bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improved magnetic solid‐phase extraction based on magnetic sorbent obtained from sand for the extraction of pesticides from fruit juice
Authors: Mohebbi Ali , Farajzadeh Mir Ali , Sorouraddin Saeed Mohammad , Abbaspour Maryam
Published: January 2022

BACKGROUND

A combination of magnetic solid‐phase extraction using an efficient and cheap magnetic sorbent obtained from sand and dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction has been developed for the extraction of nine multiclass pesticides (clodinafop‐propargyl, haloxyfop‐R‐methyl, fenoxaprop‐P‐ethyl, oxadiazon, penconazole, diniconazole, chlorpyrifos, fenazaquin, and fenpropathrin) from commercial fruit juices (sour cherry, pomegranate, grape, watermelon, orange, apricot, and peach juices). The enriched pesticides were determined by gas chromatography–flame ionization detector and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The sorbent was natural iron oxide entrapped in silica along with some impurities. In this method, to extract the analytes from the samples, an appropriate amount of the magnetic sorbent (at mg level) is added. Then the sorbent particles are isolated from the solution using an external magnetic field and the adsorbed analytes are desorbed from the sorbent by acetone. In the following, a dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction procedure is carried out to concentrate the analytes more and to reach low limits of detection.

RESULTS

Under optimized extraction conditions, the method revealed satisfactory repeatability (relative standard deviation ≤8% for intra‐day and inter‐day precision), reasonable extraction recovery (43.3–55.9%), high enrichment factors (433–559), and low limits of detection (0.45–0.89 μg L−1).

CONCLUSION

The method was applied in the analysis of pesticides in various fruit juices. Chlorpyrifos was found in peach juice at a concentration of 27 ± 2 μg L−1 (n = 3) using a gas chromatography–flame ionization detector. To verify the results, the peach juice was also injected into gas chromatography–mass spectrometry after applying the proposed extraction method. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.
The clinical outcome of hemicortical resection in extremity malignant bone tumors
Authors: Kim Yongsung , Cho Wan Hyeong , Jeon Dae‐Geun , Kim Min Suk , Song Won Seok
Published: January 2022

Introduction

Hemicortical resection is challenging when a huge fungating tumor is covering the osteotomy site. We report the clinical outcome of hemicortical resection and reconstruction for primary bone tumors, especially with high‐grade histology and extensive circumferential involvement.

Materials and Methods

We retrospectively reviewed 44 patients (males, n = 18; females, n = 26) who underwent hemicortical resection from 2005 to 2014.

Results

The median follow‐up period was 46.0 (23–178) months. Disease‐specific, local recurrence‐free, and metastasis‐free survival rates of patients in the malignant group at 5 years were 96.6%, 84.5%, and 93.6%, respectively. Among 42 patients, there were local recurrences (n = 6), metastasis (n = 2), and death (n = 1). Surgical margin was an independent prognostic factor for local recurrence (hazard ratio = 5.7; p = 0.038). The recycled autograft and strut allograft groups did not show statistical difference in bone union. Failure rate was 31.8% and local recurrence was the most frequent, followed by infection.

Conclusion

Hemicortical resection can be a feasible option for extremity malignant bone tumors. Regarding reconstruction, there were no difference between autograft and allograft in bone union rate. Surgical margin was an independent prognostic factor for local recurrence.
Complications of Gastrostomy Tubes in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer
Authors: Vujasinovic Miroslav , Marsk Elin , Tsolakis Apostolos V. , Hynning Boel , Nordberg Martin , Lindblad Mats , Lindqvist Catarina , Nordenvall Lalle H. , Bark Rusana , Elbe Peter
Published: January 2022

Objectives

Head and neck cancers (HNCs) include various malignant tumors of the upper aerodigestive tract. Due to their anatomical location, HNCs can cause obstruction, odynophagia, or trismus, leading to dysphagia. In addition, this patient group may be vulnerable to treatment side effects both by surgery and oncological treatment, exposing the patients to an even higher risk of malnutrition. The risk of malnourishment is often resolved by applying a feeding gastrostomy tube. The present study aims to identify complication rates after percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) and open gastrostomy (OG) in patients treated for HNC in a high‐volume center.

Study Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study of all patients treated for a new diagnosis of HNC at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery at Karolinska University Hospital between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2018 in whom gastrostomy was performed.

Results

Regarding tumor location, 165 (56.7%) were in the pharynx, 68 (23.4%) in the oral cavity, 57 (19.6%) in the larynx, and 1 (0.3%) in the nasal cavity. PEG was performed in 240 (82.5%) and OG in 51 (17.5%) patients. The overall complication rate was 28.2%: 64 (26.7%) among PEG patients and 18 (35.3%) among OG patients. The incidence of major complications was 3.1%.

Conclusions

Our study confirms that enteral feeding via gastrostomy is a safe method, regardless of the technique used (PEG or OG), with a low rate of major complications and no mortality linked to the procedure.

