13 research outputs found

    Reviewing the scope and thematic focus of 100,000 publications on energy consumption, services and social aspects of climate change: a big data approach to demand-side mitigation

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    As current action remains insufficient to meet the goals of the Paris agreement let alone to stabilize the climate, there is increasing hope that solutions related to demand, services and social aspects of climate change mitigation can close the gap. However, given these topics are not investigated by a single epistemic community, the literature base underpinning the associated research continues to be undefined. Here, we aim to delineate a plausible body of literature capturing a comprehensive spectrum of demand, services and social aspects of climate change mitigation. As method we use a novel double-stacked expert—machine learning research architecture and expert evaluation to develop a typology and map key messages relevant for climate change mitigation within this body of literature. First, relying on the official key words provided to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change by governments (across 17 queries), and on specific investigations of domain experts (27 queries), we identify 121 165 non-unique and 99 065 unique academic publications covering issues relevant for demand-side mitigation. Second, we identify a literature typology with four key clusters: policy, housing, mobility, and food/consumption. Third, we systematically extract key content-based insights finding that the housing literature emphasizes social and collective action, whereas the food/consumption literatures highlight behavioral change, but insights also demonstrate the dynamic relationship between behavioral change and social norms. All clusters point to the possibility of improved public health as a result of demand-side solutions. The centrality of the policy cluster suggests that political actions are what bring the different specific approaches together. Fourth, by mapping the underlying epistemic communities we find that researchers are already highly interconnected, glued together by common interests in sustainability and energy demand. We conclude by outlining avenues for interdisciplinary collaboration, synthetic analysis, community building, and by suggesting next steps for evaluating this body of literature

    Mitochondrial physiology

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    As the knowledge base and importance of mitochondrial physiology to evolution, health and disease expands, the necessity for harmonizing the terminology concerning mitochondrial respiratory states and rates has become increasingly apparent. The chemiosmotic theory establishes the mechanism of energy transformation and coupling in oxidative phosphorylation. The unifying concept of the protonmotive force provides the framework for developing a consistent theoretical foundation of mitochondrial physiology and bioenergetics. We follow the latest SI guidelines and those of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) on terminology in physical chemistry, extended by considerations of open systems and thermodynamics of irreversible processes. The concept-driven constructive terminology incorporates the meaning of each quantity and aligns concepts and symbols with the nomenclature of classical bioenergetics. We endeavour to provide a balanced view of mitochondrial respiratory control and a critical discussion on reporting data of mitochondrial respiration in terms of metabolic flows and fluxes. Uniform standards for evaluation of respiratory states and rates will ultimately contribute to reproducibility between laboratories and thus support the development of data repositories of mitochondrial respiratory function in species, tissues, and cells. Clarity of concept and consistency of nomenclature facilitate effective transdisciplinary communication, education, and ultimately further discovery

    The first 100 patients treated with a new anatomical pre-contoured locking plate for clavicular midshaft fractures

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    Abstract Background Pre-contoured locking plates were recently introduced in the management of clavicular midshaft fractures. These plates may offer advantages such as no necessity for intraoperative bending and reduced plate irritation. The purpose of this study was to review the clinical and radiographical outcome of the first 100 patients treated with a new anatomical pre-contoured locking plate. Methods In a retrospective single-center study, 100 consecutive patients (16 female, 84 male) with a median age of 40 years (range 15–82) who underwent surgery for clavicular midshaft fractures with a VariAx locking plate (Stryker Corporation Kalmazoo, MI, USA) between March 2012 and January 2016 were included. Postoperative follow-up was performed until union was clinically and radiographically achieved. Fracture type, surgical time, intraoperative need for contouring the plate, further surgery such as revision or hardware removal and complications were recorded. Results One-hundred patients with a dislocated midshaft clavicular fracture with a mean follow-up of 21.9 months (standard deviation 13.2) were included. Ninety-three patients reported normal shoulder function at latest follow-up. Median surgical time was 75.5 min (range, 35–179). In three patients, intraoperative bending of the plate was necessary. In two patients, plates designed for the other side were implanted. Five patients needed revision surgery: One patient with wound healing problems, one patient with a re-fracture after early (13 months) hardware removal and minor trauma, one patient with postoperative shoulder stiffness and two patients with failed osteosynthesis because of surgical implantation fault. One asymptomatic nonunion without further treatment was observed. In 30 patients, the plate was removed after a mean of 17.5 months (SD 4.2) because of subjective plate discomfort. Conclusions With this new pre-contoured locking plate, good to excellent intraoperative fit to the anatomical shape of the clavicle can be achieved. The implant seems to be reliable regarding handling and complications. Clinical and radiological results are comparable to results reported in the literature. Hardware removal rate is comparable to other studies with a pre-contoured plate and lower compared to non-pre-contoured

