bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of scoliosis and impaired pulmonary function in patients with type III osteogenesis imperfecta
Authors: Keuning M. C. , Leeuwerke S. J. G. , van Dijk P. R. , Harsevoort A. G. J. , Grotjohan H. P. , Franken A. A. M. , Janus G. J. M.
Published: May 2022

Purpose

Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) is a rare group of congenital genetic disorders that consists of a collagen synthesis defect. The most severe phenotype is type III OI. Characterized by progressive bone deformity, fragility and pulmonary impairment, causing significant morbidity and mortality. Also, multilevel spine deformities are observed, such as scoliosis. The literature on the pathophysiology of pulmonary impairment in relation to scoliosis in these patients is scarce and conflicting. This study aims to determine the prevalence of scoliosis and its relation to pulmonary function in type III OI patients.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study took place between April 2020 and November 2021. Forty-two patients with type III OI were included. Anterior–posterior spine radiographs were evaluated for scoliosis. Pulmonary function was assessed using spirometry and partial pressure of carbon dioxide.

Results

All 42 patients had scoliosis, with a mean curve of 66° (95% CI of range). Vital lung capacity was decreased, compared to a non-OI population (mean 1.57 L). This was correlated to the degree of scoliosis (st. β − 0.40, P = 0.03), especially in increasing thoracic curves. Restrictive lung pathophysiology was shown in our study population with a mean FEV1/FVC ratio of 0.85.

Conclusions

Increasing thoracic scoliosis was correlated with decreased vital lung capacity in our study population of type III OI patients. High FEV1/FVC ratios found in this study population show restrictive lung pathophysiology. Therefore, it is plausible that the pulmonary impairment found in type III OI patients is a combined issue, partly associated to scoliosis and partly intrinsic to OI.
Neurovascular and infectious disease phenotype of acute stroke patients with and without COVID-19
Authors: Beretta Simone , Iannuzzi Francesca , Diamanti Susanna , Bianchi Elisa , D’Urbano Luca , Elisa Colella , Rugova Alban , Morotti Colleoni Carlo , Beghi Ettore , Bonfanti Paolo , Ferrarese Carlo
Published: May 2022

Background

The infectious disease phenotype of acute stroke associated with COVID-19 has been poorly characterized.

Objective

We investigated the neurovascular and infectious disease phenotype of stroke patients with and without COVID-19 infection, and their effect on in-hospital mortality.

Methods

This is a retrospective cohort study of consecutive patients with acute stroke, admitted to any ward of a hub hospital for stroke in Lombardy, Italy, during the first wave of COVID-19. Demographic, neurovascular, infectious disease, and respiratory characteristics were collected. The effect of clinical variables on survival was evaluated using logistic regression models.

Results

One hundred thirty-seven patients with acute stroke were recruited; 30 (21.9%) patients had COVID-19 and represented 2.5% of the 1218 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the study period. Demographics, comorbidities, stroke type, stroke severity, and etiology did not differ between COVID + stroke patients and non-COVID stroke patients, except for an excess of multi-embolic ischemic stroke in the COVID + group. Most COVID + stroke patients had symptomatic infection (60%) and interstitial pneumonia (70%). COVID + stroke patients required more frequently respiratory support (77% versus 29%; p < 0.0001) and had higher in-hospital mortality (40% versus 12%; p = 0.0005) than non-COVID stroke patients. Mortality was independently associated with symptomatic interstitial pneumonia (aOR 6.7; 95% CI 2.0–22.5; p = 0.002) and, to a lesser extent, with NIHSS on admission (aOR 1.1; 95% CI 1.03–1.2; p = 0.007) and recanalization therapies (aOR 0.2; 95% CI 0.04–0.98; p = 0.046).

Conclusion

Symptomatic interstitial pneumonia was the major driver of in-hospital mortality in COVID + stroke patients.
What Can Educational Psychology Learn From, and Contribute to, Theory Development Scholarship?
Authors: Greene Jeffrey A.
Published: May 2022

One of the field of psychology’s stated goals is to produce scholarship with findings that benefit the world. Over the last 10 years, psychology scholarship and its presumed societal benefits have been called into question due to the field’s history of questionable research practices, racism, and epistemic oppression. Calls for methodological, ethical, and practical reforms are essential to building a psychological science that is just, effective, reliable, and beneficial. Recently, these calls have been complemented by a push to reform how theory is developed and used in psychology. There is great need for better understanding and implementation of theory development, both in the field of psychology broadly as well as in its subdisciplines, including educational psychology. At the same time, educational psychologists have much to contribute to the tripartite calls for methodological, ethical, and theory reforms. In this paper, I explore theory development in psychology by discussing the importance of developing both the descriptive and explanatory aspects of theory as well as the need to refine how theory is evaluated and integrated. Then, I review how innovations and practices in educational psychology can inform the broader theory reform movement in psychology writ large. Finally, I identify important future directions for further advancing theory reform in psychology, including addressing ableism in the field, increasing the field’s hospitability for theory revision, furthering theory development transparency, and more deeply integrating theory development into preparation programs.
Use of AERONET-OC for validation of SGLI/GCOM-C products in Ariake Sea, Japan
Authors: Ishizaka Joji , Yang Mengmeng , Fujii Naoki , Katano Toshiya , Hori Masahiro , Mine Takayuki , Saitoh Katsuya , Murakami Hiroshi
Published: May 2022

