[{"id":1001,"title":"Utility of kidney dialysis for recovery following marathons or ultra-marathons","sha":"79a54eb01d2652bc71802b061571ddf6","user_id":null,"state":"published","body":"Recent observations indicate the presence of Acute Kidney Injury and impaired renal function in a majority of participants in marathons of a standard distance of 42.2km (26.2mi). This impairment, and the resulting electrolyte imbalances, may delay recovery from these events and may also contribute to some of the long-term health consequences associated with ultra distance running. It follows that a session of dialysis is likely to assist in recovery following a marathon, particularly if the proteins, arising from skeletal muscle damage, responsible for kidney injury are filtered out in the process. This may be of particular relevance to professional runners, whose income earning potential is affected by prolonged recovery times between competitive events. ","created_at":"2022-09-01T07:33:58.332Z","updated_at":"2022-09-10T06:00:10.759Z","zenodo_id":7064089,"doi":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7064089","subject":null,"tags":["sports science","nephrology"],"vote_count":0,"view_count":1,"score":0.1,"deleted":false,"muted":false,"tweeted":true,"attachment_file_name":null,"attachment_content_type":null,"attachment_file_size":null,"attachment_updated_at":null},{"id":1016,"title":"Hypothesis: systemic low-grade tissue hypoxia as contributing causative mechanism for Long COVID","sha":"c2c4015eaf2ff2aaae9308f3c44fe5c9","user_id":null,"state":"published","body":"Silent hypoxia is one of the key clinical features of COVID-19 infection. Some of the hypothesized underlying causes of silent hypoxia, such as endothelial and micro-vascular dysfunction, and micro-clots inhibiting perfusion, would exert a two-fold effect, inhibiting not just the oxygenation of the blood but also the delivery of oxygen from the blood into tissues. These phenomena have been found to persist after acute infection, which would be expected to result in inhibited oxygen delivery even if arterial oxygen saturation has returned to normoxic conditions. As a consequence, it can be inferred as likely that some degree of systemic tissue hypoxia could also persist. A systemic hypoxic state would result not just generally disrupted function in various tissues, organs and systems, but also in disrupted immuno-modulatory and inflammatory processes, as hypoxia-inducible factors strongly influence both. This persistent inflammatory state would contribute to continuing vascular inflammation, making it a self-perpetuating condition, and could also result in presentation of anaemia of chronic illness, exacerbating symptoms. Hence, the expected effects of a persistent state of systemic tissue hypoxia closely match many of the observed presentations of Long COVID, suggesting it as a possible contributing causative mechanism.","created_at":"2022-10-20T10:16:18.767Z","updated_at":"2022-10-21T06:00:46.878Z","zenodo_id":7232628,"doi":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7232628","subject":null,"tags":["long covid","respiratory disease"],"vote_count":0,"view_count":1,"score":0.1,"deleted":false,"muted":false,"tweeted":false,"attachment_file_name":null,"attachment_content_type":null,"attachment_file_size":null,"attachment_updated_at":null},{"id":1150,"title":"Gini Coefficient for research funding","sha":"a554c1582f45e9e985f8d0c0d91334ac","user_id":null,"state":"published","body":"The Gini Coefficient is widely recognized as a means of evaluating inequality in resource allocation. It is applied most commonly to wealth and/or income, but has more recently been applied to a range of phenomena, as widespread as success rates on online dating platforms. Research funding is a prime prospect for such an application, with attention having been drawn recently to inequalities in funding access, with some particular focus on the so-called \"Matthew Effect\" in science, where initial advantages snowball into enormous disparities over the course of a scientific career. Determining the Gini coefficient for research funding in the context of a country or even of single institutions would be a valuable instrument for identifying extreme disparities and drawing attention to them, with the potential of resulting in reconsideration and re-optimization of resource allocation.","created_at":"2023-08-17T16:43:47.976Z","updated_at":"2023-09-21T20:39:37.176Z","zenodo_id":8260075,"doi":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8260075","subject":null,"tags":["science;"],"vote_count":1,"view_count":1,"score":1.1,"deleted":false,"muted":false,"tweeted":false,"attachment_file_name":null,"attachment_content_type":null,"attachment_file_size":null,"attachment_updated_at":null},{"id":1164,"title":"Aeroplane-mounted real-time micro-plastic detectors","sha":"04f1b58542a6cbd518a08a9d32e8b9db","user_id":null,"state":"published","body":"Recent research has discovered airborne micro-plastic particles in clouds, and it is theorized that these particles may influence cloud formation and precipitation by providing nucleation sites for condensation. With the rapidly rising levels of plastic pollution and micro-plastics in particular, this phenomenon may begin to affect rainfall patterns, resulting in aberrant weather and potentially affecting the accuracy of weather models. It is therefore imperative that we start to develop the means to systematically measure atmospheric levels of airborne micro-plastics in order to adapt our weather models to factor them into predictions, and to provide the data