bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intraoperative cone‐beam and slot‐beam CT: 3D image quality and dose with a slot collimator on the O‐arm imaging system
Authors: Zhang Xiaoxuan , Zbijewski Wojciech , Huang Yixuan , Uneri Ali , Jones Craig K. , Lo Sheng‐Fu L. , Witham Timothy F. , Luciano Mark , Anderson William Stanley , Helm Patrick A. , Siewerdsen Jeffrey H.
Published: September 2021

Purpose

To characterize the 3D imaging performance and radiation dose for a prototype slot‐beam configuration on an intraoperative O‐arm™ Surgical Imaging System (Medtronic Inc., Littleton, MA) and identify potential improvements in soft‐tissue image quality for surgical interventions.

Methods

A slot collimator was integrated with the O‐arm™ system for slot‐beam axial CT. The collimator can be automatically actuated to provide 1.2° slot‐beam longitudinal collimation. Cone‐beam and slot‐beam configurations were investigated with and without an antiscatter grid (12:1 grid ratio, 60 lines/cm). Dose, scatter, image noise, and soft‐tissue contrast resolution were evaluated in quantitative phantoms for head and body configurations over a range of exposure levels (beam energy and mAs), with reconstruction performed via filtered‐backprojection. Qualitative imaging performance across various anatomical sites and imaging tasks was assessed with anthropomorphic head, abdomen, and pelvis phantoms.

Results

The dose for a slot‐beam scan varied from 0.02–0.06 mGy/mAs for head protocols to 0.01–0.03 mGy/mAs for body protocols, yielding dose reduction by ∼1/5 to 1/3 compared to cone‐beam, owing to beam collimation and reduced x‐ray scatter. The slot‐beam provided an ∼6–7× reduction in scatter‐to‐primary ratio (SPR) compared to the cone‐beam, yielding SPR ∼20–80% for head and body without the grid and ∼7–30% with the grid. Compared to cone‐beam scans at equivalent dose, slot‐beam images exhibited an ∼2.5× increase in soft‐tissue contrast‐to‐noise ratio (CNR) for both grid and gridless configurations. For slot‐beam scans, a further ∼10–30% improvement in CNR was achieved when the grid was removed. Slot‐beam imaging could benefit certain interventional scenarios in which improved visualization of soft tissues is required within a fairly narrow longitudinal region of interest (7 mm in )––for example, checking the completeness of tumor resection, preservation of adjacent anatomy, or detection of complications (e.g., hemorrhage). While preserving existing capabilities for fluoroscopy and cone‐beam CT, slot‐beam scanning could enhance the utility of intraoperative imaging and provide a useful mode for safety and validation checks in image‐guided surgery.

Conclusions

The 3D imaging performance and dose of a prototype slot‐beam CT configuration on the O‐arm™ system was investigated. Substantial improvements in soft‐tissue image quality and reduction in radiation dose are evident with the slot‐beam configuration due to reduced x‐ray scatter.
In vivo T1 and T2 relaxation time maps of brain tissue, skeletal muscle, and lipid measured in healthy volunteers at 50 mT
Authors: O’Reilly Thomas , Webb Andrew G.
Published: September 2021

Purpose

Low‐field (B0 < 0.1 T) MRI has generated much interest as a means of increased accessibility via reduced cost and improved portability compared to conventional clinical systems (B0 ≥ 1.5 Tesla). Here we measure MR relaxation times at 50 mT and compare results with commonly used models based on both in vivo and ex vivo measurements.

Methods

Using 3D turbo spin echo readouts, T1 and T2 maps of the human brain and lower leg were acquired on a custom‐built 50 mT MRI scanner using inversion‐recovery and multi‐echo–based sequences, respectively. Image segmentation was performed based on a histogram analysis of the relaxation times.

Results

The average T1 times of gray matter, white matter, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were 327 ± 10 ms, 275 ± 5 ms, and 3695 ± 287 ms, respectively. Corresponding values of T2 were 102 ± 6 ms, 102 ± 6 ms, and 1584 ± 124 ms. T1 times in the calf muscle were measured to be 171 ± 11 ms and were 130 ± 5 ms in subcutaneous and bone marrow lipid. Corresponding T2 times were 39 ± 2 ms in muscle and 90 ± 13 ms in lipid.

Conclusions

For tissues except for CSF, the measured T1 times are much shorter than reported at higher fields and generally lie within the range of different models in the literature. As expected, T2 times are similar to those seen at typical clinical field strengths. Analysis of the relaxation maps indicates that segmentation of white and gray matter based purely on T1 or T2 will be quite challenging at low field given the relatively small difference in relaxation times.
Staying at work with musculoskeletal pain: What supporting resources do people need?
Authors: Oakman Jodi , Kinsman Natasha , Briggs Andrew M.
Published: September 2021

Introduction

Maintaining productive employment can be challenging for people with ongoing low back pain (LBP) or neck pain (NP) due to pain, function and participation sequelae. Resources and information to support them staying at work may be beneficial, although preferences for the nature and accessibility of resources remain uncertain. The current study aimed to explore the work experiences and information‐seeking behaviours of employed individuals with ongoing LBP or NP, to support them in staying at work.

