bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Associations between type 1 diabetes and educational outcomes: an Aotearoa/New Zealand nationwide birth cohort study using the Integrated Data Infrastructure
Authors: Bowden Nicholas , Dixon Rachael , Anderson Vivienne , de Bock Martin , Boucsein Alisa , Kewene-Edwards Maria , Gibb Sheree , Kokaua Jesse , Palmer Octavia , Paul Ryan , Taylor Barry , Vu Hien , Wheeler Benjamin J.
Published: October 2023

Aims/hypothesis

Type 1 diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases of childhood. It is hypothesised that the metabolic and psychosocial consequences of type 1 diabetes may affect educational outcomes; however, existing literature presents conflicting results. This study aimed to assess whether educational outcomes differ for young people with and without type 1 diabetes in Aotearoa/New Zealand (NZ).

Methods

This was a nationwide 9 year birth cohort study of all people born in NZ from 1993 to 2001 using linked administrative data held within the Integrated Data Infrastructure, a national research database containing linked health and non-health data. Educational outcomes of high school attainment, high school attendance and university enrolment were measured from age 13 years until 20 years. Generalised linear regression models with log link and Gaussian distributions were used to compare educational outcomes between those with and those without type 1 diabetes, adjusting for sociodemographic and maternal characteristics.

Results

Of the 442,320 children in the birth cohort, type 1 diabetes was identified in 2058 (0.47%) (mean [SD] age of type 1 diabetes diagnosis 7.7 [3.4] years). Educational outcomes were significantly lower for children with type 1 diabetes than for those without type 1 diabetes, including for any high school qualification (RR 0.97 [95% CI 0.95, 0.99]), university entrance-level high school attainment (RR 0.88 [95% CI 0.84, 0.92]), regular high school attendance (RR 0.91 [95% CI 0.85, 0.97]) and university enrolment (RR 0.93 [95% CI 0.88, 0.98]), even after adjusting for sociodemographic and maternal factors. In addition, educational outcomes were substantially lower for those with post type 1 diabetes diagnosis hospitalisations for diabetic ketoacidosis and hypoglycaemia.

Conclusions/interpretation

In this whole NZ birth cohort study, type 1 diabetes was associated with lower educational outcomes spanning secondary school and into university enrolment. Ongoing efforts to support students with type 1 diabetes are needed, particularly for those with a greater risk profile.

Graphical Abstract
Socioeconomic factors associated with poor medication adherence in patients with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Ekenberg Marie , Qvarnström Miriam , Sundström Anders , Martinell Mats , Wettermark Björn
Published: October 2023

Purpose

This study aims to determine initiation and persistence for patients with type 2 diabetes receiving their first prescription of an antidiabetic agent and the associations with socioeconomic factors.

Methods

A cohort study including 8515 patients with type 2 diabetes who were prescribed their first antidiabetic medication between 2012 and 2019 in Uppsala, Sweden, was followed during 2 years. Medical records were linked to national registers on dispensed drugs and socioeconomic data. Adherence was assessed based on patients’ medication claims within 30 days of prescription (initiation) and continued claims after 24 months (persistence). Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine the associations with the socioeconomic factors age, sex, living status, country of birth, education, occupation, and income.

Results

Within 30 days, 92.4% of the patients claimed their first prescription, and 64.0% were still being dispensed the initially prescribed medication after 24 months. Unemployed patients had lower initiation rates, and women had lower persistence rates. Factors associated with both low initiation and persistence were low income, young or old age, birth outside Europe, and being prescribed other diabetes drugs than metformin monotherapy.

Conclusion

Socioeconomic factors have different impact on the initiation of a new medication and the persistence to treatment in type 2 diabetes. It is important to acknowledge these differences to develop appropriate interventions to improve medication nonadherence.
Brain MRI findings and their association with visual impairment in young adolescents born very preterm
Authors: Karimi Annette , Setänen Sirkku , Larsson Eva , Holmström Gerd , Fredriksson Kaul Ylva , Kochukhova Olga , Johansson Martin , Montgomery Cecilia , Hellström-Westas Lena , Wikström Johan
Published: October 2023

Purpose

Very preterm birth increases risk for neonatal white matter injury, but there is limited data on to what extent this persists into adolescence and how this relates to ophthalmological outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess brain MRI findings in 12-year-old children born very preterm compared to controls and their association with concurrent ophthalmological outcomes.

Methods

We included 47 children born very preterm and 22 full-term controls (gestational age <32 and >37 weeks, respectively). Brain MRI findings were studied in association with concurrent ophthalmological outcomes at 12-year follow-up.

Results

Evans index (0.27 vs 0.25, p<0.001) and a proposed “posterior ventricle index” (0.47 vs 0.45, p=0.018) were increased in children born very preterm. Higher gestational age associated with larger corpus callosum area (β=10.7, 95%CI 0.59–20.8). Focal white matter lesions were observed in 15 (32%) of very preterm children and in 1 (5%) of full-term controls. Increased posterior ventricle index increased risk for visual acuity ≤1.0 (OR=1.07×1011, 95%CI=7.78–1.48×1021) and contrast sensitivity <0.5 (OR=2.6×1027, 95%CI=1.9×108–3.5×1046). Decreased peritrigonal white matter thickness associated with impaired visual acuity (β=0.04, 95%CI 0.002–0.07).

