bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improving energy storage and performance through implementing artificial neural network modeling to forecast heat transfer and entropy generation within a wavy‐wall microchannel under discontinuous‐boundary condition–hybrid nanofluid utilization
Authors: Abu‐Hamdeh Nidal H.
Published: June 2021

Numerous industries deal with heat transfer looking for a new technique to boost efficiency. Using nonuniform condition and making a wavy wall and microchannel are the conventional techniques to increase heat transfer which consequently lead to intensification in energy storage potential. In the present study, forced convection heat transfer of nanofluid through the slippage microchannel is investigated by utilizing numerical methods. Moreover, the results of the artificial neural network in determining the parameters involved in the first and second laws of thermodynamics are discussed; so it is necessary to determine the optimal number of neurons in the middle layer. In addition, the current study aims to examine the effects of Reynolds number, slip wall, and locations of thermal boundary condition on heat transfer and irreversibility. However, thermal entropy generation becomes 1.52 times worse. It is also revealed that the slippage wall can enhance the heat transfer up to 15.6%. The best thing about slippage microchannel is creating slip wall raises the thermal entropy generation and declines the viscous entropy generation.
Betaine Delayed Muscle Loss by Attenuating Samtor Complex Inhibition for mTORC1 Signaling Via Increasing SAM Level
Authors: Chen Si , Lu Xiao‐Ting , He Tong‐Tong , Yishake Dinuerguli , Tan Xu‐Yin , Hou Meng‐Jun , Luo Yun , Long Jing‐An , Tang Zhi‐Hong , Zhong Rong‐Huan , Fang Ai‐Ping , Zhu Hui‐Lian
Published: June 2021

Scope

The muscle loss during aging results from the blunt of protein synthesis and poses threat to the elderly health. This study aims to investigate whether betaine affects muscle loss by improving protein synthesis.

Methods and Results

Male C57BL/6J mice are raised from age 12 or 15 months. Mice are fed with AIN‐93M diet without or with 2% w/v betaine in distilled water as control group or betaine intervention group (Bet), respectively. Betaine supplementation to mice demonstrates better body composition, grip strength, and motor function. Muscle morphology upregulates expression of myogenic regulate factors, and elevates myosin heavy chain and also improves in Bet group. Betaine promotes muscle protein synthesis via tethering mammalian target of rapamycin complex1 protein kinase (mTORC1) on the lysosomal membrane thereby activating mTORC1 signaling. All these effects aforementioned are time‐dependent (p < 0.05). Ultrahigh‐performance liquid chromatography results show that betaine increases S‐adenosyl‐l‐methionine (SAM) via methionine cycle. SAM sensor—Samtor—overexpression in C2C12 cells could displace mTORC1 from lysosome thereby inhibiting the mTORC1 signaling. Addition of betaine attenuates this inhibition by increasing SAM level and then disrupting interaction of Samtor complex.

Conclusions

These observations indicate that betaine could promisingly promote protein synthesis to delay age‐related muscle loss.
Boron Contents of German Mineral and Medicinal Waters and Their Bioavailability in Drosophila melanogaster and Humans
Authors: Seidel Ulrike , Haegele Franziska A. , Baumhof Elena , Jans Katharina , Seidler Yvonne , Kremer Daan , Bakker Stephan J. L. , Birringer Marc , Lüersen Kai , Bosy‐Westphal Anja , Rimbach Gerald
Published: June 2021

Scope

Boron is a trace element that naturally occurs in soil, making mineral and medicinal water important contributors to overall intake. Thus, in a systematic screening, the mean boron concentrations of 381 German mineral and medicinal waters are determined.

Methods and Results

Boron concentrations in mineral and medicinal waters are analyzed by inductively coupled mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS). Highest boron values find in waters from the southwest of Germany. The boron content of the waters is positively correlated with the concentration of most other analyzed bulk elements, including calcium, potassium, magnesium, and sodium. Mineral waters with either low (7.9 µg L−1), medium (113.9 µg L−1), or high (2193.3 µg L−1) boron content are chosen for boron exposure experiments in fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) and humans. In flies, boron‐rich mineral water significantly increases boron accumulation, with the accumulation predominantly occurring in the exoskeleton. In humans, serum boron and 24‐h urinary boron excretion significantly increase only in response to the intake of boron‐rich mineral water.

Conclusion

Overall, the current data demonstrate that mineral and medicinal waters vary substantially in the content of boron and that boron‐rich mineral water can be used to elevate the boron status, both in flies and humans.
Bilanz 2020: Evonik
Authors: Bulmahn Maren
Published: June 2021

Der Essener Konzern Evonik hat im Jahr 2020 sieben Prozent weniger umgesetzt. Das Unternehmen fokussiert sich auf Spezialchemie. Dazu dienen Zu‐ und Verkäufe von Unternehmensteilen und eine geänderte Struktur mit Divisionen, die sich leichter steuern lassen sollen.
Bilanz 2020: Freudenberg
Authors: Bulmahn Maren
Published: June 2021

Der Freudenberg‐Konzern macht gewöhnlich ungefähr die Hälfte seines Umsatzes in der Automobilindustrie, was im Jahr 2020 schwierig war. Mit Reinigungsprodukten unter dem Namen Vileda setzte der Konzern dagegen erstmals mehr als eine Milliarde Euro um.
Studies on the effect of low density polyethylene on ethylene vinyl acetate/styrene butadiene styrene blends for yoga mat applications
Authors: Sood Navneet , Jha Mithilesh Kumar , Bajpai Shailendra
Published: June 2021

Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA)/styrene butadiene styrene (SBS) blends compatibilized with different amounts of low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) were prepared using compression molding. These binary and ternary polymer blends were characterized in terms of mechanical, morphological, and thermal properties. Both tensile and tear strength increased by increasing LDPE composition, which is attributed to increased interfacial adhesion provided by LDPE between EVA and SBS. However, no significant change in compression set values was obtained with LDPE addition. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy study was done to identify functional groups involved in different polymer blends. Scanning electron microscopy showed that adding LDPE into binary blends resulted in the smaller and finer distribution of cell. Thermal properties were also studied by thermo‐gravimetric analysis. Considering the mechanical, thermal and morphological properties of the various blends, sample A10 was found to be the best suited for yoga mat applications.
MALDI mass spectrometry imaging unravels organ and amyloid‐type specific peptide signatures in pulmonary and gastrointestinal amyloidosis
Authors: Schürmann Jan , Gottwald Juliane , Rottenaicher Georg , Tholey Andreas , Röcken Christoph
Published: June 2021

Purpose

Amyloidosis is a disease group caused by pathological aggregation and deposition of peptides in diverse tissue sites. Recently, matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging coupled with ion mobility separation (MALDI‐IMS MSI) was introduced as a novel tool to identify and classify amyloidosis using single sections from formalin‐fixed and paraffin‐embedded cardiac biopsies. Here, we tested the hypothesis that MALDI‐IMS MSI can be applied to lung and gastrointestinal specimens.

Experimental Design

Forty six lung and 65 gastrointestinal biopsy and resection specimens with different types of amyloid were subjected to MALDI‐IMS MSI. Ninety three specimens included tissue areas without amyloid as internal negative controls. Nine cases without amyloid served as additional negative controls.

Results

Utilizing a peptide filter method and 21 known amyloid specific tryptic peptides we confirmed the applicability of a universal peptide signature with a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 100% for the detection of amyloid deposits in the lung and gastrointestinal tract. Additionally, the frequencies of individual m/z‐values of the 21 tryptic marker peptides showed organ‐ and tissue‐type specific differences.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance

MALDI‐IMS MSI adds a valuable analytical approach to diagnose and classify amyloid and the detection frequency of individual tryptic peptides is organ‐/tissue‐type specific.
Geometry and Greatly Enhanced Thermoelectric Performance of Monolayer MXY Transition‐Metal Dichalcogenide: MoSTe as an Example
Authors: Ding Zhenyu , Yang Shuo-Wang , Wu Gang , Yang Xiaoping
Published: June 2021

2D thermoelectric materials with a high power factor and low lattice thermal conductivity have recently been the focus of cutting‐edge research. Herein, combining first‐principles calculations and semiclassical Boltzmann transport theory, a structural search on the monolayer transition‐metal dichalcogenide MoSTe is conducted and its electronic structure, lattice dynamics, and thermoelectric properties are carefully studied. A new tetragonal blend structure is found that is both energetically and dynamically more stable than the experimentally synthesized hexagonal Janus structure, and this blend structure possesses strong anisotropic in‐plane electron and phonon transport properties. Both structures have insulating ground states, which allow a reasonable Seebeck coefficient. Phonon dispersion reveals that several optical phonon‐branches downshift and overlap with the acoustic branches, leading to an enhanced scattering rate, greatly reduced lattice thermal conductivity, and eventually excellent thermoelectric performance with  = 0.34 at 300 K and 1.0 at 600 K for the blend‐MoSTe. The results demonstrate the great potential of the monolayer MXY transition‐metal dichalcogenide in thermoelectric applications.
Synergistic effect of toosendanin and regorafenib against cell proliferation and migration by regulating WWOX signaling pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Yang Tianfeng , Huo Jian , Xu Rui , Zhang Yanmin
Published: June 2021

Regorafenib (RGF), a second‐line multi‐kinase inhibitor in the treatment of HCC (hepatocellular carcinoma) after sorafenib failure, exposes to the risk of drug resistance and subsequent progression of HCC patients. Toosendanin (TSN), a triterpenoid has presented excellent inhibition on several tumors. The purpose of this study is to investigate the inhibitory effect of the combination of TSN and RGF on HCC cells. We identified that TSN and RGF combination (TRC) synergistically inhibited the proliferation and migration of MHCC‐97L cells. The upregulation of WWOX (WW‐domain containing oxidoreductase) played a vital role in the HCC cell growth treated with TRC. TRC suppressed the phosphorylation of Stat3 and expression of DVL2, negatively regulated the activity of β‐catenin by promoting the phosphorylation of GSK3β. In addition, the intranuclear proteins, including MMP2, MMP9, and C‐MYC were significantly inhibited by TRC. The in vivo xenograft models confirmed that TRC effectually prevented the tumor growth through upregulating WWOX. Therefore, the treatment of TRC may be a potential solution of RGF resistance and promising therapeutic method in malignant HCC.
Effects of MnII and EuIII Cation Exchange in Sepiolite‐Titanium Dioxide Nanocomposites in the Photocatalytic Degradation of Orange G
Authors: Cymes Brittany A. , Kugler Alex J. , Almquist Catherine B. , Edelmann Richard E. , Krekeler Mark P. S.
Published: June 2021

