bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vertical-guided bone regeneration with a titanium-reinforced d-PTFE membrane utilizing a novel split-thickness flap design: a prospective case series
Authors: Windisch Peter , Orban Kristof , Salvi Giovanni E. , Sculean Anton , Molnar Balint
Published: October 2020

Objectives

To evaluate the feasibility of a newly proposed minimally invasive split-thickness flap design without vertical-releasing incisions for vertical bone regeneration performed in either a simultaneous or staged approach and to analyze the prevalence of adverse events during postoperative healing.

Materials and methods

Following preparation of a split-thickness flap and bilaminar elevation of the mucosa and underlying periosteum, the alveolar bone was exposed over the defects, vertical GBR was performed by means of a titanium-reinforced high-density polytetrafluoroethylene membrane combined with particulated autogenous bone (AP) and bovine-derived xenograft (BDX) in 1:1 ratio. At 9 months after reconstructive surgery, vertical and horizontal hard tissue gain was evaluated based on clinical and radiographic examination.

Results

Twenty-four vertical alveolar ridge defects in 19 patients were treated with vertical GBR. In case of 6 surgical sites, implant placement was performed at the time of the GBR (simultaneous group); in the remaining 18 surgical, sites implant placement was performed 9 months after the ridge augmentation (staged group). After uneventful healing in 23 cases, hard tissue fill was detected in each site. Direct clinical measurements confirmed vertical and horizontal hard tissue gain averaging 3.2 ± 1.9 mm and 6.5 ± 0.5 mm respectively, in the simultaneous group and 4.5 ± 2.2 mm and 8.7 ± 2.3 mm respectively, in the staged group. Additional radiographic evaluation based on CBCT data sets in the staged group revealed mean vertical and horizontal hard tissue fill of 4.2 ± 2.0 mm and 8.5 ± 2.4 mm. Radiographic volume gain was 1.1 ± 0.4 cm3.

Conclusion

Vertical GBR consisting of a split-thickness flap and using titanium-reinforced non-resorbable membrane in conjunction with a 1:1 mixture of AP+BDX may lead to a predictable vertical and horizontal hard tissue reconstruction.

Clinical relevance

The used split-thickness flap design may represent a valuable approach to increase the success rate of vertical GBR, resulting in predicable hard tissue regeneration, and favorable wound healing with low rate of membrane exposure.
Is recurrence possible in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)? Case series and systematic review of literature
Authors: Gidari Anna , Nofri Marco , Saccarelli Luca , Bastianelli Sabrina , Sabbatini Samuele , Bozza Silvia , Camilloni Barbara , Fusco-Moffa Igino , Monari Claudia , De Robertis Edoardo , Mencacci Antonella , Francisci Daniela
Published: October 2020

Can a patient diagnosed with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) be infected again? This question is still unsolved. We tried to analyze local and literature cases with a positive respiratory swab after recovery. We collected data from symptomatic patients diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection in the Italian Umbria Region that, after recovery, were again positive for SARS-CoV-2 in respiratory tract specimens. Samples were also assessed for infectivity in vitro. A systematic review of similar cases reported in the literature was performed. The study population was composed of 9 patients during a 4-month study period. Among the new positive samples, six were inoculated in Vero-E6 cells and showed no growth and negative molecular test in culture supernatants. All patients were positive for IgG against SARS-CoV-2 nucleoprotein and/or S protein. Conducting a review of the literature, 1350 similar cases have been found. The presumptive reactivation occurred in 34.5 days on average (standard deviation, SD, 18.7 days) after COVID-19 onset, when the 5.6% of patients presented fever and the 27.6% symptoms. The outcome was favorable in 96.7% of patients, while the 1.1% of them were still hospitalized at the time of data collection and the 2.1% died. Several hypotheses have been formulated to explain new positive respiratory samples after confirmed negativity. According to this study, the phenomenon seems to be due to the prolonged detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA traces in respiratory samples of recovered patients. The failure of the virus to replicate in vitro suggests its inability to replicate in vivo.
Functional safety analysis of SAE conditional driving automation in time-critical situations and proposals for its feasibility
Authors: Hirose Takayuki , Sawaragi Tetsuo , Nomoto Hideki , Michiura Yasutaka
Published: October 2020

The autonomous driving technology is rapidly developed for commercial use, aiming at the conditional driving automation or the third level of driving automation (LoDA 3). One of the most critical challenges for the achievement is the smooth authority transfer from the system to human drivers in an emergency. However, it is still on the way to find out fundamental solutions. The difficulty is closely related to the envisioned world problem, for which the concept of functional modeling could be a solution. This paper presents a safety analysis of the authority transfer problem based on the ideas of functional modeling. We discuss the safety of the authority transfer in a time-critical situation by using a simulator based on the functional resonance analysis method (FRAM). The result shows that the involvement of human drivers in driving activities is still essential even during autonomous driving. We show that the current LoDA 3 is a myth that the human drivers are supposed to be required just in non-normal situations, while they can be free from dynamic driving tasks (DDTs) in usual cases. Based on the result, this work makes some proposals for successful autonomous driving, effective human–machine collaboration, and the right design of artifacts.
Visual acuity and its postoperative outcome after transsphenoidal adenoma resection
Authors: Butenschoen Vicki M. , Schwendinger Nina , von Werder Alexander , Bette Stefanie , Wienke Maximilian , Meyer Bernhard , Gempt Jens
Published: October 2020

