bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The predictive and prognostic value of low skeletal muscle mass for dose-limiting toxicity and survival in head and neck cancer patients receiving concomitant cetuximab and radiotherapy
Authors: Huiskamp L. F. J. , Chargi N. , Devriese L. A. , de Jong P. A. , de Bree R.
Published: April 2020

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the predictive value of low skeletal muscle mass (SMM) for cetuximab dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) and its prognostic value in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients treated with concomitant cetuximab and radiotherapy.

Methods

Patients diagnosed with HNSCC and treated with primary or adjuvant concomitant cetuximab and radiotherapy were included. Clinical and demographic variables were retrospectively retrieved and SMM was measured at the level of the third cervical vertebra using pre-treatment diagnostic computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. An optimal cut-off value for low SMM was determined based on the lowest log-likelihood associated with cetuximab DLT. A multivariate linear regression model was used to determine predictive factors for cetuximab DLT. The prognostic value of low SMM for disease-free and overall survival was analyzed using Kaplan–Meier curves.

Results

The optimal cut-off value for low SMM as a predictor of cetuximab DLT was an LSMI ≤ 45.2 cm2/m2. Of the 91 included patients, 74.7% had low SMM and 30.8% experienced cetuximab DLT. At multivariate analysis, low SMM had no predictive value for DLT (OR 0.83; 95% CI 0.27–2.56; p = 0.74). The Kaplan–Meier curve demonstrated that patients with low SMM had significantly lower overall survival (Log Rank χ2 = 5.87; p = 0.02).

Conclusion

Low SMM is highly prevalent in HNSCC patients treated with concomitant cetuximab and radiotherapy. Low SMM has no predictive value for cetuximab DLT in HNSCC patients. Low SMM is probably not a prognostic factor for overall survival in highly selected HNSCC patients treated with concomitant cetuximab and radiotherapy and unfit for platin-based chemotherapy.
Lipschitz Continuity and Approximate Equilibria
Authors: Deligkas Argyrios , Fearnley John , Spirakis Paul
Published: April 2020

In this paper, we study games with continuous action spaces and non-linear payoff functions. Our key insight is that Lipschitz continuity of the payoff function allows us to provide algorithms for finding approximate equilibria in these games. We begin by studying Lipschitz games, which encompass, for example, all concave games with Lipschitz continuous payoff functions. We provide an efficient algorithm for computing approximate equilibria in these games. Then we turn our attention to penalty games, which encompass biased games and games in which players take risk into account. Here we show that if the penalty function is Lipschitz continuous, then we can provide a quasi-polynomial time approximation scheme. Finally, we study distance biased games, where we present simple strongly polynomial time algorithms for finding best responses in$$L_1$$L1and$$L_2^2$$L22biased games, and then use these algorithms to provide strongly polynomial algorithms that find 2/3 and 5/7 approximate equilibria for these norms, respectively.
Design and evaluation of a digitally active drum
Authors: Williams Peter , Overholt Daniel
Published: April 2020

Despite the ever growing variety and popularity of commercially available electronic percussion (EP) instruments, there are still a significant number of active musicians who prefer to use acoustic drums. Digitally active drum (DAD) is an enhanced snare drum that provides sonic capabilities associated with digital musical instruments in the form of a traditional acoustic drum allowing full use of acoustic drumming gesture vocabulary. By using an in-built loud speaker and tactile sound transducers system, a Bela Cape and Beagle Bone Black, near field photoelectric sensors and a synthesis and effects patch built in Pure Data (PD), a prototype of a hybrid acoustic - electronic instrument has been made. This prototype has been evaluated by five expert drummers and two co-performers in both group and solo settings in order to determine its effectiveness and potential role in professional music making.
Non-visual homing and the current status of navigation in scorpions
Authors: Prévost Emily Danielle , Stemme Torben
Published: April 2020

