bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modellierte Individualentwicklung. Humanembryologische Praktiken an der Universität Göttingen in der zweiten Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts
Authors: Markert Michael
Published: October 2020

Die Humanembryologische Dokumentationssammlung Blechschmidt, entstanden an der Universität Göttingen im Zeitraum von 1942 bis etwa 1970, stellt eine einmalige Kombination histologischer Schnittserien menschlicher Embryonen und darauf aufbauender, großformatiger und öffentlich zugänglicher Modelle dar. Nicht nur erfolgte diese Sammlungsgründung für die Disziplin der Humanembryologie erstaunlich spät, sondern ist auch in einer zweiten Hinsicht bemerkenswert: Während an anderen Standorten Modelle primär als Forschungsobjekte verstanden wurden und mit einem Lehreinsatz eine Umnutzung stattfand, war für den Göttinger Embryologen Erich Blechschmidt (1904–1992) von Beginn an ein pädagogischer Impetus maßgeblich. Im Beitrag werden die eigenwilligen Merkmale der Blechschmidt’schen Unternehmung vor ihrem disziplinären Hintergrund herausgearbeitet. Der Schwerpunkt liegt dabei auf den beiden für die Humanembryologie zentralen Praktiken des Sammelns und Modellierens und den dadurch in Göttingen geschaffenen Objektbeständen. Diese waren schon im Entstehungsprozess von einem besonderen Spannungsverhältnis von Individualität und Universalität geprägt, das sich auch in der späteren Nutzung der Sammlung spiegelt. Diese führt durch eine spezifische Individualisierung zuvor anonym gemachter Präparate weit aus der ursprünglichen fachwissenschaftlich-anatomischen Bestimmung in die breite gesellschaftliche Debatte um den ethischen Status menschlicher Embryonen und den Schwangerschaftsabbruch.
Qualitätsverbessernde Maßnahmen in der Versorgung von kritisch kranken Intensivpatienten mit Nierenersatztherapie bei akuter Nierenschädigung
Authors: Kindgen-Milles Detlef , Heering Peter , Meersch-Dini Melanie , Schmitz Michael , Oppert Michael , John Stefan , Jörres Achim , Zarbock Alexander , Willam Carsten
Published: October 2020

Die Nierenersatztherapie ist neben der Beatmung eines der wichtigsten und am häufigsten angewendeten Organersatzverfahren in der täglichen Praxis in der Intensivmedizin. Im Gegensatz zur Beatmungstherapie sind Qualitätsstandards für die Nierenersatztherapie weniger gut definiert und bekannt. In diesem Positionspapier der Deutschen Interdisziplinären Vereinigung für Intensivmedizin (DIVI) beschreiben wir Qualitätsstandards zur Nierenersatztherapie mit dem Ziel die Behandlungsqualität der Patienten mit einem schweren akuten Nierenversagen zu verbessern.
Psychosoziale Unterstützung während der COVID-19-Pandemie: interdisziplinäres Versorgungskonzept an einem Universitätsklinikum
Authors: Reinhard Matthias A. , Burkhardt Gerrit , Grosse-Wentrup Fabienne , Eser-Valerie Daniela , Mumm Friederike H. A. , Barnikol-Oettler Bernhard , Bausewein Claudia , von Bergwelt-Baildon Michael , Klein Matthias , Falkai Peter , Jauch Karl-Walter , Adorjan Kristina , Padberg Frank , Hoch Eva
Published: October 2020

Hintergrund

Die COVID-19-Pandemie hat seit ihrem Beginn zu einem erhöhten psychosozialen Unterstützungsbedarf bei Patient*innen, Angehörigen und Mitarbeiter*innen geführt und übliche Wege klinischer Versorgung erschwert. Sowohl Quarantäne- und Isolationsmaßnahmen als auch SARS-CoV-2-Infektionen und -Erkrankungen sind zu neuen und erheblichen Belastungsfaktoren geworden, die in neuen Ansätzen der Versorgung adressiert werden müssen.

Ziel der Arbeit und Methode

Dieser Beitrag beschreibt die Entwicklung des KonzeptesPsychosoziale Versorgung COVID-19am LMU-Klinikum in München durch ein interdisziplinäres Team von Psychiater*innen, Psycholog*innen, Seelsorger*innen, Psychoonkolog*innen und Palliativmediziner*innen.

Ergebnis

Das neue Versorgungsmodell zur psychosozialen Unterstützung wurde für stationäre COVID-19-Patient*innen des Klinikums, deren Angehörige und Mitarbeiter*innen bestehend aus fünf Elementen implementiert.

Diskussion

Das Angebot integriert innovative und nachhaltige Ansätze, wie den Einsatz telemedizinischer Interventionen, und unterstreicht den Wert interdisziplinärer Zusammenarbeit zur Bewältigung von Herausforderungen im Gesundheitswesen.
Prognosemodelle für Präeklampsie
Authors: Brezinka Christoph
Published: October 2020

Die Präeklampsie betrifft 3–5 % aller Schwangeren. Wurde bisher in der Schwangerenkontrolle mittels Blutdruckmessung, Achten auf das Auftreten von Ödemen und Proteinurie die Erkrankung im zweiten und dritten Trimenon durch ihre Prodrome und Symptome erkannt, stehen nun Prognosemodelle zur Verfügung. Mit diesen ist es möglich, bereits im ersten Trimenon ein erhöhtes Präeklampsierisiko festzustellen. Durch den Nachweis, dass die Gabe von Acetylsalicylsäure ab dem ersten Trimenon zu einer etwa 60 %igen Reduktion des Risikos für das Auftreten einer Präeklampsie führt, steht mit den Prognosemodellen ein schlüssiges Präventions- und Therapiekonzept zur Verfügung.
Numerical investigation of detonation initiation by a focusing shock wave
Authors: Bengoechea S. , Reiss J. , Lemke M. , Sesterhenn J.
Published: October 2020

