bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fair Play: Why Reliable Data for Low-Tech Construction and Non-conventional Materials Are Needed
Authors: Mazelli Redina , Bocci Martina , Bohn Arthur , Zea Escamilla Edwin , Habert Guillaume , Bocco Andrea
Published: June 2023

The paper proposes considerations stemming from the analysis of twenty-two buildings that show different approaches to ‘vegetarian architecture’—a theoretical stance based on principles learnt from agriculture and nutrition. The first phase consisted in a systematic investigation of the constructional characteristics of each building, and the cataloguing of their components. The ‘cradle to gate’ embodied energy (EE) and ‘embodied carbon’ (EC) were then calculated, based on two open access databases: ICE and Ökobaudat. The applicability of these databases was considered, as they do not cover low industrialised bio-based construction materials. For some materials, data are missing; while in others, EE values are overestimated since high energy-intensive manufacturing processes seem to be assumed. In a second phase, the uses and production process of some non-conventional materials was investigated, evidencing their variability. Building technologies that are not just aimed at low operational energy but at a more holistic understanding of low environmental impact represent a paradigm shift in ‘sustainable’ construction practices. Despite ongoing actions and policies, as long as these materials and techniques are not suitably represented in reliable and accessible databases, it will be difficult to make such a shift happen. Manufacturers and contractors who produce and use such materials would benefit from the availability of easily applicable, scientific data demonstrating environmental advantages offered by non-conventional materials.
The Regulatory Apparatus at the Service of Sustainable Planning of the Built Environment: The Case of Law 338/2000
Authors: Piferi Claudio
Published: June 2023

It is wrongly assumed that the environmental sustainability of the building organism is only achievable thanks to the contribution of the systems and their ability to reduce harmful emissions and generate energy from alternative and natural sources. So, system projects have assumed an increasingly considerable importance both in terms of the quantity of documents and the cost of the building. The quantity and complexity of the most recent plant engineering solutions amplify the difficulty of dialogue between the different design levels (architectural, structural, and system design) forcing the professionals involved to compromise that end up disregarding the expected quality. Although it is now clear that the design levels must progress hand in hand from the first hypotheses, and that all must contribute equally to the overall sustainability of the intervention, this does not always happen by preferring to derogate from the system designers the choice of environmentally sustainable solutions. In summary, more and more, often we rely on the technical solutions of the machines used, rather than on the technological qualities of the project. This inevitably involves problems in the construction, operation, and eventual decommissioning phase of the building, especially in the public sphere where the low economic resources of the contracting stations are increasingly used in the purchase, maintenance, management, and disposal of plant engineering tools. A well-structured regulatory system can help to minimize these criticalities: this is the case of law 338, enacted in 2000 with the aim of increasing the availability of residences for university students, which is distinguished for the attention to the environmental issue, orienting the realization of accommodation places towards solutions able to contain waste, soil consumption, etc. The paper aims to describe and analyse the attention paid by the specific legislation to environmental sustainability.
Design Scenarios for a Circular Vision of Post-disaster Temporary Settlements
Authors: Arnetoli Maria Vittoria , Bologna Roberto
Published: June 2023

The construction sector has a considerable impact on the environment in terms of both exploited natural resources and greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, converting the production process from linear to circular is essential. In increasingly vulnerable human settlements, post-emergency recovery can become an opportunity to develop innovative circular design strategies. The research focuses on how to strengthen the resilience of risk-prone territories through pre-disaster strategic planning based on a systemic approach. Post-emergency management of 2009 and 2016–2017 earthquakes in the inner areas of Central Italy is assumed as a case study. In particular, the tender specifications that guided the recovery revealed a deep lack of preventive programmes on the post-use phase of the settlements, which remain suspended between temporary and permanent. Starting from the analysis, the paper proposes a matrix of alternative scenarios for the end-of-life of temporary structures. The matrix allows connecting the recovery phase with the objectives of social cohesion and territorial regeneration policies, adapting the response to the needs of the specific context. Assuming that the artefact’s technological requirements depend on the different perspectives of their life cycle, the scenarios are oriented towards different degrees of reversibility, addressing the complete disassembly, with the reuse and recycling of components, up to the reconversion of temporary assets as local facilities and as resources for green and digital transition. Integrating post-disaster into ordinary tools would trigger virtuous synergies to optimise public funding use. In this framework, post-disaster temporary housing can become a field of experimentation for disaster-resilient communities and circular economy.
Data Visualization and Web-Based Mapping for SGDs and Adaptation to Climate Change in the Urban Environment
Authors: Canepa Maria , Magliocco Adriano , Pisani Nicola
Published: June 2023

