bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of tin spectral filtration on organ and effective dose in CT colonography and CT lung cancer screening
Authors: Fong Grant , Herts Brian , Primak Andrew , Segars Paul , Li Xiang
Published: November 2023

Background

Studies of tin spectral filtration have demonstrated potential in reducing radiation dose while maintaining image quality for unenhanced computed tomography (CT) scans. The extent of dose reduction, however, was commonly measured using the change in the scanner's reported CTDIvol. This method does not account for how tin filtration affects patient organ and effective dose.

Purpose

To investigate the effect of tin filtration on patient organ and effective dose for CT Lung Cancer Screening (LCS) and CT Colonography (CTC).

Methods

A previously‐developed Monte Carlo program was adapted to model a 96‐row CT scanner (Somatom Force, Siemens Healthineers) with tin filtration capabilities at 100 kV (100Sn) and 150 kV (150Sn). The program was then validated using experimental CTDIvol measurements at all available kV (70–150 kV) and tin‐filtered kV options (100Sn and 150Sn). After validation, the program simulated LCS scans of the chest and CTC scan of the abdomen‐pelvis for a population of 53 computational patient models from the extended cardiac‐torso family. Each scan was performed using three different spectra: 120 kV, 100Sn, and 150Sn. CTDIvol‐normalized organ doses and DLP‐normalized effective doses, commonly referred to as dose conversion factors, were compared between the different spectra.

Results

For all LCS and CTC scans, CTDIvol‐normalized organ doses and DLP‐normalized effective doses increased with increasing beam hardness (120 kV, 100Sn, 150 Sn). For LCS, relative for 120 kV, conversion factors for 100Sn produced a median increase in effective dose of 9%, with organ dose increases of 8% to lung, 5% to breast, 15% to thyroid, and 3% to skin. Conversion factors for 150Sn produced a median increase in effective dose of 20%, with organ dose increases of 16%, 18%, 26%, and 12% to these same organs, respectively. For CTC, relative for 120 kV, conversion factors for 100Sn produced a median increase in effective dose of 12%, with organ dose increases of 9% to colon, 10% to liver, 11% to stomach, and 4% to skin. Conversion factors for 150Sn produced a median increase in effective dose of 21%, with organ dose increases of 16%, 17%, 19%, and 10% to these same organs, respectively.

Conclusions

Results show that dose conversion factors are greater when using tin filtration and should be considered when evaluating tin's potential for dose reduction.
Could a better understanding of the underlying pathophysiologies lead to more informed treatment choices in patients with lower urinary tract dysfunction due to an acontractile or underactive detrusor? ICI‐RS 2023
Authors: Sinha Sanjay , Everaert Karel , Kheir George Bou , Roberts Neil , Solomon Eskinder , Belal Mohammed , Selai Caroline , Perrouin‐Verbe Marie‐Aimée , Spicchiale Claudia Fede , Wein Alan , Abrams Paul
Published: November 2023

Introduction

The underlying pathophysiology behind a diagnosis of acontractile or underactive detrusor at invasive urodynamics is very heterogeneous. Lack of etiological classification currently limits the possibility of stratifying therapy.

Methods

This subject was discussed at a think‐tank on the subject at the International Consultation on Incontinence‐Research Society held in Bristol, June 2023. This manuscript is a result of those deliberations and the subsequent discussions of the think‐tank.

Results

There are challenges in defining abnormalities of detrusor contraction with resultant implications for available evidence. Pathology at any level of the neuromuscular pathway can impair or prevent a detrusor voiding contraction. Attempts have been made to identify clinical markers that might predict an underactive detrusor but strong supporting evidence is lacking. Hence, a holistic approach to phenotyping requires specialized neuro‐imaging as well as physiological investigations. Several general measures can help individuals with an abnormal detrusor contraction. The search for a molecule to enhance the detrusor voiding contraction remains elusive but there are promising new candidates. Neuromodulation can help select individuals but data is not well stratified by underlying etiology. Manipulation of central neurotransmitters might offer an alternate therapeutic option.

Conclusions

A better understanding of the underlying pathophysiologies behind an abnormality of the detrusor voiding contraction is needed for improving management. Towards this goal, the think‐tank proposes a classification of the underactive detrusor that might help in selecting and reporting more well‐defined patient cohorts.
Numerical design optimization of real size complex steel space frame structures using a novel adaptive cuckoo search method
Authors: Carbas Serdar , Tunca Osman
Published: November 2023

In this study, real size complex steel space frame structures are numerically designed to achieve optimal design weight. For this aim, standard cuckoo search algorithm is rectified through a newly proposed adaptive method over two fundamental algorithmic parameters of alien egg probability detection (Pa) and step size control (α) to overcome incompetency of trapping into local optima. Besides, to strengthen exploitation phase of newly proposed algorithm, it is boosted with greedy selection (GS). So, novel algorithm has more promising exploration and exploitation capabilities. An 8‐story, 1024‐member and a 20‐story, 1860‐member real size complex steel space frame structures are selected as design examples. Also, initially to verify the supremacy of novel algorithm, a well‐known welded beam is optimized as a benchmark structural design problem. Afterwards, the steel space frame structures are optimally designed via novel algorithm. Since ready steel section lists are utilized as selection pool for design variables, discrete programming problem is come into existence. The dead, live, snow, and wind design loads acting on frame structures are calculated in direction of ASCE 7‐05 provisions. Furthermore, the structural design constraints are determined from LRFD‐AISC specifications. Eventually, the newly proposed adaptive cuckoo search algorithm boosted with GS presents outstanding algorithmic performance.
An explicit pseudo‐energy conservative scheme for contact between deformable solids
Authors: Dirani Nadine , Monasse Laurent
Published: November 2023

