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Abstract Aims Allogeneic stem cell therapy is more logistically suitable compared with autologous cell therapy for large‐scale patient treatment. We aim to investigate the clinical safety and efficacy profile of the allogeneic adipose tissue derived mesenchymal stromal cell product (CSCC_ASC) as an add‐on therapy in patients with chronic non‐ischaemic heart failure with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (HFrEF) 300 pg/mL (>35 pmol/L) were included and randomized 2:1 to CSCC_ASC or standard care. The primary endpoint left ventricular end systolic volume (LVESV) and other echo related parameters were analysed by an investigator blinded for treatment allocation. No difference in serious adverse events was observed between groups. LVESV decreased significantly from baseline to 6 months follow‐up in the ASC group (153.7 ± 53.2 mL and 128.7 ± 45.6 mL, P

Abstract Background Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) is minimally invasive, ambulatory endoscopic surgical procedure usually performed in most paranasal sinus diseases. Controlled hypotension during anaesthesia (hypotensive anesthesia) improves surgical field visibility and reduces risk of injuring surrounding structures. Clonidine (C) and dexmedetomidine (D) are both used to reduce blood pressure and heart rate while maintaining tissue perfusion. This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of clonidine compared to dexmedetomidine for controlled hypotension during FESS. Methods After ethical approval, 80 patients undergoing elective FESS were included in the study and randomly allocated to Group C or Group D. In Group C, 40 patients received intravenous clonidine with a loading dose of 3µg/Kg for 10 min and titrated maintenance dose of 0.4–0.8 µg/Kg/hour. In Group D patients received intravenous dexmedetomidine with a loading dose of 1µg/Kg for 10 min and titrated maintenance dose of 0.4–0.8µg/Kg/hour. The target was mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) between 55 and 65 mmHg and heart rate (HR) above 50 beats per minute. The primary outcome was blood loss. The secondary outcomes were surgical field quality assessed by Fromme Bezooart score, variations in MAP and HR intraoperatively, duration of surgery and anesthesia, and post-operative sedation assessed by Ramsay Sedation Score (RSS). Results Demographic data of both groups were comparable. The difference between both groups in terms of blood loss and surgical field quality was not statistically significant (p = 0.579, 1.000). MAP and HR were statistically significantly reduced to targeted level in both groups compared to baseline (p

Abstract Background Given the rapid proliferation and use of online health resources, many of which may be of dubious quality, there is an increasing need to develop electronic health literacy (e-health literacy) skills among the population of internet users. E-health literacy encompasses the skills and abilities needed to access, understand, validate, evaluate, interpret, and apply online health-related information. Measuring e-health literacy has become crucial for developing targeted interventions, assessing their impact, and producing high-quality research findings that can inform health policy and clinical practice, which can lead to improved health outcomes and potentially reducing health inequalities. The scales need to be valid and reliable so that decisions are based on high-quality data. In this regard, the issue of the measurement invariance of scales across different demographic groups has been neglected. This is critical, as assessments should be valid across different sociodemographic groups to avoid bias when comparing them. The aim of this study was to validate the Extended e-health literacy scale (eHEALS-E) on general population and investigate its structural validity and internal consistency, construct validity in terms of convergent and discriminant validity, and examine its measurement invariance across gender, age, education and social status. Methods The data were collected as a part of a national health literacy survey conducted by the Slovenian National Institute of Public Health. For this survey the initial eHEALS-E scale was revised in order to address its limitations and applicability to general population. Based on a nationally representative sample, the final sample for the analysis comprised 1,944 individuals who at least occasionally used one of the various internet services to obtain health-related information. Multiple group confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine the measurement invariance of the scale. Results With some adjustments, the measurement model of the revised 6-dimensional eHEALS-E scale demonstrated a good fit to the data (χ2 = 2508, df = 282, RMSEA = 0.064, SRMR = 0.070, CFI = 0.90). The scale had good internal consistency (alpha = 0.89). Although evidence of the scale’s convergent and discriminant validity was partially provided, the analysis revealed robust measurement invariance across sociodemographic groups. Conclusions With a minor limitation, the scale ensures an unbiased e-health literacy assessment across different social groups, which is crucial for interventions that aim to reduce health-related social inequalities. This ensures that the interventions derived from the assessment of reality are equally valid and effective for everyone, regardless of their sociodemographic background.

The persistence and toxicity of hazardous pollutants present in wastewater effluents require the development of efficient and sustainable treatment methods to protect water resources. In this study, the efficacy and efficiency of a novel combination of two advanced oxidation processes – sub-atmospheric-pressure plasma and hydrodynamic cavitation – were systematically tested for the removal of valsartan (VAL), sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, naproxen, diclofenac (DF), tramadol, propyphenazone, carbamazepine, 17β-estradiol (E2) and bisphenol A (BPA). The results show that both sample temperature and plasma power play a role and the highest removal, from 29–99 %, was achieved at 25 ℃ and 53 W of plasma power. E2, BPA, DF, and VAL were removed to the highest degree. These results are particularly important in the case of E2 and BPA, whose harmful environmental effects may start to occur already at sub-ng/L to µg/L levels. The differences in the removals obtained depend strongly on the physicochemical properties, and the compounds with the highest logKOW were removed to the highest extent. The energy yield, in terms of plasma power, was between 1 and 26 mg/kWh under optimal experimental conditions. Our results show that the novel plasma-cavitation treatment shows potential that could prove valuable for upcoming regulatory requirements.

