotic lesions within tissues are two of the distinctive hallmarks of the aging process. Tissue fibroblasts are mesenchymal cells which display an impressive plasticity in the regulation of ECM integrity and thus on tissue homeostasis. Single-cell transcriptome studies have revealed that tissue fibroblasts exhibit a remarkable heterogeneity with aging and in age-related diseases. Excessive stress and inflammatory insults induce the differentiation of fibroblasts into myofibroblasts which are fusiform contractile cells and abundantly secrete the components of the ECM and proteolytic enzymes as well as many inflammatory mediators. Detrimental stresses can also induce the transdifferentiation of certain mesenchymal and myeloid cells into myofibroblasts. Interestingly, many age-related stresses, such as oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stresses, ECM stiffness, inflammatory mediators, telomere shortening, and several alarmins from damaged cells are potent inducers of myofibroblast differentiation. Intriguingly, there is convincing evidence that the signaling pathways stimulated by the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) are potent inhibitors of myofibroblast differentiation and accordingly AMPK signaling reduces fibrotic lesions within tissues, e.g., in age-related cardiac and pulmonary fibrosis. AMPK signaling is not only an important regulator of energy metabolism but it is also able to control cell fate determination and many functions of the immune system. It is known that AMPK signaling can delay the aging process via an integrated signaling network. AMPK signaling inhibits myofibroblast differentiation, e.g., by suppressing signaling through the TGF-β, NF-κB, STAT3, and YAP/TAZ pathways. It seems that AMPK signaling can alleviate age-related tissue fibrosis and degeneration by inhibiting the differentiation of myofibroblasts.
Economic impact of a classical biological control program: application to Diachasmimorpha longicaudata against Bactrocera dorsalis fruit fly in Kenya
Authors: Agboka Komi Mensah , Tonnang Henri E. Z. , Muriithi Beatrice W. , Niassy Saliou , Ndlela Shepard , Abdel-Rahman Elfatih M. , Mohamed Samira A. , Ekesi Sunday
Published: November 2023

Classical biological control (CBC) has been exploited as a safer alternative for suppressing the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis, by importing, rearing, and releasing the larval parasitoid, Diachasmimorpha longicaudata. Although D. longicaudata has been released in Kenya through the Africa Fruit Fly Programme, the extent of its dispersal and subsequent economic benefits have not yet been established. This paper models the spatio-temporal dispersal of the parasitoid using the fuzzy cellular automata approaches and estimates the net benefit from each dollar invested in the CBC approach. We calculated the return on investment based on funding into the programme between 2006 and 2015 and the result of the dispersal range of the parasitoid predicted using an artificial intelligence algorithm. The investment yielded a significant net present value of US$42.8 million over the 16 years. Besides, the cost–benefit ratio showed that for every US$1 invested, the return benefit was US$93, confirming the profitability of the CBC program. The economic gains are significant considering that there is no environmental contamination and possible adverse effects from the CBC intervention. The study findings support investment in biological control strategies for the eco-friendly and area-wide management of B. dorsalis.
Universal Digital Programs for Promoting Mental and Relational Health for Parents of Young Children: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Opie Jessica E. , Esler Timothy B. , Clancy Elizabeth M. , Wright Bradley , Painter Felicity , Vuong An , Booth Anna T. , Newman Louise , Johns-Hayden Ange , Hameed Mohajer , Hooker Leesa , Olsson Craig , McIntosh Jennifer E.
Published: November 2023

