bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Self‐managed abortions in Ghana: A health policy framework analysis
Authors: Morhe Emmanuel Komla Senanu , Gbagbo Fred Yao , Morhe Renee Aku Sitsofe
Published: June 2023

Background

Self‐managed abortions (SMAs) remain a public health challenge; and are worst in deprived settings. In this policy review, we sought to analyze the legal and policy frameworks within which SMA occurs and look at how these may help improve abortion outcomes in Ghana.

Methods

We searched and reviewed documents on “self‐induced” or “self‐managed” abortion in Ghana from 2015 to 2022. Databases searched included Ghana Digital Attorney, PubMed Central, Google Scholar, and Repositories of Public Universities in Ghana. The key documents reviewed included the abortion law (Act 29) of Ghana, the fourth (2021) edition of the Ghana Health Services’ Comprehensive Abortion Care Standards and Protocols, and the 2017 Maternal Health Survey report. Key documents reviewed included amended Act 29, Comprehensive Abortion Care policy, and standards. We then performed policy analysis using Walt and Gilson's policy triangle framework regarding the context, practice, processes, and key players.

Results

After a careful review of the literature, the following key themes emerged in the framework analysis: the policy environment for SMA, the practice of SMAs, key players of SMAs, consequences of induced abortions, the abortion law, and criminal connotations of SMA. We found that SMAs remain criminalized in Ghana but the local practice persists with the use of registered and unregistered abortifacients. We also observed frequent criminal connotations of SMAs in the literature but no evidence of related prosecutions. There was limited empirical evidence on the safety and efficacy of SMAs in Ghana.

Conclusion

From our findings, we contend that there is an unduly high criminal connotation of SMA in Ghana. We, therefore, recommend a multilevel stakeholder engagement to decriminalize SMAs to ensure improved access to safe abortions in Ghana.
A global strategy based on deep learning for time‐dependent optimal reliability design
Authors: Ling Chunyan , Li Xingqiu , Kuo Way
Published: June 2023

Time‐dependent reliability‐based design optimization (RBDO) is a computationally tough problem that needs to be addressed urgently. The difficulty of solving the time‐dependent RBDO mainly comes from the time‐dependent reliability analysis involved in probabilistic constraints, which itself is one of the thorny problems in the reliability community and makes the computational cost become much more onerous. In this paper, a deep‐learning‐assisted approach is proposed to solve the time‐dependent RBDO. The proposed approach leverages the classification capability of the deep learning, and constructs the alternative model for the actual probabilistic constraint function in the so‐called augmented reliability space, so as to make the trained alternative model accurate wherever it will be invoked. Moreover, a sequential sampling technique utilizing the classification probability provided by the deep learning is proposed to further reduce the computational cost. Then, the time‐dependent reliability analysis involved in the time‐dependent RBDO is conducted by the cheaper alternative model instead of the original computing‐intensive probabilistic constraint function, which evidently reduces the computational burden. The presented examples showcase the performance of the proposed approach. Especially, for the complicated engineering application, the proposed approach saves about 10% of the computational cost compared with the existing methods.
Strongyloides coinfection in COVID‐19 patients treated with corticosteroids: A systematic review
Authors: Zulfiqar Sana , Gasser Robin B. , Ghodsian Sahar , Almukhtar Mustafa , Holland Celia , Rostami Ali
Published: June 2023

The COVID‐19 pandemic linked to the virus SARS‐CoV‐2, which began in China, affected ∼765 million people as of 30 April 2023. The widespread use of corticosteroids for the symptomatic treatment of COVID‐19 could lead to the reactivation of infections of opportunistic pathogens, including Strongyloides. We sought to determine the clinical symptoms and demographic characteristics of SARS‐CoV‐2–Strongyloides co‐infection, particularly in patients with severe disease and being treated with immunosuppressive drugs. To do this, we undertook a systematic review of the literature, and searched public accessible scientific databases—the Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed/Medline and Embase –for eligible studies (1 December 2019 to 30 August 2022). The review protocol is registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022377062). Descriptive statistical analyses were used to present the clinical and laboratory parameters of the co‐infection; for this, we calculated prevalence using the following formula: positive cases/total number of cases × 100. Of a total of 593 studies identified, 17 studies reporting 26 co‐infected patients met the criteria for inclusion in this review. The median age of these patients was 55.14 years. Most of cases (53.8%) were treated with dexamethasone, followed by methylprednisolone (26.9%). Eighteen of 26 patients were immigrants living in European countries or the USA; most of these immigrants originated from Latin America (58%) and South‐East Asia (11%). The commonest symptoms of co‐infection were abdominal pain (50%), fever (46.1%), dyspnoea (30.7%) and cough (30.7%), and frequently reported laboratory findings were high absolute eosinophil count (38.4%), high white blood cell count (30.7%), high C‐reactive protein (23.0%) and high neutrophil count (19.2%). Two of the 26 patients (7.7%) had fatal outcomes. Most of the SARS‐CoV‐2–Strongyloides coinfected cases were immigrants living in developed countries, emphasising the need for clinicians in these countries to be aware of clinical and laboratory parameters associated with such co‐infections, as well as the key importance of rapid and accurate diagnostic tests for timely and effective diagnosis and patient management.
Variability of asymbiotic N‐fixation organism activity with distance and time in North Dakota transitional no‐till soils
Authors: Franzen David W. , Wick Abbey , Bu Honggang , Gasch Caley K. , Inglett Patrick W.
Published: June 2023