In this paper, we analyze a perturbed formulation of bilevel optimization problems, which we refer to as δ-perturbed formulation. The δ-perturbed formulation allows to handle the lower level optimization problem efficiently when there are multiple lower level optimal solutions. By using an appropriate perturbation strategy for the optimistic or pessimistic formulation, one can ensure that the optimization problem at the lower level contains only a single (approximate) optimal solution for any given decision at the upper level. The optimistic or the pessimistic bilevel optimal solution can then be efficiently searched for by algorithms that rely on solving the lower level optimization problem multiple times during the solution search procedure. The δ-perturbed formulation is arrived at by adding the upper level objective function to the lower level objective function after multiplying the upper level objective by a small positive/negative δ. We provide a proof that the δ-perturbed formulation is approximately equivalent to the original optimistic or pessimistic formulation and give an error bound for the approximation. We apply this scheme to a class of algorithms that attempts to solve optimistic and pessimistic variants of bilevel optimization problems by repeatedly solving the lower level optimization problem.

Predmet analize so simfonična dela Vladimirja Lovca, ki sicer ne predstavljajo osrednjega dela skladateljevega opusa, gotovo pa odsek, ki kaže splošne skladateljeve estetske in poetološke značilnosti. V estetskem pogledu je avtor zavezan tradicionalnemu izrazu, ki pa ga skuša mestoma eklektično dopolnjevati še z drugimi slogi preteklosti. Pri tem se kot posebej izstopajoče pokaže, da avtor, kljub raznolikim slogovnim impulzom, zelo pogosto sledi lastnim oblikovalnim postopkom, torej poetološkim načelom, ob katerih se zazdi, da je potrebno Lovčev opus motriti v njegovem odnosu do evropskega in slovenskega modernizma.

V zadnjih 30 letih od prvega opisa v strokovni literaturi je sindrom takotsubo postal prepoznavna in uveljavljena klinična entiteta. Podatki kažejo, da znaša prevalenca bolnikov s sindromom takotsubo približno 1–3 % vseh bolnikov z elevacijami spojnice ST in simptomi, ki posnemajo akutni koronarni sindrom. Hkrati približno 4 % bolnikov po akutni fazi sindroma takotsubo vsaj enkrat ponovno zboli za to boleznijo. Gre za vrsto akutnega srčnega popuščanja neishemične etiologije s sorazmerno hitrim okrevanjem krčljivosti miokarda. Sindrom pogosto sproži močan stresni dogodek, ali fizični (npr. sepsa) oz. psihični (npr. izguba bližnjega), pri približno tretjini bolnikov pa jasnega sprožilnega dogodka ne uspemo zanesljivo opredeliti. Glede na klinični potek v akutni fazi bolezni bolnike s sindromom takotsubo delimo v 2 podskupini; bolnike s simptomi akutnega koronarnega sindroma in bolnike s simptomi, katerih simptomi niso v skladu z akutnim koronarnim sindromom. Zaradi nespecifičnih simptomov in znakov je prepoznavanje bolnikov s sindromom takotsubo še vedno diagnostični izziv. Hipoteze o hitrem okrevanju krčljivosti srčne mišice in ugodnem poteku bolezni so nedavno izzvali izsledki novejših raziskav, ki so pokazali primerljivo smrtnost in pogostost akutnih srčno-žilnih zapletov med bolniki s sindromom takotsubo in akutnim koronarnim sindromom. Prav tako novejši podatki kažejo, da podskupina bolnikov po akutni fazi sindroma takotsubo lahko razvije kronično srčno popuščanje. Sindrom takotsubo tako ni benigna bolezen in zahteva nove pristope k diagnostični in terapevtski obravnavi teh bolnikov. V članku želimo predstaviti novosti za razumevanje patogeneze in novosti pri obravnavi bolnikov s sindromom takotsubo in spremljati svoje izkušnje pri obravnavi teh bolnikov.

Abstract Background Recent data indicated similar growth performance of young calves fed solely high-quality hay instead of a starter diet based on starchy ingredients. Yet, providing exclusively such distinct carbohydrate sources during early life might specifically prime the microbiota and gene expression along the gut of young calves, which remains to be explored. We investigated the effects of starter diets differing in carbohydrate composition, that is medium- or high-quality hay and without or with 70% concentrate supplementation (on fresh matter basis), across the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of weaned Holstein calves (100 ± 4 days of age) using 16 S rRNA gene sequencing and analyses of short-chain fatty acids and host epithelial gene expressions. Results The concentrate supplementation drastically decreased microbial diversity throughout the gut, which was also true to a much lesser extent for high-quality hay when compared to medium-quality hay in the foregut. Similarly, the factor concentrate strongly shaped the diet-associated common core microbiota, which was substantially more uniform along the gut with concentrate supplementation. The fermentation profile shifted towards less acetate but more propionate with concentrate supplementation in almost all gut sections, corresponding with higher abundances of starch-utilizing bacteria, while major fibrolytic clusters declined. Noteworthy, the n-butyrate proportion decreased in the rumen and increased in the colon with concentrate, showing an opposite, gut site-dependent effect. Both dietary factors modestly influenced the host epithelial gene expression. Conclusions Concentrate supplementation clearly primed the microbial ecosystem on a starch-targeted fermentation with characteristic genera occupying this niche along the entire GIT of calves, whereas the microbial differentiation due to hay quality was less distinct. Overall, changes in the microbial ecosystem were only marginally reflected in the targeted transcriptional profile of the host epithelium.

Abstract Since the onset of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Belgium, UZ/KU Leuven has played a crucial role as the National Reference Centre (NRC) for respiratory pathogens, to be the first Belgian laboratory to develop and implement laboratory developed diagnostic assays for SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) and later to assess the quality of commercial kits. To meet the growing demand for decentralised testing, both clinical laboratories and government-supported high-throughput platforms were gradually deployed across Belgium. Consequently, the role of the NRC transitioned from a specialised testing laboratory to strengthening capacity and coordinating quality assurance. Here, we outline the measures taken by the NRC, the national public health institute Sciensano and the executing clinical laboratories to ensure effective quality management of molecular testing throughout the initial two years of the pandemic (March 2020 to March 2022).