We extend the work of Marazzato et al. [Int. J. Numer. Methods Eng, 121:5295‐5319] on elastodynamics to the treatment of contact. To that end, we propose adequate handling of boundary conditions, either through the resolution of local problems on each of the face displacement unknowns or through interpolation from nearest neighbours. Adapting the time‐integration strategy adopted in Marazzato et al. [Comput Methods Appl Mech Eng, 347:906‐927], it is possible to conserve both momentum and a pseudo‐energy exactly. Numerical results are presented to illustrate the accuracy of contact treatment and the energy conservation of the system.
Application of gas chromatography in the analysis of phytocannabinoids: An update (2020–2023)
Authors: Nahar Lutfun , Gavril Georgiana‐Luminita , Sarker Satyajit D.
Published: November 2023

Introduction

Cannabinoids are a group of compounds that bind to cannabinoid receptors. They possess pharmacological properties like that of the plant Cannabis sativa. Gas chromatography (GC) is one of the popular chromatographic techniques that has been routinely used in the analysis of cannabinoids in different matrices.

Objective

The article aims to review the literature on the application of GC‐based analytical methods for the analysis of phytocannabinoids published during the period from January 2020 to August 2023.

Methodology

A thorough literature search was conducted using different databases, like Web of Knowledge, PubMed, Google Scholar, and other relevant published materials including published books. The keywords used, in various combinations, with cannabinoids being present in all combinations, in the search were cannabinoids, Cannabis sativa, marijuana, analysis, GC, quantitative, qualitative, and quality control. From the search results, only the publications that incorporate the GC analysis of phytocannabinoids were reviewed, and papers on synthetic cannabinoids were excluded.

Results

Since the publication of the review article on GC analysis of phytocannabinoids in early 2020, several GC‐based methods for the analysis of phytocannabinoids have appeared in the literature. While simple 1D GC–mass spectrometry (MS) and GC–flame ionisation detector (FID) methods are still quite common in phytocannabinoids analysis, 2D GC‐MS and GC‐MS/MS are increasingly becoming popular, as these techniques offer more useful data for identification and quantification of phytocannabinoids in various matrices. The use of automation in sample preparation and the utilisation of mathematical and computational models for optimisation of different protocols have become a norm in phytocannabinoids analysis. Pre‐analyses have been found to incorporate different derivatisation techniques and environmentally friendly extraction protocols.

Conclusions

GC‐based analysis of phytocannabinoids, especially using GC‐MS, remains one of the most preferred methods for the analysis of these compounds. New derivatisation methods, ionisation techniques, mathematical models, and computational approaches for method optimisation have been introduced.
Haplotype‐based noninvasive prenatal diagnosis of methylmalonic acidemia and the discovery of a recurrent pathogenic haplotype associated with c.609G>A
Authors: Fu Xinyu , Li Shaojun , Zhao Zhenhua , Kong Lingrong , Zhu Jingqi , Li Huanyun , Feng Jun , Tang Weiqin , Wu Di , Kong Xiangdong
Published: November 2023

Background

Early diagnosis and intervention are crucial for the prognosis of methylmalonic acidemia (MMA). However, research focused on early prenatal diagnosis of MMA is limited.

Methods

A 161.89kb capture panel was designed for selectively enriching highly heterozygous SNPs. Fetal genotypes were inferred using relative haplotype dosage (RHDO) and Bayes factor, followed by invasive prenatal diagnosis (IPD) for validation. A core pathogenic haplotype associated with c.609G>A was identified based on the frequency differences between pathogenic and normal haplotypes.

Results

We recruited 41 pregnancies at risk of MMA with a median gestational age of 8+2 weeks. The assay success rate of NIPD‐MMA for maternal variants was 92.7% (38/41), and after incorporating the paternal result, the overall assay success rate reached 100% (41/41). All NIPD results were concordant with IPD. Notably, a core haplotype (hap_2), comprising 28 SNPs, demonstrates significant enrichment within pathogenic haplotypes bearing the c.609G>A variation. On average, c.609G>A carriers had 22.38 heterozygous loci within these 28 SNPs.

Conclusion

NIPD‐MMA presents a viable choice for early, accurate, and safe prenatal diagnosis. Furthermore, the discovery of the recurrent core pathogenic haplotype provides a novel approach for haplotype phasing and has the potential for realizing proband‐independent NIPD in the future.
Collagen materials with oriented structure for biomedical applications
Authors: Zeng Rui , Tang Keyong , Tian Huafeng , Pei Ying
Published: November 2023

As one of the most critical natural structural proteins in tissues, collagen provides a degree of stiffness and rigidity to some of the liquid components of living organisms. Highly oriented materials composed of uniformly arranged collagen play a crucial role in determining the mechanical properties, physiological and biochemical functions of the matrix. Collagen materials with oriented structures promote and support cell migration and proliferation to achieve physiological structure and function. This review outlines the multilayered structure of collagen. It summarizes recent strategies and methods for constructing oriented collagen materials, including mechanical forces, external field effects, template assist, and biomedical applications of oriented collagen. Finally, we present potential challenges and prospects for developing oriented collagen materials.
Significant opportunities for tree crop expansion on marginal lands in the Midwest, USA
Authors: Thapa Bhuwan , Lovell Sarah , Revord Ronald , Owens Phillip , Gold Michael , Meier Nicholas
Published: November 2023

Introduction

Tree crop orchards can help diversify the monocropping practices in agricultural lands such as the Midwestern region of the United States which is currently dominated by corn‐soybean rotation. These crops can not only expand farm income but also help stabilize soil, purify water, and provide other ecosystem services. Despite these benefits, tree crops as agroforestry systems are not widely established in the region. Identifying marginal land that is more suitable for tree crops over row crops can help the growers and the environment.