To address Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and face climate change effects, it is necessary to adopt multidisciplinary methodologies and strategies for risk prevention and mitigation of the impact in urban contexts. These phenomena represent a risk for cultural heritage conservation, with negative consequences for local economies. To move from the analysis of climate impacts to adaptation measures and governance tools, it is necessary to deal with the different characteristics of the urban context in its physical, historical, cultural, and socio-economic components. The paper focuses on the collaboration between UNIGE Architecture and Design Department (DAD), and Colouree S.r.l. that has developed an analytical platform that uses artificial intelligence, geo-referenced data, and automated analysis to define the characteristics of the urban context. The aim of the research is the identification of parameters and solutions to respond to the effects of climate change in the urban environment, considering risk levels and context settlement; alongside the climatic skills, also the architects’ skills in environmental technologies, urban landscape, and cultural heritage have been given relevance. DAD aims to capitalize on the previous and ongoing experiences of Colouree, offering scientific and methodological support, to reach the definition of a detailed settlement analysis, providing indications on the risks associated with the main predictable effects (extreme weather events, heat island effect, water availability). The expected results will define a methodological structure to create a sensitivity mapping to meteorological phenomena, based on the data support from Colouree towards the carrying capacity of the urban fabric, making information more accessible thanks to the data visualization and web-based mapping, including, among the stakeholders, not only experts but also professionals and citizens.
Technologies and Solutions for Collaborative Processes in Mutating Cities
Authors: Fanzini Daniele , Rotaru Irina , Zreika Nour
Published: June 2023

The city, a place of contemporary living par excellence, challenges the planner by making it necessary to adapt progressively quicker to changes and to overcome the traditional design approach linked to the modern idea of the industrial city. Indeed, living in non-stationary contexts, the complexity of problems nowadays requires a new planning endeavor capable of testing future solutions ‘in the field’ rather than ‘on paper,’ involving citizens, but also continuously adapting processes to achieve the expected results. The proposed contribution aims to document possible ways to trigger virtuous urban renewal processes, sustainably activating tangible and intangible resources. The topic will be investigated from the point of view of the triad: ‘project, technology, and digital solutions,’ adopting a social perspective. The latter ensures the active involvement of citizens in strategic decisions, increasing their awareness and civic sense, but also supporting the proposition of evolving planning scenarios in order to develop solutions that will be concrete, achievable, and resilient. The core element concerns the way in which it is possible to promote the creation of an extended social mind through which collective behavioral change can be fostered. In some cases, digital technologies prove to be the effective ‘expert instrument,’ also for understanding the planned intervention, opening the design process for different stakeholders not necessarily familiar with technical conventions. According to Floridi, digital transformation ‘disconnects and reconnects specific processes,’ and the project represents the most powerful innovation element to promote the ecological transition. These dynamics will be explored through the analysis of some research and project activities that directly involved the authors of this article.
Temporary Climate Change Adaptation: 5 Measures for Outdoor Spaces of the Mid-Adriatic City
Authors: Brownlee Timothy Daniel
Published: June 2023

The paper aims to identify a set of systemic measures that, through the temporary use of devices, space configurators, and installations, is capable of responding promptly to the vulnerability factors of a given outdoor space, flanking adaptation plans which require time to be assimilated into ordinary territory management tools. Based on the INTERREG Italy-Croatia Joint_SECAP project data of 9 target areas located on the two sides of the Adriatic Sea the document refers to a reference framework on risks and vulnerabilities of urban coastal areas and recurring climatic events. From a case studies analysis, built on climate hazards and on outdoor space configurations, the paper extracts replicability features and attempts to propose feasible models based on reversible and reconfigurable matrices that can be exported into contexts with similar characteristics. It follows that a technological design sensitivity capable of enhancing elastic spatial setups must be consolidated in order to address the needs of a specific outdoor space, during a climatic—or non-climatic—event, assuming that the city is a continuously evolving organism, with an in-grown ability to accommodate the variability of events.
Design for Emergency: Inclusive Housing Solution
Authors: Giglio Francesca , Sansotta Sara
Published: June 2023

The paper describes a study on the growing emergency of homelessness, of which alarming data are estimated at national and European levels and which the Cohesion policies of the European Community are addressing. Thanks to the recent launch of the Collaboration Platform on Homelessness to stimulate dialog, improve data collection and monitoring and strengthen cooperation between all actors involved in the fight against the phenomenon. The emerging concept of ‘Design for Emergency’ highlights the historical link between temporary and emergency living regarding the welfare and health implications of the weak. The aim is twofold: to define a theoretical and design model that can be repeated, contributing on the one hand to a process of social reintegration for fragile realities and on the other to the circularity of construction processes and the recovery of resources and components, through innovative housing solutions, with characteristics of modularity, disassembly and dry connections. The results, deriving from a deductive scalar methodological approach, concern: (i) data collection is inherent to the issues addressed, the emergency conditions; (ii) a critical analysis of the data acquired and systematized; (iii) methodological and design experimentation. The research hopes for repeatable results in diverse marginal contexts, respecting the disparate needs not only of the users but of the place where the temporary installation will be needed. This is an aspect in which the intervention of the municipal administrations and all possible stakeholders involved is fundamental and which at the moment may represent a limitation, albeit a surmountable one of the research.
Environmental Sensing and Simulation for Healthy Districts: A Comparison Between Field Measurements and CFD Model
Authors: Giovanardi Matteo , Trane Matteo , Pollo Riccardo
Published: June 2023

