bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Safety and feasibility of emergency robot‐assisted transabdominal preperitoneal repair for the treatment of incarcerated inguinal hernia: A retrospective study
Authors: Murgante Testa Nicole , Mongelli Francesco , Sabbatini Flaminia , Iaquinandi Fabiano , Prouse Giorgio , Pini Ramon , La Regina Davide 
Published: January 2024

AbstractBackgroundFew studies assessed robotic in emergency setting and no solid evidence was demonstrated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and safety of robot‐assisted transabdominal preperitoneal (R‐TAPP) repair for the treatment of incarcerated inguinal hernia.MethodsWe retrospectively searched from a prospectively maintained database patients who underwent R‐TAPP or open surgery for incarcerated inguinal hernias from January 2018 to March 2023. The primary endpoint was to assess safety and feasibility of the R‐TAPP compared to the standard approach. For eligible patients, data was extracted and analyzed using a propensity score‐matching (PSM).ResultsThirty‐four patients were retrieved from our database, 15 underwent R‐TAPP, while 19 underwent open surgery. Mean age was 73.1 ± 14.6 years, 30 patients (88.2%) were male and mean BMI was 23.5 ± 3.2 kg/m2. No intraoperative complication occurred. Three cases requiring small bowel resection were all in the open surgery group (p = 0.112). The operative time was 108 ± 31 min versus 112 ± 31 min in the R‐TAPP and open surgery groups (p = 0.716). Seven postoperative complications occurred, only one classified as severe was in the open surgery group. The length of hospital stay was 2.9 ± 1.8 in the R‐TAPP versus 4.2 ± 2.3 min in the open surgery group (p = 0.077). PSM analysis showed similar postoperative outcomes and costs in both groups.ConclusionsDespite its limitations, our study appears to endorse the safety and feasibility of the robotic‐assisted treatment for incarcerated inguinal hernia. This approach yielded comparable results to open surgery, albeit in a limited number of patients, suggesting it might be a viable alternative.
Sustainability and Competition Law: An International Report
Authors: Nowag Julian 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThe interaction between sustainability and competition law has recently come onto the agenda of many competition agencies and international institutions. The International League of Competition Law (LIDC) has thus decided to explore the topic at the LIDC Congress on 20–22 October 2022 in Milano. This report provides an introduction into the debate and overview about the different national reports which were submitted from 11 countries (namely Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Switzerland, United Kingdom) and are contained in this book. The report first sets out the general legal framework on the interaction between competition law and sustainability in the different countries. The second part of the report addresses specific interactions between competition law and sustainability, exploring cases in the areas of co-operation, cartels, abuse/monopolisation, and mergers. It is subdivided into a section looking at ‘shield’, in other words, whether companies that take action to foster sustainability can rely on that fact before competition authorities, and the role of competition law as a ‘sword’ (cases where protecting competition was in turn expected to be beneficial to sustainability). The third part addresses ‘greenwashing’. The fourth part explores how agencies, beyond specific cases, have become active in the area, for example by setting out priorities, guidelines, working papers, and individual guidance and strengthening capacity. The final part briefly highlights some of the contributions that the reports have mentioned in other closely related areas of law, such as false advertising or unfair competition.
Sustainability and Intellectual Property in Austria
Authors: Kresbach Georg 
Published: January 2024

AbstractIntangible assets such as patents, trademarks, designs and data are becoming increasingly important in today’s knowledge economy. According to the EU Commission’s Action Plan on Intellectual Property to strengthen EU’s economic resilience and recovery (‘IP Action Plan’) published on 25 November 2020, IP-intensive industries account for 45% of GDP and 93% of EU exports, while the added value of IP is growing across most European industrial ecosystems. Globally, IP filings are on the rise, as intangible assets become crucial in the global race for technological leadership. It goes without saying that the success of sustainable economies depends to a large extent on new and innovative solutions. Intellectual property rights, therefore, undoubtedly play an increasingly significant role in sustainable and green businesses.
Sustainability and Intellectual Property in Hungary
Authors: Halász Bálint , Liber Ádám , Arányi Dániel , Nagy Fruzsina , Németh Olivér 
Published: January 2024

AbstractGenerally, IP rights as legal instruments intend to encourage and foster innovation and creativity, as well as to safeguard values worth preserving. IP rights as intangible assets facilitate social and economic growth and are essential to fair competition. While these instruments grant exclusive rights, they are likewise subject to a number of limitations aimed at achieving the right balance between public interest and the interests of the rightsholders.
Sustainability and Intellectual Property in United Kingdom
Authors: Hitchens Ben , Heard Caitlin , Vertes Joel 
Published: January 2024