A station of AErosol RObotic NETwork Ocean Color (AERONET-OC) has been set on the Ariake Observation Tower of Saga University on April, 2018, for verification of the Second generation Global Imager (SGLI)/Global Change Observation Mission-Climate (GCOM-C). Remote sensing reflectance (Rrs) observed by the AERONET-OC was used for verification of SGLI. SGLI Version 1 data underestimated the shortwave Rrs and Rrs (380) and Rrs(412) were mostly negative, while the estimation was improved by Version 2 with the correction of Rrs(412) to be positive. It was indicated that absorptive aerosol was influenced to SGLI atmospheric correction and caused the underestimation of Rrs. Simple linear correction method to improve shortwave Rrs also worked well for specifically Version 1 data. Water constituents, chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), total suspended matter (TSM) and colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) of the SGLI were also verified by the ship observation data. All constituents were improved from Version 1 to 2 with the correction of Rrs, although Version 2 underestimated Chl-a and CDOM. Simple regression algorithms were also examined with in situ as well as SGLI Rrs data, and it indicated that more sophisticated algorithms may be required. Time series of water constituents derived from AERONET-OC and SGLI data were compared to river discharge and spring–neap tidal cycle. The results indicated that the behavior, such as the increase of Chl-a after river discharge and interaction of Chl-a and TSM with the spring–neap tidal cycles were observed, although estimations of water constituents were not completely separated by the algorithms.
Medicines prescribing for homeless persons: analysis of prescription data from specialist homelessness general practices
Authors: Khan Aleena , Kurmi Om , Lowrie Richard , Khanal Saval , Paudyal Vibhu
Published: May 2022

Background

Specialist homelessness practices remain the main primary care access point for many persons experiencing homelessness. Prescribing practices are poorly understood in this population.

Objective

This study aims to investigate prescribing of medicines to homeless persons who present to specialist homelessness primary care practices and compares the data with the general population.

Setting

Analyses of publicly available prescribing and demographics data pertaining to primary care in England.

Methods

Prescribing data from 15 specialist homelessness practices in England were extracted for the period 04/2019-03/2020 and compared with data from (a) general populations, (b) the most deprived populations, and (c) the least deprived populations in England.

Main outcome measure

Prescribing rates, measured as the number of items/1000 population in key disease areas.

Results

Data corresponding to 20,572 homeless persons was included. Marked disparity were observed in regards to prescribing rates of drugs for Central Nervous System disorders. For example, prescribing rates were 83-fold (mean (SD) 1296.7(1447.6) vs. 15.7(9.2) p = 0.033) items), and 12-fold (p = 0.018) higher amongst homeless populations for opioid dependence and psychosis disorders respectively compared to the general populations. Differences with populations in the least deprived populations were even higher. Prescribing medicines for other long-term conditions other than mental health and substance misuse was lower in the homeless than in the general population.

Conclusions

Most of the prescribing activities in the homeless population relate to mental health conditions and substance misuse. It is possible that other long-term conditions that overlap with homelessness are under-diagnosed and under-managed. Wide variations in data across practices needs investigation.
Dual-modality Imaging of Angiogenesis in Unstable Atherosclerotic Plaques with VEGFR2-Targeted Upconversion Nanoprobes in vivo
Authors: Fang Yan , Yang Ruichen , Hou Yi , Wang Yabin , Yang Ning , Xu Mengqi , Li Sulei , Gao Shan , Jiang Min , Fan Jingyang , Hu Yazhuo , Xu Zhenzhen , Gao Lei , Cao Feng
Published: May 2022

Aim

Angiogenesis plays a major role in atherosclerotic plaque development and instability. Our study aims to develop a novel optical and magnetic resonance (MR) dual-modality molecular imaging probe to early detect unstable plaques in vivo by targeting biomarkers of angiogenesis in murine models of atherosclerosis (AS).

Methods

Immunofluorescence and western blot were used to detect the expression of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor 2 (VEGFR2) in activated Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVECs). After synthesis and identification of novel short peptide VRBP1-targeted VEGFR2, HUVECs were co-cultured with FITC-VRBP1 to test specific affinity of VRBP1. Then VRBP1-UCNPstargeting VEGFR2 were constructed by conjugating VRBP1 to the surface of NaGdF4:Yb,Er@NaGdF4 nanoparticles. The characterization of the nanoparticles was performed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), distribution of size, hydrodynamic size, zeta potential, absorption spectra, emission spectra, imaging intensity of different concentrations, binding affinity and cytotoxicity of nanoprobes in vitro. The upconversion luminescence (UCL) and MR imaging were performed to identify unstable atherosclerotic plaque in ApoE−/− mice in vivo and ex vivo. Morphological staining was used to verify AS model and angiogenesis, and Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES) was used to confirm accumulation of the nanoparticles after imaging.