Two primary mechanisms of titanium dioxide (TiO2) efficiency inhibition in ultraviolet (UV)‐driven photocatalytic reactions are the high recombination rate and sintering. To address these challenges, TiO2 nanocrystals were grown in‐situ onto sepiolite modified with MnII and EuIII ions. The resulting nanocomposites were characterized and evaluated for photocatalytic activity for Orange G (OG) degradation under UV irradiation. Resultant reduction in activity over Mn‐sepiolite‐TiO2 is attributed to charge‐carrier scavenging by unstable Mn and adsorption‐mediated chromophore protection by Mn‐oxyhydroxide. Dye removal over Eu‐sepiolite‐TiO2 was only slightly more efficient than over the control despite relevant Eu concentrations; potentially related to inhibited TiO2‐Eu interfacial synergy and superoxide radical scavenging. The results of this investigation corroborate prior observations that substrate cation‐exchange results in unpredictable behavior of the cations introduced during subsequent fabrication steps which may be of benefit or detriment to the final material.
Anticorrosion Inhibition Behavior of Rhus Pentaphylla Fruit Extracts in (1 M) HCl against Carbon Steel and their Chemical Characterization using HPLC‐MS‐ESI
Authors: Fadhil Hajer , Mraihi Farouk , Zouied Daoiya , Ayadi Malika Trabelsi , Cherif Jamila Kalthoum
Published: June 2021

Phenolic compounds in Tunisian wild Rhus pentaphylla fruits during two maturity stages are identified by LC‐MS‐ESI. The corrosion inhibition efficiency of their extracts was analyzed by the use of polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The qualitative analysis highlighted the presence of 11 phenolic compounds in total (3 phenolic acids and 8 flavonols) for the un‐ripe stage (S1), 7 compounds (1 phenolic acid and 6 flavonols) have been identified for the fully‐ripe stage (S2). The electrochemical behavior analysis of carbon steel in (1 M) HCl medium showed a maximum inhibition efficiency of 45.49 % was achieved by using 100 ppm of the inhibitor. Polarization studies indicate that the extracts act as a mixed inhibitor. As well, it has been shown that the first stage presents the highest inhibitory efficacy compared to the second. These results confirm the good correlation between the phytochemical composition and corrosion inhibition capacity.
Fluorometric Detection of Streptavidin with a Cationic Conjugated Polymer and Hairpin DNA Probe
Authors: Yan Ying , Hu Tingting , Xiang Xinying , Li Wenkai , Ma Changbei
Published: June 2021

A simple and rapid method for streptavidin (SA) detection is developed based on a cationic conjugated polymer (CCP)‐mediated fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between poly [(9,9‐bis(6′‐N, N, N‐trimethylammonium) hexyl) fluorenylene phenylene (PFP) and SYBR Green I (SG I). A hairpin DNA labeled with biotin at the 3′ terminus was designed for the binding of SA and SYBR Green I (SG I) so that an amplified signal of emission fluorescence was detected as the CCP‐mediated FRET was induced in the presence of SA. The calibration curve exhibited a linear correlation between fluorescence intensity and SA concentration from 0 to 40 nM, and the linear regression equation was y=0.0467x+0.5814, with a correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.9927, and the detection limit was 0.5 nM. Further investigations showed that the method exhibited a significantly high specificity for the target protein and a satisfactory practical performance when human serum samples spiked with SA were tested. The results suggest that this strategy is practically applicable as it may enable an effective tool for studies on the ligand‐protein interactions as well as the qualitative and quantitative detection of proteins.
Copper(I)‐Catalyzed Cascade Cyclization to the Total Synthesis of Hexahydropyrroloindole Alkaloids: Flustramine B and Debromoflustramine B
Authors: Shen Xianfu , Peng Tianfeng , Wang Fan , Li Shumin , Lei Xingfu , Yunxiao  , Wang  , Cheng Feixiang , Liu Teng
Published: June 2021

In this report, we have accomplished the total synthesis of two bioactive hexahydropyrroloindole (HPI) alkaloids bearing a C3a tetrasubstituted stereocenters substituted by isopentenyl. This route was based on Cu‐catalyzed cascade arylation‐alkylation sequence in one‐pot as a key step, providing Flustramine B and Debromoflustramine B with 9 steps in 37.6 % and 31.1 % overall yields, respectively.
Copper‐Catalyzed Sonogashira‐Cross‐Coupling of Phenols Using Dichloroimidazolidinedione
Authors: Hosseini Negin , Mokhtari Javad , Yavari Issa
Published: June 2021

Phenols are considered as an ideal alternative to aryl halides as coupling partners in cross‐coupling reactions. In this work a copper‐catalyzed Sonogashira cross‐coupling of phenols using Dichloroimidazolidinedione (DCID) as new C−O activation agent has been developed for the first time. Substituted phenols and phenyl acetylenes were well‐matched with the optimizing reaction conditions.
Resource provisioning in collaborative fog computing for multiple delay‐sensitive users
Authors: Lu Shuaibing , Wu Jie , Wang Ning , Duan Yubin , Liu Haiming , Zhang Jiayue , Fang Juan
Published: June 2021