Asymbiotic nitrogen fixation (N‐fixation) is a microbial process that may result in the introduction of plant‐available N into the soil. Although the process of N mineralization in soils is mediated by many microorganisms and is related mostly to soil moisture, the soil factors which regulate asymbiotic N‐fixation are relatively unknown and the number of microorganisms with the ability to fix N is small relative to the whole soil microorganism pool. Soils under long‐term no‐till management have greater asymbiotic N‐fixing organism activity compared to no‐till. This study was conducted to determine the variance of N‐fixing activity over distance, and the temporal variability of asymbiotic N‐fixing organism activity at six sites with transitional no‐till soils in eastern North Dakota over three growing seasons. Sites were sampled at the same location each month of the growing season from 2019 to 2021. At one of the sampling dates, each year additional samples were obtained at distances from the central sampling location for use in statistical analysis. The sampling over distance indicated that to characterize a large field area, multiple samples should be taken and analyzed separately or mixed together for single analysis. Monthly sampling in all 3 years indicated that peak N‐fixation activity was favored by a moist, warm environment. Dry periods and excessively wet periods resulted in low activity. Heavy rains within 48 h of sampling resulted in extremely low N‐fixation activity at the subsequent sampling date. Models were constructed relating the accumulative rainfall from the 30 days prior to sampling, and the mean air temperature from the 30 days prior to sampling. These data indicate that the activity of asymbiotic N‐fixing organisms increased with temperature and cumulative rainfall prior to measurement.
Bimetallic Nanoalloy Catalysts for Green Energy Production: Advances in Synthesis Routes and Characterization Techniques
Authors: Ashraf Saima , Liu Yanyan , Wei Huijuan , Shen Ruofan , Zhang Huanhuan , Wu Xianli , Mehdi Sehrish , Liu Tao , Li Baojun
Published: June 2023

Bimetallic Nanoalloy catalysts have diverse uses in clean energy, sensing, catalysis, biomedicine, and energy storage, with some supported and unsupported catalysts. Conventional synthetic methods for producing bimetallic alloy nanoparticles often produce unalloyed and bulky particles that do not exhibit desired characteristics. Alloys, when prepared with advanced nanoscale methods, give higher surface area, activity, and selectivity than individual metals due to changes in their electronic properties and reduced size. This review demonstrates the synthesis methods and principles to produce and characterize highly dispersed, well‐alloyed bimetallic nanoalloy particles in relatively simple, effective, and generalized approaches and the overall existence of conventional synthetic methods with modifications to prepare bimetallic alloy catalysts. The basic concepts and mechanistic understanding are represented with purposely selected examples. Herein, the enthralling properties with widespread applications of nanoalloy catalysts in heterogeneous catalysis are also presented, especially for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction (HER), Oxidation Reduction Reaction (ORR), Oxygen Evolution Reaction (OER), and alcohol oxidation with a particular focus on Pt and Pd‐based bimetallic nanoalloys and their numerous fields of applications. The high entropy alloy is described as a complicated subject with an emphasis on laser‐based green synthesis of nanoparticles and, in conclusion, the forecasts and contemporary challenges for the controlled synthesis of nanoalloys are addressed.
Interfacing Coacervates with Membranes: From Artificial Organelles and Hybrid Protocells to Intracellular Delivery
Authors: Lu Tiemei , Javed Sadaf , Bonfio Claudia , Spruijt Evan
Published: June 2023

Compartmentalization is crucial for the functioning of cells. Membranes enclose and protect the cell, regulate the transport of molecules entering and exiting the cell, and organize cellular machinery in subcompartments. In addition, membraneless condensates, or coacervates, offer dynamic compartments that act as biomolecular storage centers, organizational hubs, or reaction crucibles. Emerging evidence shows that phase‐separated membraneless bodies in the cell are involved in a wide range of functional interactions with cellular membranes, leading to transmembrane signaling, membrane remodeling, intracellular transport, and vesicle formation. Such functional and dynamic interplay between phase‐separated droplets and membranes also offers many potential benefits to artificial cells, as shown by recent studies involving coacervates and liposomes. Depending on the relative sizes and interaction strength between coacervates and membranes, coacervates can serve as artificial membraneless organelles inside liposomes, as templates for membrane assembly and hybrid artificial cell formation, as membrane remodelers for tubulation and possibly division, and finally, as cargo containers for transport and delivery of biomolecules across membranes by endocytosis or direct membrane crossing. Here, recent experimental examples of each of these functions are reviewed and the underlying physicochemical principles and possible future applications are discussed.
An optimal container update method for edge‐cloud collaboration
Authors: Zhang Haotong , Lin Weiwei , Xie Rong , Li Shenghai , Dai Zhiyan , Wang James Z.
Published: June 2023