Atmospheric Particulate Matter (PM) is considered among the main risk factors for cardiovascular, respiratory, and carcinogenic diseases. Besides, heat waves accounted for 68% of natural hazard-related deaths in Europe between 1980 and 2017 and many climate models project a global rise in climate hazards. Environmental Monitoring (EM) is a key resource to control health determinants, addressing threats arising from unhealthy external conditions. Forecasting models may need data coming from pervasive distributed sensor networks and computational simulations. Moreover, district-scale Environmental Sensing (ES) and Environmental Modelling Simulation (EMS) may identify criticalities and specific strategies to mitigate climate risk affecting physical health. This paper compares the output from ES, by field measurements during a “climate walk” joined by more than 60 people, with EMS, by a Computational Fluid Dynamic software (CFD). The assessment has been performed on a real urban district. For on-site measurements, data were acquired by low-cost IoT-based sensors developed by the authors. For simulations, we used ENVI-met, a prognostic non-hydrostatic CFD. Potential Air Temperature and PM 10-2.5 concentration parameters have been measured and simulated on a specific winter day. Results are presented and discussed through a visualisation matrix making the comparison direct. The analysis of the results pointed out the role of ES and EMS for high-resolution scenarios assessment. Although real-time monitoring needs extensive infrastructure at the urban scale, the use of low-cost sensors and a citizen science approach could provide precise input data to support even more accurate models, towards a healthy district site-specific design perspective. This may finally contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 11.6, aiming at reducing the adverse environmental impact of cities, thus paying particular attention to air quality.
Wood Snoezelen. Multisensory Wooden Environments for the Care and Rehabilitation of People with Severe and Very Severe Cognitive Disabilities
Authors: Tonetti Agata , Rossetti Massimo
Published: June 2023

The paper wants to present the progress of a research project focused on the study and design of a Snoezelen room made with wooden components. “Snoezelen” refers to closed environments capable of stimulating the senses in people with severe intellectual disabilities and non-self-sufficient people. Within these environments, multisensory stimulation takes place through various equipment and instruments such as optical fibers, water-powered light columns, systems for the reproduction of sounds or vibrations, and materials with different surface treatments. Many studies and researches have demonstrated the effectiveness of multisensory stimulation generated within a Snoezelen environment on children with autism spectrum disorder, and how this has led to beneficial effects such as the reduction in aggressive and/or self-injurious behaviors. The increase and diffusion of these environments, especially in schools, could lead to both an increase in the number of students who can undertake a rehabilitation process, and an increase in the sensory-perceptive aids available to the school. The rehabilitation and multisensory aspect of the Snoezelen methodology is, in this context, emphasized by the use of wood, thanks to its beneficial properties in terms of healthiness, comfort, and influences on psychological aspects. The goal of the research is the design of a wooden Snoezelen environment, the drafting of guidelines for its implementation, and an evaluation schedule for its use. In particular, the environment will be made by applying construction techniques in wood as a material for cladding, finishing, and components of the interior environment.
Environmental Attributes for Healthcare Professional’s Well-Being
Authors: Hammouni Zakia , Wittich Walter
Published: June 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic has been stressful for everyone and even more so for hard-working healthcare professionals. Contemporary hospitals are now endowed with environmental attributes that contribute to achieving well-being within their environment. However, these attributes tend to be focused on the patient and their experience. This paper examines these issues and describes the attributes of the physical environment that support healthcare professional’s well-being. Within a constructivist approach, the study was conducted in two care units in a mega hospital in Canada, before the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data collection includes a spatial evaluation of these care units, healthcare professionals’ spatial behavior, and 44 semi-structured interviews with various healthcare professionals, completed by the mental images. Thematic analysis and triangulation of the data set were conducted. Key attributes identified as promoting healthcare professionals’ well-being include light-color in care units, corridors and public areas of the hospital, and the cleanliness and art elements. Furthermore, panoramic views from the staff lounge, corridors, or elevator lobbies provide access to daylighting. This study highlights the importance of providing healthcare professionals break areas that allow them to find respite, particularly during periods of extreme stress such as COVID-19 pandemic.
Competition and Change in the Discourse on Abortion in Taiwan
Authors: Yang Chia-Ling
Published: June 2023

Women in Taiwan first gained the right to abortion in 1986 under the Eugenic Health Law. Although this allowed abortion under certain circumstances, abortion is otherwise still deemed a criminal act under the Penal Code.

Following Myra Marx Ferree’s analysis of discourses on abortion in the USA and Germany, and based on Foucault’s theories on discourse and Fraser’s analysis of competing counterpublics, this chapter analyses the competition of discourses over three decades between the women’s movement and the religious or conservative countermovement in relation to the revision of abortion law in Taiwan.

This chapter demonstrates how rhetorics about birth control/the birth rate have been strategically used by both sides within various social contexts. I will also analyse how feminist discourses have developed over the decades and how rhetorics of ‘for women’s sake’ or the employment of ‘international experiences’ are used by both sides, especially during the proposals for constraint on women’s right to abortion in the last two years.

