bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Increase in Temperature Overwhelms Silver Nanoparticle Effects on the Aquatic Invertebrate Limnephilus sp.
Authors: Batista Daniela , Pascoal Cláudia , Cássio Fernanda
Published: May 2020

The effects of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been largely explored, but there is still a lack of knowledge on their effects under the predicted changes in temperature as a consequence of climate change. The aim of the present study was to determine how leaf consumption by invertebrate shredders is affected by dietary exposure to AgNPs and AgNO3 and whether changes in temperature alter such effects. Also, responses of antioxidant enzymes were examined. In microcosms, the invertebrate shredder Limnephilus sp. was allowed to feed on alder leaves treated with AgNPs (5, 10, and 25 mg L−1) and AgNO3 (1 mg L−1) at 10, 16, and 23 °C (6 replicates). After 5 d, the animals were transferred to clean water and allowed to feed on untreated leaves. The higher leaf consumption by the shredder was related to temperature increase and to the contamination of leaves with AgNPs and AgNO3. Results from enzymatic activities demonstrated that AgNP contamination via food induce oxidative and neuronal stress in the shredder: the activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase were positively correlated with total Ag accumulated in the animal body. Moreover, glutathione S-transferase activity was strongly associated with higher temperature (23 °C). Overall results indicated that the effects of toxicants on consumption rates and enzymatic activities are modulated by temperature and suggested that increases in temperature changes the AgNP effects on invertebrate shredder performance. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:1429–1437. © 2020 SETAC

Abstract
Spatiotemporal measurement of light extinction coefficients in compartment fires
Authors: Arnold Lukas , Belt Alexander , Schultze Thorsten , Sichma Lea
Published: May 2020

In case of fire, the visibility plays a major role as it limits the occupants’ orientation capabilities and the perception of signs. These effects are determined by the light extinction due to smoke or other aerosols produced in fires. The presented method is based on the optical observation of an array of light sources during a fire in a laboratory experiment. The smoke induced into the compartment leads to a drop in intensity of each individual light source. This information is used to deduce the extinction along the line‐of‐sight to the camera. Once the data are captured, an automated processing is used to locate the diodes on the images and determine their intensity. Here, the optical image of the small diodes is assumed to have a known shape, so that the optimisation algorithm is capable to identify the location of the diode's centre and quantify the luminosity in a sub‐pixel range. The result is a time series for each diode, indicating the change of the relative luminosity, w.r.t. the initial values. Finally, a model for the extinction along each line‐of‐sight is formulated. It assumes that the light extinction coefficient is distributed in homogeneous layers. The number of layers is a free model parameter. Given this spatial distribution of the extinction coefficient and the experimental geometry, each line‐of‐sight is impacted by a number of layers, of yet unknown coefficient values. An inverse modelling approach is used here to find coefficient values that match the modelled line‐of‐sight extinction with the observed luminosity drops. The final result is a time‐ and height‐dependent distribution of the light extinction coefficient during the full experiment.
Heat and moisture exchanger cassettes: Results of a quality/safety initiative to reduce postoperative mucus plugging after total laryngectomy
Authors: Ebersole Barbara , Moran Kathleen , Gou Jiangtao , Ridge John , Schiech Linda , Liu Jeffrey C. , Lango Miriam
Published: May 2020

Background

Tracheal dryness is a concern after total laryngectomy due to the potential for mucus plugs (MP). This study compared heat and moisture exchanger (HME) cassettes to external tracheal humidification (ETH) surrounding MP events.

Methods

A retrospective comparative cohort study comparing outcomes before/after implementation of a patient safety initiative utilizing HME during post laryngectomy hospitalization. The number of MP events were compared with a pre‐implementation control group using ETH. Patient characteristics were analyzed for correlation with MP.

Results

The rate of MP was significantly lower in the HME group than ETH (0.13 and 0.38 per 10 inpatient days, respectively, P = .02). The proportion of patients with one or more MP events was also significantly reduced in the HME group (50% ETH and 11% HME, P = .01). Method of humidification was the only significant variable associated with MP on logistic regression modeling (P = .008).

Conclusions

HMEs were superior to ETH for prevention of MP.
Differences in site‐specific incidence and relative survival of cutaneous and mucocutaneous genital squamous cell carcinoma in Germany, 2007‐2015
Authors: Stang Andreas , Wellmann Ina , Kajüter Hiltraud , Trocchi Pietro , Becker Jürgen C. , Green Adele C. , Jöckel Karl‐Heinz , Khil Laura
Published: May 2020

