bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Schatten des Universalismus: Die unerzählte Geschichte der Menschenrechte um 1948
Authors: Liu Lydia H.
Published: May 2023

Der Beitrag setzt sich mit den von Philosophen und Rechtsexperten nach dem 2. Weltkrieg geführten Diskussionen auseinander, die schließlich zur Ausarbeitung der Allgemeinen Erklärung der Menschenrechte führten. Die komplexen Abläufe werden aufgezeigt, bei denen zwischen hochrangigen Vertretern aus verschiedenen Kulturen um das Verständnis des Universalismus gerungen wurde und Positionen des vom Westen vorgegebenen Narrativs hinterfragt wurden.
Kulturdiplomatie und kulturelles Erbe Das Wirken des Ostasien-Instituts als Beispiel zwischengesellschaftlichen Kulturaustausches
Authors: Perkuhn Josie-Marie
Published: May 2023

Dieser Beitrag widmet sich den globalen Herausforderungen für die deutsch-chinesischen Kulturbeziehungen anhand der Teilaspekte Kulturdiplomatie und kulturelles Erbe. Die Idee einer dezentralen und zwischengesellschaftlichen Kulturdiplomatie wird am Beispiel des Wirkens des in Bonn ansässigen Vereins Ostasien-Institut e. V. (OAI) dargestellt. Seit 50 Jahren leistet das OAI einen aktiven Beitrag zum grenzüberschreitenden Kulturaustausch. Ein Schwerpunkt liegt auf dem wissenschaftlichen Dialog zum chinesischen Sozialreformer der 4.-Mai-Bewegung und späteren Musikwissenschaftler Wang Guangqi, der im frühen 20. Jahrhundert zum Studium China verließ und nach Deutschland aufbrach. Sein Leben und Werk liefern seither Anknüpfungspunkte für einen mit dem Zeitgeist fortschreitenden Austausch, wie der deutsch-chinesische Wissenschaftsaustausch widerspiegelt.
Schauen. Erfahren. Vertiefen. Vermittlung von China-Kompetenz an einer deutsch-chinesischen Kultur- und Bildungsinstitution
Authors: Cai Lin , Grieß Bettina
Published: May 2023

Konfuzius-Institute als staatliche chinesische Kultur- und Bildungsinstitutionen haben zwar einen allgemeinen Auftrag. Jedes Institut bestimmt jedoch durch die von seinen Partnerinstitutionen eingesetzten Gremien die eigenen individuellen Strategien, Schwerpunkte, Zielsetzungen und schließlich die Programmplanung. Dies geschieht in einem intensiven Austausch zwischen chinesischen und deutschen Mitarbeiter*innen. Der Beitrag schildert den Profilbildungsprozess des Leibniz-Konfuzius-Instituts Hannover und erläutert anhand konkreter Beispiele, wie kulturelle Bildung und Chinakompetenzvermittlung in einer deutsch-chinesischen Einrichtung erfolgt.
Precision phenomenology with fiducial cross sections in the triple-differential Drell-Yan process
Authors: Gehrmann-De Ridder A. , Gehrmann T. , Glover E. W. N. , Huss A. , Preuss C. T. , Walker D. M.
Published: May 2023

Abstract

The production of lepton pairs (Drell-Yan process) at the LHC is being measured to high precision, enabling the extraction of distributions that are triply differential in the di-lepton mass and rapidity as well as in the scattering angle described by the leptons. The measurements are performed for a fiducial phase space, defined by cuts on the individual lepton momenta and rapidities. Based on the ATLAS triple-differential Drell-Yan measurement at 8 TeV, we perform a detailed investigation of the phenomenology of this process based on state-of-the-art perturbative predictions in QCD and the electroweak theory. Our results demonstrate the highly non-trivial interplay between measurement variables and fiducial cuts, which leads to forbidden regions at Born level, and induces sensitivity on extra particle emissions from higher perturbative orders. We also investigate the sensitivity of the measurement on parton distributions and electroweak parameters. We derive Standard-Model theory predictions which combine NNLO QCD and NLO EW corrections and include partial N3LO QCD as well as higher-order EW corrections where appropriate. Our results will enable the use of the triple-differential Drell-Yan data in a precise experimental determination of the weak mixing angle.
Slowly rotating black holes in quartic generalized quasi-topological gravity
Authors: Marks Gareth Arturo , Mann Robert B. , Sheppard Damian
Published: May 2023

Abstract

We study slowly rotating black hole solutions in the six independent theories of Quartic Generalized Quasi-topological Gravity in four dimensions. Unlike in the static case for which all six theories yield the same solution, for rotating black holes we obtain distinct results for five out of the six theories. Working to leading order in the rotation parameter, we find that the equations characterizing these black holes can be reduced to second order for each theory, similar to what has already been done for Einstein Cubic Gravity. We construct approximate and numerical solutions to these equations, and study how physical properties of the solutions such as the angular velocity, photon sphere, black hole shadow, and innermost stable circular orbit are modified, working to leading order in the coupling constant.
Anomalous dimensions from soft Regge constants
Authors: Moult Ian , Raman Sanjay , Ridgway Gregory , Stewart Iain W.
Published: May 2023