Conclusion

More white matter lesions and evidence of lower white matter volume were found in children born very preterm compared with full-term controls at 12-year follow-up. The association between larger posterior ventricle index and reduced visual acuity and contrast sensitivity suggests disturbances of the posterior visual pathway due to diffuse white matter lesions.
Tumor immunology meets oncology (TIMO) XVII, April 20–22 2023 in Halle/Saale, Germany
Authors: Seliger Barbara
Published: October 2023

During the TIMO meeting 2023, national and international scientists as well as clinicians gave novel insights as well as perspectives into basic and translational tumor immunology. https://dgfi.org/arbeitskreise/ak-tumorimmunologie/meeting/
Association of plaque characteristics with long-term stroke recurrence in patients with intracranial atherosclerotic disease: a 3D high-resolution MRI-based cohort study
Authors: Lv Yaodong , Ma Xiaotong , Zhao Weihua , Ju Jiachen , Yan Peng , Li Shan , Xue Yuan , Sui YanLing , Shao Sai , Sun Qinjian , Qiu Chengxuan
Published: October 2023

Objectives

To evaluate the predictive ability of plaque characteristics for long-term stroke recurrence among patients with symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD).

Methods

This cohort study included 132 patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) attributed to ICAD who were recruited between July 2017 and December 2020 and followed until stroke recurrence or December 2021. Plaque surface irregularity, degree of stenosis, plaque burden, remodeling ratio, enhancement ratio, and intraplaque hemorrhage were assessed with 3-dimensional high-resolution magnetic resonance vessel wall imaging (3D HR-MRI). Data were analyzed using Cox models, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and Kaplan–Meier survival analysis.

Results

Of the 132 patients, during a median follow-up of 2.8 years, stroke recurrence occurred in 35 patients. The multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) of stroke recurrence was 3.15 (1.34–7.42) per 10% increase in plaque burden and 2.17 (1.27–3.70) for enhancement ratio. The area under the curve (AUC) to predict stroke recurrence was 0.725 (95% CI 0.629–0.822) for plaque burden, 0.692 (95% CI 0.593–0.792) for enhancement ratio, and only 0.595 (95% CI 0.492–0.699) for the Essen stroke risk score. The Kaplan–Meier survival analysis further demonstrated significant differences in survival of free recurrent stroke between patients with plaque burden or enhancement ratio below and above the optimum cut-offs (both p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Higher plaque burden and enhancement ratio are independent risk factors for long-term stroke recurrence among patients with symptomatic ICAD, and valuable imaging markers for predicting and stratifying risk of stroke recurrence.

Clinical relevance statement

In patients with symptomatic ICAD, the results of this high-resolution magnetic resonance vessel wall imaging study have potential implications for optimal management of intracranial plaques and secondary prevention of stroke recurrence based on plaque burden and enhancement ratio.

Key Points

• Identification of intracranial plaque characteristics responsible for stroke recurrence is essential to preventing stroke recurrence in patients with symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic disease.

• Higher plaque burden and enhancement ratio are independent risk factors for stroke recurrence.

• Plaque burden and enhancement ratio are valuable imaging markers in the prediction and stratification of the risk of stroke recurrence.
Influence of CT dose reduction on AI-driven malignancy estimation of incidental pulmonary nodules
Authors: Peters Alan A. , Solomon Justin B. , von Stackelberg Oyunbileg , Samei Ehsan , Alsaihati Njood , Valenzuela Waldo , Debic Manuel , Heidt Christian , Huber Adrian T. , Christe Andreas , Heverhagen Johannes T. , Kauczor Hans-Ulrich , Heussel Claus P. , Ebner Lukas , Wielpütz Mark O.
Published: October 2023

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of dose reduction on a commercially available lung cancer prediction convolutional neuronal network (LCP-CNN).

Methods

CT scans from a cohort provided by the local lung cancer center (n = 218) with confirmed pulmonary malignancies and their corresponding reduced dose simulations (25% and 5% dose) were subjected to the LCP-CNN. The resulting LCP scores (scale 1–10, increasing malignancy risk) and the proportion of correctly classified nodules were compared. The cohort was divided into a low-, medium-, and high-risk group based on the respective LCP scores; shifts between the groups were studied to evaluate the potential impact on nodule management. Two different malignancy risk score thresholds were analyzed: a higher threshold of ≥ 9 (“rule-in” approach) and a lower threshold of > 4 (“rule-out” approach).

Results

In total, 169 patients with 196 nodules could be included (mean age ± SD, 64.5 ± 9.2 year; 49% females). Mean LCP scores for original, 25% and 5% dose levels were 8.5 ± 1.7, 8.4 ± 1.7 (p > 0.05 vs. original dose) and 8.2 ± 1.9 (p < 0.05 vs. original dose), respectively. The proportion of correctly classified nodules with the “rule-in” approach decreased with simulated dose reduction from 58.2 to 56.1% (p = 0.34) and to 52.0% for the respective dose levels (p = 0.01). For the “rule-out” approach the respective values were 95.9%, 96.4%, and 94.4% (p = 0.12). When reducing the original dose to 25%/5%, eight/twenty-two nodules shifted to a lower, five/seven nodules to a higher malignancy risk group.

Conclusion

CT dose reduction may affect the analyzed LCP-CNN regarding the classification of pulmonary malignancies and potentially alter pulmonary nodule management.

Clinical relevance statement

Utilization of a “rule-out” approach with a lower malignancy risk threshold prevents underestimation of the nodule malignancy risk for the analyzed software, especially in high-risk cohorts.