Emerging computing paradigms provide field‐level service responses for users, for example, edge computing, fog computing, and MEC. Edge virtualization technologies represented by Docker can provide a platform‐independent, low‐resource‐consumption operating environment for edge service. The image‐pulling time of Docker is a crucial factor affecting the start‐up speed of edge services. The layer reuse mechanism of native Docker cannot fully utilize the duplicate data of node local images. In this paper, we propose a chunk reuse mechanism (CRM), which effectively targets node‐local duplicate data during container updates and reduces the volume of data transmission required for image building. We orchestrate the CRM process for cloud and remote‐cloud nodes to ensure that the resource overhead from container update data preparation and image reconstruction is within an acceptable range. The experimental results show that the CRM proposed in this paper can effectively utilize the node local duplicate data in the synchronous update of containers in multiple nodes, reduce the volume of data transmission, and significantly improve container update efficiency.
Privacy preserving vaccinating‐ and testing‐pass for the European Union
Authors: Schrahe Dominik , Städter Thomas
Published: June 2023

Physicians and scientists hope that health‐data will provide new insights into improving medical care and optimizing healthcare costs. However, data protection laws in Europe often place limits on the use of patient data. During the COVID‐19 pandemic, both digital immunity records and data on infections were needed for pandemic management. Using this example, the research project will develop a system concept for vaccination, testing, and recovery proof called privacy preserving pass for vaccination and testing (P3VT), that will make collected data available to research and policy pandemic management in real time and anonymized. P3VT consistently considers the goals of privacy‐by‐design, data minimization and transparency of the EU‐GDPR. Expert interviews validated the system from medical, technical, and privacy perspectives. P3VT offers several advantages compared to the EU digital COVID certificate such as pseudonymized proofing of vaccination, testing, and recovery for a reduction of misuse of sensitive personal data and transparency about the nature, timing, and purpose of the proof. Above that anonymized medical data are provided to improve pandemic management, and research. P3VT is thus an exemplary solution for the comprehensive provision of health‐data for research purposes combined with high‐level data protection. Further areas of application are conceivable.
Microstructural Refinement and Strain Hardening Behavior in Low‐Density Ultrafine Pearlite Steel
Authors: Zhang Chen , Hu Feng , Zhou Jie , Zhang Guohong , Zhou Wen , Zhang Dong , Wu Kaiming
Published: June 2023

Advanced low‐density steels that meet energy shortages and high safety requirements have become a hot research topic in materials science. The addition of light elements with medium‐Al content (5 wt%) to ultrahigh‐strength pearlite cable steel alloy reduces the material density and causes a microstructural change from traditional θ‐pearlite (ferrite + cementite) to θ‐pearlite and κ‐pearlite (ferrite + cementite + κ‐carbide). The results show that the moderate addition of Al and Mn (5 wt%) promotes the formation of κ‐carbide, which inhibits the diffusion of C and significantly delays the eutectoid transformation process of pearlite. Meanwhile, the transformation free energy of pearlite increases and obviously refines the lamellar spacing of the ultrafine pearlite by κ‐carbide. Simultaneously, the interaction between κ‐carbides and dislocations is initiated, which increases the strain hardening rate of ultrafine pearlitic steel.
Selective pivot logratio coordinates for partial least squares discriminant analysis modelling with applications in metabolomics
Authors: Štefelová Nikola , de Sousa Julie , Hron Karel , Palarea‐Albaladejo Javier , Dobešová Dana , Kvasnička Aleš , Friedecký David
Published: June 2023

Data resulting from high‐throughput biological experiments are frequently of relative nature. This implies that the most relevant information is on the shape of the data distribution over the biological features more than on the size of the measurements themselves. One well‐established way to acknowledge this in statistical processing is through logratio analysis. In the current work, we introduce selective pivot logratio coordinates as a new type of orthonormal logratio coordinate representation for high‐dimensional relative (a.k.a. compositional) data. This proposal is aimed to enhance the identification of biomarkers in the context of binary classification problems, which is a common setting of scientific studies in the field. These logratio coordinates are constructed so that the pivot coordinate representing a certain compositional part aggregates all pairwise logratios of that part to the rest but, unlike in the ordinary formulation, excludes those deviating from the main pattern. This novel coordinate system is embedded within a partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS‐DA) model for its practical application. Based on both synthetic and real‐world metabolomic data sets, we demonstrate the enhanced performance of the novel approach when compared with other methods used in the area.
In vivo test and rollback of Java applications as they are
Authors: Bertolino Antonia , De Angelis Guglielmo , Miranda Breno , Tonella Paolo
Published: June 2023

Modern software systems accommodate complex configurations and execution conditions that depend on the environment where the software is run. While in house testing can exercise only a fraction of such execution contexts, in vivo testing can take advantage of the execution state observed in the field to conduct further testing activities. In this paper, we present the Groucho approach to in vivo testing. Groucho can suspend the execution, run some in vivo tests, rollback the side effects introduced by such tests, and eventually resume normal execution. The approach can be transparently applied to the original application, even if only available as compiled code, and it is fully automated. Our empirical studies of the performance overhead introduced by Groucho under various configurations showed that this may be kept to a negligible level by activating in vivo testing with low probability. Our empirical studies about the effectiveness of the approach confirm previous findings on the existence of faults that are unlikely exposed in house and become easy to expose in the field. Moreover, we include the first study to quantify the coverage increase gained when in vivo testing is added to complement in house testing.
Contribution of steel fibers to the flexural and shear behavior of RC beams damaged by alkali‐silica reaction
Authors: Torrijos María C. , Zerbino Raúl L. , Giaccio Graciela M. , Cuenca Estefanía , Conforti Antonio
Published: June 2023

