bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The psychological impact of genetic testing in childhood cancer: A systematic review
Authors: Van Hoyweghen Sophie , BM Claes Kathleen , de Putter Robin , Wakefield Claire , Van Schoors Marieke , Hellemans Sabine , Verhofstadt Lesley 
Published: December 2023

AbstractObjectiveCancer predisposition syndromes are being more frequently recognized in the etiology of pediatric oncology and genetic‐related technologies are evolving rapidly, leading to an increasing availability of genetic testing for families. This systematic review assessed the psychological impact of genetic testing on children and parents in the context of childhood cancer.MethodsSearches were performed using three databases (Web of Science, Pubmed and Embase) to identify relevant empirical studies. Following Cochrane guidelines, we screened 3838 articles and identified 18 eligible studies, representing the perspectives of children and/or parents.ResultsThe included studies described the impact of genetic testing in different contexts (e.g. predictive testing and diagnostic testing) and in different subgroups, (e.g. carriers and non‐carriers). Overall, the studies did not identify clinically‐relevant long‐term increases in negative emotions (depression, anxiety, distress, uncertainty, guilt) as a result of genetic testing. Negative emotions were typically time‐limited and generally occurred in families with particular characteristics (e.g. those with a history of multiple cancer diagnoses, families receiving an unfavorable result for one child and a favorable result in siblings, and those with pre‐existing mental health difficulties). Positive emotions (hopefulness, relief and peace of mind) were also reported. Knowing their genetic risk status appeared to help to foster empowerment among families, regardless of the result and any associated emotions.ConclusionsGenetic testing in pediatric oncology does not appear to cause significant additional harm and can lead to positive outcomes. Clinicians need to be especially attentive when counseling families at increased risk of distress.
Managing cancer and living meaningfully (CALM): Implementation in Dutch cancer care
Authors: Kool Marianne , Hafkamp Emma , Gol Janna , Aukema Eline J. , Malfitano Carmine , Reyners An , Hales Sarah , van de Poll Lonneke , Rodin Gary , de Vries Froukje 
Published: December 2023

AbstractObjectiveManaging Cancer and Living Meaningfully (CALM) is a brief, evidence‐based psychotherapy tailored for patients with advanced cancer that has not yet been implemented routinely in Dutch cancer care. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility, acceptability, sustainability and effectiveness of CALM in different clinical settings in the Netherlands.MethodsIn 2019 and 2020 a multi‐center, intervention‐only study was performed in three Dutch cancer care settings. Professionals were trained to provide CALM under supervision. Patients diagnosed with advanced cancer were included and filled out questionnaires to measure depression (Patient Health Questionnaire‐9), death anxiety (Death and Dying Distress Scale), and anxiety (hospital anxiety and depression scale‐anxiety) at baseline, 3 and 6 months. The Clinical Evaluation Questionnaire was used to assess acceptability of CALM at 3 and 6 months.ResultsSixty‐four patients (55% of the eligible patients) were included in the study and 85% of the included patients received 3 or more CALM sessions. Of the 24 trained therapists, 15 (63%) started providing CALM. Two years post‐study, CALM was provided in each center by a total of 19 therapists. On average, patients perceived CALM to be at least somewhat helpful. A significant decrease in severity of depression (p = 0.006), death anxiety (p = 0.008), and anxiety (p = 0.024) was observed over time.ConclusionsThis study shows that CALM therapy is feasible, acceptable, and sustainable in three Dutch cancer care settings, although not all predefined feasibility criteria for therapists were met. CALM can be effective in decreasing feelings of depression, anxiety, and death anxiety in patients with advanced cancer.
Sequence‐dependent and ‐independent information in a combined random energy model for protein folding and coding
Authors: Pereira de Araújo Antônio F. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractRandom energy models (REMs) provide a simple description of the energy landscapes that guide protein folding and evolution. The requirement of a large energy gap between the native structure and unfolded conformations, considered necessary for cooperative, protein‐like, folding behavior, indicates that proteins differ markedly from random heteropolymers. It has been suggested, therefore, that natural selection might have acted to choose nonrandom amino acid sequences satisfying this particular condition, implying that a large fraction of possible, unselected random sequences, would not fold to any structure. From an informational perspective, however, this scenario could indicate that protein structures, regarded as messages to be transmitted through a communication channel, would not be efficiently encoded in amino acid sequences, regarded as the communication channel for this transmission, since a large fraction of possible channel states would not be used. Here, we use a combined REM for conformations and sequences, with previously estimated parameters for natural proteins, to explore an alternative possibility in which the appropriate shape of the landscape results mainly from the deviation from randomness of possible native structures instead of sequences. We observe that this situation emerges naturally if the distribution of conformational energies happens to arise from two independent contributions corresponding to sequence‐dependent and ‐independent terms. This construction is consistent with the hypothesis of a protein burial folding code, with native structures being determined by a modest amount of sequence‐dependent atomic burial information with sequence‐independent constraints imposed by unspecific hydrogen bond formation. More generally, an appropriate combination of sequence‐dependent and ‐independent information accommodates the possibility of an efficient structural encoding with the main physical requirement for folding, providing possible insight not only on the folding process but also on several aspects sequence evolution such as neutral networks, conformational coverage, and de novo gene emergence.
A scarab beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) causes tree mortality, delayed growth, and yield reduction in cacao with genotype‐specific susceptibility to herbivory
Authors: Porcel Mario , Miranda Tatiana C. , Pisco‐Ortiz Carolina , Camargo Hebert , Moreno Jessica , Gutiérrez Yeisson 
Published: December 2023