Digital parenting programs aim to increase program access, improve psychosocial outcomes for parents and children, and support triage to targeted interventions where required. This meta-analysis assessed the efficacy of online parenting programs in improving parenting skills and capabilities, and by consequence, the mental health and well-being of parents and children, and the quality of the parent–child relationship. Studies were included if they were: (1) online, (2) self-delivered, (3) designed for universal general population prevention, (4) evaluated experimental or quasi-experimental designs, and (5) assessed parent and child emotional and/or relational health, from pregnancy to 5 years of age. A systematic search of electronic databases and grey literature identified 22 studies that met inclusion criteria, including 24 independent samples, with 5671 unique parents. Meta-analyses were conducted using random effects models and Cohen’s d effects. Small-to-moderate improvements in parent depression, anxiety, self-efficacy, and social support were observed. No effects on parent stress, satisfaction, or parent–child relationship quality were observed. Meta-regression and sub-group analysis were conducted to identify sensitivity or moderation effects. Collectively, findings suggest any benefits of online parenting programs mostly occur at the time of the intervention, for parent mental health and well-being outcomes, and that enduring effects are unlikely. However, given the cost effectiveness and accessibility of online programs, further research into ways of sustaining effects on parenting outcomes is warranted. Furthermore, given the centrality of the parent–child bond to child development across the lifecourse, additional investment in new digitally facilitated approaches focusing on this bond are likewise warranted.

PROSPERO registration CRD42021275647.
Bregman-Golden Ratio Algorithms for Variational Inequalities
Authors: Tam Matthew K. , Uteda Daniel J.
Published: November 2023

Variational inequalities provide a framework through which many optimisation problems can be solved, in particular, saddle-point problems. In this paper, we study modifications to the so-called Golden RAtio ALgorithm (GRAAL) for variational inequalities—a method which uses a fully explicit adaptive step-size and provides convergence results under local Lipschitz assumptions without requiring backtracking. We present and analyse two Bregman modifications to GRAAL: the first uses a fixed step size and converges under global Lipschitz assumptions, and the second uses an adaptive step-size rule. Numerical performance of the former method is demonstrated on a bimatrix game arising in network communication, and of the latter on two problems, namely, power allocation in Gaussian communication channels and N-person Cournot completion games. In all of these applications, an appropriately chosen Bregman distance simplifies the projection steps computed as part of the algorithm.
NRF2 signaling pathway and telomere length in aging and age-related diseases
Authors: Medoro Alessandro , Saso Luciano , Scapagnini Giovanni , Davinelli Sergio
Published: November 2023

The transcription factor nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) is well recognized as a critical regulator of redox, metabolic, and protein homeostasis, as well as the regulation of inflammation. An age-associated decline in NRF2 activity may allow oxidative stress to remain unmitigated and affect key features associated with the aging phenotype, including telomere shortening. Telomeres, the protective caps of eukaryotic chromosomes, are highly susceptible to oxidative DNA damage, which can accelerate telomere shortening and, consequently, lead to premature senescence and genomic instability. In this review, we explore how the dysregulation of NRF2, coupled with an increase in oxidative stress, might be a major determinant of telomere shortening and age-related diseases. We discuss the relevance of the connection between NRF2 deficiency in aging and telomere attrition, emphasizing the importance of studying this functional link to enhance our understanding of aging pathologies. Finally, we present a number of compounds that possess the ability to restore NRF2 function, maintain a proper redox balance, and preserve telomere length during aging.
Predictors for delayed awakening in adult glioma patients receiving awake craniotomy under monitored anesthesia care
Authors: Lin Huan-Tang , Lin Chun-Ming , Wu Yah-Yuan , Chang Wei-Han , Wei Kuo-Chen , Chen Yi-Chun , Chen Pin-Yuan , Liu Fu-Chao , Chen Ko-Ting
Published: November 2023

Purpose

Delayed awakening after anesthetic discontinuation during awake craniotomy is associated with somnolence during functional brain mapping. However, predictors of delayed awakening in patients receiving monitored anesthesia care for awake craniotomy are unknown.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study analyzed 117 adult patients with supratentorial glioma in or near eloquent areas who received monitored anesthesia care for awake craniotomy between July 2020 and January 2023 at Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. These patients were divided into two groups according to their time to awakening (ability to speak their names) after propofol cessation: longer or shorter than 20 min (median duration). Because propofol was solely used anesthetic from skin incision to dural opening, parameters in Schnider model for propofol target-controlled infusion, such as age, sex, and BMI, were adjusted or propensity-matched to compare their anesthetic, surgical, and histopathological profiles.

