bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Disease progression in cardiac morphology and function in heart failure: ATTR cardiac amyloidosis versus hypertensive left ventricular hypertrophy
Authors: Henein M. Y. , Pilebro B. , Lindqvist Per
Published: March 2022

Background

Transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CA) is today more frequently recognized but the rate of progression of cardiac dysfunction is not well established. The aim of this study is to investigate the nature of cardiac structure and function changes, over time, in a retrospective cohort of ATTR-CA patients.

Methods

Fifty-one patients with ATTR-CA (mean age 78 ± 7 years, 30 females) were compared with 20 patients with heart failure but no amyloidosis (HFnCA) (mean age 76 ± 7 years, 5 females), all with septal thickness >  = 14 mm. All patients underwent DPD scintigraphy and an echocardiogram (Echo 2) which was compared with a previous echocardiographic examination (Echo 1), performed at least 3 years before.

Results

Over the follow-up period, the interventricular septal thickness (IVST) and relative wall thickness (RWT) in ATTR-CA increased from 16 (4) to 18 (5) mm and from 0.51 (0.17) to 0.62 (0.21) respectively, p < 0.001 for both, by a mean increase of 0.4 mm/year and 0.03 mm/year, (p = 0.009 and p = 0.002 compared with HFnCA), respectively. RWT > 0.45 (AUC = 0.77) and RELAPS > 2.0 (AUC 0.86) both predicted positive DPD diagnosis for ATTR-CA.

Conclusion

In ATTR-CA patients, the overtime-increase in RWT and IVST was worse than that seen in patients with heart failure but no cardiac amyloidosis. Also, RWT and relative apical sparing predicted diagnosis of ATTR-CA, thus could strengthen the use of follow-up echocardiographic findings as red flag for the diagnosis of ATTR-CA.
Patient perspectives on key symptoms and preferences for follow-up after upper gastro-intestinal cancer surgery
Authors: Pucher Philip H. , Coombes Annie , Evans Orla , Taylor Joanna , Moore Jonathan L. , White Annabelle , Lagergren Jesper , Baker Cara , Kelly Mark , Gossage James A. , Dunn Jason , Zeki Sebastian , Byrne Ben E. , Andreyev Jervoise , Davies Andrew R. ,   On behalf of the RESTORE study group, Guy’s, St Thomas’ Oesophago-gastric research group
Published: March 2022

Purpose

Long-lasting symptoms and reductions in quality of life are common after oesophago-gastric surgery. Post-operative follow-up has traditionally focussed on tumour recurrence and survival, but there is a growing need to also identify and treat functional sequelae to improve patients’ recovery.

Methods

An electronic survey was circulated via a British national charity for patients undergoing oesophago-gastric surgery and their families. Patients were asked about post-operative symptoms they deemed important to their quality of life, as well as satisfaction and preferences for post-operative follow-up. Differences between satisfied and dissatisfied patients with reference to follow-up were assessed.

Results

Among 362 respondents with a median follow-up of 58 months since surgery (range 3–412), 36 different symptoms were reported as being important to recovery and quality of life after surgery, with a median of 13 symptoms per patient. Most (84%) respondents indicated satisfaction with follow-up. Satisfied patients were more likely to have received longer follow-up (5-year or longer follow-up 60% among satisfied patients vs 27% among unsatisfied, p < 0.001). These were also less likely to have seen a dietitian as part of routine follow-up (37% vs 58%, p = 0.005).

Conclusion

This patient survey highlights preferences regarding follow-up after oesophago-gastrectomy. Longer follow-up and dietician involvement improved patient satisfaction. Patients reported being concerned by a large number of gastrointestinal and non-gastrointestinal symptoms, highlighting the need for multidisciplinary input and a consensus on how to manage the poly-symptomatic patient.
Purely venous compression in trigeminal neuralgia—can we predict the outcome of surgery
Authors: Baldauf Jörg , Refaee Ehab El , Marx Sascha , Matthes Marc , Fleck Steffen , Schroeder Henry W. S.
Published: March 2022

Purpose

Controversies regarding venous compression and trigeminal neuralgia (TN) still exist. The study demonstrates our experience for microvascular decompression (MVD) in TN caused by purely venous compression. The goal was to identify prognostic anatomical or surgical factors that may influence the outcome.

Methods

Between 2004 and 2020, 49 patients were operated with purely venous compression. Average age was 58.4 years. Mean history of TN was 7.8 years. Microsurgical procedures included transposition or separation of the vein, coagulation, and division. Several features have been analyzed with respect to BNI scores.