This work presents a numerical study of detonation initiation by means of a focusing shock wave. The investigated geometry is a part of a pulsed detonation combustion chamber, consisting of a circular pipe in which the flow is obstructed by a single convergent–divergent axisymmetric nozzle. This obstacle acts as a focusing device for an incoming shock wave, serving as a low-energy detonation initiator. The chamber is filled with stoichiometric premixed hydrogen-enriched air. The simulation uses a one-step chemical model with variable parameters optimized by the adjoint approach in terms of the induction time $$\tau _{\text {c}}$$

τ
c

. The model reproduces $$\tau _{\text {c}}$$

τ
c

of a complex kinetics model in the range of pressures and temperatures appearing at the focusing point. The results give a comprehensive description of the shock-induced detonation initiation, which is the mechanism for the deflagration-to-detonation transition in this type of configurations. Potential geometry design improvements for technical applications are discussed. The first attempt to parameterize the transition process is also undertaken.
Mental health effects of infection containment strategies: quarantine and isolation—a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Henssler Jonathan , Stock Friederike , van Bohemen Joris , Walter Henrik , Heinz Andreas , Brandt Lasse
Published: October 2020

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, an unprecedented number of people worldwide is currently affected by quarantine or isolation. These measures have been suggested to negatively impact on mental health. We conducted the first systematic literature review and meta-analysis assessing the psychological effects in both quarantined and isolated persons compared to non-quarantined and non-isolated persons. PubMed, PsycINFO, and Embase databases were searched for studies until April 22, 2020 (Prospero Registration-No.: CRD42020180043). We followed PRISMA and MOOSE guidelines for data extraction and synthesis and the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale for assessing risk of bias of included studies. A random-effects model was implemented to pool effect sizes of included studies. The primary outcomes were depression, anxiety, and stress-related disorders. All other psychological parameters, such as anger, were reported as secondary outcomes. Out of 6807 screened articles, 25 studies were included in our analyses. Compared to controls, individuals experiencing isolation or quarantine were at increased risk for adverse mental health outcomes, particularly after containment duration of 1 week or longer. Effect sizes were summarized for depressive disorders (odds ratio 2.795; 95% CI 1.467–5.324), anxiety disorders (odds ratio 2.0; 95% CI 0.883–4.527), and stress-related disorders (odds ratio 2.742; 95% CI 1.496–5.027). Among secondary outcomes, elevated levels of anger were reported most consistently. There is compelling evidence for adverse mental health effects of isolation and quarantine, in particular depression, anxiety, stress-related disorders, and anger. Reported determinants can help identify populations at risk and our findings may serve as an evidence-base for prevention and management strategies.
Endoscopy-guided diode laser-assisted transcaruncular StopLoss Jones tube implantation for canalicular obstructions in primary surgery
Authors: Guo Yongwei , Rokohl Alexander C. , Kroth Katharina , Li Senmao , Lin Ming , Jia Renbing , Heindl Ludwig M.
Published: October 2020

Purpose

To introduce and evaluate a minimally-invasive endoscopy-guided transcaruncular laser-assisted StopLoss Jones tube (SLJT) implantation technique for severe canalicular obstructions in primary surgeries.

Methods

We retrospectively identified 12 adult patients (12 eyes) with severe epiphora secondary to long-segment canalicular obstructions. All the 12 eyes underwent an endoscopy-guided transcaruncular SLJT implantation with an 810-nm diode laser’s assistance as the primary surgical approach. Surgical and functional success rates, intraoperative and postoperative complications, as well as the need for secondary surgery, are evaluated.

Results

Primary surgical success was achieved in 11 of the 12 cases (92%); one patient (8%) required secondary surgery to replace an SLJT with a shorter one. Ultimately, all cases showed well-placed functioning tubes. Three of the 12 cases (25%) presented conjunctival scarring, conjunctival granulation tissue, with or without tube-associated irritation of the ocular surface. We observed no sink-in, extrusion, nor crack of the tube. Complete functional success was achieved in 83%, and moderate functional success in 17% of all patients. The functionally unsuccessful outcome was not present in this study.

Conclusion

Endoscopy-guided transcaruncular diode laser-assisted SLJT implantation seems to be a promising minimally invasive approach for primary treatment of severe canalicular dacryostenosis. This novel technique shows high functional success rates. It seems to avoid the risk of tube malposition and extrusion, septal and turbinate injury, nasal adhesion, drainage failure, ethmoiditis, postoperative bleeding, and cutaneous scars.
A stability result for linear Markovian stochastic optimization problems
Authors: Kiszka Adriana , Wozabal David
Published: October 2020

