bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Low detection of glyphosate in rivers following application in forestry
Authors: Edge Christopher B. , Haines William , Blaney Matt , Noël Martin
Published: March 2023

BACKGROUND

Glyphosate is the most commonly used herbicide in the world, and is used in agriculture, forestry, and urban settings. In regions with high glyphosate use, such as agricultural, glyphosate and its' major derivative aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) are frequently detected in surface waters. In Canadian forestry glyphosate‐based herbicides are used to control vegetation that competes with conifer trees and are applied one to two times during a rotation, leading to infrequent application to the same area. Forestry occurs over a large spatial extent, and the cumulative application in space can lead to a large percentage of the land base receiving an application through time. To assess the frequency and concentration of glyphosate and AMPA in surface waters of a region where forestry is the dominant use sector, we conducted three monitoring programs targeting: (i) immediately after application, (ii) after rainfall, and (iii) cumulative application over a large spatial extent.

RESULTS

Across all monitoring programs we collected 296 water samples between August and October from eight river systems over two years and detected glyphosate in one sample at 17 ppb.

CONCLUSION

Glyphosate is not likely present in surface waters during baseflow conditions as a result of applications in forestry. Lack of detection is likely because soil capacity to bind glyphosate remains high due to infrequent applications to the same area, and factors that limit sediment transport to surface waters such as buffers. Additional sampling is needed during other stream conditions, ideally spring freshet, to determine peak concentrations. © 2023 National Research Council Canada. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry. Reproduced with the permission of the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Economic Development.
Shifting application dates on cereal reduces pesticide transfer via subsurface drainage based on water flow forecasts during autumn applications
Authors: Julien Tournebize , Jeantet Alexis , Marks‐Perreau Jonathan , Dutertre Alain , Maillet‐Mezeray Julie
Published: March 2023

BACKGROUND

Thanks to the changes in aquatic risk assessment within the marketing authorization (MA) process in France, the contamination of surface water through the subsurface drainage network is better accounted for. The measure adopted by risk regulations is to prohibit any use of selected pesticides on drained plots. Herbicide solutions on subsurface‐drained plots are becoming scarce due to a limited number of innovations combined with the re‐approvals process. Autumn weed management then becomes a major issue for winter cropping systems on drained plots. Unlike runoff prevention, few risk management measures are available to prevent the risks associated with drained plots.

RESULTS

We analyzed data from La Jaillière, an ARVALIS experimental site (nine plots, 1993 to 2017), representative of scenario D5 from the EU FOCUS Group, for four herbicides (isoproturon, aclonifen, diflufenican, flufenacet). Our study demonstrates the relevance of the time application management measure by showing the decreasing trend in the transfer of pesticides in drained plots. In addition, it validates, still on the La Jaillière site, the hypothesis of a management measure based on an indicator of soil profile saturation before drainage flow (soil wetness index, SWI).

CONCLUSIONS

A conservative measure consisting of restricting pesticide applications during autumn, when the SWI is <85% of saturation, reduces the risk by a factor of 4–12 for quantification above the predicted no‐effect concentration and values of maximum or flow weight average concentrations by 70‐ and 27‐fold, ratio of exported pesticide by 20‐fold, and total flux by 32. This measure based on SWI threshold appears to be more efficient than those using other restriction factors. SWI can be easily calculated by considering the local weather data and soil properties for any drained field. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
NdxHf(1−x)ON as Gate Dielectric for High‐Performance Pentacene Organic Thin‐Film Transistors
Authors: Ma Yuan Xiao , Wang Qing He , Chen Haining , Lai Pui To , Tang Wing Man
Published: March 2023

NdON, HfON, and their mixtures (NdxHf(1−x)ON) with different Hf contents are adopted as the gate dielectrics of pentacene organic thin‐film transistors (OTFTs). Their capacitance–voltage characteristics reveal that the Hf incorporation generates negative fixed charges in the dielectric for assisting the applied gate voltage, thus achieving a low threshold voltage for the OTFT. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) results indicate that Hf can suppress the hygroscopicity of Nd oxide while Nd can passivate the carrier traps (e.g., oxygen vacancies) of Hf oxide, both of which can contribute to a smoother dielectric surface for the growth of larger pentacene grains on the dielectric surface. As a result, among the samples with different Hf contents, the OTFT with Nd0.85Hf0.15ON can achieve the highest carrier mobility of 1.95 cm2 V−1 s−1 due to least Coulomb scattering (associated with lowest interface‐trap density of 5.9 × 1012 cm−2 eV−1 and smallest hysteresis of 0.26 V) and least grain‐boundary scattering (associated with largest pentacene grains).
Quantum Imaging Exploiting Twisted Photon Pairs
Authors: Cui Dianzhen , Yi Xuexi , Yang Li‐Ping
Published: March 2023

Quantum correlation of two‐photon states is utilized to suppress the environmental noise in imaging down to the single‐photon level. However, the size of the coherence area of the photon pairs limits the applications of quantum imaging based on spatial correlations. Here, a quantum imaging scheme exploiting twisted photon pairs with tunable spatial‐correlation regions to circumvent this limitation is proposed. A bulk‐density coincidence is employed to enhance the imaging signal. Specifically, a re‐scaled image signal is introduced, which is immune to the background intensity distribution profile of the photon pulse. A destructive interference between the anti‐bunched photon pair and bunched photon pair in the imaging process is revealed. This work can pave a way for twisted‐photon‐based quantum holography and quantum microscopy.
Assessing the nexus of gross national expenditure, energy consumption, and information & communications technology toward the sustainable environment: Evidence from advanced economies
Authors: Sarfraz Muddassar , Naseem Sobia , Mohsin Muhammad
Published: March 2023