Direct comparisons of the incidence and survival of cutaneous vs mucocutaneous genital squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) are lacking even though they may bring important insights. We aimed to compare incidence rates and survival of cutaneous and mucocutaneous genital SCCs head‐to‐head, using the same source population, cancer registry methodology and statistical methods in a population of predominantly white Caucasian descent. Using data (2007‐2015) from the population‐based cancer registry of North Rhine‐Westphalia, (population of 18 million people), we estimated age‐specific and age‐standardized (old European standard) incidence rates and age‐standardized relative 5‐year survival of SCC with the period approach for the period 2012 to 2015. Overall, 83 650 SCC cases were registered. The age‐standardized incidence rates (per 100 000 person‐years) of cutaneous SCCs were 36.5 (SE 0.17) and 17.0 (SE 0.11) among men and women, respectively, with corresponding rates for mucocutaneous genital skin, 1.3 (SE 0.03) and 4.5 (SE 0.06) for men and women, respectively. In all age groups, incidence rates of mucocutaneous genital SCCs were higher in women than men. Men had higher cutaneous SCC incidence at all nongenital subsites than women, with the exception of the lower extremities. Five‐year relative survival was considerably lower for mucocutaneous genital SCCs (men: 71%, women: 75%), especially of the scrotal skin (67%) and labia majora (62%) than for SCC of nongenital skin (men: 93%, women: 97%). Given their relatively high incidence together with a lower survival probability, future studies are warranted to establish therapies for advanced mucocutaneous genital SCC, such as immune checkpoint inhibition.
Impact of Anxiety or Depression Symptoms on Propofol Requirements for Sedation in Females: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Li Rui‐yun , Lin Ming , Jiang Hong‐ye , Wen Shi‐hong , Shen Jian‐tong , Huang Wen‐qi , Zhang Xu‐yu
Published: May 2020

Mental disorders are thought to affect various clinical outcomes during the perioperative period. Among them, anxiety and depression are 2 of the most common types. However, the impacts of anxiety or depression on propofol requirements remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of anxiety or depression symptoms on the propofol requirements for sedation in females. This study recruited female patients aged 18 to 65 years, with American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification of 1 to 2, who were scheduled for hysteroscopic surgery under propofol‐based intravenous anesthesia. The day before surgery, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used to assess the symptoms of anxiety and depression within the past 6 months. Target‐controlled propofol was gradually titrated to achieve 3 desired levels of sedation: Modified Observer's Assessment of Alertness/Sedation scale (MOAA/S) score 3, MOAA/S score 1, and MOAA/S score 1 and Narcotrend Index <65. The effect‐site concentration of propofol correlated with HADS–Anxiety scores for the sedation levels of MOAA/S 3 and 1 (r = .249, P = .008; and r = .190, P = .045, respectively). However, the propofol requirements did not correlate with HADS–Depression scores at any sedation level. In conclusion, female patients with anxiety symptoms, but not depression symptoms, required a higher dose of propofol for sedation in hysteroscopy.
Three different Fourier‐transform mid‐infrared sampling techniques to characterize bio‐organic samples
Authors: Bekiaris Georgios , Peltre Clément , Barsberg Søren T. , Bruun Sander , Sørensen Klavs M. , Engelsen Søren B. , Magid Jakob , Hansen Mette , Jensen Lars S.
Published: May 2020

In recent years, there has been a surge in the number of applications of Fourier‐transform mid‐infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy for the characterization of environmental samples and prediction of some of their properties whose measurement has traditionally involved time‐consuming and costly methods. However, there are several different mid‐infrared techniques available, and there is a gap in knowledge regarding the best‐suited technique for recording informative spectra of different types of environmental samples. This study compared the three most widespread FTIR techniques using solid and liquid samples. A total of 11 environmental samples belonging to four categories were analyzed with attenuated total reflectance (ATR), photoacoustic (PAS), and diffuse reflectance (DR) FTIR spectroscopy. Overall, PAS‐FTIR was the best technique, providing a greater amount of information, especially for opaque samples (i.e., organic waste, biochar, and soil), than ATR‐FTIR and DR‐FTIR spectroscopy. Attenuated total reflectance FTIR provided the best spectra for soft samples, such as plant materials, probably due to their ability to achieve good optical contact with the ATR crystal. Finally, DR‐FTIR performed relatively well for most samples but was found to be more sensitive to moisture in the samples, resulting in noise in specific areas, and was less sensitive in bond vibrations related to Si.
COVID‐19 and liver dysfunction: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of retrospective studies
Authors: Youssef Mohanad , H Hussein Mohammad , Attia Abdallah S , M Elshazli Rami , Omar Mahmoud , Zora Ghassan , S Farhoud Ashraf , Elnahla Ahmad , Shihabi Areej , Toraih Eman A , S Fawzy Manal , Kandil Emad
Published: May 2020

Recently, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic is the most significant global health crisis. In this study, we conducted a meta‐analysis to find the association between liver injuries and the severity of COVID‐19 disease. Online databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Science direct, were searched to detect relevant publications up to 16 April 2020. Depending on the heterogeneity between studies, a fixed‐ or random‐effects model was applied to pool data. Publication bias Egger's test was also performed. Meta‐analysis of 20 retrospective studies (3428 patients), identified that patients with a severe manifestation of COVID‐19 exhibited significantly higher levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and bilirubin values with prolonged prothrombin time. Furthermore, lower albumin level was associated with a severe presentation of COVID‐19. Liver dysfunction was associated with a severe outcome of COVID‐19 disease. Close monitoring of the occurrence of liver dysfunction is beneficial in early warning of unfavorable outcomes.
Croplands conversion to cash crops in dry regions: Consequences of nitrogen losses and decreasing nitrogen use efficiency for the food chain system
Authors: Zhang Xuechen , Razavi Bahar S. , Liu Jiaxin , Wang Gui , Zhang Xucheng , Li Ziyan , Zhai Bingnian , Wang Zhaohui , Zamanian Kazem
Published: May 2020