In this paper, we propose a semi-metric for Markov processes that allows to bound optimal values of linear Markovian stochastic optimization problems. Similar to existing notions of distance for general stochastic processes, our distance is based on transportation metrics. As opposed to the extant literature, the proposed distance is problem specific, i.e., dependent on the data of the problem whose objective value we want to bound. As a result, we are able to consider problems with randomness in the constraints as well as in the objective function and therefore relax an assumption in the extant literature. We derive several properties of the proposed semi-metric and demonstrate its use in a stylized numerical example.
Efficacy of continuous erythropoietin receptor activator for end-stage renal disease patients with renal anemia before and after peritoneal dialysis initiation
Authors: Fujimoto Daisuke , Adachi Masataka , Miyasato Yoshikazu , Hata Yusuke , Inoue Hideki , Oda Akira , Kakizoe Yutaka , Nakagawa Terumasa , Shimasaki Akiko , Nakamura Keishi , Nagayoshi Yu , Mukoyama Masashi
Published: October 2020

Background

Serial management of renal anemia using continuous erythropoietin receptor activator (CERA) throughout the peritoneal dialysis initiation period has rarely been reported. We investigated the efficacy and dosage of CERA treatment from pre- to post-peritoneal dialysis initiation for anemia management in patients with end-stage renal disease.

Methods

Twenty-six patients (13 men; mean age 60.9 years) who started peritoneal dialysis between April 2012 and April 2018 were investigated. Serial changes in hemoglobin levels, transferrin saturation and ferritin levels, CERA dosage, and the erythropoietin resistance index (ERI) over a 48 week period were retrospectively examined.

Results

Mean hemoglobin levels increased significantly from 10.5 g/dL at 24 weeks prior to the peritoneal dialysis initiation to 11.5 g/dL at 4 weeks post-initiation. The proportion of patients with hemoglobin levels ≥ 11 g/dL increased significantly after peritoneal dialysis initiation. The mean CERA dosage was 57.0 µg/month at 24 weeks prior to dialysis initiation, 86.5 µg/month at initiation, and 72.0 µg/month at 4 weeks post-initiation. Thus, the dosage tended to increase immediately before peritoneal dialysis initiation and then decreased thereafter. Hemoglobin levels were significantly lower, while the CERA dosage for maintaining hemoglobin levels and ERI tended to be higher at dialysis initiation in patients with diabetes than in those without diabetes.

Conclusion

Treatment with CERA prior to and during the peritoneal dialysis initiation achieved fairly good anemia management in patients with and without diabetes. The CERA dosage could be reduced in patients without diabetes after dialysis initiation.
Costs and where to find them: identifying unit costs for health economic evaluations of diabetes in France, Germany and Italy
Authors: Pöhlmann J. , Norrbacka K. , Boye K. S. , Valentine W. J. , Sapin H.
Published: October 2020

Background

Health economic evaluations require cost data as key inputs. Many countries do not have standardized reference costs so costs used often vary between studies, thereby reducing transparency and transferability. The present review provided a comprehensive overview of cost sources and suggested unit costs for France, Germany and Italy, to support health economic evaluations in these countries, particularly in the field of diabetes.

Methods

A literature review was conducted across multiple databases to identify published unit costs and cost data sources for resource items commonly used in health economic evaluations of antidiabetic therapies. The quality of unit cost reporting was assessed with regard to comprehensiveness of cost reporting and referencing as well as accessibility of cost sources from published cost-effectiveness analyses (CEA) of antidiabetic medications.

Results

An overview of cost sources, including tariff and fee schedules as well as published estimates, was developed for France, Germany and Italy, covering primary and specialist outpatient care, emergency care, hospital treatment, pharmacy costs and lost productivity. Based on these sources, unit cost datasets were suggested for each country. The assessment of unit cost reporting showed that only 60% and 40% of CEAs reported unit costs and referenced them for all pharmacy items, respectively. Less than 20% of CEAs obtained all pharmacy costs from publicly available sources.

Conclusions

This review provides a comprehensive account of available costs and cost sources in France, Germany and Italy to support health economists and increase transparency in health economic evaluations in diabetes.
Radiomic Analysis of CT Predicts Tumor Response in Human Lung Cancer with Radiotherapy
Authors: Yan Mengmeng , Wang Weidong
Published: October 2020

Purpose

Radiomics features can be positioned to monitor changes throughout treatment. In this study, we evaluated machine learning for predicting tumor response by analyzing CT images of lung cancer patients treated with radiotherapy.

Experimental Design

For this retrospective study, screening or standard diagnostic CT images were collected for 100 patients (mean age, 67 years; range, 55–82 years; 64 men [mean age, 68 years; range, 55–82 years] and 36 women [mean age, 65 years; range, 60–72 years]) from two institutions between 2013 and 2017. Radiomics analysis was available for each patient. Features were pruned to train machine learning classifiers with 50 patients, then trained in the test dataset.

Result

A support vector machine classifier with 2 radiomic features (flatness and coefficient of variation) achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.91 on the test set.

Conclusion

The 2 radiomic features, flatness, and coefficient of variation, from the volume of interest of lung tumor, can be the biomarkers for predicting tumor response at CT.
Langer–Schwartz–Kampmann–Wagner precipitation simulations: assessment of models and materials design application for Cu precipitation in PH stainless steels
Authors: Sheng Ze , Bonvalet Rolland Manon , Zhou Tao , Odqvist Joakim , Hedström Peter
Published: October 2020

Quantitative modelling of precipitation kinetics can play an important role in a computational material design framework where, for example, optimization of alloying can become more efficient if it is computationally driven. Precipitation hardening (PH) stainless steels is one example where precipitation strengthening is vital to achieve optimum properties. The Langer–Schwartz–Kampmann–Wagner (LSKW) approach for modelling of precipitation has shown good results for different alloy systems, but the specific models and assumptions applied are critical. In the present work, we thus apply two state-of-the-art LSKW tools to evaluate the different treatments of nucleation and growth. The precipitation modelling is assessed with respect to experimental results for Cu precipitation in PH stainless steels. The LSKW modelling is able to predict the precipitation during ageing in good quantitative agreement with experimental results if the nucleation model allows for nucleation of precipitates with a composition far from the equilibrium and if a composition-dependent interfacial energy is considered. The modelling can also accurately predict trends with respect to alloy composition and ageing temperature found in the experimental data. For materials design purposes, it is though proposed that the modelling is calibrated by measurements of precipitate composition and fraction in key experiments prior to application.

