bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Coronal and sagittal alignment of ankle joint is significantly affected by high tibial osteotomy
Authors: Oh Byung Hak , Seo Kyung Deok , Heo Youn Moo , Kim Tae Kyun , Choi Jae Kyu , Song Jae Hwang
Published: August 2023

Purpose

Changes in coronal and sagittal alignment of the knee joint after HTO have been reported in several previous studies. However, only few of them investigated the changes only on coronal alignment of the ankle joint. The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in both coronal and sagittal alignment of the ankle joint after HTO.

Methods

46 patients (49 cases) who underwent HTO were retrospectively analyzed. Preoperative and postoperative lower extremity scanogram and EOS imaging system were investigated. The hip–knee–ankle (HKA) angle, medial proximal tibial angle (MPTA), and knee tibia plafond angle (KTPA) were measured by scanogram to evaluate coronal alignment of the knee. Tibial anterior surface angle (TAS), talar tilt (TT), tibial plafond inclination (TPI), and ankle joint axis point on the weight‐bearing‐line (AAWBL) ratio were measured by scanogram to investigate coronal alignment of the ankle. Knee lateral ankle surface angle (KLAS) and tibial lateral surface angle (TLS) were measured by EOS to evaluate sagittal alignment of the ankle.

Results

Varus alignment of the knee was corrected by significant change of the HKA angle (5.8 ± 3.1° vs. − 2.1 ± 2.8°, p < 0.001), MPTA (85.7 ± 2.9° vs. 91.7 ± 3.3°, p < 0.001), and KTPA (5.0 ± 3.5° vs. − 2.1 ± 4.2°, p < 0.001) after HTO. Regarding the ankle coronal alignment, there was significant change in TPI (3.9 ± 3.4° vs. − 0.9 ± 3.8°, p < 0.001) and AAWBL ratio (45.5 ± 14.7% vs. 61.6 ± 13.3%, p < 0.001). In sagittal alignment of the ankle, KLAS (4.5 ± 3.1° vs. 7.7 ± 3.7°, p < 0.001) significantly increased. Among the variables, the amount of correction in AAWBL ratio (R = 0.608, p < 0.01) showed strongest relationship with tibial correction angle.

Conclusion

Based on the present study, coronal and sagittal alignment of ankle joint was significantly affected by HTO. After HTO, AAWBL ratio increased due to lateralization of the ankle joint axis, and KLAS increased due to increased posterior tibial slope.

Level of Evidence

III.
On the use of low-cost 3D stereo depth camera to drive robot trajectories in contact-based applications
Authors: Zaki Ahmed Magdy Ahmed , Carnevale Marco , Schlette Christian , Giberti Hermes
Published: August 2023

In production systems characterized by small batches and high customization levels, operations are required to be flexible to adapt to different products within the shortest possible time and with the minimum effort for system setup. Contact-based operations such as surface finishing, polishing, deburring, and material deposition are mandatory in the fabrication of numerous products. To maintain consistent performance over time, many of these operations require a high level of accuracy, both in end-effector positioning and contact force level. This paper proposes a robotic solution to generate the robot working trajectory for contact-based operations over the external surface of unknown objects of which a digital model is not available or different from the actual state of the workpiece. The paper introduces the integration process of RGBD images to construct a 3D model and its elaboration to extract the workpiece. Different searching subroutines have been developed to select different areas of the workpiece based on the operation to be carried on and generate the related trajectory. The evaluation metric of the proposed robotic solution is given by the stability of the contact force exerted by the robotic tool and the error between generated and the actually followed trajectory due to the depth estimation of a low-cost camera. A few millimeters of the inaccuracy of the trajectory are obtained; these inaccuracies are compensated using force control. Different tests with different nominal values of the force control loop are carried out. Statistical analysis shows that the mean values of the contact force obtained coincide with the nominal value of the single tests.
Guidance for statistical design and analysis of toxicological dose–response experiments, based on a comprehensive literature review
Authors: Kappenberg Franziska , Duda Julia C. , Schürmeyer Leonie , Gül Onur , Brecklinghaus Tim , Hengstler Jan G. , Schorning Kirsten , Rahnenführer Jörg
Published: August 2023

The analysis of dose–response, concentration–response, and time–response relationships is a central component of toxicological research. A major decision with respect to the statistical analysis is whether to consider only the actually measured concentrations or to assume an underlying (parametric) model that allows extrapolation. Recent research suggests the application of modelling approaches for various types of toxicological assays. However, there is a discrepancy between the state of the art in statistical methodological research and published analyses in the toxicological literature. The extent of this gap is quantified in this work using an extensive literature review that considered all dose–response analyses published in three major toxicological journals in 2021. The aspects of the review include biological considerations (type of assay and of exposure), statistical design considerations (number of measured conditions, design, and sample sizes), and statistical analysis considerations (display, analysis goal, statistical testing or modelling method, and alert concentration). Based on the results of this review and the critical assessment of three selected issues in the context of statistical research, concrete guidance for planning, execution, and analysis of dose–response studies from a statistical viewpoint is proposed.
A systematic review of the role of clozapine for severe borderline personality disorder
Authors: Han Joshua , Allison Stephen , Looi Jeffrey C.L. , Chan Sherry Kit Wa , Bastiampillai Tarun
Published: August 2023

Rationale

Clozapine is a unique medication with a potential role in the treatment of severe borderline personality disorder (BPD).

