bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A century of exercise physiology: key concepts in muscle energetics
Authors: Barclay C. J.
Published: October 2022

In the mid-nineteenth century, the concept of muscle behaving like a stretched spring was developed. This elastic model of contraction predicted that the energy available to perform work was established at the start of a contraction. Despite several studies showing evidence inconsistent with the elastic model, it persisted into the twentieth century. In 1923, W. O. Fenn published a paper in which he presented evidence that appeared to clearly refute the elastic model. Fenn showed that when a muscle performs work it produces more heat than when contracting isometrically. He proposed that energy for performing work was only made available in a muscle as and when that work was performed. However, his ideas were not adopted and it was only after 15 years of technical developments that in 1938 A. V. Hill performed experiments that conclusively disproved the elastic model and supported Fenn’s conclusions. Hill showed that the rate of heat production increased as a muscle made the transition from isometric to working contraction. Understanding the basis of the phenomenon observed by Fenn and Hill required another 40 years in which the processes that generate force and work in muscle and the associated scheme of biochemical reactions were established. Demonstration of the biochemical equivalent of Hill’s observations—changes in rate of ATP splitting when performing work—in 1999 was possible through further technical advances. The concept that the energy, from ATP splitting, required to perform work is dynamically modulated in accord with the loads a muscle encounters when contracting is key to understanding muscle energetics.
Pembrolizumab for all
Authors: Kim Myung S. , Prasad Vinay
Published: October 2022

The current approval indications for pembrolizumab are complex, reflecting the inclusion criteria of numerous clinical trials that led to approvals. Here we argue that allowing the use of pembrolizumab to any advanced solid tumor in any tumor type in any line of therapy for a fixed duration may be preferable to the current assortment of indications. The aggregate response rate in landmark clinical trials for approved indications of pembrolizumab is low and even lower in real-world populations. Due to heterogeneity of response to checkpoint inhibitors and limited predictive biomarkers, there are subsets of patients without approved indications for pembrolizumab that may have response to checkpoint inhibitors. The current regulatory framework of numerous overlapping clinical trials leading to complex approval indications is redundant and inefficient. We conclude that giving pembrolizumab in any metastatic solid tumor in any setting may lead to better outcomes with minimal increase in cost. Randomized clinical trials should focus more on optimal duration of treatment based on tumor type and initial response to checkpoint inhibitors.
On Alexandrov L-fuzzy nearness (II)
Authors: Elkordy Enas H. , Ramadan Ahmed A. , Ahmed Reham M.
Published: October 2022

The Alexandrov L-fuzzy nearness is a new addition to the L-fuzzy systems that is the base for intelligent systems and its wide applications in various fields. This paper represents the connections among L-fuzzy nearness and various L-fuzzy systems such as: L-fuzzy rough sets, L-fuzzy semi-topogenous orders and L-fuzzy uniformities in complete residuated lattices. Moreover, we show that there is a Galois correspondence between the categories of those mentioned systems.
Handling of missing items in the Oswestry disability index and the neck disability index. A study from Swespine, the National Swedish spine register
Authors: Joelson Anders , Fritzell Peter , Hägg Olle
Published: October 2022

Purpose

The Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and the Neck Disability Index (NDI) scoring algorithms used by the Swedish spine register (Swespine) until April 2022 handled missing items somewhat differently than the original algorithms. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate possible differences in the ODI and NDI scores between the Swespine and the original scoring algorithms.

Methods

Patients surgically treated for degenerative conditions of the lumbar or cervical spine between 2003–2019 (lumbar) and 2006–2019 (cervical) were identified in Swespine. Preoperative and 1-year postoperative ODI/NDI data were used to evaluate differences between the Swespine and the original ODI/NDI algorithms with adjustment for at most 1 or 2 missing items using mean imputation.

Results

The preoperative as well as the 1-year postoperative ODI/NDI were approximately 1 unit out of 100 smaller for the Swespine algorithm, irrespective of adjustment model. The differences between preoperative and postoperative ODI/NDI scores were similar between the Swespine and the original scoring algorithms. There were occasional statistically significant differences between the preoperative–postoperative differences due to large sample sizes.

Conclusions

The Swespine algorithms, used until April 2022, underestimated the ODI and NDI by approximately 1 out of 100 units compared with the original algorithms. In addition, there were no statistically significant differences between the original algorithms when adjusting for at most 1 or 2 missing items. The algorithm has now been changed, also for historical data.
Defining activities in neurovascular microsurgery training: entrustable professional activities for vascular neurosurgery
Authors: van Lieshout Jasper Hans , Malzkorn Bastian , Steiger Hans-Jakob , Karadag Cihat , Kamp Marcel A. , Vajkoczy Peter , Beck Jürgen , Peschillo Simone , Rohde Veit , Walsh Daniel , Lukshin Vasiliy , Korja Miikka , Cenzato Marco , Raabe Andreas , Gruber Andreas , Hänggi Daniel , Boogaarts H. D.
Published: October 2022

Background

Entrustable professional activities (EPAs) represent an assessment framework with an increased focus on competency-based assessment. Originally developed and adopted for undergraduate medical education, concerns over resident ability to practice effectively after graduation have led to its implementation in residency training but yet not in vascular neurosurgery. Subjective assessment of resident or fellow performance can be problematic, and thus, we aim to define core EPAs for neurosurgical vascular training.