Level of Evidence

3 Laryngoscope, 132:1778–1784, 2022
A bis(pyrazolyl)methane derivative against clinical Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from otitis externa
Authors: Ocaña Ana V. , Aguilera‐Correa John J. , Domínguez‐Jurado Elena , Pérez‐Martínez Francisco C. , Pérez‐Tanoira Ramón , López‐Carretero Yaiza , Masiá‐Mondejar Jesús , Castro‐Osma José Antonio , Esteban Jaime , Alonso‐Moreno Carlos , Molina‐Alarcón Milagros , Seguí Pedro
Published: January 2022

Objective

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the in vitro antibacterial effects of a p‐Cymene‐based bis(pyrazolyl)methane derivative (SC‐19) to advance in developing alternative therapeutic compounds to fight against bacterial isolates from patients with otitis externa (OE).

Methods

Eighteen swab specimens were collected from patients aged over 18 years diagnosed with OE within at least 7 days of symptom onset, contaminated by only one bacterium type: Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 5); Staphylococcus aureus (n = 8); Klebsiella aerogenes (n = 2); Serratia marcescens (n = 1); Morganella morganii (n = 2). To appraise antibacterial activity, minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC), minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration (MBIC), and minimum biofilm eradication concentration (MBEC) assays were run at different SC‐19 concentrations.

Results

When using SC‐19, S. aureus strains showed less bacterial growth, but no bactericidal effect was observed. The MIC and MBC of SC‐19 were 62.5 and 2000 μg/ml against S. aureus and were >2000 μg/ml against the other isolates obtained from OE, respectively. In addition, the MBICs and MBECs of SC‐19 against S. aureus were 125 and >2000 μg/ml, respectively.

Conclusion

Nowadays the acquired antibiotic resistance phenomenon has stimulated research into novel and more efficient therapeutic agents. Hence, we report that, helped by the structural diversity fostered herein by a range of bis(pyrazolyl)methane derivatives, SC‐19 can be a promising alternative therapeutic option for treating OE caused by S. aureus given the observed effects on both planktonic state and biofilm.

Level of Evidence

IV
3D Printing Auxetic Architectures for Hypertrophic Scar Therapy
Authors: Chow Lung , Yick Kit‐lun , Wong Kam Ho , Leung Matthew Sin‐hang , Sun Yue , Kwan Mei‐ying , Ning Karolyn , Yu Annie , Yip Joanne , Chan Ying‐fan , Ng Sun‐pui
Published: January 2022

Fitting the human body for different purposes such as flexible electronics and functional garments can be a challenging task. Pressure garments are used to treat hypertrophic scars (HSs)pr. However, they have often failed to provide consistent pressure during joint movement. To increase the therapy efficacy, the application is proposed of 3D printed thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) with an auxetic architecture insert for pressure therapy. Auxetic material can undergo an out‐of‐plane bending into a synclastic curvature, which can easily accommodate the contours of the human body. In this study, the synclastic effect of the auxetic structure under out‐of‐plane bending is illustrated through finite element analysis (FEA) first. Next, the formability, structural deformation, and auxetic response of re‐entrant (RE) and double‐arrowhead (DAH) auxetic structures when loading by a spherical surface in out‐of‐plane direction are unprecedentedly evaluated experimentally and numerically. It can be observed the internal angle of auxetic structure plays an important role regarding shape formability. Nevertheless, the result of wear trial reveals this design facilitates a stable level of pressure during the body motion which promotes the recovery of HS. It is believed the characterized result of auxetic architectures not only contribute to HS therapy, but also any type of biomedical devices.
Legal cost of contract enforcement and nonperforming loans: Is credit information sharing relevant?
Authors: Adusei Michael , Adeleye Ngozi , Sarpong‐Danquah Beatrice
Published: January 2022

We examine the impact of legal cost of contract enforcement on nonperforming loans (“NPLs”) with data from 132 countries. In addition, we examine whether this impact is sensitive to the income groups of countries and the presence of credit information sharing. We observe a robust negative association between legal cost of contract enforcement and NPLs in both full sample and subsample analyses. We also observe that in the presence of credit information sharing, the effect of legal cost of contract enforcement slowing down NPLs is constrained across all income groups except the low‐income one.
Development of a cardiovascular magnetic resonance‐compatible large animal isolated heart model for direct comparison of beating and arrested hearts
Authors: Scott Andrew D. , Jackson Tim , Khalique Zohya , Gorodezky Margarita , Pardoe Ben , Begum Lale , Bruno V. Domenico , Chowdhury Rasheda A. , Ferreira Pedro F. , Nielles‐Vallespin Sonia , Roehl Malte , McCarthy Karen P. , Sarathchandra Padmini , Rose Jan N. , Doorly Denis J. , Pennell Dudley J. , Ascione Raimondo , de Silva Ranil , Firmin David N.
Published: January 2022