Key Points

• LCP-CNN may be affected by CT image parameters such as noise resulting from low-dose CT acquisitions.

• CT dose reduction can alter pulmonary nodule management recommendations by affecting the outcome of the LCP-CNN.

• Utilization of a lower malignancy risk threshold prevents underestimation of pulmonary malignancies in high-risk cohorts.
Hot water immersion is associated with higher thermal comfort than dry passive heating for a similar rise in rectal temperature and plasma interleukin-6 concentration
Authors: Su Yunuo , Hoekstra Sven. P. , Leicht Christof A.
Published: October 2023

Purpose

To compare the perceptual responses and interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentration following rectal temperature-matched dry heat exposure (DH) and hot water immersion (HWI).

Methods

Twelve healthy young adults (BMI 23.5 ± 3.6 kg/m2; age: 25.8 ± 5.7 years) underwent 3 trials in randomised order: DH (air temperature 68.9 °C), HWI (water temperature 37.5 °C), and thermoneutral dry exposure (CON, air temperature 27.3 °C). Blood samples to determine IL-6 plasma concentration were collected; basic affect and thermal comfort, rectal and skin temperature (Tskin) were assessed throughout the intervention.

Results

Rectal temperature (Trec) did not differ between DH (end temperature 38.0 ± 0.4 °C) and HWI (37.9 ± 0.2 °C, P = 0.16), but was higher compared with CON (37.0 ± 0.3 °C; P ≤ 0.004). Plasma IL-6 concentration was similar after DH (pre to post: 0.8 ± 0.5 to 1.4 ± 1.5 pg·ml−1) and HWI (0.5 ± 0.2 to 0.9 ± 0.6 pg·ml−1; P = 0.46), but higher compared with CON (0.6 ± 0.5 to 0.6 ± 0.4 pg·ml−1; P = 0.01). At the end of the intervention, basic affect and thermal comfort were most unfavourable during DH (Basic affect; DH: − 0.7 ± 2.9, HWI: 0.8 ± 1.9, CON 1.9 ± 1.9, P ≤ 0.004; Thermal comfort; 2.6 ± 0.8, HWI: 1.4 ± 0.9 and CON: 0.2 ± 0.4; P ≤ 0.004). Mean Tskin was highest for DH, followed by HWI, and lowest for CON (DH: 38.5 ± 1.3 °C, HWI: 36.2 ± 0.5 °C, CON: 31.6 ± 0.7 °C, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

The IL-6 response did not differ between DH and HWI when matched for the elevation in Trec. However, thermal comfort was lower during DH compared to HWI, which may be related to the higher Tskin during DH.
Impact of preferred surgical modality on surgeon wellness: a survey of workload, physical pain/discomfort, and neuromusculoskeletal disorders
Authors: Norasi Hamid , Hallbeck M. Susan , Elli Enrique F. , Tollefson Matthew K. , Harold Kristi L. , Pak Raymond
Published: October 2023

Background

We compared surgeons’ workload, physical discomfort, and neuromusculoskeletal disorders (NMSDs) across four surgical modalities: endoscopic, laparoscopic, open, and robot-assisted (da Vinci Surgical Systems).

Methods

An electronic survey was sent to the surgeons across an academic hospital system. The survey consisted of 47 questions including: (I) Demographics and anthropometrics; (II) The percentage of the procedural time that the surgeon spent on performing each surgical modality; (III) Physical and mental demand and physical discomfort; (IV) Neuromusculoskeletal symptoms including body part pain and NMSDs.

Results

Seventy-nine out of 245 surgeons completed the survey (32.2%) and 65 surgeons (82.2%) had a dominant surgical modality: 10 endoscopic, 15 laparoscopic, 26 open, and 14 robotic surgeons. Physical demand was the highest for open surgery and the lowest for endoscopic and robotic surgeries, (all p < 0.05). Open and robotic surgeries required the highest levels of mental workload followed by laparoscopic and endoscopic surgeries, respectively (all p < 0.05 except for the difference between robotic and laparoscopic that was not significant). Body part discomfort or pain (immediately after surgery) were lower in the shoulder for robotic surgeons compared to laparoscopic and open surgeons and in left fingers for robotic surgeons compared to endoscopic surgeons (all p < 0.05). The prevalence of NMSD was significantly lower in robotic surgeons (7%) compared to the other surgical modalities (between 60 and 67%) (all p < 0.05).

Conclusions

The distribution of NMSDs, workload, and physical discomfort varied significantly based on preferred surgical approach. Although robotic surgeons had fewer overall complaints, improvement in ergonomics of surgery are still warranted.