Objectives

The review examines the effectiveness of clozapine as a medication for management for severe BPD with high risk of suicide, violence or imprisonment, and aims to help guide clinical practice in managing severe BPD.

Methods

A database search of the terms “Clozapine” AND “BPD”; “Antipsychotics” AND “BPD”; “Clozapine” AND “Borderline Personality Disorder”; and “Antipsychotics” AND “Borderline Personality Disorder” were performed in CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Embase, Medline, PsychINFO, PubMed, and Web of Science. Full-text articles of clinical clozapine use for BPD were included for review.

Results

A total of 24 articles consisting of 1 randomised control trial, 10 non-controlled trials, and 13 case reports were identified. Most of the studies reported benefits from clozapine when used for severe BPD. Many of the studies focused on clozapine use in BPD patients at high risk of suicide. Results from these non-controlled and case reports support the use of clozapine in patients with severe BPD at high risk of suicide.

Conclusion

There may be a role for clozapine in treating severe treatment refractory BPD, especially for those patients at high risk of suicide and frequent hospitalisations.
Importance of additional behavioral observation in psychopharmacology: a case study on agomelatine’s effects on feedback sensitivity in probabilistic reversal learning in rats
Authors: Noworyta Karolina , Cieslik-Starkiewicz Agata , Rygula Rafal
Published: August 2023

Since the second half of the twentieth century, many important discoveries in the field of behavioral psychopharmacology have been made using operant conditioning cages. These cages provide objective data collection and have revolutionized behavioral research. Unfortunately, in the rush towards automation, many mistakes may have been made that could have been avoided by observing experimental animals. The study described in this paper is an excellent example of how important additional behavioral observation can be for interpreting instrumental data. In this study, we evaluated the effects of single injections of 3 different doses of agomelatine (5, 10, and 40 mg/kg) on feedback sensitivity in rats. To this end, we tested 40 animals in the instrumental probabilistic reversal learning task in a Latin square design. The highest applied dose of agomelatine, prima facie, reduced the sensitivity of rats to negative feedback — an effect that can be considered antidepressant. However, additional behavioral observation dramatically changed the interpretation of the results and revealed that the perceived effect of agomelatine on sensitivity to negative feedback can actually be attributed to drug-induced drowsiness.
Functional materials based on wood, carbon nanotubes, and graphene: manufacturing, applications, and green perspectives
Authors: Łukawski Damian , Hochmańska-Kaniewska Patrycja , Janiszewska-Latterini Dominika , Lekawa-Raus Agnieszka
Published: August 2023

Driven by the quest for greener and more sustainable materials, the presented review analyzes recent studies in which wood and wood-based materials were combined with carbon nanomaterials in the form of carbon nanotubes and graphene. The analysis shows a close kinship between these two carbon-based materials. The first studies have shown that wood may be directly transformed intosp2-bonded carbons, i.e., form graphene-like structures. Further, it has been demonstrated that both carbon nanotubes and graphene can be used to coat or infiltrate wood and processed wood-based materials such as flexible wood sponges or biochars. Thanks to the unique electrical, mechanical, thermal, and wetting properties of graphene and carbon nanotubes, their wood-based nanocomposites were shown to have many potential applications in green electronics area or as nanodevices. Finally, a new range of studies in the area of wood composites showed that carbon nanomaterials integrated into wood-based boards could improve the properties of the former ones. The presented review shows that this emerging area of research on wood-based materials, graphene, and carbon nanotubes is highly promising and interesting in the context of new applications and future perspectives for sustainable development.
Engineering of thioesterase YciA from Haemophilus influenzae for production of carboxylic acids
Authors: Pöschel Laura , Guevara-Martínez Mónica , Hörnström David , van Maris Antonius J. A. , Buchhaupt Markus
Published: August 2023

Acyl-CoA-thioesterases, which hydrolyze acyl-CoA-esters and thereby release the respective acid, have essential functions in cellular metabolism and have also been used to produce valuable compounds in biotechnological processes. Thioesterase YciA originating from Haemophilus influenzae has been previously used to produce specific dicarboxylic acids from CoA-bound intermediates of the ethylmalonyl CoA pathway (EMCP) in Methylorubrum extorquens. In order to identify variants of the YciA enzyme with the capability to hydrolyze so far inaccessible CoA-esters of the EMCP or with improved productivity, we engineered the substrate-binding region of the enzyme. Screening a small semi-rational mutant library directly in M.extorquens yielded the F35L variant which showed a drastic product level increase for mesaconic acid (6.4-fold) and 2-methylsuccinic acid (4.4-fold) compared to the unaltered YciA enzyme. Unexpectedly, in vitro enzyme assays using respective M.extorquens cell extracts or recombinantly produced thioesterases could not deliver congruent data, as the F35L variant showed strongly reduced activity in these experiments. However, applied in an Escherichia coli production strain, the protein variant again outperformed the wild-type enzyme by allowing threefold increased 3-hydroxybutyric acid product titers. Saturation mutagenesis of the codon for position 35 led to the identification of another highly efficient YciA variant and enabled structure-function interpretations. Our work describes an important module for dicarboxylic acid production with M. extorquens and can guide future thioesterase improvement approaches.