Understanding the effects of land‐use change in drylands on nutrient use efficiencies and losses within the food production‐consumption system provides insights on nutrient management strategies and the effectiveness of land‐use policies. Weibei Dryland is considered an example to use to evaluate changes in nitrogen (N) flows through the food chain following conversion of croplands to apple orchards, using the Nutrient flows in Food Chains, Environment and Resources Use (NUFER) model, and we also modelled the effects of 20% reduction in N fertilizers on apple yields to obtain a balanced fertilization strategy. The apple orchards area increased from 9.6 × 104 ha in 1978 to 72 × 104 ha in 2013, while the area under cereals decreased from 186 × 104 ha in 1978 to 152 × 104 ha in 2013. The increased income due to apple orchards led on‐one‐hand to more N fertilization to get a higher apple yield, and on‐the‐other‐hand promoted the consumption of animal foods. Consequently, nitrogen use efficiency of crop production (NUEc) and the combination of crop and animal production (NUEc+a) decreased, but nitrogen use efficiency of animal production (NUEa) and N losses increased between 1978 and 2013. The modelled scenario of 20% reduction in N fertilization amounts will still keep optimum apple yield but will significantly decrease N losses from the apple orchards. We therefore, suggest that the key measures for improving nitrogen use efficiency and decreasing N losses after conversion to cash crops are: (a) reducing N fertilization as well as balancing various inorganic fertilizers; and (b) implying organic fertilizers.
MUC5B induces in vitro neutrophil extracellular trap formation: Implication in otitis media
Authors: Val Stéphanie , Krueger Anna , Hussain Arman , Tomney Amarel , Chen Yajun , Lazarski Christopher , Preciado Diego
Published: May 2020

Background

Chronic otitis media (COM) is characterized by middle ear fluid predominantly containing cytokines, Nontypeable haemophilus influenzae (NTHi), the mucin MUC5B, and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). NETs consist of extracellular DNA coated with antibacterial proteins such as myeloperoxidase (MPO) and citrullinated histone 3 (CitH3). NETs can damage tissues and sustain inflammation. Our study aimed to develop an in vitro model of NETosis, testing COM inductors.

Methods

NETosis was evaluated in fresh blood human neutrophils attached to collagen‐coated plates and in suspension exposed to phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) as a control, and COM relevant mediators. Confocal microscopy, DNA fluorescence assay and flow cytometry were used to quantify NETosis.

Results

PMA exposure induced DNA, MPO, and CitH3 by immunofluorescence (IF) most significantly at 3 hours (3.8‐fold for DAPI, 7.6‐fold for MPO, and 6.9‐fold for CitH3, all P < .05). IL‐8 and TNF‐α cytokines showed milder increases of DAPI, MPO, and CitH3 positive cells. NTHi had no effect on these NETs markers. Purified salivary MUC5B (10 to 40 μg/mL) produced potent increases, comparable to PMA. A composite NET score summing the fold‐increases for DAPI, MPO, and CitH3 demonstrated PMA at 13.6 to 19 relative to control set at 1; and MUC5B at 8.6 to 16.3 (all P < .05). IL‐8 and TNF‐α showed scores of 5.4 and 3, respectively, but these were not statistically significant.

Conclusion

We developed a reliable in vitro assay for NETosis which demonstrated that salivary MUC5B is a potent inductor of NETs whereas IL‐8, TNF‐α, live and lyzed NTHi demonstrated minimal to no NETosis.

Level of evidence

NA.
Drug‐Induced Liver Injury After Liver Transplantation
Authors: Jiménez‐Pérez Miguel , González‐Grande Rocío , García‐Cortés Miren , Andrade Raúl J.
Published: May 2020

Drug‐induced liver injury (DILI) is an adverse reaction to many drugs in common use that in a liver transplantation (LT) recipient may cause graft dysfunction and may even lead to graft loss and the need for retransplantation. However, several potential clinical scenarios, such as graft rejection and infection, can confound the diagnosis of suspected DILI in the setting of LT. This makes causal assessment of a new liver injury more uncertain and has traditionally precluded collection of bona fide cases of DILI affecting LT patients in prospective DILI registries and cohorts. Although no studies have yet determined a greater susceptibility of the transplant patient to DILI, these patients nevertheless present certain risk factors that can theoretically increase the risk of DILI. These include the fact that these patients are polymedicated, use drugs that are potentially hepatotoxic, and can have coexisting hepatitis B or C viruses in addition to other factors found in nontransplant patients, such as genetic variants. Therefore, awareness is crucial of any potential hepatotoxic effect of drugs used in the LT recipient and their possible implication in any case of liver dysfunction. In the present article, we review the most common drugs used in LT recipients from a liver safety perspective and address the main pitfalls in attributing causality in this clinical setting. We also affirm the need for further research and collaboration in this somewhat neglected topic in the field of DILI.
Measuring fat mass in body equivalent materials using an RF resonant cavity
Authors: Kotowski Lisa , Neuhauser Barbara , Robinson Martin , Shepherd John
Published: May 2020

Purpose

Provide a proof of concept for the potential of using a novel RF resonant cavity device for accurately and repeatedly measuring fat and fat‐free masses in phantom infants.