The quantity of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere rises yearly because human activities emit more of it than the earth's natural processes can absorb. The overall carbon dioxide emissions continue to rise due to development demands. In a panel setting, this paper investigates the link dynamics between gross national spending, energy consumption, information and communications technology, and CO2 emissions in advanced nations from 2000 to 2020. We employ quantitative sequential approaches, such as DOLS, unit root test, and cointegration techniques, to ensure the coherence and feasibility of the study. Both versions of the estimators show statistically significant effects of gross national expenditure, energy consumption, and Information & Communications Technology on CO2 emissions. The findings of this paper show that there is a long‐run relationship between independent and dependent variables. The study also shows that rising exports of ICT services, energy consumption, and population need environmental protection and highlight the necessity for environmental regulations that can minimize emissions throughout the country's expansion. Even in advanced nations, climate vulnerability is not automatically reduced by development status but is instead reduced by the right sort of growth.
Architecting the High‐Entropy Oxides on 2D MXene Nanosheets by Rapid Microwave‐Heating Strategy with Robust Photoelectrochemical Oxygen Evolution Performance
Authors: Park Chae Eun , Senthil Raja Arumugam , Jeong Gyoung Hwa , Choi Myong Yong
Published: March 2023

High‐entropy oxides (HEO) have recently concerned interest as the most promising electrocatalytic materials for oxygen evolution reactions (OER). In this work, a new strategy to the synthesis of HEO nanostructures on Ti3C2Tx MXene via rapid microwave heating and subsequent calcination at a low temperature is reported. Furthermore, the influence of HEO loading on Ti3C2Tx MXene is investigated toward OER performance with and without visible‐light illumination in an alkaline medium. The obtained HEO/Ti3C2Tx‐0.5 hybrid exhibited an outstanding photoelectrochemical OER ability with a low overpotential of 331 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and a small Tafel slope of 71 mV dec−1, which exceeded that of a commercial IrO2 catalyst (340 mV at 10 mA cm−2). In particular, the fabricated water electrolyzer with the HEO/Ti3C2Tx‐0.5 hybrid as anode required a less potential of 1.62 V at 10 mA cm−2 under visible‐light illumination. Owing to the strong synergistic interaction between the HEO and Ti3C2Tx MXene, the HEO/Ti3C2Tx hybrid has a great electrochemical surface area, many metal active sites, high conductivity, and fast reaction kinetics, resulting in an excellent OER performance. This study offers an efficient strategy for synthesizing HEO‐based materials with high OER performance to produce high‐value hydrogen fuel.
A Carbon‐Free and Free‐Standing Cathode From Mixed‐Phase TiO2 for Photo‐Assisted Li–CO2 Battery
Authors: Long Lizhen , Ding Yaya , Liang Nina , Liu Jun , Liu Fuchi , Huang Sheng , Meng Yuezhong
Published: March 2023

Li–CO2 battery provides a new strategy to simultaneously solve the problems of energy storage and greenhouse effect. However, the severe polarization of CO2 reduction and CO2 evolution reaction impede the practical application. Herein, anodic TiO2 nanotube arrays are first introduced as carbon‐free and free‐standing cathode for photo‐assisted Li–CO2 battery, and the photo‐assisted charge and discharge mechanism is first clarified from the perspective of photocatalysis. Mixed‐phase TiO2 exhibits a long cycling life of 580 h (52 cycles) at 0.025 mA cm−2 and delivers a high discharge specific capacity of 3001 µAh cm−2 under UV illumination. The charge voltage dramatically reduces from 4.53 to 3.03 V under UV illumination. The improvement of photo‐assisted Li–CO2 battery performance relies on the synergistic effect of the hierarchical porous structure, strong UV absorption, efficient separation, and transfer of photo‐generated electrons and holes at hetero‐phase junction, and the facilitation of photo‐generated electrons and holes on CO2 reduction and CO2 evolution reaction. This work can provide useful guidance for designing efficient photocathode for photo‐assisted Li–CO2 battery and other metal–air batteries.
Regulation of Impedance Matching and Dielectric Loss Properties of N‐Doped Carbon Hollow Nanospheres Modified With Atomically Dispersed Cobalt Sites for Microwave Energy Attenuation
Authors: Li Bei , Ma Ziqian , Xu Jia , Zhang Xiao , Chen Yujin , Zhu Chunling
Published: March 2023