Transsphenoidal surgery (TSS) represents the gold standard of pituitary adenoma resection, providing a safe and minimal invasive treatment for patients suffering from symptoms of mass effect. The aim of this study is to analyze the postoperative improvement of visual function after adenoma resection and to identify prognostic factors for the postoperative clinical recovery. We performed a retrospective analysis of all consecutive patients treated via a transsphenoidal approach for pituitary adenomas from April 2006 to December 2019 in a high-volume neurosurgical department. Our primary outcome was postoperative visual acuity and visual field impairment; the clinical findings were followed up to 3 months after surgery and correlated with clinical and radiographic findings. In total, 440 surgeries were performed in our department for tumors of the sella region in a time period of 13 years via transsphenoidal approach, and 191 patients included in the analysis. Mean age was 55 years, and 98% were macroadenomas. Mean preoperative visual acuity in patients with preoperative impairment (n = 133) improved significantly from 0.64/0.65 to 0.72/0.75 and 0.76/0.8 (right eye R/left eye L) postoperatively and at 3 months follow-up (p < 0.001). Visual acuity significantly depended on Knosp classification but not Hardy grading. The strongest predictor for visual function recovery was age. Transsphenoidal pituitary tumor resection remains a safe and effective treatment in patients with preoperative visual impairment. It significantly improves visual acuity and field defects after surgery, and recovery continues at the 3 months follow-up examination.
Scaffolding or simplifying: students’ perception of support in Swedish compulsory school
Authors: Klapp Alli , Jönsson Anders
Published: October 2020

National goals and performance standards were introduced in Sweden during the 1990s as part of a curriculum reform. The intention was to detect shortcomings among students and provide support to those students who did not reach the passing grade in one (or several) subject/s. Despite this reform, approximately one-fourth of the students do not attain a passing grade in all subjects. This study therefore investigates the support provided to low-achieving students in Swedish compulsory school. A questionnaire focusing on support in science studies was distributed to students in grade 9 (N = 1731), and data was analyzed with confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. Findings show that low-achieving students perceive that they primarily receive “simplifying support,” which involves the lowering of expectations and limiting of students’ opportunities to learn. “Scaffolding support,” which involves changes to practices and holding the same standards for all students, seems to be mainly provided to boys, regardless of achievement level.
An anatomically detailed and personalizable head injury model: Significance of brain and white matter tract morphological variability on strain
Authors: Li Xiaogai , Zhou Zhou , Kleiven Svein
Published: October 2020

Finite element head (FE) models are important numerical tools to study head injuries and develop protection systems. The generation of anatomically accurate and subject-specific head models with conforming hexahedral meshes remains a significant challenge. The focus of this study is to present two developmental works: first, an anatomically detailed FE head model with conforming hexahedral meshes that has smooth interfaces between the brain and the cerebrospinal fluid, embedded with white matter (WM) fiber tracts; second, a morphing approach for subject-specific head model generation via a new hierarchical image registration pipeline integrating Demons and Dramms deformable registration algorithms. The performance of the head model is evaluated by comparing model predictions with experimental data of brain–skull relative motion, brain strain, and intracranial pressure. To demonstrate the applicability of the head model and the pipeline, six subject-specific head models of largely varying intracranial volume and shape are generated, incorporated with subject-specific WM fiber tracts. DICE similarity coefficients for cranial, brain mask, local brain regions, and lateral ventricles are calculated to evaluate personalization accuracy, demonstrating the efficiency of the pipeline in generating detailed subject-specific head models achieving satisfactory element quality without further mesh repairing. The six head models are then subjected to the same concussive loading to study the sensitivity of brain strain to inter-subject variability of the brain and WM fiber morphology. The simulation results show significant differences in maximum principal strain and axonal strain in local brain regions (one-way ANOVA test, p < 0.001), as well as their locations also vary among the subjects, demonstrating the need to further investigate the significance of subject-specific models. The techniques developed in this study may contribute to better evaluation of individual brain injury and the development of individualized head protection systems in the future. This study also contains general aspects the research community may find useful: on the use of experimental brain strain close to or at injury level for head model validation; the hierarchical image registration pipeline can be used to morph other head models, such as smoothed-voxel models.
Performance of miniaturized atomic clocks in static laboratory and dynamic flight environments
Authors: Jain Ankit , Krawinkel Thomas , Schön Steffen , Bauch Andreas
Published: October 2020