Results

After induced by hypoxia and ox-LDL, the expression of VEGFR2 in activated HUVECs was enhanced. FITC-VRBP1 can specifically bind to the HUVECs. Characterization of the nanoparticles showed that particles size is uniform with a stable structure, specific optical and MR signal, good binding affinity to VEGFR2 and low cytotoxicity. In vivo and ex vivo UCL imaging and quantitative analysis revealed that distinctive optical signal was observed in the regions of left carotid common arteries (LCCAs) of AS group after injection of VRBP1-UCNPs. Higher signal intensity on T1-weighted MR imaging appeared in the LCCA wall of AS group after injection. The results of morphological staining demonstrated angiogenesis in the atherosclerotic plaques, Gd ions in LCCAs, aortic arch and renal arteries bifurcations detected by ICP-AES confirmed accumulation of the nanoparticles in plaque.

Conclusions

We successfully design and synthesize a novel UCNPs using peptide VRBP1 targeting to VEGFR2. In vivo imaging demonstrates that VRBP1-UCNPs can be used to perform optical/MR dual-modality imaging targeting angiogenesis in plaques, which is a promising technique to early detect unstable atherosclerosis.
CFD simulation of gas pressure drop in porous packing for rotating packed beds (RPB) CO2 absorbers
Authors: Wojtasik-Malinowska Justyna , Jaskulski Maciej , Jaskulski Marcin
Published: May 2022

Rotating packed bed (RPB) is a promising technology which can be used to intensify mass transfer in absorption processes. A better understanding of fluid dynamics is crucial to fill the gap in fundamental knowledge. Raising awareness on new technology and creating rules for process design and control are also very important. The experimental investigation of fluid in rotating beds is a very complex and difficult issue. What is more, the knowledge of the phase behavior in an RPB device is still insufficient. Therefore, an CFD (computational fluid dynamics) simulation is proposed as a tool for the study of gas phase flow inside porous packing. This study presents a three-dimensional numerical model for two fluid models: k-ε and RNG k-ε, for predicting dry pressure drop. The obtained simulation outcome was compared with the experimental results. The experimental dry pressure drop for porous packing was investigated for rotational speed in the range from 150 rpm to 1500 rpm and compared to the results from the CFD model. The comparison between the experimental and simulation results indicates very good consistency for the entire range of the rotational speed of interest. CFD modelling is recognised as an adequate tool leading to the better understanding of gas phase behaviour inside an RPB, filling an essential gap in our knowledge of the hydrodynamics of rotating packing, which allows to improve the design and performance of the process in RPB in terms of minimizing energy and material consumption.
Substance Abuse Associated with Aggressive/Violent Behaviors in Psychiatric Outpatients and Related Psychotropic Prescription
Authors: Mauri Massimo Carlo , Cirnigliaro Giovanna , Piccoli Eleonora , Vismara Matteo , De Carlo Vera , Girone Nicolaja , Dell’Osso Bernardo
Published: May 2022

Psychiatric
disorders with substance abuse are considered the leading causes of most violent and aggressive behaviors in the general population. This study was aimed to assess the impact of substance abuse and the therapeutic approaches adopted by psychiatrists in aggressive vs non-aggressive outpatients (n = 400) attending community-based psychiatric services and recruited over a 3-year period. Clinical and therapeutic variables were collected from medical records and the Modified Overt Aggression Scale (MOAS) was used to assess any aggressive/violent behavior. Violent behaviors were significantly higher in alcohol and substance abusers compared to non-abusers (p < 0.01), except for heroin abusers. Mean weighted MOAS score was significantly higher in patients taking antipsychotics (p < 0.005). The administration of Haloperidol, Zuclopenthixol, and Clozapine was more frequent in aggressive than in non-aggressive patients. The most frequently administered drug in these patients was Haloperidol (23.91%), with a higher mean daily dosage in violent vs non-violent patients. Our results confirm the well-established relationship between substance abuse and violent behaviors in psychiatric inpatients also within outpatient community services. Observed rates of most frequently prescribed antipsychotics to aggressive patients did not show any preference for newer generation compounds, with clinicians operating in the community setting likely being in need for further evidence and specific training to support their treatment choice.
The effect of marketing department power on investor responses to announcements of AI-embedded new product innovations
Authors: Padigar Manjunath , Pupovac Ljubomir , Sinha Ashish , Srivastava Rajendra
Published: May 2022

Even as more companies integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into their new products and services, little research outlines the strategic implications of such AI adoption. Therefore, the present study investigates how investors respond to announcements of new product innovations integrated with AI by non-software firms (AI-NPIs), with the prediction that they respond favorably if the firms feature a marketing department with substantial power; such firms likely possess the marketing resources and assets needed to ensure the success of AI-NPIs. An event study with a sample of 341 announcements by 77 S&P 500 firms between 2009–2018 supports this prediction. Furthermore, the relationship between marketing department power and investor response intensifies when the announcement (1) occurs in later innovation stages, (2) involves the sourcing of external innovation assets, and (3) refers to more complex innovations. These findings have both theoretical and managerial implications.
Autobiographical Memory and Mindfulness: a Critical Review with a Systematic Search
Authors: Dominguez Evangelina , Casagrande Maria , Raffone Antonino
Published: May 2022