Method

Semi‐structured interviews were undertaken with 40 participants currently employed with ongoing LBP or NP. The interview schedule covered participants' experience of managing their LBP or NP at work, resources sought to assist with finding or maintaining employment, and where they accessed these resources. Interviews were recorded and analysed using thematic analysis.

Results

Participants were employed in a wide range of job types and most reported a decrease in productivity. Five key themes were identified: (1) the meaning of work, (2) to disclose or not, (3) information seeking, (4) gaps in resources, (5) trusted sources. Work was highly valued by participants, despite the challenges in maintaining employment with ongoing LBP or NP. To support staying at work a range of information was sought by participants, but challenges in accessing reputable resources and trusting the sources were identified as key issues.

Conclusion

Opportunities exist for easily accessible, multi‐level information from trustworthy sources targeted at the employer organisations, individuals and clinicians to support people in staying at work with ongoing LBP or NP.
The rise and fall of biodiversity in literature: A comprehensive quantification of historical changes in the use of vernacular labels for biological taxa in Western creative literature
Authors: Langer Lars , Burghardt Manuel , Borgards Roland , Böhning‐Gaese Katrin , Seppelt Ralf , Wirth Christian
Published: September 2021

Nature's non‐material contributions to people are difficult to quantify and one aspect in particular, nature's contributions to communication (NCC), has so far been neglected. Recent advances in automated language processing tools enable us to quantify diversity patterns underlying the distribution of plant and animal taxon labels in creative literature, which we term BiL (biodiversity in literature). We assume BiL to provide a proxy for people's openness to nature's non‐material contributions enhancing our understanding of NCC.

We assembled a comprehensive list of 240,000 English biological taxon labels. We pre‐processed and searched a subcorpus of digitised literature on Project Gutenberg for these labels. We quantified changes in biodiversity indices commonly used in ecological studies for 16,000 books, encompassing 4,000 authors, as proxies for BiL between 1705 and 1969.

We observed hump‐shape patterns for taxon label richness, abundance and Shannon diversity indicating a peak of BiL in the middle of the 19th century. This is also true for the ratio of biological to general lexical richness. The variation in label use between different sections within books, quantified as β‐diversity, declined until the 1830s and recovered little, indicating a less specialised use of taxon labels over time.

This pattern corroborates our hypothesis that before the onset of industrialisation BiL may have increased, reflecting several concomitant influences such as the general broadening of literary content, improved education and possibly an intensified awareness of the starting loss of biodiversity during the period of romanticism. Given that these positive trends continued and that we do not find support for alternative processes reducing BiL, such as language streamlining, we suggest that this pronounced trend reversal and subsequent decline of BiL over more than 100 years may be the consequence of humans’ increasing alienation from nature owing to major societal changes in the wake of industrialisation.

We conclude that our computational approach of analysing literary communication using biodiversity indices has a high potential for understanding aspects of non‐material contributions of biodiversity to people. Our approach can be applied to other corpora and would benefit from additional metadata on taxa, works and authors.

A freePlain Language Summarycan be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Influence of diazonium‐induced surface grafting on PES NF membrane fouling reduction in algal‐rich water treatment
Authors: Oulad Fariba , Zinadini Sirus , Zinatizadeh Ali Akbar , Derakhshan Ali Ashraf
Published: September 2021

The algae bloom phenomenon incurs a major challenge to conventional drinking water treatment processes due to the discharges of a large amount of intracellular pollutant and odor compounds in the water sources. Membrane processes have been considered as promising technologies to treatment of algal‐rich water due to complete algal cell rejection however, its application has been limited by membrane fouling. In this work, the high‐performance loose antifouling PES NF membranes were fabricated using diazonium‐induced grafting and applied for treating real algal effluent. The modified membranes exhibited complete algal dye removal and turbidity removal throughout the long‐term filtration. Also, the coupling and radically modified membranes can be able to removed COD by up to 90% and 88%, respectively, while a removal efficiency of 24% was observed for bare membrane. It is worth noting that, a relative smooth behavior in permeate flux by loose modified membranes during prolonged algal dye filtration, demonstrating exceptional anti‐fouling property of membranes. In addition, the fouled modified membranes were effectively recovered by water flushing. Both loose modified membranes exhibited excellent resistance in the strongly acidic environment. These high performance antifouling NF membranes affords an innovative methodology toward the treatment of algal‐rich water.
Disparities in pediatric psychosocial oncology utilization
Authors: Zheng Daniel J. , Umaretiya Puja J. , Schwartz Emily R. , Al‐Sayegh Hasan , Raphael Jean L. , van Litsenburg Raphaële R. L. , Ma Clement , Muriel Anna C. , Bona Kira
Published: September 2021

Background

Integratedbehavioral health models have been proposed as care delivery approaches to mitigate mental health disparities in primary care settings. However, these models have not yet been widely adopted or evaluated in pediatric oncology medical homes.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 394 children with newly diagnosed cancer at Dana‐Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center (DF/BCH) from April 2013 to January 2017. Baseline sociodemographic characteristics and psychiatry utilization outcomes at 12 months following diagnosis were abstracted from the medical record. The severity of household material hardship (HMH), a concrete poverty exposure, at diagnosis and race/ethnicity were characterized by parent report using the Psychosocial Assessment Tool 2.0 (PAT). Associations between sociodemographic characteristics and receipt of psychiatry consultation were assessed with multivariable logistic regression models.

