bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Soft pads for robotic limbs: achieving human finger compliance via finite element optimization
Authors: Kargar Seyyed Masoud , Berselli Giovanni 
Published: July 2024

AbstractHuman fingers possess compliant contact interfaces with predetermined compliance properties. Replicating these compliance properties in robotic limbs, particularly anthropomorphic hands, can significantly impact grasp stability and contact area. To address the limitations of homogeneous layers of soft material commonly used in anthropomorphic hands, this paper proposes optimizing differentiated structures to design soft pads, which consist of a continuous external layer (skin) coupled with an internal layer featuring voids. To achieve the desired compliance properties replicating those of human fingers, the paper introduces five distinct patterns for differentiated structures, along with their corresponding finite element analysis (FEA) models. Subsequently, by formulating an appropriate optimization function, the shapes of these patterns have been optimized to match the compliance of the human finger, and it has been demonstrated that one of the proposed and optimized pads closely approximates this target through the proposed methodology. The results affirm that this approach offers an effective solution for designing soft pads whose behavior needs to be aligned with the compliance of a specific target.
Severance savings accounts and life-cycle savings
Authors: Azevedo Rafael , Bettoni Luis , Santos Marcelo 
Published: July 2024

AbstractSeverance savings accounts (SSA) is an important government program aimed at protecting laid-off workers and stimulating savings. We analyze the distributive and aggregate effects of SSA in a rich life-cycle model with heterogeneous agents and incomplete markets. The model is estimated to be consistent with micro and macro data from Brazil. Our analysis reveals that, despite a decrease in voluntary savings, the policy expands aggregate savings, output, and wages, leading to long-run welfare gains. We show that although better risk sharing is important for our findings, the bulk of the gains come from improved efficiency as labor productivity increases and labor supply is reallocated towards highly educated workers and the early stages of the life cycle where agents are generally poorer and leisure is less valued. Interestingly, most of the gains we find accrue to less educated agents as the distribution of this group is skewed towards the informal sector, and they do not directly incur the additional burden from the increase in contributions. We also explore an alternative policy design in which households are allowed to access their severance savings accounts only after retirement, as in a defined contribution pension system. We find that despite greater uncertainty in medical costs later in life, households prefer a more flexible system that provides access to the SSA fund during working-age and after retirement.
A pH-dependent shift of redox cofactor specificity in a benzyl alcohol dehydrogenase of aromatoleum aromaticum EbN1
Authors: Gemmecker Yvonne , Winiarska Agnieszka , Hege Dominik , Kahnt Jörg , Seubert Andreas , Szaleniec Maciej , Heider Johann 
Published: July 2024

Abstract
We characterise a reversible bacterial zinc-containing benzyl alcohol dehydrogenase (BaDH) accepting either NAD+ or NADP+ as a redox cofactor. Remarkably, its redox cofactor specificity is pH-dependent with the phosphorylated cofactors favored at lower and the dephospho-forms at higher pH. BaDH also shows different steady-state kinetic behavior with the two cofactor forms. From a structural model, the pH-dependent shift may affect the charge of a histidine in the 2′-phosphate-binding pocket of the redox cofactor binding site. The enzyme is phylogenetically affiliated to a new subbranch of the Zn-containing alcohol dehydrogenases, which share this conserved residue. BaDH appears to have some specificity for its substrate, but also turns over many substituted benzyl alcohol and benzaldehyde variants, as well as compounds containing a conjugated C=C double bond with the aldehyde carbonyl group. However, compounds with an sp3-hybridised C next to the alcohol/aldehyde group are not or only weakly turned over. The enzyme appears to contain a Zn in its catalytic site and a mixture of Zn and Fe in its structural metal-binding site. Moreover, we demonstrate the use of BaDH in an enzyme cascade reaction with an acid-reducing tungsten enzyme to reduce benzoate to benzyl alcohol.