Results

Evaluation on discharge revealed a complete pain relief in 39 (80%), partial improvement in 7 (14%), and no benefit in 3 (6%) patients. Facial hypesthesia was reported by 14 (28.6%) patients. Mean follow-up (FU) was 42.1 months. BNI pain intensity score on FU revealed 71.4% excellent to very good scores (score 1: 32 (65.3%); 2: 3 (6.1%)). BNI facial numbness score 2 could be detected in 13 patients (26.5%) during FU. There was no statistical relationship between immediate pain improvement or BNI pain intensity score on FU with respect to surgical procedure, size of trigeminal cistern, type of venous compression, venous caliber, trigeminal nerve indentation, or neurovascular adherence. BNI facial numbness score was dependent on type of venous compression (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

We did not find typical anatomical features that could either predict or influence the outcome regarding pain improvement or resolution in any form. Neither classic microvascular decompression (interposition/transposition) nor sacrificing the offending vein made any difference in outcome.
Reduced vagal activity in borderline personality disorder is unaffected by intranasal oxytocin administration, but predicted by the interaction between childhood trauma and attachment insecurity
Authors: Back Sarah N. , Schmitz Marius , Koenig Julian , Zettl Max , Kleindienst Nikolaus , Herpertz Sabine C. , Bertsch Katja
Published: March 2022

Individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) show self-regulatory deficits, associated with reduced heart-rate variability (HRV). However, results on reduced HRV in BPD remain heterogeneous, thus encouraging the search for developmental constructs explaining this heterogeneity. The present study first examined predictors of reduced resting-state HRV in BPD, namely the interaction between self-reported adult attachment insecurity and childhood trauma. Second, we investigated if alterations in resting-state HRV are modified by intranasal oxytocin administration, as oxytocin may enhance HRV and is implicated in the interaction between childhood trauma and disturbed attachment for the pathogenesis of BPD. In a randomized, placebo-controlled trial, 53 unmedicated women with BPD and 60 healthy controls (HC) self-administered either 24 I.U. of oxytocin or placebo and underwent a 4-min electrocardiogram. Our results replicate significantly reduced HRV in women with BPD, explained up to 16% by variations in childhood trauma and attachment insecurity. At high levels of acute attachment insecurity, higher levels of childhood trauma significantly predicted reduced HRV in BPD. However, our results do not support a significant effect of oxytocin on mean HRV, and no interaction effect emerged including childhood trauma and attachment insecurity. Our findings highlight a complex interaction between reduced vagal activity and developmental factors in BPD.
Self-reported impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown on young patients with tic disorders: findings from a case–control study
Authors: Termine Cristiano , Galli Vera , Dui Linda Greta , Berlusconi Valentina , Taras Rachele , Vergani Marta , Lunardini Francesca , Ferrante Simona , Cavanna Andrea Eugenio
Published: March 2022

Background

Little is known about the perceived impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown measures on young patients with tic disorders. Previous studies focused on clinician and parent ratings of tic severity, whereas the only international self-report data are available for adult populations. We present the first findings from a case–control study on children and adolescents with tics during lockdown in Italy.

Methods

We surveyed 49 patients aged 6–18 years and 245 matched controls with a newly developed questionnaire covering socio-demographic and clinical data, as well as lockdown-related changes to daily life activities.

Results

About half (53.2%) of the Italian school-age patients who took part in our survey experienced changes in tic severity during lockdown. Perceived increases in tic severity (29.8%) were reported more often than decreases (23.4%). Analogous trends were reported for perceived restlessness and, more significantly, irritability, whereas changes in pain symptoms were less common and were similar in both directions. The presence of tics was associated with increased difficulties with remote learning (p = 0.01), but decreased feelings of missing out on social interactions with schoolmates (p = 0.03).

Conclusions

Self-reported data on the impact of COVID-19 lockdown in school-age patients with tic disorders indicate perceived changes in tic severity, as well as restlessness and irritability, in about half of the cases. These findings could guide both clinicians and teachers in the implementation of targeted adjustments in the delivery of care and educational strategies, respectively.
High removal of nitrogen and phosphorus from black-odorous water using a novel aeration-adsorption system
Authors: Zhu Guocheng , Chen Junming , Zhang Shanshan , Zhao Zilong , Luo Huihao , Hursthouse Andrew S. , Wan Peng , Fan Gongduan
Published: March 2022

Black-odorous waters are an increasingly common phenomenon characterized by excessive levels of nutrients, the formation of metal sufide precipitates, volatile sulfurous compounds, low dissolved oxygen and high chemical oxygen demand. Black-odorous waters frequently occur in lake and river systems where inputs have restricted circulation. The key remediation issue is the removal of nitrogen and phosphorus. Here, we present a novel aeration-adsorption system using fiber balls and we study treatment parameters and removal mechanism. Kinetics and changes of the solid phase were followed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Results show complete removal of ammonia N, initially at 31 mg/L, and 92.8% removal of total nitrogen, initially at 29 mg/L, after a 24 h reaction time at pH 9.67. At pH 5.67 and 9.67, total phosphorus and phosphate could be significantly reduced by 90–92% at 3.2–5.2 mg/L after 24 h. Treatment met China’s integrated wastewater discharge standards, demonstrating an effective and robust treatment capability. First-order and second-order kinetic models provided a good fit to the treatment data, indicating physical and chemical adsorption were involved in the treatment reactions. The reaction mechanism involved hydrogen substitution and binding to oxygen. These results present a cost effective and robust approach for the removal of N and P from black, odorous water, providing opportunity to abate environmental contamination.
Ensemble of small models as a tool for alien invasive species management planning: evaluation of Vespa velutina (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) under Mediterranean island conditions
Authors: Herrera C. , Jurado-Rivera J. A. , Leza M.
Published: March 2022