Abstract

Using an effective field theory (EFT) formalism for forward scattering, we reconsider the factorization of 2 → 2 scattering amplitudes in the Regge limit. Expanding the amplitude in gauge invariant operators labelled by the number of Glauber exchanges, allows us to further factorize the standard impact factors into separate collinear and soft functions. The soft functions are universal, and describe radiative corrections to the Reggeized gluon states exchanged by the collinear projectiles. Remarkably, we find that the one-loop soft function for the single Reggeized gluon state is given to $$ \mathcal{O} $$
O
(ϵ) in terms of the two-loop cusp and two-loop rapidity anomalous dimensions. We argue that this iterative structure follows from the simple action of crossing symmetry in the forward scattering limit, which in the EFT allows us to replace the divergent part of a soft loop by a much simpler Glauber loop. We use this correspondence to provide a simple calculation of the two-loop Regge trajectory using the EFT. We then explore its implications at higher perturbative orders, and derive the maximally matter dependent contributions to the Regge trajectory to all loop orders, i.e. the terms $$ \sim {\alpha}_s^{k+1}{n}_f^k $$
∼

α
s

k
+
1

n
f
k

for any k, where nf is the number of massless flavors. These simplifications suggests that the EFT approach to the Regge limit will be helpful to explore and further understand the structure of the Regge limit.
Gründe für allergologische Diagnostik und deren Ergebnisse im Kontext von COVID-19-Vakzinierungen
Authors: Leonidou Floruß Eleni , Demidova Anastasiia , Hofmann Silke C. , Balakirski Galina
Published: May 2023

Einleitung

Um der COVID-19-Pandemie entgegenzuwirken, wurden seit Dezember 2020 mehrere SARS-CoV-2-Impfstoffe zugelassen. Kurz nach Beginn der Impfkampagnen wurden einzelne allergische Reaktionen nach Vakzination beschrieben, was zu Unsicherheit vieler Patienten mit positiver allergologischer Anamnese geführt hat. Ziel dieser Arbeit war es zu erfassen, welche anamnestischen Ereignisse als Anlass für eine allergologische Abklärung vor COVID-19-Impfung dienten und welche Ergebnisse die entsprechende allergologische Diagnostik geliefert hat.

Methoden

Es erfolgte eine retrospektive Datenanalyse aller Patienten, die sich während der Jahre 2021 und 2022 im Zentrum für Dermatologie, Allergologie und Dermatochirurgie des Helios Universitätsklinikums Wuppertal zur allergologischen Beratung oder Abklärung vor COVID-19-Vakzinierung vorstellten. Es wurden demografische Daten, allergologische Anamnese, Anlass der Konsultation in der Klinik und Ergebnisse allergologischer Diagnostik inklusive eventueller Reaktionen nach durchgeführter Impfung erfasst.

Ergebnisse

Insgesamt stellten sich 93 Patienten zur allergologischen Abklärung in Bezug auf COVID-19-Vakzine vor. In etwa der Hälfte der Fälle erfolgte die Vorstellung in der Klinik aus Unsicherheit und Sorge vor allergischen Reaktionen und generellen Nebenwirkungen. Darunter waren 26,9 % (25/93) Patienten, die bisher noch keine COVID-19-Impfung erhalten hatten, und weitere 23,7 % (22/93), die eine nichtallergische Reaktion nach der bereits erfolgten COVID-19-Impfung (z. B. Kopfschmerzen, Schüttelfrost, Fieber, Unwohlsein etc.) erlitten haben; 46,2 % (43/93) der Patienten wurden aufgrund einer komplexen allergologischen Vorgeschichte in der Klinik geimpft. Dabei traten keine allergischen Reaktionen auf. Lediglich 1 Patientin mit bekannter chronisch-spontaner Urtikaria entwickelte mehrere Stunden nach Impfung ein Angioödem der Lippen, welches wir als nichtallergische Exazerbation der Grunderkrankung werteten. Den verbliebenen 53,8 % (50/93) der Patienten wurde eine ambulante Impfung in der Hausarztpraxis empfohlen.

Diskussion

Allergische Reaktionen nach COVID-19-Impfstoffen sind selten, viele Patienten mit positiver allergologischer Anamnese haben jedoch Sorgen, nach der COVID-19-Vakzination allergisch zu reagieren. Öffentlichkeitsarbeit im Rahmen von Impfkampagnen durch allergologisch tätige Ärzte ist notwendig, um den Sorgen und Ängsten der Bevölkerung – und insbesondere Patienten mit Allergien in der Anamnese – gerecht zu werden.
Medullary cavity application of tranexamic acid to reduce blood loss in tibial intramedullary nailing procedures—a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Xiao Cong , Gao Zhixiang , Yu Wei , Yao Kai , Cao Yang , Long Nengji , Zhang Shaoyun , Jiang Yishan
Published: May 2023

Purpose

Studies have shown an average postoperative hidden blood loss (HBL) of 473.29 ml and an average Hb loss of 16.71 g/l after intramedullary nailing. Reducing HBL has become a primary consideration for orthopaedic surgeons.

Methods

Patients with only tibial stem fractures who visited the study clinic between December 2019 and February 2022 were randomized into two groups using a computer-generated form. Two grams of tranexamic acid (TXA) (20 ml) or 20 ml of saline was injected into the medullary cavity before implantation of the intramedullary nail. On the morning of the surgery, as well as on days one, three and five after surgery, routine blood tests and analyses of CRP and interleukin-6 were completed. The primary outcomes were total blood loss (TBL), HBL, and blood transfusion, in which the TBL and HBL were calculated according to the Gross equation and the Nadler equation. Three months after surgery, the incidence of wound complications and thrombotic events, including deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, was recorded.