Within arthropods, the investigation of navigational aspects including homing abilities has mainly focused on insect representatives, while other arthropod taxa have largely been ignored. As such, scorpions are rather underrepresented concerning behavioral studies for reasons such as low participation rates and motivational difficulties. Here, we review the sensory abilities of scorpions related to navigation. Furthermore, we present an improved laboratory setup to shed light on navigational abilities in general and homing behavior in particular. We tracked directed movements towards home shelters of the lesser Asian scorpionMesobuthus eupeusto give a detailed description of their departure and return movements. To do so, we analyzed the departure and return angles as well as measures of directness like directional deviation, lateral displacement, and straightness indices. We compared these parameters under different light conditions and with blinded scorpions. The motivation of scorpions to leave their shelter depends strongly upon the light condition and the starting time of the experiment; highest participation rates were achieved with infrared conditions or blinded scorpions, and close to dusk. Naïve scorpions are capable of returning to a shelter object in a manner that is directionally consistent with the home vector. The first-occurring homing bouts are characterized by paths consisting of turns about 10 cm to either side of the straightest home path and a distance efficiency of roughly three-quarters of the maximum efficiency. Our results show that neither chemosensation nor vision, but rather path integration based on proprioception, plays a superior role in the homing of scorpions.
An efficient characterization of submodular spanning tree games
Authors: Koh Zhuan Khye , Sanità Laura
Published: April 2020

Cooperative games form an important class of problems in game theory, where a key goal is to distribute a value among a set of players who are allowed to cooperate by forming coalitions. An outcome of the game is given by an allocation vector that assigns a value share to each player. A crucial aspect of such games is submodularity (or convexity). Indeed, convex instances of cooperative games exhibit several nice properties, e.g. regarding the existence and computation of allocations realizing some of the most important solution concepts proposed in the literature. For this reason, a relevant question is whether one can give a polynomial-time characterization of submodular instances, for prominent cooperative games that are in general non-convex. In this paper, we focus on a fundamental and widely studied cooperative game, namely the spanning tree game. An efficient recognition of submodular instances of this game was not known so far, and explicitly mentioned as an open question in the literature. We here settle this open problem by giving a polynomial-time characterization of submodular spanning tree games.
Correction to: Heat and chilling stress induce nucleolus morphological changes
Authors: Hayashi Kohma , Matsunaga Sachihiro
Published: April 2020

The article Heat and chilling stress induce nucleolus morphological changes, written by Kohma Hayashi and Sachihiro Matsunaga, was originally published Online First without Open Access. After publication in volume 132, issue 3, page 395–403 the author decided to opt for Open Choice and to make the article an Open Access publication
Correction to: Extraforal nectary-bearing plant Mallotus japonicus uses diferent types of extraforal nectaries to establish efective defense by ants
Authors: Yamawo Akira , Suzuki Nobuhiko , Tagawa Jun
Published: April 2020

The article Extraforal nectary-bearing plant Mallotus japonicus uses diferent types of extraforal nectaries to establish efective defense by ants, written by Akira Yamawo.
Generalised Additive Models and Random Forest Approach as effective methods for predictive species density and functional species richness
Authors: Kosicki Jakub Z.
Published: April 2020

Species distribution modelling (SDM) is a family of statistical methods where species occurrence/density/richness are combined with environmental predictors to create predictive spatial models of species distribution. However, it often turns out that due to complex multi-level interactions between predictors and the response function, different types of models can detect different numbers of important predictors and also vary in their predictive ability. This is why we decided to explore differences in the predictive power of two most common methods, such as the Generalised Additive Model (GAM) and the Random Forest (RF) on the example of the Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos majorand the Great Grey ShrikeLanius excubitor,as well as on the taxonomic and functional species richness. For each of the two bird species’ densities and for two measurements of biodiversity, two sets of SDMs were generated: One based on the GAM, and the other on the RF. According to the out-of-bag, the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) and an independent evaluation, we demonstrated that the GAM is the best method for predicting density of the Great Spotted Woodpecker and taxonomic species richness, whereas the RF has the lowest prediction error for the density of the Great Grey Shrike and functional species richness. It also becomes apparent that the GAM is responsive to taxonomic species richness and species with broad tolerance to environmental factors, i.e. the Great Spotted Woodpecker, while the RF detects more subtle relationships between density and environmental variables, rendering it more suitable for functional species richness and species with a narrow tolerance range to habitats factors, i.e. the Great Grey Shrike. Thus, effective predictive modelling of animal distribution requires considering several different analytical approaches to produce biologically realistic predictions.
Mimicry of Dopamine 1 Receptor Signaling with Cell-Penetrating Peptides
Authors: Lorenzon Nicola , Gestin Maxime , Langel Ülo
Published: April 2020