Materials & Methods

Design, construct, and characterize an RF resonant cavity with dimensions compatible to holding an infant. The cavity was characterized using spherical phantoms of 0%fat, 50% fat, and 100% fat to empirically calibrate shifts in resonant frequency. The phantoms were constructed using emulsions of bovine lard, water, and dish soap inside spherical containers which do not interact with the electric field. The calibration phantoms were compared with a phantom of a test sample to assess the ability of the resonant cavity perturbation technique for measuring body composition.

Results

Phantoms of distinct %fat (0%, 50%, and 100%) were used to calibrate the resonant cavity for measuring body composition. The calibration phantoms were used to create calibration lines of unique %fat and were compared to a 475‐mL sample of unknown %fat as a measure of how accurate the resonant cavity technique is for measuring body composition.

Conclusion

A 475 mL test sample was used to examine the robustness of the RCP technique. The sample was 25% fat and had a fat mass of () g. The measured fat mass from the RCP technique was g, or a 2% difference. The resonant cavity perturbation technique provides an accurate and repeatable measurement of fat mass in spherical phantoms and suggests the technology might be an effective obesity research tool for infants. Future studies will focus on extending the work to more complex anthropomorphic shapes.
An adaptive weak Galerkin finite element method with hierarchical bases for the elliptic problem
Authors: Zhang Jiachuan , Li Jingshi , Li Jingzhi , Zhang Kai
Published: May 2020

Based on a posteriori error estimator with hierarchical bases, an adaptive weak Galerkin finite element method (WGFEM) is proposed for the elliptic problem with mixed boundary conditions. For the posteriori error estimator, we are only required to solve a linear algebraic system with diagonal entries corresponding to the degree of freedoms, which significantly reduces the computational cost. The upper and lower bounds of the error estimator are shown to addresses the reliability and efficiency of the adaptive approach. Numerical simulations are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed method.
BMI, Weight Discrimination, and Psychological, Behavioral, and Interpersonal Responses to the Coronavirus Pandemic
Authors: Sutin Angelina R. , Robinson Eric , Daly Michael , Gerend Mary A. , Stephan Yannick , Luchetti Martina , Aschwanden Damaris , Strickhouser Jason E. , Lee Ji Hyun , Sesker Amanda A. , Terracciano Antonio
Published: May 2020

Objective

This study aimed to examine whether BMI and weight discrimination are associated with psychological, behavioral, and interpersonal responses to the coronavirus pandemic.

Methods

Using a prospective design, participants (N = 2,094) were first assessed in early February 2020 before the coronavirus crisis in the United States and again in mid‐March 2020 during the President’s “15 Days to Slow the Spread” guidelines. Weight, height, and weight discrimination were assessed in the February survey. Psychological, behavioral, and interpersonal responses to the coronavirus were assessed in the March survey.

Results

Prepandemic experiences with weight discrimination were associated with greater concerns about the virus, engaging in more preventive behaviors, less trust in people and institutions to manage the outbreak, and greater perceived declines in connection to one’s community. BMI tended to be unrelated to these responses.

Conclusions

Despite the risks of complications of coronavirus disease associated with obesity, individuals with higher BMI were neither more concerned about the virus nor taking more behavioral precautions than individuals in other weight categories. Weight discrimination, in contrast, may heighten vigilance to threat, which may have contributed to both positive (greater concern, more precautionary behavior) and negative (less trust, declines community connection) responses to the pandemic.
Prepreg tack: A review of mechanisms, measurement, and manufacturing implication
Authors: Budelmann Dennis , Schmidt Carsten , Meiners Dieter
Published: May 2020

The stickiness of prepregs (tack) is considered a decisive material property for the success of high‐quality composite manufacturing by automated lay‐up processes such as automated fiber placement (AFP) or automated tape laying (ATL). Adverse control of prepreg tack can easily result in laminate defects or machine breakdown, which are highly undesirable considering the tremendous machinery and material costs of these processes. Prepreg tack is governed by a complex interaction of adhesive and cohesive phenomena that are influenced by machine and environmental parameters of the production process as well as by intrinsic properties of the prepreg material itself. This review aims at providing a condensed insight into the current state of research on prepreg tack. Therefore, experimental studies including the discussion of utilized tack measurement methods as well as model approaches to prepreg tack are reviewed. The findings are discussed against the background of fundamental mechanisms, the strong interdependency of influencing parameters and the challenge of translating measured tack data into an enhanced AFP/ATL process stability by process adjustment.
The distribution and dynamics of aufeis in permafrost regions
Authors: Ensom Timothy , Makarieva Olga , Morse Peter , Kane Douglas , Alekseev Vladimir , Marsh Philip
Published: May 2020