The rational design of lightweight, broad‐band, and high‐performance microwave absorbers is urgently required for addressing electromagnetic pollution issue. Metal single atoms (M–SAs) absorbers receive considerable interest in the field of microwave absorption due to the unique electronic structures of M–SAs. However, the simultaneous engineering of the morphology and electronic structure of M–SAs based absorbers remains challenging. Herein, a template‐assisted method is utilized to fabricate isolated Co–SAs on N‐doped hollow carbon spheres (NHCS@Co–SAs) for high‐performance microwave absorption. The combination of atomically dispersed Co sites and hollow supports endows NHCS@Co–SAs with excellent microwave absorption properties. Typically, at an ultralow filler content of 8 wt%, the minimum reflection loss and effective absorption bandwidth of the NHCS@Co–SAs are up to −44.96 dB and 5.25 GHz, respectively, while the absorbing thickness is only 2 mm. Theoretical calculations and experimental results indicate that the impedance matching characteristic and dielectric loss of the NHCSs can be tuned via the introduction of M–SAs, which are responsible for the excellent microwave absorption properties of NHCS@Co–SAs. This work provides an atomic‐level insight into the relationship between the electronic states of absorbers and their microwave absorption properties for developing advanced microwave absorbers.
Academic integrity in the age of Artificial Intelligence (AI) authoring apps
Authors: Yeo Marie Alina
Published: March 2023

What does it mean to write, learn to write, and teach writing in an age when students can use the latest artificial intelligence (AI) co‐authoring tools to produce entire essays without even adding an original idea or composing a single sentence? This article addresses questions of authorship and academic integrity concerning the use of AI writing assistants and the latest GPT‐3 (Generative Pre‐trained Transformer, Version 3) tools. It begins by problematizing the use of these tools, and then illustrates how students can use these tools to paraphrase, summarize, extend, and even create original texts with minimal original input, raising questions about authorship and academic integrity. The author argues that as these tools become more widespread, teachers must find creative ways to integrate them into the teaching and learning process and offer practical suggestions for classroom practice. The author hopes to raise awareness about threats to academic integrity brought about by the use of the latest AI co‐authoring tools and aims to equip teachers with strategies to embrace the use of these new digital technologies in the teaching of writing.
High-energy properties of the graviton scattering in quadratic gravity
Authors: Abe Yugo , Inami Takeo , Izumi Keisuke
Published: March 2023

Abstract

We obtain the matter-graviton scattering amplitude in the gravitational theory of quadratic curvature, which has $$ {R}_{\mu \nu}^2 $$

R
μν
2

term in the action. Unitarity bound is not satisfied because of the existence of negative norm states, while an analog of unitarity bound for S-matrix unitarity holds due to the cancelation among the positive norm states and negative norm ones in the unitarity summation in the optical theorem. The violation of unitarity bound is a counter example of Llewellyn Smith’s conjecture on the relation between tree-level unitarity and renormalizability. We have recently proposed a new conjecture that an analog of the unitarity bound for S-matrix unitarity gives the equivalent conditions to those for renormalizability. We show that the gravitational theory of quadratic curvature is a nontrivial example consistent with our conjecture.
A complete derived invariant for gentle algebras via winding numbers and Arf invariants
Authors: Amiot Claire , Plamondon Pierre-Guy , Schroll Sibylle
Published: March 2023

Gentle algebras are in bijection with admissible dissections of marked oriented surfaces. In this paper, we further study the properties of admissible dissections and we show that silting objects for gentle algebras are given by admissible dissections of the associated surface. We associate to each gentle algebra a line field on the corresponding surface and prove that the derived equivalence class of the algebra is completely determined by the homotopy class of the line field up to homeomorphism of the surface. Then, based on winding numbers and the Arf invariant of a certain quadratic form over $${\mathbb {Z}}_2$$

Z
2

, we translate this to a numerical complete derived invariant for gentle algebras.
Präoperative MRT-Bildgebung bei Hüftdysplasie
Authors: Lerch Till D. , Schmaranzer Florian
Published: March 2023

Hintergrund

Die Hüftdysplasie ist ein bekannter Grund für Hüftschmerzen bei Jugendlichen und jungen Erwachsenen. Die präoperative Bildgebung wurde durch die Fortschritte der MRT in den letzten Jahren immer wichtiger und hat heute einen hohen Stellenwert.

Ziel der Arbeit

Dieser Artikel soll einen Überblick über die präoperative Bildgebung bei Hüftdysplasie geben. Die azetabuläre Version, assoziierte femorale Deformitäten (Cam-Deformität, Valgus und femorale Antetorsion) und intraartikuläre Pathologien (Labrum- und Knorpelschäden) sowie verschiedene Messmethoden und Normwerte werden beschrieben.

Methoden

Die präoperative Bildgebung bei Hüftdysplasie beginnt mit dem a. p. Becken-Röntgenbild.

Die Schnittbildgebung (CT oder MRT) ist der Goldstandard zur Beurteilung der azetabulären Version, der Cam-Deformität und zur Messung der femoralen Antetorsion. Die azetabuläre Version und Überdachung sowie assoziierte femorale Deformitäten können detailliert analysiert werden. Für die femorale Antetorsion sollten die verschiedenen Messmethoden und Normalwerte berücksichtigt werden. Diese sind vor allem bei Patienten mit erhöhter femoraler Antetorsion zu beachten. Die MRT ermöglicht die Beurteilung der Labrumhypertrophie und subtile Zeichen der Hüftinstabilität. 3‑D-Knorpelmapping mittels MRT ermöglicht eine Quantifizierung der Knorpeldegeneration. Ossäre 3D Modelle mittels 3D‑CT und zunehmend mittels MRT ermöglichen zudem die Detektion extraartikulärer Pathologien, (z. B. ischiofemorales Impingement) die als Differenzialdiagnosen zu berücksichtigen sind.