Fog computing is an emerging paradigm that supplies storage, computation, and networking resources between traditional cloud data centers and end devices. This article focuses on the resource provisioning problem in collaborative fog computing for multiple delay‐sensitive users. Our goal is to implement a resource provisioning strategy for network operators to minimize the total monetary cost by considering the deadline and capacity constraints. Two scenarios are considered: unlimited‐processor fog nodes (UPFN) and limited‐processor fog nodes (LPFN). In either scenario, we prove that the resource provisioning problem is NP‐hard. First, we consider the UPFN scenario that the processors of fog nodes are unlimited and users' requests can be ideally processed in parallel. Two algorithms are proposed which greedily delete fog nodes based on the local or global collaborative influences until there is no feasible provisioning to guarantee the deadline of users. Then we extend the resource provisioning problem to a more realistic and complicated scenario LPFN in which the scheduling delay cannot be ignored. Two types of tasks are considered. One is the arbitrarily divided tasks, and a near‐optimal solution bounded by has been found. m is the number of fog nodes, and is the upper bound on the Lipschitz constant of the delay function. Another one is the application‐driven tasks, and we propose a heuristic algorithm. Extensive experiments validate the efficiency of the proposed algorithms.
Revisiting postmethod pedagogy: Adopting and adapting Socratic circle to secondary EFL teaching
Authors: Sun Xiaomei
Published: June 2021

Since the end of the last century, the English as a foreign language (EFL) community seems to have entered a new era: the postmethod era. Despite fierce debate about its rationality and feasibility, the three pedagogical parameters—particularity, practicality, and possibility—have been influential and applied to various teaching contexts. Under the guidance of postmethod pedagogy theory and the acknowledgement of local knowledge, context‐sensitive pedagogy has been garnering attention in recent years. This qualitative study used the lens of postmethod pedagogy to explore a veteran teacher’s implementation of Socratic circle in secondary EFL teaching. Related issues, such as the rationale for adopting and adapting the method, the implementation procedures, and its benefits and limitations, are discussed and analysed. The researcher collected data through semistructured interviews with the teacher participant and three student participants, in addition to pertinent documents including reading materials, teaching designs, and students’ assignments. This study provides evidence of benefits of Socratic circle to EFL learning. The adjustments made to the method indicate the dialectical relationship between method and postmethod, rather than interpreting postmethod pedagogy as repackaged. Implications for EFL teacher education, including provision of professional development on a wider scale, are discussed.
On the Nature of Crystals Precipitating from Aqueous Silver Ethylenediamine Oxalate Complex Solutions
Authors: Kunz Christoph , Walsdorff Christian , Viertelhaus Martin , Adam Christian , Karpov Andrey , Nuss Jürgen , Jansen Martin
Published: June 2021

Aqueous silver ethylene diamine oxalate complex solution is a critical precursor in the production of supported silver catalysts. Crystals precipitating from such complex solutions are characterized by single‐crystal structure analysis as [Ag(μ‐en)]2(C2O4)×2H2O. Silver atoms are bridged by ethylenediamine molecules in a molar ratio of 1 : 1 forming slightly distorted one‐dimensional polymeric Ag(μ‐en)‐chains along the c axis. Oxygen atoms of oxalate groups show no direct coordination to silver atoms. Oxygen atoms of lattice water molecules show a weak lateral coordination to silver atoms within slightly bent N−Ag−N fragments.
Epidemiology of combined clavicle and rib fractures: a systematic review
Authors: Sweet Arthur A. R. , Beks Reinier B. , IJpma Frank F. A. , de Jong Mirjam B. , Beeres Frank J. P. , Leenen Luke P. H. , Houwert Roderick M. , van Baal Mark C. P. M.
Published: June 2021

Purpose

The aim of this systematic review was to provide an overview of the incidence of combined clavicle and rib fractures and the association between these two injuries.

Methods

A systematic literature search was performed in the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CENTRAL databases on the 14th of August 2020. Outcome measures were incidence, hospital length of stay (HLOS), intensive care unit admission and length of stay (ILOS), duration of mechanical ventilation (DMV), mortality, chest tube duration, Constant–Murley score, union and complications.

Results

Seven studies with a total of 71,572 patients were included, comprising five studies on epidemiology and two studies on treatment. Among blunt chest trauma patients, 18.6% had concomitant clavicle and rib fractures. The incidence of rib fractures in polytrauma patients with clavicle fractures was 56–60.6% versus 29% in patients without clavicle fractures. Vice versa, 14–18.8% of patients with multiple rib fractures had concomitant clavicle fractures compared to 7.1% in patients without multiple rib fractures. One study reported no complications after fixation of both injuries. Another study on treatment, reported shorter ILOS and less complications among operatively versus conservatively treated patients (5.4 ± 1.5 versus 21 ± 13.6 days).

