Affective Storytelling for Video News:Introducing and Testing Batman Affective Structure in the Age of Streaming

The transition from traditional flow television to streaming services has created a media landscape in which traditional news outlets are in intense competition with entertainment content. This paper argues for optimizing news for streaming through the affective structure of news narration. We compared flow TV news with a novel narrative structure, the Batman Affective Structure (BAS). The BAS strategically places an emotional peak at the news message's start and one at the end to enhance emotional impact and attention. In an experiment, six real news videos from major Danish broadcasters were re-edited by professionals to align with the BAS. Viewer responses were measured using skin conductance for arousal and self-reported assessments for arousal, attention, and news appreciation. The results showed that the BAS elicited higher physiological arousal and adhered to the expected double-peak arousal pattern, while flow TV news followed an unexpected s-shaped pattern. Additionally, media habits played a moderating role, with the BAS performing the best among viewers with high media use but low news interest, a group that holds great potential for increased news exposure. This study highlights the potential for the BAS to help news adapt to the challenges of the streaming era.</p

Integrated approach for improving mechanical performance and EMI shielding of CFRE via surface-modified MXene

Achieving high electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness alongside outstanding mechanical properties remains a notable challenge for carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy (CFRE) composites. Herein, an efficient method for interface modification is proposed to produce hybrid CFREs with enhanced EMI shielding capabilities and exceptional mechanical properties. This study introduces the fabrication of CFRE composites incorporating APTES-modified MXene sheets into the epoxy matrix (AM-CFRE), demonstrating significant improvements in structural integrity and EMI-shielding performance. Compared to pristine CFRE (P-CFRE), AM-CFRE exhibits enhanced mechanical properties with a 39.63%, 35.41%, 65.01%, 29.71%, 34.9%, and 34.21% increase in tensile strength, Young's modulus, tensile toughness, flexural strength, flexural modulus, and short beam strength, respectively. Furthermore, AM-CFRE demonstrates a ~50% improvement in EMI shielding effectiveness in the X-band compared to P-CFRE. The lightweight AM-CFRE structure, with strong mechanical strength and remarkable EMI shielding, shows great potential for various applications, particularly in protecting avionics within the aerospace and defense industries. Highlights: MXene was synthesized via HF etching, and its surface was modified with APTES. Hybrid CFRE was made with an epoxy system containing surface-modified MXene. Exceptional mechanical and thermo-mechanical properties were achieved in Hybrid CFRE. AM-CFRE achieves EMI shielding effectiveness of 25.36 dB in the X-band.</p

Investigating Adipocyte-Derived Extracellular Vesicles in Obesity using Mouse Models