Results

Ninety-seven patients (47 in the TXA group and 50 in the NS group) were analyzed; the TBL (252.10 ± 10.05 ml) and HBL (202.67 ± 11.86 ml) in the TXA group were significantly lower than the TBL (417.03 ± 14.60 ml) and HBL (373.85 ± 23.70 ml) in the NS group (p < 0.05). At the three month postoperative follow-up, two patients (4.25%) in the TXA group and three patients (6.00%) in the NS group developed deep vein thrombosis, with no significant difference in the incidence of thrombotic complications (p = 0.944). No postoperative deaths or wound complications occurred in either group.

Conclusions

The combination of intravenous and topical TXA reduces blood loss after intramedullary nailing of tibial fractures without increasing the incidence of thrombotic events.
Spontaneous Resolution of Uncomplicated Appendicitis may Explain Increase in Proportion of Complicated Appendicitis During Covid‐19 Pandemic: a Systematic Review and Meta‐analysis
Authors: Andersson Roland E. , Agiorgiti Maria , Bendtsen Marcus
Published: May 2023

Background

Reports of an increased proportion of complicated appendicitis during the Covid‐19 pandemic suggest a worse outcome due to delay secondary to the restrained access to health care, but may be explained by a concomitant decrease in uncomplicated appendicitis. We analyze the impact of the pandemic on the incidences of complicated and uncomplicated appendicitis.

Method

We did a systematic literature search in the PubMed, Embase and Web Of Science databases on December 21, 2022 with the search terms (appendicitis OR appendectomy) AND (“COVID” OR SARS‐Cov2 OR “coronavirus”). Studies reporting the number of complicated and uncomplicated appendicitis during identical calendar periods in 2020 and the pre‐pandemic year(s) were included. Reports with indications suggesting a change in how the patients were diagnosed and managed between the two periods were excluded. No protocol was prepared in advance. We did random effects meta‐analysis of the change in proportion of complicated appendicitis, expressed as the risk ratio (RR), and of the change in number of patients with complicated and uncomplicated appendicitis during the pandemic compared with pre‐pandemic periods, expressed as the incidence ratio (IR). We did separate analyses for studies based on single‐ and multi‐center and regional data, age‐categories and prehospital delay.

Results

The meta‐analysis of 100,059 patients in 63 reports from 25 countries shows an increase in the proportion of complicated appendicitis during the pandemic period (RR 1.39, 95% confidence interval (95% CI 1.25, 1.53). This was mainly explained by a decreased incidence of uncomplicated appendicitis (incidence ratio (IR) 0.66, 95% CI 0.59, 0.73). No increase in complicated appendicitis was seen in multi‐center and regional reports combined (IR 0.98, 95% CI 0.90, 1.07).

Conclusion

The increased proportion of complicated appendicitis during Covid‐19 is explained by a decrease in the incidence of uncomplicated appendicitis, whereas the incidence of complicated appendicitis remained stable. This result is more evident in the multi‐center and regional based reports. This suggests an increase in spontaneously resolving appendicitis due to the restrained access to health care. This has important principal implications for the management of patients with suspected appendicitis.
Preoperative Inflammatory Markers in Liver Resection for Colorectal Liver Metastases: A National Registry‐Based Study
Authors: Sahakyan Mushegh A. , Brudvik Kristoffer Watten , Angelsen Jon‐Helge , Dille‐Amdam Rachel G. , Sandvik Oddvar M. , Edwin Bjørn , Nymo Linn S. , Lassen Kristoffer
Published: May 2023

Background

Preoperative inflammatory markers were shown to be associated with prognosis following surgery for hepato‐pancreato‐biliary cancer. Yet little evidence exists about their role in patients with colorectal liver metastases (CRLM). This study aimed to examine the association between selected preoperative inflammatory markers and outcomes of liver resection for CRLM.

Methods

Data from the Norwegian National Registry for Gastrointestinal Surgery (NORGAST) was used to capture all liver resections performed in Norway within the study period (November 2015–April 2021). Preoperative inflammatory markers were Glasgow prognostic score (GPS), modified Glasgow prognostic score (mGPS) and C‐reactive protein to albumin ratio (CAR). The impact of these on postoperative outcomes, as well as on survival were studied.

Results

Liver resections for CRLM were performed in 1442 patients. Preoperative GPS ≥ 1 and mGPS ≥ 1 were present in 170 (11.8%) and 147 (10.2%) patients, respectively. Both were associated with severe complications but became non‐significant in the multivariable model. GPS, mGPS, CAR were significant predictors for overall survival in the univariable analysis, but only CAR remained such in the multivariable model. When stratified by the type of surgical approach, CAR was a significant predictor for survival after open but not laparoscopic liver resections.

Conclusions

GPS, mGPS and CAR have no impact on severe complications after liver resection for CRLM. CAR outperforms GPS and mGPS in predicting overall survival in these patients, especially following open resections. The prognostic significance of CAR in CRLM should be tested against other clinical and pathology parameters relevant for prognosis.
Water vapor thermal therapy of lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic obstruction: efficacy and safety analysis of a real-world cohort of 211 patients
Authors: Bausch Kathrin , Zahiti Leutrim , Schrutt Michel , Wetterauer Christian , Halbeisen Florian Samuel , Ebbing Jan , Seifert Hans-Helge
Published: May 2023

Purpose

This study assessed the efficacy, safety and durability outcomes of water vapor thermal therapy with Rezum in a real-world cohort of patients with lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostate obstruction.