In this study, through the use of protein mimicry, a peptide was developed to activate the dopamine 1 receptor signaling pathway from the inside of the cell and in absence of the natural extracellular ligand. The sequence was initially derived from the intracellular interaction site between the activated receptor and the alpha domain of its associated G-protein and subsequently modified to increase its cell-penetrating properties. The peptide was then synthesized via solid phase peptide synthesis, purified and tested on cell models. This novel lipopeptide proved to be capable of efficiently ubiquitously penetrating the cell without the need for transfection agents or chiral recognition by specific pathways. Furthermore, the peptide induced the cellular response normally achieved through the activation of the receptor in cells that had not been treated with the natural ligand. The peptide could work as a candidate substitute to l-DOPA, leading the way for a peptides-based treatment for Parkinson’s disease.
The effects of climate on decomposition of cattle, sheep and goat manure in Kenyan tropical pastures
Authors: Zhu Yuhao , Merbold Lutz , Leitner Sonja , Pelster David E. , Okoma Sheila Abwanda , Ngetich Felix , Onyango Alice Anyango , Pellikka Petri , Butterbach-Bahl Klaus
Published: April 2020

Aims

Decomposition of manure deposited onto pasture from grazing animals represents an important process for carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycles in grassland systems. However, studies investigating manure decomposition are scarce; especially in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

Methods

In this study, we measured decomposition of three types of animal manure (cattle, sheep, goat) over >1 year using litter bags at four climatically different sites across Kenya. Results Manure dry matter, total C, total N and ammonium concentrations decreased exponentially, with the most rapid decrease occurring during the first few weeks following application, followed by slower changes during the following 2–3 months. Rates of N mineralization were lower than those for C mineralization, resulting in decreasing C/N ratios over time. Generally, cattle manure decomposed faster than sheep or goat manure despite having a higher initial C/N ratio and lower N concentration, with decomposition rates for dry matter ranging from 0.200 to 0.989 k year−1. Cellulose decomposed first, while lignin concentrations increased among all manure types and at all sites.

Conclusions

We found that total manure decomposition rates were positively correlated with cumulative precipitation and aridity index, but negatively correlated with mean temperature. Our results show much slower decomposition rates of manures in semi-arid tropical environments of East Africa as compared to the few previous studies in temperate climates.
Identifying a Carotenoid Cleavage Dioxygenase (CCD4) Gene Controlling Yellow/White Fruit Flesh Color of “Piqiutao” (White Fruit Flesh) and Its Mutant (Yellow Fruit Flesh)
Authors: Wen Lu , Wang Yongqing , Deng Qunxian , Hong Min , Shi Si , He Shanshan , Huang Yan , Zhang Hui , Pan Cuiping , Yang Zhiwu , Chi Zhuoheng , Yang Yunmiao
Published: April 2020

