bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prognostic impact of nutritional status and physical capacity in elderly patients with acute decompensated heart failure
Authors: Yasumura Kaori , Abe Haruhiko , Iida Yoshinori , Kato Taishi , Nakamura Masayuki , Toriyama Chieko , Nishida Hiroki , Idemoto Akiko , Shinouchi Kazuya , Mishima Tsuyoshi , Awata Masaki , Date Motoo , Ueda Yasunori , Uematsu Masaaki , Koretsune Yukihiro
Published: May 2020

Aims

Nutritional status as well as physical capacity is related to prognosis in patients with heart failure. The purpose of this study was to explore a simple prognostic indicator in patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) by including both nutritional status and physical capacity.

Methods and results

Patients hospitalized with ADHF (N = 203; mean age, 81 years) were enrolled. We evaluated the geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) on hospital admission and at discharge. A GNRI score < 92 was defined as malnutrition. Physical capacity was evaluated by simple walking test to determine if patients could walk 200 m, with a Borg scale score ≤ 13, without critical changes in vital signs. Primary endpoints were mortality and heart failure rehospitalization within 2 years. A total of 49% and 48% of patients showed malnutrition on admission and at discharge, respectively. Malnutrition at discharge was more strongly related to mortality [hazard ratio (HR) 3.382, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.900–6.020, P < 0.0001)] than that on admission (HR 2.448, 95% CI 1.442–4.157, P = 0.001) by univariable analysis. Malnutrition at discharge was related to mortality (HR 2.370, 95% CI 1.166–4.814, P = 0.02), but malnutrition on admission was not related (HR 1.538, 95% CI 0.823–2.875, P = 0.18) by multivariable analysis. Almost half of patients (45%) could not walk 200 m, which was significantly related to mortality by univariable analysis (HR 3.303, 95% CI 1.905–5.727, P < 0.0001), but was not by multivariable analysis (HR 1.990, 95% CI 0.999–3.962, P = 0.05). The combined index including both GNRI and simple walking test was an independent and stronger predictor of mortality than either index alone by multivariable analysis (HR 2.249, 95% CI 1.362–3.716, P < 0.01). Neither malnutrition nor low physical capacity was related to heart failure rehospitalization by univariable analysis (HR 0.702, 95% CI 0.483–1.020, P = 0.06; HR 1.047, 95% CI 0.724–1.515, P = 0.81, respectively). Malnutrition at discharge significantly reduced heart failure rehospitalization by multivariable analysis (HR 0.431, 95% CI 0.266–0.698, P < 0.01). When patients were classified into Group G (both nutritional status and physical capacity at discharge were good), Group E (either was good), and Group B (both were bad), mortality rates were significantly different among the groups (log rank P < 0.0001).

Conclusion

A simple indicator including both nutritional status and physical capacity may predict 2 year mortality in elderly patients with ADHF.
Seismic control of rocking structures via external resonators
Authors: Pan Xiao , Málaga‐Chuquitaype Christian
Published: May 2020

Tall rigid blocks are prevalent in ancient historical constructions. Such structures are prone to rocking behaviour under strong ground motion, which is recognizably challenging to predict and mitigate. Our study is motivated by the need to provide innovative nonintrusive solutions to attenuate the rocking response of historical buildings and monuments. In this paper, we examine a novel scheme that employs external resonators buried next to the rocking structure as a means to control its seismic response. The strategy capitalizes on the vibration absorbing potential of the structure‐soil‐resonator interaction. Furthermore, the benefits of combining the resonators with inerters in order to reduce their gravitational mass without hampering their motion‐control capabilities are also explored. Advanced numerical analyses of discrete models under coherent acceleration pulses with rocking bodies of different slenderness ratios under various ground motion intensities highlight the significant vibration absorbing qualities of the external resonating system. The influence of key system parameters such as the mass, stiffness, and damping of the resonator and those of the soil‐structure‐resonator arrangement are studied. Finally, a case study on the evaluation of the response of rocking structures with external resonators under real pulse‐like ground‐motion records confirms the important reductions in peak seismic rotational demands obtained with the proposed arrangement.
Chronology and sediment provenance of extreme floods of Siang River (Tsangpo‐Brahmaputra River valley), northeast Himalaya
Authors: Panda Sandeep , Kumar Anil , Das Satyabrata , Devrani Rahul , Rai Santosh , Prakash Kuldeep , Srivastava Pradeep
Published: May 2020