Overvægt og fedme er et hastigt voksende samfundsproblem, hvor dysfunktionelle fedtceller (adipocytter) er forbundet med en ubalance i udskillelsen af fedtvævshormoner, øget inflammation og metabolisk dysfunktion. Det bidrager til udviklingen af en lang række sygdomme, heriblandt type 2-diabetes and hjertekarsygdomme. Ud over de velkendte fedtvævshormoner kan adipocytter også kommunikere med andre væv via små partikler kaldet ekstracellulære vesikler, der indeholder nukleinsyrer og proteiner. Adipocyt-afledte vesikler menes at spille en vigtig rolle i udviklingen af fedmerelaterede sygdomme. Under overvægt øges mængden af vesikler i blodet, og indholdet af adipocytafledte vesikler er blevet linket til insulinresistens og systemisk inflammation. Samtidig producerer cellernes mitokondrier også flere reaktive iltstoffer (ROS), hvilket kan stimulere vesikelfrigivelse gennem endnu ukendte mekanismer. Det er dog teknisk udfordrende at undersøge vesikler fra en bestemt celletype, da det i blodet er svært at spore vesikler tilbage til deres oprindelige celletype. Desuden stammer langt størstedelen af vesikler i blodet fra blodceller, mens kun en lille andel stammer fra andre væv, såsom fedtvævet. Dette understreger behovet for nye, følsomme metoder til at spore celletype-specifikke vesikler, såsom adipocyt-afledte vesikler, i en levende organisme. I mit ph.d.-projekt har jeg evalueret følsomheden af to musemodeller – CD9-EGFP og CD63-NanoLuc – til at spore adipocyt-afledte vesikler i levende mus. Derudover anvendte vi en CD9-EGFP-vesikel reporter cellelinje til at undersøge den underliggende mekanisme, hvorved ROS stimulerer vesikelfrigivelse. De to studier beskrives i detaljer nedenfor:Studie I: I dette studie testede vi to musemodellers evne til at spore adipocyt-afledte-vesikler med henblik på at studere deres distribution ved begyndende overvægt. Den første model, CD9-EGFP, baserede sig på et grønt fluorescerende protein til at mærke adipocyt-afledte vesikler. Denne model viste sig dog ikke at være følsom nok til at detektere adipocyt-afledte vesikler i blodet, hverken ved brug af AAV virusteknologi eller transgen avling. For at øge følsomheden udviklede vi CD63-NanoLuc modellen, hvor vesikler spores via et luminescerende NanoLuc protein og et HA-mærke. Vi inkluderede også en kontrolmodel (sec-NanoLuc), som repræsenterer frit adipocyt-udskilt protein. I cellekulturer validerede vi, at CD63-NanoLuc og sec-NanoLuc specifikt reporterede henholdsvist vesikler og frit udskilt protein. I mus var CD63- NanoLuc modellen følsom nok til at spore adipocyt-afledte vesikler i blodet ved brug af AAV-teknologi. Derudover observerede vi højere NanoLuc-niveauer i forskellige fedtvæv hos CD63-NanoLuc mus, mens sec-NanoLuc mus havde højere niveauer i plasma og urin, hvilket indikerede forskellige distributionsmønstre. På trods af detektering af NanoLuc og HA-mærke i nyrerne og urin, så var CD63-NanoLuc proteinet kun fundet i adipocyt-afledte vesikler i plasma, hvilket indikerede, at intakte adipocyt-afledte vesikler ikke filtreres af nyrerne. Vi anvendte CD63-NanoLuc og sec-NanoLuc musene til at undersøgte effekten af to ugers fedtrig kost, hvilket havde minimal påvirkning på kropsvægten og fedtvævsspecifikke markører. Kun CD63-NanoLuc mus viste signifikant forhøjede NanoLuc niveauer i brunt fedtvæv, visceralt hvidt fedtvæv, lunger, nyrer, og urin. Dette indikerede, at adipocyt-afledte vesiklers frigivelse er påvirket tidligt i udviklingen af overvægt. Vi konkluderede, at en NanoLuc-baseret model muliggør sporing af celletype-specifikke vesikler i levende mus. Derudover fremhævede vi vigtigheden af at inkludere en kontrol for udskilt protein for at kunne adskille vesiklers effekt fra proteiners i forbindelse med at