Miniaturized atomic clocks with high frequency stability as local oscillators in global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receivers promise to improve real-time kinematic applications. For a number of years, such oscillators are being investigated regarding their overall technical applicability, i.e., transportability, and performance in dynamic environments. The short-term frequency stability of these clocks is usually specified by the manufacturer, being valid for stationary applications. Since the performance of most oscillators is likely degraded in dynamic conditions, various oscillators are tested to find the limits of receiver clock modeling in dynamic cases and consequently derive adequate stochastic models to be used in navigation. We present the performance of three different oscillators (Microsemi MAC SA.35m, Spectratime LCR-900 and Stanford Research Systems SC10) for static and dynamic applications. For the static case, all three oscillators are characterized in terms of their frequency stability at Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Germany's national metrology institute. The resulting Allan deviations agree well with the manufacturer's data. Furthermore, a flight experiment was conducted in order to evaluate the performance of the oscillators under dynamic conditions. Here, each oscillator is replacing the internal oscillator of a geodetic-grade GNSS receiver and the stability of the receiver clock biases is determined. The time and frequency offsets of the oscillators are characterized with regard to the flight dynamics recorded by a navigation-grade inertial measurement unit. The results of the experiment show that the frequency stability of each oscillator is degraded by about at least one order of magnitude compared to the static case. Also, the two quartz oscillators show a significant g-sensitivity resulting in frequency shifts of − 1.2 × 10−9 and + 1.5 × 10−9, respectively, while the rubidium clocks are less sensitive, thus enabling receiver clock modeling and strengthening of the navigation performance even in high dynamics.
Seasonal changes in distribution and abundance of a local Corncrake population
Authors: Budka Michał , Kokociński Patryk , Bogawski Paweł , Nowak Maciej , Białas Joanna Teresa , Machura Maria
Published: October 2020

Many bird species have experienced short- or long-term population declines. However, the mechanisms and reasons underlying such negative changes are often not fully understood, making it difficult to identify effective conservation measures to recover populations. In this study, we focused on local changes in the abundance and distribution of calling male Corncrakes Crex crex in relation to: (1) within- and between-season site fidelity of adult males, (2) spatial distribution of territories in consecutive years and (3) the effect of habitat conditions on population size. We counted the number of calling males at ten randomly selected study plots (1 km2) in 2014–2018. Additionally, males were caught and individually marked in years 2015–2017. We found significant between-year changes in Corncrake abundance, from a 34% decrease to a 21% increase. On average, 32% of males established territories in the same locations as males recorded in the previous year. Breeding site fidelity was very low, with only 2–5% of males recaptured in the following year. Males selected areas characterized by higher values of NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index–higher values indicate more biomass) than on average within the study area. Population size in a particular year was significantly affected by the NDVI of the previous year but not by the NDVI in the current breeding season. We suppose that Corncrakes may exhibit a nomadic breeding behavior, and settle at territories when they encounter optimal habitat conditions. Moreover, as population size was negatively correlated with habitat conditions at the beginning of the previous breeding season, we suppose that local population changes may reflect more general trends in a whole population rather than local breeding success. Therefore, we highlight the need for better knowledge of Corncrake dispersal within the main European population and for the coordination of monitoring and conservation efforts, especially in those regions where most Corncrakes breed.
3D analysis of microvasculature in murine liver fibrosis models using synchrotron radiation-based microtomography
Authors: Wagner Willi L. , Föhst Sonja , Hock Jessica , Kim Yong Ook , Popov Yury , Schuppan Detlef , Schladitz Katja , Redenbach Claudia , Ackermann Maximilian
Published: October 2020

Cirrhosis describes the development of excess fibrous tissue around regenerative nodules in response to chronic liver injury and usually leads to irreversible organ damage and end-stage liver disease. During the development of cirrhosis, the formation of collagenous scar tissue is paralleled by a reorganization and remodeling of the hepatic vascular system. To date, macrovascular remodeling in various cirrhosis models has been examined using three-dimensional (3D) imaging modalities, while microvascular changes have been studied mainly by two-dimensional (2D) light microscopic and electron microscopic imaging. Here, we report on the application of high-resolution 3D synchrotron radiation-based microtomography (SRμCT) for the study of the sinusoidal and capillary blood vessel system in three murine models of advanced parenchymal and biliary hepatic fibrosis. SRμCT facilitates the characterization of microvascular architecture and identifies features of intussusceptive angiogenesis in progressive liver fibrosis in a non-destructive 3D manner.
Beyond privacy vs. health: a justification analysis of the contact-tracing apps debate in the Netherlands
Authors: Siffels Lotje Elizabeth
Published: October 2020

In the Netherlands, as in many other nations, the government has proposed the use of a contact-tracing app as a means of helping to contain the spread of the corona virus. The discussion about the use of such an app has mostly been framed in terms of a tradeoff between privacy and public health. This research statement presents an analysis of the Dutch public debate on Corona-apps by using the framework of Orders of Worth by Boltanski and Thévenot (1991). It argues that this framework can help us to move beyond the dichotomy of privacy vs. public health by recognizing a plurality of conceptions of the common good in the debate about contact-tracing apps. This statement presents six orders of worth present in the Dutch debate:civic, domestic, vitality, market, industrialandproject,and argues that the identification of which common goods are at stake will contribute to discussions about the use of this technology from a standpoint with a richer ethical perspective.
Exact solutions and equi-dosing regimen regions for multi-dose pharmacokinetics models with transit compartments
Authors: Hof F. , Bridge L. J.
Published: October 2020