This study explores paleoflood deposits of the Siang River, known as the Tsangpo in Tibet. The river that often experiences large floods brings down huge amount of sediment and water that adversely affect the downstream regions with large human populations in the states of northeast Himalaya and its foreland. Along it's ~300 km mountainous stretch we collected samples for sedimentological, petrographic and Sr–Nd isotopic study to explore sediment provenance and dated the paleofloods (via optically stimulated luminescence, OSL). Geomorphic indices including precipitation and a geomorphic swath profile across the Brahmaputra catchment were studied to understand the interplay of mountain relief and rainfall that determine potential zones of high erosion and sediment supply. The OSL technique indicated the Siang River experienced at least eight large floods between 7 and 1 ka, possibly under the influence of warm and wet climatic conditions. The petrographic and isotopic data suggests that the eastern Himalayan syntaxis, which has the highest uplift and exhumation rate in the area, is not always the highest sediment producing zone. In some instances, the Tibetan plateau produces higher fluxes of sediments via glacial and landslide lake outburst floods (GLOFs and LLOFs). © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Derailed Ohira‐Bestmann Reaction of γ,δ‐Unsaturated Aldehydes for the Stereoselective Synthesis of Cyclopenta[c]pyrazoles
Authors: Sandmeier Tobias , Sievertsen Niels , Carreira Erick M.
Published: May 2020

The synthesis of cyclopenta[c]pyrazoles from γ,δ‐unsaturated aldehydes by a domino sequence involving one‐carbon homologation and intramolecular azomethine imine 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition is disclosed. The fused pyrazoles bearing aromatic and aliphatic substituents are obtained in good yields and excellent diastereomeric purity. Additionally, the synthetic utility of the pyrazole products generated by this method has been highlighted in a series of functionalization reactions. The method presented opens strategic opportunities for the synthesis of pyrazole‐containing biologically active compounds.
Geographic and temporal variations in the incidence of vulvar and vaginal cancers
Authors: Bray Freddie , Laversanne Mathieu , Weiderpass Elisabete , Arbyn Marc
Published: May 2020

Vulvar and vaginal cancers are relatively rare cancers, together responsible for less than 1% of the global cancer incidence among women in 2018. The majority of vaginal cancers and a lesser proportion of vulvar cancers are associated with HPV, with rising incidence rates of vulvar cancer observed in younger women, possibly due to an increased prevalence of high‐risk HPV types. This report assesses recent international variations in the incidence rates of vulvar and vaginal cancer derived from high‐quality data from population‐based cancer registries in 68 countries, and further assesses time trends for selected longer‐term series in eight countries (Australia, China, Colombia, India, Norway, Slovakia, the U.S., and the U.K.) over the period 1983 to 2012. We observed a 30‐fold variation in the recorded incidence rates of vulvar cancer in contrast with the threefold variation for vaginal cancer. We also observed a rising incidence of vulvar cancer in Australia, Norway and the U.K., and Slovakia, with a more rapid rise in the rates seen in women aged < 60 years at diagnosis. The annual percentage change over the most recent decade varied from 1.7% in Norway to 4.1% in Slovakia. The increases are largely confined to younger women and are likely linked to generational changes in sexual behaviour (earlier age at sexual debut and increasing transmission of HPV among cohorts born 1940 to 1950 and thereafter. Vaginal cancer incidence rates, in contrast, were lower and more stable, despite the higher HPV‐attributable fraction relative to vulvar cancer. Irrespective of the trends, an increasing number of women are predicted to be diagnosed worldwide with both cancer types in future decades as population ageing and growth continues. The promise of high‐coverage HPV vaccination will likely counter this rising burden, but the impact may take a number of decades.
Captive breeding conditions decrease metabolic rates and alter morphological traits in the endangered Spanish toothcarp, Aphanius iberus
Authors: Latorre Dani , García‐Berthou Emili , Rubio‐Gracia Francesc , Galobart Cristina , Almeida David , Vila‐Gispert Anna
Published: May 2020

Physiological features of species can determine the resilience and adaptation of organisms to the environment. Swimming capacity and metabolic traits are key factors for fish survival, mating and predator–prey interactions. Individuals of the same species can display high phenotypic variation often in response to varying environmental conditions. We investigated the effects of captive breeding conditions on swimming capacity, metabolic traits and morphology by comparing a captive population with a wild population of the endangered Spanish toothcarp (Aphanius iberus). We measured swimming capabilities and oxygen‐uptake rates simultaneously, the latter as a proxy for metabolic rate, using a swim tunnel respirometer. Results showed significant differences in standard metabolic rate (SMR), maximum metabolic rate (MMR) and absolute aerobic scope (AAS) between populations, as well as differences in morphological features between populations and sexes. In contrast, we did not find significant differences in critical swimming speed between populations or sexes. Differences in SMR between sexes were found in the captive population, and males showed nearly a twofold increase in SMR when compared with females. SMR, MMR and AAS were, on average, twofold lower for the captive population in comparison with the wild population. These differences in metabolic traits likely reflected captivity conditions, which were low food availability and the absence of predators, which in turn, may have influenced morphological traits, such as body and caudal peduncle shape and head size. At the same time, morphological traits also influenced metabolic traits of the populations. The lower SMR and MMR of captive individuals may be related to their deeper body shapes. Taken together, our results suggested that captive breeding conditions caused significant physiological and morphological changes in the endangered Spanish toothcarp. Reduced metabolic traits and changes in morphology may affect fitness‐related traits of the captive populations once reintroduced into the wild, thereby compromising conservation efforts. We therefore recommend to experimentally testing for the effects and consequences of captive breeding conditions before fish are released into the wild for successful conservation of them and other endangered species.
Evidence of colloids as important phosphorus carriers in natural soil and stream waters in an agricultural catchment
Authors: Gu Sen , Gruau Gérard , Dupas Rémi , Jeanneau Laurent
Published: May 2020