Methods

Consecutive, unselected patients undergoing Rezum treatment between January 2014 and August 2022 were candidates for this pragmatic, observational, longitudinal, single-center cohort study. Pre- and perioperative data were descriptively summarized. The primary outcome was surgical efficacy, determined by International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), Quality of Life (QoL) Score, maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax), post-void residual (PVR) volume and prostate volume (PV) at baseline, 2 months, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, and > 2 years.

Results

A total of 211 patients were enrolled for analysis. Overall, catheter removal was successful in 92.4% of patients after a median of 5 days. A preoperative catheter and the presence of a median lobe increased the risk of unsuccessful catheter removal. In total, 5.7% of patients were reoperated after a median of 407 days. Comparing baseline to the longest median follow-up, the postoperative IPSS decreased significantly by 65.7%, the QoL Score declined by 66.7% (both until a maximum median of 4.5 years) and Qmax improved by 66.7% (until 3.9 years). Post-void residual volume and PV were reduced by 85.7% (3.7 years) and 47% (4.0 years), respectively. Clavien–Dindo complication ≤ II occurred in 11.8%.

Conclusion

Rezum is a safe minimally invasive treatment option in a real-world patient cohort with a beneficial improvement of micturition symptoms and voiding function during follow-up.
Comparison between shadow imaging and in-line holography for measuring droplet size distributions
Authors: Erinin Martin A. , Néel Baptiste , Mazzatenta Megan T. , Duncan James H. , Deike Luc
Published: May 2023

A direct comparison of the droplet size and number measurements using in-line holography and shadow imaging is presented in three dynamically evolving laboratory scale experiments. The two experimental techniques and image processing algorithms used to measure droplet number and radii are described in detail. Droplet radii as low as$$r = 14$$r=14 µm are measured using in-line holography and$$r = 50$$r=50 µm using shadow imaging. The droplet radius measurement error is estimated using a calibration target (reticle) and it was found that the holographic technique is able to measure droplet radii more accurately than shadow imaging for droplets with$$r \le 625$$r≤625 µm. Using the measurements of droplet number and size we quantitatively cross-validate and assess the accuracy of the two measurement techniques. The droplet size distributions,N(r), are measured in all three experiments and are found to agree well between the two measurement techniques. In one of the laboratory experiments, simultaneous measurements of droplets ($$r \ge 14$$r≥14 µm, using holography) and dry aerosols ($$0.07 \lessapprox r \lessapprox 2$$0.07⪅r⪅2 µm, using an scanning mobility particle sizer and$$0.15 \lessapprox r \lessapprox 5$$0.15⪅r⪅5 µm using an optical particle sizer) are reported, one of the first such comparison to the best of our knowledge. The total number and volume of droplets is found to agree well between both techniques in the three experiments. We demonstrate that a relatively simple shadow imaging technique can be just as reliable when compared to a more sophisticated holographic measurement technique over their common droplet radius measurement range. The agreement in results is shown to be valid over a large range of droplet concentrations, which include experiments with relatively sparse droplet concentrations as low as 0.02 droplets per image. Advantages and disadvantages for the two techniques are discussed in the context of our results. The main advantages to in-line holography are the greater accuracy in droplet radius measurement, greater spatial resolution, larger depth of field, and the high repetition rate and short pulse duration of the laser light source. In comparison, the main advantages to shadow imaging are the simpler experimental setup, image processing algorithm, and fewer computer resources necessary for image processing. Droplet statistics like number and size are found to be very reliable between the two methods for large range of droplet densities,$${\mathcal {P}}_{r>50}$$Pr>50, ranging from$$10^{-4} \le {\mathcal {P}}_{r>50} \le 10^{-1}$$10-4≤Pr>50≤10-1cm$$^{-3}$$-3, when the two techniques are implemented as shown in this paper.
Short-term outcomes in robotic vs laparoscopic ileal pouch-anal anastomosis surgery: a propensity score match study
Authors: Panteleimonitis Sofoklis , Al-Dhaheri Mahmood , Harper Mick , Amer Ibrahim , Ahmed Ayman Abdelhafiz , Nada Mohamed Abu , Parvaiz Amjad
Published: May 2023

Purpose

Laparoscopic ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) surgery offers improved short-term outcomes over open surgery but can be technically challenging. Robotic surgery has been increasingly used for IPAA surgery, but there is limited evidence supporting its use. This study aims to compare the short-term outcomes of laparoscopic and robotic IPAA procedures.

Methods

All consecutive patients receiving laparoscopic and robotic IPAA surgery at 3 centres, from 3 countries, between 2008 and 2019 were identified from prospectively collated databases. Robotic surgery patients were propensity score matched with laparoscopic patients for gender, previous abdominal surgery, ASA grade (I, II vs III, IV) and procedure performed (proctocolectomy vs completion proctectomy). Their short-term outcomes were examined.