Methods

We used a nominal group technique in a multistep interaction between a team of experienced neurovascular specialists and a medical educator to identify relevant EPAs. Panel members provided feedback on the EPAs until they reached consent.

Results

The process produced seven core procedural EPAs for vascular residency and fellowship training, non-complex aneurysm surgery, complex aneurysm surgery, bypass surgery, arteriovenous malformation resection, spinal dural fistula surgery, perioperative management, and clinical decision-making.

Conclusion

These seven EPAs for vascular neurosurgical training may support and guide the neurosurgical society in the development and implementation of EPAs as an evaluation tool and incorporate entrustment decisions in their training programs.
Practical planning and execution of groupjoin and nested aggregates
Authors: Fent Philipp , Birler Altan , Neumann Thomas
Published: October 2022

Groupjoins combine execution of ajoinand a subsequentgroup-by. They are common in analytical queries and occur in about "Equation missing"of the queries in TPC-H and TPC-DS. While they were originally invented to improve performance, efficient parallel execution of groupjoins can be limited by contention in many-core systems. Efficient implementations of groupjoins are highly desirable, as groupjoins are not only used to fuse group-by and join, but are also useful to efficiently execute nested aggregates. For these, the query optimizer needs to reason over the result of aggregation to optimally schedule it. Traditional systems quickly reach their limits of selectivity and cardinality estimations over computed columns and often treat group-by as an optimization barrier. In this paper, we present techniques to efficiently estimate, plan, and execute groupjoins and nested aggregates. We propose four novel techniques,aggregate estimatesto predict the result distributions of aggregates,parallel groupjoin executionfor scalable execution of groupjoins,index groupjoins, and a greedyeager aggregationoptimization technique that introduces nested preaggregations to significantly improve execution plans. The resulting system has improved estimates, better execution plans, and a contention-free evaluation of groupjoins, which speeds up TPC-H and TPC-DS queries significantly.
Flight speed and time of day heavily influence rainforest canopy wildlife counts from drone-mounted thermal camera surveys
Authors: Whitworth Andrew , Pinto Carolina , Ortiz Johan , Flatt Eleanor , Silman Miles
Published: October 2022

The payload size and commercial availability of thermal infrared cameras mounted on drones has initiated a new wave in the potential for conservationists and researchers to survey, count and detect wildlife, even the most complex of habitats such as forest canopies. However, several fundamental design and methodological questions remain to be tested before standardized monitoring approaches can be broadly adopted. We test the impact of both the speed of drone flights and diel flight period on tropical rainforest canopy wildlife detections. Detection and identification rates differ between both flight speeds and diel time. Overall ~ 36% more detections were made during slower flight speeds, along with a greater ability to categorize taxonomic groups. Flights conducted at 3am resulted in ~ 67% more detections compared to flights conducted at 7am (the diel period with the lowest detection rate). However, 112% more detections could be identified to taxonomic group in 7am flights compared with 3am flights – due to the types of wildlife being identified and the assistance of the RGB camera. Although, this technology holds great promise for carrying out surveys in structurally complex and poorly known ecosystems like forest canopies, there is more to do in further methodological testing, and building automated post-processing systems. Our results suggest that drone studies in the same habitat types, with the same animal densities, could be off by multiples if flown during different times and/or at different speeds. The difference could be an alarming 5-6x variation in animal detections or identification depending on changes in these two factors alone.
Temporal frequency dependence of the polarity inversion between upper and lower visual field in the pattern-onset steady-state visual evoked potential
Authors: Kessler Roman , Heinrich Sven P.
Published: October 2022

Purpose

According to the cruciform model, the upper and lower halves of the visual field representation in the primary visual cortex are located mainly on the opposite sides of the calcarine sulcus. Such a shape would have consequences for the surface-recorded visual evoked potential (VEP), as V1 responses to stimulation of the upper and lower hemifield manifest with opposite polarity (i.e., polarity inversion). However, the steady-state VEP results from a complex superposition of response components from different cortical sources, which can obscure the inversion of polarity. The present study assesses the issue for different stimulation frequencies which result in different patterns of superposition in the steady-state response.

Methods

Sequences of brief pattern-onset stimuli were presented at different stimulation rates ranging from 2 Hz (transient VEP) to 13 Hz (steady-state VEP). The upper and lower hemifields were tested separately and simultaneously. The data were assessed both in the time domain and in the frequency domain.

Results

Comparing the responses to the stimulation of upper and lower hemifield, polarity inversion was present within a limited time interval following individual stimulus onsets. With increasing frequency, this resulted in an approximate inversion of the full steady-state response and consequently in a phase shift of approximately 180° in the time-domain response. Polarity inversion was more prominent at electrode Pz, also for transient responses. Our data also demonstrated that the sum of the hemifield responses is a good approximation of the full-field response.