Graphical abstract
Sweeps, Polytopes, Oriented Matroids, and Allowable Graphs of Permutations
Authors: Padrol Arnau , Philippe Eva
Published: October 2023

A sweep of a point configuration is any ordered partition induced by a linear functional. Posets of sweeps of planar point configurations were formalized and abstracted by Goodman and Pollack under the theory of allowable sequences of permutations. We introduce two generalizations that model posets of sweeps of higher dimensional configurations. Sweeps of a point configuration are in bijection with faces of an associated sweep polytope. Mimicking the fact that sweep polytopes are projections of permutahedra, we define sweep oriented matroids as strong maps of the braid oriented matroid. Allowable sequences are then the sweep oriented matroids of rank 2, and many of their properties extend to higher rank. We show strong ties between sweep oriented matroids and both modular hyperplanes and Dilworth truncations from (unoriented) matroid theory. Pseudo-sweeps are a generalization of sweeps in which the sweeping hyperplane is allowed to slightly change direction, and that can be extended to arbitrary oriented matroids in terms of cellular strings. We prove that for sweepable oriented matroids, sweep oriented matroids provide a sphere that is a deformation retract of the poset of pseudo-sweeps. This generalizes a property of sweep polytopes (which can be interpreted as monotone path polytopes of zonotopes), and solves a special case of the strong Generalized Baues Problem for cellular strings. A second generalization are allowable graphs of permutations: symmetric sets of permutations pairwise connected by allowable sequences. They have the structure of acycloids and include sweep oriented matroids.
$$\delta $$-ideals of p-algebras
Authors: Badawy Abd El-Mohsen , El-Saady Kamal , Abd El-Baset Essam
Published: October 2023

In p-algebras, the concepts of $$\delta $$
δ
-ideals and principal $$\delta $$
δ
-ideals are presented, and some of their respective properties are discussed. It is observed that the set $$I^{\delta }(L)$$

I
δ

(
L
)

of all $$\delta $$
δ
-ideals of a p-algebra L is a bounded lattice, and the class $$I_{p}^{\delta }(L)$$

I

p

δ

(
L
)

of all principal $$\delta $$
δ
-ideals forms a bounded sublattice of $$I^{\delta }(L)$$

I
δ

(
L
)

and a Boolean algebra on its own. A characterization of a $$\delta $$
δ
-ideal in terms of principal $$\delta $$
δ
-ideals, in p-algebras, is given. Also, the concept of comaximality of $$\delta $$
δ
-ideals is discussed in p-algebras. After that, a number of properties of the homomorphic image of $$\delta $$
δ
-ideals are considered.
Robust and novel attention guided MultiResUnet model for 3D ground reaction force and moment prediction from foot kinematics
Authors: Faisal Md. Ahasan Atick , Mahmud Sakib , Chowdhury Muhammad E. H. , Khandakar Amith , Ahmed Mosabber Uddin , Alqahtani Abdulrahman , Alhatou Mohammed
Published: October 2023

Ground reaction force and moment (GRF&M) measurements are vital for biomechanical analysis and significantly impact the clinical domain for early abnormality detection for different neurodegenerative diseases. Force platforms have become the de facto standard for measuring GRF&M signals in recent years. Although the signal quality achieved from these devices is unparalleled, they are expensive and require laboratory setup, making them unsuitable for many clinical applications. For these reasons, predicting GRF&M from cheaper and more feasible alternatives has become a topic of interest. Several works have been done on predicting GRF&M from kinematic data captured from the subject’s body with the help of motion capture cameras. The problem with these solutions is that they rely on markers placed on the whole body to capture the movements, which can be very infeasible in many practical scenarios. This paper proposes a novel deep learning-based approach to predict 3D GRF&M from only 5 markers placed on the shoe. The proposed network “Attention Guided MultiResUNet” can predict the force and moment signals accurately and reliably compared to the techniques relying on full-body markers. The proposed deep learning model is tested on two publicly available datasets containing data from 66 healthy subjects to validate the approach. The framework has achieved an average correlation coefficient of 0.96 for 3D ground reaction force prediction and 0.86 for 3D ground reaction momentum prediction in cross-dataset validation. The framework can provide a cheaper and more feasible alternative for predicting GRF&M in many practical applications.
Assessment of the groundwater recharge processes of a shallow and deep aquifer system (Maggiore Valley, Northwest Italy): a hydrogeochemical and isotopic approach
Authors: Cocca Daniele , Lasagna Manuela , Marchina Chiara , Brombin Valentina , Santillán Quiroga Luis Miguel , De Luca Domenico Antonio
Published: October 2023

The Maggiore Valley well field plays a fundamental role in supplying drinking water to a large territory of the Piedmont Region (northwestern Italy) and has been intensively exploited since the early twentieth century. This water resource is hosted in a deep, multilayered aquifer system. The main purpose of this study was to characterize the recharge processes of the deep aquifer through hydrochemical and isotopic assessments, as well as the water quality in the recharge and drainage areas. For this purpose, 128 physical–chemical analyses (major ions) and 50 isotopic analyses (δ18O and δ2H) were carried out on samples collected in shallow and deep aquifer complexes in two sampling campaigns in 2021. From the results, a hydrogeological conceptual model of recharge processes was developed. The chemical data confirm the presence of bicarbonate–calcium facies in most samples of the shallow and deep aquifer complexes. Clear hydrochemical differences were observed among the investigated sectors. The recharge areas were identified as (1) far zones, namely the shallow aquifer complex of the Cuneo Plain, and (2) the shallow and deep aquifer complexes with groundwater mixing in the riverside sector of Po Plain in the Turin area. The mixing of waters from the Cuneo Plain and Turin Plain was verified in the well field area. The isotopic values of the artesian well water also confirmed contributions from the Turin and Cuneo Alps. This study clarified the recharge processes, thereby defining potential pollutant pathways, and the results provide additional support for groundwater resource management and protection.
Bioremediation of industrial wastewater heavy metals using solo and consortium Enterobacter spp.
Authors: Kelany Mahmoud Saber , El-sawy Mohamed AbdElAziz , El-Gendy Ahmed Rabie , Beltagy Ehab Aly
Published: October 2023