Results

A total of 89 patients were identified (73 laparoscopic, 16 robotic). The 16 patients that received robotic surgery were matched with 15 laparoscopic patients. Baseline characteristics were similar between the two groups. There were no statistically significant differences in any of the investigated short-term outcomes. Length of stay trend was higher for laparoscopic surgery (9 vs 7 days, p = 0.072)

Conclusion

Robotic IPAA surgery is safe and feasible and offers similar short-term outcomes to laparoscopic surgery. Length of stay may be lower for robotic IPAA surgery, but further larger scale studies are required in order to demonstrate this.
Population-based references for waist and hip circumferences, waist-to-hip and waist-to-height ratios for children and adolescents, and evaluation of their predictive ability
Authors: Kułaga Zbigniew , Świąder-Leśniak Anna , Kotowska Aneta , Litwin Mieczysław
Published: May 2023

Childhood obesity is a public health problem globally as well as in Poland. This paper aimed to provide age- and sex-specific waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-to-height ratio and waist-to-hip ratio normative values for Polish children and adolescents aged 3 − 18 years for more precise monitoring of abdominal fat accumulation. The waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-to-height ratio and waist-to-hip ratio references were constructed with the lambda-mu-sigma (LMS) method using data from two nationally representative health surveys: the OLA study and the OLAF study, the largest available paediatric surveys in Poland which provided measured height, weight, waist, hip and blood pressure for 22,370 children and adolescents aged 3 − 18 years. The predictive ability of newly established references for overweight/obesity as defined by the International Obesity Task Force criteria and elevated blood pressure was tested with receiver operating characteristic. Abdominal obesity cut-offs linked to adult cardiometabolic cut-offs were established. Reference values for waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-to-height ratio and waist-to-hip ratio are presented, as well as waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio and waist-to-hip ratio cut-off values linked to adult’s cut-offs of cardiometabolic risk. The predictive value for overweight and obesity of population-based waist, hip and waist-to-height ratio references was outstanding–area under the receiver operating characteristic curve > 0.95 in both sexes, whereas with regard to the elevated blood pressure predictive ability was low—area under the receiver operating characteristic curve < 0.65.

   Conclusion: This paper presents the first waist, hip, waist-to-height ratio and waist-to-hip ratio references for Polish children and adolescents aged 3–18 years. The 90th and 95th percentile and cut-offs linked to adult thresholds for cardiometabolic risk are proposed as cut-offs for abdominal obesity.

What is Known:• Waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio and waist-to-hip ratio are used to assess abdominal obesity in children and adults.• In Poland, there is no abdominal obesity and hip circumference references for children and adolescents from 3 to 18 years of age.

What is New:• Population-based references of central obesity indices and hip references for children and youth aged 3–18 years and cardiometabolic risk thresholds for children and adolescents linked to adult’s cut-offs were established.
Recurrence of brain arteriovenous malformations in pediatric patients: a long-term follow-up study
Authors: Oulasvirta Elias , Koroknay-Pál Päivi , Numminen Jussi , Hafez Ahmad , Raj Rahul , Jahromi Behnam Rezai , Niemelä Mika , Laakso Aki
Published: May 2023

Background

Previously thought to be congenital, AVMs have shown evidence of de-novo formation and continued growth, thus shifting thoughts on their pathophysiology. Pediatric AVM patients have been reported to be more prone to develop AVM recurrence after a seemingly complete cure. Therefore, we assessed the risk of AVM treated in childhood to recur in adulthood after a long-term follow-up in our own cohort.

Methods

Control DS-angiography was arranged during 2021–2022 as part of a new protocol for all AVM patients who were under 21 years of age at the time of their treatment and in whom the treatment had occurred at least five years earlier. Angiography was offered only to patients under 50 years of age at the time of the new protocol. The complete eradication of AVM after the primary treatment had been originally confirmed with DSA in every patient.

Results

A total of 42 patients participated in the late DSA control, and 41 of them were included in this analysis after excluding the patient diagnosed with HHT. The median age at the time of admission for AVM treatment was 14.6 (IQR 12–19, range 7–21 years) years. The median age at the time of the late follow-up DSA was 33.8 years (IQR 29.8–38.6, range 19.4–47.9 years). Two recurrent sporadic AVMs and one recurrent AVM in a patient with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) were detected. The recurrence rate was 4.9% for sporadic AVMs and 7.1% if HHT-AVM was included. All the recurrent AVMs had originally bled and been treated microsurgically. The patients with sporadic AVM recurrence had been smoking their whole adult lives.

Conclusions

Pediatric and adolescent patients are prone to develop recurrent AVMs, even after complete AVM obliteration verified by angiography. Therefore, imaging follow-up is recommended.
Optimal maintenance for a waste-to-energy plant using DEMATEL: a case study
Authors: Igodo Alassani , Shamsuzzoha Ahm , Ndzibah Emmanuel , Shamsuzzaman Mohammad
Published: May 2023

Waste-to-energy (WtE) plants are complex systems that requiring different types of maintenance to be reliable and available in functionality. The inadequacies of WtE plant lifetime maintenance may increase the production costs and negatively affect the competitiveness and the availability of WtE plants. To keep the efficiency of all the plant systems high and operating as expected during their lifetime, it is important to maintain them. This study focuses on the maintenance of WtE plants by analyzing the operating procedures at a case company. In the study, a multi-criterion decision-making method (MCDM) named Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) is used to evaluate the weight and rank of twelve identified criteria for spare parts of the case WtE company. The empirical part of this study consists of a qualitative study, where data were collected from an open-ended questionnaire survey and case company data from existing documents. The respondents' rate from the questionnaire survey was 20%. Key findings from the study show that human, economic, equipment and tool related, management, and environmental factors have an important impact on the effectiveness of the maintenance and availability of the WtE plant. The study also shows that quality, lead time, price, and the severity of spare part failure are the key criteria to consider when selecting spare parts for the WtE plant. The study recommends several initiatives to improve the availability of WtE plant and spare parts which will help to reduce the costs of maintenance as well as mitigate the risks related to the maintenance.

