bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Complex reimplantation of an inflatable penile prosthesis with scar tissue excision and distal corporal defect repair with Tutoplast® pericardium allograft
Authors: Blum Kyle A. , Jones William , Conroy Lauren , Mehr Justin , Green Travis , Wang Run
Published: October 2023

Background

Patients with inflatable penile prostheses (IPP) may experience erosions after years of use or after indwelling Foley catheter placement. IPP erosions should be managed as an infection with the entire IPP removed. Replacing IPPs in erosion patients can be challenging due to extensive scarring development. Using proper graft materials may be necessary to close and reinforce the corporal defect after difficult corporal dilation or significant scar removal for the long‐term success of IPP reimplantation.

Case Presentation

Herein we report a patient with a history of IPP placement in 2007 for erectile dysfunction and Peyronie's disease, presenting in 2018 with dysuria and a feeling of IPP displacement following Foley catheter placement for coronary artery bypass graft surgery. The left cylinder of the IPP was observed by physical examination and a defect near the fossa navicularis was discovered during office cystoscopy. A complete explantation of IPP was then performed. Reimplantation of the IPP was performed in 2021 which required excision of corporal scar tissue and repair of a left distal corporal defect using a Tutoplast® pericardium allograft. The procedure was successful with proper IPP position and good function without any penile deformity.

Conclusion

The use of graft materials in the management of corporeal defects should be considered in the setting of complex IPP revision. The Tutoplast® pericardium allograft reinforcement can provide long‐term durability, flexibility, and a lower risk of infection.
Verarbeitungseigenschaften und Viskositäten von PMMA-Knochenzementen
Authors: Paul Christian , Steinhauser Erwin , Kühn Klaus-Dieter
Published: October 2023

Verarbeitungseigenschaften von PMMA-Knochenzementen können in vier Phasen unterteilt werden: 1. Anmischung, 2. Wartephase, 3. Verarbeitungsphase sowie 4. Aushärtephase. Jede dieser Phasen unterliegt einer Reihe von äußeren Einflussfaktoren, beispielsweise Temperatur und Feuchte, die im Rahmen der Anwendung zu beachten sind. Gebrauchsanweisungen der Hersteller von PMMA-Knochenzementen sowie von Misch- und Applikationssystemen enthalten wichtige Hinweise zur korrekten Anwendung. Für den sicheren Ablauf im Operationssaal sind die Verarbeitungseigenschaften der PMMA-Knochenzemente und mögliche Einflussfaktoren auf den Aushärtungsverlauf von großer Bedeutung. Kenntnisse zu Viskosität und Konsistenz des PMMA-Knochenzementes von der Teigphase bis zur vollständigen Aushärtung erleichtern das Vorbereiten und Applizieren, was langfristig die an PMMA-Zemente gestellten Anforderungen im Hinblick auf Funktion und Standzeit des Implantats signifikant verbessert.
Improving the reliability of measurements in orthopaedics and sports medicine
Authors: Królikowska Aleksandra , Reichert Paweł , Karlsson Jon , Mouton Caroline , Becker Roland , Prill Robert
Published: October 2023

A large space still exists for improving the measurements used in orthopaedics and sports medicine, especially as we face rapid technological progress in devices used for diagnostic or patient monitoring purposes. For a specific measure to be valuable and applicable in clinical practice, its reliability must be established. Reliability refers to the extent to which measurements can be replicated, and three types of reliability can be distinguished: inter‐rater, intra‐rater, and test–retest. The present article aims to provide insights into reliability as one of the most important and relevant properties of measurement tools. It covers essential knowledge about the methods used in orthopaedics and sports medicine for reliability studies. From design to interpretation, this article guides readers through the reliability study process. It addresses crucial issues such as the number of raters needed, sample size calculation, and breaks between particular trials. Different statistical methods and tests are presented for determining reliability depending on the type of gathered data, with particular attention to the commonly used intraclass correlation coefficient.
Co-simulation-based optimal reactive power control in smart distribution network
Authors: Wagle Raju , Pham Le Nam Hai , Tricarico Gioacchino , Sharma Pawan , Rueda Jose Luis , Gonzalez-Longatt Francisco
Published: October 2023

The increasing integration of distributed energy resources such as photovoltaic (PV) systems into distribution networks introduces intermittent and variable power, leading to high voltage fluctuations. High PV integration can also result in increased terminal voltage of the network during periods of high PV generation and low load consumption. These problems can be solved by optimal utilization of the reactive power capability of a smart inverter. However, solving the optimization problem using a detailed mathematical model of the distribution network may be time-consuming. Due to this, the optimization process may not be fast enough to incorporate this rapid fluctuation when implemented in real-time optimization. To address these issues, this paper proposes a co-simulation-based optimization approach for optimal reactive power control in smart inverters. By utilizing co-simulation, the need for detailed mathematical modeling of the power flow equation of the distribution network in the optimization model is eliminated, thereby enabling faster optimization. This paper compares three optimization algorithms (improved harmony search, simplicial homology global optimization, and differential evolution) using models developed in OpenDSS and DigSilent PowerFactory. The results demonstrate the suitability of the proposed co-simulation-based optimization for obtaining optimal setpoints for reactive power control, minimizing total power loss in distribution networks with high PV integration. This research paper contributes to efficient and practical solutions for modeling optimal control problems in future distribution networks.
Top-down control of vestibular inputs by the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
Authors: McCarthy Brendan , Datta Sudipta , Sesa-Ashton Gianni , Wong Rebecca , Henderson Luke A. , Dawood Tye , Macefield Vaughan G.
Published: October 2023