Conclusion

While the basic phenomenon of polarity inversion occurs irrespective of the stimulus frequency, its relative impact on the steady-state response as a whole is the largest for high stimulation rates. We propose that this is because longer-lasting response components from other visual areas are not well represented in the steady-state VEP at higher frequencies.
The 100-m X-ray test facility at IHEP
Authors: Wang Yusa , Zhao Zijian , Hou Dongjie , Yang Xiongtao , Chen Can , Li Xinqiao , Zhu Yuxuan , Zhao Xiaofan , Ma Jia , Xu He , Chen Yupeng , Wang Guofeng , Lu Fangjun , Zhang Shuangnan , Zhang Shu , Chen Yong , Xu Yupeng
Published: October 2022

The 100-m X-ray Test Facility of the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP) was initially proposed in 2012 for the test and calibration of the X-ray detectors of the Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (HXMT) with the capability to support future X-ray missions. The large instrument chamber connected with a long vacuum tube can accommodate the X-ray mirror, focal plane detector and other instruments. The X-ray sources are installed at the other end of the vacuum tube with a distance of 105 m, which can provide an almost parallel X-ray beam covering 0.2$$\sim$$
∼
60 keV energy band. The X-ray mirror modules of the Einstein Probe (EP) and the enhanced X-ray Timing and Polarimetry mission (eXTP) and payload of the Gravitational wave high-energy Electromagnetic Counterpart All-sky Monitor (GECAM) have been tested and calibrated with this facility. It has been also used to characterize the focal plane camera and aluminum filter used on the Einstein Probe. In this paper, we will introduce the overall configuration and capability of the facility, and give a brief introduction of some calibration results performed with this facility.
Could Sensory Differences Be a Sex-Indifferent Biomarker of Autism? Early Investigation Comparing Tactile Sensitivity Between Autistic Males and Females
Authors: Asaridou Magdalini , Wodka Ericka L. , Edden Richard A. E. , Mostofsky Stewart H. , Puts Nicolaas A. J. , He Jason L.
Published: October 2022

Sensory differences are highly prevalent in autistic individuals. However, few studies have compared their presentation between autistic males and autistic females. We used psychophysics to assess and compare tactile perceptual sensitivity between autistic and non-autistic boys and girls aged between 8 and 12 years of age. While there were sex-differences of amplitude discrimination, frequency discrimination and order judgement thresholds, these sex-differences were not autism-specific. Mean RTs and detection thresholds were elevated in autism but were comparable between the sexes. Tactile sensitivity measures that are elevated in autism but are otherwise comparable between autistic males and autistic females suggest the possibility that certain sensory features could be used as sex-indifferent markers of autism. Further investigation with larger and more representative samples should be conducted before any stronger conclusions are made.
Spray-flame-synthesized Sr- and Fe-substituted LaCoO3 perovskite nanoparticles with enhanced OER activities
Authors: Alkan Baris , Braun Michael , Landrot Gautier , Rüdiger Olaf , Andronescu Corina , DeBeer Serena , Schulz Christof , Wiggers Hartmut
Published: October 2022

La1–xSrxCoO3 (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2) and LaCo0.8Fe0.2O3 perovskite nanoparticles were synthesized by spray-flame synthesis, and their electrocatalytic water oxidation activity was evaluated in the prepared state. Highly crystalline, rhombohedrally distorted cubic structures of the cobaltite perovskites were confirmed by STEM and XRD analyses. The decreased JT distortions were observed in the cobaltite perovskite structure upon substitution with Sr, while orthorhombic distortions in Fe-substituted perovskites could explain the changes in their Raman spectra. Debye–Waller factors and coordination numbers from fitted EXAFS data indicate more disordered crystalline structures upon Sr substitution and a lower Co–O coordination number at 20 at% Sr. Thermal characterization of the catalysts by STA coupled with QMS shows higher mass losses in Sr-substituted catalysts, and these results were associated with a higher concentration of carbonate species in these catalysts, which was also confirmed by XPS measurements. Both Fe and Sr substitution lead to higher catalytic OER activity of the cobaltite perovskites with lower overpotentials of about 30–50 mV. The cobaltite perovskite catalyst substituted with 20 at% Sr exhibited the highest OER activity and stable electrocatalytic performance at moderate conditions.
“It Has Made Me Think”: Engaging the Public with the History of Health in the Modern Irish Prison
Authors: Cox Catherine , Wall Oisín
Published: October 2022

Since the establishment of the modern prison system in the early nineteenth century, prisons and prisoners have been construed as sites of moral, social, and biological contagion. Historic and contemporary studies show that most prisoners experience severe health inequalities, higher rates of addiction and mental health issues, and lower life expectancy than the rest of the population. They also come from deprived social strata. Yet, these aspects of Irish penal history have been largely neglected in academia and popular histories. Our article discusses two public history projects—an art installation, The Trial, and a museum exhibition, Living Inside—that engaged different publics with the long history of health and welfare in Irish prisons. Developed by the research team on the Wellcome Trust Investigator Award “Prisoners, Medical Care and Entitlement to Health in England and Ireland, 1850-2000,” based at University College Dublin, the projects adopted different methodologies to engage their audiences and explore the experience and management of health and welfare in nineteenth- and twentieth-century Irish prisons. We further examine the different methodological approaches of each project, their varied aims and audiences, and the impacts reported by audiences and participants. The article also considers some of the challenges of doing this kind of public history, both in terms of working with marginalized communities and presenting research about difficult subjects to various audiences.
Bio-derived polyurethanes obtained by non-isocyanate route using polyol-based bis(cyclic carbonate)s—studies on thermal decomposition behavior
Authors: Parcheta-Szwindowska Paulina , Rohde Kamila , Datta Janusz
Published: October 2022