Aufeis, also known as an icing or naled, is an accumulation of ice that forms primarily during winter when water is expelled onto frozen ground or ice surfaces and freezes in layers. Process‐oriented aufeis research initially expanded in the 20th century, but recent interest in changing hydrological conditions in permafrost regions has rejuvenated this field. Despite its societal relevance, the controls on aufeis distribution and dynamics are not well defined and this impedes projections of variation in aufeis size and distribution expected to accompany climate change. This paper reviews the physical controls on aufeis development, current broad‐scale aufeis distribution and anticipated change, and approaches to aufeis investigation. We propose an adjustment to terminology to better distinguish between the formation process and resulting ice bodies, a clarification of the aufeis classification approach based on source water, and a size threshold for broad‐scale aufeis inventory to facilitate collaborative research. We identify additional objectives for future research including advancing process knowledge at fine spatial scales, describing broad‐scale distribution using current remote sensing capabilities, and improving our understanding and predictive capacity over the interactions between aufeis and landscape‐scale permafrost, hydrogeological, geotectonic, and climate conditions.
Darwin in the garden: Engaging the public about evolution with museum collections of living objects
Authors: Friedman William E.
Published: May 2020

Societal Impact Statement

Polls continue to show distressingly high percentages of people around the world do not accept that evolution has occurred. Even among individuals who accept evolution, surveys indicate that many do not understand its mechanistic basis, natural selection. Botanical gardens and arboreta are typically not viewed as museums of natural history. Yet, these institutions house collections of living museum objects that can allow visitors to directly observe ongoing evolution, namely, mutations and the origin of biological novelty, the astonishing amount of variation within species, and the consequences of selection that underlie descent with modification. When botanical gardens and arboreta are reconceptualized as museums ofliving, evolving objects, there will be huge opportunities to engage and educate the public about the process of evolution through the lens of horticulture and botany.

Plants are central to the evolutionary history of biodiversity on Earth. However, unlike most museums of natural history, botanical gardens and arboreta are typically less engaged in the important mission of promoting the public's understanding of evolution. As museum collections of living (and evolving) objects, botanical gardens and arboreta have a unique set of opportunities to teach the public about evolutionary processes in ways that complement the efforts of traditional natural history museums. Charles Darwin himself relied heavily on his extensive reading of the horticultural and botanical literature to gain insights into evolutionary process and, after publication ofOn the Origin of Species, made plants the frequent centerpiece of his many books to convince the world of natural selection and descent with modification. There is good reason to believe that Darwin's highly effective 19th century botanical tactics for promoting evolutionary ideas among scientists and the broader society remain equally compelling today in the 21st century.
Autonomous navigation of MAVs in unknown cluttered environments
Authors: Campos‐Macías Leobardo , Aldana‐López Rodrigo , de la Guardia Rafael , Parra‐Vilchis José I. , Gómez‐Gutiérrez David
Published: May 2020

Recently, there have been many advances in the algorithms required for autonomous navigation in unknown environments, such as mapping, collision avoidance, trajectory planning, and motion control. These components have been integrated into drones with high‐end computers and graphics processors. However, further development is required to enable compute‐constrained platforms with such autonomous navigation capabilities. To address this issue, in this paper, we present an autonomous navigation framework for reaching a goal in unknown three‐dimensional cluttered environments. The framework consists of three main components. The first component is a computationally efficient method for mapping the environment from the disparity measurements obtained from a depth sensor. The second component is a stochastic approach to generate a path to a given goal, taking into account the field of view constraints on the space that is assumed to be safe for navigation. The third method is a fast algorithm for the online generation of motion plans, taking into account the robot's dynamic constraints, model and environmental uncertainty, and disturbances. We provide a qualitative and quantitative comparison with existing reaching a goal and exploration methods, showing the superior performance of our approach. Additionally, we present indoors and outdoors experiments using a robotic platform based on the Intel Ready to Fly drone kit, which represents the implementation, in the most computational constrained platform, of autonomous navigation in unknown cluttered environments demonstrated to date. Open source code is available at: https://github.com/IntelLabs/autonomousmavs. The video of the experimental results can be found in https://youtu.be/79IFfQfvXLE.
Effect of freeze–thaw cycling on the soil‐freezing characteristic curve of five Canadian soils
Authors: Ren Junping , Vanapalli Sai K.
Published: May 2020

The frozen soil processes and their interaction with the environment in the vadose zone of cold regions is vital in both agricultural and engineering practice applications. In a frozen soil, unfrozen water and pore ice coexist. The relationship between the unfrozen water content and subzero temperature is widely known as the soil‐freezing characteristic curve (SFCC). The SFCC is a valuable tool for predicting the hydromechanical properties and for modeling the coupled thermal–hydraulic–mechanical–chemical process in frozen soils. In spite of its importance, the effect of freeze–thaw (F–T) cycling on SFCC has not been well investigated or understood. In this technical note, the effect of F–T cycles on the SFCC of five soils from cold regions of Canada were investigated. The SFCC (including both freezing and thawing branches) of the five soils for different F–T cycles were measured using frequency domain reflectometry (FDR) technique. The experimental results suggest that the effect of F–T cycles on the SFCC of the five soils is not significant. Such a behavior may be attributed to the destruction of soil structure during the saturation process. However, all the five soils’ SFCC exhibited hysteresis behavior for all the F–T cycles. The results of the study are valuable and contribute towards better understanding of the fundamental behavior of SFCC of various cold region soils.
Entanglement and the double copy
Authors: Cheung Clifford , Remmen Grant N.
Published: May 2020