Key points

• Substitutions at position F35 of YciAHI changed the productivity of YciA-based release of carboxylic acid products in M. extorquens AM1 and E. coli.

• YciAHI F35N and F35L are improved variants for dicarboxylic production of 2-methylsuccinic acid and mesaconic acid with M. extorquens AM1.

• In vitro enzyme assays did not reveal superior properties of the optimized protein variants.
Extracellular RNAs released by plant-associated fungi: from fundamental mechanisms to biotechnological applications
Authors: Cheng An-Po , Kwon Seomun , Adeshara Trusha , Göhre Vera , Feldbrügge Michael , Weiberg Arne
Published: August 2023

Extracellular RNAs are an emerging research topic in fungal-plant interactions. Fungal plant pathogens and symbionts release small RNAs that enter host cells to manipulate plant physiology and immunity. This communication via extracellular RNAs between fungi and plants is bidirectional. On the one hand, plants release RNAs encapsulated inside extracellular vesicles as a defense response as well as for intercellular and inter-organismal communication. On the other hand, recent reports suggest that also full-length mRNAs are transported within fungal EVs into plants, and these fungal mRNAs might get translated inside host cells. In this review article, we summarize the current views and fundamental concepts of extracellular RNAs released by plant-associated fungi, and we discuss new strategies to apply extracellular RNAs in crop protection against fungal pathogens.

Key points

• Extracellular RNAs are an emerging topic in plant-fungal communication.

• Fungi utilize RNAs to manipulate host plants for colonization.

• Extracellular RNAs can be engineered to protect plants against fungal pathogens.
Measures and models of visual acuity in epipelagic and mesopelagic teleosts and elasmobranchs
Authors: Caves Eleanor M. , Sutton Tracey T. , Warrant Eric J. , Johnsen Sönke
Published: August 2023

Eyes in low-light environments typically must balance sensitivity and spatial resolution. Vertebrate eyes with large "pixels" (e.g., retinal ganglion cells with inputs from many photoreceptors) will be sensitive but provide coarse vision. Small pixels can render finer detail, but each pixel will gather less light, and thus have poor signal relative-to-noise, leading to lower contrast sensitivity. This balance is particularly critical in oceanic species at mesopelagic depths (200–1000 m) because they experience low light and live in a medium that significantly attenuates contrast. Depending on the spatial frequency and inherent contrast of a pattern being viewed, the viewer’s pupil size and temporal resolution, and the ambient light level and water clarity, a visual acuity exists that maximizes the distance at which the pattern can be discerned. We develop a model that predicts this acuity for common conditions in the open ocean, and compare it to visual acuity in marine teleost fishes and elasmobranchs found at various depths in productive and oligotrophic waters. Visual acuity in epipelagic and upper mesopelagic species aligned well with model predictions, but species at lower mesopelagic depths (> 600 m) had far higher measured acuities than predicted. This is consistent with the prediction that animals found at lower mesopelagic depths operate in a visual world consisting primarily of bioluminescent point sources, where high visual acuity helps localize targets of this kind. Overall, the results suggest that visual acuity in oceanic fish and elasmobranchs is under depth-dependent selection for detecting either extended patterns or point sources.
Pacemod: parametric contour-based modifications for glyph generation
Authors: Presnov Dmitri , Berels Marlena , Kolb Andreas
Published: August 2023

Metaphoric glyphs are intuitively related to the underlying problem domain and enhance the readability and learnability of the resulting visualization. Their construction, however, implies an appropriate modification of the base icon, which is a predominantly manual process. In this paper, we introduce theparametric contour-based modification (PACEMOD)approach that lays the foundations of automated, controllable icon manipulations. Technically, the PACEMOD parametric representation utilizes diffusion curves, enriched with new degrees of freedom in arc-length parameterization, which allows for manipulation of the icon contours’ geometry and the related color attributes. Moreover, we propose an implementation of our generic approach for a specific, automated design of metaphoric glyphs, based on periodic, wave-like contour modifications. Finally, the practicality of such periodic contour modifications is demonstrated by two visualization examples, which comprise uncertainty visualization of a rain forecast and gradient glyphs applied to COVID-19 data. In summary, with the PACEMOD approach we introduce an instrument that facilitates a user-centered design of metaphoric glyphs and provides a generic basis for potential further implementations according to specific applications.
Intralesional bivalent and quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccines didn’t significantly enhance the response of multiple anogenital warts when co-administered with intralesional Candida antigen immunotherapy. A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Fawzy Manal , Nofal Eman , Abdelkhalek Naglaa , Ehab Rana
Published: August 2023