Compartmental models which yield linear ordinary differential equations (ODEs) provide common tools for pharmacokinetics (PK) analysis, with exact solutions for drug levels or concentrations readily obtainable for low-dimensional compartment models. Exact solutions enable valuable insights and further analysis of these systems. Transit compartment models are a popular semi-mechanistic approach for generalising simple PK models to allow for delayed kinetics, but computing exact solutions for multi-dosing inputs to transit compartment systems leading to different final compartments is nontrivial. Here, we find exact solutions for drug levels as functions of time throughout a linear transit compartment cascade followed by an absorption compartment and a central blood compartment, for the general case ofntransit compartments andMequi-bolus doses to the first compartment. We further show the utility of exact solutions to PK ODE models in finding constraints on equi-dosing regimen parameters imposed by a prescribed therapeutic range. This leads to the construction of equi-dosing regimen regions (EDRRs), providing new, novel visualisations which summarise the safe and effective dosing parameter space. EDRRs are computed for classical and transit compartment models with two- and three-dimensional parameter spaces, and are proposed as useful graphical tools for informing drug dosing regimen design.
An assessment of chlorophyll preservation in lake sediments using multiple analytical techniques applied to the annually laminated lake sediments of Nylandssjön
Authors: Rydberg Johan , Cooke Colin A. , Tolu Julie , Wolfe Alexander P. , Vinebrooke Rolf D.
Published: October 2020

Chlorophyll is frequently used as a proxy for autochthonous production in lakes. This use of chlorophyll concentrations in sediments to infer historical changes in lake primary production relies heavily on the assumption that preservation is sufficient to reflect the productivity in a meaningful way. In this study, we use a series of freeze cores from a lake with annually laminated sediments to assess how reliable down-core trends in chlorophyll are, and to what extent chlorophyll is degraded in the sediment. A striking consistency in the down-core chlorophyll trends in four sediment cores collected in different years (1983, 1992, 2002 and 2010) shows that the sediment preserves a consistent chlorophyll signal over longer timescales. However, there are also clear signs that diagenetic processes within the sediment affect the chlorophyll concentration in sediment layers younger than 10–15 years. This implies that care is needed when interpreting chlorophyll trends in recent sediments. Further, our data show that high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and visible reflectance spectroscopy (VRS) detect similar chlorophyll concentrations for recently dried samples. A third analytical technique, pyrolysis–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, which provides semi-quantitative values for chlorophyll, also produce a temporal trend that is highly correlated with data from the two quantitative techniques. For samples that have been stored dried at room temperature for several years there is, however, a large discrepancy between the two quantitative techniques. The VRS method is more robust with regards to degradation during storage, while HPLC results demonstrate clear storage effects.
Survey of indoor radon (Rn-222) entry and concentrations in different types of building in Kalisz, Poland
Authors: Bem H. , Janiak S. , Przybył B.
Published: October 2020

Indoor radon (222Rn) was surveyed in a total of 141 individual houses and apartments used precalibrated passive PicoRad Detectors. The radon activity in the soil gas around the dwellings was simultaneously measured. The arithmetic mean values of indoor radon concentrations for detached houses, old buildings (up to four-stories), prefabricated blocks of flats (mostly five stories) and high-rise residential buildings (10-stories) were:, 70.9; 46.5; 38.4, and 56.6 Bq m−3, respectively. The average arithmetic mean value for all measured rooms equals 51.8 Bq m−3. The calculated average effective dose from indoor radon for the local population was equal to 2.2 mSv.
The bodily-attitudinal theory of emotion
Authors: Mitchell Jonathan
Published: October 2020

This paper provides an assessment of the bodily-attitudinal theory of emotions, according to which emotions are felt bodily attitudes of action readiness. After providing a reconstruction of the view and clarifying its central commitments two objections are considered (absence of bodily phenomenology and what kind of bodily awareness). An alternative object side interpretation of felt action readiness is then provided, which undermines the motivation for the bodily-attitudinal theory and creates problems for its claims concerning the content of emotional experience. The conclusion is that while the bodily-attitudinal theory marks out a distinctive proposal concerning the question of what emotions are, there remain significant issues which need addressing if it is to be a plausible competitor to existing theories of emotion.
Innovation in pharmaceutical R&D: mapping the research landscape
Authors: Romasanta Angelo Kenneth S. , van der Sijde Peter , van Muijlwijk-Koezen Jacqueline
Published: October 2020