Abstract

We construct entangled states of gluons that scatter exactly as if they were gravitons. Operationally, these objects implement the double copy at the level of the wave function. Our analysis begins with a general ansatz for a wave function characterizing gluons in two copies of SU(N ) gauge theory. Given relatively minimal assumptions following from permutation invariance and dimensional analysis, the three- and four-particle wave functions generate scattering amplitudes that automatically coincide exactly with gravity, modulo normalization. For five-particle scattering the match is not automatic but imposing certain known selection rules on the amplitude is sufficient to uniquely reproduce gravity. The resulting amplitudes exhibit a color-dressed and permutation-invariant form of the usual double copy relations. We compute the entanglement entropy between the two gauge theory copies and learn that these states are maximally-entangled at large N . Moreover, this approach extends immediately to effective field theories, where Born-Infeld photons and Galileons can be similarly recast as entangled gluons and pions.
Superconformal partial waves for stress-tensor multiplet correlator in 4D $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 2 SCFTs
Authors: Li Zhijin
Published: May 2020

Abstract

We compute the superconformal partial waves of the four-point correlator 〈JJJJ〉, in which the external operator J is the superconformal primary of the 4D

$$ \mathcal{N} $$

N

= 2 stress-tensor multiplet

$$ \mathcal{J} $$

J

. We develop the superembedding formalism for the superconformal field theories (SCFTs) with extended supersymmetry. In

$$ \mathcal{N} $$

N

= 2 SCFTs, the three- point functions

$$ \left\langle \mathcal{JJO}\right\rangle $$

JJO

with general multiplet

$$ \mathcal{O} $$

O

contain two independent nilpotent superconformal invariants and new superconformal tensor structures, which can be nicely constructed from variables in superembedding space, and the three-point functions can be written in compact forms. We compute the superconformal partial waves corresponding to the exchange of long multiplets using supershadow approach. The results are consistent with the non-trivial constraints by decomposing the

$$ \mathcal{N} $$

N

= 2 superconformal blocks into

$$ \mathcal{N} $$

N

= 1 superconformal blocks. Our results provide the necessary ingredient to study the fascinating 4D

$$ \mathcal{N} $$

N

= 2 SCFTs using conformal bootstrap.
LFV and (g-2) in non-universal SUSY models with light higgsinos
Authors: Han C. , López-Ibáñez M.L. , Melis A. , Vives O. , Wu L. , Yang J.M.
Published: May 2020

Abstract

We consider a supersymmetric type-I seesaw framework with non-universal scalar masses at the GUT scale to explain the long-standing discrepancy of the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon. We find that it is difficult to accommodate the muon g-2 while keeping charged-lepton flavor violating processes under control for the conventional SO(10)-based relation between the up sector and neutrino sector. However, such tension can be relaxed by adding a Georgi-Jarlskog factor for the Yukawa matrices, which requires a non-trivial GUT-based model. In this model, we find that both observables are compatible for small mixings, CKM-like, in the neutrino Dirac Yukawa matrix.
Gravitational memory in the bulk
Authors: Bart Henk
Published: May 2020

Abstract

A method for detecting gravitational memory is proposed. It makes use of ingoing null geodesics instead of timelike geodesics in the original formulation by Christodoulou. It is argued that the method is applicable in the bulk of a spacetime. In addition, it is shown that BMS symmetry generators in Newman-Unti gauge have an interpretation in terms of the memory effect. This generalises the connection between BMS supertranslations and gravitational memory, discovered by Strominger and Zhiboedov at null infinity, to the bulk.
Holographic charge density wave from D2-D8
Authors: Rai Nishal , Mukhopadhyay Subir
Published: May 2020

Abstract

We have considered D2-D8 model and obtain a numerical solution that exhibits spatially modulated phases corresponding to a charge density wave and a spin density wave. We have analysed behavior of the free energy density for different values of the chemical potential and the magnetic field.
The reliability of MOSH/MOAH data: a comment on a recently published article
Authors: Bratinova Stefanka , Hoekstra Eddo , Emons Hendrik , Hutzler Christoph , Kappenstein Oliver , Biedermann Maurus , McCombie Gregor
Published: May 2020

In this article, we analyse recently published material by Koster et al. (Food Addit Contam Part A, 10.1080/19440049.2019.1678770, 2019) entitled “Mineral Oil Hydrocarbons in Foods: Is the Data Reliable?”. Koster et al. claim to have traced the reasons for laboratory failures to “deliver robust and reliable test results” for the analysis of MOSH/MOAH in some food matrices, however, a careful review revealed that this publication falls short in considering several aspects of assessing the reliability and comparability of analytical data produced by different laboratories.
First-order concatenation theory with bounded quantifiers
Authors: Kristiansen Lars , Murwanashyaka Juvenal
Published: May 2020

We study first-order concatenation theory with bounded quantifiers. We give axiomatizations with interesting properties, and we prove some normal-form results. Finally, we prove a number of decidability and undecidability results.
Potentials and pitfalls of transient in vitro reporter bioassays: interference by vector geometry and cytotoxicity in recombinant zebrafish cell lines
Authors: Lungu-Mitea Sebastian , Lundqvist Johan
Published: May 2020