This paper presents a systematic approach to enhancing ISO 26262, a widely adopted standard for automotive functional safety, by integrating Machine Learning (ML)-specific life cycle phases and testing methods for Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL) A/B. With the increasing incorporation of ML techniques in automotive systems, the current ISO 26262 framework reveals significant gaps in addressing ML-specific safety requirements. While ISO/DPAS 8800 provides an approach for developing AI systems that meet some safety properties, it does not provide a mapping concept for ASIL classification of ML systems. Furthermore, given the complexity of ML techniques in automotive systems, issues such as interpretability—critical for transparency and accountability—along with robustness and uncertainty handling, pose significant challenges that are not fully addressed by ISO 26262 and ISO/DPAS 8800. This study identifies and addresses these gaps by defining three additional life cycle phases: prepare data, train ML model, and deploy ML model. For each life cycle phase, we establish desired properties such as robustness, uncertainty handling, and interpretability, and propose suitable methods to achieve these properties. We adopt a rigorous evaluation framework inspired by IEC 61508 to assess the effectiveness of these methods. Since the method recommendations of ISO 26262 for ML-based products are incomplete, the approach presented in this paper provides critical guidance and room for expert assessment and independent certification, ensuring solid and reliable recommendations. This systematic, clear, uniform development procedure not only supports product teams in achieving their safety goals but also facilitates the certification process, reducing ambiguity and enhancing the overall safety and reliability of ML-based automotive systems.

Cellulose produced by bacteria (BC) is considered a promising material for the textile industry, but the fragile and sensitive nature of BC membranes limits their broad applicability. Production of all-cellulose biocomposites, in which the BC is cultivated in situ on a cotton fabric, could solve this problem, but here a new issue arises, namely poor adhesion. To overcome this challenge, cotton fabric was modified with low-pressure oxygen plasma in either afterglow, E-mode, or H-mode. All-cellulose biocomposites were prepared in situ by placing the samples of cotton fabric in BC culture medium and incubating for 7 days to allow BC microfibril networks to form on the fabric. Modification of cotton fabric with oxygen plasma afterglow led to additional functionalization with polar groups, and modification with oxygen plasma in H-mode led also to etching and surface roughening of the cotton fibers, which improved the adhesion within the biocomposite. In addition, these biocomposites showed higher deformation capacities. Modification of the cotton fabric over a longer period in E-mode was found to be unsuitable, as this caused strong etching, which led to the defibrillation of cotton fibers and poor adhesion of BC. This study highlights the potential of low-pressure plasma treatment as an environmentally friendly method to improve the performance of cellulose-based biocomposites.

An appropriately designed pharmacokinetic (PK) assay that is sensitive for anti-drug antibody (ADA) impact on relevant exposure is an alternative strategy to understand the neutralizing potential of ADAs. However, guidance on how to develop such PK assays and how to confirm the functional ADA impact on exposure is missing. Here, the PK assay of a T-cell-engaging bispecific antibody, cibisatamab, was developed based on its mechanism of action (MoA). Using critical monoclonal anti-idiotypic (anti-ID) antibody positive controls as ADA surrogates, the impact on exposure was evaluated pre-clinically. In a phase I clinical trial (NCT02324257), initial data suggest that the combination of ADA and PK assays for correlation of the ADA response with cibisatamab exposure. To understand the neutralizing potential of patient-derived ADAs on drug activity, advanced ADA characterization has been performed. Structural binding analysis of ADAs to antibody domains of the drug and its impact on targeting were assessed. For this purpose, relevant patient ADA binding features were identified and compared with the specific monoclonal anti-ID antibody-positive controls. Comparable results of target binding inhibition and similar impacts on exposure suggest that the observed reduction of Cmax and Ctrough levels in patients is caused by the neutralizing potential of ADAs and allows a correlation between ADA response and loss of exposure. Therefore, the described study provides important functional aspects for the development of an appropriately designed PK assay for bispecific antibodies as an alternative option towards understanding the neutralizing ADA impact on exposure.

Abstract One-way quantum repeaters where loss and operational errors are counteracted by quantum error-correcting codes can ensure fast and reliable qubit transmission in quantum networks. It is crucial that the resource requirements of such repeaters, for example, the number of qubits per repeater node and the complexity of the quantum error-correcting operations are kept to a minimum to allow for near-future implementations. To this end, we propose a one-way quantum repeater that targets both the loss and operational error rates in a communication channel in a resource-efficient manner using code concatenation. Specifically, we consider a tree-cluster code as an inner loss-tolerant code concatenated with an outer 5-qubit code for protection against Pauli errors. Adopting flag-based stabilizer measurements, we show that intercontinental distances of up to 10,000 km can be bridged with a minimized resource overhead by interspersing repeater nodes that each specialize in suppressing either loss or operational errors. Our work demonstrates how tailored error-correcting codes can significantly lower the experimental requirements for long-distance quantum communication.

Omejujoči dejavnik kratkoročnega preživetja pri bolnikih po presaditvi srca je zavrnitev presadka, dolgoročno preživetje pa omejuje predvsem vaskulopatija presadka. Za bolnike po presaditvi srca je ključnega pomena, da morebitno zavrnitveno reakcijo ali pa vaskulopatijo presadka odkrijemo v zgodnji fazi bolezni, ko so terapevtski ukrepi še učinkoviti in presadek še ni nepovratno poškodovan. Danes je prva izbira pri diagnosticiranju vaskulopatije koronarografija, zlati standard pri diagnosticiranju zavrnitvene reakcije pa je endomiokardna biopsija. Zaradi invazivnosti, potrebe po hospitalni obravnavi in suboptimalni občutljivosti obeh preiskav se vse več raziskav usmerja v neinvazivne diagnostične pristope, med katerimi se je kot obetajoča preiskava izkazalo zlasti magnetnoresonančno slikanje srca. V preglednem članku bomo predstavili uporabnost magnetnoresonančnega slikanja srca pri bolnikih s presajenim srcem, njegove prednosti in izhodišča za razvoj pri zgodnjem diagnosticiranju zavrnitvenih reakcij in vaskulopatije presadka v prihodnosti.