Ecological niche models have proved to be a powerful tool in assessing invasiveness risk of alien species, allowing the optimization of control strategies. Vespa velutina (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) is an invasive species with strong ecological, economical and health impacts in Europe after it was first reported in France in 2004. It was detected for the first time on a Mediterranean island (Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain) in 2015, where a single nest was found in the northwest of the island. Immediately, a control plan was implemented. In this study, we analysed 30 occurrence data in Mallorca island to assess the suitability distribution predicted for Mediterranean island conditions using an ensemble of small models. We obtained high values of AUC (0.9165), Somers’ D (0.8331), Boyce (0.7611) and TSS (0.7754) as quality parameters of the final ensembled model. We show for the first time that there are suitable areas where this species can expand and stablish, mainly in steeper slopes and low isothermality zones. Likewise, the distribution suitability of V. velutina for other Mediterranean islands (Ibiza, Formentera, Menorca, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Crete and Cyprus) was also explored, showing potentially suitable zones. This study provides valuable information regarding the areas in the Mediterranean islands under risk of invasion, and it could be used by both scientists and managers for an early detection and control of the invasive species due to its cost-effectiveness in terms of conservation.
Trims and extensions of quadratic APN functions
Authors: Beierle Christof , Leander Gregor , Perrin Léo
Published: March 2022

In this work, we study functions that can be obtained by restricting a vectorial Boolean function$$F :\mathbb {F}_{2}^n \rightarrow \mathbb {F}_{2}^n$$F:F2n→F2nto an affine hyperplane of dimension$$n-1$$n-1and then projecting the output to an$$n-1$$n-1-dimensional space. We show that a multiset of$$2 \cdot (2^n-1)^2$$2·(2n-1)2EA-equivalence classes of such restrictions defines an EA-invariant for vectorial Boolean functions on$$\mathbb {F}_{2}^n$$F2n. Further, for all of the known quadratic APN functions in dimension$$n < 10$$n<10, we determine the restrictions that are also APN. Moreover, we construct 6368 new quadratic APN functions in dimension eight up to EA-equivalence by extending a quadratic APN function in dimension seven. A special focus of this work is on quadratic APN functions with maximum linearity. In particular, we characterize a quadratic APN function$$F :\mathbb {F}_{2}^n \rightarrow \mathbb {F}_{2}^n$$F:F2n→F2nwith linearity of$$2^{n-1}$$2n-1by a property of the ortho-derivative of its restriction to a linear hyperplane. Using the fact that all quadratic APN functions in dimension seven are classified, we are able to obtain a classification of all quadratic 8-bit APN functions with linearity$$2^7$$27up to EA-equivalence.
Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Potentials in Europe by Sector: A Bootstrap-Based Nonparametric Efficiency Analysis
Authors: Krüger Jens J. , Tarach Moritz
Published: March 2022

The reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is the key action to limit global warming. An important source of greenhouse gas emissions and pollution is the inefficiency of production processes. We report results from a stochastic nonparametric efficiency analysis using directional distance functions to take account of undesirable outputs like greenhouse gases. With this approach, we are able to provide estimates of the potential emission reductions for 7 main sectors in 16 European countries. A specially adapted bootstrapping approach allows to implement a bias correction of the estimates and to compute confidence intervals. The results show that static efficiency improvements are a quantitatively important element of the emission reductions which are required to achieve the reduction targets of the European Union.
Lock-release gravity currents propagating over roughness elements
Authors: Maggi Maria Rita , Adduce Claudia , Negretti Maria Eletta
Published: March 2022

The influence of bottom roughness on the development of lock-release gravity currents is investigated through laboratory experiments using Particle Image Velocimetry. The bottom roughness is represented by arrays of vertical LEGO bricks with a constant spacing while varying $$\lambda $$
λ
, the relative height of the roughness elements to the gravity current depth. Depending on $$\lambda $$
λ
, the roughness elements may affect the gravity current propagation: for small $$\lambda $$
λ
the current behaves like moving over a smooth bottom, while for larger $$\lambda $$
λ
the propagation speed is reduced and the internal structure of the current, including both the head and the tail, is significantly modified. As $$\lambda $$
λ
increases, stronger recirculation areas between the roughness elements develop interacting with the overlying layer and giving rise to small-scale vortical structures of opposite sign within the whole depth of the current. The additional drag force induced by the bottom roughness adds significant complexity to the flow dynamics and modifies the characteristics of the current.
A Poisson algebra on the Hida Test functions and a quantization using the Cuntz algebra
Authors: Bock Wolfgang , Futorny Vyacheslav , Neklyudov Mikhail
Published: March 2022