Materials and Methods

Using the case of Missouri, USA, this study mapped marginal land for nut‐producing tree crops using a three‐step process. The first step includes the identification of marginal land suitable for a wide variety of tree crops. The second step involved GIS‐based multicriteria analysis of biophysically suitable areas for three commercially viable tree species, that is, eastern black walnut, pecan, and Chinese chestnut. The final step maps the marginal land for tree crops based on their suitability to grow under different environmental vulnerabilities, mainly flooding, erosion, and sloped conditions. The Gridded Soil Survey Geographic Database developed by the United States Department of Agriculture provided information on soil biophysical and environmental characteristics.

Results

The spatial analysis showed that Missouri has around 16,000 sq. km of land suitable for Black walnut, followed by 10,801 sq. km and 4587 sq. km for pecan and Chinese chestnut, respectively. The study found very few tree crop orchards on these marginal lands.

Conclusion

There are ample opportunities to expand tree crops on marginal cropland. Converting these lands to tree crops could provide communities with economic, human health, and environmental benefits. This multistep methodology could serve as a screening tool to identify tree‐cropping areas for environmental improvement and rural America's economic revitalization.
Convergence innovation for sustainable development: Unraveling post‐COVID dynamics for a resilient future
Authors: Ali Jamshed
Published: November 2023

This paper explores the potential of Convergence Innovation (CI) as an effective catalyst for dealing with the COVID‐19 pandemic and devising a trajectory toward a sustainable post‐crisis future. It offers novel perspectives on sustainable innovation approaches that can enhance organizational performance and extend beyond it. The paper makes significant contributions to both the theoretical and practical aspects of innovation. It illustrates the impact of market forces in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and Digital Technologies (DT), highlighting the significance of sustainable innovation for organizational prosperity and individual welfare. Convergence Innovation is explained as a self‐regulating ecosystem that promotes and goes beyond value creation. Different technologies in the ecosystem enhance CI's sensing capabilities for fluctuations in market forces and facilitate the transmission of data for decision‐making. The study recommends splitting off the S‐curve of innovation and the life cycle of competitive intelligence, as the S‐curve of CI tends to be shorter in the digital age. This paper provides managers with a new framework for thinking about innovation and its role in achieving sustainable business success. By embracing CI, managers can create more agile and adaptable organizations that are better positioned to navigate the complex and rapidly changing world of the digital age.
Degradation of synthetic azo dyes by Citrobacter freundii isolated from tannery effluent
Authors: Manikandan K  , Lavanya S  , Ranjani S  , Begum Faridha , Hemalatha S
Published: November 2023

Scarcity of water is becoming a big issue. Most of the water is used in industrial sectors including pharmaceutical, food, textiles, leather, and cosmetics. Industrial effluent water is unable to treat and reuse due to their intricate nature. Effluent water contains synthetic azo dyes since they employ synthetic azo dyes as a major coloring agent. Existing approaches are ineffective in treating effluent containing synthetic azo dyes. Synthetic azo dyes containing effluent water can be treated biologically to overcome the drawbacks of physical and chemical processes. In this research work, novel organism was isolated from tannery effluent water. Isolated organisms were screened and selected for effective degradation of azo dyes. One such organism is Citrobacter freundii which effectively degrade the effluent water containing synthetic azo dyes and allowing it to reuse for variety of purpose. Phytotoxicity study of the treated water was carried out and the study confirms non toxicity nature of the treated water. In‐silico screening was carried out to test the interaction efficacy of enzymes such as Laccase, Azo reductase, and peroxidase which are responsible for effective dye degradation with synthetic azo dyes. In silico studies showed better interactions between synthetic azo dyes and enzymes. This is the novel report on showing the effective degradation of synthetic azo yellow dye by using C. freundii isolated from tannery effluent.
Armed Conflict Increases Elephant Poaching
Authors: Englander Gabriel
Published: November 2023

Poaching is the greatest threat to the survival of elephants and many other commercially valuable species. There are many hypothesized drivers of wildlife poaching, but few empirical estimates of their causal effects on poaching levels. In this chapter, I provide the first causal estimates of a spatially varying driver of wildlife poaching. Using elephant poaching and armed conflict data spanning 13 years and 77 sites in 39 countries across Africa and Asia, I find that the onset of a new conflict near elephant populations significantly increases contemporaneous elephant poaching levels by 12–22%. I leverage a variety of econometric methods to show that these estimates are plausibly causal and robust to alternative specifications and different measures of conflict and poaching. I estimate that conflict accounts for the illegal killing of 80,000 elephants between 2002 and 2014. To protect elephants, governments and NGOs should increase support to affected areas when conflicts begin.
So You Want To Be Relevant: A Policy Analyst’s Reflections on Academic Literature
Authors: Helfand Gloria
Published: November 2023