Abstract Efficient traffic management is essential in modern urban areas. The development of intelligent traffic flow prediction systems can help to reduce travel times and maximize road capacity utilization. However, accurately modeling complex spatiotemporal dependencies can be a difficult task, especially when real-time data collection is not possible. This study aims to tackle this challenge by proposing a solution that incorporates extensive feature engineering to combine historical traffic patterns with covariates such as weather data and public holidays. The proposed approach is assessed using a new real-world data set of traffic patterns collected in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The constructed models are evaluated for their accuracy and hyperparameter sensitivity, providing insights into their performance. By providing practical solutions for real-world scenarios, the proposed approach offers an effective means to improve traffic flow prediction without relying on real-time data.

Flavius Claudius Julianus, often referred to as “Julian the Apostate,” ruled the Roman Empire from early 360 AD until his death in battle on June 26th, 363 AD. Despite his brief reign, Julian undertook sig­nificant reforms targeting various aspects of public life, including the administration and provincial governance. This paper focuses on his administrative activities in Illyricum, where he resided in 361 AD while campaigning against Constantius II. While facing immediate tactical concerns during his campaign, Julian reportedly engaged in imperial administrative duties within Illyricum, as documented by historian Ammianus Marcellinus and panegyrist Claudius Mamertinus. This research delves into Ammianus’ account to analyze Julian’s adminis­trative acts in Illyricum and subsequently across the Roman Empire.

Precise knowledge of cropland productivity is relevant for farmers to enable optimizing managing practices; particularly with the perspective of anticipating crop yield ahead of harvest. The current availability of high spatiotemporal resolution Sentinel-2 satellite data offers a unique opportunity to monitor croplands over time. In this context, the recently introduced kernel NDVI (kNDVI) statistically optimizes the conventional NDVI formulation by applying a nonlinear function to the involved bands, and so maximizes the spectral information extraction. This study proposes a workflow for within-field yield forecasting from Sentinel-2 kNDVI time series analysis focusing on winter cereal croplands in Switzerland over three years, comparing with NDVI as baseline. For a temporally continuous modelling of crop yields, Gaussian Process Regression (GPR) was applied to reconstruct cloud-free time series of the complete crop growing seasons. Following, distinct machine learning regression models (GPR, Kernel Ridge Regression and Random Forest) were developed to forecast yield at any point in time throughout the cropland growing season. The integration of Growing Degree Days (GDD) information as temporal spacing reference of the time series considerably improved the accuracy and consistency of in-season yield forecasting. Training and testing within the same year demonstrated that yield can be accurately forecast approximately 2–2.5 months ahead of harvest, at crops’ anthesis (flowering) phase, with an RMSE up to 0.71 t/ha and a relative RMSE of 7.60%. Although the forecasting accuracy of the models decreased when predicting yield for the unseen years, still satisfactory results were obtained: RMSE = 0.97 t/ha, relative RMSE = 11.47%.

Scientific and philosophical accounts of cognition and perception have traditionally focused on the brain and external sense organs. The extended view of embodied cognition suggests including other parts of the body in these processes. However, one organ has often been overlooked: the gut. Frequently conceptualized as merely a tube for digesting food, there is much more to the gut than meets the eye. Having its own enteric nervous system, sometimes referred to as the “second brain,” the gut is also an immune organ and has a large surface area interacting with gut microbiota. The gut has been shown to play an important role in many physiological processes, and may arguably do so as well in perception and cognition. We argue that proposals of embodied perception and cognition should take into account the role of the “gut complex,” which considers the enteric nervous, endocrine, immune, and microbiota systems as well as gut tissue and mucosal structures. The gut complex is an interface between bodily tissues and the “internalized external environment” of the gut lumen, involved in many aspects of organismic activity beyond food intake. We thus extend current embodiment theories and suggest a more inclusive account of how to “mind the gut” in studying cognitive processes.

Among Slovenian modernist composers, Darijan Božič dedicated the largest part of his work to musical theatre. The genre classifications of his works show that the composer constantly searched for a new form of musical theatre. It would appear that he finally settled on a medium that could almost be designated as a “radio play”, with an emphasis usually on the spoken word, accompanied by occasional interventions of instrumental music. Over time, these interventions appeared to lose their modernist edge (harmonic clusters) and approach postmodernism by juxtaposing diverse elements. Thus, a characteristic of Božic’s works is their double imbalance: the language strongly dominates the music, while at the same time, the composer’s desire to implement avant-garde theatrical procedures in an institutional opera house seems unusual.

Med slovenskimi skladateljskimi modernisti je glasbenemu gledališču največ pozornosti namenil Darijan Božič. Obravnavana so njegova glasbenogledališka dela, pri čemer je že iz žanrskih podnaslovov posameznih del razvidno, da je skladatelj ves čas iskal novo formo za glasbenogledališko delo. Zdi se, da jo je našel v nekakšnem napol »radijskem« mediju – nosilno težo ima po navadi govorjena beseda, ki jo v obliki zvočne opreme spremljajo redke instrumentalne zvočne intervencije. Te skozi čas izgubljajo modernistično ostrino (harmonski grozdi) in se s sopostavljanjem raznolikega približujejo postmodernizmu. Tako se za Božičeva dela kot značilna izkaže dvojna neuravnoteženost – beseda močno prevlada nad glasbo, hkrati pa se zdi nenavadna skladateljeva želja, da avantgardne gledališke postopke skuša uresničiti v institucionalnem opernem gledališču.