AbstractBACKGROUNDThis study explored the impact ofLeucothyreus femoratus, a previously unreported folivorous pest in cacao cultivation, on cacao tree survival, development, and yield. The study was conducted in an experimental cacao plot in the Colombian plains, it featured 20 cacao genotypes in an agroforestry system, with plantain and Mexican sunflower providing temporary shade, and yopo offering permanent shade.RESULTSWe found an infestation rate of 2.9 ± 0.3 adult beetles per cacao tree.L. femoratuslarvae were discovered in association with the roots of all plants within the agroforestry arrangement; however, yopo and plantain exhibited the highest incidence of root‐feeding larvae among these associated plants. Interestingly, male and femaleL. femoratusdisplayed distinct leaf consumption patterns in the laboratory, with females consuming more foliage relative to their body weight. Moreover, field observations highlighted the detrimental impact ofL. femoratusherbivory on cacao tree survival and growth, leading to leaf skeletonization, reduced plant height, and stem diameter. Trees with over 50% leaf consumption suffered more than 20% mortality. Additionally, herbivory negatively affected cacao yield, correlating higher leaf surface damage with a decrease in harvested pods. The study also identified varying antixenotic resistance in different cacao genotypes, with some consistently displaying resistance while others showed variable levels during tree establishment and production stages.CONCLUSIONThis research underscores the significant role ofL. femoratusas a cacao pest, emphasizing its adverse effects on cacao tree survival, development, and yield. Consequently, implementing effective control measures is vital for ensuring sustainable cacao cultivation. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
Assisted reproductive technology in Japan: A summary report for 2021 by the Ethics Committee of the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Authors: Katagiri Yukiko , Jwa Seung Chik , Kuwahara Akira , Iwasa Takeshi , On Masanori , Kato Keiichi , Kishi Hiroshi , Kuwabara Yoshimitsu , Taniguchi Fuminori , Harada Miyuki , Iwase Akira , Osuga Yutaka 
Published: December 2023

AbstractPurposeThe Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (JSOG) registry gathers comprehensive data from registered assisted reproductive technology (ART) facilities in Japan. Herein, we report 2021 ART cycle characteristics and outcomes.MethodsDescriptive statistics were used to summarize and analyze 2021 data.ResultsIn 2021, 625 ART facilities participated in the registry; 27 facilities did not conduct ART cycles and 598 registered treatment cycles. In total, 498 140 cycles were registered, and there were 69 797 neonates (increases of 10.7% and 15.5%, respectively, from the previous year). The number of freeze‐all in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles decreased in 2021; the number of neonates born was 2268 for IVF‐embryo transfer (ET) cycles and 2850 for ICSI cycles. Frozen–thawed ET (FET) cycles increased markedly from 2020 (11.2% increase). In 2021, 239 428 FET cycles were conducted, resulting in 87 174 pregnancies and 64 679 neonates. For fresh transfers, the total single ET, singleton pregnancy rate, and singleton live birth rates were 82.7%, 97.0%, and 97.3%; for FET, these rates were 84.9%, 96.9%, and 97.1%.ConclusionsThe 2021 Japanese ART registry analysis showed marked increases in both total treatment cycles and live births from the previous year.
Investigation on the influence of fiber fraction and orientation on the mechanical properties of fiber‐reinforced concrete slabs
Authors: Khan M. S. , Ibrahim S. M. , Shariq M. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThe current work examines an experimental and numerical investigation into how steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) slab failure behavior is influenced by fiber orientation by pouring concrete in slab elements. Double‐ended hooked steel fibers with an aspect ratio of 50 were used in varying percentages by volume. Fresh and hardened properties of SFRC were determined based on slump flow, V‐funnel, L‐box, J‐ring test, compression, and flexure tests. The effects of different pouring/casting locations (center and corner), fiber orientation, and fiber content (0, 0.5%, and 1.0%) on the crack pattern of the SFRC slab were observed. While casting, the concrete was allowed to flow through a 30° chute angle to enhance the flowability of concrete. The SFRC slabs without fiber reinforcement undergo brittle failure without forming any prior micro cracks. Slabs with fibers experience ductile failure and show significant post‐cracking strength. The concrete's pouring position only affects the failure crack's inclination for the given workability. In the case of the corner cast slab, the crack was propagated from one edge to the opposite edge of the slab in a straight line and split into two halves. This crack pattern suggested that the fiber distribution was concentrated in half of the slab part in which the pouring corner was located. Adding 0.5% and 1.0% fiber content increased the load‐carrying capacity of slabs by 1.31 and 2.15 times, respectively. In addition to fiber content, the pouring position of concrete also made a difference in the load‐carrying capacity of slabs. The concrete pouring in the slab from the center position with 0.5% and 1.0% fiber content has 17.2% and 40% more load‐carrying capacity compared to the concrete poured in the slab from the corner position with the same fiber content. The deflection and load‐carrying capacity obtained through finite element modeling (FEM) fit the experimental results well.
Rapidly achieving clinical remission in ulcerative colitis indicates better endoscopic and histological outcomes
Authors: Chen Rirong , Tie Yizhe , Huang Yongle , Zhang Xi , Zeng Zhirong , Chen Minhu , Li Li , Zhang Shenghong 
Published: December 2023