In this note, we define one more way of quantization of classical systems. The quantization we consider is an analogue of classical Jordan–Schwinger map which has been known and used for a long time by physicists. The difference, compared to Jordan–Schwinger map, is that we use generators of Cuntz algebra $$\mathcal {O}_{\infty }$$

O
∞

(i.e. countable family of mutually orthogonal partial isometries of separable Hilbert space) as a “building blocks” instead of creation–annihilation operators. The resulting scheme satisfies properties similar to Van Hove prequantization, i.e. exact conservation of Lie brackets and linearity.
Networks of action situations: a systematic review of empirical research
Authors: Kimmich Christian , Baldwin Elizabeth , Kellner Elke , Oberlack Christoph , Villamayor-Tomas Sergio
Published: March 2022

“Action situations”—events, venues, or physically interdependent instances of decision-making—have become a central unit of analysis in the social–environmental sciences, particularly among scholars interested in bridging the social with the biophysical or ecological side of interdependent decisions. A growing body of empirical studies in social–ecological systems research has recently used case and comparative studies to analyse multiple interdependent action situations, structured into networks. In this article, we take stock of this body of empirical research, synthesize the diverse approaches that scholars have taken to assess “networks of action situations”, and identify fruitful paths forward. We conduct a systematic review of the empirical literature in the field, reviewing and summarizing the key characteristics of the empirical studies, including network features, topologies, methods, and data sources used in each case. We summarize and discuss the conceptualizations, methods, diagnostic procedures, and conclusions used in this body of work in a narrative framework synthesis. The review indicates that an increasingly coherent approach is taking shape, but a systematic, protocol-driven, or formalized approach is only partly emerging. We derive future research needs that could help accumulate knowledge from empirical research.
Knowledge Mining: A Cross-disciplinary Survey
Authors: Rui Yong , Carmona Vicente Ivan Sanchez , Pourvali Mohsen , Xing Yun , Yi Wei-Wen , Ruan Hui-Bin , Zhang Yu
Published: March 2022

Knowledge mining is a widely active research area across disciplines such as natural language processing (NLP), data mining (DM), and machine learning (ML). The overall objective of extracting knowledge from data source is to create a structured representation that allows researchers to better understand such data and operate upon it to build applications. Each mentioned discipline has come up with an ample body of research, proposing different methods that can be applied to different data types. A significant number of surveys have been carried out to summarize research works in each discipline. However, no survey has presented a cross-disciplinary review where traits from different fields were exposed to further stimulate research ideas and to try to build bridges among these fields. In this work, we present such a survey.
Suspension and Solution Precursor Plasma and HVOF Spray: A Review
Authors: Mittal Garima , Paul Shiladitya
Published: March 2022

Thermal spray, being a cost- and time-efficient process, is used extensively in industrial and engineering sections for mass production of desired coating structures, allowing to deposit a wide range of materials on various substrates. Conventionally, powder feedstocks are used in plasma and high-velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) thermal spray that has limitations such as limited feedstock particle size (10-100 µm), clogging and limited options for coating materials. Liquid feedstocks, in the form of suspensions or precursor solutions could potentially resolve these issues by allowing nano- and submicron particles to be deposited, where unlike dry feedstock, the liquid medium helps in reducing the friction and avoiding the clogging. Also, liquid feedstocks, especially precursor solutions, provide the opportunity to deposit a wide range of coating materials with better control over coating microstructure, material composition and stoichiometry by varying the properties of the feedstock. Despite benefits, liquid feedstock has its own complexities, such as complex feedstock preparation, thermo-physical reactions during interaction with the energy source and gases. Therefore, it becomes essential to understand how different suspension and solution precursor feedstock properties affect the coating microstructures and properties. This review paper covers a detailed discussion on the role of different process parameters such as feedstock properties, injection methods, different torches and surface properties, affecting the coating quality and performance and related recent developments and challenges are discussed. This would be beneficial in optimizing the spray parameters to obtain coatings with desired microstructures. The later part of the review focuses on the economic aspect of the suspension/solution precursor-based plasma and HVOF spray methods and their various applications.
Multiplexed lighting system using time-division multiplexing
Authors: Ban Yuki , Ota Koichi , Fukui Rui , Warisawa Shin’ichi
Published: March 2022

Improvements in lighting and other indoor environmental conditions have gained considerable attention in different areas, including health and economics. Controlling the lighting environment is essential because, among the indoor factors, visual stimulation affects numerous human characteristics. Further, visual stimulation, including peripheral vision, affects people differently. Therefore, to improve the indoor environment with multiple occupants, each occupant must have an independent lighting environment. However, this cannot be achieved through conventional approaches. In this study, we propose a multiplexed lighting environment that can simultaneously realize multiple mutually independent lighting environments within a single space. We developed the proposed system using time-division multiplexing and conducted an experiment to clarify the influence of light multiplexing on human behavior and impression of the indoor environment. The experimental results showed that the proposed method changed the lighting operations of the users and improved their impression of the lighting environment. Furthermore, the proposed method provides a desirable lighting environment for all people within a single space, even when people in the same space desire different lighting environments.
Proposal and validation of a liver graft discard score for liver transplantation from deceased donors: a multicenter Italian study
Authors: Lai Quirino , Ghinolfi Davide , Avolio Alfonso W. , Manzia Tommaso M. , Mennini Gianluca , Melandro Fabio , Frongillo Francesco , Pellicciaro Marco , Larghi Laureiro Zoe , Aglietti Rebecca , Franco Antonio , Quaranta Claudia , Tisone Giuseppe , Agnes Salvatore , Rossi Massimo , de Simone Paolo
Published: March 2022