Of course (many of) you in academia want your work to be relevant, to serve a purpose beyond its immediate role in academic promotion and prestige. Research can get public attention, when it feeds into a current public debate, and can influence policy decisions and potentially shape the future. Funding sources often request information on the policy implications of proposed research. Contributing to public policy can be personally satisfying, career-enhancing, and maybe even welfare-improving.
Peter Berck’s Contributions to Forestry Economics
Authors: Templeton Scott R. , Gilless J. Keith
Published: November 2023

Peter Berck published numerous articles and book chapters related to the economics of forestry. His research covered, in approximate chronological order, four areas within forestry economics: (1) actual and optimal harvesting of timber, demand for timber, and, more generally, markets for wood products; (2) economic aspects of integrated management of forest pests; (3) old-growth redwoods, as a nonrenewable resource, and (4) impacts of timber harvesting and other aspects of forestry on income and employment in nearby communities. Interwoven in much of the research are analyses of effects of policy on efficiency and on forest-dependent communities.
Multispecies Stories from the Margins
Authors: Rantala Outi , Höckert Emily
Published: November 2023

This chapter seeks to cultivate the art of attentiveness to more-than-human ways of being and knowing that have ended up in the margins of our everyday attention. It problematises the human-centred idea of marginality by engaging in multispecies storytelling with local mosses in the Pyhä-Luosto National Park in northern Finland. The authors explore the possibilities of including non-human voices in the place-making and tourism development processes, posing questions on mobility and wellbeing and growth from mosses’ point of view. Following in the footsteps of Robin Wall Kimmerer, the chapter asks what could be learnt from mosses that have succeeded in surviving in nearly every ecosystem on earth longer than any other plant groups. The authors introduce multispecies storytelling as a genre that encourages us to slow down, attune with alternative rhythms and temporalities, listen to more-than-human concerns and further mobilise inspiration, activism and hope. While mosses are generally perceived as something insignificant, one of their many secrets seems to lie in their ability to take full advantage of being slow, small and flourishing in the shade. Hence, by attuning to mosses’ life-sustaining agencies, the authors propose smallness and slowness as key features in living well on Earth.
Einleitung
Authors: Wan Shujun
Published: November 2023

Einen schönen Text zu schreiben ist nie eine leichte Aufgabe. Um eine sichere Schreibfähigkeit erwerben zu können, müssen selbst Muttersprachler/-innen schon von jungen Jahren an u. a. darin trainiert werden, unterschiedliche Textvarietäten zu unterscheiden und entsprechende Schreibstrategien zu entwickeln. Dementsprechend stellt dies für Nicht-Muttersprachler/-innen eine noch weitaus größere Herausforderung dar.
Entrustable Professional Activities (EPA) im Modellstudiengang Zahnmedizin „iMED DENT“ am Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf
Authors: Heydecke Guido , Mirzakhanian Christine
Published: November 2023

Im Studium der Zahnmedizin nimmt die Ausbildung klinischer Tätigkeiten einen besonderen Stellenwert ein, da ab dem 7. Fachsemester Behandlungen an Patient:innen durchgeführt werden. Die Kompetenzen eines Zahnarztes müssen zum Antritt des Staatsexamens für die sich daran anschließende Berufsausübung vorliegen. Die zu erlernenden klinischen Tätigkeiten erfordern eine Vorbereitung durch präklinische Übungen und frühen Patientenkontakt schon vor dem 7. Fachsemester sowie den Ausbau der Kompetenzen in einem Schritt-für-Schritt-Vorgehen. Bei der Entwicklung des Modellstudiengangs iMED DENT am Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf wurde hierfür ein Katalog an „anvertraubaren professionellen Tätigkeiten“ (EPA) erstellt. Eine EPA ist definiert als eine anvertraubare klinische Tätigkeit (z. B. Herstellung einer Einzelkrone als festsitzender Zahnersatz), die zum Zeitpunkt der Durchführung ein definiertes Kompetenzniveau erreicht. Innerhalb einer EPA werden die Kompetenzen Theorie, praktisches Geschick und Umgang mit Patient:innen ausgebildet. Das verwendete Bewertungsformat muss sicherstellen, dass die darüber geleisteten Rückmeldungen zur Qualität der durchgeführten klinischen Behandlungsschritte die jeweils relevanten Kompetenzen erfassen. Die Bewertung der Kompetenzen innerhalb der EPA wird mit einem abgestuften Bewertungsschema vorgenommen (A = sehr gut, B = gut, C = schlecht, D = Leistung nicht/unvollständig erbracht). Das Bewertungsschema dient als Feedback-Werkzeug zur Verbesserung des Lernerfolgs und ist gleichzeitig Grundlage für die Bewertung der hochschulinternen Prüfungen.
A note on Bohr’s theorem for Beurling integer systems
Authors: Broucke Frederik , Kouroupis Athanasios , Perfekt Karl-Mikael
Published: November 2023

Given a sequence of frequencies $$\{\lambda _n\}_{n\ge 1}$$

{

λ
n

}

n
≥
1

, a corresponding generalized Dirichlet series is of the form $$f(s)=\sum _{n\ge 1}a_ne^{-\lambda _ns}$$

f

(
s
)