Non-isocyanate polyurethanes (NIPUs) constitute one of the most prospective groups of eco-friendly materials based on their phosgene-free synthesis pathway. Moreover, one of the steps of their obtaining includes the use of carbon dioxide (CO2), which allows for the promotion of the development of carbon dioxide capture and storage technologies. In this work, non-isocyanate polyurethanes were obtained via three-step synthesis pathway with the use of epichlorohydrin. In the I step, the addition reaction of epichlorohydrin with polyhydric alcohols was conducted for diglicydyl ethers obtaining. In the II step carbon dioxide reacted with diglicydyl ethers to obtain five-membered bis (cyclic carbonate)s in the cycloaddition reaction. Then, one-pot polyaddition reaction between bis (cyclic carbonate) and dimerized fatty acids-based diamine allowed for non-isocyanate polyurethanes (NIPU)s preparation. Three bio-based materials (two semi-products and one bio-NIPU) and three petrochemical-based materials (two semi-products and one NIPU) were obtained. The selected properties of the products of each step of NIPUs preparation were compared. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy FTIR and proton nuclear magnetic resonance 1H NMR measurements allowed to verify the chemical structure of all obtained products. The average molecular masses of the semi-products were measured with the use of size exclusion chromatography SEC. Moreover, thermal stability and thermal degradation kinetics were determined based on thermogravimetric analysis TGA. The results confirmed that the activation energy of thermal decomposition was lower for semi-products and NIPUs prepared with the use of petrochemical-based epichlorohydrin than for their bio-based counterparts.
Machine learning FSO-SAC-OCDMA code recognition under different weather conditions
Authors: Abd El-Mottaleb Somia A. , Mètwalli Ahmed , Singh Mehtab , Hassib Mostafa , Aly Moustafa H.
Published: October 2022

Nowadays, transmitting and receiving data with high speed and a high level of security are the main demands. So, a new model of spectral amplitude coding optical code division multiple access (SAC-OCDMA) is suggested in this paper, based on a free space optical (FSO) communication system using coherent sources. Three different codes: enhanced double weight (EDW), modified double weight (MDW) and multi-diagonal (MD) codes are assigned to our proposed model with the direct detection (DD) technique. Furthermore, the model is simulated under different weather conditions including clear air (CA), light mist (LM), very light fog, and light fog (LF). The system performance is evaluated through its bit error rate (BER), Q-factor, received power, and signal to noise ratio (SNR). Moreover, classification of the information received by the three different SAC-OCDMA using three different codes (EDW, MDW, and MD) is still challenging. So, two different machine learning (ML) algorithms are used, in this study, to classify the data received using the different codes. Detecting which code is received at the receiver end is important in order to reduce code error detection. Two algorithms: K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) are adopted to classify different codes used for data transmission under four different weather conditions. The ML input dataset consists of the obtained simulation results, including Q-factor, BER, and SNR. Each feature is to be normalized before using ML. The obtained results show that the performance of the proposed FSO model achieved the longest propagation range under CA weather conditions, 7 km, while the shortest is under LF, which is 0.98 km. This is due to the attenuation of fog that causes signal degradation. The FSO system that uses EDW gives the best result under different weather conditions, while the system that uses MD code gives the worst performance. Also, the highest power is achieved when the EDW code is used at 5.5 km. The EDW has a received power of − 21.58 dBm, while the received power is − 22.04 dBm and − 23.8 dBm for MDW and MD codes, respectively. As for classification between the received information coming from three different codes under different weather conditions, both algorithms, KNN and SVM, achieve promising results in most cases. They showed more than 97% of classification accuracy under CA, LM, and LF weather conditions.
Expressivism about explanatory relevance
Authors: Hunt Josh
Published: October 2022

Accounts of scientific explanation disagree about what’s required for a cause, law, or other fact to be a reason why an event occurs. In short, they disagree about the conditions for explanatory relevance. Nonetheless, most accounts presuppose that claims about explanatory relevance play a descriptive role in tracking reality. By rejecting the need for this descriptivist assumption, I develop an expressivist account of explanatory relevance and explanation: to judge that an answer is explanatory is to express an attitude of being for being satisfied by that answer. I show how expressivism vindicates ordinary scientific discourse about explanation, including claims about the objectivity and mind-independence of explanations. By avoiding commitment to ontic relevance relations, I rehabilitate an irrealist conception of explanation.
Development of a cost-effective diagnostic algorithm incorporating transcription factor immunohistochemistry in the evaluation of pituitary tumours
Authors: Lenders N. F. , Chui J. , Low J. , Inder W. J. , Earls P. E. , McCormack A. I.
Published: October 2022

Purpose

To determine the utility of the 2022 WHO Classification of pituitary tumours in routine clinical practice and to develop an optimal diagnostic algorithm for evaluation of tumour type in a real-world setting.