Cardiac motion results in image artefacts and quantification errors in many cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) techniques, including microstructural assessment using diffusion tensor cardiovascular magnetic resonance (DT‐CMR). Here, we develop a CMR‐compatible isolated perfused porcine heart model that allows comparison of data obtained in beating and arrested states. Ten porcine hearts (8/10 for protocol optimisation) were harvested using a donor heart retrieval protocol and transported to the remote CMR facility. Langendorff perfusion in a 3D‐printed chamber and perfusion circuit re‐established contraction. Hearts were imaged using cine, parametric mapping and STEAM DT‐CMR at cardiac phases with the minimum and maximum wall thickness. High potassium and lithium perfusates were then used to arrest the heart in a slack and contracted state, respectively. Imaging was repeated in both arrested states. After imaging, tissue was removed for subsequent histology in a location matched to the DT‐CMR data using fiducial markers. Regular sustained contraction was successfully established in six out of 10 hearts, including the final five hearts. Imaging was performed in four hearts and one underwent the full protocol, including colocalised histology. The image quality was good and there was good agreement between DT‐CMR data in equivalent beating and arrested states. Despite the use of autologous blood and dextran within the perfusate, T2 mapping results, DT‐CMR measures and an increase in mass were consistent with development of myocardial oedema, resulting in failure to achieve a true diastolic‐like state. A contiguous stack of 313 5‐μm histological sections at and a 100‐μm thick section showing cell morphology on 3D fluorescent confocal microscopy colocalised to DT‐CMR data were obtained. A CMR‐compatible isolated perfused beating heart setup for large animal hearts allows direct comparisons of beating and arrested heart data with subsequent colocalised histology, without the need for onsite preclinical facilities.
Accelerating alternating least squares for tensor decomposition by pairwise perturbation
Authors: Ma Linjian , Solomonik Edgar
Published: January 2022

The alternating least squares (ALS) algorithm for CP and Tucker decomposition is dominated in cost by the tensor contractions necessary to set up the quadratic optimization subproblems. We introduce a novel family of algorithms that uses perturbative corrections to the subproblems rather than recomputing the tensor contractions. This approximation is accurate when the factor matrices are changing little across iterations, which occurs when ALS approaches convergence. We provide a theoretical analysis to bound the approximation error. Our numerical experiments demonstrate that the proposed pairwise perturbation algorithms are easy to control and converge to minima that are as good as ALS. The experimental results show improvements of up to 3.1 with respect to state‐of‐the‐art ALS approaches for various model tensor problems and real datasets.
Risks and limitations of steam curtains protection in case of flammable gases leakage
Authors: Kulich Martin , Herink Tomas
Published: January 2022

Refinery and petrochemical production facilities process and produce gaseous and liquid hydrocarbons. In case of any failure, improper design, or human error, flammable or toxic substances can be released into the environment. In such cases, vapor barriers of steam curtains are used in the chemical industry to primarily dilute the released gases as well as to divert the gases to the safe area away from a potential source of ignition. When steam is ejected from a nozzle in the pipe wall, the medium rubs against the edge of the nozzle, liquid water impinges on the wall of the nozzle, and an electrostatic charge can therefore be expected. From the above description, it can be deduced that if the operation of the steam curtains is associated with the generation of electrostatic charge and the possibility of its discharge and the generation of electrostatic sparks, the activation of the steam curtains during the discharge of flammable gases paradoxically represents a certain risk. From the point of view of assessing the potential risks in the operation of vapor barriers, the magnitude of the electric charge energy generated is a crucial issue. Measuring the electric charge on the flowing steam from the nozzles is complicated with a large scatter of measured values. However, with reference to the experience gained from repeated measurements, the experimentally measured values and the obtained results can at least be seen as an expert estimate. This paper focuses on the evaluation of experimental measurements of the magnitude of the generated electrostatic charge on real steam curtains of an ethylene plant. Based on the measured results, risks are defined and appropriate measures are taken.
Evaluation of the effect of nitric oxide inhalation in the patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension or pulmonary disease during balloon pulmonary angioplasty
Authors: Saito Shota , Ikeda Nobutaka , Iijima Raisuke , Hara Hidehiko , Nakamura Masato
Published: January 2022

Balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) or pulmonary disease (CTEPD) is performed worldwide. High mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) during BPA is associated with aggravation of procedure‐related complications. Inhaled nitric oxide (NO) acts as a pulmonary vasodilator in CTEPH patients. The aim of this retrospective observational study was to evaluate the effects of inhaled NO in CTEPH/CTEPD patients during BPA. We assessed hemodynamic changes and the frequency of procedure‐related complications with or without NO inhalation. We performed 338 consecutive BPA in 72 CTEPH/CTEPD patients between April 2016 and November 2020. Since December 2019, all 16 patients (72‐BPA sessions) inhaled NO during the procedure as a routine. Inhaled NO significantly reduced mPAP from 31.3 ± 8.5 to 27.2 ± 6.8 mmHg (p < 0.001) without lowering systemic blood pressure (systolic: 139.9 ± 19.9 vs. 135.3 ± 21.8 mmHg; p = 0.247, diastolic: 82.8 ± 13.0 vs. 79.0 ± 9.3 mmHg; p = 0.085, before vs. after NO inhalation, respectively). Procedure‐related complications were observed in 46 sessions (13.6%). The incidence of hemoptysis was significantly higher in the NO group than in the non‐NO group (20.8% vs. 10.9%; p = 0.031). In contrast, all fatal complications (death and use of positive pressure ventilation) occurred in the non‐NO group, but the difference was not statistically significant (0 sessions [0.0%] vs. 7 sessions [2.6%], p = 0.353). Inhaled NO acts as a selective pulmonary vasodilator in CTEPH/CTEPD patients during the BPA procedure.
Assessment of rapid low‐cost isotope (δ15N, δ18O) analyses of nitrate in fruit extracts by Ti(III) reduction to differentiate organic from conventional production
Authors: Wassenaar Leonard I. , Kelly Simon D. , Douence Cedric , Islam Marivil , Monteiro Lucilena , Abrahim Aiman , Rinke Peter
Published: January 2022

Rationale

The isotopic composition (δ15N, δ18O) of nitrate in fruits and vegetables differentiates organic from conventional food production practices. Organic systems do not use synthetic nitrate fertilizers high in 18O and low in 15N and thereby help reveal producers’ fertilization claims. Isotope analyses of nitrate extracted from fruits and vegetables are done by bacterial reduction which is costly and by specialized laboratories. Rapid, low‐cost methods are needed to promulgate nitrate isotope analyses of food products to support organic food product certification and to verify the authenticity of production claims.