=

∑

n
≥
1

a
n

e

-

λ
n

s

. We are interested in multiplicatively generated systems, where each number $$e^{\lambda _n}$$

e

λ
n

arises as a finite product of some given numbers $$\{q_n\}_{n\ge 1}$$

{

q
n

}

n
≥
1

, $$1 < q_n \rightarrow \infty $$

1
<

q
n

→
∞

, referred to as Beurling primes. In the classical case, where $$\lambda _n = \log n$$

λ
n

=
log
n

, Bohr’s theorem holds: if f converges somewhere and has an analytic extension which is bounded in a half-plane $$\{\Re s> \theta \}$$

{
ℜ
s
>
θ
}

, then it actually converges uniformly in every half-plane $$\{\Re s> \theta +\varepsilon \}$$

{
ℜ
s
>
θ
+
ε
}

, $$\varepsilon >0$$

ε
>
0

. We prove, under very mild conditions, that given a sequence of Beurling primes, a small perturbation yields another sequence of primes such that the corresponding Beurling integers satisfy Bohr’s condition, and therefore the theorem. Applying our technique in conjunction with a probabilistic method, we find a system of Beurling primes for which both Bohr’s theorem and the Riemann hypothesis are valid. This provides a counterexample to a conjecture of H. Helson concerning outer functions in Hardy spaces of generalized Dirichlet series.
Breast anthropometry in Vietnamese youth: a comprehensive study of 128 women
Authors: Nguyen Dinh Minh , Tran Thiet Son , Nguyen Ngoc Tuan , Le Thi Nga , Nguyen Duc Hoang , Nguyen Tran-Thuy
Published: November 2023

Background

Breast anthropometry research, evaluating the correlation between various breast anthropometric values with each other, is of great importance to the field of cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. The research aims to describe the anthropometric features of the breasts of young Vietnamese women and compare them with other women’s groups worldwide.

Methods

The study was conducted on 128 nulliparous Vietnamese women, aged 18–25, with body mass index within the range of 18.5–25 kg/m2. Nineteen research indexes were divided into 3 groups: group 1 (general anthropometric indexes—3 indexes), group 2 (indexes related to the chest and breast—7 indexes), and group 3 (purely breast indexes—9 indexes). The breast volume was calculated according to the formula of author Qiao1: V = 3.14/3 * MP2 * (LR + MR + IR − MP) (ml).

Results

The mean age was 18.6 ± 6, and the mean BMI was 21 ± 1.6 kg/m2. The mean breast volumes on the right and left were 437.1 ± 266.8 ml and 457 ± 259.7 ml, respectively. The left breast volume was significantly larger than the right. The mean areola diameter was 3.4 ± 0.6 cm. There was a strong correlation (r > 0.5) between breast volume and 8 indexes: breast projection, medial mammary radius, nipple-inframammary fold length, lateral mammary radius, right suprasternal notch-to-nipple distance, chest circumference through the nipple, breast base width, and mid-clavicular point-to-nipple distance. There was no correlation between height and breast volume.

Conclusions

This study contributes valuable data to the breast anthropometry database of young, nulliparous Vietnamese women, which could be effectively applied in cosmetic and reconstructive breast surgery in addition to existing literature.

Level of Evidence: Level III, Diagnostic; Risk/Prognostic.
A single-center cross-sectional study comparison between quality of life after penile inversion and sigmoid colon vaginoplasty in Thailand: a 20-year experience
Authors: Weerapakorn Weerayut , Chintavalakorn Chuthada , Kantagowit Piyawat , Phitakwongroj Threerapat , Ratanalert Worapon , Angspatt Apichai , Phungrasmi Pornthep , Iamphongsai Seree , Promniyom Pasu , Phanuphak Nittaya , Yodkitudomying Chatnapa , Suwajo Poonpissamai
Published: November 2023

Background

Penile skin inversion vaginoplasty (PIV) and sigmoid colon vaginoplasty (SCV) are both regarded as surgical options for gender reassignment surgery (GRS) to improve quality of life (QoL) in male-to-female (MTF) individuals. As no studies have compared the QoL between PIV and SCV techniques, this study aimed to evaluate the differences in QoL among MTF individuals who received PIV and SCV.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted on patients who underwent GRS using PIV and SCV techniques at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital (KCMH) from January 2002 to December 2022. The calibrated Thai version of Short-Form 36-Question Health Survey version 2 (SF-36v2) was used to assess QoL across eight health domains and to compare QoL between two surgical techniques.

Results

Of the 278 eligible MTF patients, who received GRS from 2002 to 2022, 57 completed the questionnaires; 37 and 20 MTF patients underwent PIV and SCV, respectively. Statistically significant difference was found in the Mental Component Summary (p-value = 0.02) of postoperative QoL between the two groups. SCV statistically outperformed PIV in seven out of eight domains.

Conclusion

In terms of QoL, MTF who underwent SCV showed better achievement than those who underwent PIV in most of the domains. Due to limitations of this study, further studies on a larger scale are needed to confirm the findings and compare other aspects of the surgical techniques.