The study of damage processes in concrete and their effects on the residual properties represents a key point related to the service life of reinforced concrete (RC) structures. The use of steel fibers in RC beams mainly improves the cracking control and the shear bearing capacity. Considering the shear behavior, the presence of fibers not only leads to partial or total substitution of secondary reinforcement, but they can also result in a modification of the failure behavior from a shear failure (brittle) to a bending (ductile) one. The contribution of fibers on flexural and shear behavior of sound and damaged RC beams was investigated using alkali‐silica reaction as a damaging tool. First, the evolution of deformations and cracks were measured on creep tests of RC beams with and without fibers and reactive aggregates. Second, the flexural and shear behavior of damaged and undamaged beams incorporating steel fibers were compared. Results showed that alkali‐silica reaction damage can provoke a reduction of RC beam ductility, while the flexural strength is preserved. Regarding shear, it was observed that even in damaged concrete, fibers were able to control the crack propagation and increase the bearing capacity.
Chloride diffusion modeling of concrete using tree‐based forest models
Authors: Golafshani Emadaldin Mohammadi , Kashani Alireza , Arashpour Mehrdad
Published: June 2023

Reinforced concrete structures can experience various harsh environments during their service life, among which chloride ion exposure, especially in marine environments, can cause the durability reduction and deterioration of concrete structures. Artificial intelligence (AI)‐based modeling of the non‐steady‐state apparent chloride diffusion coefficient (DC) of concrete for a long exposure time using the experimental field results can assist in identifying the influential factors and better estimating the service life of a concrete structure. In this study, two novel extensions of ensemble AI algorithms, including genetic programming forest (GPF) and linear genetic programming forest (LGPF) algorithms, were proposed to model the DC of concrete. The experimental field data were gathered from the literature. Different structures of the proposed ensemble methods were developed and examined, and the best‐developed model was selected for further analysis, including sensitivity analysis and parametric study. In addition, the random forest (RF) method was used as the control ensemble technique to have a comparison. The results show that the best LGPF model possesses superior performance than the best‐developed GPF and RF models. In addition, the results show that silica fume‐to‐binder ratio, exposure time, and exposure conditions have the most significant impacts on the DC of concrete. This study contributes to the civil engineering practice by developing a new tool to model the DC of concrete that facilitates the durability assessment of concrete structures.
Shape‐Controlled First‐Row Transition Metal Vanadates for Electrochemical and Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting
Authors: Khan Ibrahim , Gu Yunjeong , Wooh Sanghyuk
Published: June 2023

Transition metal vanadates (MVs) possess abundant electroactive sites, short ion diffusion pathways, and optical properties that make them suitable for various electrochemical (EC) and photoelectrochemical (PEC) applications. While these materials are commonly used in energy storage devices like batteries and capacitors, their shape‐controlled 1D and 2D morphologies have gained equal popularity in water splitting (WS) technology in recent times. This review focuses on recent progress made on various first‐row (3d, 4 s) transition metal vanadates (t‐MVs) having controlled one‐dimensional (fiber, wire, or rod) and two‐dimensional (layered or sheet) morphologies with a specific emphasis on copper vanadates (CuV), cobalt vanadates (CoV), iron vanadates (FeV), and nickel vanadates (NiV). The review covers different aspects of shape‐controlled 1D and 2D t‐MVs including optoelectrical properties, wet chemistry synthesis, and electrochemical (EC‐WS) and photoelectrochemical water splitting (PEC‐WS) performance in terms of onset potential, overpotential, and long‐term stability or high cyclic performance. The review concludes by providing some possible thoughts on how to promote the water‐splitting attributes of shape‐controlled t‐MVs more effectively.
Development of Catalytic Site‐Selective C−H Oxidation
Authors: Uchida Tatsuya
Published: June 2023

Direct C−H bond oxygenation is a strong and useful tool for the construction of oxygen functional groups. After Chen and White's pioneering works, various non‐heme‐type iron and manganese complexes were introduced, leading to strong development in this area. However, for this method to become a truly useful tool for synthetic organic chemistry, it is necessary to make further efforts to improve site‐selectivity, and catalyst durability. Recently, we found that non‐heme‐type ruthenium complex cis‐1 presents efficient catalysis in C(sp3)−H oxygenation under acidic conditions. cis‐1‐catalysed C−H oxygenation can oxidize various substrates including highly complex natural compounds using hypervalent iodine reagents as a terminal oxidant. Moreover, the catalyst system can use almost stoichiometric water molecules as the oxygen source through reversible hydrolysis of PhI(OCOR)2. It is a strong tool for producing isotopic‐oxygen‐labelled compounds. Moreover, the environmentally friendly hydrogen peroxide can be used as a terminal oxidant under acidic conditions.
The role of microRNAs in responses to drought and heat stress in peanut (Arachis hypogaea)
Authors: Mittal Meenakshi , Dhingra Anuradha , Dawar Pranav , Payton Paxton , Rock Christopher D.
Published: June 2023