AbstractBackgroundClinical remission (CR) is the principal short‐term treatment target in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). However, whether rapidly achieving CR indicates better outcomes remains unclear.ObjectivesWe aimed to explore the associations between the timing of CR and therapeutic outcomes in UC.MethodsThis study included UC patients from the UNIFI trial. Week‐2 CR and time to CR were the major variables of interest. Endoscopic remission (ER) at week 52 was the primary outcome. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to evaluate the association between variables and outcomes.ResultsWeek‐2 CR was associated with ER (aOR: 2.37 [95% CI: 1.28, 4.37], p = 0.006) and Histological remission (HR) (aOR: 2.87 [95% CI: 1.42, 5.72], p = 0.003) at week 52. Moreover, C‐reactive protein (CRP) remission could further stratify patients without CR and predict week‐52 outcomes. Patients with clinical activity + CRP remission (aOR: 0.49 [95% CI: 0.26, 0.93], p = 0.039) and clinical activity + CRP activity (aOR: 0.24 [95% CI: 0.11, 0.52], p < 0.001) had gradually decreased likelihood of achieving ER, when compared to those with CR. For time to CR, we found that the earlier to CR, the better endoscopic and histological outcomes patients would attain. Patients achieving CR at weeks 2, 4/8, 12/16 and >16 had gradually reduced proportions of ER (51.9% vs. 40.8% vs. 31.6% vs. 8.8%, p < 0.001) and HR (37.0% vs. 19.8% vs. 17.1% vs. 6.1%, p < 0.001) at week 52. Compared with week 2, achieving CR at weeks 4/8, 12/16 and >16 had 39%, 55% and 92% lower likelihoods of week‐52 ER, respectively.ConclusionsWeek‐2 CR indicates better outcomes in UC patients receiving ustekinumab. Moreover, achieving CR more rapidly is associated with higher probability of ER and HR.
Modeling dynamic stall of an airfoil with vortex generators using a double‐wake panel model with viscous–inviscid interaction
Authors: Yu Wei , Bajarūnas Lukas K. , Zanon Alessandro , Ferreira Carlos J. S. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractVortex generators (VGs) have been widely applied to wind turbines thanks to their potential to increase aerodynamic performance. Due to the complex inflow perceived by a rotor and the proneness to flow separation, VGs on wind turbines usually experience highly unsteady flow. While there are models that exist to simulate the steady effects of VGs, we lack a fast and efficient tool to model the unsteady performance of airfoils equipped with VGs. This paper adopts an unsteady double‐wake panel model with viscous–inviscid interaction developed to simulate a vertical axis turbine in dynamic stall, adding the capability of predicting the dynamic aerodynamic performance of VG‐equipped airfoils. The results of a series of steady and unsteady cases of an airfoil with different VG configurations in various pitch motions in free and forced transition are verified against experimental data. Results show that the double wake model offers results with sufficient accuracy compared with experimental data to claim the model's validity in a preliminary evaluation of an airfoil's capability to prevent stall with VGs. A few limitations, including the accuracy in prediction the transition location, separation, and reattachment, have been identified for future development.
Gender-Responsive Regional Fiscal Policies: The Labour Market
Authors: Culotta Fabrizio 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThe labour market allows individuals to earn a living throughout their lifetime. When it comes to gendered issues, the labour market is also an environment where different outcomes between female and male workers emerge. Differences between women and men naturally exist because of the biological characteristics related to sex differences. The possibilities of maternity and longevity are the most notable examples. Compared with men, women also have less physical power. In fact, the origin of the gender gap in the labour market goes back to the ‘male breadwinner’ model, typical of an industrial economy, in which women’s role was traditionally limited to homemaking activities (Fortin, 2005; Lewis et al., 2008). Physical skills are relevant to the labour supply for an industrial economy.
Reinstalling Thomas Hirschhorn’s Doppelgarage (2002): Bridging Gaps Between Theory, Practice and Emotion in the Preservation of Installation Artworks
Authors: Grün Maike 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThe focus of this chapter is the reinstallation of Thomas Hirschhorn’s room installation Doppelgarage (2002) in the Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich, Germany, in 2016. Those responsible (curator and conservator) decided on a reconstruction using only conservation documentation—without the artist’s participation. This decision had several immediate consequences: the artist reacted adversely to it, while it also exposed an apparent contradiction in current conservation theory, including the risk of losing “knowing-how” (as distinct from “knowing-that”) about the reconstruction process, and led to unexpected changes in the roles of the actors involved. As the one who served as conservator managing the reconstruction in 2016, I use this opportunity to examine my actions and to embed them in the current theoretical discussion on conserving installation art. If the conservator’s feelings do not tend to be an object of professional contemplation, I explore and describe them here as indicators of potential problems in the reconstruction Hirschhorn’s work. Specifically, I argue that reflection on those issues contributes to bridging important gaps between theoretical frameworks of conservation and the methods selected for this project.
The Classical Liberal Ideas, Predicaments, and Potentials
Authors: Karlson Nils 
Published: December 2023