This chapter will also highlight how the progress of the women’s movement and LGBTQI rights in Taiwan create a more supportive view on women’s bodily rights and also make the conservative religious groups intensify political mobilisation from the countermovement.
Italy’s Foetus Cemeteries: Reproductive Justice, Anti-gender Stances and Neo-Catholicism
Authors: Ibba Alessia
Published: June 2023

In Italy, all aborted foetuses are required to be buried. However, this practice was contested when thousands of foetuses’ graves were found, each marked with a cross and displaying the name of the person who had aborted. This chapter aims to analyse the practice of the burial of aborted foetuses as an obstacle to reproductive justice in Italy, in the context of anti-genderism and neo-Catholicism contributing to shaping pro-life stances. Moreover, this study explores three threats to reproductive justice: firstly, the possibility open to health professionals to conscientiously object; secondly, the limited use of medical abortion; and thirdly, the limitations established by the law concerning assisted reproductive services. These threats are employed as a background to understand pro-life actions in this context. Findings suggest that the Catholic Church influences discussions on reproductive rights on several levels, including regarding the burial of aborted foetuses. Despite the relevance of this topic in the current sociopolitical framework, the lack of attention paid to it in academia presents this study with some limitations. For this reason, more research is needed.
Accelerating Unruh-DeWitt detectors coupled with a spinor field
Authors: Wu Dawei , Tang Shan-Chang , Shi Yu
Published: June 2023

Abstract

The behavior of accelerating Unruh-DeWitt detectors coupled with a spinor field in (3+1)-dimensional spacetime is investigated. For a single point-like detector with Gaussian switching function, the transition probability increases with the acceleration and thus the antiUnruh effect effect cannot occur. Due to the spinor structure of the Dirac field, UV divergences are encountered in the calculation of the entanglement between the detectors. After introducing some UV cutoff Λ, the negativity of detectors is shown to behave nonmonotonically with respect to the acceleration. Besides, the negativity increases with the cutoff Λ and decreases with the distance between the detectors. The mutual information between the two detectors is also discussed.
High degree of alignment precision associated with total knee arthroplasty performed using a surgical robot or handheld navigation
Authors: Shen Tony S. , Uppstrom Tyler J. , Walker Paul J. , Yu Jonathan S. , Cheng Ryan , Mayman David J. , Jerabek Seth A. , Ast Michael P.
Published: June 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to compare the precision of bony resections during total knee arthroplasty (TKA) performed using different computer‐assisted technologies.

Methods

Patients who underwent a primary TKA using an imageless accelerometer‐based handheld navigation system (KneeAlign2®, OrthAlign Inc.) or computed tomography‐based large‐console surgical robot (Mako®, Stryker Corp.) from 2017 to 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. Templated alignment targets and demographic data were collected. Coronal plane alignment of the femoral and tibial components and tibial slope were measured on postoperative radiographs. Patients with excessive flexion or rotation preventing accurate measurement were excluded.

Results

A total of 240 patients who underwent TKA using either a handheld (n = 120) or robotic (n = 120) system were included. There were no statistically significant differences in age, sex, and BMI between groups. A small but statistically significant difference in the precision of the distal femoral resection was observed between the handheld and robotic cohorts (1.5° vs. 1.1° difference between templated and measured alignments, p = 0.024), though this is likely clinically insignificant. There were no significant differences in the precision of the tibial resection between the handheld and robotic groups (coronal plane 0.9° vs. 1.0°, n.s.; sagittal plane 1.2° vs. 1.1°, n.s.). There were no significant differences in the rate of overall precision between cohorts (n.s.).

Conclusions

A high degree of component alignment precision was observed for both imageless handheld navigation and CT‐based robotic cohorts. Surgeons considering options for computer‐assisted TKA should take other important factors, including surgical principles, templating software, ligament balancing, intraoperative adjustability, equipment logistics, and cost, into account.

Level of evidence

III.
Conductive vial electromembrane extraction of opioids from oral fluid
Authors: Skaalvik Tonje Gottenberg , Zhou Chen , Øiestad Elisabeth Leere , Hegstad Solfrid , Trones Roger , Pedersen-Bjergaard Stig
Published: June 2023

The use of oral fluid as sample matrix has gained significance in the analysis of drugs of abuse due to its non-invasive nature. In this study, the 13 opioids morphine, oxycodone, codeine, O-desmethyl tramadol, ethylmorphine, tramadol, pethidine, ketobemidone, buprenorphine, fentanyl, cyclopropylfentanyl, etonitazepyne, and methadone were extracted from oral fluid using electromembrane extraction based on conductive vials prior to analysis with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Oral fluid was collected using Quantisal collection kits. By applying voltage, target analytes were extracted from oral fluid samples diluted with 0.1% formic acid, across a liquid membrane and into a 300 μL 0.1% (v/v) formic acid solution. The liquid membrane comprised 8 μL membrane solvent immobilized in the pores of a flat porous polypropylene membrane. The membrane solvent was a mixture of 6-methylcoumarin, thymol, and 2-nitrophenyloctyl ether. The composition of the membrane solvent was found to be the most important parameter to achieve simultaneous extraction of all target opioids, which had predicted log P values in the range from 0.7 to 5.0. The method was validated in accordance to the guidelines by the European Medical Agency with satisfactory results. Intra- and inter-day precision and bias were within guideline limits of ± 15% for 12 of 13 compounds. Extraction recoveries ranged from 39 to 104% (CV ≤ 23%). Internal standard normalized matrix effects were in the range from 88 to 103% (CV ≤ 5%). Quantitative results of authentic oral fluid samples were in accordance with a routine screening method, and external quality control samples for both hydrophilic and lipophilic compounds were within acceptable limits.
Comparison of diffusion weighted imaging b0 with T2*-weighted gradient echo or susceptibility weighted imaging for intracranial hemorrhage detection after reperfusion therapy for ischemic stroke
Authors: Luijten Sven P. R. , van der Ende Nadinda A. M. , Cornelissen Sandra A. P. , Kluijtmans Leo , van Hattem Antonius , Lycklama a Nijeholt Geert , Postma Alida A. , Bokkers Reinoud P. H. , Thomassen Lars , Waje-Andreassen Ulrike , Logallo Nicola , Bracard Serge , Gory Benjamin , Roozenbeek Bob , Dippel Diederik W. J. , van der Lugt Aad
Published: June 2023