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are 21–24 nt small RNAs (sRNAs) that negatively regulate protein‐coding genes and/or trigger phased small‐interfering RNA (phasiRNA) production. Two thousand nine hundred miRNA families, of which ∼40 are deeply conserved, have been identified in ∼80 different plant species genomes. miRNA functions in response to abiotic stresses is less understood than their roles in development. Only seven peanut MIRNA families are documented in miRBase, yet a reference genome assembly is now published and over 480 plant‐like MIRNA loci were predicted in the diploid peanut progenitor Arachis duranensis genome. We explored by computational analysis of a leaf sRNA library and publicly available sRNA, degradome, and transcriptome datasets the miRNA and phasiRNA space associated with drought and heat stresses in peanut. We characterized 33 novel candidate and 33 ancient conserved families of MIRNAs and present degradome evidence for their cleavage activities on mRNA targets, including several noncanonical targets and novel phasiRNA‐producing noncoding and mRNA loci with validated novel targets such as miR1509 targeting serine/threonine‐protein phosphatase7 and miRc20 and ahy‐miR3514 targeting penta‐tricopeptide repeats (PPRs), in contradistinction to other claims of miR1509/173/7122 superfamily miRNAs indirectly targeting PPRs via TAS‐like noncoding RNA loci. We characterized the inverse correlations of significantly differentially expressed drought‐ and heat‐regulated miRNAs, assayed by sRNA blots or transcriptome datasets, with target mRNA expressions in the same datasets. Meta‐analysis of an expression atlas and over representation of miRNA target genes in co‐expression networks suggest that miRNAs have functions in unique aspects of peanut gynophore development. Genome‐wide MIRNA annotation of the published allopolyploid peanut genome can facilitate molecular breeding of value‐added traits.
Fecal lactoferrin early predicts long‐term outcomes in ulcerative colitis: A post‐hoc analysis of the UNIFI and PURSUIT trials
Authors: Chen Rirong , Tie Yizhe , Zhang Xi , Li Li , Chen Minhu , Zhang Shenghong
Published: June 2023

Background

Fecal lactoferrin (FL) is associated with disease activity and relapse in ulcerative colitis. However, whether FL could early predict long‐term outcomes in ulcerative colitis is poorly understood.

Methods

This post‐hoc analysis included participants who received biologics and had available data of FL concentration at week 4 from the UNIFI and PURSUIT trials (n = 1063). Therapeutic outcomes, including clinical remission, endoscopic improvement and remission, and histological improvement and remission, were evaluated at the end of maintenance therapy. The incidence of colectomy was observed from week 0 to maximum week 228 in the PURSUIT trial (n = 667). Multivariate logistic and Cox proportional‐hazard regression were conducted to evaluate the associations between FL and therapeutic outcomes and colectomy, respectively.

Results

A high FL level at week 4 was associated with poor long‐term clinical, endoscopic and histologic outcomes. FL >84.5 μg/mL predicted a low likelihood of clinical (OR [95% CI]: 0.43 [0.32, 0.57]; p < 0.001), endoscopic (OR [95% CI]: 0.40 [0.29, 0.56]; p < 0.001), and histological (OR [95% CI]: 0.27 [0.14, 0.53]; p < 0.001) remission. Moreover, week‐4 FL could add prognostic value to fecal calprotectin and clinical and endoscopic scores for informing long‐term therapeutic outcomes. For the risk of colectomy, patients with week‐4 FL <20.1 and ≥20.1 µg/mL had an incidence rate of 1.10% and 6.39%, respectively. Patients with FL ≥20.1 µg/mL had a 995% higher risk of colectomy (HR [95% CI], 10.95 [1.45, 82.74]).

Conclusion

FL could be a promising prognostic biomarker for long‐term therapeutic outcomes and risk of colectomy in patient of ulcerative colitis.
High risk of dairy cow mortality in early lactation
Authors: Thomsen Peter T.
Published: June 2023

Background

On‐farm mortality among dairy cows constitutes a major problem in modern dairy production. Detailed knowledge about when cows die may help guide the prevention of future deaths.

Methods

Data from 46,927 on‐farm dairy cow deaths reported to the Danish Cattle Database were analysed to evaluate the distribution of deaths in relation to time after calving and the effect of parity and breed.

Results

Of all on‐farm deaths, 15.2% occurred within 7 days after calving, 32.2% within 30 days and 49.4% within 90 days. Older cows generally died sooner after calving compared to younger cows, and Jersey cows died later than other breeds.

Limitations

The results are based on a large and reliable dataset but include only data from Danish dairy cows.

Conclusion

The distribution of on‐farm deaths was very uneven, with a large proportion of deaths occurring during the first few weeks after calving, especially in older cows.
Bilateral corneal ulceration in a cat after general anaesthesia
Authors: Thenhaus‐Schnabel Sebastian , Bilotta Teresa , Watte Christine , Levionnois Olivier Louis
Published: June 2023

General anaesthesia is accompanied by a loss of the blink reflex, decreased tear production, inability to close the eye and decreased stability of the tear film. Protection of the eye with corneal lubricant is standard during general anaesthesia, but clear recommendations are missing. Moreover, the anaesthetic event may trigger other factors that increase susceptibility to corneal ulceration. In this case report, we describe a clinical case of bilateral corneal ulceration in a cat following general anaesthesia. We discuss how our practice may be improved, and examine the possibility that feline herpes virus resurgence during veterinary care may be a risk factor for corneal lesions.
A review of video‐based rainfall measurement methods
Authors: Yan Kang , Chen Hua , Hu Linjuan , Huang Kailin , Huang Yu , Wang Zheng , Liu Bingyi , Wang Jun , Guo Shenglian
Published: June 2023