Results

After propensity-matched comparisons of age and BMI, significant predictors of delayed awakening included IDH1 wild-type tumors and repeated craniotomies. Subgroup analysis revealed that older age and larger T2 volume were predictors in patients undergoing the first craniotomy, while lower preoperative Karnofsky performance scale scores and depression were predictors in repeated craniotomy cases. Delayed awakening was also associated with somnolence and a lower gross total resection rate.

Conclusion

Our retrospective analysis of patients receiving monitored anesthesia care for awake craniotomy revealed that delayed awakening after propofol discontinuation occurred more often in patients with IDH1 wild-type tumors and repeated craniotomies. Also, delayed awakening was associated with somnolence during functional mapping and a lower gross total resection rate.
Advances in Diffusion Barrier Coatings for High-Temperature Applications
Authors: Narita Toshio , Kato Yasumichi , Narita Takuro , Ara Mayumi
Published: November 2023

Diffusion barrier coating (DBC) systems on heat resistant alloys consist of a multi-layer structure: an outer Al-reservoir layer and an inner diffusion barrier layer (DBL). The outer Al-reservoir layer forms a protective Al2O3 scale and DBL acts as a barrier layer against alloy interdiffusion. Three kinds of DBL were developed: Re on Ni-based superalloys; W on stainless steels; and Cr on Ni–Cr alloys. It was found that DBC systems have excellent mechanical properties (creep and fatigue), improving alloy substrate performance, and enhance the anti-exfoliation properties of YSZ in thermal barrier coatings (TBC) in addition to providing excellent oxidation resistance. At temperatures higher than 1300 °C, however, the DBC design based on kinetics (diffusion) is insufficient to form and maintain a protective Al2O3 scale. In this case a self-maintaining coating (SMC) system designed on the basis of thermodynamics (phase stability) is required. The SMC system formed on Nb–Hf (C-103) alloy consists of a multi-layer structure: an outer Re (Al, Si)1.8 and inner NbSi2 layers, plus a transient Nb5Si3 layers formed during oxidation. At temperatures higher than 1300 °C the Al2O3 can be formed by changing the Al/Si ratio in the Re (Al, Si)1.8 in which Si was supplied from the decomposition reaction of NbSi2 to Si + Nb5Si3 during selective oxidation of Al. It is proposed that coating alloys should be designed for considering not only high temperature oxidation, but also alloy substrate mechanical properties and anti-exfoliation of oxide scales, based on both kinetic principles (DBC system) and thermodynamics (SMC system).
Cropping sequence affects the structure and diversity of pathogenic and non-pathogenic soil microbial communities
Authors: Islam M. Nazrul , Oviedo-Ludena M. Alejandra , Kutcher H. Randy , Molina Oscar , Wang Xiben
Published: November 2023

Aims

Current understanding of how cropping sequence affects pathogen-suppressive microbiomes in soil is limited. We investigated the effects of several cropping sequences from the 2020–2021 growing seasons, including cereals, pulses, and an oilseed, on microbial communities in rhizosphere and bulk soils in two western Canadian field locations.

Methods

The fungi and bacteria were characterized by Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) and 16S rRNA gene sequencing, respectively. The QIIME 2™ bioinformatic pipeline was used to measure the diversity and abundance of microbial species. Additionally, the concentration of the soil mineral chemicals, including macro and micro nutrients, was determined by colorimetric analysis.

Results

Ascomycota (62.5%) was the most common fungal phylum, followed by Glomeromycota (11.1%), Mucoromycota (8.9%), and Basidiomycota (6.8%). Pseudomonadota (35.0%), Actinomycetota (21.1%), and Bacillota (10.1%) were the three most common bacterial phyla. Fungal OTU richness and phylogenetic diversity were highest in the cereal-pulse cropping sequencing, and bacterial OTU richness was highest in the pulse-oilseed sequences. Fusarium was the fungal genus most commonly associated with cereal-cereal monoculture and least common in the oilseed-pulse cropping sequences. The fungi (Mortierella, Funneliformis, and Diversispora) and bacteria (Rhizobium, Bradyrhizobium, Flavobacterium, and Candidatus) were higher in the cropping sequences involving pulses. The most prevalent bacteria were Streptomyces in cereal-related sequences and Solirubrobacter and Pseudomonas in oilseed-related sequences. Among soil mineral chemicals, nitrate-nitrogen, copper, calcium, potassium, and chlorine were associated with a number of beneficial fungal and bacterial genera but not with pathogenic fungal genera.