Graphical Abstract
Future of hydrogen economy: simulation-based comparison of LOHC systems
Authors: Bárkányi Ágnes , Tarcsay Bálint Levente , Lovas László , Mérő Tamás , Chován Tibor , Egedy Attila
Published: May 2023

Hydrogen is one of the key components in renewable energy systems. Its storage and transport, however, are challenging. The Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier (LOHC) technology is a possible solution for this issue. With suitable organic components, hydrogen can be stored in a chemically bound form which is safer and has a higher energy density than other solutions. Furthermore, the storage and transport of the LOHC component with high hydrogen content can be provided under normal environmental conditions. The LOHC process cycle involves a catalytic hydrogenation and dehydrogenation step where the LOHC component can be recovered and recycled. The paper reviews a few relevant studies regarding the possible LOHC compound pairs, the potential catalyst systems, and the necessary equipment. Then, the paper discusses a simulation study of three LOHC systems, determining suitable operating conditions and estimating costs. The toluene-methylcyclohexane system was found to be the most promising for LOHC application. Two energy integration opportunities were also examined. The first case study was based on separate hydrogenation and dehydrogenation sites, while the second was based on one site utilization. The results show a lower energy demand in the case of a toluene system, with a reduction of 70% in heating and 45% in cooling.

Graphical Abstract
Comparing solution paths of sparse quadratic minimization with a Stieltjes matrix
Authors: He Ziyu , Han Shaoning , Gómez Andrés , Cui Ying , Pang Jong-Shi
Published: May 2023

This paper studies several solution paths of sparse quadratic minimization problems as a function of the weighing parameter of the bi-objective of estimation loss versus solution sparsity. Three such paths are considered: the “$$\ell _0$$ℓ0-path” where the discontinuous$$\ell _0$$ℓ0-function provides the exact sparsity count; the “$$\ell _1$$ℓ1-path” where the$$\ell _1$$ℓ1-function provides a convex surrogate of sparsity count; and the “capped$$\ell _1$$ℓ1-path” where the nonconvex nondifferentiable capped$$\ell _1$$ℓ1-function aims to enhance the$$\ell _1$$ℓ1-approximation. Serving different purposes, each of these three formulations is different from each other, both analytically and computationally. Our results deepen the understanding of (old and new) properties of the associated paths, highlight the pros, cons, and tradeoffs of these sparse optimization models, and provide numerical evidence to support the practical superiority of the capped$$\ell _1$$ℓ1-path. Our study of the capped$$\ell _1$$ℓ1-path is interesting in its own right as the path pertains to computable directionally stationary (= strongly locally minimizing in this context, as opposed to globally optimal) solutions of a parametric nonconvex nondifferentiable optimization problem. Motivated by classical parametric quadratic programming theory and reinforced by modern statistical learning studies, both casting an exponential perspective in fully describing such solution paths, we also aim to address the question of whether some of them can be fully traced in strongly polynomial time in the problem dimensions. A major conclusion of this paper is that a path of directional stationary solutions of the capped$$\ell _1$$ℓ1-regularized problem offers interesting theoretical properties and practical compromise between the$$\ell _0$$ℓ0-path and the$$\ell _1$$ℓ1-path. Indeed, while the$$\ell _0$$ℓ0-path is computationally prohibitive and greatly handicapped by the repeated solution of mixed-integer nonlinear programs, the quality of$$\ell _1$$ℓ1-path, in terms of the two criteria—loss and sparsity—in the estimation objective, is inferior to the capped$$\ell _1$$ℓ1-path; the latter can be obtained efficiently by a combination of a parametric pivoting-like scheme supplemented by an algorithm that takes advantage of the Z-matrix structure of the loss function.
Bringing Fundamental Insights of Induced Resistance to Agricultural Management of Herbivore Pests
Authors: Poelman Erik H. , Bourne Mitchel E. , Croijmans Luuk , Cuny Maximilien A. C. , Delamore Zoë , Joachim Gabriel , Kalisvaart Sarah N. , Kamps Bram B. J. , Longuemare Maxence , Suijkerbuijk Hanneke A. C. , Zhang Nina Xiaoning
Published: May 2023

In response to herbivory, most plant species adjust their chemical and morphological phenotype to acquire induced resistance to the attacking herbivore. Induced resistance may be an optimal defence strategy that allows plants to reduce metabolic costs of resistance in the absence of herbivores, allocate resistance to the most valuable plant tissues and tailor its response to the pattern of attack by multiple herbivore species. Moreover, plasticity in resistance decreases the potential that herbivores adapt to specific plant resistance traits and need to deal with a moving target of variable plant quality. Induced resistance additionally allows plants to provide information to other community members to attract natural enemies of its herbivore attacker or inform related neighbouring plants of pending herbivore attack. Despite the clear evolutionary benefits of induced resistance in plants, crop protection strategies to herbivore pests have not exploited the full potential of induced resistance for agriculture. Here, we present evidence that induced resistance offers strong potential to enhance resistance and resilience of crops to (multi-) herbivore attack. Specifically, induced resistance promotes plant plasticity to cope with multiple herbivore species by plasticity in growth and resistance, maximizes biological control by attracting natural enemies and, enhances associational resistance of the plant stand in favour of yield. Induced resistance may be further harnessed by soil quality, microbial communities and associational resistance offered by crop mixtures. In the transition to more sustainable ecology-based cropping systems that have strongly reduced pesticide and fertilizer input, induced resistance may prove to be an invaluable trait in breeding for crop resilience.
Radon prevalence in domestic water in the Ría de Vigo coastal basin (NW Iberian Peninsula)
Authors: Ibánhez Juan Severino Pino , Álvarez-Salgado Xosé Antón , Rocha Carlos
Published: May 2023