studere deres rolle under sygdom.Studie II: I dette studie undersøgte vi de molekylære mekanismer, hvorved mitokondrie-afledt ROS stimulerer frigivelsen af vesikler. Tidligere observerede vi, at ROS-induceret vesikelfrigivelse, stimuleret af Dichloroacetat (DCA), var forbundet med øget vakuolær fluorescens af vores vesikelsporingsprotein CD9-EGFP. Dette indikerede en mulig sammenhæng mellem vesikelfrigivelse og pH hos CD9-EGFP-positive vakuoler. Den vakuolære pH reguleres blandt af vakuolære proton pumper (v-ATPaser), hvis aktivitet kan påvirkes af ROS-sensitive enzymer såsom calcineurin og nSMase2. Vi testede derfor hypotesen, at mitokondrie-afledt ROS fremmer vesikelfrigivelse via hæmning af calcineurin, aktivering af neutral sphingomyelinase 2 (nSMase2) og hæmning af v-ATPase. Hæmning af nSMase2 med GW4869 havde ingen effekt på den basale vesikelfrigivelse, men formåede at blokere DCA-induceret vesikelfrigivelse, dog uden at påvirke den vakuolære CD9-EGFP-fluorescens. Da andre har vist, at calcineurin negativt regulerer nSMase2’s aktivitet, undersøgte vi calcineurins rolle i DCAinduceret vesikelfrigivelse. Hæmning af calcineurin med Cyclosporin A (CsA) efterlignende effekten af DCA med øget vesikelfrigivelse og kraftigere vakuolær CD9-EGFP-fluorescens. Denne CsA-medieret effekt blev hverken yderligere forstærket af DCA eller hæmmet af antioxidanten 4-Hydroxy-TEMPO. Dette tyder på, at ROS virker opstrøms for calcineurin. Aktivering af v-ATPase med EN6 påvirkede ikke den basale vesikelfrigivelse, men blokerede DCA-induceret vesikelfrigivelse dog uden at ændre den vakuolære CD9-EGFP-fluorescens. Selvom den vakuolære pH påvirkede DCA-induceret vesikelfrigivelse, tyder vores resultater på, at mitokondrie-afledt ROS fremmer vesikelfrigivelse via calcineurin- og nSMase2-afhængige mekanismer.Obesity is characterized by impaired adipose tissue function and adysregulated hormone secretion, which is linked to systemicinflammation and metabolic dysfunction, increasing the risk of comorbidities like type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Beyondclassical adipokines, adipocytes also participate in interorgancommunication via extracellular vesicles (EVs) containing nucleic acidsand proteins. Adipocyte-derived EVs may play a significant role in thepathogenesis of obesity. In obesity, circulating EV levels are increasedand adipose tissue-derived EV cargo has been linked to insulinresistance and inflammation. Obesity is also associated with increasedmitochondrial production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) known tostimulate EV secretion, yet through unknown mechanisms. Oncereleased, EVs enter the extracellular space as a heterogeneouspopulation originating from various cell types. Additionally, the majority ofEVs in the circulation derive from blood cells with less than 1% comingfrom other sources including adipose tissue. This makes it challenging tostudy adipocyte-derived EV dynamics, which is crucial for understandingtheir physiological and pathophysiological roles. Therefore, novelmethodologies are needed to monitor adipocyte-derived EVs with highsensitivity in vivo.During my PhD, I have evaluated the sensitivity of two EV reportersystems – The CD9-EGFP and CD63-NanoLuc system – to monitoradipocyte-derived EVs secretion in vivo. Additionally, we used a CD9-EGFP reporter cell line to investigate the underlying mechanism of ROSinduced EV secretion. These two studies are described in greater detailbelow:Study I: We evaluated the sensitivity of two EV reporter systems tomonitor adipocyte-derived EV abundance and biodistribution in vivo,focusing on mice on chow diet and high-fat diet (HFD).We first evaluated the CD9-EGFP reporter system. To induce adipocytespecific