Treatment of anogenital warts (AGWs) is challenging. Candida antigen immunotherapy has been proven to be a safe and relatively effective therapeutic modality; nevertheless, some patients may experience a partial or no response. Combining Candida antigen with other immunotherapies has been proposed to improve the cure rate. Immunotherapy with human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines has been tried with conflicting outcomes. This study aimed to  assess the efficacy and safety of intralesional Candida antigen, either alone or in combination with intralesional bivalent or quadrivalent HPV vaccines, for treating multiple AGWs. Eighty patients with multiple AGWs were included and randomly assigned to four equal groups: group A treated with intralesional Candida antigen only; group B treated with intralesional bivalent HPV vaccine (Cervarix) and Candida; group C treated with intralesional quadrivalent HPV vaccine (Gardasil) and Candida; and group D (control) treated with intralesional saline. Complete clearance of lesions was detected in 40%, 20%, and 60% of patients in Candida monotherapy, Cervarix/Candida, and Gardasil/Candida groups, respectively, whereas 40%, 60%, and 20% of patients in the three groups, respectively, showed partial response. Only 10% of the control group had a partial response. Therapeutic outcomes were significantly better in the three treatment groups compared to the control group, with no statistically significant difference between the Candida monotherapy group and the combination groups, but the response was significantly better in the Gardasil/Candida group than in the Cervarix/Candida group. No statistically significant difference was found between the studied groups regarding the development of side effects. Moreover, no recurrence was detected in any of the groups throughout the 3-month follow-up period.  Based on our results, combining intralesional HPV vaccines with Candida antigen immunotherapy may have no significant benefit for treating multiple AGWs. Candida antigen may be recommended as a relatively effective and inexpensive therapeutic modality. The combination of Gardasil and Candida was also effective but very expensive. The results of the Cervarix/Candida combination were unsatisfactory.  This clinical trial was registered and approved prospectively by the ethical review board at Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University.
Prognostic accuracy of Neonatal SOFA score versus SIRS criteria in preterm infants with late-onset sepsis
Authors: Poggi Chiara , Ciarcià Martina , Miselli Francesca , Dani Carlo
Published: August 2023

Neonatal SOFA score was reported as an accurate predictor of mortality while the prognostic accuracy of SIRS criteria is unknown. The aim was to compare neonatal SOFA and SIRS criteria for the prediction of late onset sepsis-related mortality in preterm newborns. Newborns ≤ 32 weeks with late onset sepsis were retrospectively studied. Neonatal SOFA and SIRS criteria were calculated at onset of sepsis (T0), and after 6 ± 1 (T1), 12 ± 3 (T2) and 24 ± 3 h (T3). Outcome was death during antibiotic treatment for late onset sepsis. We studied 112 newborns with gestational age 26.9 ± 2.3 weeks; 11% met the study outcome. Neonatal SOFA was significantly higher in non-survivors vs. survivors at all time intervals; SIRS criteria were significantly higher in non-survivors vs. survivors at T1, T2 and T3. Neonatal SOFA increased over time in non-survivors (p = 0.003). At T0, the area under receiver operating characteristics curve was significantly higher for neonatal SOFA score than SIRS criteria (0.950 vs. 0.569; p = 0.0002), and the best calculated cut-off for T0 neonatal SOFA score was 4. In multivariate analysis T0 and T1 neonatal SOFA were predictors of late onset sepsis-related mortality (p = 0.048 and p < 0.001).

  Conclusion: Neonatal SOFA score showed greater discriminatory capacity for mortality than SIRS criteria and might be helpful to plan management for patients at higher risk of death.

What is Known:• Neonatal SOFA score may be an accurate prognostic tool.• No prognostic score has been fully standardized for septic newborns in NICU.

What is New:• Neonatal SOFA score outperformed SIRS criteria for the prediction of prognosis in preterm infants with late onset sepsis.• Neonatal SOFA score assessed at onset of sepsis and 6 hrs later is a predictor of mortality.
The Visible-Volume Function of a Set of Cameras is Continuous, Piecewise Rational, Locally Lipschitz, and Semi-Algebraic in All Dimensions
Authors: Rambau Jörg
Published: August 2023

The visible-volume function assigns to a configuration of cameras and a flexible environment in a convex room the volume that can be supervised by the cameras. It is of interest to configure the cameras and the environment in such a way that the visible volume is maximized. Some methods of global optimization can take profit from desirable analytic properties of the visible-volume function. Earlier work has only considered this function in dimensions two and three or for static environments implicitly defined by level-set functions. In this paper it is shown, that the visible-volume function for a flexible environment modeled explicitly by a parametrized simplicial complex is continuous, piecewise rational, locally Lipschitz, and semi-algebraic in all dimensions.
The general class of Wasserstein Sobolev spaces: density of cylinder functions, reflexivity, uniform convexity and Clarkson’s inequalities
Authors: Sodini Giacomo Enrico
Published: August 2023