The vestibular apparatus provides spatial information on the position of the head in space and with respect to gravity. Low-frequency sinusoidal galvanic vestibular stimulation (sGVS), a means of selectively changing the firing of vestibular afferents, induces a frequency-dependent perception of sway and, in some individuals, induces nausea. Given that vestibular afferents project to the insular cortex—which forms part of the vestibular cortex—and that the insula receives inputs from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), we tested the hypothesis that electrical stimulation of the dlPFC can modulate vestibular inputs. Sinusoidal electrical stimulation (± 2 mA, 0.08 Hz, 100 cycles) was delivered via surface electrodes over (1) the mastoid processes alone (sGVS), (2) electroencephalogram (EEG) site F4 (right dlPFC) and the nasion or (3) to each site concurrently (sGVS + dlPFC) in 23 participants. The same stimulation protocol was used in a separate study to investigate EEG site F3 (left dlPFC) instead of F4 in 13 participants. During sGVS, all participants reported perceptions of sway and 13 participants also reported nausea, neither sensation of which occurred as a result of dlPFC stimulation. Interestingly, when sGVS and dlPFC stimulations were delivered concurrently, vestibular perceptions and sensations of nausea were almost completely abolished. We conclude that the dlPFC provides top-down control of vestibular inputs and further suggests that dlPFC stimulation may provide a novel means of controlling nausea.
On the lack of Gaussian tail for rough line integrals along fractional Brownian paths
Authors: Boedihardjo H. , Geng X.
Published: October 2023

We show that the tail probability of the rough line integral $$\int _{0}^{1}\phi (X_{t})dY_{t}$$

∫

0

1

ϕ

(

X
t

)

d

Y
t

, where (X, Y) is a 2D fractional Brownian motion with Hurst parameter $$H\in (1/4,1/2)$$

H
∈
(
1
/
4
,
1
/
2
)

and $$\phi $$
ϕ
is a $$C_{b}^{\infty }$$

C

b

∞

-function satisfying a mild non-degeneracy condition on its derivative, cannot decay faster than a $$\gamma $$
γ
-Weibull tail with any exponent $$\gamma >2H+1$$

γ
>
2
H
+
1

. In particular, this produces a simple class of examples of differential equations driven by fBM, whose solutions fail to have Gaussian tail even though the underlying vector fields are assumed to be of class $$C_{b}^{\infty }$$

C

b

∞

. This also demonstrates that the well-known upper tail estimate proved by Cass–Litterer–Lyons in 2013 is essentially sharp.
Anterior cervical X-shape-corpectomy and fusion vs. anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion for two-level cervical spondylosis
Authors: Wang Hong , Liu Yang , Wu Tingkui , Yan Chunyi , He Junbo , Huang Kangkang , Rong Xin , Ding Chen , Wang Beiyu , Liu Hao
Published: October 2023

Purpose

Anterior cervical X-shape-corpectomy and fusion (ACXF) is a novel cervical surgery, designed as partial alternative to the classic technique, anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion (ACCF). The aim of this study was to evaluate the early-stage outcomes of ACXF in treating two-level cervical spondylosis (CS) through comparisons with ACCF.

Methods

A retrospectively comparative study was conducted in two cohorts of patients who underwent single-vertebral ACXF or ACCF to treat two-level CS during September 2019 and October 2021. Clinical and radiological data of all the patients were collected from pre-operation to 1 year after the surgery, following by intra- and intergroup analyses and comparisons.

Results

Fifty-seven patients were included, with 24 undergoing ACXF and 33 undergoing ACCF. ACXF group had significantly shorter drainage duration (2.13 ± 0.61 days vs. 3.48 ± 1.30 days, P < 0.001) and less drainage volume (30.21 ± 26.88 ml vs. 69.30 ± 37.65 ml, P < 0.001) than ACCF group. Both techniques significantly improved all the clinical parameters (P < 0.01) with comparable effects (P > 0.05). Each complication rate in ACXF group was lower than that in ACCF group without significant difference (P > 0.05). ACXF showed a significantly smaller transverse decompression range than ACCF (11.93 ± 1.27 mm vs. 16.29 ± 1.88 mm, P < 0.001). Postoperatively, ACXF yielded a comparable fusion rate (P > 0.05) and a significantly lower subsidence rate (P < 0.01) than ACCF technique at all time points.

Conclusions

ACXF is a potential surgical alternative for certain patients with two-level CS, as it provides both adequate decompression range and fewer adverse events than ACCF. The further modifications on ACXF worth exploration.
Incisional hernia repair following pancreatic surgery—open vs laparoscopic approach
Authors: Krueger C. M. , Patrzyk M. , Hipp J. , Adam U. , Köckerling F. , Riediger H.
Published: October 2023

Introduction

For pancreatic procedures, transverse and midline or combined approaches are used. Having an increased morbidity after pancreatic surgery, these patients have an increased risk of developing an incisional hernia. In the following, we will analyze how the results of incisional hernia surgery after pancreatic surgery are presented in the Herniamed Registry.