Level of Evidence: Level III, Therapeutic.
The association between embedded catheter implantation and hospitalization costs for peritoneal dialysis initiation: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Shinzawa Maki , Matsumoto Ayumi , Kitamura Harumi , Sakaguchi Yusuke , Takahashi Atsushi , Matsui Isao , Mizui Masayuki , Yamamoto Ryohei , Isaka Yoshitaka
Published: November 2023

Background

Compared with the conventional peritoneal dialysis (PD) catheter insertion, embedding PD catheter implantation is one of the procedures for planned PD initiation. However, facilities where embedded PD catheter implantation is available are limited, and the impact of embedded PD catheter implantation on hospitalization cost and length of hospitalization is unknown.

Methods

This retrospective single-center cohort study included 132 patients with PD initiation between 2005 and 2020. The patients were divided into two groups: 64 patients in the embedding group and 68 patients in the conventional insertion group. We created a multivariable generalized linear model (GLM) with the gamma family and log-link function to evaluate the association among catheter embedding, the duration and medical costs of hospitalization for PD initiation. We also evaluated the effect modification between age and catheter embedding.

Results

Catheter embedding (β coefficient − 0.13 [95% confidence interval − 0.21, − 0.05]) and age (per 10 years 0.08 [0.03, 0.14]) were significantly associated with hospitalization costs. Catheter embedding (− 0.21 [− 0.32, − 0.10]) and age (0.11 [0.03, 0.19]) were also identified as factors significantly associated with length of hospitalization. The difference between the embedding group and the conventional insertion group in hospitalization costs for PD initiation (P for interaction = 0.060) and the length of hospitalization (P for interaction = 0.027) was larger in young-to-middle-aged patients than in elderly patients.

Conclusions

Catheter embedding was associated with lower hospitalization cost and shorter length of hospitalization for PD initiation than conventional PD catheter insertion, especially in young-to-middle-aged patients.
Effects of NRF2 polymorphisms on safety and efficacy of bardoxolone methyl: subanalysis of TSUBAKI study
Authors: Ikejiri Kazuaki , Suzuki Takafumi , Muto Satsuki , Takama Hirotaka , Yamawaki Kengo , Miyazawa Tatsuya , Urakawa Itaru , Aoki Yuichi , Otsuki Akihito , Katsuoka Fumiki , Kinoshita Kengo , Nangaku Masaomi , Akizawa Tadao , Yamamoto Masayuki
Published: November 2023

Background

In the TSUBAKI study, bardoxolone methyl significantly increased measured and estimated glomerular filtration rates (GFR) in patients with multiple forms of chronic kidney disease (CKD), including Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes and stage 3–4 CKD. Since bardoxolone methyl targets the nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 pathway, this exploratory analysis of the TSUBAKI study investigated the impact of the regulatory single nucleotide polymorphism, rs6721961, on the effects of bardoxolone methyl.

Methods

Japanese patients aged 20–79 years with type 2 diabetes and stage 3–4 CKD were randomized to bardoxolone methyl 5–15 mg/day (titrated as tolerated) or placebo for 16 weeks. Genotype frequency, clinical characteristics, renal function, and adverse events were primarily assessed.

Results

Of 104 patients (bardoxolone methyl n = 55, placebo n = 49); 57% were genotype C/C, 32% C/A and 12% A/A. The frequency of the A/A genotype was higher among patients with diabetic kidney disease than in the general Japanese population (~ 5%). Measured and estimated GFRs increased from baseline in all genotypes receiving bardoxolone methyl. There were no significant differences between genotypes for safety parameters, including blood pressure, bodyweight, and levels of B-type natriuretic peptide, or in the type and frequency of adverse events, suggesting that the efficacy and safety of bardoxolone methyl are unaffected by the rs6721961 polymorphism-617 (C﻿→A) genotype.

Conclusions

Our approach of combining genome analysis with clinical trials for an investigational drug provides important and useful clues for exploring the efficacy and safety of the drug.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov; NCT02316821.
The relation between proteinuria and the severity of COVID-19
Authors: Fukui Akira , Takeshita Kohei , Nakashima Akio , Maruyama Yukio , Tsuboi Nobuo , Hoshina Tokio , Yokoo Takashi
Published: November 2023

Background

The association between proteinuria, which is also an indicator of chronic kidney disease (CKD), and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity is unclear.

Methods

We selected 342 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 diagnosed via polymerase chain reaction testing between February 2020 and October 2022 and who had at least one urinalysis 14–365 days before admission.

Results

Proteinuria before admission was associated neither with oxygen administration nor developing pneumonia in multivariate analysis (odds ratio [OR] 1.03; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.44–2.40, p = 0.95 and OR 1.01; 95% CI 0.47–2.17, p = 0.98, respectively). Proteinuria on admission was associated both with oxygen administration and developing pneumonia in multivariate analysis (OR 3.29; 95% CI 1.37–7.88, p < 0.01 and OR 3.81; 95% CI 1.68–8.62, p < 0.01, respectively). The percentage of patients with proteinuria on admission was significantly higher than those before admission (37.4% vs. 17.8%; p < 0.01). In the subgroup analysis, proteinuria on admission among patients with eGFR ≥ 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 was associated with both oxygen administration and developing pneumonia (OR 4.86; 95% CI 1.22–19.38, p = 0.03, OR 3.65; 95% CI 1.06–12.58, p = 0.04, respectively). In contrast, proteinuria on admission among patients with eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 was associated with developing pneumonia (OR 6.45; 95%CI 1.78–23.35, p = 0.01), not with oxygen administration (OR 3.28; 95% CI 0.92–11.72, p = 0.07).