Graphic abstract
A Cultural Memory of the Digital Age?
Authors: Haux Dario Henri , Maget Dominicé Antoinette , Raspotnig Jana Alexandra
Published: October 2020

Considering digital cultural heritage as the digitalized assets from memory institutions and digital born art, this paper aims to build on its current normative definitions. This first notion addresses the subtle, yet complex relationship between technology and culture. In addition, we consider the criteria set for defining heritage in memory theorization. By doing so, we want to challenge the lack of uniform standards and approaches in dealing with digital cultural heritage and to give Aleida and Jan Assmann's Theory of Cultural Memory a normative dimension. Can there be a cultural memory of the digital age?
Pre-operative Hypoalbuminemia is Associated with Complications following Proximal Humerus Fracture Surgery: An Analysis of 919 Patients
Authors: Althoff Alyssa D. , Ignozzi Anthony J. , Bell Joshua E. , Werner Brian C.
Published: October 2020

Background

Proximal humerus fractures are among the most common presenting fractures to orthopedic surgeons in the USA. Hypoalbuminemia is accepted as a nutrition marker associated with post-operative complications following common orthopedic interventions.

Questions/Purposes

Thus, the authors sought to (1) describe the national demographic trends of patients undergoing surgical fixation for proximal humerus fracture and (2) investigate the association between pre-operative hypoalbuminemia, a malnutrition marker, and post-operative complications within 1 year of surgical intervention.

Methods

The PearlDiver Humana Claims Database was queried to identify a nationally representative cohort of patients who underwent surgical intervention for proximal humerus fractures from 2008 to 2015. Demographic and comorbid characteristics were collected. Pearson's χ-squared analysis was used to compare rates of 90-day and 1-year outcomes between hypoalbuminemia (albumin ≤ 3.5 mg/dL) and control groups. Multivariate logistic regression was then used to determine the isolated effect that hypoalbuminemia had on post-operative outcomes.

Results

Of the 3337 patients identified, 919 (27.5%) had available serum albumin data. Seventy (7.6%) patients had hypoalbuminemia. Hypoalbuminemia was more likely to be associated with post-operative sepsis (7.1% vs. 1.5%, respectively) and pneumonia (15.7% vs. 4.6) compared with controls. Additionally, hypoalbuminemia was associated with increased 90-day rates of discharge to extended care (4.3% vs. 0.8), emergency room visits (38.6% vs. 21.7), and total cost ($24,051.96 ± 24,972.74 vs. $15,429.74 ± 24,492.30).

Conclusion

Our study suggests hypoalbuminemia is associated with an increased risk of complications, specifically pneumonia and sepsis, and total health care costs in patients undergoing surgery for proximal humerus fractures. These findings provide insight for individualized patient care that will aid in evaluating the potential risk of surgical complications in an effort to improve outcomes and reduce costs.
COVID-19 restrictions on human rights in the light of the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights
Authors: Jovičić Sanja
Published: October 2020

The aim of this article is to examine the restrictions imposed by European States on individual human rights during the COVID-19 pandemic in the light of the European Convention of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. After an overview of the development of the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights on public emergencies and Article 15 of the Convention, the article will examine how the Court’s case-law could be applied to the current sanitary situation.
Hydrothermal Carbonization of Organic Waste and Biomass: A Review on Process, Reactor, and Plant Modeling
Authors: Ischia Giulia , Fiori Luca
Published: October 2020

Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is an emerging path to give a new life to organic waste and residual biomass. Fulfilling the principles of the circular economy, through HTC “unpleasant” organics can be transformed into useful materials and possibly energy carriers. The potential applications of HTC are tremendous and the recent literature is full of investigations. In this context, models capable to predict, simulate and optimize the HTC process, reactors, and plants are engineering tools that can significantly shift HTC research towards innovation by boosting the development of novel enterprises based on HTC technology. This review paper addresses such key-issue: where do we stand regarding the development of these tools? The literature presents many and simplified models to describe the reaction kinetics, some dealing with the process simulation, while few focused on the heart of an HTC system, the reactor. Statistical investigations and some life cycle assessment analyses also appear in the current state of the art. This work examines and analyzes these predicting tools, highlighting their potentialities and limits. Overall, the current models suffer from many aspects, from the lack of data to the intrinsic complexity of HTC reactions and HTC systems. Therefore, the emphasis is given to what is still necessary to make the HTC process duly simulated and therefore implementable on an industrial scale with sufficient predictive margins.