Methods

Hospitals and surgeons from Germany, Austria and Switzerland can voluntarily enter all routinely performed hernia operations prospectively into the Herniamed Registry. All patients sign a special informed consent declaration that they agree to the documentation of their treatment in the Herniamed Registry. Perioperative complications (intraoperative complications, postoperative complications, complication-related reoperations and general complications) are recorded up to 30 days after surgery. After 1, 5, and 10 years, patients and primary care physicians are contacted and asked about any pain at rest, pain on exertion, chronic pain requiring treatment or recurrence. This retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data compares the outcomes of minimally invasive vs open techniques in incisional hernia repair after pancreatic surgery.

Results

Relative to the total number of all incisional hernia patients in the Herniamed Registry, the proportion after pancreatic surgery with 1-year follow-up was 0.64% (n = 461) patients. 95% of previous pancreatic surgeries were open. Minimally invasive incisional hernia repair was performed in 17.1% and open repair in 82.9% of cases. 23.2% of the defects were larger than 10 cm and 32.8% were located laterally or were a combination of lateral and medial defects. Among the few differences between the collectives, a significantly higher rate of defect closure (58.1% vs 25.3%; p < 0.001) and drainage (72.8% vs 13.9%; p < 0.001) was found in the open repairs, and larger meshes were seen in the minimally invasive procedures (340.6 cm2 vs 259.6 cm2; p < 0.001). No difference deemed a risk factor for chronic postoperative pain was seen in the rate of preoperative pain between the open and minimally invasive procedures (Appendix Table 4) No significant differences were found in either the perioperative complications or at 1-year follow-up.

Conclusions

Incisional hernias after complex pancreatic surgery can be repaired safely and with a low recurrence rate in both open and minimally invasive techniques.
On the comparison between pre- and post-surgery nasal anatomies via computational fluid dynamics
Authors: Segalerba Eric , Dini Ciacci Gabriele , Quadrio Maurizio , Pralits Jan O.
Published: October 2023

Nasal breathing difficulties (NBD) are widespread and difficult to diagnose; the failure rate of their surgical corrections is high. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) enables diagnosis of NBD and surgery planning, by comparing a pre-operative (pre-op) situation with the outcome of virtual surgery (post-op). An equivalent comparison is involved when considering distinct anatomies in the search for the functionally normal nose. Currently, this comparison is carried out in more than one way, under the implicit assumption that results are unchanged, which reflects our limited understanding of the driver of the respiratory function. The study describes how to set up a meaningful comparison. A pre-op anatomy, derived via segmentation from a CT scan, is compared with a post-op anatomy obtained via virtual surgery. State-of-the-art numerical simulations for a steady inspiration carry out the comparison under three types of global constraints, derived from the field of turbulent flow control: a constant pressure drop (CPG) between external ambient and throat, a constant flow rate (CFR) through the airways and a constant power input (CPI) from the lungs can be enforced. A significant difference in the quantities of interest is observed depending on the type of comparison. Global quantities (flow rate, pressure drop and nasal resistance) as well as local ones are affected. The type of flow forcing affects the outcome of the comparison between pre-op and post-op anatomies. Among the three available options, we argue that CPG is the least adequate. Arguments favouring either CFR or CPI are presented.
Computational fluid dynamic modeling of the lymphatic system: a review of existing models and future directions
Authors: Jayathungage Don Tharanga D. , Safaei Soroush , Maso Talou Gonzalo D. , Russell Peter S. , Phillips Anthony R. J. , Reynolds Hayley M.
Published: October 2023

Historically, research into the lymphatic system has been overlooked due to both a lack of knowledge and limited recognition of its importance. In the last decade however, lymphatic research has gained substantial momentum and has included the development of a variety of computational models to aid understanding of this complex system. This article reviews existing computational fluid dynamic models of the lymphatics covering each structural component including the initial lymphatics, pre-collecting and collecting vessels, and lymph nodes. This is followed by a summary of limitations and gaps in existing computational models and reasons that development in this field has been hindered to date. Over the next decade, efforts to further characterize lymphatic anatomy and physiology are anticipated to provide key data to further inform and validate lymphatic fluid dynamic models. Development of more comprehensive multiscale- and multi-physics computational models has the potential to significantly enhance the understanding of lymphatic function in both health and disease.
Is the best–worst method path dependent? Evidence from an empirical study
Authors: Mazurek Jiri , Perzina Radomír , Strzałka Dominik , Kowal Bartosz , Kuraś Paweł , Puhrová Barbora Petrů , Rajs Robert
Published: October 2023