Methods

Fresh strawberry samples were obtained from certified organic and conventional growers in Andalucía, Spain. We applied a new, rapid, one‐step Ti(III) reduction method to convert the nitrate from strawberry extracts to N2O gas for headspace isotope analyses using isotope‐ratio mass spectrometry. Using the Ti(III) reduction method, 70 samples, controls and references were prepared and analyzed for NO3−, δ15N and δ18O per 48 h. We also analyzed extracts and solids for anions and cations and for bulk δ15N for multivariate chemometric evaluation.

Results

The Ti(III)‐based isotope analyses of nitrate in strawberry extracts revealed clear differentiation between organic and conventional production with mean δ18O and δ15N values of +18.3 ± 1.2 ‰ and +17.6 ± 1.2 ‰ versus +28.2 ± 4.5 ‰ and +14.9 ± 3.0 ‰, respectively. The δ15N of strawberry dry mass differed slightly (+3.0 ± 1.4 ‰ versus +4.0 ± 1.4 ‰) between organic and conventional samples, respectively. Chemometric analyses of nitrate isotopes and extract chemistry revealed that the δ18O of nitrate along with δ15N and Ca2+ fully differentiated organic from conventional strawberry production.

Conclusions

Our results show the Ti(III) reduction method provides a new low‐cost and rapid analytical method to facilitate compound‐specific δ15N and δ18O isotope analyses of nitrate in selected fruit types, and likely other food products, for the purposes of assessing nitrate fertilization practices of organic versus conventional production claims and to support authenticity investigations.
Time‐varying formation control for multi‐agent systems under directed topology base on gain re‐adaptation fault‐tolerant compensation approach
Authors: Wang Haiqing , Dong Jiuxiang
Published: January 2022

The distributed fault‐tolerant time‐varying formation control problem for second‐order multi‐agent systems (MAS) with loss‐of‐effectiveness and bias actuator faults over the directed topology is investigated in this article. A novel robust fault‐tolerant state feedback controller is constructed with the re‐adaptation gain and adaptive compensation, where the re‐adaptation control gain is introduced to accomplish formation control with no need for any global knowledge of interaction network among the agents in the entire system. The adaptive compensation is addressed to cope with the unknown bound of faults and time‐varying formation. Moreover, the adaptive laws will not always rise because of the influence of measurement noise. On the analysis of Lyapunov stability, one can obtain that all signals of the closed‐loop fault‐tolerant control system are uniformly bounded, and the formation errors can asymptotically converge to zero. The numerical simulation of second‐order MAS is performed to prove the effectiveness of the mentioned results.
Version‐based and risk‐enabled testing, monitoring, and visualization of microservice systems
Authors: Ma Shang‐Pin , Liu I‐Hsiu , Chen Chun‐Yu , Wang Yu‐Te
Published: January 2022

Despite the growing importance of the microservice architecture (MSA), interactions among the various elements (e.g., services, endpoints, and versions) remain difficult to manage. This research devised a system, called version‐based microservice analysis, monitoring, and visualization (VMAMV), including multiple proposed methods to facilitate the testing, monitoring, and visualization of microservice systems by considering service versions and risks. VMAMV can generate version‐based service dependency graphs, provide graph search services, perform consumer‐driven contract testing, and conduct a risk analysis. Besides, VMAMV can also notify users of existing anomalies and potential risks to facilitate the development and operation of microservice systems. Experiments were conducted to demonstrate the efficacy of the VMAMV system in the detection of service anomalies, old patch versions, low‐usage service versions, the presentation of contract test results and service error chains, and the validity of risk analysis.
Fulminating COVID‐19 infection: my personal experience
Authors: Hackett Geoffrey
Published: January 2022

The author takes us on a very personal journey through his experience of a severe COVID‐19 infection, hospitalisation and subsequent recovery, along with the sequelae. His experience and subsequent research have left him convinced of the value of phosphodiesterase type‐5 inhibitors and testosterone in the treatment of men hospitalised with COVID‐19.
Correction to: Developing a Configuration System for a Simulation Game in the Domain of Urban CO2 Emissions Reduction
Authors: Zurmühle Sarah , Gonçalves João S. V. , Wäger Patrick , Gerber Andreas , Hilty Lorenz M.
Published: January 2022

Chapter “Developing a Configuration System for a Simulation Game in the Domain of Urban CO2 Emissions Reduction” was previously published non-open access. It has now been changed to open access under a CC BY 4.0 license and the copyright holder updated to ‘The Author(s)’. The book has also been updated with this change.
Poetological Lists: Writing-Scenes in Contemporary Literature
Authors: Vedder Ulrike
Published: January 2022