Graphic Abstract
The relative age effect in German 11- to 18-year-old male and female swimmers
Authors: Staub Ilka , Stallman Robert K. , Vogt Tobias
Published: October 2020

Relatively older athletes have a greater probability of being selected and subsequently exposed to a higher level of coaching, training and other talent-promoting factors. Grouping by chronological age is, therefore, considered to be one of the weaknesses in talent identification. A large number of studies have confirmed the prevalence of the relative age effect (RAE) across various sports, including swimming. This investigation aims to quantify the prevalence, magnitude and transient pattern of the RAE according to sex and events across German swimmers. The RAE was examined top-100 ranked swimmers (2004–2013) according to birth month, of three cohorts (born 1993–1995; n = 3630) for the age groups 11–18. The Χ2 tests and Cramer’s V estimated effect sizes; odd’s ratios and confidence intervals calculated relative discrepancies between the quartiles. The RAE is significantly present over all events for female swimmers until 13–15 and for males until 16–18 years of age. Effect sizes were moderate until 12/13 years of age for females and 14/15 years of age for males. No inverted effects were visible. Compared to previous reports on Australian as well as Portuguese cohorts, the RAE was prevalent over a longer time period. Therefore, the impact of negative outcomes from RAE appears to be greater among German age group swimmers.
Comparison of elite athletes’ sexual violence experiences in and outside sport
Authors: Ohlert Jeannine , Rau Thea , Rulofs Bettina , Allroggen Marc
Published: October 2020

Background

Research on the prevalence of sexual violence in sport mostly focuses on incidents of sexual violence that happen in the context of sport, but few studies are available that systematically target the lifetime prevalence of sexual violence in the athletes (as persons), combining experiences in sport and outside the sport system. The aim of the current study was thus to compare sexual violence experiences of elite athletes in Germany in sport with those outside sport.

Methods

The study was carried out in cooperation with the German Olympic and Paralympic Committee who contacted their registered elite athletes. In total, 1529 elite athletes took part in an online survey and answered questions regarding their sexual violence experiences first in the context of sport and afterwards outside the sport context.

Results

Results show that 54.2% of the athletes had experienced some form of sexual violence during their lifetime, 20.6% even a severe incident of sexual violence. Incidents happened more often outside sport than in sport, but 48% of the victims were affected in both areas of life, indicating a high overlap of victimization experiences.

Conclusion

One recommendation from our results is therefore to make even stronger efforts to protect young athletes from becoming a victim of sexual violence. In case a sport club has a person of trust in the club, it can be an important place for athletes with sexual violence experiences (no matter whether experienced inside or outside sport), so that they are being heard and helped.
Stimuli-responsive polymeric nanomaterials for rheumatoid arthritis therapy
Authors: Xie Yingsi , Tuguntaev Ruslan G. , Mao Cong , Chen Haoting , Tao Ying , Wang Shixiang , Yang Bin , Guo Weisheng
Published: October 2020

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a long-term inflammatory disease derived from an autoimmune disorder of the synovial membrane. Current therapeutic strategies for RA mainly aim to hamper the macrophages' proliferation and reduce the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Therefore, the accumulation of therapeutic agents targeted at the inflammatory site should be a crucial therapeutic strategy. Nowadays, the nanocarrier system incorporated with stimuli-responsive property is being intensively studied, showing the potentially tremendous value of specific therapy. Stimuli-responsive (i.e., pH, temperature, light, redox, and enzyme) polymeric nanomaterials, as an important component of nanoparticulate carriers, have been intensively developed for various diseases treatment. A survey of the literature suggests that the use of targeted nanocarriers to deliver therapeutic agents (nanotherapeutics) in the treatment of inflammatory arthritis remains largely unexplored. The lack of suitable stimuli-sensitive polymeric nanomaterials is one of the limitations. Herein, we provide an overview of drug delivery systems prepared from commonly used stimuli-sensitive polymeric nanomaterials and some inorganic agents that have potential in the treatment of RA. The current situation and challenges are also discussed to stimulate a novel thinking about the development of nanomedicine.
Analysis of Dirichlet–Robin Iterations for Solving the Cauchy Problem for Elliptic Equations
Authors: Achieng Pauline , Berntsson Fredrik , Chepkorir Jennifer , Kozlov Vladimir
Published: October 2020

The Cauchy problem for general elliptic equations of second order is considered. In a previous paper (Berntsson et al. in Inverse Probl Sci Eng 26(7):1062–1078, 2018), it was suggested that the alternating iterative algorithm suggested by Kozlov and Maz’ya can be convergent, even for large wavenumbers $$k^2$$

k
2

, in the Helmholtz equation, if the Neumann boundary conditions are replaced by Robin conditions. In this paper, we provide a proof that shows that the Dirichlet–Robin alternating algorithm is indeed convergent for general elliptic operators provided that the parameters in the Robin conditions are chosen appropriately. We also give numerical experiments intended to investigate the precise behaviour of the algorithm for different values of $$k^2$$

k
2

in the Helmholtz equation. In particular, we show how the speed of the convergence depends on the choice of Robin parameters.
Takotsubo Syndrome in Patients with COVID-19: a Systematic Review of Published Cases
Authors: Singh Sandeep , Desai Rupak , Gandhi Zainab , Fong Hee Kong , Doreswamy Shriya , Desai Virmitra , Chockalingam Anand , Mehta Puja K. , Sachdeva Rajesh , Kumar Gautam
Published: October 2020