We show that the algebra of cylinder functions in the Wasserstein Sobolev space$$H^{1,q}(\mathcal {P}_p(X,\textsf{d}), W_{p, \textsf{d}}, \mathfrak {m})$$H1,q(Pp(X,d),Wp,d,m)generated by a finite and positive Borel measure$$\mathfrak {m}$$mon the$$(p,\textsf{d})$$(p,d)-Wasserstein space$$(\mathcal {P}_p(X, \textsf{d}), W_{p, \textsf{d}})$$(Pp(X,d),Wp,d)on a complete and separable metric space$$(X,\textsf{d})$$(X,d)is dense in energy. As an application, we prove that, in case the underlying metric space is a separable Banach space$$\mathbb {B}$$B, then the Wasserstein Sobolev space is reflexive (resp. uniformly convex) if$$\mathbb {B}$$Bis reflexive (resp. if the dual of$$\mathbb {B}$$Bis uniformly convex). Finally, we also provide sufficient conditions for the validity of Clarkson’s type inequalities in the Wasserstein Sobolev space.
Requirements quality research: a harmonized theory, evaluation, and roadmap
Authors: Frattini Julian , Montgomery Lloyd , Fischbach Jannik , Mendez Daniel , Fucci Davide , Unterkalmsteiner Michael
Published: August 2023

High-quality requirements minimize the risk of propagating defects to later stages of the software development life cycle. Achieving a sufficient level of quality is a major goal of requirements engineering. This requires a clear definition and understanding of requirements quality. Though recent publications make an effort at disentangling the complex concept of quality, the requirements quality research community lacks identity and clear structure which guides advances and puts new findings into an holistic perspective. In this research commentary, we contribute (1) a harmonized requirements quality theory organizing its core concepts, (2) an evaluation of the current state of requirements quality research, and (3) a research roadmap to guide advancements in the field. We show that requirements quality research focuses on normative rules and mostly fails to connect requirements quality to its impact on subsequent software development activities, impeding the relevance of the research. Adherence to the proposed requirements quality theory and following the outlined roadmap will be a step toward amending this gap.
Groundwater recharge influenced by ephemeral river flow and land use in the semiarid Limpopo Province of South Africa
Authors: Lindle J. , Villholth K. G. , Ebrahim G. Y. , Sorensen J. P. R. , Taylor R. G. , Jensen K. H.
Published: August 2023

Determining the sustainability of groundwater use in drylands with high climate variability is complex. Central to this determination is an understanding of groundwater recharge and associated processes and controls. Groundwater recharge in drylands can occur by diffuse and focused recharge (focused recharge being associated with intense episodic rainfall events and ephemeral river flow, predicted to increase and intensify with climate change). This study evaluated the relative significance and dominant controls on these two recharge processes. Ten groundwater hydrographs with multidecadal observations were collated from the Limpopo Province, South Africa, based on their proximity to river channels and rain gauges, representing diversity in local climate, landscape, vegetation, and hydrogeological conditions. The hydrographs showed that groundwater-level rises are sensitive to rainfall intensity during the rainy season, with generally larger increases after years with large episodic rainfall events, which disproportionately contribute to groundwater replenishment. Recharge processes and annual recharge volumes were quantified using the water-table fluctuation method and the numerical model HYDRUS-1D. This allowed for the inference of additional recharge contributions from focused recharge in proximity to ephemeral rivers, up to a factor of five relative to diffuse recharge. The analysis revealed synchronicity and linear correlation between annual river discharge and recharge close to the river, substantiating the importance of focused recharge close to the river network. The study showed that recharge in drylands is subject to large spatial and temporal variation and that consideration of focused and episodic recharge is critically important for managing groundwater resources at various scales in these regions.
Effect of low-level laser therapy on quadriceps and foot muscle fatigue in children with spastic diplegia: a randomized controlled study
Authors: Abdelhalim Sarah Mohamed , Shoukry Kamal Elsayed , Alsharnoubi Jehan
Published: August 2023

Spastic diplegia is the most common form of cerebral palsy; children with spastic diplegia are suffering from muscle fatigue and spasticity which lead to decreasing power of muscles, impaired motor control, and many functional abilities. The effect of low-level laser (LLL) has a good result as it improves muscles pain and spasticity and in decreasing lactate levels. Forty children were selected with spastic diplegia and were divided into two groups: A and B. Group A received low-level laser treatment (LLLT) with physiotherapy treatment. Group B got physiotherapy sessions. Pain intensity was assessed by the visual analog scale (VAS) of pain which is reliable from age 5, before treatment and after 1-month follow-up. Muscle fatigue and power were assessed by maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) before treatment and after 1-month follow-up. Also, we tested blood lactate level in both groups; all evaluations were done before treatment and after 1-month follow-up. We found a significant difference between the two groups in VAS and MVIC and blood lactate level test regarding low-level therapy after 1-month follow-up. There is a good effect of low-level laser in increasing muscle power, decreasing blood lactate level, and improving pain.
Recycled and non-recycled exhaustible resource: an optimal control strategy for input allocation
Authors: Bertarelli Silvia , Lodi Chiara , Ragni Stefania
Published: August 2023