The Best–Worst method (BWM) is one of the latest contributions to pairwise comparisons methods. As its name suggests, it is based on pairwise comparisons of all criteria (or possibly other objects, such as alternatives, sub-criteria, etc.) with respect to the best (most important) and the worst (least important) criterion. The main aim of this study is to investigate the path and scale dependency of the BWM. Up to now, it is unknown whether the weights of compared objects obtained by the method differ when the objects are compared first with the best object, and then with the worst, or vice versa. It is also unknown if the outcomes of the method differ when compared objects are presented in a different order, or when different scales are applied. Therefore, an experiment in a laboratory setting is performed with more than 800 respondents university undergraduates from two countries in which the respondents compare areas of randomly generated figures and the relative size of objects is then estimated via the linearized version of the BWM. Last but not least, the accuracy of the BWM is examined with respect to different comparison scales, including Saaty’s nine-point linguistic scale, an integer scale from 1 to 9, and a continuous scale from 1 to infinity.
New clinical opportunities of low-field MRI: heart, lung, body, and musculoskeletal
Authors: Tian Ye , Nayak Krishna S.
Published: October 2023

Contemporary whole-body low-field MRI scanners (< 1 T) present new and exciting opportunities for improved body imaging. The fundamental reason is that the reduced off-resonance and reduced SAR provide substantially increased flexibility in the design of MRI pulse sequences. Promising body applications include lung parenchyma imaging, imaging adjacent to metallic implants, cardiac imaging, and dynamic imaging in general. The lower cost of such systems may make MRI favorable for screening high-risk populations and population health research, and the more open configurations allowed may prove favorable for obese subjects and for pregnant women. This article summarizes promising body applications for contemporary whole-body low-field MRI systems, with a focus on new platforms developed within the past 5 years. This is an active area of research, and one can expect many improvements as MRI physicists fully explore the landscape of pulse sequences that are feasible, and as clinicians apply these to patient populations.
Outcomes of male patients with HR+/HER2– advanced breast cancer receiving palbociclib in the real-world POLARIS study
Authors: Blum Joanne L. , DiCristo Caroline , Gordon David , Karuturi Meghan S. , Oubre David , Jepsen Erin , Cuevas Juan , Lakhanpal Shailendra , Montelongo Monica Z. , Zhang Zhe , Cappelleri Joseph C. , Wang Yao , Tripathy Debu
Published: October 2023

Purpose

Data on treatments for male breast cancer patients are limited owing to rarity and underrepresentation in clinical trials. The real-world POLARIS study gathers data on palbociclib use for the treatment of hormone receptor–positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–negative (HR+/HER2–) advanced breast cancer (ABC) in female and male patients. This sub-analysis describes real-world palbociclib treatment patterns, clinical outcomes, and quality of life (QoL) in male patients.

Methods

POLARIS is a prospective, noninterventional, multicenter, real-world study of patients with HR+/HER2– ABC receiving palbociclib. Assessments included medical record reviews, patient QoL questionnaires (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality-of-Life Questionnaire–Core 30), site characteristics questionnaires, and physician treatment selection surveys. Variables included demographics, disease history, global health status/QoL, clinical assessments and adverse events. Analyses were descriptive in nature. For clinical outcomes, real-world tumor responses and progression were determined by physician assessment in routine clinical practice. Real-world progression-free survival (rwPFS) was described using the Kaplan–Meier method.

Results

At data cutoff, 15 male patients were enrolled (median age, 66 years). Nine patients received palbociclib as a first-line treatment and 6 as a second-line or later treatment. Patients received a median of 20 cycles of palbociclib. Neutropenia was experienced by 2 patients and grade ≥ 3 adverse events were reported in 11 patients. Global health status/QoL scores remained generally consistent during the study. One patient (6.7%) achieved a complete tumor response, 4 (26.7%) a partial response, and 8 (53.3%) stable disease. Median rwPFS was 19.8 months (95% CI, 7.4–38.0). Median follow-up duration was 24.7 months (95% CI, 20.0–35.7).

Conclusion

This real-world analysis showed that palbociclib was well tolerated and provides preliminary data on treatment patterns and outcomes with palbociclib in male patients with HR+/HER2– ABC, helping inform the use of palbociclib in this patient subgroup.

Trial identifier

NCT03280303.
Making Sense of CSR Challenges and Shortcomings in Developing Economies of Latin America
Authors: Hauser Christian , Godinez Jose , Steckler Erica
Published: October 2023

Firms operating in developing economies are increasingly expected to implement CSR practices aligned with recognized global standards. Drawing on extensive field study data in four Latin American countries, we contribute to business ethics scholarship by making visible and explaining firm shortcomings across social, environmental, and governance goals and activities of CSR. Building on and extending sensemaking literature, we find that leaders and managers responsible for their firms’ CSR activities make sense of and justify CSR shortcomings. We specify that justification based on individual, organizational/industry, and macro-environmental influences serves as a mechanism that decouples firms’ actual CSR practices from recognized CSR standards. Further, we propose that detachment, involving disconnection from the local operating environment, underlies the CSR shortcomings of firms. We develop a theoretical multi-level model that specifies justification as a mechanism and detachment as an underlying driver of CSR shortcomings.
Lower mental health related quality of life precedes dementia diagnosis: findings from the EPIC-Norfolk prospective population-based study
Authors: Chintapalli Renuka , Myint Phyo K , Brayne Carol , Hayat Shabina , Keevil Victoria L
Published: October 2023