    Pulsatile Chemotherapeutic Delivery Profiles Using Magnetically Responsive Hydrogels

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    Pulsatile chemotherapeutic delivery profiles may provide a number advantages by maximizing the anticancer toxicity of chemotherapeutics, reducing off-target side effects, and combating adaptive resistance. While these temporally dynamic deliveries have shown some promise, they have yet to be clinically deployed from implantable hydrogels, whose localized deliveries could further enhance therapeutic outcomes. Here, several pulsatile chemotherapeutic delivery profiles were tested on melanoma cell survival in vitro and compared to constant (flatline) delivery profiles of the same integrated dose. Results indicated that pulsatile delivery profiles were more efficient at killing melanoma cells than flatline deliveries. Furthermore, results suggested that parameters like the duration of drug “on” periods (pulse width), delivery rates during those periods (pulse heights), and the number/frequency of pulses could be used to optimize delivery profiles. Optimization of pulsatile profiles at tumor sites in vivo would require hydrogel materials capable of producing a wide variety of pulsatile profiles (e.g., of different pulse heights, pulse widths, and pulse numbers). This work goes on to demonstrate that magnetically responsive, biphasic ferrogels are capable of producing pulsatile mitoxantrone delivery profiles similar to those tested in vitro. Pulse parameters such as the timing and rate of delivery during “on” periods could be remotely regulated through the use of simple, hand-held magnets. The timing of pulses was controlled simply by deciding when and for how long to magnetically stimulate. The rate of release during pulse “on” periods was a function of the magnetic stimulation frequency. These findings add to the growing evidence that pulsatile chemotherapeutic delivery profiles may be therapeutically beneficial and suggest that magnetically responsive hydrogels could provide useful tools for optimizing and clinically deploying pulsatile chemotherapeutic delivery profiles

    Pulsatile Chemotherapeutic Delivery Profiles Using Magnetically Responsive Hydrogels

    No full text
    Pulsatile chemotherapeutic delivery profiles may provide a number advantages by maximizing the anticancer toxicity of chemotherapeutics, reducing off-target side effects, and combating adaptive resistance. While these temporally dynamic deliveries have shown some promise, they have yet to be clinically deployed from implantable hydrogels, whose localized deliveries could further enhance therapeutic outcomes. Here, several pulsatile chemotherapeutic delivery profiles were tested on melanoma cell survival in vitro and compared to constant (flatline) delivery profiles of the same integrated dose. Results indicated that pulsatile delivery profiles were more efficient at killing melanoma cells than flatline deliveries. Furthermore, results suggested that parameters like the duration of drug “on” periods (pulse width), delivery rates during those periods (pulse heights), and the number/frequency of pulses could be used to optimize delivery profiles. Optimization of pulsatile profiles at tumor sites in vivo would require hydrogel materials capable of producing a wide variety of pulsatile profiles (e.g., of different pulse heights, pulse widths, and pulse numbers). This work goes on to demonstrate that magnetically responsive, biphasic ferrogels are capable of producing pulsatile mitoxantrone delivery profiles similar to those tested in vitro. Pulse parameters such as the timing and rate of delivery during “on” periods could be remotely regulated through the use of simple, hand-held magnets. The timing of pulses was controlled simply by deciding when and for how long to magnetically stimulate. The rate of release during pulse “on” periods was a function of the magnetic stimulation frequency. These findings add to the growing evidence that pulsatile chemotherapeutic delivery profiles may be therapeutically beneficial and suggest that magnetically responsive hydrogels could provide useful tools for optimizing and clinically deploying pulsatile chemotherapeutic delivery profiles

    Pulsatile Chemotherapeutic Delivery Profiles Using Magnetically Responsive Hydrogels