Conclusion

Clavicle fractures and rib fractures are closely related in polytrauma patients and almost a fifth of all blunt chest trauma patients sustain both injuries. Definitive conclusions could not be drawn on treatment of the combined injury. Future research should further investigate indications and benefits of operative treatment of this injury.
Normalisation and subformula property for a system of classical logic with Tarski’s rule
Authors: Kürbis Nils
Published: June 2021

This paper considers a formalisation of classical logic using general introduction rules and general elimination rules. It proposes a definition of ‘maximal formula’, ‘segment’ and ‘maximal segment’ suitable to the system, and gives reduction procedures for them. It is then shown that deductions in the system convert into normal form, i.e. deductions that contain neither maximal formulas nor maximal segments, and that deductions in normal form satisfy the subformula property. Tarski’s Rule is treated as a general introduction rule for implication. The general introduction rule for negation has a similar form. Maximal formulas with implication or negation as main operator require reduction procedures of a more intricate kind not present in normalisation for intuitionist logic.
Benzylmalonyl-CoA dehydrogenase, an enzyme involved in bacterial auxin degradation
Authors: Schühle Karola , Saft Martin , Vögeli Bastian , Erb Tobias J. , Heider Johann
Published: June 2021

A novel acyl-CoA dehydrogenase involved in degradation of the auxin indoleacetate by Aromatoleum aromaticum was identified as a decarboxylating benzylmalonyl-CoA dehydrogenase (IaaF). It is encoded within the iaa operon coding for enzymes of indoleacetate catabolism. Using enzymatically produced benzylmalonyl-CoA, the reaction was characterized as simultaneous oxidation and decarboxylation of benzylmalonyl-CoA to cinnamoyl-CoA and CO2. Oxygen served as electron acceptor and was reduced to H2O2, whereas electron transfer flavoprotein or artificial dyes serving as electron acceptors for other acyl-CoA dehydrogenases were not used. The enzyme is homotetrameric, contains an FAD cofactor and is enantiospecific in benzylmalonyl-CoA turnover. It shows high catalytic efficiency and strong substrate inhibition with benzylmalonyl-CoA, but otherwise accepts only a few medium-chain alkylmalonyl-CoA compounds as alternative substrates with low activities. Its reactivity of oxidizing 2-carboxyacyl-CoA with simultaneous decarboxylation is unprecedented and indicates a modified reaction mechanism for acyl-CoA dehydrogenases, where elimination of the 2-carboxy group replaces proton abstraction from C2.
Breast softness in patients randomised to postmastectomy breast reconstruction with an expander prosthesis or DIEP flap
Authors: Tallroth Linda , Brorson Håkan , Mobargha Nathalie , Velander Patrik , Klasson Stina , Becker Magnus
Published: June 2021

Background

Objectively measured breast softness in reconstructed breasts and its relation to patients’ subjective satisfaction with breast softness has not yet been investigated. The aim of this study was to evaluate breast softness in patients 1 year following delayed breast reconstruction with an expander prosthesis (EP) or deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap, using objective and subjective methods.

Methods

Seventy-three patients were randomised to breast reconstruction with an EP or DIEP flap between 2012 and 2018. Of these, 69 completed objective evaluation at a mean of 25 (standard deviation, SD 9.4) months following breast reconstruction. Objective evaluation included measurements of breast volume, jugulum-nipple distance, clavicular-submammary fold distance, ptosis and Baker scale grading. Breast softness was assessed with applanation tonometry. Subjective evaluation was performed using the BREAST-Q questionnaire.

Results

Objectively, DIEP flaps were significantly softer than EP breast reconstructions. Non-operated contralateral breasts were significantly softer compared with reconstructed breasts. In the subjective evaluation, the median score on the question (labelled 1.h) “How satisfied or dissatisfied have you been with the softness of your reconstructed breast (s)?” was higher in the DIEP flap group corresponding to greater satisfaction in this group. A fair correlation was found between the applanation tonometry and the patient-reported satisfaction with the reconstructed breast’s softness (rs = 0.37).

Conclusions

In terms of breast softness, breast reconstructions with DIEP flaps result in more satisfied patients. Concerning applanation tonometry as an objective tool for softness assessment, future studies on interobserver agreement are warranted.

Level of evidence: Level I, therapeutic study
Scoring Systems May be Effective in Predicting Mortality Associated with Palliative Emergency Gastrointestinal Surgery: A Retrospective Observational Study
Authors: Laitamäki M. , Alamylläri I. , Kalliomäki M. , Laukkarinen J. , Ukkonen M. , Junttila E.
Published: June 2021

Background

Palliative emergency gastrointestinal surgery is associated with significant morbidity and mortality and weighing up the benefits and harms during the decision‐making may be challenging. There are very few studies on surgery in palliative patient population. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate morbidity and mortality after palliative emergency gastrointestinal surgery and the usability of scoring systems in predicting the outcome.

Methods

Consecutive adult patients undergoing palliative emergency surgery at a tertiary hospital during the period 2015 to 2016 were included. Pre‐ and post‐operative functional status, morbidity and mortality of patients were assessed. The predictive value of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification, the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Surgical Risk Calculator (ACS NSQIP SRC) and Palliative index (PI) in estimating morbidity and mortality were determined.

Results

A total of 93 patients (age 69 [28–92] years, 51% female) were included. Typical indications for surgery were bowel obstruction (52%) and securing food intake (30%). Pre‐operatively two patients (2.2%) were totally dependent in daily activities, while post‐operatively the respective share was 34% at discharge from hospital. The incidence of post‐operative complications was 37% and 14% died during the hospital stay. One‐, three‐month and one‐year mortality rates were 41%, 63% and 87%, respectively. While ASA score, PI score and ACS NSQIP did not predict post‐operative morbidity, both ASA score and ACS NSQIP SRC predicted post‐operative mortality.