needed for those models. The most viable means of doing this would be the development of a real-time micro-plastic detectors that can be mounted on aeroplanes, which already carry weather instrumentation and play a key role in providing the data for forecasts. Real-time detectors for water-borne micro-plastics have recently been developed, and there is now an urgent need to begin work on equivalent technology for airborne particles.","created_at":"2023-10-03T09:33:56.787Z","updated_at":"2023-10-10T06:00:56.064Z","zenodo_id":8423524,"doi":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8423524","subject":null,"tags":["micro-plastics; weather;"],"vote_count":0,"view_count":1,"score":0.1,"deleted":false,"muted":false,"tweeted":false,"attachment_file_name":null,"attachment_content_type":null,"attachment_file_size":null,"attachment_updated_at":null},{"id":1168,"title":"Variable-angle and variable-curvature fluidizing bed for continuous processes involving changing particles","sha":"83e84729425a032a2f35577e83dff5eb","user_id":null,"state":"published","body":"In a fluidized bed, a fluid stream passes through a bed of solid particles at a velocity high enough to effectively suspend those particles by way of the friction effects on their surfaces. Fluidized beds are widely-used as chemical reactors because they enable homogenous contact between solid and fluid reactants, while allowing mixing of both the fluid stream and the bed of solids. Fluidized beds require careful design to match their diameter and the fluid flow-rate to give the desired fluidizing velocity. For reactions in which the physical properties of the solid particles change, this velocity is not constant and changes as the reaction progresses. For continuous processes, this necessitates new design geometries where the reactor diameter progresses as a function of the progression in particle properties. This will result in a reactor where new particles are fed at the bottom, where the velocity is highest, and then graduate to lower-velocity zones as the reaction progresses and their density decreases. Such a reactor would have a vertical residence time profile. A constriction zone at the top of the reactor could be used as a means of increasing velocity to eject particles, after a desired residence time, through elutriation.    ","created_at":"2023-10-26T12:23:37.608Z","updated_at":"2023-11-16T06:00:26.699Z","zenodo_id":10140331,"doi":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10140331","subject":null,"tags":["chemistry; reactors; fluid dynamics"],"vote_count":0,"view_count":1,"score":0.1,"deleted":false,"muted":false,"tweeted":false,"attachment_file_name":null,"attachment_content_type":null,"attachment_file_size":null,"attachment_updated_at":null},{"id":1175,"title":"Particle size: the missing link in food regulation and nutritional labeling to combat obesity and metabolic disorders.","sha":"6647eded7d885ddb9c604c1ba4f064a1","user_id":null,"state":"published","body":"Consumption of highly processed foods is strongly correlated with a multitude of negative health outcomes and has been identified as a driver in obesity epidemics worldwide. The precise mechanisms for this phenomenon are not well understood, but one possibility suggests itself; in other fields it is well understood that particle size is a key parameter governing rate of reaction between solids and fluids and so, particle size, particularly of non-soluble high-glycemic nutrients such as starch, will dictate their rate of absorption and therefore the stability of blood sugar control after consuming them. Animal studies have found negative health effects associated with fine particles in feed and there is no reason not to assume the same to be present in humans. Regulations, however, have hitherto focused on macro-nutrient profiles of foods, but particle size may have independent health implications. Moreover, the presence of fine particles may not be readily apparent to consumers, particularly because many processed foods agglomerate small particles with binding agents, releasing them during digestion. Progress in the battle against metabolic disorders will require better understanding of the role of particle size, and perhaps regulations and labeling requirements.","created_at":"2023-12-22T08:42:55.875Z","updated_at":"2023-12-23T06:00:16.537Z","zenodo_id":10426533,"doi":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10426533","subject":null,"tags":["obesity","diabetes","diet","regulations","food labeling"],"vote_count":0,"view_count":1,"score":0.1,"deleted":false,"muted":false,"tweeted":false,"attachment_file_name":null,"attachment_content_type":null,"attachment_file_size":null,"attachment_updated_at":null},{"id":1176,"title":"Emotive signaling as a possible adaptive advantage of light-coloured eyes","sha":"c74598beeb39aaad570a5599ade1fe26","user_id":null,"state":"published","body":"Blue eyes, and light-coloured eyes in general, are a comparatively unusual feature found in around 8% of the population, but are widely distributed globally and have risen in prevalence over time. The tenets of evolutionary biology posit that in order for an emergent trait to survive and become widespread it must presumably hold at least some adaptive advantage. Blue eyes have some known adaptive disadvantages such as increased sensitivity to bright light and so there has been widespread speculation about what adaptive advantages they may offer that would compensate for this drawback. Several postulates have been put forward, including enhanced facial attractiveness and less sensitivity to seasonal depression