To better understand the fruit flesh coloration mechanism of peach (Prunus persica), the composition and accumulation of carotenoids were compared, the expression profile of key genes involved in carotenoid biosynthetic and catabolic pathways was performed, and the differentially expressed genes were identified using “Piqiutao” (white fruit flesh) and its mutant yellow “Piqiutao” at different fruit development stages. The results showed that the total carotenoid content in yellow “Piqiutao” was remarkably higher than that of “Piqiutao,” and the accumulation of β-cryptoxanthin, α-carotene, and β-carotene was significantly different, which was most likely caused by the differential expression of CCD4. Therefore, CCD4 may be an essential gene that causes the yellow fruit flesh of yellow “Piqiutao.” However, the coding region sequence of CCD4 was entirely identical, and the intron was inserted by a retrotransposon in “Piqiutao” and its mutant, indicating that the expression difference was not caused by the sequence mutation and retrotransposon insertion.
Stereotype threat as an antecedent to domain identification and achievement in language arts in boys: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Bedyńska Sylwia , Krejtz Izabela , Rycielski Piotr , Sedek Grzegorz
Published: April 2020

A substantial number of experimental studies on stereotype threat explores performance of girls in mathematics. Only few concentrated on gender differences favoring girls in language performance. However, gender differences in a reading test in the Program for International Student Assessment are three times larger than in mathematics. Considerable research indicates that gender differences in achievement and academic attitudes are partly explained by stereotype threat. In this study, using structural equation modeling on representative data from a sample of schoolboys in three age cohorts, we examined the associations of repeated experiences of stereotype threat and two outcome variables: language achievement and domain identification with language arts. We demonstrated that working memory and intellectual helplessness were predicted by the level of stereotype threat. Moving beyond past work, we showed that the indirect effect explaining domain identification through intellectual helplessness was significant in older cohorts. Additionally, the indirect effect linking stereotype threat and language achievement through working memory was not significant in the oldest cohort. In this group, language identification significantly predicted language achievement. These results offer a tentative support of our prediction about a cumulative effect of stereotype threat on domain identification. The present study enriches a small but growing body of literature examining stereotype threat in male samples. Moreover, it identifies a new mediational path by which stereotype threat may be translated into lower domain identification and in turn lower language achievement.
Differential correlation network analysis identified novel metabolomics signatures for non-responders to total joint replacement in primary osteoarthritis patients
Authors: Costello Christie A. , Hu Ting , Liu Ming , Zhang Weidong , Furey Andrew , Fan Zhaozhi , Rahman Proton , Randell Edward W. , Zhai Guangju
Published: April 2020

Introduction

Up to one third of total joint replacement patients (TJR) experience poor surgical outcome.

Objectives

To identify metabolomic signatures for non-responders to TJR in primary osteoarthritis (OA) patients.

Methods

A newly developed differential correlation network analysis method was applied to our previously published metabolomic dataset to identify metabolomic network signatures for non-responders to TJR.

Results

Differential correlation networks involving 12 metabolites and 23 metabolites were identified for pain non-responders and function non-responders, respectively.

Conclusion

The differential networks suggest that inflammation, muscle breakdown, wound healing, and metabolic syndrome may all play roles in TJR response, warranting further investigation.
Deep-level diversity in entrepreneurial teams and the mediating role of conflicts on team efficacy and satisfaction
Authors: Schoss Stephanie , Urbig Diemo , Brettel Malte , Mauer René
Published: April 2020

Team start-ups have substantial advantages over solo start-ups, but teams often do not live up to their potential due to conflicts creating unfavorable team dynamics. Based on an experiment with 665 individuals in 133 randomly composed teams participating in a new-venture simulation, we found team members’ deep-level characteristics that trigger motivations to act, i.e., achievement motivation and leadership orientations, to be particularly important sources of task conflicts. We found that diversity in leadership orientation reduces conflicts because not all team members can lead at the same time. Unlike hypothesized, we found that diversity in achievement motivation also reduces conflicts, for which, ex-post, we explore potential reasons. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the mediating task and relationship conflicts differently affect team outcomes due to their different nature of task-relatedness: while task conflicts affect task-related team efficacy and may escalate into relationship conflicts, relationship conflicts directly affect team satisfaction, but not team efficacy. Further emphasizing the importance of a motivational basis of conflicts, we found that individuals’ general self-efficacy, a more belief-related construct, affects team outcomes only through team efficacy, but not via conflicts.
FetNet: a recurrent convolutional network for occlusion identification in fetoscopic videos
Authors: Bano Sophia , Vasconcelos Francisco , Vander Poorten Emmanuel , Vercauteren Tom , Ourselin Sebastien , Deprest Jan , Stoyanov Danail
Published: April 2020