Objectives

Autobiographical memory (AM) is linked to the construct of self, which is influenced by mindfulness training. Furthermore, both self-reference and AM can be affected by psychopathological conditions, such as depression. This article offers a critical review with a systematic search of the studies using different paradigms to investigate the effects of mindfulness training on AM, as well as the relationships between trait mindfulness and AM.

Methods

The review includes studies with behavioral, self-report, and neuroimaging methods by considering both non-clinical and clinical investigations in an integrative perspective. Fifty articles were reviewed. The review addressed the following main fields: mindfulness and autobiographical memory specificity; mindfulness and emotional autobiographical recall; and self-inquiry into negative autobiographical narratives and mindfulness. An additional section analyzed 18 studies that addressed the effects of mindfulness training on memory flashbacks.

Results

In line with the hypotheses, grounded on theories of AM, self, conscious processing, memory reconsolidation, and Buddhist psychology, the review results suggest that the influences of mindfulness training and trait mindfulness on AM can be related to enhanced cognitive, emotional, and self-referential flexibility. This influence is also associated with improved meta-awareness, acceptance, and the flexibility to shift from a first- to a third-person self-perspective in AM recall. In particular, the review highlights increased self-referential flexibility related to mindfulness, which during AM recall would enable a more balanced retrieval of episodic, semantic, and emotional contents, as well as increased AM specificity and reduced emotional reactivity. A mindfulness-related reconsolidation of the links between AM traces and the self might play a crucial role. The mindfulness-related changes of the experiences during AM recall may be translated into long-term reconsolidation-related changes in the AM traces, with a potential interactive effect on the self, thus becoming more flexible. The review also highlights brain mechanisms underlying these influences, given by changes in activity and functional connectivity of core regions in the default mode network (medial prefrontal cortex and posterior cingulate cortex), salience network (anterior cingulate cortex and anterior insula), and central executive network (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex). Finally, we suggest new research developments from the review and the related theoretical perspective.

Conclusion

The review results, together with the proposed theoretical accounts, bridge a set of investigations on several autobiographical memory phenomena and mindfulness, and might usefully lead to further studies, also with relevant clinical and cognitive neuroscience implications.
A Reflection on the Tensions of Acting in Dual Roles of Doctoral Researcher and Practitioner when Evaluating a Lifestyle Intervention for Breast Cancer Patients
Authors: Richardson Jane , Erol Rosie , Bueno Allain Amador
Published: May 2022

This reflection was completed as part of a doctoral project to develop and trial a lifestyle intervention for people following the completion of their treatment for breast cancer. In this study the graduate student acted in the dual roles of nutrition practitioner and researcher. This article uses the experience, reflection, action (ERA) cycle of reflection to consider some of the tensions faced due to the divergent priorities and requirements of these two roles. One challenge occurred during study recruitment when a few potential participants did not meet the inclusion criteria for the study but still wished to attend the intervention sessions. It was also a challenge to mitigate the risks of distress of potentially vulnerable participants during group intervention sessions. In both instances there was a potential conflict between the needs of patients and research requirements. This reflection concluded that the obligations of both roles should be adhered to where possible, but if in doubt, the needs of the participants were paramount.
EU-wide mapping of ‘Protected Designations of Origin’ food products (PDOs) reveals correlations with social-ecological landscape values
Authors: Flinzberger Lukas , Zinngrebe Yves , Bugalho Miguel Nuno , Plieninger Tobias
Published: May 2022

The Geographical Indications (GIs) scheme is the EU’s primary policy tool for increasing the market values of geographically distinct food products. Although GIs are linked to the landscapes of food production, little is known about the social-ecological values they represent, mainly due to a lack of spatial data. In this study, we, therefore, mapped all 638 food products labeled as Protected Designations of Origin (PDOs), using NUTS-3 areas as proxies for their actual extent, and correlated their distribution with 13 social-ecological indicators. By compiling this novel dataset, we show that the presence of PDOs strongly overlaps with environmental and cultural values. We reveal positive correlations of PDO frequency with high nature value farmland, semi-natural agriculture, tourism, and cultural heritage indicators. Further, we find that PDOs occur more often in economically weaker areas with older and declining populations. Besides differences in PDO distribution between northern and southern EU countries, we find different correlation patterns across the four largest food categories. For example, cheese and meat products are less correlated to environmental values compared to oils and fats, or fruit, vegetables and cereals. On that basis, we identify the potential of PDOs to support structurally deprived areas and propose PDOs as entry points for sustainable transformation and rural development policies—while simultaneously contributing to the conservation of cultural landscapes and their associated environmental values. As outlined in the Green Deal of the European Union and its Farm to Fork strategy, PDOs should be a part of this transformation. Based on the results of this study, we discuss more specifically for which production systems and under what enabling conditions PDOs are fit for this challenge. We recommend that future governance interventions for a sustainable transformation of EU’s agriculture should take the differences across regions and product categories into account.
Complex Pythagorean uncertain linguistic group decision-making model based on Heronian mean aggregation operator considering uncertainty, interaction and interrelationship
Authors: Wang Haolun , Zhang Faming
Published: May 2022