The article focuses on literary lists the items of which demonstrate the practice of writing, that is, those which evoke a “writing-scene” (R. Campe). These poetological lists consolidate the self-reflexive potential of literary texts, gather elements of narration in list form, stage the conditions for a non-linear narrative in the list or even thematize the “genea-logic” of narrative and writing. Under consideration are four lists (all in the second half of the twentieth century) from the most disparate of genres: lyric poetry (Inger Christensen), the manifesto (Jack Kerouac), the novel (Italo Calvino), and the autobiography (Roland Barthes). Each of these lists reflects not only the process of writing and poetics but also genre specificity.
Aesthetics of Enumeration: The Arma Christi in Medieval Visual Art
Authors: Wagner Daniela
Published: January 2022

The chapter explores pictorial representations of the Arma Christi in late medieval visual art under the premise of their list-like character. The aim is to explain how artists designed the representations of the Arma with a conceptual purpose regarding the interplay of aesthetics and functionality to tie the beholder’s gaze and thoughts to the Passion of Christ. As will be shown, an examination of the Arma from the perspective of enumeration enables a more theoretical understanding of the list and its potential in the late medieval practice of piety.
The Lists of Alexander von Humboldt: On the Epistemology of Scientific Practice
Authors: Ette Ottmar
Published: January 2022

Focusing on Alexander von Humboldt’s American Travel Journals, this chapter discusses how the scientific list took on new functions in the wake of a paradigm shift in the history of knowledge. Humboldt’s list-making shaped and was shaped by his novel trans-areal as well as trans-disciplinary conception of science. Rather than composing static taxonomies, his lists make reference to geographies of natural entities, showing their migration or evolution. By thus moving across territorial boundaries, Humboldt practices mobility of thought and bridges the split between the “old” and the “new” world. His enumerations showcase scientific study as a quintessentially nomadic process that is never completed or flawless. Often combined into tables to represent the multi-relationality of natural life, Humboldt’s lists are thus intentionally inconsistent.
Towards a FOSS Automatic Classification of Defects for Bridges Structural Health Monitoring
Authors: Belcore Elena , Di Pietra Vincenzo , Grasso Nives , Piras Marco , Tondolo Francesco , Savino Pierclaudio , Polania Daniel Rodriguez , Osello Anna
Published: January 2022

Bridges are among the most important structures of any road network. During their service life, they are subject to deterioration which may reduce their safety and functionality. The detection of bridge damage is necessary for proper maintenance activities. To date, assessing the health status of the bridge and all its elements is carried out by identifying a series of data obtained from visual inspections, which allows the mapping of the deterioration situation of the work and its conservation status. There are, however, situations where visual inspection may be difficult or impossible, especially in critical areas of bridges, such as the ceiling and corners. In this contribution, the authors acquire images using a prototype drone with a low-cost camera mounted upward over the body of the drone. The proposed solution was tested on a bridge in the city of Turin (Italy). The captured data was processed via photogrammetric process using the open-source Micmac solution. Subsequently, a procedure was developed with FOSS tools for the segmentation of the orthophoto of the intrados of the bridge and the automatic classification of some defects found on the analyzed structure. The paper describes the adopted approach showing the effectiveness of the proposed methodology.
Celestial operator product expansions and w1+∞ symmetry for all spins
Authors: Himwich E. , Pate M. , Singh K.
Published: January 2022

Abstract

The operator product expansion of massless celestial primary operators of arbitrary spin is investigated. Poincaré symmetry is found to imply a set of recursion relations on the operator product expansion coefficients of the leading singular terms at tree-level in a holomorphic limit. The symmetry constraints are solved by an Euler beta function with arguments that depend simply on the right-moving conformal weights of the operators in the product. These symmetry-derived coefficients are shown not only to match precisely those arising from momentum-space tree-level collinear limits, but also to obey an infinite number of additional symmetry transformations that respect the algebra of w1+∞. In tree-level minimally-coupled gravitational theories, celestial currents are constructed from light transforms of conformally soft gravitons and found to generate the action of w1+∞ on arbitrary massless celestial primaries. Results include operator product expansion coefficients for fermions as well as those arising from higher-derivative non-minimal couplings of gluons and gravitons.
Conformal boundary condition and massive gravitons in AdS/BCFT
Authors: Chu Chong-Sun , Miao Rong-Xin
Published: January 2022

Abstract

According to Witten [1], the conformal boundary condition of gravity, which specifies the conformal geometry of the boundary and the trace of the extrinsic curvature, is elliptic and leads to well-defined perturbation theory of gravity about any classical solution. The conformal boundary condition was previously considered in [2, 3] in the context of AdS/BCFT, wherein the equation of motion of the end-of-the-world was derived and emphasized. In this paper, we investigate further other consequences of the conformal boundary condition in AdS/BCFT. We derive the boundary central charges of the holographic Weyl anomaly and show that they are exactly the same for conformal boundary condition and Dirichlet boundary condition. We analysis the metric perturbation with conformal boundary condition (CBC), Dirichlet boundary condition (DBC) and Neumann boundary condition (NBC) imposed on the end-of-the-world brane and show that they admit an interpretation as the fluctuation of the extrinsic curvature (case of CBC and DBC) and the induced metric (case of NBC) of Q respectively. In all cases, the fluctuation modes are massive, which are closely relevant to the massive island formation in the literature. Our results reveal that there are non-trivial gravitational dynamics from extrinsic curvatures on the conformal and Dirichlet branes, which may have interesting applications to the island. We also discuss, in passing, the localization of gravitons in brane world theory. We find that, contrary to NBC, the graviton for CBC/DBC is located on the brane with non-positive tension instead of non-negative tension.
Robust multiscale optimization accounting for spatially-varying material uncertainties
Authors: Thillaithevan Dilaksan , Bruce Paul , Santer Matthew
Published: January 2022