Heavy metals are considered the most common pollutants in industrial wastewater areas. Out of thirty bacterial isolates, only 3 isolates sighted the highest metal resistance activity for Zn+2, Fe+2, Pb+2, Co+2, Mn+2, Ni+2, and Cd+2. The biochemical and DNA homology identification with similarities 99.58%, 99.79%, and 99.86% of those isolates was identified and deposited in WDCM, respectively, as Enterobacter kobei OM144907 SCUF0000311, Enterobacter cloacae OM180597 SCUF0000312, and Enterobacter hormaechei OM181067 SCUF0000313. The minimum tolerance activity (MIC) of heavy metal concentrations against E. kobei and E. cloacae was 25, 15, and 15 mmol/l for Ni+2, Fe+2, and Mn+2, respectively, and 10 mmol/l for Zn+2, Pb+2, Co+2, and Cd+2, while against E. hormaechei, it is 15 mmol/l for Ni+2, Fe+2, and Mn+2 and 10 mmol/l for Zn+2, Pb+2, Co+2, and Cd+2. The consortium and solitary application of bacterial isolates towards heavy metal removal at 100%, 200%, and 300% industrial wastewater concentrations were conducted and showed that more than 90% removal of Zn+2, Fe+2, Pb+2, Mn+2, Ni+2, and Cd+2 from a non-concentrated polluted sample (100%) was reported by the three strains. With doubling the polluted sample concentration (200%), the highest removal efficiency for Zn+2, Pb+2, Mn+2, Ni+2, and Cd+2 was reported by E. cloacae as 70. 75, 66, 65, and 57%, respectively. Removal efficiency after increasing the polluted sample concentration to 300% showed that E. cloacae removed above 45% of all tested heavy metals except Pb+2. Ultimately, E. cloacae exposed the highest efficiency with recommendations for heavy metals removal under higher concentrations.
Acrylamide toxicity in aquatic animals and its mitigation approaches: an updated overview
Authors: Naiel Mohammed A. E. , Negm Samar S. , Ghazanfar Shakira , Farid Arshad , Shukry Mustafa
Published: October 2023

Acrylamide (ACR) is widely applied in various industrial activities, as well as in the water purification process. Furthermore, ACR is synthesized naturally in some starchy grains exposed to high temperatures for an extended time during the cooking process. Because of its widespread industrial usage, ACR might be released into water stream sources. Also, ACR poses a high risk of contaminated surface and ground-water resources due to its high solubility and mobility in water. Furthermore, animal studies have indicated that ACR exposure may cause cancer (in many organs such as lung, prostate, uterus, and pancreas), genetic damage (in both somatic and germ cells), and severe effects on reproduction and development. Recently, numerous studies have shown that ACR has a mild acute cytotoxic impact on aquatic species, particularly during early life stages. Besides, wide-spectrum usage of ACR in many industrial activities presented higher environmental risks as well as major hazards to consumer health. This literature was designed to include all potential and accessible reports on ACR toxicity related with aquatic species. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews were applied to evaluate the risk effects of ACR on aquatic organisms, the ACR sub-lethal concentration in the ecosystem, and the possible protective benefits of various feed additives against ACR toxicity in fish. The major findings are summarized in Tables 2 and 3. The primary aim of this literature was to specify the hazards of ACR toxicity related with fish welfare and possible suggested strategies to reduce its risks.
A critique of transnational research on subjectivation from the perspective of postcolonial epistemology
Authors: Engel Juliane , Hummrich Merle
Published: October 2023

The article shows how modern subject constitutions and postcolonial relations of white dominance are systematically reproduced in school contexts. Postcolonial critique is thus revealed as an analytical strategy to focus on processes of transnationalization in schools (through internationalization and immigration). The empirical foundation of this article is formed by two qualitative research projects that show different variants of interactive and performative entanglement of school actors in colonial knowledge orders and their subjectivizing logics of production in relations of power and recognition. Two case analyses illuminate different dimensions of how racialized subjects are produced and of postcolonial orders. These different projects illustrate the multi-perspectival complexity of how structures of differences are reproduced. The article also underlines the importance of an educational perspective on the dynamics of power, recognition, and subjectification in school orders. It concludes by briefly touching on possibilities for future reflection on perspectives of knowledge within orders characterized by the dominance of one culture and their relationality.
Photocatalytic degradation of non-ionic, anionic, and cationic surfactants: from batch experiments through equilibrium/kinetic study to ecotoxicology analysis
Authors: Wysokowska Klaudia , Cupiał Zuzanna , Staszak Maciej , Zgoła-Grześkowiak Agnieszka , Koziolek Jan , Ławniczak Łukasz , Wysokowski Marcin , Wyrwas Bogdan
Published: October 2023