In response to the increasing number and breadth of innovation studies on the pharmaceutical industry, we mapped the literature to show the trends in recent research and to indicate areas for further research. In the first phase, we analyzed articles on the pharmaceutical industry published in innovation journals. We used these articles’ textual and citation data and applied hybrid cluster analysis. Three main clusters were produced based on the level of analysis innovation scholars had used to investigate the industry: macro, meso and micro. We describe the research topics within these clusters and show that, overall, innovation scholars increasingly focus on the meso-level, analyzing the relationships across different firms. This shift in interest toward the collaborative nature of drug discovery and development was also apparent in macro- and micro-level studies. To explore how this literature is used by scientists in the industry, our second phase involved analysis of the citing articles published in pharmaceutical journals. Using our findings, we propose research areas that can be further explored in order to create an engaged and better-integrated literature on pharmaceutical innovation.
Evolution of research topics in LIS between 1996 and 2019: an analysis based on latent Dirichlet allocation topic model
Authors: Han Xiaoyao
Published: October 2020

This study investigated the evolution of library and information science (LIS) by analyzing research topics in LIS journal articles. The analysis is divided into five periods covering the years 1996–2019. Latent Dirichlet allocation modeling was used to identify underlying topics based on 14,035 documents. An improved data-selection method was devised in order to generate a dynamic journal list that included influential journals for each period. Results indicate that (a) library science has become less prevalent over time, as there are no top topic clusters relevant to library issues since the period 2000–2005; (b) bibliometrics, especially citation analysis, is highly stable across periods, as reflected by the stable subclusters and consistent keywords; and (c) information retrieval has consistently been the dominant domain with interests gradually shifting to model-based text processing. Information seeking and behavior is also a stable field that tends to be dispersed among various topics rather than presented as its own subject. Information systems and organizational activities have been continuously discussed and have developed a closer relationship with e-commerce. Topics that occurred only once have undergone a change of technological context from the networks and Internet to social media and mobile applications.
Effect of rapamycin on aging and age-related diseases—past and future
Authors: Selvarani Ramasamy , Mohammed Sabira , Richardson Arlan
Published: October 2020

In 2009, rapamycin was reported to increase the lifespan of mice when implemented later in life. This observation resulted in a sea-change in how researchers viewed aging. This was the first evidence that a pharmacological agent could have an impact on aging when administered later in life, i.e., an intervention that did not have to be implemented early in life before the negative impact of aging. Over the past decade, there has been an explosion in the number of reports studying the effect of rapamycin on various diseases, physiological functions, and biochemical processes in mice. In this review, we focus on those areas in which there is strong evidence for rapamycin’s effect on aging and age-related diseases in mice, e.g., lifespan, cardiac disease/function, central nervous system, immune system, and cell senescence. We conclude that it is time that pre-clinical studies be focused on taking rapamycin to the clinic, e.g., as a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.
Digital storytelling as a disciplinary literacy enhancement tool for EFL students
Authors: Chubko Nadezhda , Morris Julia E. , McKinnon David H. , Slater Eileen V. , Lummis Geoffrey W.
Published: October 2020

This research compared the process of disciplinary literacy acquisition of students who experienced two different pedagogical approaches to learning science, technology, engineering and mathematics through astronomy (STEM-A). The objective of this study was to explore the impact of a digital storytelling (DST) educational technology intervention in a STEM-A context on the process of disciplinary literacy acquisition of students who were learning English as a foreign language (EFL). The research was designed as a type IV case study with a sample of 30 students from Kyrgyzstan aged between 12 and 16 years. Data were collected from written responses to the astronomy diagnostic tests (ADT), which were coded against the structure of the observed learning outcomes (SOLO) and analysed using the analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures on the occasion of testing. Data from the Australian sample, native speakers of English, (N = 328) were used as a baseline. The results showed a positive effect of the DST intervention on EFL students’ astronomy disciplinary literacy acquisition. The research contributes to the body of knowledge on educational technology by exemplifying how the DST teaching intervention could bridge the gap between EFL and non-EFL students’ disciplinary literacy acquisition in STEM areas.
Global Benchmark Values for Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y-Gastric Bypass: a Potential New Indicator of the Surgical Learning Curve
Authors: Giudicelli Guillaume , Diana Michele , Chevallay Mickael , Blaser Benjamin , Darbellay Chloé , Guarino Laetitia , Jung Minoa K. , Worreth Marc , Gero Daniel , Saadi Alend
Published: October 2020

Background

Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) is a technically demanding procedure. The learning curve of LRYGB is challenging and potentially associated with increased morbidity. This study evaluates whether a general laparoscopic surgeon can be safely trained in performing LRYGB in a peripheral setting, by comparing perioperative outcomes to global benchmarks and to those of a senior surgeon.

Methods

All consecutive patients undergoing primary LRYGB between January 2014 and December 2017 were operated on by a senior (A) or a trainee (B) bariatric surgeon and were prospectively included. The main outcome of interest was all-cause morbidity at 90 days. Perioperative outcomes were compared with global benchmarks pooled from 19 international high-volume centers and between surgeons A and B for their first and last 30 procedures.

Results

The 213 included patients had a mean all-cause morbidity rate at 90 days of 8% (17/213). 95.3% (203/213) of the patients were uneventfully discharged after surgery. Perioperative outcomes of surgeon B were all within the global benchmark cutoffs. Mean operative time for the first 30 procedures was significantly shorter for surgeon A compared with surgeon B, with 108.6 min (± 21.7) and 135.1 min (± 28.1) respectively and decreased significantly for the last 30 procedures to 95 min (± 33.7) and 88.8 min (± 26.9) for surgeons A and B respectively.