Results

Among 394 children, 29% received a psychiatric consultation within 12 months postdiagnosis. Of these, 88% received a new psychiatric diagnosis, 76% received a psychopharmacologic recommendation, and 62% received a new behavioral intervention recommendation. In multivariable logistic regression adjusting for age, cancer diagnosis, and PAT total score, there was no statistically significant association between HMH severity or household income and psychiatry utilization. Children who identified as racial/ethnic minorities were significantly less likely to receive a psychiatry consultation (OR = 0.48, 95% CI = 0.27–0.84).

Conclusions

In a pediatric oncology medical home with an integrated behavioral health model, socioeconomic status was not associated with disparate psychiatry utilization. However, there remained a profound racial/ethnic disparity in psychiatry utilization, highlighting the need for additional research and care delivery intervention.
A comparative evaluation of chemical, mechanical, and thermal properties of oil palm fiber/pineapple fiber reinforced phenolic hybrid composites
Authors: Jawaid Mohammad , Awad Sameer A. , Asim Mohammad , Fouad Hassan , Alothman Othman Y. , Santulli Carlo
Published: September 2021

In this paper, oil palm fiber (OPF) and pineapple fiber (PALF) reinforced biophenolic resin (BPHR) composites and hybrid composites were fabricated by hand lay‐up technique. Structural, thermal and mechanical properties of pure and hybrid composites analyzed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), thermal gravimetric analyzer (TGA), dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA), and universal testing machine. Achieved results indicated that OPF/PALF hybrid composites show better properties as compared with pure composites. It was observed that the tensile and flexural characterizations improved with incorporating OPF and PALF fibers into BPHR composites in comparison to the neat BPHR matrix. The results of the thermal stability obtained from TGA tests showed that the reinforcement of pure fiber composites (OPF and PALF) and hybrid composites (OPF/PALF) in BPHR matrix were improved in comparison to that of neat BPHR matrix. The final decomposition temperature of 50% OPF and 3OPF/7PALF was the highest among all other composites (415.80 and 415.42°C). On the other hand, the residual amount of hybrid composite (1OPF/1PALF) was (24.43%), while the lowest residual amount exhibited in pure composite (50% PALF), which was 20.08%. The reinforcement of pure composite and hybrid composites into BPHR also improved the storage and loss moduli; however, the pure composite sample (50% OPF) exhibited a more significant increase than other composites loadings. Furthermore, the damping factor was reduced significantly by the reinforcement of hybrid composites over pure composites. This study showed that obtained hybrid composites are suitable to apply in various structural and nonstructural applications.
Mussel‐inspired synthesis of silver nanoparticles as fillers for preparing waterborne polyurethane/Ag nanocomposites with excellent mechanical and antibacterial properties
Authors: Li Hui , Qu Jianbo
Published: September 2021

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized by a facile, mild and green method using dopamine as a reducing and stabilizing agent and were introduced to waterborne polyurethane (WPU) via an in situ emulsification method to prepare antibacterial nanocomposite films. The formation of AgNPs was characterized by UV–visible spectroscopy and XRD. The dispersion of AgNPs was confirmed by TEM and the thermal stability of WPU/Ag nanocomposites was confirmed by TGA. The results showed that AgNPs were uniformly dispersed in the WPU matrix. The introduction of AgNPs significantly improved the thermal stability of WPU films. With incorporation of 0.1 wt% AgNPs, a five‐fold increase in the tensile strength was achieved without sacrificing the ultimate strain. The WPU/Ag nanocomposite films showed antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. © 2021 Society of Industrial Chemistry.
Robust extreme learning machine neural approach for uncertain nonlinear hyper‐chaotic system identification
Authors: Anh Ho Pham Huy , Van Kien Cao
Published: September 2021

This paper proposes a novel nonlinearly parameterized advanced single‐hidden layer neural extreme learning machine (ASHLN‐ELM) model in which the hidden and output weighting values are simultaneously updated using adaptively robust rules that are implemented based on Lyapunov stability principle. The proposed scheme guarantees the fast convergence speed of the state‐estimation residual errors bounded to null regarding to the influence of time‐varied disturbances. Additionally, proposed method needs no any knowledge related to desired weighting values or required approximating error. Typical uncertain hyper‐chaotic benchmark systems are used as to verify the new ASHLN‐ELM approach and to demonstrate the efficiency and the robustness of proposed method.
A statistical analysis of pores and microcracks in nuclear graphite
Authors: Huang Qing , Tang Hui
Published: September 2021