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is caused by catecholamine surge, which is also observed in COVID-19 disease due to the cytokine storm. We performed a systematic literature search using PubMed/Medline, SCOPUS, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases to identify COVID-19-associated TTS case reports and evaluated patient-level demographics, clinical attributes, and outcomes. There are 12 cases reported of TTS associated with COVID-19 infection with mean age of 70.8 ± 15.2 years (range 43–87 years) with elderly (66.6% > 60 years) female (66.6%) majority. The time interval from the first symptom to TTS was 8.3 ± 3.6 days (range 3–14 days). Out of 12 cases, 7 reported apical ballooning, 4 reported basal segment hypo/akinesia, and 1 reported median TTS. Out of 12 cases, during hospitalization, data on left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was reported in only 9 of the cases. The mean LVEF was 40.6 ± 9.9% (male, 46.7 ± 5.7%, and female, 37.7 ± 10.6%). Troponin was measured in all 12 cases and was elevated in 11 (91.6%) without stenosis on coronary angiography except one. Out of 11 cases, 6 developed cardiac complications with 1 case each of cardiac tamponade, heart failure, myocarditis, hypertensive crisis, and cardiogenic shock in 2. Five patients required intubation, 1 patient required continuous positive airway pressure, and 1 patient required venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. The outcome was reported in terms of recovery in 11 (91.6%) out of 12 cases, and a successful recovery was noted in 10 (90.9%) cases. COVID-19-related TTS has a higher prevalence in older women. Despite a lower prevalence of cardiac comorbidities in COVID-19 patients, direct myocardial injury, inflammation, and stress may contribute to TTS with a high complication rate.
Artificial intelligence and machine learning in dynamic cyber risk analytics at the edge
Authors: Radanliev Petar , De Roure David , Walton Rob , Van Kleek Max , Montalvo Rafael Mantilla , Maddox La’Treall , Santos Omar , Burnap Peter , Anthi Eirini
Published: October 2020

We explore the potential and practical challenges in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in cyber risk analytics, for improving organisational resilience and understanding cyber risk. The research is focused on identifying the role of AI in connected devices such as Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Through literature review, we identify wide ranging and creative methodologies for cyber analytics and explore the risks of deliberately influencing or disrupting behaviours to socio-technical systems. This resulted in the modelling of the connections and interdependencies between a system's edge components to both external and internal services and systems. We focus on proposals for models, infrastructures and frameworks of IoT systems found in both business reports and technical papers. We analyse this juxtaposition of related systems and technologies, in academic and industry papers published in the past 10 years. Then, we report the results of a qualitative empirical study that correlates the academic literature with key technological advances in connected devices. The work is based on grouping future and present techniques and presenting the results through a new conceptual framework. With the application of social science's grounded theory, the framework details a new process for a prototype of AI-enabled dynamic cyber risk analytics at the edge.
Feasibility Study for the Evaluation of Chicken Meat Storage Time Using Surface Acoustic Wave Sensor
Authors: Kim Geonwoo , Cho Byoung-Kwan , Oh Sang Hyub , Kim Ki-Bok
Published: October 2020

Purpose

The objectives of this study are to provide the detailed information of designing, fabrication process, and performance test results of a surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor for evaluating chicken meat storage time (up to 15 days).

Methods

The aldehyde gas generated from chicken meat was selected as the reactive material, and Love wave was used among various SAWs due to its high sensitivity of the aldehyde gas particles. The SAW sensor was fabricated on the surface of LiNbO3 piezoelectric wafer with a cross-linked polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-sensitive layer using standard photolithographic techniques. To analyze the fabricated SAW sensor characteristics, the S21 parameters and base line noise were acquired by a vector network analyzer. Before measuring chicken meat gas samples, a reference gas (a mixture of 25, 50, 75, and 100 ppm acetaldehyde (a functional group with the structure –CHO, CH3CHO) and nitrogen (N2) gas) was measured to verify the reactive performance of the SAW sensor. Among the VOCs from chicken meat gas, CH3CHO was selected as an intrinsic biomarker due to its harmful effects on the human body. Then, aldehyde gas from chicken meat samples was measured and the phase changes of the response signals with increasing the chicken meat storage time were obtained by the SAW sensor.

Results

About − 4 dB insertion loss occurred due to the PDMS coating and the high electromechanical coupling factor of used substrate. The phases of the response signals decreased linearly with increase of both the reference gas concentration and the storage time of the chicken meat samples. The determination coefficients of the reference gas and the storage time were over 0.9. The results show that the developed SAW sensor can provide valuable information about evaluating the chicken meat storage time.

Conclusion

The newly developed SAW sensor clearly demonstrates that chicken meat storage could be evaluated by detecting aldehyde gas. This opens a promising research avenue to explore.
The FaceChannel: A Fast and Furious Deep Neural Network for Facial Expression Recognition
Authors: Barros Pablo , Churamani Nikhil , Sciutti Alessandra
Published: October 2020

Current state-of-the-art models for automatic facial expression recognition (FER) are based on very deep neural networks that are effective but rather expensive to train. Given the dynamic conditions of FER, this characteristic hinders such models of been used as a general affect recognition. In this paper, we address this problem by formalizing the FaceChannel, a light-weight neural network that has much fewer parameters than common deep neural networks. We introduce an inhibitory layer that helps to shape the learning of facial features in the last layer of the network and, thus, improving performance while reducing the number of trainable parameters. To evaluate our model, we perform a series of experiments on different benchmark datasets and demonstrate how the FaceChannel achieves a comparable, if not better, performance to the current state-of-the-art in FER. Our experiments include cross-dataset analysis, to estimate how our model behaves on different affective recognition conditions. We conclude our paper with an analysis of how FaceChannel learns and adapts the learned facial features towards the different datasets.
Maternal Serum VEGF Predicts Abnormally Invasive Placenta Better than NT-proBNP: a Multicenter Case-Control Study
Authors: Schwickert Alexander , Chantraine Frédéric , Ehrlich Loreen , Henrich Wolfgang , Muallem Mustafa Zelal , Nonnenmacher Andreas , Petit Philippe , Weizsäcker Katharina , Braun Thorsten
Published: October 2020