The United Nations aim to perform a transition toward a sustainable environment where people can live by decoupling economic growth from resource use. Through the definition of the Agenda 2030 and the corresponding sustainable development goals, this transition asks for a lower dependence on non-renewable resources and for the use of recycled materials in a finite term perspective. In this respect, we provide an optimal control model which searches for an efficient allocation of labor between non-recycling and recycling sectors exploiting a given non-renewable resource. The optimization process is carried out over a finite time horizon in accordance with the need of rapidly achieving the targets imposed by the ecological transition. By employing the classical tools of optimal control theory, a complete theoretical analysis of the model well-posedness is developed under the assumption of linear production in both sectors. The approach is applied in order to simulate a hypothetical test case.
Exploring the role of PPP–RTK network configuration: a balance of server budget and user performance
Authors: Hu Jiahuan , Cui Bobin , Li Pan , Bisnath Sunil , Zheng Kai
Published: August 2023

With atmospheric corrections generated from the server, precise point positioning real-time kinematic (PPP–RTK) can achieve high-precision solutions in a fast convergence. PPP–RTK users are concerned about how to use the corrections and the level of performance that can be achieved; thus, our research has focused on correction methods, a priori stochastic modeling, and positioning performance evaluation. Conversely, it is crucial for the server to improve the precision of corrections provided and to consider the balance between cost, computation burden and user performance, especially for commercial applications. We use different scales of the national GPS network of France to generate ionospheric and tropospheric corrections, and corresponding uncertainty information is generated by establishing error functions with respect to an inter-station distance. The quality of corrections and corresponding user performance are analyzed with inter-station distances varying from 22 to 251 km. The results show that the precision of atmospheric corrections can be improved with an increasing number of stations in the network, but the improvement is not significant when the inter-station distances are smaller than 50 km. Regarding user performance, compared to conventional PPP solutions with ambiguity resolution, the convergence time can be reduced by a maximum of 93% and 85% in the horizontal and vertical components, respectively, when the inter-station distance is about 23 km. However, a station spacing within 100 km can still support a 3-min convergence; thus, a balance of server budget and user performance should be considered instead of a dense network.
SELF-EdiT: Structure-constrained molecular optimisation using SELFIES editing transformer
Authors: Piao Shengmin , Choi Jonghwan , Seo Sangmin , Park Sanghyun
Published: August 2023

Structure-constrained molecular optimisation aims to improve the target pharmacological properties of input molecules through small perturbations of the molecular structures. Previous studies have exploited various optimisation techniques to satisfy the requirements of structure-constrained molecular optimisation tasks. However, several studies have encountered difficulties in producing property-improved and synthetically feasible molecules. To achieve both property improvement and synthetic feasibility of molecules, we proposed a molecular structure editing model called SELF-EdiT that uses self-referencing embedded strings (SELFIES) and Levenshtein transformer models. The SELF-EdiT generates new molecules that resemble the seed molecule by iteratively applying fragment-based deletion-and-insertion operations to SELFIES. The SELF-EdiT exploits a grammar-based SELFIES tokenization method and the Levenshtein transformer model to efficiently learn deletion-and-insertion operations for editing SELFIES. Our results demonstrated that SELF-EdiT outperformed existing structure-constrained molecular optimisation models by a considerable margin of success and total scores on the two benchmark datasets. Furthermore, we confirmed that the proposed model could improve the pharmacological properties without large perturbations of the molecular structures through edit-path analysis. Moreover, our fragment-based approach significantly relieved the SELFIES collapse problem compared to the existing SELFIES-based model. SELF-EdiT is the first attempt to apply editing operations to the SELFIES to design an effective editing-based optimisation, which can be helpful for fellow researchers planning to utilise the SELFIES.
Combining remote sensing, habitat suitability models and cellular automata to model the spread of the invasive shrub Ulex europaeus
Authors: Gränzig Tobias , Clasen Anne , Fassnacht Fabian Ewald , Cord Anna , Förster Michael
Published: August 2023

Modeling the past or future spread patterns of invasive plant species is challenging and in an ideal case requires multi-temporal and spatially explicit data on the occurrences of the target species as well as information on the habitat suitability of the areas at risk of being invaded. Most studies either focus on modeling the habitat suitability of a given area for an invasive species or try to model the spreading behavior of an invasive species based on temporally or spatially limited occurrence data and some environmental variables. Here we suggest a workflow that combines habitat suitability maps, occurrence data from multiple time steps collected from remote sensing data, and cellular automata models to first reconstruct the spreading patterns of the invasive shrub Ulex europaeus on the island Chiloé in Chile and then make predictions for the future spread of the species. First, U. europaeus occurrences are derived for four time steps between 1988 and 2020 using remote sensing data and a supervised classification. The resulting occurrence data is combined with occurrence data of the native range of U. europaeus from the GBIF database and selected environmental variables to derive habitat suitability maps using Maxent. Then, cellular automata models are calibrated using the occurrence estimates of the four time steps, the suitability map, and some additional geo-layer containing information about soils and human infrastructure. Finally, a set of calibrated cellular automata models are used to predict the potential spread of U. europaeus for the years 2070 and 2100 using climate scenarios. All individual steps of the workflow where reference data was available led to sufficient results (supervised classifications Overall Accuracy > 0.97; Maxent AUC > 0.85; cellular automata Balanced Accuracy > 0.91) and the spatial patterns of the derived maps matched the experiences collected during the field surveys. Our model predictions suggest a continuous expansion of the maximal potential range of U. europaeus, particularly in the Eastern and Northern part of Chiloé Island. We deem the suggested workflow to be a good solution to combine the static habitat suitability information—representing the environmental constraints—with a temporally and spatially dynamic model representing the actual spreading behavior of the invasive species. The obtained understanding of spreading patterns and the information on areas identified to have a high invasion probability in the future can support land managers to plan prevention and mitigation measures.
Automated and semi-automated 3D echocardiographic software for aortic annulus sizing in transcatheter aortic valve implantation helps bridge the gap between expert and novice operators
Authors: Massie Charles , Parent Martine , Berthelot-Richer Maxime , Kouz Rémi , Palisaitis Donald , Le Viet , Poulin Frédéric
Published: August 2023