Conclusions

Palliative emergency laparotomy is associated with significant post‐operative mortality and morbidity. Scorings, such as ASA score and ACS NSQIP SRC predict mortality in this patient population.
Ökonomische Analyse dreier technischer Anlagen hinsichtlich deren Eignung für Predictive Maintenance
Authors: Rott Julian , Floerecke Sebastian , Ertl Christoph , Herzfeldt Alexander , Böhm Markus , Krcmar Helmut
Published: June 2021

Treten bei technischen Anlagen während ihres Lebenszyklus Fehler auf, ist dies in den meisten Fällen das Ergebnis eines schleichenden Prozesses und nicht eines plötzlich auftretenden Ereignisses. Mithilfe geeigneter Verfahren können Fehler bereits vor ihrem Eintritt erkannt werden. Die von Herstellern vorgegebene Instandhaltungsstrategie berücksichtigt diese Möglichkeit für gewöhnlich jedoch nicht. Im Unterschied dazu zielt Predictive Maintenance (PdM) auf die Durchführung von Instandhaltungsmaßnahmen vor dem eigentlichen Fehlereintritt ab, indem sowohl der aktuelle als auch der zukünftige Anlagenzustand inklusive der Umgebungsbedingungen diagnostiziert bzw. prognostiziert werden. Dessen Einführung bedarf allerdings einen deutlich höheren Digitalisierungsgrad und ist daher mit kostenintensiven Investitionen verbunden. Insofern ist PdM nicht für jede Anlagenklasse wirtschaftlich und prozessual sinnvoll. Der zentrale Aspekt, ob der Entwicklungs- und Datenerhebungsaufwand durch Einsparungen bei einer PdM-Strategie überhaupt refinanziert werden kann, wurde von der Forschung bislang weitgehend außer Acht gelassen. Wissenschaftler haben sich stattdessen auf die Entwicklung von Verfahren zur Bestimmung des Verschleißgrads von Komponenten und damit auf die technischen Belange konzentriert. Vor diesem Hintergrund untersucht dieser Beitrag innerhalb einer multiplen explorativen Fallstudie am Flughafen München drei repräsentative Anlagenklassen von Flughäfen – Aufzüge, Pre-Conditioned-Air(PCA)-Anlagen und Multienteiser – in Bezug auf Aufwands‑, Nutzen- und Risikoaspekte des PdM. Im Ergebnis zeigten sich deutliche Unterschiede zwischen den Anlagenklassen: Während Aufzüge und PCA-Anlagen hohes Potenzial aufweisen, ist die Einführung für Multienteiser aufgrund der lediglich saisonalen Nutzung wirtschaftlich nicht sinnvoll. Mit diesem Beitrag erhalten Entscheidungsträger in Unternehmen eine Orientierungshilfe, für welche Anlagenklassen PdM profitabel ist und welche Aspekte in die ökonomische Bewertung technischer Anlagen grundsätzlich einbezogen werden sollten. Das angewandte Bewertungsverfahren dient als Muster für die Analyse weiterer technischer Anlagen.
Tests für automatisierte und autonome Fahrsysteme
Authors: Pretschner Alexander , Hauer Florian , Schmidt Tabea
Published: June 2021

Der Test automatisierter und autonomer Fahrsysteme ist aus verschiedenen Gründen sehr schwierig, u. a. wegen der Abwesenheit klarer Spezifikationen der zu testenden Systeme, wegen Unklarheit über die Auswahlkriterien für „gute“ Testfälle und wegen des Fehlens von Testendekriterien. Ein populärer Ansatz schlägt deswegen vor, aufgezeichnete Fahrten unabhängig vom zu testenden System als Testfälle zu verwenden. Wir zeigen, dass dies im Wesentlichen einem rein zufälligen Test des Systems gleichkommt, dass dieselbe aufgezeichnete Testfahrt dementsprechend einmal einen „guten“ und einmal einen uninteressanten Testfall darstellen kann und dass es notwendig ist, für jedes neue System neue Testfälle abzuleiten. Die simulationsbasierte heuristische Suche nach Testfällen auf Basis sogenannter Szenariotypen, die typische Verkehrssituationen beschreiben, stellt eine Lösung des Problems dar.
Summer temperature response to extreme soil water conditions in the Mediterranean transitional climate regime
Authors: Materia Stefano , Ardilouze Constantin , Prodhomme Chloé , Donat Markus G. , Benassi Marianna , Doblas-Reyes Francisco J. , Peano Daniele , Caron Louis-Philippe , Ruggieri Paolo , Gualdi Silvio
Published: June 2021