The Ría de Vigo catchment is situated in the largest radon-prone area of the Iberian Peninsula. High local indoor radon (222Rn) levels are the preeminent source of radiation exposure, with negative effects on health. Nevertheless, information on radon levels of natural waters and the potential human exposure risks associated with their domestic use is very sparse. To elucidate the environmental factors increasing human exposure risk to radon during domestic water use, we undertook a survey of local water sources, including springs, rivers, wells, and boreholes, over different temporal scales. Continental waters were highly enriched in 222Rn: activities ranged from 1.2 to 20.2 Bq L−1 in rivers and levels one to two orders of magnitude higher were found in groundwaters (from 8.0 to 2737 Bq L−1; median 121.1 Bq L−1). The geology and hydrogeology of local crystalline aquifers support one order of magnitude higher 222Rn activities in groundwater stored in deeper fractured rock compared to that contained within the highly weathered regolith at the surface. During the mean dry season, 222Rn activities nearly doubled in most sampled waters in comparison to the wet period (from 94.9 during the dry season to 187.3 Bq L−1 during wet period; n = 37). Seasonal water use and recharge cycles and thermal convection are postulated to explain this variation in radon activities. The high 222Rn activities cause the total effective dose of radiation received from domestic use of untreated groundwaters to exceed the recommended 0.1 mSv y−1. Since more than 70% of this dose comes from indoor water degassing and subsequent 222Rn inhalation, preventative health policy in the form of 222Rn remediation and mitigation measures should be implemented prior to pumping untreated groundwater into dwellings, particularly during the dry period.
Do consumers benefit from national-brand listings by hard discounters?
Authors: Geyskens Inge , Deleersnyder Barbara , Dekimpe Marnik G. , Lin Didi
Published: May 2023

Hard discounters are moving away from an almost exclusive private-label (PL) focus by adding a select set of big-name brands to their otherwise scanty assortments. However, to what extent consumers benefit from this strategy remains unclear. This study quantifies the consumer-welfare impact of adding a select set of leading national brands to hard discounter Lidl’s assortment in the German market. We rely on the economic concept of compensating variation, which reflects the consumer-welfare effect in monetary terms and captures the impact on consumer prices while accounting for consumers’ possible appreciation of more convenient access to big-name brands. Although hard discounters argue that adding big-name brands to their assortment benefits consumers, our results reveal unfavorable price developments, not just at the hard discounter but in the entire market. Importantly, impoverished consumers are hurt more severely, with a monetary loss due to the price increase across the 18 categories in our sample that is about five times larger than for the more affluent.
Collaborative Innovation and Absorptive Capacity as an Antecedent on IT Firm Financial Performance
Authors: Mata Mário Nuno , Martins José Moleiro , Inácio Pedro Leite
Published: May 2023

A lack of collaborative innovation and absorptive capacity in firms causes projects to fail. Managers/employees in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are not sufficiently aware of the practices of intellectual capital and nor do they collect, share, transfer, and utilize knowledge properly. This current study, therefore, focuses on the relationship between collaborative innovation and the financial performance of Portuguese IT sector SMEs, with a mediating role of absorptive capacity and a moderating role of intellectual capital based on three sub-domains (human capital, organizational capital, and social capital). Close-ended questionnaires were used to obtain data from 308 employees and managers. Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, data were also collected through an online survey method. The simple random sampling technique was used to collect data and analyze it using the PLS-SEM method. The results show that collaborative innovation has a positive and significant impact on the financial performance of IT firms in Portugal. Absorptive capacity is considered a potential mediator between collaborative innovation and financial performance. Moreover, the moderating role of intellectual capital strengthens the relationship between collaborative innovation and absorptive capacity.
CAVV Symposium on Independent Advice on Public International Law
Authors: Handel-Mazzetti Louisa , Ramlakhan Vyashti , Jong Daniëlla Dam-de , Ryngaert Cedric
Published: May 2023

This report provides a summary of a symposium on independent advice on public international law, organized by the Dutch Advisory Committee on Public International Law (CAVV) on the 19th of January 2023 in The Hague. The speakers highlighted the internationally unique character of the CAVV, which is a formal body, established by law, advising the Dutch Government (Cabinet and Parliament) on questions of international law. The CAVV reflects the Dutch traditional culture of broad societal involvement and of compromise. It serves various audiences, such as the Dutch Cabinet and Parliament, the International Law Commission, legal academics, legal practitioners, and the wider public. The CAVV can be said to have an influence on both national and international debates regarding international law. This is illustrated on the basis of a discussion of the CAVV’s advisory reports on the protection of the atmosphere, the use of the term ‘genocide’ by politicians, and the provision and funding of non-lethal assistance to non-state armed groups.
Informationsmenge als Indikator psychischer Belastung
Authors: Ferreira Yvonne , Aygün Müzeyyen , Vogt Joachim , Zweck Bettina Maria
Published: May 2023