Conclusions

The results highlight the consequences of crop species selection in cropping sequences and the management of agrochemicals in the agricultural production system.
The Promise of Representative Democracy: Deliberative Responsiveness
Authors: Landwehr Claudia , Schäfer Armin
Published: November 2023

In the eyes of its citizens, liberal democracy is connected to at least three promises—the promises of autonomy, equality and rationality. To what extent citizens can view these promises as being fulfilled will affect political trust and support for democracy. The rise of populism and trends towards technocratic government have rightly been interpreted as arising from a gap between normative aspirations and institutional and practical realities. Does this mean that we should adjust our ideals to reality, or that we should strive to bring realities closer to the ideal? Self-proclaimed ‘realists’ argue that democratic ideals are unattainable and that we should therefore settle for a second-best alternative, such as a competitive oligarchy. Against this position, we point out that deliberative democracy offers an attractive ideal for successful representation that can inform democratic innovation. However, deliberative democracy also remains institutionally underdetermined and needs to develop better criteria that enable us to determine if, how and under what conditions the attempt to fulfil democracy’s promises succeeds in practice. In this paper, we suggest a criterion of deliberative responsiveness as a measure for representative democracy’s success in fulfilling promises of autonomy, equality and rationality. We go on to show in what respects these promises tend to be broken in contemporary representative democracies and discuss strategies for institutional reform that have potential to counteract these problems.
Domination and Freedom: Quality, not Quantity
Authors: Boccacci Matteo
Published: November 2023

Does domination make us unfree? Republicans argue that it does. Thus, they contend that the liberal conception of freedom is inadequate as it is not (wholly) able to account for domination. I provide a new approach to this controversy. The liberal conception of freedom has the potential to account for domination, but we must adjust the scope of our analysis: claims about domination are best understood not as claims about quantities of liberal freedom, but as claims about the value of liberal freedom. Even if the master is benevolent and indeed does not interfere much with the slave’s choices and actions, the relation of domination affects the quality of the slave’s liberal freedom. To argue for this point, I provide a taxonomy of the value of freedom and then, on this basis, point to several ways in which freedom under domination lacks value.
Transformation of School Science Practices to Promote Functional Scientific Literacy
Authors: Bossér Ulrika
Published: November 2023

The incorporation of socioscientific issues into science teaching to promote students’ scientific literacy may require that science teachers reconsider and transform their teaching practices. This study examines the knowledge and considerations involved when two teachers incorporated socioscientific issues into their teaching, with the aim of understanding conditions for developing teaching to promote functional scientific literacy. Data consisted of written records of teaching, field notes of classroom observations and transcripts of meetings between the teachers and a researcher, generated during a year-long professional development project. Data were analysed through the framework of didactics that understands teaching as framed by societal conditions, curricula, teaching traditions and teacher and student knowledge and intentions. The results show that the incorporation of socioscientific issues enabled student engagement with scientific content, the practice of evidence-based reasoning and the consideration of values and norms. The teachers strove to seize upon student questions in teaching, and the results show that this may require strategies to raise questions among students, as well as profound science content knowledge on the part of teachers. Moreover, the results indicate that tensions arose between students’ instrumental views of teaching and learning and the teachers’ promotion of an exploratory classroom culture. The teachers had to support student adaption to the new requirements, and in this process, mutual trust and clear expectations were considered important. Implications for teachers’ professional development in relation to the incorporation of socioscientific issues in science education are discussed.
Synthesising boredom: a predictive processing approach
Authors: Darling Tom
Published: November 2023