Surface-active compounds constitute a group of important and widespread environmental pollutants. Among different methods used for their treatment, photocatalytic degradation is a promising and efficient solution. Nevertheless, the exact outcome of photodegradation of surfactants may be difficult to predict in case of concentrations used at the industrial scale and considering that the associated mechanism involves radicals which may potentially result in the formation of toxic by-products. In consequence, the aim of this study was to analyze the catalytic photodegradation of three groups of surfactants (three structurally diverse representatives of cationic, anionic, and non-ionic surfactants). Nanoparticles of zinc oxide were synthesized and used as a photocatalyst. The efficiency of photodegradation ranged from 93 to 100% at 10 mg/L, from 38 to 94% at 100 mg/L, and from 15 to 66% when the surfactants were supplied at 1000 mg/L, and the results depended on the structure of the compound subjected to treatment. Subsequent investigation of kinetics revealed that Freundlich, Langmuir or Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherms may be used to describe the adsorption of surfactants (1–65%) and allowed to establish the following order of reactivity: cationic > non-ionic > anionic. Subsequent LC–MS/MS studies of the residues were the basis for identification of photodegradation products for each respective compound. Ultimately, due to the fact that treated graywater is often used as potable water, the phytotoxicity of the degradation products was tested toward sorghum. It was established that in the majority of cases the treatment was efficient (in some cases stimulation of plant growth compared to control samples was observed), whereas an increase in toxicity was observed in case of two cationic surfactants (CTAB and benzalkonium chloride). Overall, the results presented in this study support the application of photocatalytic degradation as an efficient solution for treatment of surfactant-rich effluents.
Novel Therapeutic Options for Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Canova Stefania , Trevisan Benedetta , Abbate Maria Ida , Colonese Francesca , Sala Luca , Baggi Alice , Bianchi Sofia Paola , D’Agostino Anna , Cortinovis Diego Luigi
Published: October 2023

Purpose of Review

The aim of this review is to focus on the recent advances in the molecular knowledge of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and potential promising new treatment strategies, like targeting the DNA damage pathway, epigenetics, angiogenesis, and oncogenic drivers.

Recent Findings

In the last few years, the addition of immunotherapy to chemotherapy has led to significant improvements in clinical outcomes in this complex neoplasia. Nevertheless, the prognosis remains dismal. Recently, numerous genomic alterations have been identified, and they may be useful to classify SCLC into different molecular subtypes (SCLC-A, SCLC-I, SCLC-Y, SCLC-P).

SCLC accounts for 10-20% of all lung cancers, most patients have an extensive disease at the diagnosis, and it is characterized by poor prognosis. Despite the progresses in the knowledge of the disease, efficacious targeted treatments are still lacking. In the near future, the molecular characterisation of SCLC will be fundamental to find more effective treatment strategies.
Energy Demand Reduction: supply chains and risk analysis
Authors: Axon C. J. , Darton R. C.
Published: October 2023

Demand Reduction is a strategy with the potential to make a significant contribution to the energy supply/demand balance. Its two major themes are improving the energy efficiency of devices (appliances and processes) and changing people’s behaviour towards using less energy. In our analysis of a nation’s energy security, we treat Demand Reduction as an additional fuel which delivers ‘negafuel’, allowing a particular level of energy services to be met at a lower volume of supply than would be possible in its absence. In common with other fuels, negafuel is delivered by a supply chain with linked stages, all encountering risks of various types. A comprehensive survey of these risks in a case study of the UK shows that Demand Reduction belongs to a middle-ranking group of fuels in terms of overall risk. High-level risks encountered include the difficulty of assessing and delivering potential energy savings, the rate of building construction at the highest energy efficiency standards, optimism bias, changing policy and regulation, and operational failure (both of technology and policy). Assessing the risk of Demand Reduction as a supplied negafuel focuses attention on specific risks requiring mitigation, facilitating design of better policy, and more effective commercial products.
Mapping Tree Water Deficit with UAV Thermal Imaging and Meteorological Data
Authors: Krause Stuart , Sanders Tanja GM
Published: October 2023

The mapping of forest stands and individual trees affected by drought stress is a crucial step in targeted forest management, aimed at fostering resilient and diverse forests. Unoccupied aerial vehicle (UAV)-based thermal sensing is a promising method for obtaining high-resolution thermal data. However, the reliability of typical low-cost sensors adapted for UAVs is compromised due to various factors, such as internal sensor dynamics and environmental variables, including solar radiation intensity, relative humidity, object emissivity and wind. Additionally, accurately assessing drought stress in trees is a complex task that usually requires laborious and cost-intensive methods, particularly in field settings. In this study, we investigated the feasibility of using the thermal band of theMicasense Altummultispectral sensor, while also assessing the potential for modelling tree water deficit (TWD) through point dendrometers and UAV-derived canopy temperature. Our indoor tests indicated that using a limited number of pixels (< 3) could result in temperature errors exceeding 1 K. However, enlarging the spot-size substantially reduced the mean difference to 0.02 K, validated against leaf temperature sensors. Interestingly, drought-treated (unwatered) leaves exhibited a higher root mean squared error (RMSE) (RMSE = 0.66 K and 0.73 K) than watered leaves (RMSE = 0.55 K and 0.53 K), likely due to lower emissivity of the dry leaves. Comparing field acquisition methods, the mean standard deviation (SD) for tree crown temperature obtained from typical gridded flights was 0.25 K with a maximum SD of 0.59 K (n= 12). In contrast, a close-range hovering method produced a mean SD of 0.09 K and a maximum SD of 0.1 K (n= 8). Modelling the TWD from meteorological and point dendrometer data for the 2021 growth season (n= 2928) yielded anR2= 0.667 using a generalised additive model (GAM) with vapor pressure deficit (VPD), wind speed, and solar radiation as input features. A point dendrometer lag of one hour was also implemented. When predicting individual tree TWD with UAV-derived tree canopy temperature, relative humidity, and air temperature, an RMSE of 4.92 (μm) andR2of 0.87 were achieved using a GAM. Implementing leaf-to-air pressure deficit (LVPD) as an input feature resulted in an RMSE of 6.87 (μm) and anR2of 0.71. This novel single-shot approach demonstrates a promising method to acquire thermal data for the purpose of mapping TWD of beech trees on an individual basis. Further testing and development are imperative, and additional data from drought periods, point dendrometers, and high-resolution meteorological sources are required.
Characteristics and Mitigation Measures of Candida auris Infection: Descriptive Analysis from a Quaternary Care Hospital in Saudi Arabia, 2021–2022
Authors: Amer Hala A. , AlFaraj Sarah , Alboqami Kholoud , Alshakarh Faleh , Alsalam Mona , Kumar Deva , Altayieb Juhaina , Alsunid Antisar , Khanum Nazia , Dar Nadeem Gul , Badawi Muhammad , Abdallah Hassan , Memish Ziad A.
Published: October 2023