In this work we demonstrate a methodology for performing robust optimization using multivariable parameterized lattice microstructures. By introducing material uncertainties at the microscale, we are able to simulate the variations in geometry that occur during the manufacturing stage and design structures which are tolerant to variations in the microscale geometry. We impose both uniform and spatially-varying, non-uniform material uncertainties to generate structures which, in terms of standard deviation, are up to 77% more robust in the non-spatially uncertainty varying case, and 74% more robust in the spatially-varying case. We also explore the utility of imposing spatially-varying material uncertainties compared to using homogeneous, uniform material uncertainties, which are much less computationally expensive. It is found that when designs that have been optimized assuming uniform uncertainties are subject to spatially-varying uncertainties, their standard deviations of compliance are similar to designs optimized assuming spatially-varying uncertainties. However, their mean compliances are far higher in comparison to designs generated by assuming spatially-varying material uncertainties.
Isogeometric sizing and shape optimization of 3D beams and lattice structures at large deformations
Authors: Weeger Oliver
Published: January 2022

A computational method for optimizing the shape of the centerline curve and the spatial variation of geometric and material sizing parameters of the cross-sections of elastic, 3-dimensional beams and beam structures subject to large deformations is presented in this work. The approach is based on the concept of isogeometric analysis, i.e., the representation of geometry and the discretization of the numerical solution using spline functions. Here, mixed isogeometric collocation methods are used to discretize the geometrically exact 3D beam model. These spline representations are extended to the parameterization of the design variables, which are the initial centerline curves of the beams, as well as cross-sectional sizing properties, which may be varying along the beam axis and can be functionally graded through the cross-sections. To tailor the mechanical deformation behavior of a beam or beam structure, a nonlinear optimization problem is formulated and solved using gradient-based methods. For this purpose, all required gradients and sensitivities are derived analytically. The potential of this holistic design optimization approach is demonstrated in application to tailoring of elastic metamaterials and beam lattice structures, as well as 4D printing of multi-material laminate beams.
The Search for the Ideal Female Breast: A Nationally Representative United-States-Census Study
Authors: Wallner Christoph , Dahlmann Vanessa , Montemurro Paolo , Kümmel Sherko , Reinisch Mattea , Drysch Marius , Schmidt Sonja Verena , Reinkemeier Felix , Huber Julika , Wagner Johannes Maximilian , Sogorski Alexander , Dadras Mehran , von Glinski Maxi , Lehnhardt Marcus , Behr Björn
Published: January 2022

Introduction

Many studies have started to search for the perfect aesthetic breast in order to create a pars-pro-toto for reconstruction, but especially for aesthetic surgery. To date, no representative study with anatomically accurate models was performed.

Methods

In an online based United-States-census-representative survey with 1049 participants, questions regarding the preferred breast were asked utilizing lifelike morphed 3D-generated female models for the first time. Attributes such as breast pole ratio, areola size, breast direction and projection were asked.

Results

The results show that, contrary to what has been claimed in previous studies, an upper-pole-to-lower-pole ratio of 55:45 is preferred by both female and male participants. When it comes to breast size, on the other hand, there are clear gender-specific differences. While women opted for a cup size around B, the men preferred larger cup sizes. Moreover, the smallest depicted areola size of 30 mm was favored among all groups in the survey.

Discussion

Most publications used rather detrimental models for their surveys. We therefore opted for computer-generated 3D models and varied their naturalness. This enabled us to ensure a more aesthetic and accurate illustration and thus obtained more comparable and reliable results paired with the representation of the US-population. Taken together this study unveiled unexpected insights into the population favored breast attributes that might change operative planning in breast surgery.

Level of Evidence V

This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors http://www.springer.com/00266.
Relationship Between Prehospital Time and 24‐h Mortality in Road Traffic‐Injured Patients in Laos
Authors: Suzuki Takaaki , Phonesavanh Oulaivanh , Thongsna Snong , Inoue Yoshiaki , Ichikawa Masao
Published: January 2022

Background

Road traffic injury has long been regarded as a “time‐dependent disease.” However, shortening the prehospital time might not improve the outcome in developing countries given the current quality of in‐hospital care. We aimed to examine the relationship between the prehospital time and 24‐h mortality among road traffic victims in Laos.

Methods

A prospective observational study was conducted using the trauma registry data on traffic‐injured patients who were transported by ambulance to a trauma center in the capital city of Laos from May 2018 to April 2019. The analysis focused on patients with non‐mild conditions, whose outcomes could be affected by the prehospital time. To examine the relationship between a prehospital time of <60 min and 24‐h mortality, a generalized estimating equation model was used incorporating the inverse probability weights utilizing the propensity score for the prehospital time.

Results

Of 701 patients, 73% were men, 91% were riding 2‐ or 3‐wheel motor vehicles during the crash, and 68% had a prehospital time of <60 min. A total of 35 patients died within 24 h after the crash. Compared with those who survived, individuals who died tended to have head and torso injuries. The proportions of 24‐h mortality were 4.7% and 5.4% in patients whose prehospital time was <60 min and ≥60 min, respectively. No significant relationship was found between the prehospital time and 24‐h mortality.