Purpose

Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) b0 may be able to substitute T2*-weighted gradient echo (GRE) or susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) in case of comparable detection of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), thereby reducing MRI examination time. We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of DWI b0 compared to T2*GRE or SWI for detection of ICH after reperfusion therapy for ischemic stroke.

Methods

We pooled 300 follow-up MRI scans acquired within 1 week after reperfusion therapy. Six neuroradiologists each rated DWI images (b0 and b1000; b0 as index test) of 100 patients and, after a minimum of 4 weeks, T2*GRE or SWI images (reference standard) paired with DWI images of the same patients. Readers assessed the presence of ICH (yes/no) and type of ICH according to the Heidelberg Bleeding Classification. We determined the sensitivity and specificity of DWI b0 for detection of any ICH, and the sensitivity for detection of hemorrhagic infarction (HI1 & HI2) and parenchymal hematoma (PH1 & PH2).

Results

We analyzed 277 scans of ischemic stroke patients with complete image series and sufficient image quality (median age 65 years [interquartile range, 54–75], 158 [57%] men). For detection of any ICH on DWI b0, the sensitivity was 62% (95% CI: 50–76) and specificity 96% (95% CI: 93–99). The sensitivity of DWI b0 was 52% (95% CI: 28–68) for detection of hemorrhagic infarction and 84% (95% CI: 70–92) for parenchymal hematoma.

Conclusion

DWI b0 is inferior for detection of ICH compared to T2*GRE/SWI, especially for smaller and more subtle hemorrhages. Follow-up MRI protocols should include T2*GRE/SWI for detection of ICH after reperfusion therapy.
In vitro and in vivo characterization of [64Cu][Cu(elesclomol)] as a novel theranostic agent for hypoxic solid tumors
Authors: Liu Tengzhi , Dahle Maria Aanesland , Lystad Mathilde Hirsum , Marignol Laure , Karlsen Morten , Redalen Kathrine Røe
Published: June 2023

Purpose

Hypoxic tumors are associated with therapy resistance and poor cancer prognosis, but methods to detect and counter tumor hypoxia remain insufficient. Our purpose was to investigate 64Cu(II)-elesclomol ([64Cu][Cu(ES)]) as a novel theranostic agent for hypoxic tumors, by implementing an improved production method and assessing its therapeutic and diagnostic potential compared to the established Cu-64 radiopharmaceuticals [64Cu]CuCl2 and [diacetyl-bis(N4-methylthiosemicarbazone) [64Cu][Cu(ATSM)].

Methods

Cu-64 was produced using a biomedical cyclotron at 12 MeV with the reaction 64Ni(p,n)64Cu, followed by synthesis of [64Cu]CuCl2, [64Cu][Cu(ATSM)], and [64Cu][Cu(ES)]. In vitro therapeutic effects were assessed in both normoxic and hypoxic cells (22Rv1 and PC3 prostate cancer cells, and U-87MG glioblastoma cells) using the clonogenic assay and analyzing cellular uptake and internalization. In vivo therapeutic effects were assessed in 22Rv1 xenografts in BALB/cAnN-Foxn1nu/nu/Rj mice receiving a single or multiple doses of radiopharmaceutical, before their feasibility to detect tumor hypoxia was assessed by positron emission tomography (PET) in 22Rv1 and U-87MG xenografts.

Results

In vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that [64Cu][Cu(ES)] reduced cell survival and inhibited tumor growth more effectively than [64Cu][Cu(ATSM)] and [64Cu]CuCl2. Hypoxia increased the cellular uptake and internalization of [64Cu][Cu(ES)] and [64Cu][Cu(ATSM)]. [64Cu][Cu(ES)]-PET tumor hypoxia detection was feasible and also revealed an unexpected finding of uptake in the brain.