Abstract Early marine cementation is a fundamental process for many characteristics of carbonates, like the stabilisation of steep slopes. The genesis of early cements is often attributed to physicochemical processes but there is evidence for microbial mediation. To elucidate the role of microbes and associated organic material, in vitro experiments were undertaken in the presence and absence of indigenous microbiota in ooids from Schooner Cays, Bahamas and compared with native grapestones from Joulter Cays, Bahamas. Microscopic examinations by stereomicroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and thin section analysis of in vitro incubations with native flora document rapid grain fusion, resulting in the formation of grapestones within 30–60 days. The initial binding of the grains is primarily facilitated by exudates of extracellular polymeric substances and microbial communities acting as catalysts in the formation of micritic bridges, cements and encrusted aggregates. In vitro grapestones are similar to native grapestones from Joulter Cays with intergranular areas infested with extracellular polymeric substances, microbes, micritic cements, amorphous calcium carbonate nanograins and micritised outer surfaces. These similarities suggest that incubations with native flora follow similar mineralisation mechanisms as in the natural environment. In contrast, sterilised grains remain loose with little crystal formation after 60 days and are devoid of microbes and organic exudates. Owing to the near absence of precipitates, abiotic precipitation is not the driving force promoting early cements. In contrast, grain fusion is microbially mediated via both a passive mechanism, where extracellular polymeric substances and cell surfaces function as templates for crystal nucleation and generation of micritic cements, and through an active mechanism by which biofilm heterotrophs and autotrophs induce chemical alterations of a local environment, facilitating precipitation. This study underscores that microbially mediated cementation can occur at fast rates and that firmground to hardgrounds and slope stabilisation take place shortly after deposition of carbonate grains.

Abstract Background Hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia may develop during anaesthesia and surgery in children and can lead to severe adverse clinical outcomes. No study, as far as we know, has investigated glucose homeostasis in children undergoing surgery in Malawi. The aim of this study was to assess perioperative glucose levels of the children undergoing anaesthesia at Mercy James Centre (MJC) for Paediatric Surgery, Blantyre, Malawi. Methodology This was an observational cross-sectional study. We looked at 100 children aged 1 day to 15 years anaesthetised at MJC. Data were analysed using SPSS 28. Student t test and Analysis of the variance (ANOVA) were used to compare means. The level of significance was 5%. Results Male children represented 68%. The median age was 2.2 years. Sixten percents of patient were underweight. Fasting times were prolonged for 87%. Maintenance IV fluid with 2.5% dextrose was given to 14%. Overall, there was a significant increase of glycaemia from induction of anaesthesia to the end of the procedure. Hypoglycaemia was rare. The mean fasting glycaemia was 99.04 mg/dL ± 1.8, 116.95 mg/dL ± 34.2 at 30 min into the procedure and 127.62 mg/dL ± 46.8 at the end of the procedure. The differences in means were statistically significant (p

Carbon deposits consisting of vertically oriented multilayer graphene sheets on metallic foils represent an interesting alternative to activated carbon in electrical and electrochemical devices such as super-capacitors because of the superior electrical conductivity of graphene and huge surface–mass ratio. The graphene sheets were deposited on cobalt foils by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition using propane as the carbon precursor. Plasma was sustained by an inductively coupled radiofrequency discharge in the H mode at a power of 500 W and a propane pressure of 17 Pa. The precursor effectively dissociated in plasma conditions and enabled the growth of porous films consisting of multilayer graphene sheets. The deposition rate varied with time and peaked at 100 nm/s. The evolution of surface wettability was determined by the sessile drop method. The untreated substrates were moderately hydrophobic at a water contact angle of about 110°. The contact angle dropped to about 50° after plasma treatment for less than a second and increased monotonously thereafter. The maximal contact angle of 130° appeared at a treatment time of about 30 s. Thereafter, it slowly decreased, with a prolonged deposition time. The evolution of the wettability was explained by surface composition and morphology. A brief treatment with oxygen plasma enabled a super-hydrophilic surface finish of the films consisting of multilayer graphene sheets.

Unlike business process diagrams, where ISO/IEC 19510 (BPMN 2.0) prevails, high-level process landscape diagrams are being designed using a variety of standard- or semi-standard-based notations. Consequently, landscape diagrams differ among organizations, domains, and modeling tools. As (process landscape) diagrams need to be understandable in order to communicate effectively and thus form the basis for valid business decisions, this study aims to empirically validate the cognitive effectiveness of common landscape designs, including those BPMN-L-based, which represent a standardized extension of BPMN 2.0 specifically aimed at landscape modeling. Empirical research with 298 participants was conducted in which cognitive effectiveness was investigated by observing the speed, ease, accuracy, and efficiency of answering questions related to semantically equivalent process landscape diagrams modeled in three different notations: value chains, ArchiMate, and BPMN-L. The results demonstrate that BPMN-L-based diagrams performed better than value chain- and ArchiMate-based diagrams concerning speed, accuracy, and efficiency; however, subjects perceived BPMN-L-based diagrams as being less easy to use when compared to their counterparts. The results indicate that differences in cognitive effectiveness measures may result from the design principles of the underlying notations, specifically the complexity of the visual vocabulary and semiotic clarity, which states that modeling concepts should have unique visualizations.