Lower Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) precedes dementia in older adults in the USA. We explore prospective associations between HRQoL and dementia in British adults in mid and late-life, when interventions to optimise cognitive ageing may provide benefit. 7,452 community-dwelling participants (57% women; mean age 69.3 ± 8.3 years) attended the European Prospective Investigation of Cancer-Norfolk study’s third health check (3HC) and reported their HRQoL using Short-Form 36 (SF-36). Cox Proportional Hazard regression models explored associations between standard deviation differences in baseline Physical Component (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) scores, as well as eight SF-36 sub-scales (physical functioning, role-physical, bodily pain, general health, vitality, social functioning, role-emotional, mental health), and incident dementia over ten years. Logistic regression models explored cross-sectional relationships at the 3HC between HRQoL and objective global cognitive function (n = 4435; poor cognition = lowest performance decile). The cohort was examined as a whole and by age-group (50–69, ≥ 70), considering socio-demographics and co-morbidity. Higher MCS scores were associated with lower chance of incident dementia (Hazard Ratio [HR] = 0.74, 95% CI 0.68–0.81) and lower odds of poor cognition (Odds Ratio [OR] = 0.82, 0.76–0.89), with findings similar by age-group. Higher PCS scores were not associated with dementia in the whole cohort (HR = 0.93, 0.84–1.04) or considering age-groups; and were only associated with poor cognition in younger participants (OR = 0.81, 0.72–0.92). Similarly, associations between higher scores on subscales pertaining to mental, but not physical, HRQoL and lower dementia incidence were observed. Lower mental HRQoL precedes dementia diagnosis in middle-aged and older British adults.
Perception of con- and heterospecific injury cues in tadpoles of dendrobatid, ranid and bufonid frogs (Anura)
Authors: Lipkowski Konrad , Almeida Diana Abondano , Schulte Lisa Maria
Published: October 2023

Predator-prey interactions are vital for organismal survival. They shape anti-predator mechanisms and often depend on sensory abilities. Tadpoles use chemical cues, such as injury cues (alarm cues), to assess predation risks and modify their life-history, morphology, and behaviours accordingly. However, the prevalence of chemically mediated anti-predator responses in species with distinct ecological niches (e.g. within phytotelmata) remains unknown, hindering our understanding of the ecological significance and evolution of alarm substances. Therefore, our study aimed to investigate chemically mediated anti-predator responses in tadpoles of two Neotropical poison dart frogs, Ranitomeya sirensis and Epipedobates anthonyi (and compare their responses to two Palearctic model organisms, Rana temporaria and Bufo bufo, which are known to utilise alarm substances). Through behavioural bioassays, we exposed predator-naïve tadpoles to extracts of each species (i.e. con- and heterospecific cues), including water as a control (i.e. five treatments per species). We assessed changes in their activity before and after stimulus introduction. Our results show that E. anthonyi did not respond to any of the stimuli, whereas R. sirensis displayed increased activity levels exclusively in response to conspecific cues, but not to heterospecific cues. With this, our findings suggest a specialized recognition system in R. sirensis, potentially directed at conspecific competitors but likely unrelated to anti-predator mechanisms. In contrast, E. anthonyi may be insensitive to injury cues or utilize alternative sensory modalities to respond to acute predation events. This study sheds light on the chemical alarm response system of Neotropical poison dart frog tadpoles, providing foundational understanding of how dendrobatids react to injury cues. It prompts questions about the ecological significance and evolutionary implications of chemical communication in species facing extreme resource limitation during development and underscores the importance of comparative research for understanding chemical communication in diverse aquatic ecosystems.
The fiscal and intergenerational burdens of brakes and subsidies for energy prices
Authors: Huber Johannes , Scharrer Christian
Published: October 2023

We study the effects of different financing rules for untargeted energy price brakes and subsidies on intergenerational welfare in a large-scale overlapping generations model. The results indicate that, in comparison with a laissez-faire solution without any government interventions, debt-financed implementations of such measures are very detrimental for young and future generations. However, the taxation of windfall profits can significantly contribute to reduce the economic burdens of these generations; whereas, the positive effects on older generations are much less pronounced.
Three Distributions in the Extended Occupancy Problem
Authors: O’Neill Ben
Published: October 2023

The classical and extended occupancy distributions are useful for examining the number of occupied bins in problems involving random allocation of balls to bins. We examine the extended occupancy problem by framing it as a Markov chain and deriving the spectral decomposition of the transition probability matrix. We look at three distributions of interest that arise from the problem, all involving the noncentral Stirling numbers of the second kind. These distributions give a useful generalisation to the binomial and negative-binomial distributions. We examine how these distributions relate to one another, and we derive recursive properties and mixture properties that characterise the distributions.
Potentiality switches and epistemic uncertainty: the Argument from Potential in times of human embryo-like structures
Authors: Pereira Daoud Ana M. , Dondorp Wybo J. , Bredenoord Annelien L. , De Wert Guido M. W. R.
Published: October 2023