Die vorliegende Studie stellt eine Laboruntersuchung an acht Versuchspersonen dar, die mit Hilfe einer Postkorbübung drei unterschiedlichen Belastungsstufen aufgrund von steigender Informationsmenge ausgesetzt werden. Es wird untersucht, ob Informationsmenge ein psychischer Belastungsfaktor ist und wann/ob dieser zu einer Fehlbelastung führen kann. Erhoben werden die Kopf- und Gesichtsbewegungen, die in vorherigen Studien als Indikatoren für Fehlbelastung identifiziert wurden, sowie die Anzahl korrekter Antworten. Die Daten werden mittels Korrelations‑, Regressions- und Varianzanalysen ausgewertet. Es zeigen sich signifikante Zusammenhänge zwischen Informationsmenge und richtigen Antworten (τb = −0,43, p = 0.013), Informationsmenge und Kopf‑/Gesichtsbewegungen (τb = 0,43, p = 0.009) sowie richtigen Antworten und Kopf‑/Gesichtsbewegungen (τb = −0,29, p = 0.050). Das Ergebnis der linearen Regression ist signifikant, weil F (1,9998) = 1,577e + 04 und p < 0.001 ist bei R2 = 0,612. Somit ist Informationsmenge ein signifikanter Prädiktor für Kopf‑/Gesichtsbewegungen. Auch die zweite Regressionsanalyse ist signifikant mit F (1,9998) = 1,261e + 04 und p < 0.001 bei R2 = 0,5577. Somit ist Informationsmenge ein signifikanter Prädiktor für richtige Antworten. Die Ergebnisse der ANOVA zeigen, dass sich Kopf‑/Gesichtsbewegungen signifikant für die verschiedenen Belastungsstufen (p = 0.02) und ebenfalls die Anzahl der richtigen Antworten (p = 0.03) unterscheiden. Die Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass Informationsmenge ein psychischer Belastungsfaktor ist und dass innerhalb der zweiten Belastungsstufe (mittlere Informationsmenge) eine Grenze der menschlichen Informationsverarbeitung liegt.

Praktische Relevanz: Die Studie bereitet erste Erkenntnisse zur Festlegung von Grenzwerten für Informationsmenge auf und gibt Tipps speziell für den Versand von E‑Mails sowie zu Arbeitsunterbrechungen für die berufliche Praxis.
AI impacts on supply chain performance : a manufacturing use case study
Authors: Walter Stefan
Published: May 2023

The integration of cross-company activities to form global supply chains (SC) has several benefits, including reducing costs, minimizing energy and resource waste, and promoting relationships for improving all network actors. However, as the number of tiers of suppliers and customers increases, monitoring processes and identifying problems becomes more challenging, which can threaten the continuity of the SC. To address this issue, the EU knowlEdge project proposes using artificial intelligence (AI) solutions that are distributed, scalable, and collaborative to enable automatic monitoring and learning in the SC. This approach replaces rigid organization with flexible networks that leverage self-learning algorithms and automatic value creation, thereby facilitating knowledge sharing. The project unifies technologies from various domains, including AI, data analytics, edge, and cloud computing, into a software architecture that offers a systemic solution rather than an incremental improvement. This architecture enhances SC performance, including adaptability and autonomy, and enables industry to adopt adaptive strategies. The platform’s functionality is tested in manufacturing, where it will improve production monitoring and planning and enable human intervention and learning. The AI application is expected to increase performance on various business and production indicators, which will also have an impact beyond the factory floor. With this approach, managers can respond quickly to changing customer requirements, while deviations in planned processes can be addressed more effectively. Additionally, the research conducted by the project will provide insights into future management and learning in SC.
Carbon in Chinese grasslands: meta-analysis and theory of grazing effects
Authors: Deng Lei , Shangguan Zhouping , Bell Stephen Mackenzie , Soromotin Andrey V. , Peng Changhui , An Shaoshan , Wu Xing , Xu Xingliang , Wang Kaibo , Li Jianping , Tang Zhuangsheng , Yan Weiming , Zhang Fengbao , Li Jiwei , Wu Jianzhao , Kuzyakov Yakov
Published: May 2023

Globally, livestock grazing is an important management factor influencing soil degradation, soil health and carbon (C) stocks of grassland ecosystems. However, the effects of grassland types, grazing intensity and grazing duration on C stocks are unclear across large geographic scales. To provide a more comprehensive assessment of how grazing drives ecosystem C stocks in grasslands, we compiled and analyzed data from 306 studies featuring four grassland types across China: desert steppes, typical steppes, meadow steppes and alpine steppes. Light grazing was the best management practice for desert steppes (< 2 sheep ha−1) and typical steppes (3 to 4 sheep ha−1), whereas medium grazing pressure was optimal for meadow steppes (5 to 6 sheep ha−1) and alpine steppes (7 to 8 sheep ha−1) leading to the highest ecosystem C stocks under grazing. Plant biomass (desert steppes) and soil C stocks (meadow steppes) increased under light or medium grazing, confirming the ‘intermediate disturbance hypothesis’. Heavy grazing decreased all C stocks regardless of grassland ecosystem types, approximately 1.4 Mg ha−1 per year for the whole ecosystem. The regrowth and regeneration of grasslands in response to grazing intensity (i.e., grazing optimization) depended on grassland types and grazing duration. In conclusion, grassland grazing is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, proper management (light or medium grazing) can maintain and even increase C stocks above- and belowground, and increase the harvested livestock products from grasslands. On the other hand, human-induced overgrazing can lead to rapid degradation of vegetation and soils, resulting in significant carbon loss and requiring long-term recovery. Grazing regimes (i.e., intensity and duration applied) must consider specific grassland characteristics to ensure stable productivity rates and optimal impacts on ecosystem C stocks.

Graphical Abstract