Microstructure characterization is of great value to understanding nuclear graphite's properties and irradiation behavior. However, graphite is soft and could be easily damaged during sample preparation. A three‐step polishing method involving mechanical polishing, ion milling, and rapid oxidation is proposed for graphite. Ion milling is adopted to remove the broken graphite pieces produced by mechanical polishing. Rapid oxidation is then adopted to remove irradiation‐induced damage layer during ion milling. The Raman spectra show very small G peak width and very low ID/IG ratio after rapid oxidation. The microcracks that were conventionally observed via a transmission electron microscope can be observed on rapid‐oxidized surface in a scanning electron microscope. By digital image processing, the microcracks along with the gas‐escape pores in nuclear graphite IG‐110 are statistically analyzed. Porosity's distributions on crack (pore) size (spanning from 10 nm to 100 μm) are given, which could help to understand and simulate graphite's performances in reactors.
Joint analysis of longitudinal measurements and spatially clustered competing risksHIV/AIDSdata
Authors: Momenyan Somayeh
Published: September 2021

The joint modeling of repeated measurements and time‐to‐event provides a general framework to describe better the link between the progression of disease through longitudinal measurements and time‐to‐event outcome. In the survival data, a sample of individuals is frequently grouped into clusters. In some applications, these clusters could be arranged spatially, for example, based on geographical regions. There are two benefits of considering spatial variation in these data, enhancing the efficiency and accuracy of the parameters estimations, and investigating the survivorship spatial pattern. On the other hand, in survival data, there is a situation that subjects are supposed to experience more than one type of event potentially, but the occurrence of one type of event prevents the occurrence of the others. In this article, we considered a Bayesian joint model of longitudinal and competing risks outcomes for spatially clustered HIV/AIDS data. The data were from a registry‐based study carried in Hamadan Province, Iran, from December 1997 to June 2020. In this joint model, a linear mixed effects model was used for the longitudinal submodel and a cause‐specific hazard model with spatial and spatial‐risk random effects was used for the survival submodel. Also, a latent structure was defined by random effects to link both event times and longitudinal processes. We used a univariate intrinsic conditional autoregressive (ICAR) distribution and a multivariate ICAR distribution for modeling the areal spatial and spatial‐risk random effects, respectively. The performance of our proposed model using simulation studies and analysis of HIV/AIDS data were assessed.
Queer is as Queer Does: Queer L2 Pedagogy in Teacher Education
Authors: Cahnmann‐Taylor Melisa , Coda James , Jiang Lei
Published: September 2021

What does it mean to queer the L2 classroom and why does it matter? Building on inclusive pedagogical approaches, this paper considers what queering looks like/sounds like/feels like in the context of two case study classrooms where language teachers learned about Teaching Proficiency Through Reading and Storytelling (TPRS) methods in a novice Mandarin language context. Data include recorded videos and transcriptions, focus groups, fieldnotes, and survey responses. We analyze practice from these two workshops for the ways gender and sexuality were addressed in the teacher education classroom. Through queer analysis, we discovered that the most fully embodied student engagement was related to disruptions in what might be expected in both form and content. As TPRS teacher educators widened critical agendas beyond queer characters in classroom stories, they included nonnormative L2 approaches that were humorous, surprising, and inclusive of translanguaging as well as pop up connections to languages and cultures in change. This study suggests that L2 teacher education from a queer perspective offers teachers and learners opportunities to deconstruct and question what is conceived to be normal and instead imagine languages and pedagogies for what is possible, equitable, and inclusive.
A closed ‘pop‐off’ valve and patient safety incident: A human factors approach to understanding error
Authors: Pang Jessica , Yates Elspeth , Pang Daniel S.J.
Published: September 2021

A 3‐month‐old, 1.4 kg, female domestic short hair cat was scheduled for ovariohysterectomy surgery during a final‐year veterinary student clinical rotation. Shortly after transfer to the operating room (OR) and connection to the anaesthetic machine, signs consistent with high gas pressure build up in the anaesthetic breathing system were observed. Because a clear view of the anaesthetic machine was obscured, the cat was immediately disconnected from the breathing system and transferred to a different anaesthetic machine. Inspection of the OR anaesthetic machine revealed that the adjustable pressure limiting (APL) (‘pop‐off') valve was closed, despite completion of a machine checkout procedure at the start of the day. The valve was opened, the cat returned to the OR, and surgery completed. Recovery was uneventful. Investigation of the incident revealed several contributing factors leading to the APL valve being left closed.
Light-ray moments as endpoint contributions to modular Hamiltonians
Authors: Kabat Daniel , Lifschyt Gilad , Nguyen Phuc , Sarkar Debajyoti
Published: September 2021

Abstract

We consider excited states in a CFT, obtained by applying a weak unitary perturbation to the vacuum. The perturbation is generated by the integral of a local operator J(n) of modular weight n over a spacelike surface passing through x = 0. For |n| ≥ 2 the modular Hamiltonian associated with a division of space at x = 0 picks up an endpoint contribution, sensitive to the details of the perturbation (including the shape of the spacelike surface) at x = 0. The endpoint contribution is a sum of light-ray moments of the perturbing operator J(n) and its descendants. For perturbations on null planes only moments of J(n) itself contribute.
From the Strong Differential to Italian Domination in Graphs
Authors: Cabrera Martínez A. , Rodríguez-Velázquez J. A.
Published: September 2021

Given a graph G and a subset of vertices $$D\subseteq V(G)$$

D
⊆
V
(
G
)

, the external neighbourhood of D is defined as $$N_e(D)=\{u\in V(G){\setminus } D:\, N(u)\cap D\ne \varnothing \}$$

N
e

(
D
)

=

{
u
∈
V

(
G
)

\
D
:

N

(
u
)

∩
D
≠
∅
}

, where N(u) denotes the open neighbourhood of u. Now, given a subset $$D\subseteq V(G)$$

D
⊆
V
(
G
)

and a vertex $$v\in D$$

v
∈
D

, the external private neighbourhood of v with respect to D is defined to be $$\mathrm{epn}(v,D)=\{u\in V(G){\setminus } D: \, N(u)\cap D=\{v\}\}.$$

epn
(
v
,
D
)
=
{
u
∈
V
(
G
)
\
D
:

N
(
u
)
∩
D
=
{
v
}
}
.