Recent advancements in developmental biology enable the creation of embryo-like structures from human stem cells, which we refer to as human embryo-like structures (hELS). These structures provide promising tools to complement—and perhaps ultimately replace—the use of human embryos in clinical and fundamental research. But what if these hELS—when further improved—also have a claim to moral status? What would that imply for their research use? In this paper, we explore these questions in relation to the traditional answer as to why human embryos should be given greater protection than other (non-)human cells: the so-called Argument from Potential (AfP). According to the AfP, human embryos deserve special moral status because they have the unique potential to develop into persons. While some take the development of hELS to challenge the very foundations of the AfP, the ongoing debate suggests that its dismissal would be premature. Since the AfP is a spectrum of views with different moral implications, it does not need to imply that research with human embryos or hELS that (may) have ‘active’ potential should be completely off-limits. However, the problem with determining active potential in hELS is that this depends on development passing through ‘potentiality switches’ about the precise coordinates of which we are still in the dark. As long as this epistemic uncertainty persists, extending embryo research regulations to research with specific types of hELS would amount to a form of regulative precaution that as such would require further justification.
Serum miRNA-21, miRNA-146a and plasma cell free DNA as novel biomarkers for assessing systemic lupus erythematosus activity
Authors: Ibrahim Muhammed R.Kh. , Waly Nancy GFM , Moness Hend , Ahmed Shimaa S. , Ibrahem Reham
Published: October 2023

Background

MicroRNA and cell-free DNA have shown significant correlations with several autoimmune disorders including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). SLE has been associated with challenges in determining its activity, so that the need for biomarkers contributing to assessing its activity is emerging. The current study investigated miRNA-21, miRNA-146a and plasma cf-DNA in determination of SLE activity, in addition their association with clinical data including complement factor 3 (C3), complement factor(C4), anti-dsDNA, and other disease activity indices.

Methods and results

Eighty subjects divided into; twenty active patients (with SLE-DAI2K score of 16–18) twenty inactive patients (with SLE-DAI2K score of 1–3), and forty healthy control participants) were included in this study. Serum miR-21, miR-146a, and plasma cf-DNA were quantified by real time PCR and their correlation with clinical data was statistically analyzed. The results demonstrated that active cases have significant upregulation of serum miRNA-21 and plasma cf-DNA. Moreover, miR-21 showed a negative, significant pertaining to C3, C4 and was positively related to Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2 K score (SLE-DAI Index2K score) and Systemic-Lupus-Erythematosus-Disease Activity-Index 2 K activity (SLE-DAI 2 K activity). Also, Active group miRNA-146a was negatively, significantly correlated with C3, as well as a positive significant relationship with SLE-DAI2K score and SLEDAI 2 K activity, in addition to anti DNA Autoantibodies. Furthermore, miR-21 and cf-DNA demonstrated a differential value through Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve’s study.

Conclusions

the present study illustrated miR-21, miR-146a, and cf-DNA relationship with SLE clinical data. In addition to their potential value in SLE diagnosis, and activity determination.
Analyzing properties of success for assessment development in maker-based learning
Authors: Saplan Kailea , Abramovich Sam , Wardrip Peter
Published: October 2023

Public libraries have embraced the popularity of maker education and makerspaces by integrating maker education in their program offerings, and by developing makerspaces that enable patrons to tinker and create products. But less attention has been paid to supporting librarians and maker educators in assessing the impact of these spaces. To expand assessment scholarship and practices related to public library makerspaces, we offer two contributions. First, we share findings from a qualitative research study in which we analyzed how 17 library staff and maker educators define success and identify evidence of success in their maker programs. The findings from that study, in conjunction with our collective experience as research partners working with public library makerspaces, laid the foundation for a series of analysis tools we developed to help stakeholders identify the assessment needs of such learning environments. The Properties of Success Analysis Tools (PSA Tools) represent our second contribution; these tools invite library staff and maker educators to reflect on and unpack their definitions of success in order to identify what features a relevant assessment tool should have.
Calculus and Fine Properties of Functions of Bounded Variation on RCD Spaces
Authors: Brena Camillo , Gigli Nicola
Published: October 2023

We generalize the classical calculus rules satisfied by functions of bounded variation to the framework of$${\textrm{RCD}}$$RCDspaces. In the infinite dimensional setting, we are able to define an analogue of the distributional differential and, on finite dimensional spaces, we prove fine properties and suitable calculus rules, such as the Vol’pert chain rule for vector valued functions.
Shared Task Representation for Human–Robot Collaborative Navigation: The Collaborative Search Case
Authors: Dalmasso Marc , Domínguez-Vidal J. E. , Torres-Rodríguez Iván J. , Jiménez Pablo , Garrell Anaís , Sanfeliu Alberto
Published: October 2023

Recent research in Human Robot Collaboration (HRC) has spread and specialised in many sub-fields. Many show considerable advances, but the human–robot collaborative navigation (HRCN) field seems to be stuck focusing on implicit collaboration settings, on hypothetical or simulated task allocation problems, on shared autonomy or on having the human as a manager. This work takes a step forward by presenting an end-to-end system capable of handling real-world human–robot collaborative navigation tasks. This system makes use of the Social Reward Sources model (SRS), a knowledge representation to simultaneously tackle task allocation and path planning, proposes a multi-agent Monte Carlo Tree Search (MCTS) planner for human–robot teams, presents the collaborative search as a testbed for HRCN and studies the usage of smartphones for communication in this setting. The detailed experiments prove the viability of the approach, explore collaboration roles adopted by the human–robot team and test the acceptability and utility of different communication interface designs.
Improved survival at the cost of more chronic lung disease? Current management and outcomes in extremely preterm infants born in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory: 2010–2020
Authors: Legge Nele , Popat Himanshu , Fitzgerald Dominic
Published: October 2023