Colloids (1–1,000 nm) are important phosphorus (P) carriers in agricultural soils. However, most studies are based on colloids from soil waters extracted in the laboratory, thus limiting the understanding of the natural transfer of colloidal P along the soil‐to‐stream continuum. Here, we conducted a field study on the colloidal P in both natural soil waters and their adjacent stream waters in an agricultural catchment (Kervidy‐Naizin, western France). Soil waters (10–15 cm, Albeluvisol) of two riparian wetlands and the adjacent stream waters were sampled monthly during wet seasons of the 2015–2016 hydrological year (seven dates in total). Ultrafiltration at three pore sizes (5 kDa, 30 kDa, and 0.45 µm) was combined with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP–MS) to investigate variability in colloidal P concentration and its concomitant elemental composition. Results showed that colloidal P represented, on average, 45 and 30% of the total P (<0.45 µm) in the soil waters and stream waters, respectively. We found that colloidal P was preferentially associated with (a) organic carbon in the fine nanoparticle fraction (5–30 kDa) and (b) iron‐oxyhydroxides and organic carbon in the coarse colloidal fraction (30 kDa–0.45 µm). The results confirmed that colloidal P is an important component of total P in both soil waters and stream waters under field conditions, suggesting that riparian wetlands are hotspot zones for the production of colloidal P at the catchment scale, which has the potential to be transported to adjacent streams.
Ontogeny of the Moorish gecko Tarentola mauritanica with emphasis on morphogenesis of the skin and its derivatives
Authors: Alturk Wafaa I. M. , Khannoon Eraqi R.
Published: May 2020

Studying reptilian embryonic development provides answers to many questions related to the development of tetrapods. Reptilian skin has been recently considered in studies at the evo‐devo level. The lizard epidermis has to be shed periodically. At the embryonic level, contention exists regarding the first layers to appear, whether the oberhautchen or the clear layer, and whether the shedding complex develops before hatching. Geckos exhibit diverse morphologies independently evolved multiple times within the clade, such as subdigital pad lamellae. Here we investigate the embryonic development of Tarentola mauritanica and establishing its embryonic table. Primarily we follow the development of the integument. This is a closely related species to Tarentola annularis and it is crucial to investigate whether it has the same derived digital condition of claw regression. Eleven embryonic stages are described according to the external morphological characteristics of the embryos. Interestingly, the oviposition stage appears earlier than its close relative T. annularis, and the total incubation time is less. We also describe skin development, adding clear evidence to the debate on the development of the shedding complex, which we found is developed before hatching. We describe one layer of periderm and the clear layer as the first embryonic epidermal layers. Generally, our results show the genus Tarentola to have the advantage of being a unique taxon, easily breed at the laboratory, with multiple clutches per year, and with an earlier stage at oviposition. That could be a model animal for embryonic development and experimental embryology studies.
Japanese International Medical Graduates and entrance into US clinical training: Challenges and methods to overcome them
Authors: Heist Brian S. , Torok Haruka Matsubara
Published: May 2020

Introduction

Entering US clinical training requires completing requirements and navigating an application process differing from the Japanese system. Additionally, increases to the number of US medical school graduates have increased competition for US residency positions. We examined profiles of Japanese International Medical Graduates (IMGs) who completed US clinical training, the timelines to securing US clinical positions, and the greatest challenges during this process and methods to overcome them.

Methods

Individual semistructured interviews were conducted with 35 purposively sampled Japanese IMGs. We performed exploratory thematic analysis using iterative data collection and constant comparison.

Results

Twenty percent of participants lived in a native English‐speaking country during childhood. The United States Medical Licensing Examinations were completed at ages 25‐40 years. Challenges were categorized as: (1) English communication, (2) understanding the application process, (3) motivation to persevere through the process, (4) time management to complete Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates requirements, (5) receiving letters of recommendation and overcoming competition for US residency positions, (6) financial cost of the process. Pragmatic generally self‐dependent methods helped overcome challenges 1‐4 and 6. Participants detailed personal or, more commonly, institutional connections to US training programs required to overcome challenge 5.