AbstractIntellectual property (‘IP’) currently plays a strong role in sustainability, although its relationship with, and impact on, environmental, social and economic factors could be strengthened further. For example, at least six of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, namely zero hunger, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, industry, innovation and infrastructure, sustainable cities and communities and responsible consumption and production, overlap directly with most ‘definitions’ of sustainability and will require a range of new technologies to implement. Technological innovation geared towards environmental or sustainable factors (which could also loosely be referred to as ‘green’ technology) will therefore be pivotal in achieving the UN’s goals.
Sustainability and Competition Law in Brazil
Authors: Machado José Mauro Decoussau 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThe concept of sustainability admits different definitions. One of the most known is the one given by the UN as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” In the following answers, sustainability is understood as preventing the depletion of natural or physical resources so that they will remain available for society for the long term. In business and policy contexts, the concept of sustainability refers to the idea of planned and responsible development regarding the use of natural resources in economic activities to avoid or reduce environmental risks and allow the continuity of human life.
Sustainability and Competition Law in Czech Republic
Authors: MacGregor Pelikánová Radka 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThe Czech Republic is a member of the United Nations (UN), the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) as well as the European Union (EU). The Czech law shares the continental law tradition and reflects the international and regional commitments and obligations of the Czech Republic, including the call for sustainable development. Namely, the concept of sustainability projected on the responsibility of all stakeholders, including businesses—see corporate social responsibility (CSR)—is recognized in the Czech Republic, and its application in various spheres is expected. Indeed, sustainability rests on three pillars—economic, environmental and social—and all three need to be met while their objectives should be advanced simultaneously, if not synergistically, i.e. there should not be trade-offs. At the same time, it must be emphasized that the Czech Republic is not a pro-sustainability force par excellence and rather follows than leads these trends in the EU. These follow-ups are sometimes more and sometimes less enthusiastic, generally on time, but occasionally a national resistance can be identified.
Sustainability and Competition Law in Germany
Authors: Bueren Eckart , Crowder Jennifer 
Published: January 2024

Abstract For some time now, there has been a debate in German competition law about how and to what extent sustainability concerns can and should play a role in cartel, abuse of dominance and merger proceedings. Most academics and practitioners in Germany share the view that sustainability and competition law do not usually collide. Nevertheless, conflicts can arise in situations of market failure. The paper first analyses the legal provisions relevant for dealing with these in competition law matters, in particular constitutional law, European law and the German Climate Protection Act. While German competition law used to contain sustainability related exemptions, these have gradually been abolished. In addition, the paper shows that compared with older cases, the Federal Cartel Office has recently taken a more restrictive view on the extent to which sustainability issues can be considered when applying competition law. The paper then examines the case law of German authorities and courts to shed light on how competition and sustainability objectives can be reconciled, focusing on sustainability as both a sword and a shield. Finally, the paper summarizes reform proposals for the next amendment to the German Act against Restraints of Competition which has been announced to focus, inter alia, on sustainability.
Sustainability and Competition Law in Italy
Authors: Teti Elisa 
Published: January 2024

AbstractBefore outlining the sustainability initiatives with a competitive impact that have been undertaken at the Italian level by the various competent authorities, it is necessary to briefly clarify some preliminary notions concerning the concept of sustainability and ecological transitions, the role that these issues have in the framework of competition law, and the role played by the Italian Antitrust Authority (IAA) in the context of ecological transition and in explaining how in concrete terms sustainability issues intersect with antitrust issues. Finally, some specific cases related to sustainability issues investigated by the IAA will be mentioned.
Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Under Intercrop, Regenerative, and Conventional Agriculture Systems
Authors: Robdrup Melissa , Hubbard Michelle , Gorim Linda Yuya , Gorzelak Monika A. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractArbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) increase in diversity and abundance in agricultural systems that emphasize soil health practices, including regenerative agriculture and intercropping. Regenerative agriculture in principle includes any practice that increases biodiversity and living roots and integrates livestock while reducing tillage, bare soil, and agrichemical inputs. Intercropping increases biodiversity in an annual system and reduces disease prevalence and weeds while improving soil conditions and yielding more than the equivalent monocrop. These principles and practices simultaneously support AMF proliferation in soils and in turn AMF provide multiple benefits to crops. AMF colonize roots, trading photosynthates for nutrients acquired beyond the reach of the plant root system. While colonizing roots, they trigger innate plant immunity and confer resistance to some insect, fungal, and bacterial pests. Colonized plants hold more water and thus are more resistant to drought. In soils with ample AMF propagules, multiple plants are likely to become connected to their neighbors by a common mycorrhizal network (CMN). Plants connected by a CMN are likely to share beneficial microbes, resistance to disease, and resources. A better understanding of crop root traits and AMF is important to building a wholistic picture of ecological interactions that can be leveraged to maintain agricultural production in intercropped, regenerative, and conventional systems.
Further Properties of an Operator Commuting with an Injective Quasi-Nilpotent Operator
Authors: Aiena Pietro , Burderi Fabio , Triolo Salvatore 
Published: January 2024