Conclusion

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that ES is radiolabeled with [64Cu]CuCl2 to [64Cu][Cu(ES)]. We demonstrated superior therapeutic effects of [64Cu][Cu(ES)] compared to [64Cu][Cu(ATSM)] and [64Cu]CuCl2 and that [64Cu][Cu(ES)]-PET is feasible. [64Cu][Cu(ES)] is a promising theranostic agent for hypoxic solid tumors.
Strukturierte digitale Transformation von Lernen und Lehren
Authors: von der Heyde Markus , Hartmann Andreas
Published: June 2023

Die Digitalisierung der Prozesse an Hochschulen wird in den kommenden Jahren eher an Intensität zunehmen als abnehmen. Die Vernetzung von Informationen über viele Bereiche der Hochschule hinweg erfordert neben den technischen Schnittstellen zunächst eine richtige Gliederung der Informationen im Sinne der Modellierung und Abstraktion des zu gestaltenden Gegenstands. Das Higher Education Reference Model (HERM) bildet dazu eine ideale Grundlage. Die zur Digitalisierung erforderliche Weiterentwicklung des Student Life Cycle als Bezugsmodell wird in diesem Beitrag auf eine Verschränkung von mehreren Wertströmen vorgeschlagen. Dabei werden die Fähigkeiten aus der Gestaltung des Bildungsangebots, dem Lebenszyklus der Studierenden und aus der resultierenden Schnittmenge des Studiums in ein Gesamtmodell eingeordnet. In vier Szenarien werden die erforderlichen, aber heute noch selten anzutreffenden Verschränkungen der Informationsflüsse illustriert.
Characterization of hippocampal sclerosis of aging and its association with other neuropathologic changes and cognitive deficits in the oldest-old
Authors: Sordo Lorena , Qian Tianchen , Bukhari Syed A. , Nguyen Katelynn M. , Woodworth Davis C. , Head Elizabeth , Kawas Claudia H. , Corrada María M. , Montine Thomas J. , Sajjadi S. Ahmad
Published: June 2023

Hippocampal sclerosis of aging (HS-A) is a common age-related neuropathological lesion characterized by neuronal loss and astrogliosis in subiculum and CA1 subfield of hippocampus. HS-A is associated with cognitive decline that mimics Alzheimer’s disease. Pathological diagnosis of HS-A is traditionally binary based on presence/absence of the lesion. We compared this traditional measure against our novel quantitative measure for studying the relationship between HS-A and other neuropathologies and cognitive impairment. We included 409 participants from The 90+ study with neuropathological examination and longitudinal neuropsychological assessments. In those with HS-A, we examined digitized H&E and LFB stained hippocampal slides. The length of HS-A in each subfield of hippocampus and subiculum, each further divided into three subregions, was measured using Aperio eSlide Manager. For each subregion, the proportion affected by HS-A was calculated. Using regression models, both traditional/binary and quantitative measures were used to study the relationship between HS-A and other neuropathological changes and cognitive outcomes. HS-A was present in 48 (12%) of participants and was always focal, primarily affecting CA1 (73%), followed by subiculum (9%); overlapping pathology (subiculum and CA1) affected 18% of individuals. HS-A was more common in the left (82%) than the right (25%) hemisphere and was bilateral in 7% of participants. HS-A traditional/binary assessment was associated with limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy (LATE-NC; OR = 3.45, p < 0.001) and aging-related tau astrogliopathy (ARTAG; OR = 2.72, p = 0.008). In contrast, our quantitative approach showed associations between the proportion of HS-A (CA1/subiculum/combined) and LATE-NC (p = 0.001) and arteriolosclerosis (p = 0.005). While traditional binary assessment of HS-A was associated with impaired memory (OR = 2.60, p = 0.007), calculations (OR = 2.16, p = 0.027), and orientation (OR = 3.56, p < 0.001), our quantitative approach revealed additional associations with impairments in language (OR = 1.33, p = 0.018) and visuospatial domains (OR = 1.37, p = 0.006). Our novel quantitative method revealed associations between HS-A and vascular pathologies and impairment in cognitive domains that were not detected using traditional/binary measures.
Data-driven and uncertainty-aware robust airstrip surface estimation
Authors: Crocetti Francesco , Fravolini Mario Luca , Costante Gabriele , Valigi Paolo
Published: June 2023

The performances of aircraft braking control systems are strongly influenced by the tire friction force experienced during the braking phase. The availability of an accurate estimate of the current airstrip characteristics is a recognized issue for developing optimized braking control schemes. The study presented in this paper is focused on the robust online estimation of the airstrip characteristics from sensory data usually available on an aircraft. In order to capture the nonlinear dependency of the current best slip on sequential slip-friction measurements acquired during the braking maneuver, multilayer perceptron (MLP) approximators have been proposed. The MLP training is based on a synthetic data set derived from a widely used tire–road friction model. In order to achieve robust predictions, MLP architectures based on the drop-out mechanism have been applied not only in the offline training phase but also during the braking. This allowed to online compute a confidence interval measure for best friction estimate that has been exploited to refine the estimation via Kalman Filtering. Open loop and closed loop simulation studies in 15 representative airstrip scenarios (with multiple surface transitions) have been performed to evaluate the performance of the proposed robust estimation method in terms of estimation error, aircraft braking distance, and time, together with a quantitative comparison with a state-of-the-art benchmark approach.
Fracture blisters: predictors for time to definitive fixation in pilon fractures
Authors: Korrapati Avinaash , Ta Canhnghi N. , Mitchell Brendon C. , Wall Pelle V. , Gurusamy Pradyumna , Dwight Kathryn , Girard Paul J. , Schwartz Alexandra K. , Kent William T.
Published: June 2023

Purpose

Fracture blisters, a common soft-tissue complication of pilon fractures, are associated with post-operative wound infections, delays in definitive fixation, and alterations in surgical plan. The purpose of this study was to (1) identify the delay in surgery attributable to the presence fracture blisters and (2) investigate the relationship of fracture blisters to comorbidities and fracture severity.