The strong differential of a set $$D\subseteq V(G)$$

D
⊆
V
(
G
)

is defined as $$\partial _s(D)=|N_e(D)|-|D_w|,$$

∂
s

(
D
)

=
|

N
e

(
D
)

|
-
|

D
w

|
,

where $$D_w=\{v\in D:\, \mathrm{epn}(v,D)\ne \varnothing \}$$

D
w

=

{
v
∈
D
:

epn

(
v
,
D
)

≠
∅
}

. In this paper, we focus on the study of the strong differential of a graph, which is defined as $$\begin{aligned} \partial _s(G)=\max \{\partial _s(D):\, D\subseteq V(G)\}. \end{aligned}$$

∂
s

(
G
)

=
max

{

∂
s

(
D
)

:

D
⊆
V

(
G
)

}

.

Among other results, we obtain general bounds on $$\partial _s(G)$$

∂
s

(
G
)

and we prove a Gallai-type theorem, which states that $$\partial _s(G)+\gamma _{_I}(G)=\mathrm{n}(G)$$

∂
s

(
G
)

+

γ

I

(
G
)

=
n

(
G
)

, where $$\gamma _{_I}G)$$

γ

I

G
)

denotes the Italian domination number of G. Therefore, we can see the theory of strong differential in graphs as a new approach to the theory of Italian domination. One of the advantages of this approach is that it allows us to study the Italian domination number without the use of functions. As we can expect, we derive new results on the Italian domination number of a graph.
Efficacy and patient acceptability of the continence dish
Authors: Moore Kate H. , Allen Wendy , Parkin Katrina , Beaupeurt Fiona , Chan Chris , Chen Zhuoran
Published: September 2021

Introduction and hypothesis

The continence dish has been a treatment option since 2002 for women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) who decline surgery, but few quantitative objective efficacy data are published. We aimed to determine the efficacy and acceptability of this device for pure SUI or mixed incontinence (MUI).

Methods

Prospective interventional cohort study of 100 women with SUI or stress-predominant MUI who were interested to use the device; International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire (ICIQ) was primary outcome measure; 24-h pad test and Incontinence Impact Questionnaire (IIQ) were secondary outcomes. Acceptability was determined by device retention for 4 weeks, adverse events and ability to self-insert the device.

Results

Of 100 suitable women, 9 were not actually fitted, and 27 did not complete (acceptability: 64/100). The rate of adverse events was 7.7%, with 62.5% of users able to self-insert the device: 22 (34%) had pure SUI; 66% had MUI. In SUI, 68% were ‘dry’ on ICIQ median value 4.0 (IQR 2.5–8.5); 88% were dry on 24-h pad test (median 0.0, IQR 0.0–8.5). The “dry rate” was lower in MUI: 36% for ICIQ (median 9.0, IQR 5.0–15.0) and 62% for 24-h pad test (median 6.2, IQR 0.95–19.7). A “good” response on IIQ occurred in 88% of SUI and 69% of MUI.

Conclusion

These new data showing strong objective benefits of the continence dish should be further validated by randomized trials, but this information should be made available to women seeking treatment options for SUI/MUI (particularly in view of concerns regarding mesh mid-urethral slings).
Totally Ergodic Generalised Matrix Equilibrium States have the Bernoulli Property
Authors: Morris Ian D.
Published: September 2021

We show that every totally ergodic generalised matrix equilibrium state is $$\psi $$
ψ
-mixing with respect to the natural partition into cylinders and hence is measurably isomorphic to a Bernoulli shift in its natural extension. This implies that the natural extensions of ergodic generalised matrix equilibrium states are measurably isomorphic to Bernoulli processes extended by finite rotations. This resolves a question of Gatzouras and Peres in the special case of self-affine repelling sets with generic translations.
Modelling of photosynthesis, respiration, and nutrient yield coefficients in Scenedemus almeriensis culture as a function of nitrogen and phosphorus
Authors: Zurano A. Sánchez , Serrano C. Gómez , Acién-Fernández F. G. , Fernández-Sevilla J. M. , Molina-Grima E.
Published: September 2021

Photo-respirometric tecniques are applied for evaluating photosynthetic activity in phototrophic organisms. These methods allow to evaluate photosynthetic response under different conditions. In this work, the influence of nutrient availability (nitrate, ammonium, and phosphate) on the photosynthesis and respiration of Scenedesmus almeriensis was studied using short photo-respirometric measurements. Both photosynthesis and respiration increasing until saturation value and consecutively diminishing, presenting inhibition by high concentrations. Regarding the influence of phosphorus concentration in microalgae cells, a similar hyperbolic trend was observed but no inhibition was observed at high concentration. Based on these experimental data, the respiration, and the photosynthesis rate of S. almeriensis were modelled using Haldane equation for nitrate and ammonium data, and Monod equation for phosphate data. In addition, experiments were performed to determine the yield coefficients for both nitrogen and phosphorus in S. almeriensis cultures. The data showed that the nitrogen and phosphorous coefficient yields are not constant, being modified as a function of nutrients concentration, presenting the luxury uptake phenomena. Finally, the proposed models were incorporated into a simulation tool to evaluate the photosynthetic activity and the nutrient yield coefficients of S. almeriensis when different culture media and wastewaters are used as a nitrogen and phosphorous source for its growth.