Po smrti skladatelja Janeza Matičiča (1926–2022) je del njegove zapuščine ostal tudi v njegovem pariškem stanovanju. Ta zapuščina zaobsega skladateljeve dokumente, korespondenco, arhiv fotografij, fonoteko, notni material in nekaj osebnih ter tehničnih predmetov. Najzanimivejši del gotovo predstavlja korespondenca, v kateri prevladujejo pisma, ki so jih skladatelju pisali člani družine, nato pa tudi intimni prijatelji in glasbeniški sopotniki. Iz teh pisem je bilo mogoče izluščiti nekatere nove podrobnosti o skladateljevem pariškem vsakdanu in tudi nekaj novih razlogov, zakaj je skladatelj namesto treh mesecev v Parizu ostal nekaj desetletij. Spoznanja o skladateljevi osebnosti je bilo mogoče povezati z nekateri njegovimi osrednjimi estetskimi in kompozicijsko-tehničnimi značilnostmi.

Water scarcity, one of the most pressing challenges we face today, has developed for many reasons, including the increasing number of waterborne pollutants that affect the safety of the water environment. Waterborne human, animal and plant viruses represent huge health, environmental, and financial burden and thus it is important to efficiently inactivate them. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to construct a unique device combining plasma with supercavitation and to evaluate its efficiency for water decontamination with the emphasis on inactivation of viruses. High inactivation (>5 log10 PFU/mL) of bacteriophage MS2, a human enteric virus surrogate, was achieved after treatment of 0.43 L of recirculating water for up to 4 min. The key factors in the inactivation were short-lived reactive plasma species that damaged viral RNA. Water treated with plasma for a short time required for successful virus inactivation did not cause cytotoxic effects in the in vitro HepG2 cell model system or adverse effects on potato plant physiology. Therefore, the combined plasma-supercavitation device represents an environmentally-friendly technology that could provide contamination-free and safe water.

Postopna digitalizacija družbe prinaša jasne spremembe tudi v krajino sodobne nove glasbe. Na podlagi zgodnjih teoretičnih premis o digitalizaciji nove glasbe sta analizirana prva festivala Forum nove glasbe. Analiza in primerjava s predhodnim Festivalom Slowind pokaže, da je novi festival jasno zaznamovan z digitalizacijo. Izkaže se, da je ta v prehodnem stadiju, kar se na estetski ravni kaže v številnih raznolikih kombinacijah digitalnega, »analognega«, konceptualnega, narativnega in abstraktnega.

Pri več kot 85 % žensk med vaginalnim porodom pride do določene stopnje poškodbe presredka, pri čemer se obporodne poškodbe analnega sfinktra pojavljajo v povprečju pri 0,5–7 % vseh vaginalnih porodov. Kar 20–40 % primerov obporodnih poškodb analnega sfinktra je prikritih ali spregledanih, zato jih je izjemno pomembno prepoznati. Če odkrijemo poškodbo analnega sfinktra, jo je treba oskrbeti v operacijski dvorani. Pred kirurško oskrbo moramo zagotoviti ustrezno osvetlitev in analgezijo ter rano natančno pregledati. Anorektalno sluznico zašijemo s posameznimi ali kontinuiranimi šivi, notranji analni sfinkter pa s posameznimi ali t. i. šivi mattress. Pri poškodbah zunanjega analnega sfinktra, ki zajemajo celotno dolžino in debelino mišice, lahko uporabimo bodisi tehniko šivanja konec s koncem bodisi tehniko prekrivanja, pri delnih poškodbah pa tehniko konec s koncem. Na koncu zašijemo še mišice in kožo presredka. Perioperativno je treba uporabiti antibiotično zaščito in odvajala. Po obporodni poškodbi analnega sfinktra je potrebno bolnico spremljati. Prvi pregled naj bo 6 do 12 tednov po porodu. Najpogostejše posledice poškodb analnega sfinktra so bolečina v presredku, bolečine ob spolnih odnosih in druge težave v spolnosti ter analna inkontinenca, ki se pojavi v 15–61 % primerov. Potrebno je opraviti svetovanje glede načina poroda v naslednji nosečnosti, saj se ponovna poškodba analnega sfinktra pojavi v 4–8 %.

Ad multos annos

Markomanske vojne so bile največji in najobsežnejši oboroženi spo­pad rimske vojske in barbarskih plemen ob osrednjem Podonavju – Markomanov, Kvadov in Sarmatov skupaj s še drugimi plemeni. Vojne z germanskimi plemeni so svoje prve kali kazale že v obdobju Antonina Pija, miroljubnega predhodnika Marka Avrelija, ki je težnje uzurpatorjev skrbno umirjal s konsistentnim pacifizmom. V Panonijo so prihajala poslanstva germanskih kraljevin izza Donave, ki so vznemirjala z vestmi o premikih barbarskih ljudstev s severa. Trgovanje barbarskih ljudstev z rimskimi državljani na mejah rimske države in migracije v germanskem bazenu plemen so v pasu ob limesu predstavljali težnje le-teh po dodatnem habitatu znotraj imperija. Apijan piše, da so poslanstva teh plemen prišla celo v Rim k cesarju Antoninu Piju in ga prosila za sprejem v imperij. Kontinuirani pritiski so eskalirali najverjetneje v l. 166, ko je bil velik del rimske garnizije stacioniran na vzhodni meji v boju s Parti. Limes je bil v tem obdobju slabo zavarovan, saj so bile čete legij, stacioniranih od Rena do Donave, poslane na fronto s Parti. Kljub prizadevanju cesarskih namestnikov v obeh Panonijah, da bi preprečili izbruh vojne na utrjeni državni meji z Donavo, je barbarom uspel preboj čez limes in posledično prodor vse do Akvileje in Opitergija. Boleča zavest o ranljivosti Italije, ki jo je avgustejski mir (Pax Romana) uspaval za več rodov, je prinesla nagel zasuk v obrambi. Pričujoče besedilo pretresa dva glavna vira za dogodke med germansko-sarmatsko vojno in postavlja vprašanja o odsotnosti omemb pomembnega obrambnega sistema, t.i. »Pre­tenture Italije in Alp«.