Methods

Retrospective evaluation of pituitary tumour immunohistochemistry (IHC), operatively managed at St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney, between 2019 and 2021. Routine IHC comprised evaluation of transcription factors [steroidogenic factor 1 (SF1), T-box transcription factor 19 (TPIT) and pituitary-specific positive transcription factor (PIT1)] and anterior pituitary hormones. Three tiered algorithms were tested, in which hormone IHC was performed selectively based on the initial transcription factor results. These were applied retrospectively and compared with current practice ‘gold standard’ comprising all transcription factor and hormone IHC. Diagnostic accuracy and cost were evaluated for each.

Results

There were 113 tumours included in the analysis. All three algorithms resulted in 100% concordance with the ‘gold standard’ in the characterisation of tumour lineage. While all three were associated with relative cost reduction, Algorithm #3, which omitted hormone IHC in the setting of positive SF1 or TPIT and performed IHC for growth hormone, prolactin and thyroid stimulating hormone only in the setting of PIT1 positivity, was the most cost-efficient. Additionally, there were 12/113 tumours with no distinct cell lineage.

Conclusion

A diagnostic algorithm omitting hormone IHC except in cases of PIT1 positivity is an accurate and cost-effective approach to diagnose the type of pituitary tumour. A significant subgroup of pituitary tumours with no distinct cell lineage, frequently plurihormonal, remains difficult to classify with the new WHO criteria and requires further evaluation.
Literacy in vocational education and training: scenario-based reading and writing education
Authors: Konstantinidou Liana , Madlener-Charpentier Karin , Opacic Aleksandra , Gautschi Curtis , Hoefele Joachim
Published: October 2022

Many students in vocational education and training (VET) have difficulties with reading and writing. To date, there is little research on whether and how the development of VET students’ writing skills may benefit from teaching approaches that integrate reading and writing. This study reports results from a semester-long intervention study conducted in Switzerland in 2018/19 (N = 285) in which we investigated the impact of a scenario-based integration of reading-to-write-tasks on the development of VET students’ text quality. In the approach, problem-solving processes are set in motion by scenarios representing real- or work-life situations. Reading-to-write tasks form part of the student-initiated problem-solving process, and result in situated argumentative writing. A small experimental intervention effect was found where text quality developed significantly better in the experimental group than in a matched control group (F1,178= 7.40,p < .01, Cohen’sf = 0.20), as measured in a writing test before and after exposure to the teaching method. Outcomes suggest tangible benefits may result when applying this approach to literacy education in VET, particularly for academically weaker students. We discuss the consequences and implications of these findings, as well as open questions to be addressed by further research.
Intergenerational Social Mobility and Youth Well-Being in the Context of the Greek Socio-Economic Crisis
Authors: Leontopoulou Sophie , Chletsos Michael
Published: October 2022

Intergenerational social mobility and its associations with youth well-being has scarcely been examined in Greece. This study examines educational and income mobility across generations, its relations with emerging adults’ well-being, and the impact of interpersonal and contextual factors on this relationship, such as parental school involvement and the recent severe socio-economic crisis in Greece. 468 female and male University students and graduates completed a questionnaire battery, using two different modes: pen-and-pencil and online. The questionnaire assessed demographics, including information about educational levels for youths, parents and grandparents of both genders, and income (for the former two), flourishing and quality of life, as well as parental involvement, and the impact of the crisis on youths. The results revealed upward educational mobility across three generations. Intergenerational mobility was significantly, and positively associated with youth well-being. Parental involvement mediated the relation between social mobility and flourishing, while the impact of the socio-economic crisis mediated the relationship among mobility, flourishing, and quality of life in emerging adulthood. The implications of these findings on educational, mental health and other types of interventions are discussed. Lastly, the two modes of questionnaire assessment were found to be equivalent, a finding that can facilitate research in other trying times, such as health pandemics.
Novel biomarkers for prognosticating diabetic kidney disease progression
Authors: Swaminathan Shilna Muttickal , Rao Indu Ramachandra , Shenoy Srinivas Vinayak , Prabhu Attur Ravindra , Mohan Pooja Basthi , Rangaswamy Dharshan , Bhojaraja Mohan V , Nagri Shivashankara Kaniyoor , Nagaraju Shankar Prasad
Published: October 2022

The global burden of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is escalating, and it remains as a predominant cause of the end-stage renal disease (ESRD). DKD is associated with increased cardiovascular disease and morbidity in all types of diabetes. Prediction of progression with albuminuria and eGFR is challenging in DKD, especially in non-proteinuric DKD patients. The pathogenesis of DKD is multifactorial characterized by injury to all components of the nephron, whereas albuminuria is an indicator of only glomerular injury. The limits in the diagnostic and prognostic value of urine albumin demonstrate the need for alternative and clinically significant early biomarkers, allowing more targeted and effective diabetic treatment, to reduce the burden of DKD and ESRD. Identification of biomarkers, based on multifactorial pathogenesis of DKD can be the crucial paradigm in the treatment algorithm of DKD patients. This review focuses on the potential biomarkers linked to DKD pathogenesis, particularly with the hope of broadening the diagnostic window to identify patients with different stages of DKD progression.
Eucalyptus saponin- and sophorolipid-mediated desorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from contaminated soil and sediment
Authors: Kariyawasam Thiloka , Prenzler Paul D. , Howitt Julia A. , Doran Gregory S.
Published: October 2022