To effectively solve the mixed problem of considering the uncertainty of individuals and groups, the interaction between membership degree (MD) and non-membership (ND), and the interrelationship between attribute variables in complicated multiple attribute group decision-making (MAGDM) problems, in this paper, a concept of complex Pythagorean uncertain linguistic (CPUL) set (CPULS) is introduced, the interaction operational laws (IOLs) of CPUL variables (CPULVs) are defined. The CPUL interaction weighted averaging and geometric operators are presented. A new concept of CPUL rough number (CPULRN) is further constructed. The CPUL rough interaction weighted averaging and geometric aggregation operators (AOs) are extended. The ordering rules of any two CPULRNs are defined. The CPUL rough interaction Heronian mean (HM) (CPULRIHM) operator and its weighted form are advanced, related properties and special cases are explored. An MAGDM model based on CPUL rough interaction weighted HM (CPULRIWHM) operator is built. Lastly, we conduct a case study of location selection problem for logistics town project to show the applicability of the proposed methodology. The sensitivity and methods comparison are analyzed to verify the effectively and superiority.
Autonomous robotic additive manufacturing through distributed model‐free deep reinforcement learning in computational design environments
Authors: Felbrich Benjamin , Schork Tim , Menges Achim
Published: May 2022

The objective of autonomous robotic additive manufacturing for construction in the architectural scale is currently being investigated in parts both within the research communities of computational design and robotic fabrication (CDRF) and deep reinforcement learning (DRL) in robotics. The presented study summarizes the relevant state of the art in both research areas and lays out how their respective accomplishments can be combined to achieve higher degrees of autonomy in robotic construction within the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry. A distributed control and communication infrastructure for agent training and task execution is presented, that leverages the potentials of combining tools, standards and algorithms of both fields. It is geared towards industrial CDRF applications. Using this framework, a robotic agent is trained to autonomously plan and build structures using two model-free DRL algorithms (TD3, SAC) in two case studies: robotic block stacking and sensor-adaptive 3D printing. The first case study serves to demonstrate the general applicability of computational design environments for DRL training and the comparative learning success of the utilized algorithms. Case study two highlights the benefit of our setup in terms of tool path planning, geometric state reconstruction, the incorporation of fabrication constraints and action evaluation as part of the training and execution process through parametric modeling routines. The study benefits from highly efficient geometry compression based on convolutional autoencoders (CAE) and signed distance fields (SDF), real-time physics simulation in CAD, industry-grade hardware control and distinct action complementation through geometric scripting. Most of the developed code is provided open source.
A tail-tolerant cloud storage scheduling based on precise periodicity detection
Authors: Han Yuxiao , Ma Jia , Li Fei , Liu Yubo , Xiao Nong , Lu Yutong , Chen Zhiguang
Published: May 2022

Cloud storage is a fundamental component of the cloud computing system, which significantly affects the overall performance and quality of service of the cloud. Cloud storage servers face the challenge of imbalanced workloads. According to our observations on the time series generated by cloud storage, we found that the imbalance workloads will dramatically increase the tail latency of data access in the multi-tenant scenario. The intuitive solution is to periodicity detect the imbalance storage nodes and re-balance the loads. However, there are four challenges to accurately detect load of storage in the cloud with multiple tenants since the load may change frequently in cloud. This paper proposes PrecisePeriod, a precise periodicity detection algorithm customized for multi-tenant cloud storage. It removes outliers through data preprocessing, employs the discrete wavelet transform to remove high-frequency noise while keeping frequency domain information, computes the candidate periodicity queue using the autocorrelation function, and determines precise period through periodicity verification. Then, we design a cloud storage load balancing scheduling strategy based on PrecisePeriod, and the evaluation shows that the PrecisePeriod scheduling significantly reduces tail latency while only bringing$$1-2\%$$1-2%overhead.
Neurovascular-Sparing MR-Guided Adaptive Radiotherapy in Prostate Cancer; Defining the Potential Population for Erectile Function-Sparing Treatment
Authors: Teunissen Frederik R. , van der Voort van Zyp Jochem R.N. , Verkooijen Helena M. , Wortel Ruud C.
Published: May 2022

Background

Magnetic resonance-guided adaptive radiotherapy (MRgRT) enables neurovascular-sparing treatment for localized prostate cancer (PCa). The aim of this treatment is preservation of erectile function by sparing the neurovascular bundles, the internal pudendal arteries, the corpora cavernosa, and the penile bulb. Internal pudendal arteries, corpora cavernosa, and penile bulb sparing can generally be achieved in all patients, but NVB sparing can be challenging due to its proximity to the prostate and is therefore dependent on tumor location. PCa patients that have sufficient erectile function at baseline and favorable tumor characteristics might benefit from this treatment. Currently, it is unclear what proportion of patients are eligible for neurovascular-sparing treatment and to what extent this is technically feasible.