AbstractIn this chapter classical liberalism, and different liberal predicaments and potentials to fight back against populism, are explored. Liberals cannot resort to the same methods as the populists without abandoning liberalism itself. But the three dimensions of classical liberalism, about institutions, economics and society, and the liberal spirit reinforce each other and provide the potential for fighting back against populist threats.
Defend and Develop the Liberal Institutions
Authors: Karlson Nils 
Published: December 2023

AbstractIn this chapter a second group of counterstrategies against populism is presented. I argue that it is necessary to defend, develop and improve the liberal institutions and policies in today’s liberal democracies. These institutions need to be secured and given a better defense. The suggested counterstrategies include the improvement of liberal literacy; the securement of a strong, limited, and decent state; the support of federalism and decentralization; the stimulation of social mobility; the implementation of high-quality basic education; the strengthening of integration; and the restoration of public discourse.
Beyond the Beauty-Utility Diatribe
Authors: Di Stefano Elisabetta 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThe aesthetics of industrial objects has traditionally been framed by the diatribe opposing beauty and utility. Modernism has privileged a simple but functional aesthetic, following the motto “less is more”. In the second half of the twentieth century, new aesthetic categories emerged that enhanced playfulness, irony, and memory. At the turn of the century, industrial production faced the challenges of environmental sustainability: this is how ecodesign has come about. Originally quite a niche, this new trend is now practiced by many brands. Design today is geared towards natural fibres and recycled materials, reconciling beauty with the ethics of responsibility. Given these premises, this essay aims to outline a theoretical framework for the aesthetics of industrial objects, which goes beyond the useful Vs beautiful dialectics. In this regard, centre stage is taken by the notion of frugality. Already prominently featured by the sociological and anthropological debate, this notion is now also part of the architectural discourse (see the Manifesto for a Happy and Creative Frugality). As it combines beauty, health, and well-being, frugality provides an aesthetic-functional category, and it can notably provide a theoretical model for the production of sustainable objects and clothes. Nevertheless, the challenges faced by design in the ecological transition are broader. They concern in fact a different way of relating to the environment and designing lifestyles. In this regard, frugality can also become an ethical-aesthetic measure of life and a healthy way of inhabiting the world.
Telephones in Italy, the Italtel Study-Case
Authors: Chiesa Rosa 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThe primary objective of the narrative, which spans the 1960s and 1990s, is to verify the contribution of industrial design – through the objects it uses (telephone sets but also fittings) and in their implications of function, form and production [1] – as a lever both in the private market (which Italtel Telematica used) but also considering how, beyond the object, the investment was part of a broader strategy of expansion of the telecommunications sector in Italy. The telephone, an element of connection par excellence that accompanied the physical and immaterial transition from mechanical to electronic and digital technology, in its parallel evolution with the development of communications technology, turns out to be only a piece, albeit an emblematic one, an instrument of cultural and social representation that satisfies the functional, symbolic and communicative dictates of every era.The essay therefore proposes a reinterpretation of the encounter between a fundamental player in Italy, Italtel – formerly Sit-Siemens (IRI) – with one of the nascent forces of the 1950s, industrial design, the new discipline that, in the years of the economic boom, promised through ‘good industrial product design’ the achievement of market success. The role of design as a catalyst for innovation and as one of the main drivers of Italian innovation in the Sit-Siemen and Italtel entrepreneurial venture is thus argued.