Purpose

Fetoscopic laser photocoagulation is a minimally invasive surgery for the treatment of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). By using a lens/fibre-optic scope, inserted into the amniotic cavity, the abnormal placental vascular anastomoses are identified and ablated to regulate blood flow to both fetuses. Limited field-of-view, occlusions due to fetus presence and low visibility make it difficult to identify all vascular anastomoses. Automatic computer-assisted techniques may provide better understanding of the anatomical structure during surgery for risk-free laser photocoagulation and may facilitate in improving mosaics from fetoscopic videos.

Methods

We propose FetNet, a combined convolutional neural network (CNN) and long short-term memory (LSTM) recurrent neural network architecture for the spatio-temporal identification of fetoscopic events. We adapt an existing CNN architecture for spatial feature extraction and integrated it with the LSTM network for end-to-end spatio-temporal inference. We introduce differential learning rates during the model training to effectively utilising the pre-trained CNN weights. This may support computer-assisted interventions (CAI) during fetoscopic laser photocoagulation.

Results

We perform quantitative evaluation of our method using 7 in vivo fetoscopic videos captured from different human TTTS cases. The total duration of these videos was 5551 s (138,780 frames). To test the robustness of the proposed approach, we perform 7-fold cross-validation where each video is treated as a hold-out or test set and training is performed using the remaining videos.

Conclusion

FetNet achieved superior performance compared to the existing CNN-based methods and provided improved inference because of the spatio-temporal information modelling. Online testing of FetNet, using a Tesla V100-DGXS-32GB GPU, achieved a frame rate of 114 fps. These results show that our method could potentially provide a real-time solution for CAI and automating occlusion and photocoagulation identification during fetoscopic procedures.
Best Practice Framework of Fracture Liaison Services in Spain and their coordination with Primary Care
Authors: Naranjo A. , Ojeda S. , Giner M. , Balcells-Oliver M. , Canals L. , Cancio J. M. , Duaso E. , Mora-Fernández J. , Pablos C. , González A. , Lladó B. , Olmo F. J. , Montoya M. J. , Menéndez A. , Prieto-Alhambra D.
Published: April 2020

Summary

The coordination of Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) with Primary Care (PC) is necessary for the continuity of care of patients with fragility fractures. This study proposes a Best Practice Framework (BPF) and performance indicators for the implementation and follow-up of FLS-PC coordination in clinical practice in Spain.

Purpose

To develop a BPF for the coordination of FLS with PC in Spain and to improve the continuity of care for patients with fragility fractures.

Methods

A Steering Committee selected experts from seven Spanish FLS and related PC doctors and nurses to participate in a best practice workshop. Selection criteria were an active FLS with an identified champion and prior contact with PC centres linked to the hospital. The main aim of the workshop was to review current FLS practices in Spain and their integration with PC. A BPF document with processes, tools, roles, and metrics was then generated.

Results

Spanish FLS consists of a multidisciplinary team of physicians/nurses but with low participation of other professionals and PC staff. Evaluation and treatment strategies are widely variable. Four desired standards were agreed upon: (1) Effective channels for FLS-PC communication; (2) minimum contents of an FLS clinical report and its delivery to PC; (3) adherence monitoring 3 months after FLS baseline visit; and (4) follow-up by PC. Proposed key performance indicators are (a) number of FLS-PC communications, including consensus protocols; (b) confirmation FLS report received by PC; (c) medical/nursing PC appointment after FLS report received; and (d) number of training sessions in PC.