AbstractIn (Aiena et al., Math. Proc. R. Irish Acad. 122A(2):101–116, 2022), it has been shown that a bounded linear operator $$T\in L(X)$$

T
∈
L
(
X
)

, defined on an infinite-dimensional complex Banach space X, for which there exists an injective quasi-nilpotent operator that commutes with it, has a very special structure of the spectrum. In this paper, we show that we have much more: if a such quasi-nilpotent operator does exist, then some of the spectra of T originating from B-Fredholm theory coalesce. Further, the spectral mapping theorem holds for all the B-Weyl spectra. Finally, the generalized version of Weyl type theorems hold for T assuming that T is of polaroid type. Our results apply to the operators that belong to the commutant of Volterra operators.
Mechano-regulation by clathrin pit-formation and passive cholesterol-dependent tubules during de-adhesion
Authors: Mandal Tithi , Biswas Arikta , Ghosh Tanmoy , Manikandan Sreekanth , Kundu Avijit , Banerjee Ayan , Mitra Dhrubaditya , Sinha Bidisha 
Published: January 2024

AbstractAdherent cells ensure membrane homeostasis during de-adhesion by various mechanisms, including endocytosis. Although mechano-chemical feedbacks involved in this process have been studied, the step-by-step build-up and resolution of the mechanical changes by endocytosis are poorly understood. To investigate this, we studied the de-adhesion of HeLa cells using a combination of interference reflection microscopy, optical trapping and fluorescence experiments. We found that de-adhesion enhanced membrane height fluctuations of the basal membrane in the presence of an intact cortex. A reduction in the tether force was also noted at the apical side. However, membrane fluctuations reveal phases of an initial drop in effective tension followed by saturation. The area fractions of early (Rab5-labelled) and recycling (Rab4-labelled) endosomes, as well as transferrin-labelled pits close to the basal plasma membrane, also transiently increased. On blocking dynamin-dependent scission of endocytic pits, the regulation of fluctuations was not blocked, but knocking down AP2-dependent pit formation stopped the tension recovery. Interestingly, the regulation could not be suppressed by ATP or cholesterol depletion individually but was arrested by depleting both. The data strongly supports Clathrin and AP2-dependent pit-formation to be central to the reduction in fluctuations confirmed by super-resolution microscopy. Furthermore, we propose that cholesterol-dependent pits spontaneously regulate tension under ATP-depleted conditions.
Convergence in Law of Iterates of Weakly Contractive in Mean Random-Valued Functions
Authors: Baron Karol , Kapica Rafał , Morawiec Janusz 
Published: January 2024

AbstractWe investigate the asymptotic behaviour of the sequence of forward type iterations of a given random-valued vector function on the state space being a separable and complete metric space. Assuming non-linear contraction in mean we prove that the considered sequence converges weakly to a random variable with a finite first moment and independent of the initial state. Moreover, we show that the speed of this convergence does not have to be geometric. We also present examples illustrating the result obtained.
Approximation Theorems for Complex $$\alpha $$-Bernstein–Kantorovich Operators
Authors: Kara M. , Mahmudov N. I. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractIn this paper, we introduce the complex form of$$\alpha $$α-Bernstein–Kantorovich operators. Respectively, upper quantitative estimates for the complex$$\alpha $$α-Bernstein–Kantorovich operator and its derivatives, Voronovskaya type result and the exact order of approximation of these operators are studied.
Non-targeted analytical comparison of a heated tobacco product aerosol against mainstream cigarette smoke: does heating tobacco produce an inherently different set of aerosol constituents?
Authors: Lang Gerhard , Henao Carlos , Almstetter Martin , Arndt Daniel , Goujon Catherine , Maeder Serge 
Published: January 2024