Background

Since 2010, most tertiary care hospitals in Australia have changed how they care for extremely premature infants. However, in-hospital and longer-term outcome data have suggested unchanged or even worse health outcomes in later epochs, especially respiratory outcomes. This study examined the trend in outcomes since these changes were introduced, particularly the prevalence of chronic neonatal lung disease (CLD).

Methods

This is a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of data from the Neonatal Intensive Care Units’ (NICUS) database of all perinatal intensive care units in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, including infants born at ≥ 24 and ≤ 28 weeks of gestational age in tertiary perinatal units between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2020. Temporal trends and changes in primary outcome were examined by linear and adjusted multivariable logistic regression models.

Results

This study included 3258 infants. We saw significant changes in antenatal magnesium sulfate (75% increase), delayed cord clamping (66% increase), delivery room intubations (30% decrease), any time (20% decrease), duration on mechanical ventilation (100-hour decrease), and hours on noninvasive ventilation (200-hour increase). Mortality decreased from 17% to 6%. The incidence of CLD increased significantly even when adjusted for confounders (15% increase). Any time and mean hours spent on mechanical ventilation significantly increased the odds of CLD. This study could not find a significant association of any of the protective antenatal treatments on CLD.

Conclusions

The last decade saw a significant improvement in survival and survival to discharge without major morbidity. There was increased use of magnesium sulfate, delayed cord clamping, and less invasive respiratory management of extremely preterm infants. The avoidance of mechanical ventilation may impact the incidence of CLD.
Posttraumatic growth and illness perception in survivors of adolescent and young adult cancer
Authors: Bolliger Céline , Holmer Pauline , Dehler Silvia , Roser Katharina , Michel Gisela
Published: October 2023

Background

Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) are diagnosed with cancer during a challenging period of life. We aimed to (1) describe positive changes (posttraumatic growth; PTG) and illness perception, and (2) determine associations between PTG and illness perception, sociodemographic, and cancer-related characteristics in Swiss AYA cancer survivors.

Methods

We conducted a population-based survey among AYA cancer survivors diagnosed 1990–2005 at age 16–25 years, who had survived ≥ 5 years. We used the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) and the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and linear regressions.

Results

Among 389 contacted survivors, 160 responded (61.3% male; mean age = 34 years, SD = 5.8). The mean PTG sum score was 54.63 (SD = 20.24; range: 8–101). Survivors reported high PTG especially in the domains Appreciation of life (mean = 3.23; 95% confidence interval, 3.05–3.40), Personal strength (2.94; 2.77–3.12), and Relating to others (2.57; 2.40–2.74). Neither sociodemographic nor cancer-related characteristics were associated with PTG. Survivors who perceived follow-up care as helpful (p < 0.001) and those with high concerns about the consequences of the illness (p < 0.001) reported higher PTG.

Conclusions

Finding ways to promote PTG and to identify and address maladaptive illness perceptions may help survivors transform their experience into something meaningful for their future life.
Towards noise robust acoustic insect detection: from the lab to the greenhouse
Authors: Branding Jelto , von Hörsten Dieter , Wegener Jens Karl , Böckmann Elias , Hartung Eberhard
Published: October 2023

Successful and efficient pest management is key to sustainable horticultural food production. While greenhouses already allow digital monitoring and control of their climate parameters, a lack of digital pest sensors hinders the advent of digital pest management systems. To close the control loop, digital systems need to be enabled to directly assess the state of different insect populations in a greenhouse. The presented article investigates the feasibility of acoustic sensors for insect detection in greenhouses. The study is based on an extensive dataset of acoustic insect recordings made with an array of high-quality microphones under noise-shielded conditions. By mixing these noise-free laboratory recordings with environmental sounds recorded with the same equipment in a greenhouse, different signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) are simulated. To explore the possibilities of this unique and novel dataset, two deep-learning models are trained on this simulation data. A simple spectrogram-based model represents the baseline for a comparison with a model capable of processing multi-channel raw audio data. Making use of the unique possibility of the dataset, the models are pre-trained on clean data and fine-tuned on noisy data. Under lab conditions, results show that both models can make use of not just insect flight sounds but also the much quieter sounds of insect movements. First attempts under simulated real-world conditions showed the challenging nature of this task and the potential of spatial filtering. The analysis enabled by the proposed methods for training and evaluation provided valuable insights that should be considered for future work.
An Extension of DNAContainer with a Small Memory Footprint
Authors: El-Shaikh Alex , Seeger Bernhard
Published: October 2023