Conclusion

Training of a new bariatric surgeon did not increase morbidity and operative time improved for both surgeons. Perioperative outcomes within global benchmarks suggest that it may be safe to teach bariatric surgery in peripheral setting.
An Efficient Acoustic Scattering Model Based on Target Surface Statistical Descriptors for Synthetic Aperture Sonar Systems
Authors: Nadimi Nahid , Javidan Reza , Layeghi Kamran
Published: October 2020

Acoustic scattering as the perturbation of an incident acoustic field from an arbitrary object is a critical part of the target-recognition process in synthetic aperture sonar (SAS) systems. The complexity of scattering models strongly depends on the size and structure of the scattered surface. In accurate scattering models including numerical models, the computational cost significantly increases with the object complexity. In this paper, an efficient model is proposed to calculate the acoustic scattering from underwater objects with less computational cost and time compared with numerical models, especially in 3D space. The proposed model, called texture element method (TEM), uses statistical and structural information of the target surface texture by employing non-uniform elements described with local binary pattern (LBP) descriptors by solving the Helmholtz integral equation. The proposed model is compared with two other well-known models, one numerical and other analytical, and the results show excellent agreement between them while the proposed model requires fewer elements. This demonstrates the ability of the proposed model to work with arbitrary targets in different SAS systems with better computational time and cost, enabling the proposed model to be applied in real environment.
Psychological Preparation for Cardiac Surgery
Authors: Salzmann Stefan , Salzmann-Djufri Miriam , Wilhelm Marcel , Euteneuer Frank
Published: October 2020

Purpose of Review

To review the current state of preoperative psychological preparation to improve outcomes after cardiac surgery.

Recent Findings

Preoperative psychosocial factors are associated with short- and long-term outcomes after cardiac surgery. There are several approaches to optimize patients’ preoperative psychological status with promising effects on postoperative outcomes (e.g., less complications, improved quality of life). Preoperative psychological preparation often aims to improve patients’ knowledge or social support and to modify and optimize expectations and illness beliefs.

Preoperative psychological preparation is gaining importance for cardiac surgery. However, patients’ psychological status still does not get as much attention as it deserves. Preoperative psychological preparation seems to have positive effects on postoperative outcomes. Since overall evidence is still weak, further studies are warranted to understand which intervention works best for whom and why.
C. Wright Mills’ The Sociological Imagination and the Construction of Talcott Parsons as a Conservative Grand Theorist
Authors: Staubmann Helmut
Published: October 2020

C. Wright Mills was one of the most important critics of Talcott Parsons who succeeded in establishing the image of Parsons as a conservative “grand theorist” out of touch with the real world and its real problems, as passed on in sociological textbooks. In this essay, it is argued that Mills’ “translation of Parsons into English” is a one-sided interpretation based on his own theoretical premises, which he called the sociological imagination. The way Mills conceptualized sociological imagination leans towards an ideological world-view with political ambitions but lacks the necessary theoretical differentiation for an adequate evaluation of Parsons’ general theory of action and the conceptualization of the social system in particular. Given Mills’ premises, it appeared to him as if Parsons could not deal with social conflict, social change, domination and power relationships, which laid the foundations of a narrative quite distinct from the “real” Parsons. The conceptual deficiencies of Mills’ sociological imagination lead into theoretical antinomies and the practical inability to resolve political issues outside of forceful intervention as suggested in the theoretical tradition of Thomas Hobbes. Independent of a political positioning, Parsons’ sophistications in his understanding of power as one of several generalized symbolic media of interaction beyond the Hobbesian utilitarian model are necessary to come to terms with the increased complexity of modern society, both in theoretical and in political terms.
Remarkable Role of Experimental Olefin-Maleic-Anhydride Copolymer Based Compatibilizing Additives in Blends of Waste PET Bottles and Polyamide
Authors: Nagy B. , Varga C. S. , Kontos K. , Simon-Stőger L.
Published: October 2020

Over the past 50 years demand for plastics drastically increased worldwide resulting in plastic wastes causing serious environmental problems. The main market sector of European plastics industry is the packaging industry most of which are polyolefins and poly(ethylene-terephtalate). In the EU, 29.1 million tonnes of plastic waste were collected in 2018, of which 32.5% was recycled, 42.6% was recovered for energy, and 24.9% was landfilled (Plastics-the Facts, 2019). Although landfilling of collected waste in the EU is steadily declining, there is still too much unused waste. Polymer blends based on waste resources can solve the issues of recycling. The main purpose of the research was to produce polymer blends from waste based PET that have appropriate mechanical properties and rheological behaviour as well in order to find application areas where product requirements are not strict. Blends containing waste based PET were extrusion moulded and calenderd producing extrusion strings and films. Rheological and tensile properties of three types of PET/engineering thermoplastic blends (PET/PC, PET/PA and PET/ABS) were studied. Miscibility of components of the blends is limited leading to weak mechanical properties such as low tensile strength and/or elongation at break. Due to that phenomenon compatibilizing additives are also required. As compatibilizing additives olefin-maleic-anhydride copolymer based additives have been used in our experiments. Structure of additives differed from each other both in ratio and length of carbon chains of compounds linked to maleic-anhydride groups. Blends have been studied with PET content ranging from 10 to 90%. As an outstanding result improving of mechanical properties was achieved, for example almost 40% growth was observed in elongation at break of extruded 80/20 PET/PA blends in the presence of 0.2% compatibilizing additive compared to the sample without additive, meanwhile its strength has also improved.