The aim of this study was to test if maternal serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) or N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) predicts abnormally invasive placenta (AIP) better. Secondary objective was to test whether the serum levels of VEGF and NT-proBNP can predict the degree of invasion. In a multicenter case–control study design, gestational age-matched serum samples from pregnant women with AIP (n = 44) and uncomplicated pregnancies (n = 55) who had been enrolled at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany and Centre Hospitalier Régional de la Citadelle in Liège, Belgium were analyzed. Maternal blood serum VEGF and NT-proBNP levels were immunoassayed from samples taken immediately before delivery (GA median: 35 weeks). Biomarker levels were compared between AIP and control group. The correlation of biomarker levels with the clinical AIP degree was assessed. The predictive biomarker ability was characterized through a multivariate regression model and receiver operating characteristic curves. Women with AIP had significantly lower maternal serum VEGF levels (AIP mean 285 pg/ml, 95% CI 248–322, vs. control: 391 pg/ml, 95% CI 356–426, p < 0.01) and higher NT-proBNP levels (AIP median 329 pg/ml, IQR 287–385, vs. control 295 pg/ml, IQR 273–356, p = 0.03). Maternal serum VEGF levels were able to predict AIP better (AUC = 0.729, 0.622–0.836, p < 0.001; VEGF + number of previous cesarean deliveries: AUC = 0.915, 0.853–0.977, p < 0.001). Maternal serum VEGF levels correlated inversely with the clinical AIP degree (r = − 0.32, p < 0.01). In short, maternal serum VEGF, more than NT-proBNP, can help in predicting AIP and hints at the degree of invasion.
Treatment Trends and Cost Associated With Peyronie’s Disease
Authors: Loftus Christopher J. , Rajanahally Saneal , Holt Sarah K. , Raheem Omer A. , Ostrowski Kevin A. , Walsh Thomas J.
Published: October 2020

Introduction

Providers may use several treatment options for patients with Peyronie’s disease; however, it is unclear whether practice patterns have evolved over recent years and if this has impacted cost.

Aims

To investigate trends in the treatment of Peyronie’s disease over time and the associated costs using a national, commercial insurance claims database.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted using claims from the Truven MarketScan database from 2007 to 2018 for men with Peyronie’s disease. Cost was estimated as either the sum of prescription oral or injectable treatment costs or as the single net cost associated with the operative procedure.

Main Outcome Measures

Frequency of use of various treatments for Peyronie’s disease and associated costs were assessed as trends over the timeline by year.

Results

The estimated annual incidence of Peyronie’s disease in this population rose from 61 to 77 per 100,000 patients over the included years, and the percent annual treatment rate rose from 17.8% to 26.2%. Colchicine was the most commonly prescribed oral agent in 2007 used in 22% of treated individuals; by 2018, pentoxifylline was the most common prescribed oral agent used in 33%. In 2007, 11% of treated patients received intralesional verapamil; however, by 2018, 24% received injectable collagenase, whereas <1% received intralesional verapamil. The mean annual, per-individual cost of Peyronie’s disease treatment increased from $1,531 in 2007 to $10,339 in 2018. The cost increase was greatest for injectable therapies, which rose from $811 per individual in 2007 to $16,184 in 2018, a 19-fold increase.

Conclusions

Diagnosis and treatment of Peyronie’s disease is increasing over time. Pentoxifylline has become the most common oral prescription, whereas injectable collagenase has become most common injection. The mean cost associated with Peyronie’s disease treatment increased more than 5 times from 2007 to 2018 corresponding with Federal Drug Administration’s approval of injectable collagenase.

Loftus CJ, Rajanahally S, Holt SK, et al. Treatment Trends and Cost Associated With Peyronie’s Disease. Sex Med 2020;8:673–678.
Differences in the Sexual Function and Sexual Healthcare Needs of Pregnant Women Who Underwent in Vitro Fertilization and Women Who Conceived Naturally at Each Trimester: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Huang Cheng-Yi , Liou Chiou-Fang , Lu Yen-Chiao , Tsai Li-Ya , Ying Tsung-Ho , Kuo Ching-Pyng , Lee Shu Hsin
Published: October 2020

Introduction

Infertility may negatively impact sexual function. Women with fertility problems usually prioritize treatment for infertility, but their sexual function in each trimester of pregnancy is poorly researched.

Aim

To compare the sexual function and sexual healthcare needs of women who underwent successful in vitro fertilization (IVF group) and women who conceived naturally (CN group) during each trimester.

Methods

Longitudinal prospective cohort study was conducted from August 2016 to July 2018. The IVF group (n = 100) was recruited from a leading reproductive treatment center; the CN group (n = 100), at the prenatal clinic of a medical center in central Taiwan. Questionnaires were mailed to women in the 10th–11th gestational week; 70 women in the IVF group and 75 in the CN group completed all 3 questionnaires, during the 10th–11th, 20th–21st, and 30th–31st gestational weeks.