Conclusions

The BPF provides a comprehensive approach for FLS-PC coordination in Spain, to promote the continuity of care in patients with fragility fractures and improve secondary prevention. The implementation of BPF recommendations and performance indicator tracking will benchmark best FLS practices in the future.
Clinical Global Impression – Corrections (CGI-C) – deutsche Übersetzung
Authors: Billen Carola , Schulte-Ostermann Michel A. , Huchzermeier Christian
Published: April 2020

In mehreren Studien wurden hohe Prävalenzen psychiatrischer Störungen in den Justizvollzugsanstalten sowie der Mangel an adäquaten Behandlungsoptionen festgestellt. Jedoch blieb bisher unklar, inwieweit diese Erkrankungen die Betroffenen einschränken. Um den Schweregrad der Erkrankungen erfassen zu können, wurde das allgemeinpsychiatrisch viel genutzte Instrument „Clinical Global Impression (CGI)“ an die Besonderheiten des Vollzugs (CGI-Corrections, CGI-C) angepasst, da dieses Setting die psychiatrische Versorgung und auch Diagnostik vor große Herausforderungen stellt. Gemäß den Leitlinien der WHO wurden die englische Version des Instruments übersetzt sowie 21 Fallvignetten und anschließend die „Interrater“-Reliabilität mit einer Stichprobe von 20 Personen überprüft. Die Resultate zeigen eine hohe Beurteilerübereinstimmung (Gwet’s AC2 0,82, 96 %-KI 0,74–0,91, p < 0,001) und nur vereinzelte Anmerkungen der Rater/Raterinnen (20 bei insgesamt 420 Ratings), sodass davon auszugehen ist, dass der CGI‑C ein schnelles und effizientes Instrument zur Erfassung der Schwere einer psychischen Erkrankung im Vollzugssetting ist. Ziel des Beitrags ist es, die übersetzte Version des Instruments vorzustellen und zur Verfügung zu stellen. Für die Zukunft sind weitere Untersuchungen gefordert, die sich mit den Testgütekriterien in verschiedenen Populationen (z. B. Frauen, Jugendliche), anderen Ratern/Raterinnen (z. B. Sozialarbeiter, Justizvollzugsbeamte) sowie der Retest-Reliabilität beschäftigen.
Disconfirmation of confirmation bias: the influence of counter-attitudinal information
Authors: Dibbets Pauline , Meesters Cor
Published: April 2020

The current experiment investigated whether counter-attitudinal information can alter a pre-existing attitude and the accompanying confirmation bias. Sixty-three non-clinical children (9–12 years) were shown pictures of a positive animal (quokka) or a dangerous-looking animal (aye aye). For both animals attitudes and information seeking patterns were obtained. Next, they received counter-attitudinal information of each animal; attitudes and seeking patterns were reassessed. We found that the aye aye was perceived as more dangerous and less kind compared to the quokka. A negative confirmation bias was observed for the aye aye, more negative than positive or neutral information was requested. For the quokka this pattern was absent, more positive and negative than neutral information was selected. The counter-attitudinal information decreased the scariness of the aye aye, but did marginally alter that of the quokka. Additionally, for the aye aye counter-attitudinal information increased search for positive and neutral information and decreased search for negative information. For the quokka the counter-attitudinal information only increased search for neutral information. The animals no longer differed from each other and no clear confirmation bias patterns were present. These results indicate that it is possible to change pre-existing values and their accompanying information search patterns.
Numerical simulation and dimension reduction analysis of electromagnetic logging while drilling of horizontal wells in complex structures
Authors: Wu Zhen-Guan , Deng Shao-Gui , He Xu-Quan , Zhang Runren , Fan Yi-Ren , Yuan Xi-Yong , Wu Yi-Zhi , Liu Qing Huo
Published: April 2020