Conclusions

Although underlying proteinuria before admission was not associated with COVID-19 severity, proteinuria on admission was associated with oxygen demand and developing pneumonia.
Wavenumber-Explicit hp-FEM Analysis for Maxwell’s Equations with Impedance Boundary Conditions
Authors: Melenk J. M. , Sauter S. A.
Published: November 2023

The time-harmonic Maxwell equations at high wavenumber k in domains with an analytic boundary and impedance boundary conditions are considered. A wavenumber-explicit stability and regularity theory is developed that decomposes the solution into a part with finite Sobolev regularity that is controlled uniformly in k and an analytic part. Using this regularity, quasi-optimality of the Galerkin discretization based on Nédélec elements of order p on a mesh with mesh size h is shown under the k-explicit scale resolution condition that (a) kh/p is sufficient small and (b) $$p/\ln k$$

p
/
ln
k

is bounded from below.
Stories of loss and healing: connecting non-economic loss and damage, gender-based violence and wellbeing erosion in the Asia–Pacific region
Authors: Ayeb-Karlsson Sonja , Chandra Alvin , McNamara Karen E.
Published: November 2023

It is well-known that women, children, and other intersectional and marginalised social groups are disproportionately impacted by ‘non-economic wellbeing loss’ in the context of climatic changes. However, few empirical studies investigate its interrelation with violence against women and children (VAWC). We urgently need to widen our perceptions of what falls under the umbrella term ‘Non-Economic Loss (and Damage)’, NEL(D)s, for societies to appropriately be able to avert, minimise, and address losses and damages among vulnerable people. Through stories of loss and healing, we step into the realities of women and children who illustrate how they experience non-economic wellbeing loss within a climate-violence nexus in Bangladesh, Fiji, and Vanuatu. A storytelling and systems approach guided the analysis of personal narratives gathered through a secondary data review and empirical field work. The research findings identified different pathways through which women’s and children’s mental health was compromised in the context of structural violence and climatic risks. In Bangladesh, the narratives described wellbeing erosion in the context of gendered (im)mobility; in Fiji, the findings captured women’s and children’s experiences of sexual violence, domestic abuse, exploitation, and trafficking in the context of natural hazards, while in Vanuatu, hardship, gendered dependence, and healing were narrated by women in their stories surrounding disaster recovery. This article comprehensively lays out the longer-term societal wellbeing consequences of climatic changes and gender-based violence. It also identifies research gaps in need of further attention and proposes policy recommendations as well as methodological and disaster health service solutions to address wellbeing loss in a climate changed future.
The Finite Sample Performance of Instrumental Variable-Based Estimators of the Local Average Treatment Effect When Controlling for Covariates
Authors: Bodory Hugo , Huber Martin , Lechner Michael
Published: November 2023

This paper investigates the finite sample performance of a range of parametric, semi-parametric, and non-parametric instrumental variable estimators when controlling for a fixed set of covariates to evaluate the local average treatment effect. Our simulation designs are based on empirical labor market data from the US and vary in several dimensions, including effect heterogeneity, instrument selectivity, instrument strength, outcome distribution, and sample size. Among the estimators and simulations considered, non-parametric estimation based on the random forest (a machine learner controlling for covariates in a data-driven way) performs competitive in terms of the average coverage rates of the (bootstrap-based) 95% confidence intervals, while also being relatively precise. Non-parametric kernel regression as well as certain versions of semi-parametric radius matching on the propensity score, pair matching on the covariates, and inverse probability weighting also have a decent coverage, but are less precise than the random forest-based method. In terms of the average root mean squared error of LATE estimation, kernel regression performs best, closely followed by the random forest method, which has the lowest average absolute bias.
Online peer feedback in higher education: A synthesis of the literature
Authors: Kerman Nafiseh Taghizadeh , Banihashem Seyyed Kazem , Karami Mortaza , Er Erkan , van Ginkel Stan , Noroozi Omid
Published: November 2023

Online peer feedback is an effective instructional strategy to enhance students' learning processes and outcomes. However, the literature lacks a comprehensive understanding of the influential factors that play a key role in the effective implementation of online peer feedback. This systematic review provides an overview of the current state of online peer feedback implementation in higher education contexts and explores the role of students' characteristics and online learning environments in relation to their learning processes and outcomes. To achieve this goal, the PRISMA method was followed, and a coding scheme was developed to create a framework that can guide the implementation of online peer feedback in higher education settings. This framework depicts factors that should be taken into account for effective implementation of online peer feedback in terms of four dimensions: students' characteristics (demographic characteristics, academic background, and personality and psychological features), environmental conditions (learning platform and setting), learning processes (content, feedback activity design, and technology), and learning outcomes including cognitive outcomes (e.g., acquisition of knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation), behavioral outcomes (engagement, communication, and teamwork), and affective outcomes (satisfaction, motivation, attitude, self-efficacy, sense of autonomy, and confidence). We conclude this study by discussing the framework, limitations, and ideas for future research and practice.
Stacked machine learning models for predicting species richness and endemism for Mediterranean endemic plants in the Mareotis subsector in Egypt
Authors: Bedair Heba , Shaltout Kamal , Halmy Marwa Waseem A.
Published: November 2023