Ergebnisse und Diskussion

Die Hüftdysplasie kann in anteriore, laterale und posteriore Dysplasie eingeteilt werden. Kombinierte Deformitäten sind bei der Hüftdysplasie häufig, eine Cam-Deformität kann bei bis zu 86 % der Patienten vorliegen. Valgusdeformitäten wurden bei 44 % beschrieben. Eine Hüftdysplasie kombiniert mit erhöhter femoraler Antetorsion kann bei bis zu 52 % der Patienten vorliegen. Bei erhöhter femoraler Antetorsion kann zudem ein posteriores intra- und extraartikuläres (ischiofemorales) Impingement zwischen dem Trochanter minor und dem Tuber ischiadicum auftreten. Labrumläsionen und -hypertrophie, subchondrale Zysten und Knorpelschäden sind typische Kollateralschäden bei Patienten mit Hüftdysplasie. Die Hypertrophie des M. iliocapsularis ist ein Instabilitäts Zeichen. Bei der präoperativen Bildgebung sind sowohl die azetabuläre Version und Morphologie als auch die femoralen Deformitäten zu berücksichtigen. Labrum- und Knorpelschäden sowie die assoziierten Deformitäten (u. a. Cam-Deformität und femorale Antetorsion) sind wichtig für die Therapieplanung von Patienten mit Hüftdysplasie. Die biochemische MRT-Bildgebung mittels Knorpelmapping-Techniken (u. a. dGEMRIC) hat großes Potenzial die präoperative Diagnostik und die Patientenselektion zu verbessern.
Children having children: early motherhood and offspring human capital in India
Authors: Perez-Alvarez M. , Favara M.
Published: March 2023

Using panel data from India, this paper investigates the effect of early maternal age on offspring human capital, contributing to the scarce evidence on this phenomenon, especially in the context of a developing country. The analysis relies on mother fixed effects to allow for unobserved differences between mothers and employs a variety of empirical strategies to address remaining sibling-specific concerns. Our results indicate that children born to young mothers are shorter for their age, with stronger effects for girls born to very young mothers. We also find some evidence suggesting that children born to very young mothers perform worse in math. By exploring the evolution of effects over time for the first time in the literature, we find that the height effect weakens as children age. Further analysis suggests both biological and behavioral factors as transmission channels.
Recurrent reversible in-stent-stenosis after flow diverter treatment
Authors: Garner Malvina , Fries Frederik , Haußmann Alena , Kettner Michael , Bachhuber Armin , Reith Wolfgang , Yilmaz Umut
Published: March 2023

Flow diverter stents (FDS) are well established in the treatment of intracranial aneurysms which are difficult to treat with conventional endovascular techniques. However, they carry a relatively high risk of specific complications compared to conventional stents. A minor but frequent finding is the occurrence of reversible in-stent-stenosis (ISS) that tend to resolve spontaneously over time. Here, we report the case of a patient in their 30s who was treated with FDS for bilateral paraophthalmic internal carotid artery (ICA) aneurysms. ISS were found at the respective early follow-up examinations on both sides and had resolved at the 1-year follow-up examinations. Surprisingly ISS reoccurred at both sides in later follow-up examinations and again resolved spontaneously. The recurrence of ISS after resolution is a finding that has not been described previously. Its incidence and further development should be investigated systematically. This might contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the effect of FDS.
Anti-PD-1 therapy in advanced sarcomas: is cutaneous primary site a stronger predictor of response than histologic subtype?
Authors: Miao Ruoyu , Swank Jennifer , Melzer Dan , Ludlow Steven , Clark Leah , Finger Molly , Reed Damon R. , Druta Mihaela , Brohl Andrew S.
Published: March 2023

Background

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have shown modest antitumor activity in unselected advanced sarcomas. Histology driven approach to patient selection is the current standard for off-label anti-programmed cell death 1 (PD1) immunotherapy use.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with advanced sarcoma who were treated with off label anti-PD1 immunotherapy at our center.

Results

A total of 84 patients with 25 histological subtypes were included. Nineteen patients (23%) had a cutaneous primary tumor site. Eighteen patients (21%) were classified as having clinical benefit, including 1 patient with complete response, 14 with partial response, and 3 with stable disease lasting over 6 months with previously progressive disease. Cutaneous primary site location was associated with higher clinical benefit rate (58% vs. 11%, p < 0.001), longer median PFS (8.6 vs. 2.5 months, p = 0.003) and OS (19.0 vs. 9.2 months, p = 0.011), compared to non-cutaneous primary. Patients with histological subtypes that pembrolizumab is indicated per current National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines had modestly higher rate of clinical benefit versus other histologies, however, the difference was statistically insignificant (29% vs. 15%, p = 0.182) and no statistically significant difference in PFS or OS was observed between these groups. Immune-related adverse events were more frequently seen among patients with clinical benefit (72% vs. 35%, p = 0.007).

Conclusions

Anti-PD1-based immunotherapy is highly efficacious in advanced sarcomas of cutaneous primary site. Cutaneous primary site location is a stronger predictor of ICI response than histologic subtype and should be accounted for in treatment guidelines and clinical trial design.
Anatomical variants complicating the posterior approaches towards the elbow joint
Authors: Kunc Vojtech , Benes Michal , Veigl David , Kachlik David
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Anatomical variants observed during the posterior approach to the elbow joint require special attention due to their clinical relevance. We aim to present a compendious review of described variants potentially encountered during the posterior approach towards the elbow joint to the experts in the elbow surgery.