The water framework directive re-evaluation proposes the integration of effect-based tools, increasing the need for alternative methods. Especially within aquatic toxicology, coverage of specific toxicity pathways is scarce, and most applications are based on mammalian or bacterial models, not reflecting realistic exposure scenarios. The use of transient reporter gene assays in cells from organisms of interest could be a quick and inexpensive solution. However, interference with cellular homeostasis may impact the system beyond the function of the manipulated gene and thus lead to non-specific results. We describe how varying vector geometry and different regulatory gene elements on plasmids used for transfection in zebrafish hepatocytes and embryonic fibroblasts may lead up to a tenfold difference in potency. Cells were transiently co-transfected with an Nrf2-responsive Firefly luciferase reporter plasmid and eight different Renilla luciferase normalization plasmids. Transfected cells were exposed to two different regimes (0.1–100 µM and 7.8–250 µM) of the oxidative stress-inducing compounds, sulforaphane, tertbutylhydroquinone, and metazachlor. Nrf2 activity was measured in dual-luciferase assays. In parallel, cytotoxicity was assessed for different endpoints (energy metabolism, protein amount, membrane stability, and cell proliferation) in non-transfected cells and cells co-transfected with constructs of increasing size, to be used for normalization. Transfected cells were more susceptible to cytotoxicity in a vector size-dependent manner. Conclusively, we report that vector geometries (size, backbones, gene-regulatory units), cell line (tissue origin), applied transfection methods, and signal normalization may alter the sensitivity of reporter bioassays in a synergistic manner. Further, we propose that thorough bioassay design is needed to ensure reliability and regulatory acceptance.
Parameterized Complexity of Min-Power Asymmetric Connectivity
Authors: Bentert Matthias , Haag Roman , Hofer Christian , Koana Tomohiro , Nichterlein André
Published: May 2020

We investigate parameterized algorithms for the NP-hard problem Min-Power Asymmetric Connectivity (MinPAC) that has applications in wireless sensor networks. Given a directed arc-weighted graph, MinPAC asks for a strongly connected spanning subgraph minimizing the summed vertex costs. Here, the cost of each vertex is the weight of its heaviest outgoing arc in the chosen subgraph. We present linear-time algorithms for the cases where the number of strongly connected components in a so-called obligatory subgraph or the feedback edge number in the underlying undirected graph is constant. Complementing these results, we prove that the problem is W[2]-hard with respect to the solution cost, even on restricted graphs with one feedback arc and binary arc weights.
Fibroblast activation protein inhibitor (FAPI) PET for diagnostics and advanced targeted radiotherapy in head and neck cancers
Authors: Syed M. , Flechsig P. , Liermann J. , Windisch P. , Staudinger F. , Akbaba S. , Koerber S. A. , Freudlsperger C. , Plinkert P. K. , Debus J. , Giesel F. , Haberkorn U. , Adeberg S.
Published: May 2020

Purpose

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) expressing fibroblast activation protein (FAP) have been associated with the aggressive nature of head and neck cancers (HNCs). These tumours grow diffusely, leading to extremely challenging differentiation between tumour and healthy tissue. This analysis aims to introduce a novel approach of tumour detection, contouring and targeted radiotherapy of HNCs using visualisation of CAFs: PET-CT with 68Ga-radiolabeled inhibitors of FAP (FAPI).

Methods

FAPI PET-CT was performed without complications prior to radiotherapy in addition to contrast enhanced CT (CE-CT) and MRI on 14 patients with HNC. First, for tissue biodistribution analysis, volumes of interest were defined to quantify SUVmean and SUVmax in tumour and healthy parenchyma. Secondly, using four thresholds of three-, five-, seven- and tenfold increase of FAPI enhancement in the tumour as compared with normal tissue, four different gross tumour volumes (FAPI-GTV) were created automatically. These were compared with GTVs created conventionally with CE-CT and MRI (CT-GTV).

Results

The biodistribution analysis revealed high FAPI avidity within tumorous lesions (e.g. primary tumours, SUVmax 14.62 ± 4.44; SUVmean 7.41 ± 2.39). In contrast, low background uptake was measured in healthy tissues of the head and neck region (e.g. salivary glands: SUVmax 1.76 ± 0.31; SUVmean 1.23 ± 0.28). Considering radiation planning, CT-GTV was of 27.3 ml, whereas contouring with FAPI resulted in significantly different GTVs of 67.7 ml (FAPI × 3, p = 0.0134), 22.1 ml (FAPI × 5, p = 0.0419), 7.6 ml (FAPI × 7, p = 0.0001) and 2.3 ml (FAPI × 10, p = 0.0001). Taking these significant disparities between the GTVs into consideration, we merged FAPI-GTVs with CT-GTVs. This resulted in median volumes, that were, as compared to CT-GTVs, significantly larger with FAPI × 3 (54.7 ml, + 200.5% relative increase, p = 0.0005) and FAPI × 5 (15.0 ml, + 54.9%, p = 0.0122). Furthermore, FAPI-GTVs were not covered by CE-CT-based planning target volumes (CT-PTVs) in several cases.