An effective method for identifying species and evaluating the effects of changes caused by humans on specific species is the application of species distribution modelling (SDM) in desert environments. The fact that many dry lands and deserts throughout the world are situated in inhospitable regions may be the reason why such applications are still infrequently used on plant species in Egypt's Mediterranean region. Henceforth, the current study aims to map species richness and weighted endemism of Mediterranean endemics in the Mareotis subsector in Egypt and determine the environmental variables influencing distribution of these taxa. We produced a map of species distribution range using Ensemble SDMs. Further, stacked machine learning ensemble models derived from Random Forest (RF) and MaxEnt models were applied on 382 Mediterranean endemics distribution data to estimate and map diversity and endemism using two indices: species richness (SR) and weighted endemism index (WEI). The best models for ensemble modelling were chosen based on Kappa values and the Area Under the Receiver Operator Curve (AUC). The results showed that the models had a good predictive ability (Area Under the Curve (AUC) for all SDMs was > 0.75), indicating high accuracy in forecasting the potential geographic distribution of Mediterranean endemics. The main bioclimatic variables that impacted potential distributions of most species were wind speed, elevation and minimum temperature of coldest month. According to our models, six hotspots were determined for Mediterranean endemics in the present study. The highest species richness was recorded in Sallum, Matrouh wadis and Omayed, followed by Burg El-Arab, Ras El-Hekma and Lake Mariut. Indeed, species richness and endemism hotspots are promising areas for conservation planning. This study can help shape policy and mitigation efforts to protect and preserve Mediterranean endemics in the coastal desert of Egypt. These hotspots should be focused on by policy makers and stakeholders and declared as protectorates in the region. The largest number of species per area would be protected by focusing primarily on the hotspots with high species richness.
HCV affects KATP channels through GnT-IVa-mediated N-glycosylation of GLUT2 on the surface of pancreatic β-cells leading to impaired insulin secretion
Authors: Niu Ben , Ma Lijing , Yao Lixuan , Zhang Yating , Su Heng
Published: November 2023

Purpose

To explore the mechanism of insulin secretion dysfunction in pancreatic beta cells induced by N-glycosylation mediated by an infection from the hepatitis C virus (HCV).

Methods

Min6 cell models infected with HCV and stimulated with glucose were constructed. Meanwhile, an HCV-infected animal model and a type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rat model were constructed. Glucose uptake in the Min6 cells was detected, and insulin secretion was detected by ELISA. Flow cytometry, immunofluorescence staining, Western blotting, RT-qPCR, and lectin blotting were used to detect the expression levels of related proteins and mRNA, as well as the level of N-glycosylation. HE staining was used to observe the pathological changes in the pancreatic tissue, and an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was used to evaluate the glucose tolerance of the rats.

Results

Compared with the NC group, the expression levels of GnT-IVa, GLUT2, galectin-9, and voltage-dependent calcium channel 1.2 (Cav1.2) were significantly downregulated in the HCV-infected group. The ATP-sensitive potassium channel (KATP) component proteins SUR1 and Kir6.2 were significantly upregulated, while intracellular glucose intake and insulin secretion decreased, N-glycosylation levels and ATP levels significantly decreased, and the overexpression of GnT-IVa reversed the effect of the HCV infection. However, treatment with the glycosylation inhibitor kifunensine (KIF) or the KATP channel activator diazine (Dia) reversed the effects of the overexpression of GnT-IVa. In the animal experiments, HE staining revealed serious pathological injuries in the pancreatic tissue of the HCV-infected rats, with decreased glucose tolerance and glycosylation levels, decreased insulin secretion, downregulated expression of GnT-IVa, GLUT2, and Cav1.2, and upregulated expression of SUR1 and Kir6.2. The overexpression treatment of GnT-IVa or the KATP channel antagonist miglinide reversed the effects of HCV.

Conclusion

HCV infection inhibits GLUT2 N-glycosylation on the pancreatic β cell surface by downregulating the expression of GnT-IVa and then activates the KATP pathway, which ultimately leads to disturbances in insulin secretion.
Readers of the Lost Artifacts
Authors: Ploetz Chris J.
Published: November 2023

Overview

The award-winning video game Heaven's Vault stands out among a plethora of over-sensationalized representations of archaeology in video games and other media. The main character of the game is a woman of color named Aliya Elasra, whose primary weapon is her mind, which she uses to uncover a centuries-old mystery while unearthing the secrets of an ancient language. Set in a fantastical science fiction–inspired universe, the player engages in activities that gradually explain the game's world. With multiple endings and re-playability, Heaven's Vault offers an experience that is hard to pass up for fans of rich narrative, archaeology, and interactive puzzles.
Conditional intermediate entropy and Birkhoff average properties of hyperbolic flows
Authors: HOU XIAOBO , TIAN XUETING
Published: November 2023

Katok [Lyapunov exponents, entropy and periodic points of diffeomorphisms. Publ. Math. Inst. Hautes Études Sci.51 (1980), 137–173] conjectured that every
$C^{2}$
diffeomorphism f on a Riemannian manifold has the intermediate entropy property, that is, for any constant
$c \in [0, h_{\mathrm {top}}(f))$
, there exists an ergodic measure
$\mu $
of f satisfying
$h_{\mu }(f)=c$
. In this paper, we obtain a conditional intermediate metric entropy property and two conditional intermediate Birkhoff average properties for basic sets of flows that characterize the refined roles of ergodic measures in the invariant ones. In this process, we establish a ‘multi-horseshoe’ entropy-dense property and use it to get the goal combined with conditional variational principles. We also obtain the same result for singular hyperbolic attractors.