Several studies have explored the risk of graft dysfunction after liver transplantation (LT) in recent years. Conversely, risk factors for graft discard before or at procurement have poorly been investigated. The study aimed at identifying a score to predict the risk of liver-related graft discard before transplantation. Secondary aims were to test the score for prediction of biopsy-related negative features and post-LT early graft loss. A total of 4207 donors evaluated during the period January 2004–Decemeber 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. The group was split into a training set (n = 3,156; 75.0%) and a validation set (n = 1,051; 25.0%). The Donor Rejected Organ Pre-transplantation (DROP) Score was proposed: − 2.68 + (2.14 if Regional Share) + (0.03*age) + (0.04*weight)-(0.03*height) + (0.29 if diabetes) + (1.65 if anti-HCV-positive) + (0.27 if HBV core) − (0.69 if hypotension) + (0.09*creatinine) + (0.38*log10AST) + (0.34*log10ALT) + (0.06*total bilirubin). At validation, the DROP Score showed the best AUCs for the prediction of liver-related graft discard (0.82; p < 0.001) and macrovesicular steatosis ≥ 30% (0.71; p < 0.001). Patients exceeding the DROP 90th centile had the worse post-LT results (3-month graft loss: 82.8%; log-rank P = 0.024).The DROP score represents a valuable tool to predict the risk of liver function-related graft discard, steatosis, and early post-LT graft survival rates. Studies focused on the validation of this score in other geographical settings are required.
Estimating bee abundance: can mark-recapture methods validate common sampling protocols?
Authors: BRIGGS Emma L. , BARANSKI Christopher , MÜNZER SCHAETZ Olivia , GARRISON Gabriela , COLLAZO Jaime A. , YOUNGSTEADT Elsa
Published: March 2022

Wild bees can be essential pollinators in natural, agricultural, and urban systems, but populations of some species have declined. Efforts to assess the status of wild bees are hindered by uncertainty in common sampling methods, such as pan traps and aerial netting, which may or may not provide a valid index of abundance across species and habitats. Mark-recapture methods are a common and effective means of estimating population size, widely used in vertebrates but rarely applied to bees. Here we review existing mark-recapture studies of wild bees and present a new case study comparing mark-recapture population estimates to pan trap and net capture for four taxa in a wild bee community. Net, but not trap, capture was correlated with abundance estimates across sites and taxa. Logistical limitations ensure that mark-recapture studies will not fully replace other bee sampling methods, but they do provide a feasible way to monitor selected species and measure the performance of other sampling methods.
Small hive beetle, Aethina tumida (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae): chemical profile of the cuticle and possible chemical mimicry in a honeybee (Apis mellifera) pest
Authors: AMOS Brogan A. , FURLONG Michael J. , LEEMON Diana M. , CRIBB Bronwen W. , HAYES R. Andrew
Published: March 2022

The small hive beetle,Aethina tumida(Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), is an economically important pest of the Western honeybee,Apis mellifera(Hymenoptera: Apidae). We investigated the effect of rearing environment on the cuticular chemical profile of adultA. tumida, using hexane to extract the hydrocarbons and other compounds from the cuticles of beetles. Beetles were collected fromA. melliferacolonies in Australia as well as reared in single sex laboratory cultures on different diets. We investigated whether rearing environment (laboratory vs. field, different apiaries, access to mating partners, diet) had any effect on cuticular hydrocarbons. Coupled gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analyses of the extracts showed that rearing environment had significant qualitative and quantitative effects on the hydrocarbons detected. The data support the hypothesis that cuticular profiles ofA. tumidaare contingent on environment, partitioning on the basis of rearing diet and source hives. The finding has implications for the regulation of interactions betweenA. tumidaand honeybees and improvements in targeting of management strategies.
Ultrastable glasses: new perspectives for an old problem
Authors: Rodriguez-Tinoco Cristian , Gonzalez-Silveira Marta , Ramos Miguel Angel , Rodriguez-Viejo Javier
Published: March 2022

Ultrastable glasses (mostly prepared from the vapor phase under optimized deposition conditions) represent a unique class of materials with low enthalpies and high kinetic stabilities. These highly stable and dense glasses show unique physicochemical properties, such as high thermal stability, improved mechanical properties or anomalous transitions into the supercooled liquid, offering unprecedented opportunities to understand many aspects of the glassy state. Their improved properties with respect to liquid-cooled glasses also open new prospects to their use in applications where liquid-cooled glasses failed or where not considered as usable materials. In this review article we summarize the state of the art of vapor-deposited (and other) ultrastable glasses with a focus on the mechanism of equilibration, the transformation to the liquid state and the low temperature properties. The review contains information on organic, metallic, polymeric and chalcogenide glasses and an updated list with relevant properties of all materials known today to form a stable glass.
Toward Single-Atomic-Layer Lithography on Highly Oriented Pyrolytic Graphite Surfaces Using AFM-Based Electrochemical Etching
Authors: Han Wei , Mathew Paven Thomas , Kolagatla Srikanth , Rodriguez Brian J. , Fang Fengzhou
Published: March 2022

Atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based electrochemical etching of a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) surface is studied toward the single-atomic-layer lithography of intricate patterns. Electrochemical etching is performed in the water meniscus formed between the AFM tip apex and HOPG surface due to a capillary effect under controlled high relative humidity (~ 75%) at otherwise ambient conditions. The conditions to etch nano-holes, nano-lines, and other intricate patterns are investigated. The electrochemical reactions of HOPG etching should not generate debris due to the conversion of graphite to gaseous CO and CO2 based on etching reactions. However, debris is observed on the etched HOPG surface, and incomplete gasification of carbon occurs during the etching process, resulting in the generation of solid intermediates. Moreover, the applied potential is of critical importance for precise etching, and the precision is also significantly influenced by the AFM tip wear. This study shows that the AFM-based electrochemical etching has the potential to remove the material in a single-atomic-layer precision. This result is likely because the etching process is based on anodic dissolution, resulting in the material removal atom by atom.
An Exploratory Network Analysis of Sexual and Relationship Satisfaction Comparing Partnered Cisgendered Men and Women
Authors: Nickull Sabina , Källström Marianne , Jern Patrick
Published: March 2022

Background

Sexual and relationship satisfaction are intimately connected and share many predictors.

Aim

The aim of the present study is to disentangle the relationship between sexual and relationship satisfaction, by exploring the connections to other relevant correlates.

Methods

Regularized mixed graphical model networks were estimated separately for men and women, which were compared using the network comparison test. In addition, strength centrality and community structure were explored.

Outcome

The partial correlation structure between sexual satisfaction, relationship satisfaction and their correlates.

Results

The associations between variables measuring sexual and relationship satisfaction and related constructs did not differ significantly between partnered, cisgendered men and women. Sexual and relationship satisfaction were associated with sexual pleasure, sexual distress, and sexual communication for both men and women. Sexual satisfaction was the most central variable in the network for men (strength = 1.1), while sexual desire was the most central variable for women (strength = 1.1). Frequency of sexual activity was a central variable for both men and women (strength men = 1.0, strength women = 1.1). The community analysis showed similar communities of variables for men and women, except that frequency of sexual activity consistently belonged to the same community as sexual and relationship satisfaction for men, but not as consistently for women.

Clinical Translation

The results have clinical implication in sex and couples therapy, as they increase the knowledge on sexual and relationship satisfaction.

Strengths & Limitations

A strength of the study is the population-based dataset, and a limitation is that inferences of causality cannot be made due to the cross-sectional study design.

Conclusion

The present study suggests that men and women are largely similar when comparing constructs related to sexual and relationship satisfaction.
Air exchanges, climate change, and severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2): Results from a survey of the Society of Healthcare Epidemiology of America Research Network (SRN)
Authors: Burnham Jason P. , Betz Fred , Lautz Roger , Mousavi Ehsan , Martinello Richard A. , McGain Forbes , Sherman Jodi D.
Published: March 2022

In this cross-sectional survey, we assessed knowledge, attitudes and behaviors regarding operating room air-change rates, climate change, and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic implications. Climate change and healthcare pollution were considered problematic. Respondents checked air exchange rates for COVID-19 and ∼25% increased them. Respondents had difficulty completing questions concerning hospital heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.
Current Use and Future Considerations for Concussion Telemedicine Healthcare in Canada
Authors: Ellis Michael J. , Normand Heather , Gargaro Judith , Bayley Mark , Russell Kelly
Published: March 2022

Objective:

To examine the use of telemedicine among Canadian concussion providers and clinics before and after the COVID-19 pandemic onset and identify barriers and facilitators for future use.

Methods:

Ninety-nine concussion clinics and healthcare providers across Canada that offered one or more clinical concussion-related service were identified using standardized online searches and approached to complete a cross-sectional online survey.

Results:

Thirty clinics or providers completed the survey and two completed subsections of the survey (response rate of 32.3%). Only 28.1% of respondents indicated that they used telemedicine to provide care prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Providers most commonly using telemedicine prior to the pandemic were occupational therapists and physicians, while the most commonly used services were in-person videoconferencing and eConsultation. Most respondents (87%) indicated their clinic’s use of telemedicine changed following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic including new use of in-person video-conferencing, telephone calls, and eConsultation. Ninety-three percent indicated that they would consider using telemedicine to provide care to their concussion patients once the pandemic was over. Barriers needed to be overcome to facilitate use or greater use of telemedicine-based services were the inability to conduct a complete physical examination, lack of appropriate reimbursement, lack of start-up, and maintenance funding and medico-legal risk.