Objective

To analyze the characteristics of C. auris cases, and to describe the interventions applied for improving the diagnosis and controlling the transmission.

Method

Medical records of C. auris cases reported between January 2021 until June 2022 at King Saud Medical City (KSMC), Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have been reviewed. We analyzed the demographic and clinical characteristics of the cases to illustrate the possible contributing factors with C. auris infection. A multidisciplinary committee has been formulated to investigate the potential source of the outbreak among clusters of cases in the intensive care units (ICU). A bundle of mitigation measures has been applied which was successful to contain the outbreak.

Results

During the study period, a total of 129 cases of C. auris were identified, their mean age is 47 ± 22.3 SD, and 72.1% are males. 57% of cases were colonized, all of them were identified through active screening. A number of comorbidities were present including 27.9% were having hypertension, 27.1% with diabetes, 22.5% with COVID-19 and 20.2% with respiratory diseases. The average length of stay before reported positive was 36.23 days. 78.3% of those patients were in the critical care unit, 73.6% with vascular catheter, 88% with urinary catheters and 66.7% with mechanical ventilation. The vast majority of patients were using multiple antibiotics (86%). As per the univariate logistic model, risk factors significantly associated with mortality were (Age, Trauma RTA, ICU, Vascular Access, Foley Catheters, Mechanical Ventilation, Tracheostomy and Endotracheal Tubes) with p values (0.0038, 0.0159, 0.0108, 0.0122, 0.0071, <.0001, 0.0148 and 0.0107), respectively. Multivariate logistic regression showed that having a Foley Catheter was the only statistically significant factor associated with mortality.

Conclusion

This retrospective analysis  highlights the main characteristics associated with C. auris-infected patients. In addition, it highlights the effectiveness of the bundle of mitigation strategies applied to limit the spread of C. auris in healthcare facilities.
Visual-semantic network: a visual and semantic enhanced model for gesture recognition
Authors: Wang Yizhe , Cao Congqi , Zhang Yanning
Published: October 2023

Gesture recognition has attracted considerable attention and made encouraging progress in recent years due to its great potential in applications. However, the spatial and temporal modeling in gesture recognition is still a problem to be solved. Specifically, existing works lack efficient temporal modeling and effective spatial attention capacity. To efficiently model temporal information, we first propose a long- and short-term temporal shift module (LS-TSM) that models the long-term and short-term temporal information simultaneously. Then, we propose a spatial attention module (SAM) that focuses on where the change primarily occurs to obtain effective spatial attention capacity. In addition, the semantic relationship among gestures is helpful in gesture recognition. However, this is usually neglected by previous works. Therefore, we propose a label relation module (LRM) that takes full advantage of the relationship among classes based on their labels’ semantic information. To explore the best form of LRM, we design four different semantic reconstruction methods to incorporate the semantic relationship information into the class label’s semantic space. We perform extensive ablation studies to analyze the best settings of each module. The best form of LRM is utilized to build our visual-semantic network (VS Network), which achieves the state-of-the-art performance on two gesture datasets, i.e., EgoGesture and NVGesture.
International Constitution-making as a Technique of Gender Ordering: Considering the Role of the Family in Global Economic Relations
Authors: Krech Michele
Published: October 2023

In “Constitution-Making as a Technique of International Law: Reconsidering the Post-war Inheritance,” Anna Saunders highlights that the study and practice of constitutionalism exhibit a reluctance to consider the relationship between national constitutions and international economic relations. She argues that the prevailing epistemic boundaries of constitutionalism—understood as a self-contained project, separate from projects of global economic ordering—have largely insulated it from critiques raised by scholars concerned with the material and distributive implications of reshaping the global legal order through the making and revising of constitutions. This essay takes up Saunders's call to de-insulate constitution-making as a technique of international law from such critique by pointing to the family as an institution that is central both to constitutional ordering and to economic ordering, and thus can help overcome the epistemic boundary between the two. To this end, the essay brings together various strands of critical thought that identify one particular family structure—the nuclear family—as an exploitative institution that has (re)produced structural inequality both within and between states. Described as the “original sin” of modern constitutionalism and as an essential “instrument of colonization,” the nuclear family model represents an apt entry point to reconceiving constitution-making as Saunders suggests—in a way “that both acknowledges the discipline's past collaboration with forms of dispossession and exploitation, and that actively reconsiders its future boundaries.”
Shaping Sovereignties: The Role of International Financial Institutions in Constitution-Making
Authors: Mukherjee Gaurav
Published: October 2023