Graphic Abstract
Effect of temperature shifts and anammox biomass immobilization on sequencing batch reactor performance and bacterial genes abundance
Authors: Banach-Wiśniewska A. , Ćwiertniewicz-Wojciechowska M. , Ziembińska-Buczyńska A.
Published: October 2020

Implementation of anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) below its optimal temperature, known as “cold anammox”, may lead to its common use in wastewater treatment plants, reducing the operational costs of wastewater treatment. Thus, we investigated the effects of immobilization in polyvinyl alcohol–sodium alginate gel beads on anammox performance at temperatures of 30 °C, 23 °C, and 15 °C in laboratory-scale sequencing batch reactors. We determined the relative gene abundance of the nitrogen removal bacterial groups, which are considered as the key functional microbes of nitrogen cycle in activated sludge: denitrifies, ammonia-oxidizing bacteria, nitrite-oxidizing bacteria, and anammox bacteria. Nitrogen removal efficiency was higher for immobilized anammox sludge in comparison with non-immobilized anammox biomass at each investigated temperature. At 30 °C, nitrogen removal efficiency was 83.7 ± 6.46% for immobilized reactor, and 79.4 ± 7.83% for the control reactor, while at 15 °C was remained at the level of 50 ± 2.5% for immobilized reactor, and fluctuated from 13.2 to 45.3% for the control one. During temperature shifts, the process was also more stable in the case of the reactor with immobilized biomass. A statistically significant correlation was found between nitrogen removal efficiency and hydrazine oxidoreductase gene abundance.
High-entropy (Nd0.2Sm0.2Eu0.2Y0.2Yb0.2)4Al2O9 with good high temperature stability, low thermal conductivity, and anisotropic thermal expansivity
Authors: Zhao Zifan , Xiang Huimin , Chen Heng , Dai Fu-Zhi , Wang Xiaohui , Peng Zhijian , Zhou Yanchun
Published: October 2020

The critical requirements for the environmental barrier coating (EBC) materials of silicon-based ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) include good tolerance to harsh environments, thermal expansion matches with the interlayer mullite, good high-temperature phase stability, and low thermal conductivity. Cuspidine-structured rare-earth aluminates RE4Al2O9 have been considered as candidates of EBCs for their superior mechanical and thermal properties, but the phase transition at high temperatures is a notable drawback of these materials. To suppress the phase transition and improve the phase stability, a novel cuspidine-structured rare-earth aluminate solid solution (Nd0.2Sm0.2Eu0.2Y0.2Yb0.2)4Al2O9 was designed and successfully synthesized inspired by entropy stabilization effect of high-entropy ceramics (HECs). The as-synthesized HE (Nd0.2Sm0.2Eu0.2Y0.2Yb0.2)4Al2O9 exhibits a close thermal expansion coefficient (6.96×10-6 K-1 at 300–1473 K) to that of mullite, good phase stability from 300 to 1473 K, and low thermal conductivity (1.50 W·m–1·K–1 at room temperature). In addition, strong anisotropic thermal expansion has been observed compared to Y4Al2O9 and Yb4Al2O9. The mechanism for low thermal conductivity is attributed to the lattice distortion and mass difference of the constituent atoms, and the anisotropic thermal expansion is due to the anisotropic chemical bonding enhanced by the large size rare-earth cations.
Role of in-situ formed free carbon on electromagnetic absorption properties of polymer-derived SiC ceramics
Authors: Yu Zhaoju , Lv Xuan , Mao Kangwei , Yang Yujing , Liu Anhua
Published: October 2020

In order to enhance dielectric properties of polymer-derived SiC ceramics, a novel single-source-precursor was synthesized by the reaction of an allylhydrido polycarbosilane (AHPCS) and divinyl benzene (DVB) to form carbon-rich SiC. As expected, the free carbon contents of resultant SiC ceramics annealed at 1600 °C are significantly enhanced from 6.62 wt% to 44.67 wt%. After annealing at 900–1600 °C, the obtained carbon-rich SiC ceramics undergo phase separation from amorphous to crystalline feature where superfine SiC nanocrystals and turbostratic carbon networks are dispersed in an amorphous SiC(O) matrix. The dielectric properties and electromagnetic (EM) absorption performance of as-synthesized carbon-rich SiC ceramics are significantly improved by increasing the structural order and content of free carbon. For the 1600 °C ceramics mixed with paraffin wax, the minimum reflection coefficient (RCmin) reaches –56.8 dB at 15.2 GHz with the thickness of 1.51 mm and a relatively broad effective bandwidth (the bandwidth of RC values lower than –10 dB) of 4.43 GHz, indicating the excellent EM absorption performance. The carbon-rich SiC ceramics have to be considered as harsh environmental EM absorbers with excellent chemical stability, high temperature, and oxidation and corrosion resistance.
Free Circulation of Information and Online Intermediaries – Replacing One “Value Gap” with Another
Authors: Moscon Valentina
Published: October 2020