The potential for biosurfactant-mediated desorption of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was evaluated using PAH-spiked soil and sediment. PAH desorption behaviors and toxicity of novel saponin biosurfactant extracted from Eucalyptus camaldulensis leaves and sophoro-lipid biosurfactant were investigated. Their PAH desorption efficiencies were compared with rhamnolipid biosurfactant and the industrial-chemical surfactant, Tween 20. Based on the emulsification indices, the salt tolerance of surfactants up to 30 g/L NaCl followed the order of saponin > Tween 20 > sophorolipid > rhamnolipid, while the thermal stability over the range of 15 to 50 °C was in the order of sophorolipid > rhamnolipid > saponin > Tween 20. The saponin biosurfactant emulsion demonstrated the highest stability under a wide range of acidic to basic pHs. PAH extraction percentages of saponin and sophorolipid under the optimized surfactant concentration, volume, and incubation time were 30–50% and 30–70%, respectively. PAH desorption capacities of saponin and sophorolipid were comparable to that of rhamnolipid and Tween 20 for all matrices. Sophorolipid more efficiently desorbed low molecular weight PAHs in soil and sediment compared to the other three surfactants. Microbial respiration was used to determine biosurfactant toxicity to the soil/sediment microbiome and indicated no inhibition of respiration during 60 days of incubation, suggesting that sophorolipid- and saponin-mediated remediation may be sustainable approaches to remove PAHs from contaminated soils and sediments.
Contaminants of emerging concerns (CECs) in a municipal wastewater treatment plant in Indonesia
Authors: Astuti Maryani Paramita , Notodarmojo Suprihanto , Priadi Cindy Rianti , Padhye Lokesh P.
Published: October 2022

This study provides the first set of quantitative data on the occurrence and fate of a wide range of contaminants of emerging concerns (CECs) in Indonesia’s largest wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The WWTP employs waste stabilization ponds (WSPs) as the secondary treatment before discharging the effluent to the Citarum River. Fourteen out of twenty-two monitored CECs were detected in the wastewater influent, and seven were present in the effluent, with a total concentration of 29.8 ± 0.4 µg/L and 0.5 ± 0.0 µg/L, respectively. The occurrence of the CECs in this study was found to be well correlated with their possible use and known detection in surface waters in Indonesia. Caffeine (CAF) at 12.2 ± 0.1 µg/L, acetaminophen (ACT) at 9.1 ± 0.1 µg/L, N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET) at 5.0 ± 0.1 µg/L, ibuprofen (IBU) at 2.3 ± 0.0 µg/L, and triclosan (TCS) at 470 ± 64 ng/L were discovered as the five most prevalent CECs, followed by bisphenol A (BPA), trimethoprim (TMP), Tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), sulfamethazine (SMZ), carbamazepine (CBZ), fluoxetine (FLX), benzotriazole (BTA), sulfamethoxazole (SMX), and metformin (METF). Biodegradable CECs (SMX, SMZ, ACT, IBU, TCS, BPA, CAF, DEET, and TMP) were efficiently removed (83–100%) by the WSP. In contrast, recalcitrant CECs achieved poor removal efficiencies (e.g., FLX at 24%), and for others, treatment processes even resulted in elevated concentrations in the effluent (CBZ by 85%, TCEP by 149%, and BTA by 92%). The CECs’ influent concentrations were determined to pose a moderate aquatic cumulative risk, while no such risk was associated with their effluent concentrations. The study demonstrates the importance of conventional WWTPs in reducing the concentrations of CECs to minimize their aquatic contamination risk. The findings are relevant for countries, such as Indonesia, with limited resources for advanced centralized wastewater treatments, and which are exploring the efficacy of centralized WSP against the existing decentralized treatments.
Efficient compact linear programs for network revenue management
Authors: Laumer Simon
Published: October 2022

We are concerned with computing bid prices in network revenue management using approximate linear programming. It is well-known that affine value function approximations yield bid prices which are not sensitive to remaining capacity. The analytic reduction to compact linear programs allows the efficient computation of such bid prices. On the other hand, capacity-dependent bid prices can be obtained using separable piecewise linear value function approximations. Even though compact linear programs have been derived for this case also, they are still computationally much more expensive compared to using affine functions. We propose compact linear programs requiring substantially smaller computing times while, simultaneously, significantly improving the performance of capacity-independent bid prices. This simplification is achieved by taking into account remaining capacity only if it becomes scarce. Although our proposed linear programs are relaxations of the unreduced approximate linear programs, we conjecture equivalence and provide according numerical support. We measure the quality of an approximation by the difference between the expected performance of an induced policy and the corresponding theoretical upper bound. Using this paradigm in numerical experiments, we demonstrate the competitiveness of our proposed linear programs.
Anatomical variation in the branching pattern of the aortic arch: a literature review
Authors: Murray Anna , Meguid Eiman Abdel
Published: October 2022

Background

Many anatomical variations of the branching pattern of the aortic arch have been documented in the literature. These find their origin in alterations to the embryological development of the arch and have significant implications for surgical and radiological interventions.