Land surface and atmosphere are interlocked by the hydrological and energy cycles and the effects of soil water-air coupling can modulate near-surface temperatures. In this work, three paired experiments were designed to evaluate impacts of different soil moisture initial and boundary conditions on summer temperatures in the Mediterranean transitional climate regime region. In this area, evapotranspiration is not limited by solar radiation, rather by soil moisture, which therefore controls the boundary layer variability. Extremely dry, extremely wet and averagely humid ground conditions are imposed to two global climate models at the beginning of the warm and dry season. Then, sensitivity experiments, where atmosphere is alternatively interactive with and forced by land surface, are launched. The initial soil state largely affects summer near-surface temperatures: dry soils contribute to warm the lower atmosphere and exacerbate heat extremes, while wet terrains suppress thermal peaks, and both effects last for several months. Land-atmosphere coupling proves to be a fundamental ingredient to modulate the boundary layer state, through the partition between latent and sensible heat fluxes. In the coupled runs, early season heat waves are sustained by interactive dry soils, which respond to hot weather conditions with increased evaporative demand, resulting in longer-lasting extreme temperatures. On the other hand, when wet conditions are prescribed across the season, the occurrence of hot days is suppressed. The land surface prescribed by climatological precipitation forcing causes a temperature drop throughout the months, due to sustained evaporation of surface soil water. Results have implications for seasonal forecasts on both rain-fed and irrigated continental regions in transitional climate zones.
Novel Functionally Gradient Composites Al2O3-Cu-Mo Obtained via Centrifugal Slip Casting
Authors: Zygmuntowicz Justyna , Winkler Hanna , Wachowski Marcin , Piotrkiewicz Paulina , Kaszuwara Waldemar
Published: June 2021

The investigations applied the original concept of the formation of materials as hybrid gradient composites. Two innovative technologies were used: formation by centrifugal slip casting and sintering with varying proportions of the liquid phase. This allowed us to create a gradient microstructure. This article presents the study of Al2O3-Cu-Mo gradient composites. This work aimed to determine the effect of the metallic phase content on the composite’s microstructure and basic properties. The most critical element of the study will be determining the ability to control the location and flow of the liquid phase during the sintering process. The research demonstrated that adding a third component in the form of Mo reduces the liquid Cu flow onto the surface of the composites during the sintering process. In this research, we achieve results with high cognitive value.

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Analyzing the impact of missing values and selection bias on fairness
Authors: Wang Yanchen , Singh Lisa
Published: June 2021

Algorithmic decision making is becoming more prevalent, increasingly impacting people’s daily lives. Recently, discussions have been emerging about the fairness of decisions made by machines. Researchers have proposed different approaches for improving the fairness of these algorithms. While these approaches can help machines make fairer decisions, they have been developed and validated on fairlycleandata sets. Unfortunately, most real-world data have complexities that make them moredirty. This work considers two of these complexities by analyzing the impact of two real-world data issues on fairness—missing values and selection bias—for categorical data. After formulating this problem and showing its existence, we propose fixing algorithms for data sets containing missing values and/or selection bias that use different forms of reweighting and resampling based upon the missing value generation process. We conduct an extensive empirical evaluation on both real-world and synthetic data using various fairness metrics, and demonstrate how different missing values generated from different mechanisms and selection bias impact prediction fairness, even when prediction accuracy remains fairly constant.
Do illiterates have illusions? A conceptual (non)replication of Luria (1976)
Authors: Arunkumar Mrudula , van Paridon Jeroen , Ostarek Markus , Huettig Falk
Published: June 2021

Luria (Luria, Cognitive development: Its cultural and social foundations, Harvard University Press, 1976) famously observed that people who never learnt to read and write do not perceive visual illusions. We conducted a conceptual replication of the Luria study of the effect of literacy on the processing of visual illusions. We designed two carefully controlled experiments with 161 participants with varying literacy levels ranging from complete illiterates to high literates in Chennai, India. Accuracy and reaction time in the identification of visual shape and color illusions and the identification of appropriate control images were measured. Separate statistical analyses of Experiments 1 and 2 as well as pooled analyses of both experiments do not provide any support for the notion that literacy affects the perception of visual illusions. Our large sample, carefully controlled study strongly suggests that literacy does not meaningfully affect the identification of visual illusions and raises some questions about other reports of cultural effects on illusion perception.
Impact of university reform on research performance aggregated and disaggregated across research fields: a case study of the partial privatization of Japanese national universities
Authors: Kikuchi Yuta
Published: June 2021

This study quantitatively estimates the impacts of the partial privatization of Japanese national universities (as implemented in 2004) on research performance outcomes, which are aggregated and disaggregated across research fields. Japanese private universities can be viewed as counterfactuals not targeted by the reform for the same period, which provides within-country variations in this governance/managerial change. Difference-in-differences estimation strategies using private universities as control groups show that the partial privatization of national universities has resulted in a deterioration in the quality and quantity of national universities’ research output, as constructed using publication records from 1999 to 2009. The study then estimates the effects of partial privatization disaggregated by research field and finds that only medical science is negatively affected by the partial privatization. This study is the first to provide a quantitative assessment of whether the partial privatization of Japanese universities has been favorable for research performance using an identification strategy based on a quasi-experiment. It also reveals the heterogeneous impacts across research fields and departments.
Work–Family Conflict and Job Outcomes Among Prison Officers in Ghana: A Test of Mediation and Moderation Processes
Authors: Akoensi Thomas D. , Annor Francis
Published: June 2021