Aim

To define the eligibility and technical feasibility for neurovascular-sparing MRgRT in intermediate-risk localized PCa patients.

Methods

A consecutive series of men that received 5 × 7.25 gray (Gy) MRgRT for localized PCa were included. Baseline erectile function was assessed using the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF)-5 questionnaire. Additionally, the ability of sparing the neurovascular bundles was assessed in all patients. Per neurovascular-sparing protocol, the dominant intraprostatic lesion with a 4 mm isotropic margin should receive 34.44 Gy in ≥ 99% of the volume (i.e., high-dose area). When the high-dose area directly borders or overlaps the NVB because of a dorsolateral position of the dominant intraprostatic lesion, sparing of the NVB was considered not feasible on that side.

Outcomes

Patient-reported IIEF-5 baseline questionnaires and the technical feasibility of NVB sparing were assessed.

Results

Of the 102 men that completed the IIEF-5 questionnaire at baseline, 49.0% of patients reported to have an IIEF-5 score of ≥ 17. In those patients, the NVB could technically have been spared bilaterally in 20.0% and unilaterally in 68.0%.

Clinical Implications

Our findings define the potential population for neurovascular-sparing MRgRT for localized PCa and indicate the proportion in which the NVB can technically be spared.

Strength & Limitations

The major strength of this study is the prospective collection of data. The limitations include that the neurovascular-sparing feasibility definition is based on pre-clinical planning data.

Conclusion

A substantial group of 49.0% of patients in our study had mild or no erectile dysfunction at baseline. Of these patients, the NVB could technically have been spared bilaterally in 20.0% and unilaterally in 68.0% during MRgRT. Trials need to assess the effect of neurovascular-sparing MRgRT on erectile function.
Soro Soke
Authors: Lorenz Trish
Published: May 2022

For the first time in human history, people aged over 65 now outnumber children under five. Yet one region in the world is bucking this trend: the world's top 20 youngest countries by population are all located in sub-Saharan Africa, and Africa's population under 35 now equals almost a billion people. Whilst there has been much research and reportage in the West around the lives of millennials and Gen Z, little has been written on the dreams and aspirations, the fears and hopes, the needs and desires of young Africans. The Yoruba expression Soro Soke, meaning “Speak Up”, has become a clarion call for young Nigerians seeking to make their voices heard, resonating across the African continent and around the world via social media. Trish Lorenz speaks to the bright new entrepreneurs, artists, and activists of Lagos and Abuja, Nigeria, to understand what it means to be young in an otherwise ageing world. This book is also available Open Access.
International Law After Ukraine: Introduction to the Symposium
Authors: Chachko Elena , Linos Katerina
Published: May 2022

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has brought on unspeakable suffering. It has already injured and killed scores of people. It has displaced millions who now face an uncertain future. It raises the specter of all-out cyber war that threatens to draw other countries into the conflict. It is raging not only on the ground in Ukraine, but also on internet platforms where disinformation has spread. It tests the resilience of international partnerships and alliances. Beyond these immediate implications, the Russian attack on Ukraine also violates the prohibition on aggressive use of force, a foundational principle of the post-World War II international order. Facing these alarming prospects, many are pessimistic about what the war in Ukraine may portend for the future of international law and international relations. Surprisingly, however, some of the bleakest predictions have not yet been realized. Quite the contrary. We argue that there is a lot to be optimistic about when it comes to the role of international law, partnerships and norms in this conflict.
Making decisions under uncertainty: The Prudent Judgement Approach
Authors: Kumar Manali
Published: May 2022

This article offers an alternative conceptualisation of prudence as encompassing four normative components: reflective reasoning, experience, long-term well-being, and moderation. Prudence involves a pattern of reflective reasoning informed by experience in the pursuit of long-term well-being through moderate judgements and actions. This conceptualisation allows distilling a set of prescriptions for guiding deliberation and choice under uncertainty, which I name the Prudent Judgement Approach. An analysis of John F. Kennedy's deliberations at the start of the Cuban Missile Crisis uncovers evidence of prudent judgement and demonstrates the practical feasibility and value of this approach. Although the numerous cognitive and procedural sources of errors in decision-making under uncertainty are by now well understood, there are few prescriptive approaches for guiding the process of formulating judgements and making choices. This article shows how prudence can help improve the quality of deliberative processes and policy choices.
Direct numerical simulations of optimal thermal convection in rotating plane layer dynamos
Authors: Naskar Souvik , Pal Anikesh
Published: May 2022

The heat transfer behaviour of convection-driven dynamos in a rotating plane layer between two parallel plates, heated from the bottom and cooled from the top, is investigated. At a fixed rotation rate (Ekman number,