Key points
•Zn-containing BaDH has activity with either NAD+or NADP+at different pH optima.
•BaDH converts a broad range of substrates.
•BaDH is used in a cascade reaction for the reduction of benzoate to benzyl alcohol.
Structural diversification of vitamin D using microbial biotransformations
Authors: García-Domínguez Mario , Gutiérrez-del-Río Ignacio , Villar Claudio J. , Perez-Gomez Anabel , Sancho-Martinez Ignacio , Lombó Felipe 
Published: July 2024

Abstract
Vitamin D deficiencies are linked to multiple human diseases. Optimizing its synthesis, physicochemical properties, and delivery systems while minimizing side effects is of clinical relevance and is of great medical and industrial interest. Biotechnological techniques may render new modified forms of vitamin D that may exhibit improved absorption, stability, or targeted physiological effects. Novel modified vitamin D derivatives hold promise for developing future therapeutic approaches and addressing specific health concerns related to vitamin D deficiency or impaired metabolism, such as avoiding hypercalcemic effects. Identifying and engineering key enzymes and biosynthetic pathways involved, as well as developing efficient cultures, are therefore of outmost importance and subject of intense research. Moreover, we elaborate on the critical role that microbial bioconversions might play in the a la carte design, synthesis, and production of novel, more efficient, and safer forms of vitamin D and its analogs. In summary, the novelty of this work resides in the detailed description of the physiological, medical, biochemical, and epidemiological aspects of vitamin D supplementation and the steps towards the enhanced and simplified industrial production of this family of bioactives relying on microbial enzymes.

Key points
• Liver or kidney pathologies may hamper vitamin D biosynthesis
• Actinomycetes are able to carry out 1α- or 25-hydroxylation on vitamin D precursors
Revealing endogenous conditions for Peto’s paradox via an ordinary differential equation model
Authors: Kan Haichun , Chen Yu 
Published: July 2024

AbstractCancer, a disease intimately linked to cellular mutations, is commonly believed to exhibit a positive association with the cell count and lifespan of a species. Despite this assumption, the observed uniformity in cancer rates across species, referred to as the Peto’s paradox, presents a conundrum. Recognizing that tumour progression is not solely dependent on cancer cells but involves intricate interactions among various cell types, this study employed a Lotka-Volterra (LV) ordinary differential equation model to analyze the evolution of cancerous cells and the cancer incidence in an immune environment. As a result, this study uncovered the sufficient conditions underlying the absence of correlation in Peto’s paradox and provide insights into the reasons for the equitable distribution of cancer incidence across diverse species by applying nondimensionalization and drawing an analogy between the characteristic time interval for the variation of cell populations in the ODE model and that of cell cycles of a species.
Aflibercept im klinischen Alltag: die AURIGA-Studie
Authors: Wachtlin Joachim , Kaymak Hakan , Hoerauf Hans , Allmeier Helmut , Machewitz Tobias , Scholz Paula , Schürks Markus , Feltgen Nicolas 
Published: July 2024

Zusammenfassung
Hintergrund
AURIGA ist die größte prospektive Real-World-Studie zur Behandlung eines Makulaödems (MÖ) nach retinalem Venenverschluss (RVV) oder eines diabetischen Makulaödems mit intravitrealem Aflibercept 2 mg (IVT-AFL). Hier werden die 24-Monats-Daten der deutschen behandlungsnaiven RVV-Kohorte mit MÖ präsentiert.

Methoden
Behandlungsnaive RVV-Patienten mit MÖ wurden mit IVT-AFL 2 mg in der klinischen Routine therapiert. Primärer Endpunkt war die mittlere Änderung des Visus (ETDRS-Buchstaben) zu Monat 12 gegenüber dem Ausgangswert. Die Analyse erfolgte deskriptiv.

Ergebnisse
Es wurden 130 Patienten mit RVV (n = 61 [46,9 %] mit Zentralvenenverschluss, n = 69 [53,1 %] mit Venenastverschluss) untersucht. Im Mittel (± SD) verblieben die RVV-Patienten für 18,4 ± 7,4 Monate in der Studie. Der mittlere Visusgewinn [95 % Konfidenzintervall] betrug in der Gesamtkohorte +10,9 [7,5; 14,2] Buchstaben zu Monat 12 und +9,7 [6,1; 13,3] zu Monat 24 (Baseline 56,5 ± 18,9 Buchstaben). Nach 24 Monaten hatten 67 % der RVV-Patienten ≥5 Buchstaben, 40 % ≥ 15 Buchstaben gewonnen. Von Baseline betrug die mittlere Injektionszahl 4,4 ± 1,3 bis Monat 6, 6,2 ± 2,7 bis Monat 12 und 8,2 ± 4,5 bis Monat 24. Die durchschnittliche Reduktion der zentralen Netzhautdicke (Ausgangswert 507 ± 177 µm) betrug in der Gesamtkohorte −206 (−252; −160) µm nach 12 Monaten und −219 (−263; −175) µm nach 24 Monaten. Das Sicherheitsprofil entsprach dem früherer Studien.