Methods

Embase and Medline database searches were carried out in June 2021 and identified 1197 articles, of which 24 were considered eligible.

Results

Twenty-eight variations were found. The prevalence of the six main variations found is as follows: normal configuration (61.2–92.59%); bovine arch type 1 (4.95–31.2%); bovine arch type 2 (0.04–24%); origin of left vertebral artery (0.17–15.3%); aberrant right subclavian artery (0.08–3.33%); thyroid ima artery (0.08–2%). Concomitant variations present in conjunction with these variations are also documented, as were other variations which could not be classified into these six groups.

Conclusions

Anatomical variations in the branching pattern of the aortic arch are present in over one-third of individuals in some populations. These are important pre- and intra-operatively during thoracic, neck and thyroid surgery. A greater effort should be employed to construct an official classification to facilitate greater understanding among clinicians.
Donation After Circulatory Death: A New Frontier
Authors: Joshi Yashutosh , Villanueva Jeanette , Gao Ling , Hwang Bridget , Zhao Christine , Doyle Aoife , Wu Jianxin , Jansz Paul , Macdonald Peter
Published: October 2022

Purpose of Review

To highlight the current global experience with DCD heart transplantation and explore the evolution of, and compare preservation strategies; examine early clinical outcomes, and discuss the growing use of DCD donors as a new frontier in heart transplantation.

Recent Findings

The two strategies of DCD heart preservation include NMP using the OCS Heart and TA-NRP followed by either: NMP or CSS. Better understanding the limits of cold ischaemia following TA-NRP will aid in distant procurement. Asystolic warm ischaemia plays an important role in determining immediate post-operative graft function and potential need for mechanical support. Large volume DCD heart transplant units show no difference in survival between DCD and DBD donor heart transplants.

In a previously non-utilised source of donor hearts, often viewed as an “unknown frontier” in heart transplantation, DCD hearts are a suitable alternative to brain-dead donor hearts and are likely to remain a permanent part of the heart transplantation landscape. Global uptake is currently increasing, and as understanding of preservation strategies and tolerable ischaemic times improve, utilisation of DCD hearts will continue to grow.
Characterization of the Proteins Secreted by Equine Muscle-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Exposed to Cartilage Explants in Osteoarthritis Model
Authors: Dechêne Lola , Colin Margaux , Demazy Catherine , Fransolet Maude , Niesten Ariane , Arnould Thierry , Serteyn Didier , Dieu Marc , Renard Patricia
Published: October 2022

Background

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a highly prevalent joint degenerative disease for which therapeutic treatments are limited or invasive. Cell therapy based on mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) is therefore seen as a promising approach for this disease, in both human and horses. As the regenerative potential of MSCs is mainly conferred by paracrine function, the goal of this study was to characterize the secreted proteins of muscle-derived MSCs (mdMSCs) in an in vitro model of OA to evaluate the putative clinical interest of mdMSCs as cell therapy for joint diseases like osteoarthritis.

Methods

An equine osteoarthritis model composed of cartilage explants exposed to pro-inflammatory cytokines was first developed. Then, the effects of mdMSC co-culture on cartilage explant were studied by measuring the glycosaminoglycan release and the NO2−production. To identify the underlying molecular actors, stable isotope-labeling by amino acids in cell culture based secreted protein analyses were conducted, in the presence of serum. The relative abundance of highly sequenced proteins was finally confirmed by western blot.

Results

Co-culture with muscle-derived MSCs decreases the cytokine-induced glycosaminoglycan release by cartilage explants, suggesting a protecting effect of mdMSCs. Among the 52 equine proteins sequenced in the co-culture conditioned medium, the abundance of decorin and matrix metalloproteinase 3 was significantly modified, as confirmed by western blot analyses.

Conclusions

These results suggest that muscle-derived MSCs could reduce the catabolic effect of TNFα and IL-1β on cartilage explant by decreasing the secretion and activity of matrix metalloproteinase 3 and increasing the decorin secretion.

Graphical abstract

mdMSCs capacity to reduce the catabolic consequences of cartilage exposure to pro-inflammatory cytokines. These effects can be explained by mdMSC-secreted bioactive such as TIMP-1 and decorin, known as an inhibitor of MMP3 and an anti-inflammatory protein, respectively.
Post-pituitary surgery copeptin analysis as a ‘rule-out’ test for post-operative diabetes insipidus
Authors: Rostom Hussam , Noronha Sean , Jafar-Mohammadi Bahram , May Christine , Borg Anouk , Halliday Jane , Cudlip Simon , James Tim , Guha Nishan , Shine Brian , Pal Aparna
Published: October 2022

Background

Diabetes insipidus (DI) is a recognised complication of pituitary surgery, with diagnosis requiring clinical observation aided by plasma and urine electrolytes and osmolalities. Copeptin is a stable surrogate marker of AVP release and has potential to facilitate prompt diagnosis of post-operative DI. This assay has been shown to accurately predict which patients are likely to develop DI following pituitary surgery.