Conclusion:

Telemedicine was used by a minority of Canadian concussion clinics and providers prior to the COVID-19 pandemic but was rapidly adopted by many facilities. This study provides important insight into the factors that must be considered to optimize use of telemedicine in concussion care in the future.
Towards a solver-aware systems architecting framework: leveraging experts, specialists and the crowd to design innovative complex systems
Authors: Szajnfarber Zoe , Topcu Taylan G. , Lifshitz-Assaf Hila
Published: March 2022

This article proposes the solver-aware system architecting framework for leveraging the combined strengths of experts, crowds and specialists to design innovative complex systems. Although system architecting theory has extensively explored the relationship between alternative architecture forms and performance under operational uncertainty, limited attention has been paid to differences due towhogenerates the solutions. The recent rise in alternative solving methods, from gig workers to crowdsourcing to novel contracting structures emphasises the need for deeper consideration of the link between architecting and solver-capability in the context of complex system innovation. We investigate these interactions through an abstract problem-solving simulation, representing alternative decompositions and solver archetypes of varying expertise, engaged through contractual structures that match their solving type. We find that the preferred architecture changes depending on which combinations of solvers are assigned. In addition, the best hybrid decomposition-solver combinations simultaneously improve performance and cost, while reducing expert reliance. To operationalise this new solver-aware framework, we induce two heuristics for decomposition-assignment pairs and demonstrate the scale of their value in the simulation. We also apply these two heuristics to reason about an example of a robotic manipulator design problem to demonstrate their relevance in realistic complex system settings.
Staphylococcus aureus infections after elective pediatric surgeries
Authors: Munjal Iona M. , Dreyfus Jill , Yu Holly , Begier Elizabeth , Gurtman Alejandra , Gayle Julie A. , Olsen Margaret A.
Published: March 2022

Objective:

To determine the 180-day cumulative incidence of culture-confirmed Staphylococcus aureus infections after elective pediatric surgeries.

Design:

Retrospective cohort study utilizing the Premier Healthcare database (PHD).

Setting:

Inpatient and hospital-based outpatient elective surgical discharges.

Patients:

Pediatric patients <18 years who underwent surgery during elective admissions between July 1, 2010, and June 30, 2015, at any of 181 PHD hospitals reporting microbiology results.

Methods:

In total, 74 surgical categories were defined using ICD-9-CM and CPT procedure codes. Microbiology results and ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes defined S. aureus infection types: bloodstream infection (BSI), surgical site infection (SSI), and other types (urinary tract, respiratory, and all other). Cumulative postsurgical infection incidence was calculated as the number of infections divided by the number of discharges with qualifying elective surgeries.

Results:

Among 11,874 inpatient surgical discharges, 180-day S. aureus infection incidence was 1.79% overall (1.00% SSI, 0.35% BSI, 0.45% other). Incidence was highest among children <2 years of age (2.76%) and lowest for those 10–17 years (1.49%). Among 50,698 outpatient surgical discharges, incidence was 0.36% overall (0.23% SSI, 0.05% BSI, 0.08% others); it was highest among children <2 years of age (0.57%) and lowest for those aged 10–17 years (0.30%). MRSA incidence was significantly higher after inpatient surgeries (0.68%) than after outpatient surgeries (0.14%; P < .0001). Overall, the median days to S. aureus infection was longer after outpatient surgery than after inpatient surgery (39 vs. 31 days; P = .0116).

Conclusions:

These findings illustrate the burden of postoperative S. aureus infections in the pediatric population, particularly among young children. These results underscore the need for continued infection prevention efforts and longer-term surveillance after surgery.
Soviet Persian Anthologies: Transnational, Multinational, International
Authors: Hodgkin Samuel
Published: March 2022

In scholarship on post-Persianate literary modernity, the emergence of the new institution of literature is often conflated with the delimitation and reification of national cultures as different manifestations of a single process. This article examines three anthologies of Persian literature from the interwar Persophone Soviet Union to reconsider the relationship between state cultural institutions’ procedures of literary modernization and nationalization. The anthologies mark out the stages by which classical Persian literature was portioned out to Soviet Eastern nationalities, and in particular the advent of Tajik literary history, but they also reveal the degree to which national literatures coevolved with new post-Persianate literary cosmopolitanisms and internationalisms.
Re-examining Salon Space: Structuring Audiences and Music at Parisian Receptions
Authors: VILKNER NICOLE
Published: March 2022

Historians have viewed nineteenth-century music salons in Paris as concert-like environments where performers and audience gathered in a designated music room. Architectural studies and first-hand accounts, however, show that the music salon incorporated multiple reception rooms, and that guests frequently listened to musical performances from adjoining spaces. While conceptual space has been a subject central to salon studies, this project analyses material space, re-evaluating how the architecture of the salon influenced audience structure, listening modes and compositional practices. This architecture was ultimately central to the development of salon opera, which flourished between 1850 and the 1870s and was epitomized by Gustave Nadaud’s Le docteur Vieuxtemps (1854).
The Fragility of Liberal Democracy: A Schmittian Response to the Constitutional Crisis in South Korea (1948–79)
Authors: Yi Kyung Min
Published: March 2022