This study examines the mediating effect of job stress and the moderating effect of job autonomy on the relationship between work-to-family conflict (WFC) and job satisfaction and organizational commitment. It uses cross-sectional data from 1062 prison officers sampled from 31 prison establishments in Ghana. The results of structural equation modelling (SEM) analysis showed that WFC was negatively associated with job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Job stress significantly mediated the influence of WFC on job satisfaction and organizational commitment. The negative influence of WFC on job satisfaction and organizational commitment was less for prison officers with higher levels of job autonomy than for those with lower levels of autonomy. These findings suggest the need for correctional organizations to adopt family-friendly measures that facilitate officers’ ability to integrate their work and family responsibilities.
On the Principles and Practice of Conducting
Authors: Thakar Markand
Published: June 2021

This book is a practical manual for anyone who stands on a podium helping an ensemble make music. The four main chapters address the major obligations of the conductor: (1) bringing the musical tones to life in the most beautiful, most moving way possible; (2) freeing the mind to fully absorb all the tones; (3) freeing the body of unnecessary tension; and (4) effectively using the freed mind and body to influence the sounds. Each chapter begins with a summary of the underlying principles, presents real-life applications, and offers exercises for developing skills. Video demonstrations of the exercises as well as downloadable scores and parts are available on a companion website.
The parts, in multiple transpositions, allow for hands-on experience where standard instrumental complements are unavailable.

Markand Thakar is music director of the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra and a member of the graduate conducting faculty at the Peabody Conservatory. A protege of the legendary Sergiu Celibidache and former assistant conductor of the New York Philharmonic, Thakar leads annual conductor-training programs that draw students from around the world. He is author of Looking for the "Harp" Quartet: An Investigation into Musical Beauty (University of Rochester Press, 2011) and Counterpoint: Fundamentals of Music Making (Yale University Press, 1990).
The Medieval German Lohengrin
Authors: Matthews Alastair
Published: June 2021

The tale of the mysterious knight carried across the water by a swan to the woman he saves and marries is one of the great narrative traditions of the Middle Ages. The version in the German Lohengrin (ca.1300) is perhaps the most striking. It captures the imagination with the appearance of the epic poet Wolfram von Eschenbach as narrator, the changing forms of the swan, and Lohengrin's appearance as a warrior alongside Saints Peter and Paul. In the past, however, Lohengrin has been dismissed as an awkward amalgamation of earlier sources - partly due to more recent retellings of the material, such as Wagner's opera. This first monograph on Lohengrin in English presents a new response to the challenges the text poses. It is a study of how we read narrative across temporal distance, and at its heart lies the question: if a story is not held together by the chronological and causal links characteristic of modern narratives, how does it cohere? Alastair Matthews analyzes both the invocations of Wolfram that frame the text and the story of the Swan Knight that they enclose, arguing that Lohengrin is defined by a web of connections in which questions ofidentity and recognition are crucial, and thus that the themes at the core of the tale govern how it is told.  Alastair Matthews, DPhil Oxford, is a Marie Curie Research Fellow at the Centre for Medieval Literature, University of Southern Denmark.
The Chinese Lady
Authors: Daniher Colleen Kim
Published: June 2021

Magic Theatre’s San Francisco production of Lloyd Suh’s The Chinese Lady plays with theatrical time to stage a confrontation between the 19th-century American past and the Trump-era present.
The Pursuit of Non-Trade Policy Objectives in EU Trade Policy
Authors: Borchert Ingo , Conconi Paola , Di Ubaldo Mattia , Herghelegiu Cristina
Published: June 2021

The European Union (EU) often conditions preferential access to its market on compliance with Non-Trade Policy Objectives (NTPOs), including human rights and labor and environmental standards. In this paper, we first systematically document the coverage of NTPOs across the main tools of EU trade policy: its (association and non-association) trade agreements and Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) programs. We then discuss the extent to which the EU can use these tools as a ‘carrot-and-stick’ mechanism to promote NTPOs in trading partners. We argue that, within trade agreements, the EU has limited scope to extend or restrict tariff preferences to ‘reward good behavior’ or ‘punish bad behavior’ on NTPOs, partly because multilateral rules require members to eliminate tariffs on substantially all trade. By contrast, GSP preferences are granted on a unilateral basis, and can thus more easily be extended or limited, depending on compliance with NTPOs. Our analysis also suggests that the commercial interests of the EU inhibit the full pursuit of NTPOs in its trade agreements and GSP programs.
La situation économique du Congo Belge en 1932(1)
Authors: De Sloovere Adolphe
Published: June 2021

La régression du commerce extérieur du Congo Belge qui, pour l’année 1931 s’était déjà révélée importante par rapport à l’année 1930, s’est encore accentuée dans une mesure notable au cours de 1932.

A l’aide de la statistique officielle, il nous sera permis de préciser l’ampleur de ce nouveau recul et de déterminer quels éléments de l’économie coloniale en ont été le plus ou le moins affectés.

Pour faire cette démonstration, nous suivrons la marche adoptée dans les chroniques précédentes. Nous utiliserons d’abord les totaux du commerce spécial, qui serviront de base à donner une vue d’ensemble; ensuite, pour une analyse plus approfondie, nous aurons recours aux totaux des groupes principaux de marchandises représentant environ 97 % de l’ensemble tant à l’exportation qu’à l’importation. Les groupes correspondent aux facteurs essentiels de l’activité industrielle et commerciale de la Colonie. Cette étude se bornera en général à la comparaison entre 1931 et 1932.