Conclusions

Japanese IMGs pursue US clinical training from diverse backgrounds commonly without the advantage of prior English fluency. Amidst increased competition internationally to enter US residency coupled with cultural and linguistic differences making this challenge often greater for Japanese IMGs, the competition to participate in institutionalized connections to US training programs is anticipated to increase.
Soil quality and soil organic carbon storage in abandoned agricultural lands: Effects of revegetation processes in a Mediterranean mid‐mountain area
Authors: Lasanta Teodoro , Sánchez‐Navarrete Pedro , Medrano‐Moreno Luis Miguel , Khorchani Makki , Nadal‐Romero Estela
Published: May 2020

Land abandonment followed by natural revegetation constitutes the main land‐use change in the Mediterranean mountains, affecting soil quality and soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks; however, there are few studies analysing the effects of cropland abandonment on soils in mid‐mountains. In the Leza Valley (Spain), 43.2% of the area was cultivated but abandoned during the 20th‐century. Natural revegetation gave rise to five land uses (LULCs): pastures (5 years), shrubs (Cistus laurifolius, 20–35 years), bushes (Juniperus communis, 35–50 years), young forests (Quercus pyrenaica) and old forests (>70 years). The aim of this research was to study the effects of natural revegetation of abandoned fields on physico‐chemical soil quality and SOC in various LULCs. In each of the LULCs, soil samples were collected every 10 cm, down to 40 cm depth, at three points, with a total of 60 samples being analysed (12 per LULC). In addition, plant species inventories were carried out. The results indicated (a) significant differences in physico‐chemical soil quality between the first years of abandonment and forests; (b) the SOC content increased with revegetation duration and decreased with increase in soil depth; (c) the highest SOC and TN stocks were found in the first 10 cm; (d) the results of the principal component analysis with all the data differentiate forests from shrubs and pastures. This study confirms the need to be aware of the effects of land abandonment and natural revegetation processes on the soil, in order to promote management strategies to preserve ecosystem services that agricultural marginal lands can provide.
Conventional and Unconventional Photon Statistics
Authors: Zubizarreta Casalengua Eduardo , López Carreño Juan Camilo , Laussy Fabrice P. , Valle Elena del
Published: May 2020

The photon statistics emitted by a large variety of light‐matter systems under weak coherent driving can be understood, to lowest order in the driving, in the framework of an admixture of (or interference between) a squeezed state and a coherent state, with the resulting state accounting for all bunching and antibunching features. One can further identify two mechanisms that produce resonances for the photon correlations: i) conventional photon blockade describes cases that involve a particular quantum level or set of levels in the excitation/emission processes with interferences occurring to all orders in the photon numbers, while ii) unconventional photon blockade describes cases where the driving laser is far from resonance with any level and the interference occurs for a particular number of photons only, yielding stronger correlations but only for a definite number of photons. Such an understanding and classification allows for a comprehensive and transparent description of the photon statistics from a wide range of disparate systems, where optimum conditions for various types of photon correlations can be found and realized.
Predicting Graphene's Nonlinear‐Optical Refractive Response for Propagating Pulses
Authors: Castelló‐Lurbe David , Thienpont Hugo , Vermeulen Nathalie
Published: May 2020

Nonlinear‐optical refraction is typically described by means of perturbation theory near the material's equilibrium state. Graphene, however, can easily move far away from its equilibrium state upon optical pumping, yielding strong nonlinear responses that cannot be modeled as mere perturbations. So far, one is still lacking the required theoretical expressions to make predictions for these complex nonlinear effects and to account for their evolution in time and space. Here, this long‐standing issue is solved by the derivation of population‐recipe‐based expressions for graphene's nonperturbative nonlinearities. The presented framework successfully predicts and explains the various nonlinearity magnitudes and signs observed for graphene over the past decade, while also being compatible with the nonlinear pulse propagation formalism commonly used for waveguides.
Assessment of pitting corrosion in bare and passivated (wet scCO2‐induced patination and chemical passivation) hot‐dip galvanized steel samples with SVET, FTIR, and SEM (EDS)
Authors: Saarimaa Ville , Fuertes Nuria , Persson Dan , Zavalis Tommy , Kaleva Aaretti , Nikkanen Juha‐Pekka , Levänen Erkki , Heydari Golrokh
Published: May 2020

In this study, the local electrochemical activity of untreated and passivated (natural or chemical passivation) zinc specimens was observed during immersion in a 0.1‐M NaCl solution. The localized anodic activity during the exposure, measured with the scanning vibrating electrode technique, was linked to zinc dissolution by the pitting corrosion mechanism. It was correlated to specific corrosion products characterized by Fourier transmission infrared (FTIR) microscopy. FTIR molecule maps were produced from individual pitting corrosion sites (100–200 µm in width). With argon ion beam milling and latest energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDS) technology, element maps with a high spatial resolution (≪100 nm) were recorded from abrasion‐ and beam‐sensitive corrosion products, showing a residual layer structure. This study demonstrates the capability of FTIR mapping, cross‐section polishing, and state‐of‐the‐art scanning electron microscopy imaging, and EDS element mapping to produce high‐resolution elemental, molecular, and visual information about pitting corrosion mechanisms on a hot‐dip galvanized steel sample.
Optimization of nitrogen source supply for enhanced biosynthesis and quality of poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate‐co‐3‐hydroxyvalerate) by extremely halophilic archaeon Haloferax mediterranei
Authors: Alsafadi Diya , Al‐Mashaqbeh Othman , Mansour Aya , Alsaad Majd
Published: May 2020