Electromagnetic logging while drilling (LWD) is one of the key technologies of the geosteering and formation evaluation for high-angle and horizontal wells. In this paper, we solve the dipole source-generated magnetic/electric fields in 2D formations efficiently by the 2.5D finite difference method. Particularly, by leveraging the field’s rapid attenuation in spectral domain, we propose truncated Gauss–Hermite quadrature, which is several tens of times faster than traditional inverse fast Fourier transform. By applying the algorithm to the LWD modeling under complex formations, e.g., folds, fault and sandstone pinch-outs, we analyze the feasibility of the dimension reduction from 2D to 1D. For the formations with smooth lateral changes, like folds, the simplified 1D model’s results agree well with the true responses, which indicate that the 1D simplification with sliding window is feasible. However, for the formation structures with drastic rock properties changes and sharp boundaries, for instance, faults and sandstone pinch-outs, the simplified 1D model will lead to large errors and, therefore, 2.5D algorithms should be applied to ensure the accuracy.
First lipid residue analysis of Early Neolithic pottery from Swifterbant (the Netherlands, ca. 4300–4000 BC)
Authors: Demirci Özge , Lucquin Alexandre , Craig Oliver E. , Raemaekers Daan C.M.
Published: April 2020

This paper focuses on the functional analysis of Swifterbant pottery from North-western Europe (ca. 4300–4000 BC) through lipid residue analysis. The main aim is to understand the role of pottery in terms of its relation to hunter-fisher-gatherer lifestyle, and the change in available food resources brought about by the arrival of domesticated animal and plant products. We conducted lipid residue analysis of 62 samples from three Swifterbant sites S2, S3 and S4. A combined approach using both GC-MS and GC-C-IRMS of residues absorbed into the ceramic was employed to identify their context. Our results demonstrate that Swifterbant ceramics were used exclusively for processing aquatic resources. We also found no evidence of inter-site variation in the use of pottery or variation based on both typological and technological features of the pottery. We found no evidence for any domesticated resources despite their presence in the faunal and botanical assemblages.
Remanufacturing: a potential sustainable solution for increasing medical equipment availability
Authors: Eze Solomon , Ijomah Winifred , Wong T.C.
Published: April 2020

The availability of medical equipment contributes significantly to the stability and sustainability of health care systems. However, in some countries, especially the developing ones, medical equipment availability is a major issue that remains unsolved. Hence, this paper explores the root causes of the issue, reviews existing solution approaches and suggests remanufacturing as a sustainable option. An extensive review was first conducted to uncover key factors contributing to the poor availability of medical equipment in developing countries. The Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method was then used to measure the prominence degrees of the key factors and characterise these factors with an aim to differentiate those that are net drivers from those that are driven. Subsequently, factors that can be addressed by remanufacturing were identified, to determine the potential contribution of remanufacturing in addressing the poor medical equipment availability issue. The result shows that remanufacturing can potentially address at least five of the key factors which account for a cumulative total prominence of 43.5%. Remanufacturing is thus, a viable strategy for improving medical equipment availability in developing countries. In addition to remanufacturing, other recommendations were also proposed to help address the issue.
Can new technology challenge macho-masculinities? The case of the mining industry
Authors: Abrahamsson Lena , Johansson Jan
Published: April 2020

The aim with this article is to discuss how changes in technology at workplaces engender both change and restoration of gender constructions within the context of underground mining. The discussions are formed around a constructed case based on material from gender and organizational studies of large-scale industrial mines in different countries, most of them from Sweden. New technologies such as digitalization and automation together with new organizational forms engender changes in mining work, e.g., new types of work tasks, new competence demands, and a move from underground to high-tech control rooms aboveground. One main observation is that the changes challenge the old and recalcitrant blue-collar mining masculinity. On the one hand, the organizational resistance and “lagging” seemed to result in re-gendering and restoration of the male dominance. On the other hand, there were tendencies to adaptation in the workplace cultures, including new ways of forming mining masculinities, perhaps even undoing of gender. The main conclusion is that the most probable development lies somewhere in-between and by analyzing such complex processes of gender, technology, and change future research can get more knowledge of changes of gender constructions in working life.
An overview of global energy scenarios by 2040: identifying the driving forces using cross-impact analysis method
Authors: Ghasemian S. , Faridzad A. , Abbaszadeh P. , Taklif A. , Ghasemi A. , Hafezi R.
Published: April 2020