AbstractSmoking-related diseases remain a significant public health concern, and heated tobacco products (HTPs) have emerged as a potential alternative to cigarettes. While several studies have confirmed that HTP aerosols contain lower levels of harmful and potentially harmful constituents (HPHCs) than cigarette smoke, less is known about constituents that are intrinsically higher in HTP aerosols. This study provides a comprehensive comparative assessment of an HTP aerosol produced with Tobacco Heating System 2.2 (THS) and comparator cigarette (CC) smoke aiming at identifying all unique or increased compounds in THS aerosol by applying a broad set of LC–MS and GC × GC–MS methods. To focus on differences due to heating versus burning tobacco, confounding factors were minimized by using the same tobacco in both test items and not adding flavorants. Of all analytical features, only 3.5%—corresponding to 31 distinctive compounds—were significantly more abundant in THS aerosol than in CC smoke. A notable subset of these compounds was identified as reaction products of glycerol. The only compound unique to THS aerosol was traced back to its presence in a non-tobacco material in the test item and not a direct product of heating tobacco. Our results demonstrate that heating a glycerol-containing tobacco substrate to the temperatures applied in THS does not introduce new compounds in the resulting aerosol compared to CC smoke which are detectable with the method portfolio applied in this study. Overall, this study contributes to a better understanding of the chemical composition of HTP aerosols and their potential impact on human health.
Graphical Abstract
Generation of macro- and microplastic databases by high-throughput FTIR analysis with microplate readers
Authors: Cowger Win , Roscher Lisa , Jebens Hannah , Chamas Ali , Maurer Benjamin D. , Gehrke Lukas , Gerdts Gunnar , Primpke Sebastian 
Published: January 2024

AbstractFTIR spectral identification is today’s gold standard analytical procedure for plastic pollution material characterization. High-throughput FTIR techniques have been advanced for small microplastics (10–500 µm) but less so for large microplastics (500–5 mm) and macroplastics (> 5 mm). These larger plastics are typically analyzed using ATR, which is highly manual and can sometimes destroy particles of interest. Furthermore, spectral libraries are often inadequate due to the limited variety of reference materials and spectral collection modes, resulting from expensive spectral data collection. We advance a new high-throughput technique to remedy these problems using FTIR microplate readers for measuring large particles (> 500 µm). We created a new reference database of over 6000 spectra for transmission, ATR, and reflection spectral collection modes with over 600 plastic, organic, and mineral reference materials relevant to plastic pollution research. We also streamline future analysis in microplate readers by creating a new particle holder for transmission measurements using off-the-shelf parts and fabricating a nonplastic 96-well microplate for storing particles. We determined that particles should be presented to microplate readers as thin as possible due to thick particles causing poor-quality spectra and identifications. We validated the new database using Open Specy and demonstrated that additional transmission and reflection spectra reference data were needed in spectral libraries.Graphical abstract
Highly active fish in low oxygen environments: vertical movements and behavioural responses of bigeye and yellowfin tunas to oxygen minimum zones in the eastern Pacific Ocean
Authors: Humphries Nicolas E. , Fuller Daniel W. , Schaefer Kurt M. , Sims David W. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractOxygen minimum zones in the open ocean are predicted to significantly increase in volume over the coming decades as a result of anthropogenic climatic warming. The resulting reduction in dissolved oxygen (DO) in the pelagic realm is likely to have detrimental impacts on water-breathing organisms, particularly those with higher metabolic rates, such as billfish, tunas, and sharks. However, little is known about how free-living fish respond to low DO environments, and therefore, the effect increasing OMZs will have cannot be predicted reliably. Here, we compare the responses of two active predators (bigeye tuna Thunnus obesus and yellowfin tuna Thunnus albacares) to DO at depth throughout the eastern Pacific Ocean. Using time-series data from 267 tagged tunas (59,910 days) and 3D maps of modelled DO, we find that yellowfin tuna respond to low DO at depth by spending more time in shallower, more oxygenated waters. By contrast, bigeye tuna, which forage at deeper depths well below the thermocline, show fewer changes in their use of the water column. However, we find that bigeye tuna increased the frequency of brief upward vertical excursions they performed by four times when DO at depth was lower, but with no concomitant significant difference in temperature, suggesting that this behaviour is driven in part by the need to re-oxygenate following time spent in hypoxic waters. These findings suggest that increasing OMZs will impact the behaviour of these commercially important species, and it is therefore likely that other water-breathing predators with higher metabolic rates will face similar pressures. A more comprehensive understanding of the effect of shoaling OMZs on pelagic fish vertical habitat use, which may increase their vulnerability to surface fisheries, will be important to obtain if these effects are to be mitigated by future management actions.