CD9-EGFP expression, we compared adeno-associated viral(AAV) mediated and transgene adiponectin (Adipoq)-driven Creexpression. AAV-mediated delivery of Cre recombinase driven by a short human adiponectin (hAdipoq) promoter induced off-targets effects inother non-adipose tissues, while crossbreeding with Adipoq-Cre micerestricted CD9-EGFP expression to adipose tissues. However, CD9-EGFP remained undetectable in plasma, indicating low reportersensitivity. To enhance the reporter sensitivity, we designed a Credependent CD63-NanoLuc reporter with human CD63 fused toNanoluciferase (NanoLuc) and hemagglutinin (HA). We included acontrol to monitor cellular protein secretion (sec-NanoLuc). In vitro, weconfirmed that CD63-NanoLuc localized to EVs, while sec-NanoLuc wasfreely secreted. In vivo, AAV-mediated delivery to Adipoq-Cre miceinduced adipose tissue-specific Cre activation enabling differentiationbetween EV donors and recipients. CD63-NanoLuc mice had the highestluciferase levels in adipose tissues, while sec-NanoLuc mice had thehighest levels in plasma and urine, reflecting distinct biodistributionpatterns of EVs and proteins. HA-tag and luciferase activity weredetected in kidneys and urine, but CD63-NanoLuc was only EVassociated in plasma, indicating that intact adipocyte-derived EVs are notfiltered by the kidneys. We used CD63-NanoLuc and sec-NanoLuc mice to study how two weeksof HFD affects EV and secreted protein abundance and biodistribution.Despite minimal changes in body weight and adipogenic markers, onlyHFD-fed CD63-NanoLuc mice showed significantly increased luciferaselevels, including in interscapular brown adipose tissue (iBAT), epididymalwhite adipose tissue (eWAT), lungs, kidneys and urine, indicating that EVdynamics are affected in the early stages of obesity development. Inconclusion, we introduced a sensitive NanoLuc-based reporter systemallowing monitoring of cell type-specific EVs in vivo. Additionally, wehighlighted the value of including a secreted protein control to distinguishEV-specific contributions and demonstrated that the reporter systemscan be employed to study EV and secreted protein dynamics in healthand disease.Study II: We explored the molecular mechanism by which mitochondrialROS stimulate EV secretion. We previously demonstrated that increasedEV secretion by ROS – stimulated by Dichloroacetate (DCA) – wasassociated with enhanced vacuolar fluorescence of our EV reporter CD9-EGFP, indicating a link between EV secretion and the pH of CD9-EGFPpositive vacuoles. The vacuolar pH can be regulated by vacuolar H+-ATPases (v-ATPases), which may be regulated by ROS-sensitive enzymes including calcineurin and neutral sphingomyelinase 2(nSMase2). Thus, we hypothesized that mitochondrial ROS promote EVsecretion via calcineurin inhibition, nSMase2 activation, and v-ATPaseinhibition. nSMase2 inhibition by GW4869 had no effect on basal EVsecretion, but blocked DCA-induced EV secretion without affecting thevacuolar CD9-EGFP fluorescence. Since calcineurin negativelyregulates nSMase2 activity, we tested calcineurin’s role in DCA-inducedEV secretion. Calcineurin inhibition by Cyclosporine A (CsA) significantlyenhanced EV secretion and enhanced vacuolar CD9-EGFPfluorescence, mimicking DCA effects. These CsA-mediated effects werenot further enhanced by DCA or reversed by the ROS scavenger 4-Hydroxy-TEMPO, suggesting that ROS may act upstream of calcineurin.V-ATPase activation by EN6 had no effect on basal EV secretion, butblocked DCA-induced EV secretion, yet without altering the vacuolarCD9-EGFP fluorescence. In conclusion, while the vacuolar pH did affectEV secretion our findings indicate that mitochondrial ROS promote EVsecretion via. calcineurin- and nSMase2 dependent mechanisms