Main Outcome Measures

Female Sexual Function Index and Nursing Intervention on Sexual Healthcare needs were compared between groups in each trimester.

Results

Most participants reported sexual dysfunction concerns during pregnancy. In the first trimester, the Female Sexual Function Index score was significantly lower in the IVF group than in the CN group (18.13 ± 6.27 vs 20.34 ± 5.87, respectively; P < .05). Sexual healthcare needs at the permission level were significantly lower in the IVF group than in the CN group (10.78 ± 2.41 vs 11.79 ± 2.67, respectively; P < .05).

Conclusion

The IVF group had lower sexual function in the first trimester than the CN group. Sexual function improved in the second trimester in the IVF group but decreased throughout pregnancy in the CN group. The CN group had a greater need for sexual healthcare nursing intervention at the permission level than the IVF group.
Is safe and effective LESS in benign adnexal diseases: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Pan Chunping , Zhao Renfeng , Jiang Yanming
Published: October 2020

ABSTRACT

Objective:

This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of laparoscopic single site surgery (LESS) versus conventional laparoscopy (CL) for benign adnexal diseases.

Method:

Databases, including PubMed, Cochrane, Web of Science and Embase were searched to identify all articles published up to February 2020. We calculated the odds ratios and weighted mean differences (WMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for dichotomous and continuous data.

Results:

This study included 8 RCTs, 12 retrospective studies and 6 prospective studies with a total of 2658 patients. We found the LESS had a shorter length of hospital stay (WMD = −0.24 [−0.34, −0.13], I2 = 48.6%), lesser postoperative pain 24 after surgery (WMD = −0.28 [ −0.51, −0.05], I2 = 72.3%), lower analgesic consumption (WMD = 0.45 [0.33, 0.61], I2 = 46.9%), and better cosmetic outcomes than the CL group. A longer operative time (WMD = 0.18 [0.09, 0.28], I2 = 35.2%), higher rate of postoperative complications (OR = 1.93 [1.09, 3.40], I2 = 0.0%) was observed in the LESS group than in the CL group. Moreover, there was no significant difference in occurrence of wound infection, fever, ileus, estimated blood loss, intraoperative complications, and level of postoperative pain immediately, 6 h, 48 h after surgery between the LESS and CL groups.

Conclusion:

LESS may be safe and effective, option for the management of benign adnexal diseases. However, this novel technique has some disadvantages. Therefore, multicenter randomized controlled trials must be conducted to validate our findings.

Highlights:
Opposing Apartheid on Stage
Authors: Fleming Tyler
Published: October 2020

A captivating account of an interracial jazz opera that took apartheid South Africa by storm and marked a turning point in the nation's cultural history.
'A Marvel to Behold': Gold and Silver at the Court of Henry VIII
Authors: Schroder Timothy
Published: October 2020

Bringing the existence and significance of the lost riches of Henry VIII back to life, this book sheds new light on Henrician and Tudor court culture.
Reducing the Harmful Use of Alcohol: Have International Targets Been Met?
Authors: REHM Jürgen , CASSWELL Sally , MANTHEY Jakob , ROOM Robin , SHIELD Kevin
Published: October 2020

Alcohol use has been identified in major United Nations (UN) initiatives, such as the Sustainable Development Goals and the Non-Communicable Disease Action Plan, as a major contributor to the global burden of disease. As a result, levels of alcohol use serve as an official indicator of progress towards these UN-set goals. Given current trends, UN targets for reduced alcohol consumption are unlikely to be met. Moreover, in many countries, especially in low- and middle-income countries, the alcohol-attributable burden of disease continues to increase. Pressure will need to be exerted on national and international decision-makers to arrive at more powerful and normatively persuasive instruments, such as a treaty.
Spread out random walks on homogeneous spaces
Authors: PROHASKA ROLAND
Published: October 2020

A measure on a locally compact group is said to be spread out if one of its convolution powers is not singular with respect to Haar measure. Using Markov chain theory, we conduct a detailed analysis of random walks on homogeneous spaces with spread out increment distribution. For finite volume spaces, we arrive at a complete picture of the asymptotics of then-step distributions: they equidistribute towards Haar measure, often exponentially fast and locally uniformly in the starting position. In addition, many classical limit theorems are shown to hold. In the infinite volume case, we prove recurrence and a ratio limit theorem for symmetric spread out random walks on homogeneous spaces of at most quadratic growth. This settles one direction in a long-standing conjecture.
Uniform convergence rate for Birkhoff means of certain uniquely ergodic toral maps
Authors: KLEIN SILVIUS , LIU XIAO-CHUAN , MELO ALINE
Published: October 2020

We obtain estimates on the uniform convergence rate of the Birkhoff average of a continuous observable over torus translations and affine skew product toral transformations. The convergence rate depends explicitly on the modulus of continuity of the observable and on the arithmetic properties of the frequency defining the transformation. Furthermore, we show that for the one-dimensional torus translation, these estimates are nearly optimal.
Quantitative characterization of high-touch surfaces in emergency departments and hemodialysis facilities
Authors: Wang Tina Z. , Simon Matthew S. , Westblade Lars F. , Saiman Lisa , Furuya E. Yoko , Calfee David P.
Published: October 2020

An observational study was conducted to characterize high-touch surfaces in emergency departments and hemodialysis facilities. Certain surfaces were touched with much greater frequency than others. A small number of surfaces accounted for the majority of touch episodes. Prioritizing disinfection of these surfaces may reduce pathogen transmission within healthcare environments.