Key points

• Microalgal photosynthesis/respiration vary as a function of nutrients availability.

• Photosynthesis inhibition appears at high N-NO3-and N-NH4+concentrations.

• Nutrient yield coefficients are influenced by luxury uptake phenomenon.

Graphical abstract
Continuous-time stochastic processes for the spread of COVID-19 disease simulated via a Monte Carlo approach and comparison with deterministic models
Authors: Calleri Fabiana , Nastasi Giovanni , Romano Vittorio
Published: September 2021

Two stochastic models are proposed to describe the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the first model the population is partitioned into four compartments: susceptible S, infected I, removed R and dead people D. In order to have a cross validation, a deterministic version of such a model is also devised which is represented by a system of ordinary differential equations with delays. In the second stochastic model two further compartments are added: the class A of asymptomatic individuals and the class L of isolated infected people. Effects such as social distancing measures are easily included and the consequences are analyzed. Numerical solutions are obtained with Monte Carlo simulations. Quantitative predictions are provided which can be useful for the evaluation of political measures, e.g. the obtained results suggest that strategies based on herd immunity are too risky. Finally, the models are calibrated on data referring to the second wave of infection in Italy.
The bi-objective multimodal car-sharing problem
Authors: Enzi Miriam , Parragh Sophie N. , Puchinger Jakob
Published: September 2021

The aim of the bi-objective multimodal car-sharing problem (BiO-MMCP) is to determine the optimal mode of transport assignment for trips and to schedule the routes of available cars and users whilst minimizing cost and maximizing user satisfaction. We investigate the BiO-MMCP from a user-centred point of view. As user satisfaction is a crucial aspect in shared mobility systems, we consider user preferences in a second objective. Users may choose and rank their preferred modes of transport for different times of the day. In this way, we account for, e.g., different traffic conditions throughout the planning horizon. We study different variants of the problem. In the base problem, the sequence of tasks a user has to fulfil is fixed in advance and travel times as well as preferences are constant over the planning horizon. In variant 2, time-dependent travel times and preferences are introduced. In variant 3, we examine the challenges when allowing additional routing decisions. Variant 4 integrates variants 2 and 3. For this last variant, we develop a branch-and-cut algorithm which is embedded in two bi-objective frameworks, namely the $$\epsilon $$
ϵ
-constraint method and a weighting binary search method. Computational experiments show that the branch-and cut algorithm outperforms the MIP formulation and we discuss changing solutions along the Pareto frontier.
Good subjective outcome and low risk of revision surgery with a novel customized metal implant for focal femoral chondral lesions at a follow-up after a minimum of 5 years
Authors: Al-Bayati Mohanad , Martinez-Carranza Nicolas , Roberts David , Högström Magnus , Stålman Anders
Published: September 2021

Background and purpose

Patients with focal cartilage lesions experience functional impairment. Results for biological treatments in the middle-aged patient is poor. Previous studies with focal prosthetic inlay resurfacing have shown a higher risk of conversion to total knee replacement at mid-term follow-up. A novel customized implant (Episealer, Episurf, Stockholm, Sweden) has been proposed to improve implant positioning and survival. The primary objective was to assess subjective-, objective function and implant survival at a minimum of five years after surgery.

Materials and methods

The inclusion criteria were patients aged 30–65 years with symptomatic focal chondral defects in the medial femoral condyle, International Cartilage Research Society grade 3 or 4 and failed conservative or surgical treatment. Minimum follow-up of 5 years. Clinical and radiologic assessments were made. Patient-reported outcome measurements at the latest follow-up were compared with the baseline data for the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), the EuroQoL (EQ-5D), the Tegner Activity Scale and a Visual Analog Scale of pain (VAS 0–10).

Results

Ten patients with the mean follow-up period of 75 months (60–86 months, SD 10) were included. Signs of osteoarthritis were seen in one patient (Ahlbäck 1). No cases with revision to knee replacement. VAS for pain and KOOS showed improvements that reached significance for VAS (p ≤ 0.001) and the KOOS subscores Pain (p = 0.01), ADL (p = 0.003), Sport and Recreation (p = 0.024) and Quality of Life (p = 0.003).

Conclusion

A good subjective outcome, a low risk of progression to degenerative changes and the need for subsequent surgery were seen at the mid-term follow-up with this customized focal knee-resurfacing implant.