Synthesis and Characterization of CuCo₂O₄ Nanostructures-Based Hybrid Nanofluids for Enhanced Heat Transfer Applications

Det presserende behov for effektiv termisk styring i miniaturiserede og højtydende enheder har fremskyndet udviklingen af nanovæsker med forbedret termisk ledningsevne. Nanomateriale-baserede væsker kan tilbyde bedre varmeafledning end konventionelle kølemidler, men deres ydeevne afhænger i høj grad af nanopartiklernes struktur og suspensionens stabilitet. Spinel-struktureret CuCo₂O₄ tilbyder både termiske og strukturelle fordele, men dets potentiale, især i en kulstofmodificeret porøs form, er stadig stort set uudforsket. Denne afhandling undersøger kulstofmodificerede CuCo₂O₄-nanostrukturer somen ny klasse af hybride nanovæske-additiver med fokus på, hvordan kulstofindholdet påvirker deres mikrostruktur, overfladeegenskaber og termiske ydeevne. En rækkeCuCo₂O₄-nanostrukturer integreret med tilpassede kulstofkoncentrationer blev syntetiseret ved hjælp af hydrotermal metode og karakteriseret i detaljer ved hjælp af et omfattende sæt af strukturelle, kemiske og termiske analyseteknikker. Disse omfattede røntgendiffraktion, Raman-spektroskopi, røntgenspektroskopi, scanning- og transmissionselektronmikroskopi, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller-overfladearealanalyse, dynamisk lys-spredning, zeta-potentiale, termogravimetrisk analyse, differentiel scanning kalorimetri og operando synkrotron røntgenafbildning. Disse teknikker blev anvendt på en komplementær og sammenlignende måde. Strukturanalyse viste, at kulstof ikke indbygges i spinel-gitteret, menakkumuleres på overfladen samt ved korngrænsen i form af u ordnede kulstofrige domæner. Moderat tilsætning af kulstof, 5 mg og 10 mg (1-4 vægtprocent af den anvendte prækursor), forbedrede krystalliniteten, reducerede gitterspændingen og introducerede polære overfladegrupper såsom hydroxyl- og karbonatgrupper. Disse ændringer øgede det specifikke overfladeareal (op til 31,91 m²/g) og mesoporøsiteten, hvilket muliggjorde forbedret dispersionsstabilitet. Data fra dynamisk lys-spredning og zeta-potentiale bekræftede den kolloidale stabilitet, hvor prøven med 10 mg kulstof udviste et zeta-potentiale på +34,7 mV og en ensartet dispersion i vand. Test af termisk ledningsevne vistemarkante forbedringer ved ultralave nanopartikelkoncentrationer (0,05 vægtprocent). Nanovæsker baseret på 5 mg og 10 mg kulstofmodificeret CuCo₂O₄ opnåede termiske ledningsevner på henholdsvis 0,77 og 0,74 W/m·K, hvilket viste op til 20 % forbedring i forhold til den rene basisvæske. Denne forbedring tilskrives øget interfacialt overfladeareal, forbedret poretilgængelighed og mere effektiv phonontransport. Overdreven tilsætning af kulstof, 20 mg og 30 mg (4-10 vægtprocent), medførte poreblokering og partikelaggregering, hvilket resulterede i nedsat ydeevne. Operando synkrotron røntgenafbildning blev anvendt som proof of concept til at visualisere nanostrukturernes dispersion under flow. Afslutningsvis udviser de kulstofmodificerede CuCo₂O₄-nanostrukturer stabil dispersion og forbedret termisk ledningsevne ved minimale tilsætninger, hvilket gør dem til lovende additiver til avancerede nanovæsker. Dette arbejde etablerer en klar struktur–funktions-sammenhæng og giver en rationel designstrategi for høj-effektive kølesystemer til elektronik, mikrofluidik og vedvarende energiteknologier.The urgent demand for efficient thermal management in miniaturized and high-powerdevices has accelerated the development of nanofluids with enhanced thermal conductivity. Nanomaterials-engineered fluids can offer better heat dissipation than conventional coolants, but their performance depends heavily on nanoparticle structure and the stability of the suspension. Spinel-structured CuCo₂O₄ offers both thermal and structural advantages, yet its potential, particularly in carbon-modified porous form, remains largely unexplored. This thesis investigates carbon-modified CuCo₂O₄ nanostructures as a new class of hybrid nanofluid additives, focusing on how carbon content influences their microstructure, surface properties, and thermal performance. A series of CuCo₂O₄ nanostructures integrated with tailored carbon concentrations were synthesized via hydrothermal method and characterized in detail using a comprehensive set of structural, chemical, and thermal analysis techniques. This included X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray spectroscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, BrunauerEmmett-Teller surface area analysis, dynamic light scattering, zeta potential, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and operando synchrotron X-ray imaging. These techniques were applied in a complementary and comparative manner. Structural analysis showed that carbon does not incorporate into the spinel lattice but accumulates at the surface as well as at the grain boundaries in the form of disordered carbon-rich domains. Moderate carbon addition 5 mg and 10 mg (1-4 weight % of involved precursor) enhanced crystallinity, reduced lattice strain, and introduced polar surface groups such as hydroxyl and carbonate. These changes increased the specific surface area (up to 31.91 m²/g) and mesoporosity, enabling the improved dispersion stability. Dynamic light scattering and zeta potential data confirmed the colloidal stability, with the10 mg carbon sample exhibiting a zeta potential of +34.7 mV and uniform dispersion in water. Thermal conductivity tests revealed significant improvements at ultralow nanoparticle concentrations (0.05 wt%). Nanofluids based on 5 mg and 10 mg carbon-modified CuCo₂O₄ reached thermal conductivities of 0.77 and 0.74 W/m·K, respectively, showing up to 20% enhancement over the pure baseline. This improvement is attributed to increased interfacial surface area, enhanced pore accessibility, and more efficient phonon transport. Excessive carbon loading 20 mg and 30 mg (4-10 weight %) caused pore blockage and particle aggregation, resulting in diminished performance. Operando synchrotron X-ray imaging was used as a proof of concept to visualize nanostructure dispersion under flow. In conclusion, the carbon-modified CuCo₂O₄ nanostructures exhibit stable dispersion and enhanced thermal conductivity at minimal loadings, making them promising additives for advanced nanofluids. This work establishes a clear structure–function relationship and provides a rational design strategy for high-efficiency cooling systems for electronics, microfluidics, and renewable energy technologies.