I identify and then aim to resolve a tension between the psychological and existential conceptions of boredom. The dominant view in psychology is that boredom is an emotional state that is adaptive and self-regulatory. In contrast, in the philosophical phenomenological tradition, boredom is often considered as an existentially important mood. I leverage the predictive processing framework to offer an integrative account of boredom that allows us to resolve these tensions. This account explains the functional aspects of boredom-as-emotion in the psychological literature, offering a principled way of defining boredom’s function in terms of prediction-error-minimisation. However, mediated through predictive processing, we can also integrate the phenomenological view of boredom as a mood; in this light, boredom tracks our grip on the world – revealing a potentially fundamental (mis)attunement.
Multi-scale feature flow alignment fusion with Transformer for the microscopic images segmentation of activated sludge
Authors: Zhao Lijie , Zhang Yingying , Wang Guogang , Huang Mingzhong , Zhang Qichun , Karimi Hamid Reza
Published: November 2023

Accurate microscopic images segmentation of activated sludge is essential for monitoring wastewater treatment processes. However, it is a challenging task due to poor contrast, artifacts, morphological similarities, and distribution imbalance. A novel image segmentation model (FafFormer) was developed in the work based on Transformer that incorporated pyramid pooling and flow alignment fusion. Pyramid Pooling Module was used to extract multi-scale features of flocs and filamentous bacteria with different morphology in the encoder. Multi-scale features were fused by flow alignment fusion module in the decoder. The module used generated semantic flow as auxiliary information to restore boundary details and facilitate fine-grained upsampling. The Focal–Lovász Loss was designed to handle class imbalance for filamentous bacteria and flocs. Image-segmentation experiments were conducted on an activated sludge dataset from a municipal wastewater treatment plant. FafFormer showed relative superiority in accuracy and reliability, especially for filamentous bacteria compared to existing models.
Outcomes of emergent cardiac surgery after transcatheter aortic valve implantation
Authors: van Steenbergen Gijs J. , Olsthoorn Jules R. , Eerdekens Rob , Tan Erwin , Tonino Pim A. L. , Lam Ka Yan
Published: November 2023

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the reasons for emergent cardiac surgery (ECS) after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and assess outcomes of these patients.

Methods

All patients undergoing ECS following a complicated TAVI procedure at a high-volume TAVI centre in the Netherlands from 1 January 2008 to 1 April 2022 were included. Baseline and procedural characteristics and outcome data (procedural, 30-day and 1‑year mortality, in-hospital stroke, 30-day pacemaker implantation, 30-day vascular complications, 30-day deep sternal wound infections and 30-day re-exploration) were collected from patient files and analysed using descriptive statistics.

Results

During the study period, 16 of 1594 patients (1.0%) undergoing TAVI required ECS. The main reason for ECS was valve embolisation (n = 9; 56.3%), followed by perforation of the left/right ventricle with guide wire/pacemaker lead (n = 3; 18.8%) and annular rupture (n = 3; 18.8%). Procedural, 30-day and 1‑year mortality was 0%, 18.8% (n = 3) and 31.3% (n = 5), respectively. In-hospital stroke occurred in 1 patient (6.3%), a pacemaker was implanted at 30 days in 2 patients (12.5%), and major vascular complications did not occur.

Conclusion

ECS following complicated TAVI was performed in only a small number of cases. It had a high but acceptable perioperative and 30-day mortality, taking into account the otherwise lethal consequences. In case of valve embolisation, no periprocedural or 30-day mortality was observed for surgical aortic valve replacement (even in a redo setting), which supported the necessity to perform TAVI in centres with cardiac surgical backup on site.
Structure role of cesium bromide in calcium silicate glasses and glass ceramics
Authors: El Damrawi G. , Gharghar F. , Atef R. , Behairy A.
Published: November 2023