Introduction: Rising industrial emissions of carbon dioxide and methane highlight the important role of carbon sinks and sources in fast-changing northern landscapes. Northern lake systems play a key role in regulating organic carbon input by accumulating carbon in their sediment. Here we look at the lake history of 28 lakes (between 50°N and 80°N) over the past 21,000 years to explore the relationship between carbon accumulation in lakes and temperature changes.Method: For this study, we calculated organic carbon accumulation rates (OCAR) using measured and newly generated organic carbon and dry bulk density data. To estimate new data, we used and evaluated seven different regression techniques in addition to a log-linear model as our base model. We also used combined age-depth modeling to derive sedimentation rates and the TraCE-21ka climate reanalysis dataset to understand temperature development since the Last Glacial Maximum. We determined correlation between temperature and OCAR by using four different correlation coefficients.Results: In our data collection, we found a slightly positive association between OCAR and temperature. OCAR values peaked during warm periods Bølling Allerød (38.07 g·m−2·yr−1) and the Early Holocene (40.68 g·m−2·yr−1), while lowest values occurred during the cold phases of Last Glacial Maximum (9.47 g·m−2·yr−1) and Last Deglaciation (10.53 g·m−2·yr−1). However, high temperatures did not directly lead to high OCAR values.Discussion: We assume that rapid warming events lead to high carbon accumulation in lakes, but as warming progresses, this effect appears to change as increased microbial activity triggers greater outgassing. Despite the complexity of environmental forcing mechanisms affecting individual lake systems, our study showed statistical significance between measured OCAR and modelled paleotemperature for 11 out of 28 lakes. We concluded that air temperature alone appears to drive the carbon accumulation in lakes. We expected that other factors (catchment vegetation, permafrost, and lake characteristics) would influence accumulation rates, but could not discover a conclusive factor that had a statistical significant impact. More data available on long-term records from northern lake systems could lead to more confidence and accuracy on the matter.

While the advantages of photonic quantum computing, including direct compatibility with communication, are apparent, several imperfections such as loss and distinguishability presently limit actual implementations. These imperfections are unlikely to be completely eliminated, and it is therefore beneficial to investigate which of these are the most dominant and what is achievable under their presence. In this work, we provide an in-depth investigation of the influence of photon loss, multi-photon terms and photon distinguishability on the generation of photonic 3-partite Greenberger–Horne–Zeilinger states via established fusion protocols. We simulate the generation process for spontaneous parametric down-conversion and solid-state-based single-photon sources using realistic parameters and show that different types of imperfections are dominant with respect to the fidelity and generation success probability. Our results indicate what are the dominant imperfections for the different photon sources and in which parameter regimes we can hope to implement photonic quantum computing in the near future.

Abstract The transition from milk to solid diets drastically impacts the gut microbiome of calves. We explored the microbial communities of ruminal fluid and feces of Holstein calves when fed milk on d 7 of life, and when fed solid feeds based on either medium- or high-quality hay with or without concentrate inclusion (70% in fresh matter) on d 91. Ruminal fluid and feces had distinct microbial compositions already on d 7, showing that niche specialization in early-life gut is rather diet-independent. Changes between d 7 and d 91 were accompanied by a general increase in microbial diversity. Solid diets differed largely in their carbohydrate composition, being reflected in major changes on d 91, whereby concentrate inclusion was the main driver for differences among groups and strongly decreased microbial diversity in both matrices. Fecal enterotyping revealed two clusters: concentrate-supplemented animals had an enterotype prevalent in Prevotella, Succinivibrio and Anaerovibrio, whereas the enterotype of animals without concentrate was dominated by fibrolytic Ruminococcaceae. Hay quality also affected microbial composition and, compared to medium-quality, high-quality hay reduced alpha-diversity metrics. Concluding, our study revealed that concentrate inclusion, more than hay quality, dictates the establishment of niche-specific, microbial communities in the rumen and feces of calves.

Abstract Microbialites and peloids are commonly associated throughout the geologic record. Proterozoic carbonate megafacies are composed predominantly of micritic and peloidal limestones often interbedded with stromatolitic textures. The association is also common throughout carbonate ramps and platforms during the Phanerozoic. Recent investigations reveal that Hamelin Pool, located in Shark Bay, Western Australia, is a microbial carbonate factory that provides a modern analog for the microbialite-micritic sediment facies associations that are so prevalent in the geologic record. Hamelin Pool contains the largest known living marine stromatolite system in the world. Although best known for the constructive microbial processes that lead to formation of these stromatolites, our comprehensive mapping has revealed that erosion and degradation of weakly lithified microbial mats in Hamelin Pool leads to the extensive production and accumulation of sand-sized micritic grains. Over 40 km2 of upper intertidal shoreline in the pool contain unlithified to weakly lithified microbial pustular sheet mats, which erode to release irregular peloidal grains. In addition, over 20 km2 of gelatinous microbial mats, with thin brittle layers of micrite, colonize subtidal pavements. When these gelatinous mats erode, the micritic layers break down to form platey, micritic intraclasts with irregular boundaries. Together, the irregular micritic grains from pustular sheet mats and gelatinous pavement mats make up nearly 26% of the total sediment in the pool, plausibly producing ~ 24,000 metric tons of microbial sediment per year. As such, Hamelin Pool can be seen as a microbial carbonate factory, with construction by lithifying microbial mats forming microbialites, and erosion and degradation of weakly lithified microbial mats resulting in extensive production of sand-sized micritic sediments. Insight from these modern examples may have direct applicability for recognition of sedimentary deposits of microbial origin in the geologic record.