Accurate and high spatiotemporal resolution rainfall observations are essential for hydrological forecasting and flood management, especially in urban hydrological applications. However, it is difficult for traditional rainfall gauges, weather radars, and satellites to accurately estimate rainfall while simultaneously capturing the spatial and temporal variability of rainfall well. In this context, video‐based rainfall measurement, a novel method, has the advantages of real‐time performance and low cost and may thus provide a new way to establish rainfall observation networks with high spatial and temporal resolution. In recent years, different algorithms have been developed to recognize raindrops and estimate rainfall from rainfall videos. It has been demonstrated that video‐based rainfall measurement methods can provide comprehensive rainfall information with fine spatial and temporal granularity. However, raindrop visibility and the depth of field effects are difficult to address. The motion blur effect of raindrops may result in substantial errors and uncertainties. A fundamental problem of video‐based rainfall measurements lies in locating raindrops and accurately calculating their actual size. Moreover, the effectiveness of deep learning‐based video rainfall measurement models is greatly influenced by the diversity of the training data. Therefore, enhancing the high robustness and accuracy of video‐based rainfall measurement algorithms and increasing the computational efficiency are paramount to further development, which are prerequisites for their application in practical rainfall monitoring and developing multicamera monitoring networks.

This article is categorized under:

Science of Water > Methods

Science of Water > Hydrological Processes
Toxicity evaluation of a heavy‐metal‐polluted river: Pollution identification and bacterial community assessment
Authors: Li Jin‐Min , Ou Jiun‐Hau , Verpoort Francis , Surmpalli Rao Y. , Huang Wen‐Yen , Kao Chih‐Ming
Published: June 2023

The Salt River is an important urban river in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. In this study, the source identification and risk and toxicity assessment of the heavy‐metal‐contaminated sediments in the Salt River were investigated. The geo‐accumulation index (Igeo), enrichment factor (EF), sediment quality guidelines (SQGs), potential ecological risk index (RI), pollution load index (PLI), and toxic units (TU) were applied to determine effects of heavy metals on microbial diversities and ecosystems. Results from the ecological and environmental risk assessment show that high concentrations of Zn, Cr, and Ni were detected in the midstream area and the sum of toxic units (ΣTUs) in the midstream (7.2–32.0) is higher than in the downstream (14.0–19.7) and upstream (9.2–17.1). It could be because of the continuous inputs of heavy‐metal‐contained wastewaters from adjacent industrial parks. Results also inferred that the detected heavy metals in the upstream residential and commercial areas were possibly caused by nearby vehicle emissions, non‐point source pollution, and domestic wastewater discharges. Results of metagenomic assays show that the sediments contained significant microbial diversities. Metal‐tolerant bacterial phyla (Proteobacteria: 24.4%–46.4%, Bacteroidetes: 1.3%–14.8%, and Actinobacteria: 2.3%–11.1%) and pathogenic bacterial phyla (Chlamydiae: 0.5%–37.6% and Chloroflexi: 5.8%–7.2%) with relatively high abundance were detected. Metal‐tolerant bacteria would adsorb metals and cause the increased metal concentrations in sediments. Results indicate that the bacterial composition in sediment environments was affected by anthropogenic pollution and human activities and the heavy‐metal‐polluted ecosystem caused the variations in bacterial communities.

Practitioner Points

Microbial community in sediments is highly affected by heavy metal pollution.

Wastewaters and vehicle traffic contribute to river sediments pollution by heavy metals.

Proteobacteria, Bacteroidota, and Actinobacteria are dominant heavy‐metal‐tolerant bacterial phyla in sediments.

Toxicity assessment is required to study risk levels of heavy‐metal contained sediments.
Wing condition does not negatively impact time budget, enclosure usage, or social bonds in a flock of both full‐winged and flight‐restrained greater flamingos
Authors: George Adam J. , Rose Paul E.
Published: June 2023

Zoo management techniques for captive birds, such as flight restraint and enclosure type, may affect behavioral performance and are consequently worthy of investigation. Flamingos are amongst the most popular of zoo‐housed birds and, as such, research into their captive management and associated behavioral responses are widely applicable to many thousands of individuals. As a highly social species, understanding social bonds and behavior of the individual bird and the flock overall can help inform decisions that support husbandry and population management. In this project, 41 greater flamingos at Bristol Zoo Gardens were observed for 49 days across spring and summer 2013 to assess the following: (i) social associations within the flock, (ii) overall activity patterns, and (iii) distribution of time within specific enclosure zones for both full‐winged and flight‐restrained birds living in the same enclosure. Results showed that pinioning interacted with age in regard to flamingo time–activity patterns, but wing condition did not significantly influence association patterns, performance of social interactions, or performance of breeding behavior. Social network analysis revealed that associations were nonrandom and flamingos, of either wing condition, displayed different roles within the network. Birds of similar age formed the strongest bonds. Enclosure usage was not even, suggesting that the flamingos favored specific areas of the enclosure during the observation period. This study showed that wing condition does not affect flamingo behavior, social bonds, or space use, and that age and sex have more of an overall influence on what flamingos do, and with whom they chose to do it. Further research should extend this study into other, larger captive flocks to further refine behavioral measures of welfare for these popular zoo birds.
A hypoarousal model of neurological post-COVID syndrome: the relation between mental fatigue, the level of central nervous activation and cognitive processing speed
Authors: Martin Eva Maria , Rupprecht Sven , Schrenk Simon , Kattlun Fabian , Utech Isabelle , Radscheidt Monique , Brodoehl Stefan , Schwab Matthias , Reuken Philipp A. , Stallmach Andreas , Habekost Thomas , Finke Kathrin
Published: June 2023

Background

Knowledge on the nature of post-COVID neurological sequelae often manifesting as cognitive dysfunction and fatigue is still unsatisfactory.