in low-light climates. Another possibility that has not yet been explored is that light-coloured eyes may have advantages for inter-personal communication; a greater colour contrast between the pupil and the iris may make changes in pupil status more apparent, possibly allowing an individual to better convey their emotional state, and may also make eye movements in general more apparent, thus enhancing communication by facial expression.","created_at":"2023-12-22T08:45:45.211Z","updated_at":"2024-01-03T02:26:47.981Z","zenodo_id":10426535,"doi":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10426535","subject":null,"tags":["evolutionary biology"],"vote_count":3,"view_count":1,"score":3.1,"deleted":false,"muted":false,"tweeted":false,"attachment_file_name":null,"attachment_content_type":null,"attachment_file_size":null,"attachment_updated_at":null},{"id":1190,"title":"Encouraging two-handed pointing to allow pain patients to better identify the site of their pain including the dimension of depth ","sha":"cb07c692d4a87a7eef935c58ac4f57b0","user_id":null,"state":"published","body":"Effective pain management interventions rely on accurate pain assessment, hampered by the subjective nature of the experience of pain and by inefficient communication between patients and healthcare practitioners. Many aspects of pain assessment rely on nuances of language, a matter which is presently subject to considerable research. Another hurdle lies in the imprecision of determining the location of pain, a process which is generally dependent, at some stage, on a patient pointing to the site of pain. This is an imprecise process, particularly handicapped by the fact that it is not possible to indicate depth when pointing with a single finger, as most patients instinctively tend to do.  This obstruction, at least, could be alleviated by developing a practice of asking patients to use the index fingers on each hand, at right angles, to point to the site of the pain, thereby triangulating its location and indicating depth.","created_at":"2024-04-05T22:21:55.440Z","updated_at":"2024-05-31T06:00:43.541Z","zenodo_id":11398247,"doi":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11398247","subject":null,"tags":["pain management","pain","healthcare","public health"],"vote_count":0,"view_count":1,"score":0.1,"deleted":false,"muted":false,"tweeted":false,"attachment_file_name":null,"attachment_content_type":null,"attachment_file_size":null,"attachment_updated_at":null},{"id":1300,"title":"Tracking smartphone screen time during weight-loss trials: an indirect means of exploring semaglutide's efficacy against addiction","sha":"3287afafe63be234ea925429906c8b1b","user_id":null,"state":"published","body":"Screen time has been identified as not just a strong correlate with addiction, but as a predictor and even as an addiction in and of itself. Semaglutide, better known by the brand name Ozempic, is widely used as an anti-obesity drug and it, along with related compounds such as Liraglutide, are also under investigation as potential treatments for addiction. The same neurological reward mechanisms and neurochemical pathways involved in dysregulated eating play a role in numerous addictions, and early indications are that these medications may be effective at curbing cravings for addictive substances much as they curb food cravings. Screen-time, with its close link to addiction and its arguable status as a widespread addiction in itself, would be a simple marker to track during clinical trials of these medications for other purposes, easily and inexpensively added on to existing trial protocols to yield insight into Semaglutide's effects on addiction, procrastination and productivity.","created_at":"2024-07-04T15:18:31.228Z","updated_at":"2024-09-19T02:09:35.744Z","zenodo_id":12660262,"doi":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12660262","subject":null,"tags":["semaglutide","ozempic","addiction","procrastination"],"vote_count":2,"view_count":1,"score":2.1,"deleted":false,"muted":false,"tweeted":false,"attachment_file_name":null,"attachment_content_type":null,"attachment_file_size":null,"attachment_updated_at":null},{"id":1399,"title":"Capitalist capital allocation as meta-reward function for AI training model","sha":"cecf7e1646a5f412b2c60014d226ef87","user_id":null,"state":"published","body":"Machine learning protocols utilize rewards function during training as a means of tuning parameters toward obtaining desirable outputs from a model. One challenge for the current AI industry is the difficulty of translating real-world utility into reward functions for individual models that are trained primarily on training sets of online content, which seldom has an accurate valuation of its real-world utility attached to it. However, computing resources are allocated to different models based on their value to the companies producing and, at a higher layer, capital in the form of investment or revenue is preferentially allocated to those companies whose models are perceived as having higher potential for real-world utility. In essence, this process functions as a meta-reward function for the AI ecosystem overall.  ","created_at":"2024-07-24T10:18:55.003Z","updated_at":"2024-07-30T06:00:36.428Z","zenodo_id":13129560,"doi":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13129560","subject":null,"tags":["ai","machine learning","economics"],"vote_count":0,"view_count":1,"score":0.1,"deleted":false,"muted":false,"tweeted":false,"attachment_file_name":null,"attachment_content_type":null,"attachment_file_size":null,"attachment_updated_at":null}]