How do international financial institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund influence constitution-making processes? In this essay on Anna Saunders's “Constitution-Making as a Technique of International Law: Reconsidering the Post-war Inheritance,” I argue that the material dimensions of constitution-making are profoundly influenced by the discursive environment that institutions like the World Bank help create for political elites. I show how these institutions operate in opaque ways that are difficult to capture in the results of that constitutional process but serve to facilitate, expand, or contract the options available to constitution-makers to engage with material questions, especially those that involve historic injustice. My argument adds nuance to Saunders's claim that constitution-making traditions display a “relative separation from projects of global economic ordering.” Drawing on an example that Saunders uses, this essay engages with how an international financial institution—the World Bank—acted in a facilitative modality and influenced constitutional history and the current practices of land reform in South Africa since its negotiated transition in 1994. I then show how international financial institutions acted in a more prescriptive modality during the constitution-making processes in Hungary. I choose these countries as examples due to their canonical status for studying the influence of international assistance for constitution-making in the post-1991 moment. What these examples show is that while international financial institutions can guide “post-sovereign” constitution-making states toward better integration into the global economic framework, the sustainability of their constitutional arrangements often depends on broader domestic consensus.
Commercial Casualties: Political Boycotts and International Disputes
Authors: Weiss Jessica Chen , Barwick Panle Jia , Li Shanjun , Wallace Jeremy L.
Published: October 2023

We explore whether international disputes harm commerce by galvanizing consumer boycotts of foreign products. Boycotts increase the social penalty of owning goods associated with a foreign adversary, offsetting individual incentives to free ride or discount the utility of participation. By harming international commerce, boycotts can help reveal information about resolve and avoid more costly forms of conflict. Using administrative data on the universe of new passenger vehicle registration records in China from 2009 to 2015, we demonstrate that consumer boycotts that arose amid tensions between China and Japan over a territorial dispute in 2012 had significant and persistent effects on vehicle sales, especially in cities that witnessed anti-Japanese street demonstrations. The market share of Japanese brands dropped substantially during and after the boycott with long lasting effects. Our analysis provides concrete evidence of the short- and long-term impacts of international tensions on economic activities.
Instability of a viscoelastic film with insoluble surfactants on an oscillating plane
Authors: Wang Shaowei , Du Shaofeng , Xiao Yue , Zhao Moli
Published: October 2023

The linear instability of viscoelastic film with insoluble surfactants on an oscillating plane for disturbances with arbitrary wavenumbers is investigated. The combined effects of viscoelastic and insoluble surfactants on the instability are described using Floquet theory. For long-wavelength instability, the solution in the limit of long wave perturbations is obtained by the asymptotic expansion method. The results show that the presence of viscoelastic film shifts the stability boundaries to the low-frequency region in the absence of gravity when the imposed frequency is less than 6. The U-shaped neutral curves with separation bandwidth appear in the presence of gravity. The finite-wavelength instability is solved numerically based on the Chebyshev spectral collocation method. Different from the previous results, a new branch point with special structure of a neutral curve is detected for clean-surface film. Results show that the presence of the surfactants will decrease the unstable frequency bandwidth and increase the critical Reynolds number. Both the travelling-wave mode and standing-wave mode are found due to the existence of surface surfactants. For high-frequency oscillation, the viscoelastic parameter may significantly destabilize the flow and the instability is determined by the finite-wavelength mode over a relatively large frequency range.
The effect of structural damping on flow-induced vibration of a thin elliptical cylinder
Authors: Lo Jonathan C.C. , Hourigan Kerry , Thompson Mark C. , Zhao Jisheng
Published: October 2023

This study experimentally investigates the influence of structural damping on the transverse flow-induced vibration (FIV) of an elastically mounted thin elliptical cylinder. The cylinder tested has an elliptical ratio of

$\varepsilon = b/a = 5$

, where

$a$

and

$b$

are the streamwise and cross-flow dimensions, respectively, and a mass ratio (i.e. the total oscillating mass/the displaced fluid mass) of

$17.4$

. The FIV response was characterised over a reduced velocity range of

$2.30 \leq U^* = U/(\,{{f_{{nw}}}} b) \leq 10.00$

(corresponding to a Reynolds number range of

$300 \leq \textit {Re} =(U b)/\nu \leq 1300$

) and a structural damping ratio range of

$3.62\times 10^{-3}\leq \zeta \leq 1.87\times 10^{-1}$

. Here,

$U$

is the free stream velocity,

${{f_{{nw}}}}$

is the natural frequency of the system in quiescent fluid (water) and

$\nu$

is the kinematic viscosity of the fluid. The FIV response was characterised by four wake–body synchronisation regimes (defined as the matching of the dominant fluid forcing and oscillation frequencies, and labelled regime I, regime II, regime III and the hyper branch) and a desynchronisation region, with the hyper branch representing a high amplitude regime not observed for a circular cylinder. Interestingly, the major vortex shedding mode was predominately two single opposite-signed vortices shed per body vibration cycle. Moreover, hydrogen-bubble-based flow visualisations revealed a secondary vortex street forming in the elongated shear layers associated with largest-scale vibration amplitudes (

$A^* = A/b$

up to

$7.7$

) in the hyper branch and regime II. As the structural damping ratio was increased beyond

$1.92 \times 10^{-2}$

, the hyper branch was found to be suppressed. The results have potential ramifications for the efficient extraction of energy from free-flowing water sources, which has become increasingly topical over the last decade.