The extreme halophilic archaeon, Haloferax mediterranei can accumulate polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) from different renewable resources. To enhance the biosynthesis and quality of PHA, H. mediterranei cultivation media was optimized at different C/N ratios using glucose as the main carbon source. Three sets of media (yeast extract [YE], NH4Cl and combination of YE and NH4Cl) were prepared at different nitrogen concentrations to achieve C/N ratios of 9, 20, and 35, respectively. The media containing YE (organic nitrogen source) produced a higher growth rate of H. mediterranei than NH4Cl (inorganic source) at all tested C/N ratios. The highest PHA accumulation (18.4% PHA/cell dry mass) was achieved in a media that combined YE with NH4Cl at a C/N ratio of 20. Analysis of the produced polymers revealed the production of poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate‐co‐3‐hydroxyvalerate) (PHBHV) with different 3‐hydroxyvalerate (3HV) content. The polymers produced from YE and the combined media have greater 3HV content (10 mol%) than those polymers recovered from NH4Cl (1.5 mol%). Resultingly, PHBHV from YE and the combined media displayed reduced melting points at 144°C. The nitrogen type/concentration was found to also have an impact on the molecular weights and polydispersity indices of the produced biopolymers. Furthermore, the tensile strengths were found to vary with the best tensile strength (14.4 MPa) being recorded for the polymer recovered from YE at C/N = 9. Interestingly, the tensile strength of PHBHV was significantly higher than petroleum‐based polyethylene (13.5 MPa), making it a much more suitable bioplastic for industrial application.
Offer a virtual commencement so all students can celebrate graduation
Authors: Pavlik Amelia
Published: May 2020

No cap, no gown, no diploma being handed to you as you cross a stage in front of a clapping audience. Thanks to COVID‐19, this was going to be the reality for Purdue University's spring graduates — until leadership stepped in with a plan.
Don't waste other people's time
Authors: Hodges Dawn Z.
Published: May 2020

One of the worst things a leader, manager, or boss can do, in my opinion, is waste their employees’ time. By doing so, you are keeping your employees from being as productive as they could and should be.
Effect of emotional victim images in prosocial advertising: The moderating role of helping mode
Authors: Li Dan , Atkinson Lucy
Published: May 2020

Charities and marketers routinely incorporate images of recipients, for example victims of a flood or famine, in their prosocial advertising; however, previous literature suggests mixed results regarding the effectiveness of relying on sad versus happy images of victims. Recently, due to reactance to excessively traumatic marketing campaigns, happy victim images have been found to be more effective in eliciting prosocial behaviors. To extend this line of research, an experiment found that consumers are more willing to help when viewing advertisements featuring happy children over sad children. Moreover, helping mode moderates the relationship between victim image and helping intentions. The effect of a happy victim image is attenuated when consumers are asked to buy cause‐related products rather than donate to charities. According to emotion regulation consumption theory, consumers mitigate the feeling of negative emotions by increasing their intention to buy cause‐related products. Practically, the findings provide guidance on integrating victim images in prosocial advertising.
Dynamics and oceanic response of the Madeira tip‐jets
Authors: Alves José M.R. , Caldeira Rui M.A. , Miranda Pedro M.A.
Published: May 2020

Madeira island is a well‐known source of atmospheric and oceanic eddy activity, with relevant downstream impact in both media. Previous studies focused on the dynamics of the island wake environment, suggesting the relevance of different atmosphere–ocean interactions in its maintenance. Here, results from one summer (two months) of fully coupled atmosphere–ocean high‐resolution simulations are used to explore such interactions and to further understand the dynamics of Madeira's wake. Those results, validated against available in situ and remote‐sensing data, indicate that the atmospheric and ocean circulations near Madeira are dominated by the variability of two quasi‐permanent features, its tip‐jets, and more so by the variability of its eastern jet. While both jets are of comparable magnitude and present similar intraseasonal variability at the multi‐week time‐scale, they are associated with qualitatively different forcing. The jets dominate the atmosphere forcing over the upper ocean, leading to enhanced mixing and deeper mixed‐layer depth. Oceanic eddies are more frequent in the east jet region, as shedding anticyclones, confirming observational evidence. A comparison with a similar one‐way coupled atmospheric simulation indicates that atmosphere–ocean feedbacks are relevant to the coastal surface temperature.
An empirical saddlepoint approximation method for producing smooth survival and hazard functions under interval‐censoring
Authors: Dissanayake Manjari , Trindade A. Alexandre
Published: May 2020

We devise a new method to produce smooth estimates of baseline survival and hazard functions for incomplete data observed subject to interval‐censoring, that can in principle be viewed as being nonparametric. The key idea is to start from the nonparametric maximum likelihood estimate, and to then construct an empirical moment generating function for the underlying data generating mechanism, which is subsequently inverted via a saddlepoint approximation in order to obtain smooth distributional estimates. Unlike the typical spline‐based and other semiparametric methods that have thus far been devised for the same purpose, the proposed approach is unencumbered by the choice of tuning parameters. Simulation studies show that in terms of integrated squared error, the method is very close in performance to the parametric gold standard, and should generally be preferred over the well‐established spline‐based approach implemented in R packagelogspline. The methodology is illustrated on some publicly available real datasets, and its implications and limitations are discussed.
Seed‐Assisted Growth for Low‐Temperature‐Processed All‐Inorganic CsPbIBr2 Solar Cells with Efficiency over 10%
Authors: Zhang Weihai , Xiong Juan , Li Jinhua , Daoud Walid A.
Published: May 2020