Methods

Patients with pilon fractures at an urban level 1 Trauma center from 2010 to 2021 were identified. The presence or absence of fracture blisters was noted, along with location. Demographic information, time from injury to external fixator placement, and time to definitive open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) were collected. Pilon fractures were classified according to AO/OTA guidelines using CT imaging and plain radiographs.

Results

314 patients with pilon fractures were available for analysis, eighty (25%) of whom were found to have fracture blisters. Patients with fracture blisters had longer time to surgery compared to those without fracture blisters (14.2 days vs 7.9 days, p < 0.001). A greater proportion of patients with fracture blisters had AO/OTA 43C fracture patterns, compared with those without fracture blisters (71.3% vs 53.8%, p = 0.03). Fractures blisters were less likely to be localized over the posterior ankle (12%, p = 0.007).

Conclusion

The presence of fracture blisters in pilon fractures are associated with significant delays in time to definitive fixation and higher energy fracture patterns. Fracture blisters are less commonly located over the posterior ankle which may support the implementation of a staged posterolateral approach when managing these injures.
Predicting citations in Dutch case law with natural language processing
Authors: Schepers Iris , Medvedeva Masha , Bruijn Michelle , Wieling Martijn , Vols Michel
Published: June 2023

With the ever-growing accessibility of case law online, it has become challenging to manually identify case law relevant to one’s legal issue. In the Netherlands, the planned increase in the online publication of case law is expected to exacerbate this challenge. In this paper, we tried to predict whether court decisions are cited by other courts or not after being published, thus in a way distinguishing between more and less authoritative cases. This type of system may be used to process the large amounts of available data by filtering out large quantities of non-authoritative decisions, thus helping legal practitioners and scholars to find relevant decisions more easily, and drastically reducing the time spent on preparation and analysis. For the Dutch Supreme Court, the match between our prediction and the actual data was relatively strong (with a Matthews Correlation Coefficient of 0.60). Our results were less successful for the Council of State and the district courts (MCC scores of 0.26 and 0.17, relatively). We also attempted to identify the most informative characteristics of a decision. We found that a completely explainable model, consisting only of handcrafted metadata features, performs almost as well as a less well-explainable system based on all text of the decision.
Evaluation of a potential umbrella species using favourability models: the case of the endangered little bustard (Tetrax tetrax) and steppe birds
Authors: Morales Manuel B. , Merencio Ángela , de la Morena Eladio L. García
Published: June 2023

Farmland biodiversity is in alarming decline worldwide due to agriculture intensification. In this context, the umbrella species concept may help in better targeting conservation efforts, focusing on species whose requirements may best cover those of other components of biological communities. We test this idea using the little bustard (Tetrax tetrax), a strongly declining steppe bird depending on extensive agricultural landscapes of south-western Europe, to explore the degree to which its habitat requirements can predict those of other sympatric endangered steppe birds. We use little bustard and other nine species distribution data at 10 × 10 km scale in Castilla-La Mancha (the most important region for the little bustard in Spain and the EU) and habitat favourability models to identify variables explaining little bustard favourability that can robustly predict habitat favourability also for the other nine species. Models fitted with variables explaining little bustard favourability and applied on co-occurring species yielded varying performance results. Models support the role of the little bustard as umbrella species only for a part of the steppe bird community, and more precisely, for species linked to cereal and grassland-dominated landscapes, but not for landscape generalist species, distributed over mosaic landscapes including shrublands and woody crops. Results also highlight the importance of favourable extensive cereal steppes for the conservation of strongly endangered species (little and great bustard, Montagu’s harrier, pin-tailed sandgrouse, calandra lark), some of which are largely understudied (pin-tailed sandgrouse and calandra lark), despite their marginal coverage by the Natura 2000 protected area network.
Characterization of plaque phenotypes exhibiting an elevated pericoronary adipose tissue attenuation: insights from the REASSURE-NIRS registry
Authors: Kitahara Satoshi , Kataoka Yu , Miura Hiroyuki , Nishii Tatsuya , Nishimura Kunihiro , Murai Kota , Iwai Takamasa , Matama Hideo , Honda Satoshi , Fujino Masashi , Yoneda Shuichi , Takagi Kensuke , Otsuka Fumiyuki , Asaumi Yasuhide , Fujino Yusuke , Tsujita Kenichi , Puri Rishi , Nicholls Stephen J. , Noguchi Teruo
Published: June 2023