Conclusion

We present first evidence of diagnostic and therapeutic potential of FAPI ligands in head and neck cancer. Larger studies with histopathological correlation are required to validate our findings.
Dinitrogen (N2) pulse emissions during freeze-thaw cycles from montane grassland soil
Authors: Wu Xing , Chen Zhe , Kiese Ralf , Fu Jin , Gschwendter Silvia , Schloter Michael , Liu Chunyan , Butterbach-Bahl Klaus , Wolf Benjamin , Dannenmann Michael
Published: May 2020

Short-lived pulses of soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions during freeze-thaw periods can dominate annual cumulative N2O fluxes from temperate managed and natural soils. However, the effects of freeze thaw cycles (FTCs) on dinitrogen (N2) emissions, i.e., the dominant terminal product of the denitrification process, and ratios of N2/N2O emissions have remained largely unknown because methodological difficulties were so far hampering detailed studies. Here, we quantified both N2 and N2O emissions of montane grassland soils exposed to three subsequent FTCs under two different soil moisture levels (40 and 80% WFPS) and under manure addition at 80% WFPS. In addition, we also quantified abundance and expression of functional genes involved in nitrification and denitrification to better understand microbial drivers of gaseous N losses. Our study shows that each freeze thaw cycle was associated with pulse emissions of both N2O and N2, with soil N2 emissions exceeding N2O emissions by a factor of 5–30. Increasing soil moisture from 40 to 80% WFPS and addition of cow slurry increased the cumulative FTC N2 emissions by 102% and 77%, respectively. For N2O, increasing soil moisture from 40 to 80% WFPS and addition of slurry increased the cumulative emissions by 147% and 42%, respectively. Denitrification gene cnorB and nosZ clade I transcript levels showed high explanatory power for N2O and N2 emissions, thereby reflecting both N gas flux dynamics due to FTC and effects of different water availability and fertilizer addition. In agreement with several other studies for various ecosystems, we show here for mountainous grassland soils that pulse emissions of N2O were observed during freeze-thaw. More importantly, this study shows that the freeze-thaw N2 pulse emissions strongly exceeded those of N2O in magnitude, which indicates that N2 emissions during FTCs could represent an important N loss pathway within the grassland N mass balances. However, their actual significance needs to be assessed under field conditions using intact plant-soil systems.
Intraoperative indocyanine green fluorescence imaging in breast surgery
Authors: Kühn Friedrich , Blohmer Jens-Uwe , Karsten Maria Margarete
Published: May 2020

Background

Since postoperative complications after reconstructive breast surgery are often related to drastic increases of patient suffering and treatment costs, several devices were developed in order to avoid them. In this respect, the intraoperative fluorescence angiography with indocyanine green (ICG) provides promising results by detecting ischemic skin intraoperatively.

Methods

Women who underwent reconstructive breast surgery at the breast center at Charité between April and December 2017 were included in the analysis. General patient characteristics, medical history, type of surgery, as well as postoperative parameters, complications and patient reported outcomes were compared between patients operated using ICG fluorescence angiography and conventionally operated patients.

Results

Among 68 patients with breast reconstruction 36 (52.9%) were operated with the ICG angiography device and 32 (47.1%) without. No significant differences regarding patient demographics, medical history, and surgical procedure were found. Wound healing disorders occurred in 11.1% of the ICG group and in 9.4% of the control group. About 11% of both groups developed major complications which required revision surgery. Complication rates and patient reported outcome did not differ significantly. Across both groups, only the risk factor resection weight (≥ 500 g) was significantly associated with wound healing disorders (RR = 6.80; 95%CI 1.93–23.81; p = 0.022).

Conclusion

The purchase of a device for intraoperative ICG angiography might not be reasonable for every breast center. Further research in a larger cohort and prospective manner should be done to determine if the addition of ICG to breast reconstructive surgery in the German setting really leads to improved patient care.
Neurofilaments in progressive multiple sclerosis: a systematic review
Authors: Williams Thomas , Zetterberg Henrik , Chataway Jeremy
Published: May 2020

Background

Neurofilament proteins have been extensively studied in relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis, where they are promising biomarkers of disease activity and treatment response. Their role in progressive multiple sclerosis, where there is a particularly urgent need for improved biomarkers, is less clear. The objectives of this systematic review are to summarise the literature on neurofilament light and heavy in progressive multiple sclerosis, addressing key questions.

Methods

A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Scopus identified 355 potential sources. 76 relevant sources were qualitatively reviewed using QUADAS-2 criteria, and 17 were identified as at low risk of bias. We summarise the findings from all relevant sources, and separately from the 17 high-quality studies.

Results

Differences in neurofilament light between relapsing–remitting and progressive multiple sclerosis appear to be explained by differences in covariates. Neurofilament light is consistently associated with current inflammatory activity and future brain atrophy in progressive multiple sclerosis, and is consistently shown to be a marker of treatment response with immunosuppressive disease-modifying therapies. Associations with current or future disability are inconsistent, and there is no evidence of NFL being a responsive marker of purportedly neuroprotective treatments. Evidence on neurofilament heavy is more limited and inconsistent.

Conclusions

Neurofilament light has shown consistent utility as a biomarker of neuroinflammation, future brain atrophy and immunosuppressive treatment response at agrouplevel. Neither neurofilament light or heavy has shown a consistent treatment response to neuroprotective disease-modifying therapies, which will require further data from successful randomised controlled trials.