$E=10^{-6}$

) and fluid properties (thermal and magnetic Prandtl numbers,

$Pr=Pr_m=1$

), both dynamo convection (DC) and non-magnetic rotating convection (RC) simulations are performed to demarcate the effect of magnetic field on heat transport at different thermal forcings (Rayleigh number,

$Ra=3.83\times 10^{9}\unicode{x2013}3.83\times 10^{10}$

). In this range, our turbulence resolving simulations demonstrate the existence of an optimum thermal forcing, at which heat transfer between the plates in DC exhibits maximum enhancement, as compared with the heat transport in the RC simulations. Unlike any global force balance reported in the literature, the present simulations reveal an increase in the Lorentz force in the thermal boundary layer, due to stretching of magnetic field lines by the vortices near the walls with a no-slip boundary condition. This increase in Lorentz force mitigates turbulence suppression due to the Coriolis force, resulting in enhanced turbulence and heat transfer.
Alliance management and innovation under uncertainty
Authors: Bouncken Ricarda B. , Fredrich Viktor , Gudergan Siegfried
Published: May 2022

Drawing on the configuration argument of strategic fit – i.e., an effective alignment of a firm's strategy with its environment, internal structures, and processes – and the resource-based view, this paper clarifies the impact of alliance strategy, alliance management resources, and alliance management capabilities on innovation performance in collaborative ventures. This study of 441 collaborative ventures in the electronics industry offers empirical support for the configuration argument. First, greater alliance strategy formalization influences innovation performance directly and indirectly. Alliance management capabilities – that reflect organizational routines to implement an alliance strategy – partially mediate this effect. Second, alliance management capabilities leverage alliance management resources in that the effect of the former on innovation performance is moderated by the latter. Furthermore, greater innovation strategy formalization affects innovation performance and moderates the direct effect of alliance strategy formalization on innovation performance; an effect that increases with technological uncertainty.
Effects of calving and submarine melting on steady states and stability of buttressed marine ice sheets
Authors: Haseloff Marianne , Sergienko Olga V.
Published: May 2022

Mass loss from ice shelves is a strong control on grounding-line dynamics. Here we investigate how calving and submarine melt parameterizations affect steady-state grounding-line positions and their stability. Our results indicate that different calving laws with the same melt parameterization result in more diverse steady-state ice-sheet configurations than different melt parameterizations with the same calving law. We show that the backstress at the grounding line depends on the integrated ice-shelf mass flux. Consequently, ice shelves are most sensitive to high melt rates in the vicinity of their grounding lines. For the same shelf-averaged melt rates, different melt parameterizations can lead to very different ice-shelf configurations and grounding-line positions. If the melt rate depends on the slope of the ice-shelf draft, then the positive feedback between increased melting and steepening of the slope can lead to singular melt rates at the ice-shelf front, producing an apparent lower limit of the shelf front thickness as the ice thickness vanishes over a small boundary layer. Our results illustrate that the evolution of marine ice sheets is highly dependent on ice-shelf mass loss mechanisms, and that existing parameterizations can lead to a wide range of modelled grounding-line behaviours.
Milk yield variation partially attributed to blood oxygen-mediated neutrophil activation in lactating dairy goats
Authors: Cai Jie , Liang Shulin , Xie Yunyi , Zang Xinwei , Jiang Luyi , Miao Chao , Liu Jianxin , Wang Diming
Published: May 2022

Blood oxygen is an essential component for numerous biological processes of mammalian animals. Milk production of ruminants largely relies on the supply of nutrients, such as glucose, amino acids and fatty acids. To define the regulatory role of blood oxygen availability in regard to milk production, seventy-five healthy Guanzhong dairy goats with similar body weight, days in milk and parities were selected. For each animal, milk yield was recorded and milk sample was collected to determine compositions. Milk vein blood was collected to determine parameters including blood gas, physio-biochemistry and haematology. Another blood sample was prepared for transcriptome and RT-qPCR. Results showed that both pressure of oxygen (pO2) in the milk vein (positively) and numbers of neutrophils in mammary vein (negatively) were associated with milk yield of the animals. To learn the role of pO2 in blood cell functionality, twelve animals (six with higher yield (H-group) and six with lower yield (L-group)) from seventy-five goats were selected. Compared with animals in L-group, goats in H-group were higher in pO2 but lower in pCO2, lactate, lactate dehydrogenase activity and neutrophil abundance in milk vein, compared with L-group. The blood transcriptome analysis suggested that compared with L-group, animals in H-group were depressed in functionality including neutrophil activation and metabolic pathways including glycolysis, NF-κB and HIF-1. Our result revealed that lower milk production could be associated with neutrophil activation responding to low pO2 in the mammary vein. In the meantime, we highlighted the potential importance of blood oxygen as a milk yield regulator.
A poor diet quality is associated with more gas-related symptoms and a decreased quality of life in French adults
Authors: Chaumont Soline , Quinquis Laurent , Monnerie Bénédicte , Six Chloé , Hébel Pascale , Chassany Olivier , Duracinsky Martin , Le Nevé Boris
Published: May 2022