Methods

A narrative review of surgical and anatomical textbooks, as well as search of scientific databases was carried out.

Results

Variability of the subcutaneous nerves is important during incision planning. Accessory muscles such as dorsoepitrochlearis, chondroepitrochlearis, epitrochleoanconeus, subanconeus or supernumerary flexor carpi ulnaris may confuse even the senior surgeon during the dissection and possibly complicate the fracture reduction. Some bony variants such as supratrochlear foramen may lead to fracture or possibly interfere with the osteosynthesis placement. Accessory bones are also present in the region of the elbow joint. Those situated intra-articular may present with symptoms.

Conclusion

Many variants can be encountered in the area of the elbow joint and their knowledge is essential to truly understand its anatomy. The presented review enables easier orientation in the current literature with the aim on the posterior approach towards the elbow joint.
Does paraspinal muscle morphometry predict functional status and re-operation after lumbar spinal surgery? A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Han Gengyu , Wu Haotian , Dai Jinyue , Li Xinhang , Yue Lihao , Fan Zheyu , Li Qiaoyu , Shao Qirui , Jiang Yu , Li Weishi
Published: March 2023

Objectives

Whether paraspinal muscle degeneration is related to poor clinical outcomes after lumbar surgery is still indistinct, which limits its clinical application. This study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of paraspinal muscle morphology on functional status and re-operation after lumbar spinal surgery.

Methods

A review of the literature was conducted using a total of 6917 articles identified from a search of PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases through September 2022. A full-text review of 140 studies was conducted based on criteria including an objective assessment of preoperative paraspinal muscle morphology including multifidus (MF), erector spinae (ES), and psoas major (PS) in addition to measuring its relationship to clinical outcomes including Oswestry disability index (ODI), pain and revision surgery. Meta-analysis was performed when required metrics could be calculated in ≥ three studies, otherwise vote counting model was a good alternative to show the effect direction of evidence. The standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated.

Results

A total of 10 studies were included in this review. Of them, five studies with required metrics were included in the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis suggested that higher preoperative fat infiltration (FI) of MF could predict higher postoperative ODI scores (SMD = 0.33, 95% CI 0.16–0.50, p = 0.0001). For postoperative pain, MF FI could also be an effective predictor for persistent low back pain after surgery (SMD = 0.17, 95% CI 0.02–0.31, p = 0.03). However, in the vote count model, limited evidence was presented for the prognostic effects of ES and PS on postoperative functional status and symptoms. In terms of revision surgery, there was conflicting evidence that FI of MF and ES could predict the incidence of revision surgery in the vote count model.

Conclusion

The assessment of MF FI could be a viable method to stratify patients with lumbar surgery by the risk of severe functional disability and low back pain.

Key Points

• The fat infiltration of multifidus can predict postoperative functional status and low back pain after lumbar spinal surgery.

• The preoperative evaluation of paraspinal muscle morphology is conducive for surgeons.
Artifact reduction in lenslet array near-eye displays
Authors: Ye Bi , Fujimoto Yuichiro , Sawabe Taishi , Kanbara Masayuki , Kato Hirokazu
Published: March 2023

Lenslet array near-eye displays are a revolutionary technology that generates a virtual image in the field of view of the observer. Although this technology is advantageous in creating compact near-eye displays, undesirable artifacts occur when the user pupil moves outside of the pupil practical movable region (PPMR). Even with dynamic image updating based on eye-tracking techniques, artifacts can still be perceived when human eyes turn rapidly. To enlarge PPMR, we proposed a new rendering method in previous work. To improve the rendering speed in the eye tracking system, look-up tables are used. The disadvantage of the onboard system is the large memory consumption. In this study, we analyzed the system parameters of the incident pupil and pupil margin light columns, the feasibility of the optimized system, and evaluated the optimized system that can adapt to the maximum velocity of the saccadic pupil movement. We optimized the rendering method to reduce memory consumption in the process of generating microdisplay images. In addition, we provide GPU rendering method to improve system speed and reduce system latency to meet the maximum human eye rotation speed. We conducted user studies to evaluate the effect of the method using the optimized rendering method combined with eye tracking to reduce artifacts for fast eye rotation on different images and videos. Results showed that our method effectively reduced artifacts via the optimized rendering method with eye tracking, which adapted to faster human eye movements.
Short- to mid-term results of minimally invasive lateral unicompartmental knee replacement: 133 cases in a non-designer series
Authors: Hariri Mustafa , Hagemann Merlin , Koch Kevin-Arno , Reiner Tobias , Panzram Benjamin , Merle Christian , Renkawitz Tobias , Walker Tilman
Published: March 2023

Introduction

The aim of the current study was to demonstrate short- to mid-term survivorship as well as clinical outcome of lateral unicompartmental knee replacement (UKR) with a fixed-bearing (FB) design from a non-designer center using the Oxford Fixed Lateral prosthesis.

Materials and methods

This single-center retrospective cohort study reports the results of 133 consecutive lateral FB-UKR. Survivorship analysis was performed with different endpoints and clinical outcome was measured using the Oxford-Knee-Score (OKS), American-Knee-Society-Score (AKSS-O), range-of-motion (ROM) and visual-analog-scale for pain (VAS).