Abstract Objectives The purpose of this study is to provide expert consensus recommendations to establish a global ultrasound curriculum for undergraduate medical students. Methods 64 multi-disciplinary ultrasound experts from 16 countries, 50 multi-disciplinary ultrasound consultants, and 21 medical students and residents contributed to these recommendations. A modified Delphi consensus method was used that included a systematic literature search, evaluation of the quality of literature by the GRADE system, and the RAND appropriateness method for panel judgment and consensus decisions. The process included four in-person international discussion sessions and two rounds of online voting. Results A total of 332 consensus conference statements in four curricular domains were considered: (1) curricular scope (4 statements), (2) curricular rationale (10 statements), (3) curricular characteristics (14 statements), and (4) curricular content (304 statements). Of these 332 statements, 145 were recommended, 126 were strongly recommended, and 61 were not recommended. Important aspects of an undergraduate ultrasound curriculum identified include curricular integration across the basic and clinical sciences and a competency and entrustable professional activity-based model. The curriculum should form the foundation of a life-long continuum of ultrasound education that prepares students for advanced training and patient care. In addition, the curriculum should complement and support the medical school curriculum as a whole with enhanced understanding of anatomy, physiology, pathophysiological processes and clinical practice without displacing other important undergraduate learning. The content of the curriculum should be appropriate for the medical student level of training, evidence and expert opinion based, and include ongoing collaborative research and development to ensure optimum educational value and patient care. Conclusions The international consensus conference has provided the first comprehensive document of recommendations for a basic ultrasound curriculum. The document reflects the opinion of a diverse and representative group of international expert ultrasound practitioners, educators, and learners. These recommendations can standardize undergraduate medical student ultrasound education while serving as a basis for additional research in medical education and the application of ultrasound in clinical practice.

Celem poniższego artykułu jest naszkicowanie przebiegu działań kasacyjnych Towarzystwa Jezusowego na Śląsku Austriackim na tle mało znanego w Polsce zespołu archiwalnego zgromadzonego przez Archiwum Ziemskie w Opawie (Zemský archiv v Opavě). Podział Śląska pomiędzy Prusy i monarchię habsburską, dokonany w wyniku I wojny śląskiej w 1742 roku, odbił się na strukturze organizacyjnej Towarzystwa Jezusowego na Śląsku. Kolegium jezuickie w Opawie oraz rezydencja w Cieszynie wraz z przynależnymi ośrodkami misyjnymi należały do Prowincji Czeskiej (Provincia Bohemiae), podległy zatem likwidacji bezpośrednio w 1773 roku – w przeciwieństwie do placówek jezuickich na Śląsku Pruskim, należących do odrębnej Prowincji Śląskiej (Provincia Silesiae). Działania kasacyjne dotknęły również częściowo nyskie kolegium jezuickie, które posiadało kilka wsi po stronie austriackiej. Głównym zamierzeniem poniższego opracowania jest przedstawienie charakterystyki działań centralnej austriackiej administracji nadwornej, zastosowanej nie tylko w ramach kasaty Towarzystwa Jezusowego na ziemiach austriackich, lecz również w tzw. kasatach józefińskich przeprowadzonych dekadę później, w latach 80. XVIII wieku. Sposób funkcjonowania biurokracji nadwornej w kwestii koordynacji prac przybliżono na podstawie opawskich dokumentów archiwalnych powstałych w bezpośrednim okresie kasaty. Historię omawianych placówek (do kasaty) naszkicowano jedynie pokrótce, ze względu na fakt, iż została ona już opracowana w literaturze. Zaprezentowano tabelaryczny wykaz archiwaliów zbioru Urzędu Królewskiego w Opawie oraz spis personalny jezuitów dotkniętych kasatą. Publikacja nie jest wyczerpującą analizą źródeł archiwalnych, lecz przyczynkiem do dalszych badań historii działalności Towarzystwa Jezusowego na Śląsku.

The sedimentary signals of climatic and tectonic events are preserved in pristine condition by the hypersaline environment within brine pools discovered by remote observations, and core and brine sampling, in the Gulf of Aqaba, off the Saudi Arabian coast

The disciplinary identity of molecular biology has frequently been called into question. Although the debates might sometimes have been more about creating or debunking myths, defending intellectual territory and the distribution of resources, there are interesting underlying questions about this area of biology and how it is conceptually organized. By looking at the history of molecular biology, its origins and development, I examine the possible criteria for its status as a scientific discipline. Doing so allows us to answer the title question in such a way that offers a reasonable middle ground, where molecular biology can be properly viewed as a viable interdisciplinary program that can very well be called a discipline in its own right, even if no strict boundaries can be established. In addition to this historical analysis, a couple of systematic issues from a philosophy of science perspective allow for some assessment of the current situation and the future of molecular biology.

Objective Informational social support is one of the main reasons for patients to visit online health communities (OHCs). Calls have been made to investigate the objective quality of such support in the light of a worrying number of inaccurate online health-related information. The main aim of this study is to conceptualize the Quality of Informational Social Support (QISS) and develop and test a measure of QISS for content analysis. A further aim is to investigate the level of QISS in cancer-related messages in the largest OHC in Slovenia and examine the differences among various types of discussion forums, namely, online consultation forums, online support group forums, and socializing forums. Methods A multidimensional measurement instrument was developed, which included 20 items in a coding scheme for a content analysis of cancer-related messages. On a set of almost three million posts published between 2015 and 2019, a machine-learning algorithm was used to detect cancer-related discussions in the OHC. We then identified the messages providing informational social support, and through quantitative content analysis, three experts coded a random sample of 403 cancer-related messages for the QISS. Results The results demonstrate a good level of interrater reliability and agreement for a QISS scale with six dimensions, each demonstrating good internal consistency. The results reveal large differences among the social support, socializing, and consultation forums, with the latter recording significantly higher quality in terms of accuracy (M = 4.48, P