This study evaluated the association between dietary patterns, gas-related symptoms (GRS) and their impact on quality of life (QoL) in a representative sample (n 936) of the French adult population. During the 2018–2019 ‘Comportements et Consommations Alimentaires en France’ survey (Behaviors and Food Consumption in France), online evaluation of GRS in adult participants was performed using the validated Intestinal Gas Questionnaire (IGQ), which captures the perception of GRS and their impact on QoL via six symptom dimensions scores (range 0–100; 100 = worse) and a global score (mean of the sum of the six symptom dimensions scores). Socio-demographics, lifestyle parameters and dietary habits (7-d e-food diary) were also collected online. Quality of diet was determined using the Nutrient-Rich Food 9.3 (NRF9.3) score (range 0–900; 900 = best). Univariate and multivariate linear regression models were applied to identify factors associated with IGQ global score. K-means was used to identify clusters of subjects based on their dietary records. Data from 936 adults who completed both the IGQ and the food diary showed a mean IGQ global score of 11·9 (sd 11·2). Younger age and female sex were associated with a higher IGQ global score. Only 7 % of subjects reported no symptom at all and nearly 30 % of study participants reported a high impact of GRS on their QoL. Two dietary clusters were identified: cluster 1, characterised by a higher consumption of fruits and vegetables, lower sugars intake and higher NRF9.3 score and cluster 2, characterised by higher intake of sugars, lower intake in dietary fibres and lower NRF9.3 score. The IGQ global score was lower in cluster 1 and higher in cluster 2 v. the total sample average (P < 0·001). The prevalence of GRS in the French adult population is high and is associated with impaired QoL and dietary patterns. A change in food habits towards healthier patterns could help reducing the burden of GRS.
Epistemic Perspectives on Enthusiasm in Late Seventeenth-Century England
Authors: Pannese Alessia
Published: May 2022

This study examines the late seventeenth-century reception of enthusiasm in England in the context of the contemporary epistemological debate. Challenging characterizations of responses to enthusiasm as partitioned along the rationalist-empiricist divide, I show how parallel critiques of enthusiasm by natural philosophers and theologians suggest shared epistemic commitments across methodological and disciplinary boundaries, reflecting evolving concerns in the broader epistemological debate, rather than fixed, domain- or ideology-specific positions. By challenging a crude rationalist-empiricist division, this study aligns itself with previous literature, while also departing from it, in that it locates in the critique of enthusiasm a previously under-examined facet of that debate. By showing that both natural philosophers and theologians rejected enthusiasm for its irrationality, this work also sharpens the current understanding of the epistemic significance of enthusiasm, in that it identifies the crux of the critique of enthusiasm in its lack of reason, and not of an empirical foundation.
Existence of an optimized stellarator with simple coils
Authors: Yu Guodong , Feng Zhichen , Jiang Peiyou , Fu GuoYong
Published: May 2022

An optimized compact stellarator with four simple coils is obtained from direct optimization via a coil shape. The new stellarator consists of two interlocking coils and two vertical field coils similar to those of the Columbia Non-neutral Torus (CNT) (Pedersen et al., Phys. Rev. Lett., vol. 88, 2002, pp. 205002). The optimized configuration has a global magnetic well and a low helical ripple level comparable to that of Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) (Wolf et al., Nucl. Fusion, vol. 57, 2017, pp. 102020). The two interlocking coils have a smooth three-dimensional shape much simpler than those of advanced stellarators such as W7-X. This result opens up possibilities of future stellarator reactors with simplified coils.
Reception, context and canonicity: The demonization, normalization and eventual proliferation of G. W. F. Hegel in international relations
Authors: Molloy Seán
Published: May 2022

G. W. F. Hegel is one of the most significant philosophers in history yet the reception afforded to him in International Relations (IR) does not compare with his peers, most notably Immanuel Kant. Although by no means absent from IR he cannot be described as a canonical figure. Given his stature in philosophy this comparatively minor interest in Hegel prompts investigation into his failure to enter the pantheon of ‘Great Thinkers’ in IR. The critical-historical investigation of Hegel’s reception in IR undertaken in this article reveals that Hegel, unlike Kant, was cast as an intellectual villain – a blood-soaked Priest of Moloch, whose demonic ideology of state-worship led to the slaughter of the First World War, the rise of the Nazis, and the catastrophe of the Second World War. Condemned by an array of leading intellectuals from John Dewey to Karl Popper, Hegel was side-lined and erased until his work was reconsidered by revisionist scholarship in philosophy and – eventually – in International Relations. From the 1980s, a number of hotly contested, decidedly uncanonical ‘Hegels’ have found expression in IR, from a ‘realist’ Hegel to a postcolonial Hegel. Ultimately, the article argues that the treatment of Hegel reveals that the formation of the IR canons was not an innocent, dispassionate process but rather was imbricated in the great ideological and military conflicts of modernity.