The role of online intermediaries in allowing third parties to perform legal as well as illegal activities and the growing economic power of such intermediaries are profoundly challenging the legal framework established 20 years ago with the European Union e-Commerce Directive. European courts first, and legislatures more recently, have taken a position regarding the need for further regulation of online intermediaries. The new liability rules for copyright infringement are just an example of a more general tendency to charge intermediaries with responsibility. This tendency goes beyond the realm of intellectual property and includes consumer law, antitrust and competition law. The forthcoming EU Digital Services Act aims to revise the regulation of online intermediaries by means of new rules framing the responsibilities of digital services and online platforms’ market behaviour.

In this context there is no doubt that the current scenario requires modern rules. However, it is licit to ask whether and how European institutions are considering the collateral effects of the above-mentioned tendency. It is also not clear how the basic principles underpinning the e-Commerce Directive – and, in particular, freedom of expression – will be assured in a new legal framework where online intermediaries may not enjoy the safe harbours originally laid down in the e-Commerce Directive.
A retrospective chart review study of symptom onset, diagnosis, comorbidities, and treatment in patients with binge eating disorder in Canadian clinical practice
Authors: Gill Simerpal K. , Kaplan Allan S.
Published: October 2020

Purpose

In the Canadian healthcare setting, there is limited understanding of the pathways to diagnosis and treatment for patients with binge eating disorder (BED).

Methods

This retrospective chart review examined the clinical characteristics, diagnostic pathways, and treatment history of adult patients diagnosed with BED.

Results

Overall, 202 charts from 57 healthcare providers (HCPs) were reviewed. Most patients were women (69%) and white (78%). Mean ± SD patient age was 37 ± 12.1 years. Comorbidities identified in > 20% of patients included obesity (50%), anxiety (49%), depression and/or major depressive disorder (46%), and dyslipidemia (26%). Discussions regarding a diagnosis of BED were typically initiated more often by HCPs than patients. Most patients (64%) received a diagnosis of BED ≥ 3 years after symptom onset. A numerically greater percentage of patients received (past or current) nonpharmacotherapy than pharmacotherapy (84% vs. 67%). The mean ± SD number of binge eating episodes/week numerically decreased from pretreatment to follow-up with lisdexamfetamine (5.4 ± 2.8 vs. 1.7 ± 1.2), off-label pharmacotherapy (4.7 ± 3.9 vs. 2.0 ± 1.13), and nonpharmacotherapy (6.3 ± 4.8 vs. 3.5 ±  6.0) Across pharmacotherapies and nonpharmacotherapies, most patients reported improvement in symptoms of BED (84–97%) and in overall well-being (80–96%).

Conclusions

These findings highlight the importance of timely diagnosis and treatment of BED. Although HCPs are initiating discussions about BED, earlier identification of BED symptoms is required. Furthermore, these data indicate that pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic treatment for BED is associated with decreased binge eating and improvements in overall well-being.

Level of evidence

IV, chart review.
Carbon nanotubes and their polymeric composites: the applications in tissue engineering
Authors: Huang Boyang
Published: October 2020

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs), with unique graphitic structure, superior mechanical, electrical, optical and biological properties, has attracted more and more interests in biomedical applications, including gene/drug delivery, bioimaging, biosensor and tissue engineering. In this review, we focus on the role of CNTs and their polymeric composites in tissue engineering applications, with emphasis on their usages in the nerve, cardiac and bone tissue regenerations. The intrinsic natures of CNTs including their physical and chemical properties are first introduced, explaining the structure effects on CNTs electrical conductivity and various functionalization of CNTs to improve their hydrophobic characteristics. Biosafety issues of CNTs are also discussed in detail including the potential reasons to induce the toxicity and their potential strategies to minimise the toxicity effects. Several processing strategies including solution-based processing, polymerization, melt-based processing and grafting methods are presented to show the 2D/3D construct formations using the polymeric composite containing CNTs. For the sake of improving mechanical, electrical and biological properties and minimising the potential toxicity effects, recent advances using polymer/CNT composite the tissue engineering applications are displayed and they are mainly used in the neural tissue (to improve electrical conductivity and biological properties), cardiac tissue (to improve electrical, elastic properties and biological properties) and bone tissue (to improve mechanical properties and biological properties). Current limitations of CNTs in the tissue engineering are discussed and the corresponded future prospective are also provided. Overall, this review indicates that CNTs are promising “next-generation” materials for future biomedical applications.