Level of evidence

Prospective case series, level 4.
Long-term neurological manifestations of COVID-19: prevalence and predictive factors
Authors: Pilotto Andrea , Cristillo Viviana , Cotti Piccinelli Stefano , Zoppi Nicola , Bonzi Giulio , Sattin Davide , Schiavolin Silvia , Raggi Alberto , Canale Antonio , Gipponi Stefano , Libri Ilenia , Frigerio Martina , Bezzi Michela , Leonardi Matilde , Padovani Alessandro
Published: September 2021

Background

Clinical investigations have argued for long-term neurological manifestations in both hospitalised and non-hospitalised COVID-19 patients. It is unclear whether long-term neurological symptoms and features depend on COVID-19 severity.

Methods

From a sample of 208 consecutive non-neurological patients hospitalised for COVID-19 disease, 165 survivors were re-assessed at 6 months according to a structured standardised clinical protocol. Prevalence and predictors of long-term neurological manifestations were evaluated using multivariate logistic regression analyses.

Results

At 6-month follow-up after hospitalisation due to COVID-19 disease, patients displayed a wide array of symptoms; fatigue (34%), memory/attention (31%) and sleep disorders (30%) were the most frequent. At neurological examination, 40% of patients exhibited neurological abnormalities, such as hyposmia (18.0%), cognitive deficits (17.5%), postural tremor (13.8%) and subtle motor/sensory deficits (7.6%). Older age, premorbid comorbidities and severity of COVID-19 were independent predictors of neurological manifestations in logistic regression analyses.

Conclusions

Premorbid vulnerability and severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection impact on prevalence and severity of long-term neurological manifestations.
Interactive log-delta analysis using multi-range filtering
Authors: Vidgof Maxim , Djurica Djordje , Bala Saimir , Mendling Jan
Published: September 2021

Process mining is a family of analytical techniques that extract insights from an event log and present them to an analyst. A key analysis task is to understand the distinctive features of different variants of the process and their impact on process performance. Techniques for log-delta analysis (or variant analysis) put a strong emphasis on automatically extracting explanations for differences between variants. A weakness of them is, however, their limited support for interactively exploring the dividing line between typical and atypical behavior. In this paper, we address this research gap by developing and evaluating an interactive technique for log-delta analysis, which we callInterLog. This technique is developed based on the idea that the analyst can interactively define filter ranges and that these filters are used to partition the logLinto sub-logs$$L_1$$L1for the selected cases and$$L_2$$L2for the deselected cases. In this way, the analyst can step-by-step explore the log and manually separate the typical behavior from the atypical. We prototypically implement InterLog and demonstrate its application for a real-world event log. Furthermore, we evaluate it in a preliminary design study with process mining experts for usefulness and ease of use.
Error estimates of the backward Euler–Maruyama method for multi-valued stochastic differential equations
Authors: Eisenmann Monika , Kovács Mihály , Kruse Raphael , Larsson Stig
Published: September 2021

In this paper we derive error estimates of the backward Euler–Maruyama method applied to multi-valued stochastic differential equations. An important example of such an equation is a stochastic gradient flow whose associated potential is not continuously differentiable but assumed to be convex. We show that the backward Euler–Maruyama method is well-defined and convergent of order at least 1/4 with respect to the root-mean-square norm. Our error analysis relies on techniques for deterministic problems developed in Nochetto et al. (Commun Pure Appl Math 53(5):525–589, 2000). We verify that our setting applies to an overdamped Langevin equation with a discontinuous gradient and to a spatially semi-discrete approximation of the stochasticp-Laplace equation.
A systematic approach to reduced GLT
Authors: Barbarino Giovanni
Published: September 2021

This paper concerns the spectral analysis of matrix-sequences that are generated by the discretization and numerical approximation of partial differential equations, in case the domain is a generic Peano–Jordan measurable set. It is observed that such matrix-sequences often present a spectral symbol, that is a measurable function describing the asymptotic behaviour of the eigenvalues. When the domain is a hypercube, the analysis can be conducted using the theory of generalized locally Toeplitz (GLT) sequences, but in case of generic domains, a different kind of matrix-sequences and theory has to be formalized. We thus develop in full detail the theory of reduced GLT sequences and symbols, presenting some application to finite differences and finite elements discretization for linear convection–diffusion–reaction differential equations.
Pragmatic evaluations of automated linguistic creativity
Authors: Gatti Lorenzo , Stock Oliviero , Strapparava Carlo , Özbal Gözde
Published: September 2021

The optimal innovation hypothesis (OIH) offers a good aesthetic and cognitive reference for the kind of linguistic creativity where minimal variations can have a strong effect on the audience and realize an overall intended goal. The same approach can be the basis for creative systems. The question is how to concretely evaluate not only their quality, but also their pragmatic effect. This paper describes the original evaluations of two systems based on the OIH, one automatically yielding witty headlines for incoming news, the other producing song parodies, varying the song lyrics to evoke a given concept. The goal is to bring attention to the importance of evaluating the pragmatic potential of creative systems, in addition to the quality of their output, and to demonstrate how such evaluations can be done.
The European Commission report on ethics of connected and automated vehicles and the future of ethics of transportation
Authors: Santoni de Sio Filippo
Published: September 2021