    No full text
    Pulsatile chemotherapeutic delivery profiles may provide a number advantages by maximizing the anticancer toxicity of chemotherapeutics, reducing off-target side effects, and combating adaptive resistance. While these temporally dynamic deliveries have shown some promise, they have yet to be clinically deployed from implantable hydrogels, whose localized deliveries could further enhance therapeutic outcomes. Here, several pulsatile chemotherapeutic delivery profiles were tested on melanoma cell survival in vitro and compared to constant (flatline) delivery profiles of the same integrated dose. Results indicated that pulsatile delivery profiles were more efficient at killing melanoma cells than flatline deliveries. Furthermore, results suggested that parameters like the duration of drug “on” periods (pulse width), delivery rates during those periods (pulse heights), and the number/frequency of pulses could be used to optimize delivery profiles. Optimization of pulsatile profiles at tumor sites in vivo would require hydrogel materials capable of producing a wide variety of pulsatile profiles (e.g., of different pulse heights, pulse widths, and pulse numbers). This work goes on to demonstrate that magnetically responsive, biphasic ferrogels are capable of producing pulsatile mitoxantrone delivery profiles similar to those tested in vitro. Pulse parameters such as the timing and rate of delivery during “on” periods could be remotely regulated through the use of simple, hand-held magnets. The timing of pulses was controlled simply by deciding when and for how long to magnetically stimulate. The rate of release during pulse “on” periods was a function of the magnetic stimulation frequency. These findings add to the growing evidence that pulsatile chemotherapeutic delivery profiles may be therapeutically beneficial and suggest that magnetically responsive hydrogels could provide useful tools for optimizing and clinically deploying pulsatile chemotherapeutic delivery profiles

    Pulsatile Chemotherapeutic Delivery Profiles Using Magnetically Responsive Hydrogels

    No full text
    Pulsatile chemotherapeutic delivery profiles may provide a number advantages by maximizing the anticancer toxicity of chemotherapeutics, reducing off-target side effects, and combating adaptive resistance. While these temporally dynamic deliveries have shown some promise, they have yet to be clinically deployed from implantable hydrogels, whose localized deliveries could further enhance therapeutic outcomes. Here, several pulsatile chemotherapeutic delivery profiles were tested on melanoma cell survival in vitro and compared to constant (flatline) delivery profiles of the same integrated dose. Results indicated that pulsatile delivery profiles were more efficient at killing melanoma cells than flatline deliveries. Furthermore, results suggested that parameters like the duration of drug “on” periods (pulse width), delivery rates during those periods (pulse heights), and the number/frequency of pulses could be used to optimize delivery profiles. Optimization of pulsatile profiles at tumor sites in vivo would require hydrogel materials capable of producing a wide variety of pulsatile profiles (e.g., of different pulse heights, pulse widths, and pulse numbers). This work goes on to demonstrate that magnetically responsive, biphasic ferrogels are capable of producing pulsatile mitoxantrone delivery profiles similar to those tested in vitro. Pulse parameters such as the timing and rate of delivery during “on” periods could be remotely regulated through the use of simple, hand-held magnets. The timing of pulses was controlled simply by deciding when and for how long to magnetically stimulate. The rate of release during pulse “on” periods was a function of the magnetic stimulation frequency. These findings add to the growing evidence that pulsatile chemotherapeutic delivery profiles may be therapeutically beneficial and suggest that magnetically responsive hydrogels could provide useful tools for optimizing and clinically deploying pulsatile chemotherapeutic delivery profiles

    Reviewing the scope and thematic focus of 100 000 publications on energy consumption, services and social aspects of climate change: a big data approach to demand-side mitigation * *Intended as contribution to the focus issue on ‘Demand-Side Solutions for Transitioning to Low-Carbon Societies’ in Environmental Research Letters.

    No full text
    As current action remains insufficient to meet the goals of the Paris agreement let alone to stabilize the climate, there is increasing hope that solutions related to demand, services and social aspects of climate change mitigation can close the gap. However, given these topics are not investigated by a single epistemic community, the literature base underpinning the associated research continues to be undefined. Here, we aim to delineate a plausible body of literature capturing a comprehensive spectrum of demand, services and social aspects of climate change mitigation. As method we use a novel double-stacked expert—machine learning research architecture and expert evaluation to develop a typology and map key messages relevant for climate change mitigation within this body of literature. First, relying on the official key words provided to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change by governments (across 17 queries), and on specific investigations of domain experts (27 queries), we identify 121 165 non-unique and 99 065 unique academic publications covering issues relevant for demand-side mitigation. Second, we identify a literature typology with four key clusters: policy, housing, mobility, and food/consumption. Third, we systematically extract key content-based insights finding that the housing literature emphasizes social and collective action, whereas the food/consumption literatures highlight behavioral change, but insights also demonstrate the dynamic relationship between behavioral change and social norms. All clusters point to the possibility of improved public health as a result of demand-side solutions. The centrality of the policy cluster suggests that political actions are what bring the different specific approaches together. Fourth, by mapping the underlying epistemic communities we find that researchers are already highly interconnected, glued together by common interests in sustainability and energy demand. We conclude by outlining avenues for interdisciplinary collaboration, synthetic analysis, community building, and by suggesting next steps for evaluating this body of literature
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