Conclusion

A shorter prehospital time was not associated with the 24‐h survival among road traffic victims in Laos.
A computational homogenization framework for non-ordinary state-based peridynamics
Authors: Galadima Yakubu Kasimu , Xia Wenxuan , Oterkus Erkan , Oterkus Selda
Published: January 2022

Peridynamic theory has been shown to possess the capabilities of describing phenomena that theories based on partial differential equations are not capable of describing. These phenomena include nonlocal interactions and presence of singularities in system responses. To exploit the capabilities offered by peridynamics in the homogenization of heterogenous media, a nonlocal computational homogenization theory based on peridynamic correspondence model (non-ordinary state-based peridynamics) is proposed. To set the development of the theory on a rigorous mathematical framework and to ensure consistency with the nonlocal nature of the peridynamic theory, a nonlocal vector calculus was used in the analysis of the nonlocal homogenization theory. The proposed theory is a two-scale micro–macro-homogenization strategy in which the constitutive relation at the macroscale is derived from explicit solution of a nonlocal volume constraint problem at the microscale. To justify the coupling between the two scales, nonlocal analogues of the stress and strain average theorems as well as the Hill–Mandel macrohomogeneity condition were derived. Validation of the proposed theory is achieved via numerical solution of Representative Volume Elements (RVE) from composite materials and comparing the results with those obtained by means of established methodologies.
Endoscopic vacuum therapy in the upper gastrointestinal tract: when and how to use it
Authors: Gutschow Christian A. , Schlag Christoph , Vetter Diana
Published: January 2022

Background

Endoscopic vacuum therapy (EVT) has emerged as a novel treatment option for upper gastrointestinal wall defects. The basic principle of action of EVT entails evacuation of secretions, removal of wound debris, and containment of the defect. Furthermore, there is increasing evidence that EVT reduces interstitial edema, increases oxygen saturation, and promotes tissue granulation and microcirculation. Various devices, such as macroporous polyurethane sponge systems or open-pore film drains, have been developed for specific indications. Depending on the individual situation, EVT devices can be placed in- or outside the intestinal lumen, as a stand-alone procedure, or in combination with surgical, radiological, and other endoscopic interventions.

Purpose

The aim of this narrative review is to describe the current spectrum of EVT in the upper gastrointestinal tract and to assess and summarize the related scientific literature.

Conclusions

There is growing evidence that the efficacy of EVT for upper GI leakages exceeds that of other interventional treatment modalities such as self-expanding metal stents, clips, or simple drainages. Owing to the promising results and the excellent risk profile, EVT has become the therapy of choice for perforations and anastomotic leakages of the upper gastrointestinal tract in many centers of expertise. In addition, recent clinical research suggests that preemptive use of EVT after high-risk upper gastrointestinal resections may play an important role in reducing postoperative morbidity.
Efficacy and safety of remifentanil for endoscopic ultrasound-guided tissue acquisition: a single center retrospective study
Authors: Lin Yueh-Juh , Wang Yi-Chia , Huang Hui-Hsun , Huang Chi-Hsiang , Lin Pei-Lin
Published: January 2022

Background

Remifentanil is a rapid onset and rapid recovery opioid. The combination of remifentanil and propofol for deep sedation decreases the incidents of movement, cough, and hiccup. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of remifentanil during endoscopic ultrasound-guided tissue acquisition.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed patients in whom endoscopic ultrasound-guided tissue acquisition was performed for solid mass lesions of the upper gastrointestinal tract and adjacent organs. All patients were premedicated with midazolam (2 mg), and target-controlled infusion of propofol, opioid, and Bispectral Index (BIS) monitoring were administered as necessary to maintain moderate-to-deep sedation. The opioids used were a bolus of alfentanil or remifentanil infusion. The discharge time, consumption of propofol and opioid, adverse events, diagnostic accuracy, and sensitivity and specificity for malignancy, were compared.

Results

Tissue acquisition was achieved in 123 patients (alfentanil group, n = 64; remifentanil group, n = 59). The discharge time of the remifentanil group (16.5 ± 3.2 min) was significantly shorter than that of the alfentanil group (19.0 ± 4.9 min, P = 0.001). The consumption of propofol, adverse events, diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity for malignancy in the alfentanil group were not significantly different from those in the remifentanil group.

Conclusions

Use of alfentanil or remifentanil for target-controlled infusion of propofol–BIS monitoring can provide good sedative and diagnostic quality for endoscopic ultrasound-guided tissue acquisition. However, remifentanil resulted in faster recovery than alfentanil.
Improved cost-sensitive multikernel learning support vector machine algorithm based on particle swarm optimization in pulmonary nodule recognition
Authors: Li Yang , Chang Jiayue , Tian Ying
Published: January 2022