Results

There were two revision surgeries with conversion to total knee replacements (TKR) due to persistent pain resulting in a survival rate of 98.5% (95% CI 93.5–99.6) with a mean follow-up (FU) of 3.3 ± 1.8 years (range 1–8.5). All outcome scores, VAS and ROM showed a significant improvement at final FU (p < 0.001). The OKS improved from 26 ± 7.8 (range 11–45) preoperatively to 39 ± 8.3 (range 13–48), the AKSS-O from 49.2 ± 14.6 (range 18–90) to 81.8 ± 15.1 (range 40–100), the AKSS-F from 53 ± 23.7 (range 0–100) to 80.4 ± 21.4 (range 5–100) and the ROM from 118 ± 17 (range 90–160) to 134 ± 9.5 (range 100–155).

Conclusions

The short- to mid-term results following lateral FB-UKR demonstrate a high survivorship and good clinical outcome from an independent series. We, therefore, suggest that FB-UKR is a safe treatment option for isolated lateral OA if sufficient surgical experience is provided.

Level of evidence

Retrospective cohort study, level IV.
Exposure–response relation for vibration-induced white finger: inferences from a published meta-analysis of population groups
Authors: Scholz Magdalena F. , Brammer Anthony J. , Marburg Steffen
Published: March 2023

Purpose

It is questioned whether the exposure–response relation for the onset of vibration-induced white finger (VWF) in ISO 5349-1:2001 needs to be revised based on the epidemiologic studies identified by Nilsson et al. (PLoS One https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0180795, 2017), and whether the relation they derive improves the prediction of VWF in vibration-exposed populations.

Methods

A pooled analysis has been performed using epidemiologic studies that complied with selection rules and reported a VWF prevalence of 10% or more, and exposure constructed according to the provisions of ISO 5349-1:2001. The lifetime exposures at 10% prevalence were calculated for various data sets using linear interpolation. They were then compared to both the model from the standard and that developed by Nilsson et al.

Results

Regression analyses reveal excluding extrapolation to adjust group prevalences to 10% produce models with 95-percentile confidence intervals that include the ISO exposure–response relation but not that in Nilsson et al. (2017). Different curve fits are obtained for studies involving daily exposure to single or multiple power tools and machines. Studies with similar exposure magnitudes and lifetime exposure durations but markedly different prevalences are observed to cluster.

Conclusions

A range of exposures and A(8)-values is predicted within which the onset of VWF is most likely to occur. The exposure–response relation in ISO 5349-1:2001, but not that proposed by Nilsson et al., falls within this range and provides a conservative estimate for the development of VWF. In addition, the analyses suggest that the method for evaluating vibration exposure contained in ISO 5349-1:2001 needs revision.
Habitual physical activity in patients born with oesophageal atresia: a multicenter cross-sectional study and comparison to a healthy reference cohort matched for gender and age
Authors: König Tatjana Tamara , Frankenbach Maria-Luisa , Gianicolo Emilio , Holler Anne-Sophie , von Sochaczewski Christina Oetzmann , Wessel Lucas , Widenmann Anke , Klos Leon , Kolb Simon , Siaplaouras Jannos , Niessner Claudia
Published: March 2023

Oesophageal atresia (EA) is associated with life-long gastrointestinal and respiratory morbidity and other associated malformations. The aim of this study is to compare physical activity (PA) levels of children and adolescents with and without EA. A validated questionnaire (MoMo-PAQ) was used to evaluate PA in EA patients EA (4–17 years), who were randomly matched for gender and age (1:5) with a representative sample of the Motorik-Modul Longitudinal Study (n = 6233). Sports activity per week (sports index) and minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week (MVPA minutes) were calculated. Correlations between PA and medical factors were analysed. In total, 104 patients and 520 controls were included. Children with EA were significantly less active at higher intensities (mean MPVA minutes 462; 95% confidence interval (CI): 370–554) compared to controls (626; 95% CI: 576–676), although there was no statistically significant difference in the sports index (187; 95% CI: 156–220 versus 220; 95% CI: 203–237). A lower mean weight-for-age and height-for-age, additional urogenital (r =  − 0.20, p = 0.04) or anorectal malformation (r =  − 0.24, p = 0.01) were associated with fewer MVPA minutes. For other medical factors (prematurity, type of repair, congenital heart disease, skeletal malformation or symptom load), no statistically significant association with PA was found.

  Conclusion: EA patients participated in PA at a similar level but lower intensities compared to the reference cohort. PA in EA patients was largely independent of medical factors.

Trial registration: German Clinical Trials Register (ID: DRKS00025276) on September 6, 2021.

What is Known:

• Oesophageal atresia is associated with a low body weight and height, delayed development of motor skills and impaired lung function and exercise capacity.

What is New:

• Patients with oesophageal atresia have a similar amount of sports activity per week but engage significantly less in moderate to vigorous physical activities compared to peers.