Over the past decade, DNA has emerged as a new storage medium with intriguing data volume and durability capabilities. Despite its advantages, DNA storage also has crucial limitations, such as intricate data access interfaces and restricted random accessibility. To overcome these limitations, DNAContainer has been introduced with a novel storage interface for DNA that spans a very large virtual address space on objects and allows random access to DNA at scale. In this paper, we substantially improve the first version of DNAContainer, focusing on the update capabilities of its data structures and optimizing its memory footprint. In addition, we extend the previous set of experiments on DNAContainer with new ones whose results reveal the impact of essential parameters on the performance and memory footprint.
Wind and Water: How Extreme Weather Conditions Impact Residential Real Estate in Developing Countries
Authors: Spencer Nekeisha
Published: October 2023

The damaging effects of extreme weather is concerning for many countries across the globe. Though the impact of these events on the housing market has been studied extensively, one aspect that remains unexplored is the value of mortgages. Further, there is no clarity on the impact of the specific types of homes. This study analyzed mortgages and apartment values and included residential land sale prices over 16 years for different localities across Jamaica. The analysis revealed that mortgages are adversely affected by excess rainfall while apartment sale prices are reduced by hurricanes but increased by excess rain. However, residential land prices remain unaffected by both events. The results point to the importance of climate adaptation for the local real estate market and property investment.
Building 3D CityGML models of mining industrial structures using integrated UAV and TLS point clouds
Authors: Van Canh Le , Cao Cuong Xuan , Nguyen Anh Ngoc , Pham Chung Van , Nguyen Long Quoc
Published: October 2023

Mining industrial areas with anthropogenic engineering structures are one of the most distinctive features of the real world. 3D models of the real world have been increasingly popular with numerous applications, such as digital twins and smart factory management. In this study, 3D models of mining engineering structures were built based on the CityGML standard. For collecting spatial data, the two most popular geospatial technologies, namely UAV-SfM and TLS were employed. The accuracy of the UAV survey was at the centimeter level, and it satisfied the absolute positional accuracy requirement of creating all levels of detail (LoD) according to the CityGML standard. Therefore, the UAV-SfM point cloud dataset was used to build LoD 2 models. In addition, the comparison between the UAV-SfM and TLS sub-clouds of facades and roofs indicates that the UAV-SfM and TLS point clouds of these objects are highly consistent, therefore, point clouds with a higher level of detail and accuracy provided by the integration of UAV-SfM and TLS were used to build LoD 3 models. The resulting 3D CityGML models include 39 buildings at LoD 2, and two mine shafts with hoistrooms, headframes, and sheave wheels at LoD 3.
Identification of goaf instability under blasting disturbance using microseismic monitoring technology
Authors: Jia Hanwen , Yan Baoxu , Yang Zhen , Yilmaz Erol
Published: October 2023

Micro-seismic (MS) technique can be used to appreciate rock failure process and severity of damage by quantifying micro-earthquakes in terms of time, location, grade, and energy release. Based on 3D laser detection and high-precision micro-seismic monitoring, this study analyzes the MS activity, stress and displacement evolution linked with the instability/failure property of hidden goaf incorporating several blasting disturbances in an open pit mine. MS monitoring outcomes reveal two arch fracture zones in the goaf roof, and MS occasions are mostly intense at rock-intersecting interface of north–south goafs. Evolution of apparent stress, apparent volume, and displacement reveals that the goaf is currently in a stable state. The current investigation offers a novel field method and view of inspecting the stability of goaf subjected to blasting disturbance in mines.
Tofukasu-derived biochar with interconnected and hierarchical pores for high efficient removal of Cr (VI)
Authors: Fang Liang , Yang Wei , Hou Jianhua , Zheng kewang , Hussain Asif , Zhang Yongcai , Hou Zhenhua , Wang Xiaozhi
Published: October 2023

Herein, we report the synthesis of interconnected hierarchical pore biochar (HTB) via an ice-templating strategy using bio-waste (tofukasu). The abundance of N- and O-containing functional groups in tofukasu makes it easy to form hydrogen bonds with water molecules and water clusters, resulting in nano-micro structures like ice clusters and snow crystals during freezing process. More importantly, tofukasu will be squeezed by micron-scale snow crystals to form coiled sheet-like structures, and its surface and interior will be affected by needle-like ice nanocrystals from several nanometers to tens of nanometers to form transverse groove needles and mesopores. The ice crystals are then removed by sublimation with tofukasu, leaving the interconnected pore structure intact. Therefore, the ice template synthesis strategy endowed the interconnected hierarchical pore structure of HTB with a large specific surface area (SBET, 733 m2⋅g−1) and hierarchical porosity (30.30% for mesopores/total pore volume ratio), which is significantly higher than the normal dry treated tofukasu biochar (TB), which had a SBET of 436 m2⋅g−1 and contained 1.53% mesopores. In addition, the sheet-like structure with interconnected pores of HTB favors high exposure of active sites (N- and O-containing functional groups), and a fast electron transport rate. As a result, HTB had an excellent adsorption capacity of 159.65 mg⋅g−1, which is 4.7 times that of typical block biochar of TB (33.89 mg⋅g−1) according to Langmuir model. Electrochemical characterization, FTIR and XPS analysis showed that the mechanism of Cr(VI) removal by HTB included electrostatic attraction, pore filling, reduction and surface complexation.

Graphical Abstract