In the lung computer-aided detection (Lung CAD) system, the region of interest (ROI) of lung nodules has more false positives, making the imbalance between positive and negative (true positive and false positive) samples more likely to lead to misclassification of true positive nodules, a cost-sensitive multikernel learning support vector machine (CS-MKL-SVM) algorithm is proposed. Different penalty coefficients are assigned to positive and negative samples, so that the model can better learn the features of true positive nodules and improve the classification effect. To further improve the detection rate of pulmonary nodules and overall recognition accuracy, a score function named F-new based on the harmonic mean of accuracy (ACC) and sensitivity (SEN) is proposed as a fitness function for subsequent particle swarm optimization (PSO) parameter optimization, and a feasibility analysis of this function is performed. Compared with the fitness function that considers only accuracy or sensitivity, both the detection rate and the recognition accuracy of pulmonary nodules can be improved by this new algorithm. Compared with the grid search algorithm, using PSO for parameter search can reduce the model training time by nearly 20 times and achieve rapid parameter optimization. The maximum F-new obtained on the test set is 0.9357 for the proposed algorithm. When the maximum value of F-new is achieved, the corresponding recognition ACC is 91%, and SEN is 96.3%. Compared with the radial basis function in the single kernel, the F-new of the algorithm in this paper is 2.16% higher, ACC is 1.00% higher and SEN is equal. Compared with the polynomial kernel function in the single kernel, the F-new of the algorithm is 3.64% higher, ACC is 1.00% higher and SEN is 7.41% higher. The experimental results show that the F-new, ACC and SEN of the proposed algorithm is the best among them, and the results obtained by using multikernel function combined with F-new index are better than the single kernel function. Compared with the MKL-SVM algorithm of grid search, the ACC of the algorithm in this paper is reduced by 1%, and the results are equal to those of the MKL-SVM algorithm based on PSO only. Compared with the above two algorithms, SEN is increased by 3.71% and 7.41%, respectively. Therefore, it can be seen that the cost sensitive method can effectively reduce the missed detection of nodules, and the availability of the new algorithm can be further verified.
Mit Herz und Verstand: Rolle der internen Kommunikation für die Etablierung neuer Nachhaltigkeitsstrategien
Authors: Strottner Lea , Huck-Sandhu Simone
Published: January 2022

Die Erwartungen vieler Stakeholder an unternehmerische Nachhaltigkeit und Verantwortung sind gestiegen. In der Folge begeben sich Unternehmen in einen Transformationsprozess und verankern Nachhaltigkeitsziele und -strategie in ihrer Unternehmensstrategie. Dies bringt in der Regel einen fundamentalen Veränderungsprozess für die Mitarbeitenden mit sich. Die neue Nachhaltigkeitsorientierung intern durch- und umzusetzen bedeutet u. a., dass die interne Veränderungskommunikation die Nachhaltigkeitsthematik aktiv zu vermitteln und den Veränderungsprozess kommunikativ zu begleiten hat. Ziel dieses Beitrags ist es, Grundlagen, Rahmenbedingungen und Erfolgsfaktoren der internen Veränderungskommunikation im Zusammenhang mit der Etablierung einer Nachhaltigkeitsstrategie im Unternehmen zu analysieren und deren kommunikative Implementierung und Institutionalisierung zu beleuchten. Im Rahmen einer qualitativen Studie wurden Leitfadengespräche mit Verantwortlichen für interne Nachhaltigkeitskommunikation in Großunternehmen geführt. Die Ergebnisse bestätigen, dass interne Kommunikation unter bestimmten Rahmenbedingungen Treiber für eine neue, nachhaltigkeitsorientiere Unternehmensstrategie und die damit einhergehenden Wandlungsprozesse sein kann. Es deuten sich aber auch Besonderheiten an, die – anders als in allgemeinen Veränderungsprozessen – bei der Etablierung von Nachhaltigkeitsstrategien qualitativ wichtiger zu sein scheinen. Um die neue Strategie kognitiv und affektiv in den Köpfen und Herzen der Mitarbeitenden zu verankern, bedarf es einer systematischen Veränderungskommunikation, die über Werte, Kultur und kommunikatives Sensegiving Nachhaltigkeit verankert. Dazu kommen spezifische Kommunikationsmodi, -formate und -medien zum Einsatz. Für die Forschung liefert der Beitrag explorative Hinweise an einer bislang kaum beleuchteten Nahtstelle von interner Veränderungs- und Nachhaltigkeitskommunikation. Für die Unternehmenspraxis identifiziert er Rahmenbedingungen und Herausforderungen und zeigt auf, wie Ziele, Aufgabe und Maßnahmen der Kommunikationsarbeit für die Etablierung neuer Nachhaltigkeitsstrategien umgesetzt werden können.
Mining rules of decision-making for fleet composition under market uncertainty using a genetic algorithm
Authors: Hiekata Kazuo , Wanaka Shinnosuke , Okubo Yoshinori
Published: January 2022

This study proposes a method for determining decision-making rules on fleet composition that are effective from a perspective of profitability in the shipping industry, where there are several market uncertainties such as fuel prices, freight rates, exchange rate, transportation demand, world transportation capacity, and ship price. A simulator is used to calculate the revenue of the fleet composition based on the market scenario. Using this to optimize the buying and selling behavior of ships, decision-making rules regarding fleet composition can be determined. The rules are expressed as a vector, and a genetic algorithm (GA) is used for optimization. As a case study, the method was applied to container ships operating between Asia and Europe. The simulation revealed optimal decision-making rules. Moreover, a controlled experiment was conducted to validate the effectiveness of the rules. Participants were randomly divided into two groups: those with rules and those without rules, and they were asked to perform buying and selling behavior in a simulated environment. By comparing these groups’ profits, it is validated that the rules discovered by the method are useful because they encourage decision-making from a long-term perspective.