Objective

To determine whether copeptin analysis can be used to predict which patients are at risk of developing DI following trans-sphenoidal surgery (TSS).

Methods

Seventy-eight patients undergoing TSS had samples taken for copeptin pre-operatively and at day 1 post-TSS. The majority of patients also had samples from day 2, day 8, and week 6 post-TSS. Results from patients who developed post-operative DI (based on clinical assessment, urine and plasma biochemistry and the need for treatment with DDAVP) were compared to those who did not. Patients with any evidence of pre-operative DI were excluded.

Results

Of 78 patients assessed, 11 were clinically determined to have developed DI. Differences were observed between patients with DI and those without in post-operative samples. Of note, there was a significant difference in plasma copeptin at day 1 post-operation (p = 0.010 on Kruskal–Wallis test), with copeptin levels greater than 3.4 pmol/l helping to rule out DI (91% sensitivity, 55% specificity at this cut off).

Conclusion

In the post-TSS setting, copeptin is a useful rule-out test in patients with values above a defined threshold, which may facilitate earlier decision making and shorter hospital stays.
Energy Efficiency First in the power sector: incentivising consumers and network companies
Authors: Pató Zsuzsanna , Mandel Tim
Published: October 2022

Energy Efficiency First (EE1st) is an important concept that, if implemented, will minimise the cost of the energy transition by exploiting the end-use energy efficiency and demand response potential of end users. The power sector is particularly relevant for the application of the EE1st principle as it needs to be decarbonised early, demand is to grow due to the electrification, and due to the increasing value on demand flexibility to maintain system balance. In this paper we show that consumers need to be considered as multiple resources for the power system and examine key regulatory tools to mobilise consumers to offer their flexibility and DSOs to use this flexibility to reduce the need for network asset investment. The pricing of energy and network is key in delivering demand-side flexibility. At the same time DSOs need to consider them in their network planning by law, and regulators are encouraged to incentivise them to integrate the consumers in network operation innovatively. The European regulation provides an appropriate framework for the implementation of the principle in the power sector. It is now the tasks of national regulators to implement them effectively.
Psychometric properties of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale for Students (UWES-S) in the Taiwanese context
Authors: Chi Li-Chiu , Tang Tseng-Chung , Tang Eugene
Published: October 2022

Academic engagement in recent years has become the focus of determining student learning and achievement. However,despite this growing awareness that has revolutionized academic policies and educational approaches, literature on engagement in the academic context is still in its infancy. This study seeks to remedy this through the confirmation of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale for Students’ (UWES-S) promising psychometric properties and by providing empirical evidence on the relationship between academic engagement, personality traits, and social media addiction, a determinant that has yet to be explored. Our findings indicate that of the five personality traits analyzed, agreeableness had the strongest negative correlation with academic engagement, and perhaps equally as striking is the positive, albeit insignificant, association between social media and academic engagement. Furthermore, the most informative and least informative items for academic engagement were identified using IRT analysis. Finally, this study also addresses several gaps in the literature by determining that the one-factor construct of the UWES-S is an adequate measure of academic engagement compared to its three-factor counterpart and by demonstrating the measurement invariance of the UWES-S across gender, class year, and academic major in our sample of Taiwanese undergraduates.
Simultaneous Winslow and Petersen’s Hernias after a Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Causing Bowel Obstruction: Laparoscopic Management and Review of the Literature
Authors: Litchinko A. , Kohler R. , Jung M. K. , Toso C. , Moenig S.
Published: October 2022

Internal hernias after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass are one of the most common complications in bariatric surgery leading to hospital readmissions with or without surgery. Due to the insidious and non-specific clinical presentation combined with difficult radiological identification, internal hernias remain a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Delay in diagnosis and treatment can lead to severe morbidity and mortality. We report the case of a patient presenting an unusual intestinal obstruction due to two simultaneous and distinct internals hernias affecting the Petersen’s defect and the foramen of Winslow 4 years after a laparoscopic gastric bypass. A 41-year-old female patient with a history of robotic laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass presented with proximal small bowel obstruction symptoms and epigastric pain. Computed tomography showed two simultaneous internal hernias, one affecting the Petersen’s defect and the other affecting the foramen of Winslow with an incarcerated transverse colon. We performed an explorative laparoscopy to reduce both hernias and, after an assessment of bowel viability by indocyanine green angiography, we closed both defects with interrupted non-absorbable sutures to prevent recurrence. The follow-up of more than 1 year has been uneventful. In the cases of obstruction and hospital admission after gastric bypass, we suggest that patients undergo a computed tomography directly after the initial examination. Internal hernia diagnosis is often delicate and requires surgical exploration since bowel strangulation can lead to dramatic outcomes. The operation can be safely done laparoscopically, and all internal hernia defects should be repaired with non-absorbable sutures.