Inflammation has been considered to promote atheroma instability. Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) visualizes pericoronary adipose tissue (PCAT) attenuation, which reflects coronary artery inflammation. While PCAT attenuation has been reported to predict future coronary events, plaque phenotypes exhibiting high PCAT attenuation remains to be fully elucidated. The current study aims to characterize coronary atheroma with a greater vascular inflammation. We retrospectively analyzed culprit lesions in 69 CAD patients receiving PCI from the REASSURE-NIRS registry (NCT04864171). Culprit lesions were evaluated by both CCTA and near-infrared spectroscopy/intravascular ultrasound (NIRS/IVUS) imaging prior to PCI. PCAT attenuation at proximal RCA (PCATRCA) and NIRS/IVUS-derived plaque measures were compared in patients with PCATRCA attenuation ≥ and < -78.3 HU (median). Lesions with PCATRCA attenuation ≥ -78.3 HU exhibited a greater frequency of maxLCBI4mm ≥ 400 (66% vs. 26%, p < 0.01), plaque burden ≥ 70% (94% vs. 74%, p = 0.02) and spotty calcification (49% vs. 6%, p < 0.01). Whereas positive remodeling (63% vs. 41%, p = 0.07) did not differ between two groups. On multivariable analysis, maxLCBI4mm ≥ 400 (OR = 4.07; 95%CI 1.12–14.74, p = 0.03), plaque burden ≥ 70% (OR = 7.87; 95%CI 1.01–61.26, p = 0.04), and spotty calcification (OR = 14.33; 95%CI 2.37–86.73, p < 0.01) independently predicted high PCATRCA attenuation. Of note, while the presence of only one plaque feature did not necessarily elevate PCATRCA attenuation (p = 0.22), lesions harboring two or more features were significantly associated with higher PCATRCA attenuation. More vulnerable plaque phenotypes were observed in patients with high PCATRCA attenuation. Our findings suggest PCATRCA attenuation as the presence of profound disease substrate, which potentially benefits from anti-inflammatory agents.
Does Caring for Parents Take Its Toll? Gender Differences in Caregiving Intensity, Coresidence, and Psychological Well-Being Across Europe
Authors: Labbas Elisa , Stanfors Maria
Published: June 2023

Given population ageing and the emphasis on in-home care, more working-age adults are facing the demands of providing unpaid care to the elderly with potential implications for their own well-being. Such effects likely vary across Europe because care is differently organized with a differing emphasis on public support, dependence on family, and orientation toward gender equality. We studied the relationship between unpaid caregiving for elderly parents and the psychological well-being of older working-age (50–64) men and women by analysing data from the Survey of Health, Retirement, and Ageing in Europe (SHARE), covering 18 countries between 2004 and 2020 (N = 24,338), using ordinary least squares (OLS). We examined risk of depression by caregiving intensity and tested whether coresidence mediated outcomes. Men and women providing care to parents experience important psychological well-being losses across Europe, especially when caregiving is intensive. A heavier caregiving burden associated with coresidence explains a regime gradient in depression, not least for women in Southern Europe. Results highlight the spillover costs of unpaid caregiving across Europe and the need to address caregiver psychological well-being, especially in contexts where state support for elder care is low and coresidence is common.
Self-guided digital acceptance and commitment therapy for fibromyalgia management: results of a randomized, active-controlled, phase II pilot clinical trial
Authors: Catella Stephanie , Gendreau R. Michael , Kraus Allison C. , Vega Nicolette , Rosenbluth Michael J. , Soefje Sherry , Malhotra Shishuka , Luciano Juan V. , McCracken Lance M. , Williams David A. , Arnold Lesley M.
Published: June 2023

Although empirically validated for fibromyalgia (FM), cognitive and behavioral therapies, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), are inaccessible to many patients. A self-guided, smartphone-based ACT program would significantly improve accessibility. The SMART-FM study assessed the feasibility of conducting a predominantly virtual clinical trial in an FM population in addition to evaluating preliminary evidence for the safety and efficacy of a digital ACT program for FM (FM-ACT). Sixty-seven patients with FM were randomized to 12 weeks of FM-ACT (n = 39) or digital symptom tracking (FM-ST; n = 28). The study population was 98.5% female, with an average age of 53 years and an average baseline FM symptom severity score of 8 out of 11. Endpoints included the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire-Revised (FIQ-R) and the Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC). The between-arm effect size for the change from baseline to Week 12 in FIQ-R total scores was d = 0.44 (least-squares mean difference, − 5.7; SE, 3.16; 95% CI, − 11.9 to 0.6; P = .074). At Week 12, 73.0% of FM-ACT participants reported improvement on the PGIC versus 22.2% of FM-ST participants (P < .001). FM-ACT demonstrated improved outcomes compared to FM-ST, with high engagement and low attrition in both arms. Retrospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05005351) on August 13, 2021.
The Accessibility Problem for Geometric Rough Differential Equations
Authors: Boutaib Youness
Published: June 2023

We show how to use geometric arguments to prove that the terminal solution to a rough differential equation driven by a geometric rough path can be obtained by driving the same equation by a piecewise linear path. For this purpose, we combine some results of the seminal work of Sussmann on orbits of vector fields [1] with the rough calculus on manifolds developed by Cass, Litterer and Lyons in [2].