3D-transesophageal echocardiography (3D-TEE) is an alternative to multidetector row computed tomography (MDCT) for aortic annulus (AoA) sizing in preparation for Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). We aim to evaluate how the fully automated (auto) and semi-automated (SA) TEE methods perform compared to conventional manual TEE method and the gold standard MDCT for annulus sizing both in expert and novice operators. In this prospective cohort study, eighty-nine patients with severe aortic stenosis underwent multimodality imaging with 3D-TEE and MDCT. Annular measurements were collected by expert echocardiographers using 3D auto, SA and manual methods and compared to MDCT. A novice in the field of echocardiography retrospectively measured the AoA for all patients using the same methods. TEE measurements, independently of the method used, had good to very good agreement to MDCT. They significantly underestimated aortic annular area and circumference vs. MDCT with the auto method underestimating it the most and the manual method the least (6.5% and 1.3% respectively for area and circumference). For experts, the manual TEE method offered the least systematic bias while the SA method had narrower limits of agreement (LOA). For the novice operator, SA method provided the least bias and narrower LOA vs. MDCT. There is good agreement between novice and experts for all 3 TEE methods but better agreement with auto and SA methods as opposed to manual one. Our study supports the use of 3D-TEE as a complementary method to MDCT for aortic annular sizing. The newer auto and SA software, that requires minimal operator intervention, is an easy to use, reliable and reproducible tool for aortic annulus sizing for experienced operators, and especially less experienced ones.
Antifa’s Political Violence on Twitter: a Grounded Theory Approach
Authors: Jaccoud Lachlan , Molnar Lorena , Aebi Marcelo F.
Published: August 2023

This paper explores antifa activists’ use of doxing on Twitter against individuals perceived as alt-right militants. Following the principles of Grounded Theory, we collected 4690 tweets published by antifa users between September 2019 and September 2020 and analysed a random subsample of 1638. Results show that antifa users perceive alt-right activists as a serious threat to their worldview and seek to neutralise their activism even at the cost of making them social pariahs. To achieve that goal, antifa activists collect personal data on persons they suspect of being alt-right activists to “build a case” and then disseminate that information through different virtual social networks to the largest audience possible. The aim of doxing is to encourage other social actors to react and take actions that could be detrimental to the individual targeted. The article discusses practical and ethical implications of this kind of political-based harassment and suggests that future research on doxing could focus on antifa blogs and websites, which include sensitive information forbidden on Twitter.
“Not in Our Daycare”? Commitments and Obstacles to Antiracism in Finnish ECEC
Authors: Loukola Saara
Published: August 2023

The aim of this article is to contribute to the under-researched topic of racism in Finnish early childhood education and care (ECEC) by posing three questions: What kind of racism do ECEC teachers recognize in ECEC? How are teachers committed to opposing racism in their work? What kind of obstacles to committing to antiracism are recognized in ECEC? These questions are answered through discourse analysis on interviews with six Finnish ECEC teachers. This article demonstrates how racism is evident in many forms in early education, such as racist assumptions, all-White learning material and structures. The teachers recognized the urgency to resist racism in their work. They committed to antiracism through conscious pedagogical solutions, e.g., broadening representations in learning materials and critically reflecting on their privileges and racialised stereotypes. Yet adopting an antiracist approach in ECEC faces obstacles, such as the hectic everyday work, difficulty intervening in racist situations, and co-workers’ lack of self-reflection in multi-professional teams. Thus, it is vital to find ways to recognize racism in multi-professional teams, to improve the ability for self-reflection, and to ensure that teachers have the resources to continue their work against racism.
Aerated steam eradicates powdery mildew from strawberry transplants
Authors: Stensvand Arne , Wang Nan-Yi , Le Vinh Hong , Da Silva Claudio Dias , Asalf Belachew , Grieu Chloe , Turechek William W. , Peres Natalia A.
Published: August 2023