Diskussion
In der deutschen AURIGA-Kohorte behandlungsnaiver Patienten mit MÖ infolge RVV unter IVT-AFL-2 mg-Behandlung zeigten sich im klinischen Alltag ein rascher und klinisch relevanter Visusgewinn sowie eine Reduktion der zentralen Netzhautdicke. Diese wurden trotz niedriger Injektionsfrequenz ab Monat 6 über 24 Monate weitestgehend erhalten.
Clustering with Minimum Spanning Trees: How Good Can It Be?
Authors: Gagolewski Marek , Cena Anna , Bartoszuk Maciej , Brzozowski Łukasz 
Published: July 2024

AbstractMinimum spanning trees (MSTs) provide a convenient representation of datasets in numerous pattern recognition activities. Moreover, they are relatively fast to compute. In this paper, we quantify the extent to which they are meaningful in low-dimensional partitional data clustering tasks. By identifying the upper bounds for the agreement between the best (oracle) algorithm and the expert labels from a large battery of benchmark data, we discover that MST methods can be very competitive. Next, we review, study, extend, and generalise a few existing, state-of-the-art MST-based partitioning schemes. This leads to some new noteworthy approaches. Overall, the Genie and the information-theoretic methods often outperform the non-MST algorithms such as K-means, Gaussian mixtures, spectral clustering, Birch, density-based, and classical hierarchical agglomerative procedures. Nevertheless, we identify that there is still some room for improvement, and thus the development of novel algorithms is encouraged.
Spinal posture, mobility, and position sense in adolescents with chest wall deformities: a comparison of pectus excavatum, pectus carinatum and healthy peers
Authors: METE Oguzhan , IŞIK Hakan , PİRİNÇÇİ Cansu ŞAHBAZ , YAŞA Mustafa Ertuğrul , SAPMAZ Ersin 
Published: July 2024

Abstract
Purpose
The study aimed to compare spinal posture, mobility, and position sense in adolescents with pectus excavatum (PE), pectus carinatum (PC), and healthy control (HC).

Methods
22 with PE, 22 with PC, and 21 HC were included in the study. The spinal posture (thoracic kyphosis, lumbar lordosis, pelvic tilt, thoracic, lumbar, pelvic lateral tilt angles) and mobility (thoracic, lumbar, hip/sacral, and overall, in the sagittal and frontal plane) with the spinal mouse, and spinal position sense (repositing errors) with the inclinometer were assessed.

Results
The thoracic kyphosis angle of PE and PC was higher than in HC (p < 0.001; p = 0.001). Hip/sacral mobility in the sagittal plane was lower in the PE and PC than control, respectively (p < 0.001; p < 0.001). Overall sagittal spinal mobility (p:0.007) and hip/sacral mobility in the frontal plane (p:0.002) were lower in the PC than in HC. Overall frontal spinal mobility was lower in the PE and PC than in HC (p:0.002; p:0.014). The PE and PC repositing errors were higher (p < 0.001; p:0.014).

Conclusion
The study found that adolescents with PE and PC had decreased spinal mobility, spinal alignment disorders, and a decline in spinal position sense. It is important not to overlook the spine during physical examinations of adolescents with chest wall deformities. In clinical practice, we suggest that adolescents with chest deformities should undergo a spine evaluation and be referred for physical therapy to manage spinal disorders.
Screening of voice and vocal tract changes in professional wind instrument players
Authors: El-Demerdash Ahmed M. , Hafez Nirvana G. , Tanyous Hanaa N. , Rezk Kerollos M. , Shadi Mariam S. 
Published: July 2024

Abstract
Purpose
Playing wind instruments is a strenuous task on the larynx, predisposing players to voice disorders. This study aims to evaluate potential vocal symptoms and vocal tract alterations in professional wind instrumentalists.

Methods
In this cross-sectional study, 26 male military subjects were interviewed, completed the voice handicap index (VHI) -10 questionnaire, and subjected to auditory-perceptual assessment, neck examination, rigid laryngostroboscopy and flexible nasofiberoscopy both before and during instrument playing.