Objectives

We assumed that cognitive dysfunction and fatigue in post-COVID syndrome are critically linked via hypoarousal of the brain. Thus, we assessed whether tonic alertness as a neurocognitive index of arousal is reduced in these patients and how this relates to the level of central nervous activation and subjective mental fatigue as further indices of arousal.

Methods

40 post-COVID patients with subjective cognitive dysfunction and 40 matched healthy controls underwent a whole-report paradigm of briefly presented letter arrays. Based on report performance and computational modelling according to the theory of visual attention, the parameter visual processing speed (VPS) was quantified as a proxy of tonic alertness. Pupillary unrest was assessed as a measure of central nervous activation. The Fatigue Assessment Scale was applied to assess subjective mental fatigue using the corresponding subscale.

Results

VPS was reduced in post-COVID patients compared to controls (p = 0.005). In these patients, pupillary unrest (p = 0.029) and mental fatigue (p = 0.001) predicted VPS, explaining 34% of the variance and yielding a large effect with f2 = 0.51.

Conclusion

In post-COVID patients with subjective cognitive dysfunction, hypoarousal of the brain is reflected in decreased processing speed which is explained by a reduced level of central nervous activation and a higher level of mental fatigue. In turn, reduced processing speed objectifies mental fatigue as a core subjective clinical complaint in post-COVID patients.
Prospective memory: the combined impact of cognitive load and task focality
Authors: Cantarella G. , Mastroberardino S. , Bisiacchi P. , Macaluso E.
Published: June 2023

Prospective Memory (PM) entails a set of executive processes primarily associated with the activation of frontal and parietal regions. Both the number of PM-targets to be monitored (i.e. task load) and the relationship between the type of PM-targets and the ongoing (ONG) task (i.e. task focality) can impact executive monitoring and PM performance. In the present imaging study, we manipulated load and focality of an event-based PM task to test the hypothesis that common resources engage in situations requiring high levels of cognitive control: that is, in high-load (i.e. monitor multiple PM-targets) and non-focal conditions (i.e. monitor at the same time letters’ identity and color). We investigated monitoring-related and detection-related processes by assessing behavior and brain activity separately for ONG trials (monitoring) and PM-targets (detection). At the behavioral level, we found a significant interaction between load and focality during detection, with slowest reaction times for focal, high-load PM-targets. The imaging analyses of the detection phase revealed the activation of the left intraparietal sulcus in the high-load conditions. Both in the monitoring and the detection phases, we found overlapping effects of non-focality and low-load in the fusiform gyrus. Our results suggest that under low-load conditions, cognitive control operates via early selection mechanisms in the ventral occipito-temporal cortex. By contrast, high-load conditions entail control at later processing stages within the dorsal parietal cortex. We conclude that load and focality operate via different mechanisms, with the level of task load largely determining how cognitive control selects the most relevant information.
The impact of field margins on biological pest control: a meta-analysis
Authors: Crowther Lucy I. , Wilson Kenneth , Wilby Andrew
Published: June 2023

Floral field margins are known to benefit invertebrate species diversity and abundance within agricultural landscapes, but variation in success limits widespread uptake. Understanding how variation within floral field margins can affect certain entomological groupings is lacking but would allow for a more individualised design of margins to enhance biological control. This meta-analysis aims to answer the question; do floral field margins benefit biological pest control over grassy field margins? We found that floral margins significantly benefit the natural enemy community and biological control services, relative to non-floral grass margins. We confirm that field margin type is linked to higher abundance and diversity of natural enemies, lower numbers of herbivorous invertebrate pests, and reduced crop damage. We consider whether specific characterisations of natural enemies and pest communities vary between these margin types, finding key differences in the abundances of aerial and epigeal enemies, the diversity of parasitoid and predatory enemies and pest abundances found in naturally regenerating and sown floral field margins. The finding here cements the implementation of floral field margins as a legitimate control method for crop pests in the face of losses due to pesticides and highlights design and management considerations for the success of floral margins.
Comparing quality of breast cancer care in the Netherlands and Norway by federated propensity score analytics
Authors: Hamersma Dave T. , Schreuder Kay , Geleijnse Gijs , Heeg Erik , Cellamare Matteo , Lobbes Marc B. I. , Mureau Marc A. M. , Koppert Linetta B. , Skjerven Helle , Nygård Jan F. , Groothuis-Oudshoorn Catharina G. M. , Siesling Sabine
Published: June 2023

Purpose

The aim of the study was to benchmark and compare breast cancer care quality indicators (QIs) between Norway and the Netherlands using federated analytics preventing transfer of patient-level data.