All‐inorganic CsPbIBr2 perovskite has recently received growing attention due to its balanced band gap and excellent environmental stability. However, the requirement of high‐temperature processing limits its application in flexible devices. Herein, a low‐temperature seed‐assisted growth (SAG) method for high‐quality CsPbIBr2 perovskite films through reducing the crystallization temperature by introducing methylammonium halides (MAX, X = I, Br, Cl) is demonstrated. The mechanism is attributed to MA cation based perovskite seeds, which act as nuclei lowering the formation energy of CsPbIBr2 during the annealing treatment. It is found that methylammonium bromide treated perovskite (Pvsk‐Br) film fabricated at low temperature (150 °C) shows micrometer‐sized grains and superior charge dynamic properties, delivering a device with an efficiency of 10.47%. Furthermore, an efficiency of 11.1% is achieved for a device based on high‐temperature (250 °C) processed Pvsk‐Br film via the SAG method, which presents the highest reported efficiency for inorganic CsPbIBr2 solar cells thus far.
Surface Modifications for Improved Delivery and Function of Therapeutic Bacteria
Authors: Vargason Ava M. , Santhosh Shruti , Anselmo Aaron C.
Published: May 2020

Live therapeutic bacteria (LTBs) hold promise to treat microbiome‐related diseases. However, few approaches to improve the colonization of LTBs in the gastrointestinal tract exist, despite colonization being a prerequisite for efficacy of many LTBs. Here, a modular platform to rapidly modify the surface of LTBs to enable receptor‐specific interactions with target surfaces is reported. Inspired by bacterial adhesins that facilitate colonization, synthetic adhesins (SAs) are developed for LTBs in the form of antibodies conjugated to their surface. The SA platform is nontoxic, does not alter LTB growth kinetics, and can be used with any antibody or bacterial strain combination. By improving adhesion, SA‐modified bacteria demonstrate enhanced in vitro pathogen exclusion from cell monolayers. In vivo kinetics of SA‐modified LTBs is tracked in the feces and intestines of treated mice, demonstrating that SA‐modified bacteria alter short‐term intestinal transit and improve LTB colonization and pharmacokinetics. This platform enables rapid formation of an intestinal niche, leading to an increased maximum concentration and a 20% improvement in total LTB exposure. This work is the first application of traditional pharmacokinetic analysis to design and evaluate LTB drug delivery systems and provides a platform toward controlling adhesion, colonization, and efficacy of LTBs.
Improvement of Hot Ductility in a Low‐Carbon Steel by the Application of the Precooling
Authors: Kwon Sang-Hum , Lee Jae-Sang , Heo Yoon-Uk , Yim Chang-Hee
Published: May 2020

The effect of precooling on hot ductility of a low‐carbon steel is investigated. It shows a wide reduction of ductility in the temperature range of 700–900 °C with a general hot tensile test. The hot ductility is increased by applying precooling before the hot‐tensile test. The increase in the reduction of area (RA) reaches 40–50% when the steel is precooled to 500 °C. Active precipitation of (Mn, Cu)‐sulfide is observed during the precooling. The increased RA is attributed to the active sulfide formation, which decreases sulfur segregation at grain boundaries.
Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 activation downregulates toll‐like receptor 4 expression and ameliorates cognitive impairment in the Aβ1‐42‐induced Alzheimer's disease mouse model
Authors: Qin Zhangjin , Gu Min , Zhou Jian , Zhang Wenbo , Zhao Nan , Lü Yang , Yu Weihua
Published: May 2020

Increasing evidence suggests that changes in the triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) is closely correlated with the pathological development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the biological function and related role of this change remain poorly understood. Higher TREM2 expression has been reported in the brain of AD patients than in normal controls. Here, levels of TREM2 gene and protein levels were observed to be higher in both cortex and hippocampus of the Aβ1‐42‐induced AD mice than in those of the wild type mice. Together with in vitro experimental data, we found that the anti‐inflammatory role of TREM2 was, to some extent, limited and potentially counteracted by the hyperactive toll‐like receptor 4 (TLR4) in the AD mice. In this context, Interleukin 4 (IL‐4), as an agonist of TREM2, was administered to the AD mice to persistently activate TREM2. Interestingly, TREM2 activation in IL‐4‐treated AD mice led to an elevation in lysosomes and microtubule‐associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) II/I expression, demonstrating that the level of microglia autophagy was increased. Increased autophagy significantly downregulated the expression levels of caspase recruitment domain‐containing protein 9 (CARD9) and TLR4, potentially weakening the CARD9‐TLR4 pathway and suppressing the TLR4‐mediated pro‐inflammatory effect in IL‐4‐treated AD mice. Furthermore, data acquired from Morris water maze testing indicated that IL‐4 administration could ameliorate cognitive impairment in the AD mice. In conclusion, the findings from in vitro and in vivo experiments suggest that TREM2 might represent a potential drug target to treat neuroinflammation in AD.
Genome‐based prediction of Bayesian linear and non‐linear regression models for ordinal data
Authors: Pérez‐Rodríguez Paulino , Flores‐Galarza Samuel , Vaquera‐Huerta Humberto , del Valle‐Paniagua David Hebert , Montesinos‐López Osval A. , Crossa José
Published: May 2020