Powdery mildew, caused by the ascomycete Podosphaera aphanis, is an important disease of strawberry. A slightly modified version of a method using steam thermotherapy to rid diseases and pests from strawberry transplants was tested against strawberry powdery mildew. Experiments took place in Norway and Florida, with potted strawberry plants heavily infected with the fungus. Aerated steam treatments of the plants were carried out as follows: a pre-treatment with steaming at 37 °C for 1 h was followed by 1 h at ambient temperature before plants were exposed to steaming at 40, 42, or 44 °C for 2 or 4 h in Norway and 44 °C for 4 h in Florida. Following steaming, plants from the different treatments and the untreated control were kept apart and protected from outside contamination of powdery mildew by growing them in closed containers with over-pressure. On steamed plants, hyphae of P. aphanis were dead and without any new spore formation after treatments, independent of temperature or exposure time; however, up to 99% of the area infected with powdery mildew prior to treatments contained actively sporulating lesions on non-steamed plants. None of the new leaves formed after steaming had powdery mildew, whereas more than half of the new leaves on non-treated plants were infected by P. aphanis. This investigation clearly indicates that steam thermotherapy can eradicate powdery mildew from strawberry transplants, and this can be achieved at lower temperatures and exposure times than previously reported for other pathogens.
Sustainable assessment of concrete structures using BIM–LCA–AHP integrated approach
Authors: Abdelaal Mohamed A. , Seif Samer M. , El-Tafesh Menna M. , Bahnas Noha , Elserafy Mohamed M. , Bakhoum Emad S.
Published: August 2023

Recently, sustainability has become one of the most critical goals to be accomplished in the construction industry to mitigate its environmental impacts, energy consumption, waste, and cost. Therefore, this research aims to assess the sustainability of concrete structures using the Building Information Modeling and Life Cycle Assessment (BIM–LCA) approach. It can aid to rank and select the type of concrete based on sustainability criteria including CO2 emissions, embodied energy, and cost using analytical hierarchy process (AHP) method. One-Click LCA tool has been used for the recognition of the distinctions in the LCA results by adopting different environmental product declaration databases. HBERT is used as a verification tool for One-Click LCA results. A comparative study is applied to a multi-story car park concrete structure using both traditional concrete and green concrete that includes supplementary waste materials. Three different models of concrete that have the same compressive strength are selected: traditional concrete, green concrete using 30% fly ash, and green concrete using 50% ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBFS). The results showed that using 50% GGBFS in the concrete mix is the most sustainable alternative in terms of CO2 emissions and embodied energy. Finally, it is concluded that using BIM–LCA–AHP integrated approach can help engineers to design computerized models that improve the sustainability of construction by evaluation based on sustainable objectives.
A least-squares-fitting procedure for an efficient preclinical ranking of passive transport across the blood–brain barrier endothelium
Authors: Jorgensen Christian , Troendle Evan P. , Ulmschneider Jakob P. , Searson Peter C. , Ulmschneider Martin B.
Published: August 2023

The treatment of various disorders of the central nervous system (CNS) is often impeded by the limited brain exposure of drugs, which is regulated by the human blood–brain barrier (BBB). The screening of lead compounds for CNS penetration is challenging due to the biochemical complexity of the BBB, while experimental determination of permeability is not feasible for all types of compounds. Here we present a novel method for rapid preclinical screening of libraries of compounds by utilizing advancements in computing hardware, with its foundation in transition-based counting of the flux. This method has been experimentally validated for in vitro permeabilities and provides atomic-level insights into transport mechanisms. Our approach only requires a single high-temperature simulation to rank a compound relative to a library, with a typical simulation time converging within 24 to 72 h. The method offers unbiased thermodynamic and kinetic information to interpret the passive transport of small-molecule drugs across the BBB.

Graphical abstract
PrEP Among Sub-Saharan African Diaspora Communities in Belgium – a Participatory Action Research Study
Authors: Van Landeghem Ella , Arbier Alida , Pratt Christian Sydney A. , Senga Mikaza , Scheerder Gert , Reyniers Thijs , Hensen Bernadette , Nöstlinger Christiana
Published: August 2023

In Belgium, migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) accounted for 45% of new heterosexual HIV infections in 2021, while only 1.5% of PrEP starters were of SSA descent. We explored the acceptance of PrEP and barriers towards PrEP uptake and use among SSA migrant and diaspora communities in Belgium using a participatory action research approach. Trained community researchers (CRs), involved in all phases of the study, co-designed and moderated group discussions (GDs) while simultaneously providing information on HIV and PrEP during workshops. Extensive summaries and field notes were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. CRs were involved in data analysis, interpretation and reporting. We conducted seven GDs with 51 participants. We identified five major themes: (1) Participants had limited PrEP knowledge, which created feelings of surprise and annoyance about not being informed. This was partly explained by (2) the taboo and stigma that surrounds sexuality and HIV, which could shape PrEP acceptance. (3) Participants shared feelings of otherness due to experiences of racism and discrimination, also in relationship to HIV prevention. (4) PrEP was considered a high-threshold prevention tool, because of its perceived side-effects and its specialized service delivery. (5) Despite nuanced opinions about PrEP, all participants agreed that PrEP promotion should be mainstreamed, so everyone can make an informed decision. In conclusion, PrEP seemed acceptable among our participants. Our qualitative study provides insights into the intersecting barriers to accessing HIV services, showing that SSA diaspora communities are ‘hardly reached’ rather than ‘hard to reach’ by PrEP promotion messages.