Results
All participants had vocal fatigue symptoms, around one-quarter complained of voice change, one-quarter complained of shortness of breath while or after performing, and one-third complained of neck symptoms. The average score of VHI-10 was 16.2 ± 6.5, and approximately three-quarters of participants scored above the cut-off point. There were no significant correlations between age, years of instrument playing, average hours of daily practice, and VHI-10. Participants with neck symptoms had significantly higher VHI-10 scores. Those (around one-fifth) with an external neck swelling during Valsalva maneuver had a significantly higher VHI-10 score. Dysphonia, mainly mild and of strained, leaky quality, was detected in almost one-third of participants. While the instrument was being played, the vocal folds were somewhat adducted, and the vocal tract became more compressed as the task became more demanding. The most frequent observations in the vocal tract examination were hyperemia of the vocal folds or all over the laryngeal and pharyngeal mucosa, excessive secretions over the vocal folds, signs of hyperadduction, arytenoid edema, and phonatory waste.

Conclusion
Wind instrumentalists frequently experience voice disorders, which necessitate further care and investigation.
The German cochlear implant registry: one year experience and first results on demographic data
Authors: Stöver T. , Plontke S. K. , Lai W. K. , Zahnert T. , Guntinas-Lichius O. , Welkoborsky H-J. , Aschendorff A. , Deitmer T. , Loth A. , Lang S. , Dazert S. 
Published: July 2024

Abstract
Purpose
Clinical registries have great potential for quality control of medical procedures regarding the indications, therapeutic processes and results, including their possible complications. This is particularly true when providing patients with severe hearing loss or deafness with a cochlear implant (CI). This treatment represents a lifelong care process that requires continuous quality control over time. On the initiative of the Executive Committee of the German Society of Otorhinolaryngology (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Heilkunde, Kopf- und Hals-Chirurgie e.V., DGHNO-KHC), a national German CI registry (Deutsches Cochlear Implant Register, DCIR) was established in January 2022. This article focuses on the first demographic and baseline data of the DCIR.

Methods
The DCIR covers the complete therapeutic process from indication, surgery, fitting and lifelong aftercare in CI therapy. By the end of 2022, 75 hospitals in Germany had agreed to contribute to the DCIR.

Results
During the year 2022, 63 hospitals actively contributed data to the DCIR. Pseudonymized data from 2,292 CI implantations (2,176 primary implantations, 99 explantations with immediate re-implantations and 17 re-implantations following an earlier explantation) in 2,108 patients were documented. Cochlear implantation was accomplished in 1,807 adults (≥ 18 years) and 301 children (< 18 years). Fourty patients (1,9%) were children < 1 year of age and 55 (2,6%) were patients > 85 years. From the total of 2,292 implantations, 226 (9.9%) were performed as simultaneous bilateral implantations (CI implantation in both ears of 113 patients on the same day of surgery) and 412 implantations (19.1% of 2,162 implantations with data provided on the contralateral ear’s hearing status) were in patients with single sided deafness (normal hearing in the contralateral ear). In addition, the reported complications in 2022 were also evaluated. Seven reports (0.4%) of mild to moderate severe facial nerve dysfunctions were documented. No reports of severe or total facial nerve dysfunction (House-Brackmann grade V/VI), meningitis or death related to CI therapy were documented.

Conclusion
Although still in the start-up phase, these initial DCIR data already provide an interesting first insight into the demographic structure and baseline data of CI therapy in Germany. The successful implementation of the DCIR represents an important step towards continuous quality control of CI care.
Changes in paranasal sinus volumes, temporal bone pneumatization, internal acoustic canal and olfactory cleft dimensions over the centuries: a comparison of skulls from different epochs in Anatolia
Authors: Yücel Levent , Azizi Fatemeh , Meral Salih Cengiz , Sözer Çilem Sönmez , Erol Ayla Sevim , Çoşkun Zafer Ünsal , Gültekin Timur , Karaçaylı Ceren , Satar Bülent 
Published: July 2024

Abstract
Objectives
Investigating changes in temporal bone pneumatization (TBP) and paranasal sinus volumes (PSV) across different eras may help understanding not only changes in skull anatomy but also pathophysiology of chronic otitis media and sinusitis, respectively, which are common health problems.