Empathy in care work

Empathy is widely recognised as fundamental to care work, professional ethics, and well-being promotion. This chapter explores the roles of empathy in the work of welfare professionals, particularly in eldercare, focusing on phenomenological and ethical perspectives. While empathy can facilitate deeper understanding, enhance communication, and foster trust, it also has potential downsides, including emotional exhaustion and bias. In addition, psychological and social factors can hinder empathy. The chapter examines these complexities, illustrating how empathy can both enhance and hinder ethical care work. Using qualitative data from the “Elderly Well-Being and Alcohol: A Tricky Cocktail” project in Denmark, we demonstrate empathy’s role in professional caregiving. We argue that empathy is indispensable but must be supplemented with metacognition, emotional awareness, and flexible perspective-taking to avoid its pitfalls. The chapter advocates for a nuanced approach, balancing empathy’s benefits with strategies to mitigate its risks, thereby promoting ethically sound and sustainable care work. Ultimately, understanding empathy’s manifold nature is crucial for fostering well-being competence among care professionals.</p

Challenges in Revealing Readable Text from Fragments Hidden in Book Bindings:A Case Study from the Herlufsholm Collection

Manuscript fragments repurposed in book bindings contain valuable historical text, yet reading these hidden texts presents significant challenges. Multispectral and hyperspectral imaging (MSI and HSI), followed by spectral unmixing, are commonly used to enhance text visibility. However, additional layers of paper make the recovery process particularly difficult. The resulting text images are often blurry and unrecognizable to both human experts and Optical Character Recognition (OCR) systems. Furthermore, the problem is compounded by the lack of sufficient representative data for training deep learning-based restoration models. In this paper, we systematically examine the challenges of recovering readable text images from bookbinding fragments, with a focus on fragments on Herlufsholm 24.1 as a case study. These fragments are part of the Herlufsholm Collection at the University Library of Southern Denmark. We begin with a comparative analysis of MSI and HSI to evaluate their effectiveness in revealing text, highlighting their respective advantages and limitations. To assess the impact of overlaid materials, we conduct a controlled experiment using artificial samples, capturing hyperspectral images of both covered and uncovered text. Additionally, we analyze blur maps to investigate whether the observed blurriness is uniform and whether common models, such as Gaussian blur, adequately represent it. Finally, we explore the effectiveness of existing deblurring models, identifying key limitations, and discussing potential strategies for improving text readability. This study provides a structured analysis of the obstacles at each stage of the process, from imaging to post-processing and deblurring, offering insight into the best practice for recovering text hidden in bindings.</p