The paper has two goals. The first is presenting the main results of the recent report Ethics of Connected and Automated Vehicles: recommendations on road safety, privacy, fairness, explainability and responsibility written by the Horizon 2020 European Commission Expert Group to advise on specific ethical issues raised by driverless mobility, of which the author of this paper has been member and rapporteur. The second is presenting some broader ethical and philosophical implications of these recommendations, and using these to contribute to the establishment of Ethics of Transportation as an independent branch of applied ethics. The recent debate on the ethics of Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAVs) presents a paradox and an opportunity. The paradox is the presence of a flourishing debate on the ethics of one very specific transportation technology without ethics of transportation being in itself a well-established academic discipline. The opportunity is that now that a spotlight has been switched on the ethical dimensions of CAVs it may be easier to establish a broader debate on ethics of transportation. While the 20 recommendations of the EU report are grouped in three macro-areas: road safety, data ethics, and responsibility, in this paper they will be grouped according to eight philosophical themes: Responsible Innovation, road justice, road safety, freedom, human control, privacy, data fairness, responsibility. These are proposed as the first topics for a new ethics of transportation.
Writing Technique Across Psychotherapies—From Traditional Expressive Writing to New Positive Psychology Interventions: A Narrative Review
Authors: Ruini Chiara , Mortara Cristina C.
Published: September 2021

Writing Therapy (WT) is defined as a process of investigation about personal thoughts and feelings using the act of writing as an instrument, with the aim of promoting self-healing and personal growth. WT has been integrated in specific psychotherapies with the aim of treating specific mental disorders (PTSD, depression, etc.). More recently, WT has been included in several Positive Interventions (PI) as a useful tool to promote psychological well-being. This narrative review was conducted by searching on scientific databases and analyzing essential studies, academic books and journal articles where writing therapy was applied. The aim of this review is to describe and summarize the use of WT across various psychotherapies, from the traditional applications as expressive writing, or guided autobiography, to the phenomenological-existential approach (Logotherapy) and, more recently, to the use of WT within Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Finally, the novel applications of writing techniques from a positive psychology perspective will be analyzed. Accordingly, the applications of WT for promoting forgiveness, gratitude, wisdom and other positive dimensions will be illustrated. The results of this review show that WT yield therapeutic effects on symptoms and distress, but it also promotes psychological well-being. The use of writing can be a standalone treatment or it can be easily integrated as supplement in other therapeutic approaches. This review might help clinician and counsellors to apply the simple instrument of writing to promote insight, healing and well-being in clients, according to their specific clinical needs and therapeutic goals.
New insights on respondents’ recall ability and memory effects when repeatedly measuring political efficacy
Authors: Höhne Jan Karem
Published: September 2021

Many study designs in social science research rely on repeated measurements implying that the same respondents are asked the same (or nearly the same) questions at least twice. An assumption made by such study designs is that respondents second answer does not depend on their first answer. However, if respondents recall their initial answer and base their second answer on it memory effects may affect the survey outcome. In this study, I investigate respondents’ recall ability and memory effects within the same survey and randomly assign respondents to a device type (PC or smartphone) and a response format (response scale or text field) for reporting their previous answer. While the results reveal no differences regarding device types, they reveal differences regarding response formats. Respondents’ recall ability is higher when they are provided with the response scale again than when they are only provided with a text field (without displaying the response scale again). The same finding applies to the size of estimated memory effects. This study provides evidence that the size of memory effects may have been overestimated in previous studies.
Leptin as a key regulator of the adipose organ
Authors: Picó Catalina , Palou Mariona , Pomar Catalina Amadora , Rodríguez Ana María , Palou Andreu
Published: September 2021

Leptin is a hormone primarily produced by the adipose tissue in proportion to the size of fat stores, with a primary function in the control of lipid reserves. Besides adipose tissue, leptin is also produced by other tissues, such as the stomach, placenta, and mammary gland. Altogether, leptin exerts a broad spectrum of short, medium, and long-term regulatory actions at the central and peripheral levels, including metabolic programming effects that condition the proper development and function of the adipose organ, which are relevant for its main role in energy homeostasis. Comprehending how leptin regulates adipose tissue may provide important clues to understand the pathophysiology of obesity and related diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, as well as its prevention and treatment. This review focuses on the physiological and long-lasting regulatory effects of leptin on adipose tissue, the mechanisms and pathways involved, its main outcomes on whole-body physiological homeostasis, and its consequences on chronic diseases.
How are fictions given? Conjoining the ‘artifactual theory’ and the ‘imaginary-object theory’
Authors: Summa Michela
Published: September 2021

According to the so-called ‘artifactual theory’ of fiction, fictional objects are to be considered as abstract artifacts. Within this framework, fictional objects are defined on the basis of their complex dependence on literary works, authors, and readership. This theory is explicitly distinguished from other approaches to fictions, notably from the imaginary-object theory. In this article, I argue that the two approaches are not mutually exclusive but can and should be integrated. In particular, the ontology of fiction can be fruitfully supplemented by a phenomenological analysis, which allows us to clarify the defining modes of givenness of fictional objects. Likewise, based on the results of the artifactual theory, some assumptions in the imaginary-object theory, which are liable to be interpreted as laying the ground to phenomenalism, can be corrected.