• Physical activity was  associated with weight-for-age and height-for-age, but largely independent of symptom load and other medical factors.
Evidenzbasierung der psychodynamischen Psychotherapie anhand anerkannter Kriterien zur Bewertung der Wirksamkeit von Psychotherapieverfahren
Authors: Töpfer Nils F.
Published: March 2023

Gemäß dem neuen Psychotherapeutengesetz (PsychThG) soll das zukünftige Approbationsstudium Studierende in die Lage versetzen, die Wirksamkeit von Psychotherapieverfahren anhand anerkannter Merkmale für die Bewertung ihrer wissenschaftlichen Evidenz beurteilen zu können. Vor diesem Hintergrund werden im vorliegenden Beitrag die nationalen und internationalen Kriterien zur Evidenzbewertung vorgestellt und anhand derer die Wirksamkeit von psychodynamischer Psychotherapie zusammengefasst. Berücksichtigt werden die im Methodenpapier des Wissenschaftlichen Beirats Psychotherapie geforderten Kriterien zur wissenschaftlichen Anerkennung von Psychotherapieverfahren, die lange Zeit international einflussreichsten Kriterien von Chambless et al. (1998) sowie die aktuellen Kriterien von Tolin et al. (2015). Es wird auf Kritik an den Kriterien zur Evidenzbewertung (unter anderem zur störungsspezifischen Indikation), auf aktuelle Kontroversen (unter anderem zur Wirksamkeit von psychodynamischer Langzeittherapie und analytischer Psychotherapie, zur Verfahrensorientierung) und die Relevanz der Beteiligung von praktizierenden psychodynamischen Psychotherapeut:innen an Forschungsprojekten eingegangen. Für die adäquate Beurteilung der Wirksamkeit der psychodynamischen Psychotherapie, insbesondere der Langzeittherapien und der analytischen Psychotherapie, ist es wichtig, längere Nachuntersuchungszeiträume einzubeziehen und Veränderungen auch in stärkerem Einklang mit psychodynamischen Annahmen zu therapeutischen Veränderungsprozessen zu erfassen.
Oxonium diimidotriphosphate from the hydrolysis of trimetaphosphimic acid
Authors: Günther Daniel , Paulmann Carsten , Oeckler Oliver
Published: March 2023

Trimetaphosphimates decompose not only upon heating but also in water. Hydrolysis of trimetaphosphimic acid leads to the formation of diimidotriphosphoric acid by ring opening. Single-crystal structure determination using synchrotron radiation revealed the oxonium salt of the latter acid with double stacks of rod-shaped anions along [001]. Anharmonic displacement parameters were used to model slight disorder of part of the anions. These are interconnected by hydrogen bonds within and between the stacks. Powder X-ray diffraction confirmed phase purity. At temperatures above 120 °C, diimidotriphosphoric acid decomposes into unknown crystalline compounds. It thus seems a promising precursor for the synthesis of oxonitridophosphates at moderate temperatures.

Graphical abstract
An irrigation scheduling algorithm for sustainable energy consumption in pressurised irrigation networks supplied by photovoltaic modules
Authors: Navarro-González F. J. , Pardo M. Á. , Chabour H. E. , Alskaif T.
Published: March 2023

To meet water demands, pressurised irrigation networks often need pumping devices, whose power demand varies with the pump head, the flow rate delivered and the pump efficiency. To satisfy the energy demand of pumps, solar photovoltaic panels can be used as a renewable energy source. Since the electricity supply of a solar photovoltaics plant depends on irradiance, the energy that powers the pump varies with the time of the day. This study presents a strategy for scheduling water delivery by irrigation pumps, synchronising energy production in solar photovoltaic modules and minimising the installation size. An optimisation algorithm is proposed, which changes the energy required by pumping devices and adjusts them to the available solar energy supply, minimising the number of panels required. This problem applies to a pressurised irrigation network, where the utility manager may irrigate crops at all hours of the day. By adopting the proposed algorithm, irrigation will follow a rigid rotation schedule to follow the new irrigation plan. This approach improves earlier studies by employing a least-square scheduling algorithm with little computing time. This results in a tool for managers and decision-makers when evaluating the possibility of converting their irrigation network into a stand-alone system supplied by photovoltaic panels. A case study handling this issue in the University of Alicante’s pressurised irrigation network in Spain is proposed to find potential energy savings by connecting the recommended scheduling irrigating plan to the present operation.

Graphical abstract
The putative pleiotropic functions of meprin β in gastric cancer
Authors: Siemsen Wiebke , Halske Christine , Behrens Hans-Michael , Krüger Sandra , Becker-Pauly Christoph , Röcken Christoph
Published: March 2023

Background

The gastric microbiome and inflammation play a key role in gastric cancer (GC) by regulating the immune response in a complex manner and by inflammatory events supporting carcinogenesis. Meprin β is a zinc endopeptidase and participates in tissue homeostasis, intestinal barrier function and immunological processes. It influences local inflammatory processes, dysbiosis and the microbiome. Here, we tested the hypothesis that meprin β is expressed in GC and of tumor biological significance.

Patients and methods

Four hundred forty whole mount tissue sections of patients with therapy-naive GC were stained with an anti-meprin β antibody. The histoscore and staining pattern were analyzed for each case. Following dichotomization at the median histoscore into a “low” and “high” group, the expression was correlated with numerous clinicopathological patient characteristics.

Results

Meprin β was found intracellularly and at the cell membrane of GC. Cytoplasmic expression correlated with the phenotype according to Lauren, microsatellite instability and PD-L1 status. Membranous expression correlated with intestinal phenotype, mucin-1-, E-cadherin-, β-catenin status, mucin typus, microsatellite instability, KRAS mutation and PD-L1-positivity. Patients with cytoplasmic expression of meprin β showed a better overall and tumor-specific survival.