Linear and non‐linear models used in applications of genomic selection (GS) can fit different types of responses (e.g., continuous, ordinal, binary). In recent years, several genomic‐enabled prediction models have been developed for predicting complex traits in genomic‐assisted animal and plant breeding. These models include linear, non‐linear and non‐parametric models, mostly for continuous responses and less frequently for categorical responses. Several linear and non‐linear models are special cases of a more general family of statistical models known as artificial neural networks, which provide better prediction ability than other models. In this paper, we propose a Bayesian Regularized Neural Network (BRNNO) for modelling ordinal data. The proposed model was fitted using a Bayesian framework; we used the data augmentation algorithm to facilitate computations. The proposed model was fitted using the Gibbs Maximum a Posteriori and Generalized EM algorithm implemented by combining code written in C and R programming languages. The new model was tested with two real maize datasets evaluated for Septoria and GLS diseases and was compared with the Bayesian Ordered Probit Model (BOPM). Results indicated that the BRNNO model performed better in terms of genomic‐based prediction than the BOPM model.
Digital Film and Television Distribution in Greece: Between Crisis and Opportunity
Authors: Papadimitriou Lydia
Published: May 2020

The chapter offers a critical overview of the media ecology of film and television distribution in Greece by the middle of 2019. It maps out the stakeholders engaged in delivering professional audiovisual content online and highlights some of the ways in which residual and emerging screen media have intersected in creating the contemporary digital landscape in the country. The chapter positions distribution in the broader context of the audiovisual industry and policy developments in Greece in the decade since the financial crisis, while also exploring the impact of global disruptors, such as Netflix, on the national media ecosystem. Drawing on a conceptual framework provided by research on “small media systems,” as well as the work of Amanda Lodz and Ramon Lobato on Internet-enabled distribution, the chapter uses data from policy documents, press reports and content analysis to assess whether digital technologies can help stimulate a virtuous cycle of production–distribution–consumption in the country’s audiovisual sector.
Finding Larger Transnational Media Markets: Media Practices of the Vietnamese Diasporic Community
Authors: Kim Tae-Sik
Published: May 2020

Addressing a concern about the absence of Vietnamese migrants in the Czech media landscape, this chapter first reviews various life contexts of the different Vietnamese populations in the Czech Republic (CR) and then discusses how they have generally lacked participation in the Czech media landscape because of their adoption of transnational media practices. This study also demonstrates how the diasporic community has failed to establish a conventional form of diasporic media but instead has found new translocal information outlets on social media. While the old and new first generations have relied more on media outlets from their country of origin, young migrant children have explored media markets beyond the binational border. However, Vietnamese migrants have recently begun to use social media platforms as networked information outlets, reaching a variety of communities and media outlets located in the CR, Vietnam and their own diasporic community.
Compensation Systems for Online Use
Authors: Handke Christian
Published: May 2020

In the last two decades, it has been difficult to enforce exclusive rights in the “digital realm.” This chapter discusses an alternative to copyright enforcement: copyright compensation systems (CCS), which (a) provide end users with legal certainty when using widely available online resources to access and use creative works, in return for (b) a surcharge on Internet subscription, the receipts of which are disseminated among rightsholders. The basic idea is not to establish exclusive rights, but to compensate creators and those investing in the production of creative works. Arguably, the use of CCS is particularly promising in Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries within the European Union. CCS can ensure that low-income households enjoy affordable legal access, foster cultural diversity and domestic production in smaller economies, maintain competition between online services disseminating creative works, become useful tools to conduct cultural policy, and help realize the promise of wide participation in cultural production with user-generated content. It is high time that policymakers explore this option by extending the system of copying levies to cover Internet subscriptions.
Small Country, Complex Film Policy: The Case of the Czech Film Funding System
Authors: Bilík Petr
Published: May 2020

The approach of each European country to the Digital Single Market strategy from a film industry perspective is not just a response to the technological and commercial transformation of recent years, but is based on concepts of the film industry and the willingness of the state to interfere and support. Therefore, in monitoring current attitudes and identifying future strategies, it is appropriate to recall the development of the legitimacy of the institutionalized film sphere within a wider national cultural policy. It is also essential to keep in mind that the existing organization of the production side of the film industry is in a fragile equilibrium of market-based solutions and state intervention which is vulnerable to rapid change.
Small, Middle, Test: Rescaling Peripheral Media Markets
Authors: Wagman Ira
Published: May 2020