Methods
Eight skulls from the second century AD, 20 skulls were from the 10th–11th centuries AD, 20 skulls from the 16th–19th centuries AD, and 60 contemporary skulls were included in this cross-sectional observational study. Using computerized tomography (CT) scans, the PSV were calculated by multiplying the height, width, and antero-posterior distance of the sinuses. TBP was divided into three types. Internal acoustic canal (IAC) length and width, and olfactory cleft (OC) width were measured.

Results
No statistically significant differences were found between the paranasal sinus (frontal, maxillary, and sphenoid) volumes between the groups. However, TBP decreased statistically significantly over time on both sides of the skulls (p = 0.001). The contemporary IAC and OC measures were found to be significantly lower on both sides compared to the skulls from the other three eras (p < 0.001 for both).

Conclusions
Although no significant change was observed in PSV, decreases were evident in TBP, OC width and IAC length and width over time. It appears a fair inference that changes in size of OC and IAC might be another indication of the fact that olfaction and hearing were more vital for survival in old eras. Since we do not know incidence of chronic ear problems in old eras, we cannot speculate outcome of increased TBP in terms of developing chronic ear diseases. On the contrary, increased TBP was likely to play a protective role in traumas in old ears. Additionally, the environmental influences may be crucial role in the development of paranasal sinuses.
Clinical spreading of muscle weakness in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS): a study in 910 patients
Authors: Ludolph Albert C. , Dietrich Jennifer , Dreyhaupt Jens , Kassubek Jan , Del Tredici Kelly , Rosenbohm Angela 
Published: July 2024

Abstract
Background
Neuroanatomical staging of sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) indicates that neurodegeneration may spread corticofugally.

Methods
We conducted an observational study to define the initial sites of disease onset and the clinical progression (‘spreading patterns’) of motor deficits in a cohort of 910 ALS patients in Germany.

Results
Mean age of ALS onset was 59.0 ± 12.6 years for males and 61.2 ± 10.5 years for females, the mean ALSFRS-R was 35.1 ± 9.2, and 7.7% of the cohort reported a family history. Onset of motor symptoms was bulbar/upper limb in 26.8%/35.9%, the right arm initially being slightly more often affected than the left (18.5% vs.16.3%). Testing on concordance of handedness and onset in the dominant arm did not reach significance. Lower limb onset was observed in 37.3%. Unilateral limb onset patients reported horizontal spreading about three times more often than vertical spreading. 71/244 bulbar onset patients reported spreading pattern to the legs, and 17/339 lumbar onset patients reported spreading secondarily to the bulbar region.

Discussion
Our results indicate that, although the phenotype of so-called ‘spinal’ or ‘intraspinal’ spreading predominated, we also observed an additional clinical spreading pattern: 29.1% of patients with bulbar onset experienced spreading clinically to the legs (vice versa in 5.0% of lumbar onset patients). For obvious neuroanatomical reasons, this pattern hardly can be explained solely by a ‘spinal’ or an ‘intraspinal’ pattern of spreading. Instead, these findings complement insights from previous clinical and clinicopathological studies supporting a cortical initiation of ALS.
The ethics of artificial intelligence systems in healthcare and medicine: from a local to a global perspective, and back
Authors: Vandemeulebroucke Tijs 
Published: July 2024

AbstractArtificial intelligence systems (ai-systems) (e.g. machine learning, generative artificial intelligence), in healthcare and medicine, have been received with hopes of better care quality, more efficiency, lower care costs, etc. Simultaneously, these systems have been met with reservations regarding their impacts on stakeholders’ privacy, on changing power dynamics, on systemic biases, etc. Fortunately, healthcare and medicine have been guided by a multitude of ethical principles, frameworks, or approaches, which also guide the use of ai-systems in healthcare and medicine, in one form or another. Nevertheless, in this article, I argue that most of these approaches are inspired by a local isolationist view on ai-systems, here exemplified by the principlist approach. Despite positive contributions to laying out the ethical landscape of ai-systems in healthcare and medicine, such ethics approaches are too focused on a specific local healthcare and medical setting, be it a particular care relationship, a particular care organisation, or a particular society or region. By doing so, they lose sight of the global impacts ai-systems have, especially environmental impacts and related social impacts, such as increased health risks. To meet this gap, this article presents a global approach to the ethics of ai-systems in healthcare and medicine which consists of five levels of ethical impacts and analysis: individual-relational, organisational, societal, global, and historical. As such, this global approach incorporates the local isolationist view by integrating it in a wider landscape of ethical consideration so to ensure ai-systems meet the needs of everyone everywhere.