To make the interpretation of the complex xCsBr.(100 − x)(CaO:SiO2) glasses easier to study, the structure of glasses in a binary composition CaO–SiO2 is being initially investigated. The changes in the crystallization behavior of glasses and the local environment surrounding silicon atoms could be easily followed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The XRD pattern of the binary 50CaO–50SiO2 glass showed that its structure was amorphous. But when (CaO:SiO2) is replaced with CsBr, some sharp diffraction lines appear in system of the ternary xCsBr.(100 − x)(CaO:SiO2) glass composition. A Polycrystalline Cs2Ca(SiO3)2 structure is the primary phase in CsBr rich glasses. The results based on transmission electron microscopy (TEM-EDP) and X-ray diffraction pattern (XRD) are in excellent agreement, indicating that crystalline-clustered species develop in glasses enriched with CsBr. Both the NMR and FTIR spectra are clearly defined, and they contain different features that distinguish between different silicate structural subunits. One and two bridging oxygen atoms (BO) can be found in the main SiO4 structural units. Such units become less shielded due to increasing of nonbridging oxygen atoms (NBO) in the silicate network by increasing CsBr at the expense of both SiO2 and CaO. There is a good correlation between the data obtained from FTIR and NMR spectroscopy. Both techniques could differentiate between BO and NBO involved in the silicate structural units.
Parkin depletion prevents the age-related alterations in the FGF21 system and the decline in white adipose tissue thermogenic function in mice
Authors: Delgado-Anglés Alejandro , Blasco-Roset Albert , Godoy-Nieto Francisco J. , Cairó Montserrat , Villarroya Francesc , Giralt Marta , Villarroya Joan
Published: November 2023

Parkin is an ubiquitin‐E3 ligase that is involved in cellular mitophagy and was recently shown to contribute to controlling adipose tissue thermogenic plasticity. We found that Parkin expression is induced in brown (BAT) and white (WAT) adipose tissues of aged mice. We determined the potential role of Parkin in the aging-associated decline in the thermogenic capacity of adipose tissues by analyzing subcutaneous WAT, interscapular BAT, and systemic metabolic and physiological parameters in young (5 month-old) and aged (16 month-old) mice with targeted invalidation of the Parkin (Park2) gene, and their wild-type littermates. Our data indicate that suppression of Parkin prevented adipose accretion, increased energy expenditure and improved the systemic metabolic derangements, such as insulin resistance, seen in aged mice. This was associated with maintenance of browning and reduction of the age-associated induction of inflammation in subcutaneous WAT. BAT in aged mice was much less affected by Parkin gene invalidation. Such protection was associated with a dramatic prevention of the age-associated induction of fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF21) levels in aged Parkin-invalidated mice. This was associated with a parallel reduction in FGF21 gene expression in adipose tissues and liver in aged Parkin-invalidated mice. Additionally, Parkin invalidation prevented the protein down-regulation of β-Klotho (a key co-receptor mediating FGF21 responsiveness in tissues) in aged adipose tissues. We conclude that Parkin down-regulation leads to improved systemic metabolism in aged mice, in association with maintenance of adipose tissue browning and FGF21 system functionality.
A Dynamic Game of Strategic Carbon Taxation and Energy Pricing with Green Technology Innovation
Authors: Zhang Xiao-Bing
Published: November 2023

This paper uses a dynamic game to investigate the strategic interactions between carbon taxation by a coalition of resource consumers and (wellhead) energy pricing by a producers’ cartel under the possibility of innovation in a cheap carbon-free technology. The timing of innovation is uncertain, but can be affected by the amount spent on R &D. The results show that the expectation of possible innovation decreases both the initial carbon tax and producer price, resulting in higher initial resource extraction and carbon emissions. Though this ’green paradox’ effect triggered by possible innovation also will appear in the cooperative case (without strategic interactions), the presence of strategic interactions between resource producers and consumers can somewhat restrain such an effect. For both the resource consumers and a global planner, the optimal R &D to stimulate innovation is an increasing function of the initial CO2 concentration. However, the resource consumers can over-invest in R &D relative to the investment level that a global planner would choose.