This chapter raises the question of how to think about the impact of global streaming video on demand platforms on local and national audiovisual markets. It suggests that many studies of media-related markets—particularly in countries identified as “small”—are often understood in generic terms. Using Canada’s experience with Netflix as a case study, this chapter explores how the study of VOD would change according to three different conceptions of Canada as market for media products. If thinking of media markets as big or small encourages relational and defensive thinking and leads toward questions of sovereignty, and if considering media markets as “middles” encourages ideas of circulation and brokerage, then understanding media markets as testing grounds can encourage ideas of experimentation and adaptation.
On the Boundaries of Digital Markets
Authors: Lobato Ramon
Published: May 2020

This chapter offers a conceptual framework for analyzing market boundaries, using the EU’s Digital Single Market strategy as an example. It builds on recent work in sociology, geography and political theory to explain how market boundaries are drawn—politically, discursively and institutionally. A vital insight from the social science of markets is to always consider the messiness and friction built into markets. In other words, we must think of markets as social spaces constituted by history, politics and culture rather than abstract spaces constituted by exchange. This involves paying attention to how official market boundaries interact with—and inevitably conflict with—consumer preferences, practices, activities and institutions that may or may not respect those boundaries. The effect of this thought experiment is to pluralize the idea of “the market” by acknowledging that there are, in fact, many different kinds of markets. More to the point, each market comprises a palimpsest of layers that interact in complex ways.
Geoblocking: At Odds with the EU Single Market and Consumer Expectations
Authors: Reda Julia
Published: May 2020

This chapter explores the effects of geoblocking on consumers, as well as the friction between this practice and the idea of European integration. Drawing from my experience as a Member of the European Parliament involved with legislative initiatives to address geoblocking from 2014 to 2019, I find that the European Commission’s proposals to abolish geoblocking that were announced by Commission Vice-President Ansip at the beginning of the mandate left geoblocking practices mostly intact, due to fierce opposition from the film industry. Even the modest proposal for a regulation on online broadcasting modeled after the 1993 Satellite and Cable Directive, which would have reduced (not abolished) the geoblocking of video content, was altered substantially through the negotiation process, largely to accommodate lobbying from the film industry. While politics have thus failed to abolish geoblocking, new online players, such as Netflix and Amazon, have reacted to consumer demand to be able to access video content anytime and anywhere, regardless of location. These companies were only able to grow thanks to the large single market in the USA where they got their start, and have since been able to establish themselves in the EU thanks to their substantial resources when entering the EU market. Now, the multinationals are large enough to finance their own productions, which are available to all users worldwide simultaneously. To many consumers, the issue of geoblocking therefore seems less pressing now, because they can watch content produced by streaming services such as Netflix or Amazon Prime instead of the independent productions that are unavailable to them legally in their countries. By opposing any solution to the geoblocking problem, the European film industry has thus contributed to the rise of new, powerful competitors and is now threatened by technology companies that are better at meeting user demand for non-geoblocked films and TV series. Only a decisive effort to abolish geoblocking can prevent the gradual development of a film production duopoly of Netflix and Amazon. Eventually, abolishing geoblocking will be in the interest of both consumers and a diverse film production market.
The Czech and Slovak Audiovisual Market as a Laboratory Experiment for the Digital Single Market in Europe
Authors: Zahrádka Pavel
Published: May 2020

This chapter reconstructs and compares the attitudes of Czech distributors of premium audiovisual content (films, television and Web series) toward reform measures proposed by the European Commission for the introduction of a Digital Single Market in Europe and explains the basic operating mechanisms of the business model for audiovisual content in small markets. Based on the lessons learned, the chapter offers a reflection on the sustainability of the online business model of the film industry in the EU with respect to consumer demand and European Union competition law.
„Der neue Weg“: Mit „interatomarer Energie“ zum „Herrn der Welt“ werden
Authors: Hentschel Klaus
Published: May 2020

Bei der Durchsicht des Nachlasses von Rudolf Tomaschek (1895–1966) fand ich ein 30 Seiten umfassendes Typoskript seines damaligen Assistenten Hugo Watzlawek (1912–1995) aus dem Jahr 1944 mit dem Titel „Interatomare Energie“. Heute würde man eher von „inneratomarer Energie“, oder von „Kernenergie“ sprechen, da der Inhalt des Typoskripts „technische Kernphysik“ einschließlich ihrer potentiellen militärischen Anwendungen betrifft. Der Text bietet einen ungefilterten, erstaunlich kenntnisreichen, aber in vielem auch erschreckenden Einblick in die technokratische Gedankenwelt sowie den Wissensstand und Anwendungshorizont eines „technischen Kernphysikers“ im „Dritten Reich“, der unter Verweis auf konkurrierende amerikanische Forschungen 1944 nachdrücklich um weitere Mittel für kernphysikalische und -technische Forschung sowie für die Entwicklung von Kernwaffen bittet. Der vorliegende Aufsatz kommentiert und kontextualisiert das Typoskript; meine ebenfalls online gestellte annotierte Transkription des Typoskriptes bietet ungekürzten Zugang zum Originaltext samt knapper, für dessen Verständnis notwendiger historischer und technischer Erläuterungen.