What is the legal source of legitimacy in political authority? This pressing question made a striking appearance on the South Korean scene when, since its inception in 1948, a popular backlash against a liberal democracy perceived as foreign and unjuridical erupted in the forms of terror, insurgency, mutiny, and putsch. Park Chung Hee's successful assumption of power through his 1961 coup d’état provided an implicit response, recasting the Korean concepts of legality and legitimacy. Han T'ae Yŏn was a key figure in this national dispute. Armed with Carl Schmitt's canon, Han gave a decisive verdict on how Korean liberal democracy had been eclipsed under the two spuriously liberal governments of Syngman Rhee and Chang Myŏn. His legal apology for Park's authoritarian constitutional regime echoed Schmitt's defense of the Führer by invoking the president as an incarnation of the will of the people as a whole. This article intends to revisit Schmitt's accusation of judicial positivism for its failure to deliver a genuine voice of the people in the case of a non-Western society.
Electric toy car to reduce anxiety before a cardiac catherisation: randomised controlled trial
Authors: Chambon Edouard , Fournier Emmanuelle , Tagorti Maha , Lecerf Florence , Chaouche Nadera , Ion Iolanda , Bojan Mirela , Cohen Sarah , Van-Aerschot Isabelle , Mostefa-Kara Meriem , Batteux Clément , Petit Jérome , Hascoet Sébastien
Published: March 2022

Background:

Anxiety before an invasive intervention is associated in children with persistent psychological disorders. We studied the effect of the transfer to the catheterisation room by an electric toy car on the anxiety of children and their parents before a cardiac catheterisation.

Methods:

Forty-eight children with a median age of 5.6 years [4.2–7.0] were randomised to either riding on an electric car to go to the catheterisation laboratory or being transported lying supine on a gurney. Anxiety assessments were performed by a physician blinded to group allocation on the day before the procedure (T0) and at anaesthesia induction (T1). The modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale Short Form (mYPAS-SF) and visual analogue scale for anxiety (VAS-A) were used in the children and the VAS-A in the parents.

Results:

The mYPAS-SF, VAS-A-child, and the VAS-A-parent scores were significantly higher at T1 than at T0 (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, and p = 0.005, respectively). The primary outcome (the median mYPAS-SF score at T1) was not significantly different in the two groups when males and females were combined. At T1, the VAS-A-child score, however, was significantly lower in the intervention than the control group (22 versus 55, p < 0.001). In the boys, the median mYPAS-SF score at T1 was significantly lower in the intervention group (25.0 versus 51.0, p = 0.024). No difference was observed in girls. The VAS-A parent score was lower at T1 in the intervention group (60 versus 87, p = 0.05).

Conclusion:

Riding to the catheterisation laboratory on an electric toy car decreased anxiety in boys and decreased parental anxiety.
Special issue introduction: Towards a global history of international organizations and decolonization
Authors: Muschik Eva-Maria
Published: March 2022

Decolonization and the expansion of international organizations in the twentieth century are crucial developments in modern global history, yet scholars have seldom closely studied their impact on one another. While decolonization is often presented as the ‘success story’ of international organizations, these bodies have also been condemned as instruments of neocolonialism. This introduction and special issue moves beyond this binary and investigates the multifaceted roles that international organizations have played in decolonizing countries and how the dissolution of European empires has in turn affected the development of international organizations. International organizations were neither straightforward tools of empire or neocolonialism, nor natural instruments for ‘Third World’ liberation. Rather, the contributions collected here underline a history of decolonization that defies any teleological framing and emphasizes diverse trajectories of global interaction facilitated through international organizations. The introduction offers an overview of recent literature on the topic and discusses promising avenues for further research.
The Nazas-Aguanaval Group: Radical Priests, Catholic Networks, and Maoist Politics in Northern Mexico
Authors: Puma Jorge
Published: March 2022

This article deals with the emergence of the Nazas-Aguanaval group of priests in the northern region of La Laguna, in northern Mexico, after the Second Vatican Council and the 1968 Medellín Conference of the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM). I argue that both the reformism of the Second Vatican council and the push for a “preferential option for the poor” provided the space for an alliance between the progressive priests of the Nazas-Aguanaval group and the Maoist activists of Política Popular (People's Politics, PP). In this context, it was the Nazas-Aguanaval priests who introduced Política Popular's Maoism in La Laguna and Chiapas among peasants and students. At the same time, the radical tradition and economic conditions of La Laguna made it possible for local left-wing activists to connect with transnational currents such as the Movement of Priests for the Third World and Christians for Socialism. Based on a broad array of sources—including oral histories, Maoist pamphlets, local newspapers, Mexican security archives, and documentation from Mexican and Latin American priests’ organizations—this article brings together the regional history of protest in La Laguna, the historiography of the Global Sixties, and the history of the progressive factions of the Catholic Church in Latin America.