Conclusions

Meprin β is differentially expressed in GC and has potential tumor biological relevance. It might function as a tumor suppressor or promotor depending on histoanatomical site and context.
From zero-shot machine learning to zero-day attack detection
Authors: Sarhan Mohanad , Layeghy Siamak , Gallagher Marcus , Portmann Marius
Published: March 2023

Machine learning (ML) models have proved efficient in classifying data samples into their respective categories. The standard ML evaluation methodology assumes that test data samples are derived from pre-observed classes used in the training phase. However, in applications such as Network Intrusion Detection Systems (NIDSs), obtaining data samples of all attack classes to be observed is challenging. ML-based NIDSs face new attack traffic known as zero-day attacks that are not used in training due to their non-existence at the time. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel zero-shot learning methodology to evaluate the performance of ML-based NIDSs in recognising zero-day attack scenarios. In the attribute learning stage, the learning models map network data features to semantic attributes that distinguish between known attacks and benign behaviour. In the inference stage, the models construct the relationships between known and zero-day attacks to detect them as malicious. A new evaluation metric is defined as Zero-day Detection Rate (Z-DR) to measure the effectiveness of the learning model in detecting unknown attacks. The proposed framework is evaluated using two key ML models and two modern NIDS data sets. The results demonstrate that for certain zero-day attack groups discovered in this paper, ML-based NIDSs are ineffective in detecting them as malicious. Further analysis shows that attacks with a low Z-DR have a significantly distinct feature distribution and a higher Wasserstein Distance range than the other attack classes.
Macrophages immunomodulation induced by Porphyromonas gingivalis and oral antimicrobial peptides
Authors: Blancas-Luciano Blanca Esther , Zamora-Chimal Jaime , da Silva-de Rosenzweig Pablo Gomes , Ramos-Mares Mariana , Fernández-Presas Ana María
Published: March 2023

Porphyromonas gingivalis is a keystone pathogen associated with periodontitis development, a chronic inflammatory pathology characterized by the destruction of the supporting teeth structure. Macrophages are recruited cells in the inflammatory infiltrate from patients with periodontitis. They are activated by the P. gingivalis virulence factors arsenal, promoting an inflammatory microenvironment characterized by cytokine production (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6), prostaglandins, and metalloproteinases (MMPs) that foster the tissular destruction characteristic of periodontitis. Furthermore, P. gingivalis suppresses the generation of nitric oxide, a potent antimicrobial molecule, through its degradation, and incorporating its byproducts as a source of energy. Oral antimicrobial peptides can contribute to controlling the disease due to their antimicrobial and immunoregulatory activity, which allows them to maintain homeostasis in the oral cavity. This study aimed to analyze the immunopathological role of macrophages activated by P. gingivalis in periodontitis and suggested using antimicrobial peptides as therapeutic agents to treat the disease.
Decentralized brokered enabled ecosystem for data marketplace in smart cities towards a data sharing economy
Authors: Anthony Bokolo
Published: March 2023

Presently data are indispensably important as cities consider data as a commodity which can be traded to earn revenues. In urban environment, data generated from internet of things devices, smart meters, smart sensors, etc. can provide a new source of income for citizens and enterprises who are data owners. These data can be traded as digital assets. To support such trading digital data marketplaces have emerged. Data marketplaces promote a data sharing economy which is crucial for provision of available data useful for cities which aims to develop data driven services. But currently existing data marketplaces are mostly inadequate due to several issues such as security, efficiency, and adherence to privacy regulations. Likewise, there is no consolidated understanding of how to achieve trust and fairness among data owners and data sellers when trading data. Therefore, this study presents the design of an ecosystem which comprises of a distributed ledger technology data marketplace enabled by message queueing telemetry transport (MQTT) to facilitate trust and fairness among data owners and data sellers. The designed ecosystem for data marketplaces is powered by IOTA technology and MQTT broker to support the trading of sdata sources by automating trade agreements, negotiations and payment settlement between data producers/sellers and data consumers/buyers. Overall, findings from this article discuss the issues associated in developing a decentralized data marketplace for smart cities suggesting recommendations to enhance the deployment of decentralized and distributed data marketplaces.
Male Fertility and Internal Migration in Rural and Urban Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Menashe-Oren Ashira , Sánchez-Páez David A.
Published: March 2023

Subnational differences in male fertility within sub-Saharan African countries have not been explored, nor the differences in male fertility according to migration status been sufficiently probed. We study divergences in rural and urban male fertility and investigate the relationship between male fertility and migration across 30 sub-Saharan African countries. We employ 67 Demographic and Health Surveys to estimate completed cohort fertility among men aged 50–64 according to migration status. Overall, we find that urban male fertility has declined faster than rural male fertility, widening the gap between the sectors. Rural-urban migrant men have lower fertility than their rural non-migrant counterparts. Men migrating within the rural sector have similarly high fertility as rural non-migrants, while urban–urban migrant men have even lower fertility than non-migrant urban men. Using country-fixed effects models, we find that among men with at least secondary education, differences in completed cohort fertility by migration status are widest. When we consider the timing of migration in relation to the timing of the birth of the last child, we observe that migrant men are a select group, having around two children less than non-migrant rural men. There is also evidence of adaptation to destination, though to a lesser extent. Furthermore, migration within the rural sector does not seem to be disruptive to fathering. These results indicate that rural-to-urban migration has the potential to delay rural fertility decline, and that urban male fertility is likely to decline further, especially as the proportion of urban-to-urban migration increases.