Power-to-methanol: Techno-economic analysis of a regional, decentral case-study

This study investigates the decentral Power-to-Methanol economics for the situation in The Netherlands. Power-to-X processes are seen as a promising technology for balancing the energy market and enabling fossil-free pathways within the chemical industry. However, within literature there is a lot of variation in the levelized cost of methanol per production. The research presented in this paper consists of three steps, starting with an ASPEN Plus® simulation of different scenarios, followed by calculations of capital investment (CAPEX) and operational &amp; maintenance costs (OPEX), finally resulting in the levelized cost of methanol. Results show that the operational cost greatly exceeds the capital costs, due to the high contributions of either H2 as raw material or sustainable electricity if H2 is produced on site. Levelized cost of sustainable methanol is calculated between 4,059 and 4,510 €/ton MeOH. This is twice as high compared to methanol generated with the same process using grey H2 (2,244 €/ton MeOH) and a factor 6 more expensive compared to bulk MeOH from fossil industry (700 €/ton MeOH). Future trends in costs show that for decentral production, grey and sustainable MeOH can have a similar order of magnitude by 2050

Leveraging static analysis for cost-aware serverless scheduling policies

Mainstream serverless platforms follow opinionated, hardcoded scheduling policies to allocate functions on the available workers. Such policies may decrease the performance of the application due to locality issues (e.g., functions executed on workers far from the data they use). APP is a platform-agnostic declarative language that mitigates these problems by allowing serverless platforms to support multiple, per-function, scheduling logics. However, defining the “right” scheduling policy in APP is far from trivial, often requiring rounds of refinement involving knowledge of the underlying infrastructure, guesswork, and empirical testing. We propose a framework that lightens the burden on the shoulders of users by deriving cost information from the functions, via static analysis, into a cost-aware variant of APP that we call cAPP. We present a prototype of such framework, where we extract cost equations from functions’ code, synthesise cost expressions through off-the-shelf solvers, and implement cAPP to support the specification and execution of cost-aware allocation policies.</p

Temporal trends in patient demographics and kidney outcomes in cardiac surgery: a regional Danish follow-up study

OBJECTIVESChronic kidney disease can develop as a long-term complication after cardiac surgery–a condition associated with increased risk of new cardiovascular events, readmissions, and mortality. Diagnosis is often delayed, as the condition is asymptomatic in early stages and post-discharge kidney follow-up is not routinely performed. We aimed to evaluate the occurrence and timing of chronic kidney disease after cardiac surgery in patients with normal preoperative kidney function, and describe associated temporal trends in risk factors and mortality.METHODSPatients undergoing cardiac surgery at Odense University Hospital, Denmark between January 2000 and May 2022 were identified from the Western Denmark Heart Registry. Clinical data were extracted and merged with biochemical data from regional laboratory systems. Only the most recent operation was included in the analysis. Patients with pre-existing kidney disease and endovascular procedures were excluded.RESULTSA total of 13,299 patients were included. Median follow-up time was 88 months (42–141 months). Competing risk analysis revealed that 13.8% developed chronic kidney disease within 3 years after surgery, and 18.8% within 5 years. Overall 90-day mortality was 3.6%, and 1-year mortality was 5.1%, with variations over time. During the observation period, patients became older and more comorbid, while preoperative kidney function improved. Postoperative acute kidney injury occurred in 25–30% of patients, with increasing severity over time.CONCLUSIONSChronic kidney disease is a common and serious complication following cardiac surgery. Identification of patients in high risk of chronic kidney disease is important to develop post-discharge follow-up programs and improve patient outcomes