Methods

Breast cancer patients (2017–2018) were retrieved from the Netherlands Cancer Registry and the Cancer Registry of Norway. Five European Society of Breast Cancer Specialists (EUSOMA) QIs were assessed: two on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), two on surgical approaches, and one on postoperative radiotherapy. The QI outcomes were calculated using ‘Vantage 6’ federated Propensity Score Stratification (PSS). Likelihood of receiving a treatment was expressed in odds ratios (OR).

Results

In total, 39,163 patients were included (32,786 from the Netherlands and 6377 from Norway). PSS scores were comparable to the crude outcomes of the QIs. The Netherlands scored higher on the QI ‘proportions of patients preoperatively examined with breast MRI’ [37% vs.17.5%; OR 2.8 (95% CI 2.7–2.9)], the ‘proportions of patients receiving primary systemic therapy examined with breast MRI’ [83.3% vs. 70.8%; OR 2.3 (95% CI 1.3–3.3)], and ‘proportion of patients receiving a single breast operation’ [95.2% vs. 91.5%; OR 1.8 (95% CI 1.4–2.2)]. Country scores for ‘immediate breast reconstruction’ and ‘postoperative radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery’ were comparable. The EUSOMA standard was achieved in both countries for 4/5 indicators.

Conclusion

Both countries achieved high scores on the QIs. Differences were observed in the use of MRI and proportion of patients receiving single surgery. The federated approach supports future possibilities on benchmark QIs without transfer of privacy-sensitive data.
Trends in use of neoadjuvant systemic therapy in patients with clinically node-positive breast cancer in Europe: prospective TAXIS study (OPBC-03, SAKK 23/16, IBCSG 57-18, ABCSG-53, GBG 101)
Authors: Tausch Christoph , Däster Kavitha , Hayoz Stefanie , Matrai Zoltan , Fitzal Florian , Henke Guido , Zwahlen Daniel R. , Gruber Günther , Zimmermann Frank , Andreozzi Mariacarla , Goldschmidt Maite , Schulz Alexandra , Maggi Nadia , Saccilotto Ramon , Heidinger Martin , Mueller Andreas , Tampaki Ekaterini Christina , Bjelic-Radisic Vesna , Sávolt Ákos , Smanykó Viktor , Hagen Daniela , Müller Dieter J. , Gnant Michael , Loibl Sibylle , Markellou Pagona , Bekes Inga , Egle Daniel , Ruhstaller Thomas , Muenst Simone , Kuemmel Sherko , Vrieling Conny , Satler Rok , Becciolini Charles , Bucher Susanne , Kurzeder Christian , Simonson Colin , Fehr Peter M. , Gabriel Natalie , Maráz Robert , Sarlos Dimitri , Dedes Konstantin J. , Leo Cornelia , Berclaz Gilles , Fansa Hisham , Hager Christopher , Reisenberger Klaus , Singer Christian F. , Montagna Giacomo , Reitsamer Roland , Winkler Jelena , Lam Giang Thanh , Fehr Mathias K. , Naydina Tatiana , Kohlik Magdalena , Clerc Karine , Ostapenko Valerijus , Lelièvre Loïc , Heil Jörg , Knauer Michael , Weber Walter Paul
Published: June 2023

Purpose

The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical practice heterogeneity in use of neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NST) for patients with clinically node-positive breast cancer in Europe.

Methods

The study was preplanned in the international multicenter phase-III OPBC-03/TAXIS trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03513614) to include the first 500 randomized patients with confirmed nodal disease at the time of surgery. The TAXIS study’s pragmatic design allowed both the neoadjuvant and adjuvant setting according to the preferences of the local investigators who were encouraged to register eligible patients consecutively.

Results

A total of 500 patients were included at 44 breast centers in six European countries from August 2018 to June 2022, 165 (33%) of whom underwent NST. Median age was 57 years (interquartile range [IQR], 48–69). Most patients were postmenopausal (68.4%) with grade 2 and 3 hormonal receptor-positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative breast cancer with a median tumor size of 28 mm (IQR 20–40). The use of NST varied significantly across the countries (p < 0.001). Austria (55.2%) and Switzerland (35.8%) had the highest percentage of patients undergoing NST and Hungary (18.2%) the lowest. The administration of NST increased significantly over the years (OR 1.42; p < 0.001) and more than doubled from 20 to 46.7% between 2018 and 2022.

Conclusion

Substantial heterogeneity in the use of NST with HR+/HER2-breast cancer exists in Europe. While stringent guidelines are available for its use in triple-negative and HER2+ breast cancer, there is a need for the development of and adherence to well-defined recommendations for HR+/HER2-breast cancer.
Ballooning bureaucracy? Stylized facts of growing administration in Swedish higher education
Authors: Andersson Fredrik W. , Jordahl Henrik , Kärnä Anders
Published: June 2023

All organizations need to allocate labor to production and administration. In many cases—particularly within the public sector—the optimal allocation is far from obvious. Indeed, vocal concerns have been raised about the administrative burden in several public services, not least in education. We investigate this issue using detailed registry data on all employees at Swedish universities and colleges from 2005 to 2019 and document three stylized facts. First, the group of highly educated administrators has grown rapidly, almost by a factor of seven compared with teachers and researchers. Second, the number of less-educated administrators has stayed flat. Third, the time that teachers and researchers spend on administrative tasks has been roughly constant over time. This indicates that resources have been diverted from teaching and research and raises fears of excessive administrative growth in Swedish higher education.