This study presents a novel comparative analysis on global energy scenarios in terms of main characteristics, scenario building frameworks and time frames. The study analyzes each energy scenario’s outputs and outlooks by 2040 such as gross domestic product growth, technology developments, primary energy demand by sector, energy supply by fuel, energy intensity and carbon emissions. Based on the foresight semiquantitative method, global energy driving forces which play significant roles in reshaping the world energy future by 2040 have been identified. The study applies mathematical principles to quantify the rational judgments of an expert panel in social, technological, economic, environmental and political framework through cross-impact analysis. Among the 10 global energy driving forces by 2040, population growth rate and climate change are identified as social and environmental driving forces, respectively. Investment in infrastructures, financial shocks, consumer behavior and energy efficiency are marked as economic driving forces, while global governance and geopolitical relationships are identified as the global energy market’s political driving force. And finally, technological development in renewable energies as well as in oil and gas upstream sector is recognized as a technological driving force.
A systematic analysis of the radial resonance frequency spectra of the PZT-based (Zr/Ti = 52/48) piezoceramic thin disks
Authors: Chen Yu , Wang Shaozhao , Zhou Huajiang , Xu Qian , Wang Qingyuan , Zhu Jianguo
Published: April 2020

In this paper, both the 1D radial mode and the equivalent circuit of a piezoceramic disk resonator were theoretically analyzed based on IEEE standards. And then, the radial resonance frequency spectra of the PZT-based (Nb/Ce co-doped Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3, abbreviated as PZT-NC) piezoceramic circular disks were measured by an impedance analyzer. A set of resonance frequency spectra including six electrical parameters:Z, R, X, Y, G,andB, were used for making a value distinction between three possible resonance frequencies, and between three possible antiresonance frequencies. A new-form Nyquist diagram was depicted to describe the position relations of these characteristic frequencies. Such a complete resonance frequency spectrum was used to perform the accurate calculation of some material constants and electromechanical coupling parameters for the PZT-NC piezoceramics. Further, the frequency dependence of the AC conductive behavior of the specimen was characterized by the complex impedance measurement. The values of AC conductivity at resonance/antiresonance were deduced from the equivalent circuit parameters. Moreover, the Van Dyke circuit model was assigned to each element contribution and the simulated curves showed a nice fitting with the experimental results. Finally, an additional impedance analysis associated with resonance frequency calculation revealed a complicated coupled vibration mode existing in the annular disk specimen.
“Who Am I” and “How Should I Be”: a Systematic Review on Self-Concept and Avatar Identification in Gaming Disorder
Authors: Lemenager Tagrid , Neissner Miriam , Sabo Thomas , Mann Karl , Kiefer Falk
Published: April 2020

Purpose of Review

Gaming disorder (GD) appears to be associated with self-concept deficits and increased identification with one’s avatar. The goal of this literature review is to highlight study findings assessing psychological and neurobiological correlates of self-concept-related characteristics and avatar identification in GD.

Recent Findings

The review was based on three literature researches on GD: (1) self-esteem, (2) emotional, social, and academic self-concept domains and avatar identification, and (3) neurobiological correlates of self-concept and avatar identification. The results indicate that GD is associated with decreased self-esteem as well as deficits in physical, social, and emotional self-concept domains. A relatively stable relationship between higher avatar identification and GD was reported in addicted gamers. Furthermore, addicted gamers showed increased activation of brain regions associated with Theory-of-Mind processing while contemplating their own avatar.

The results point towards impairments in self-concept and increased identification with the virtual gaming character in addicted gamers. This virtual compensation fosters the formation of an idealized self-concept, which grows increasingly distant from their own self-image. Thus, additional empirically based psychological interventions should focus on the development of a realistic self-image by reducing the dysfunctional discrepancy between the ideal self and the real self.
Measurement of bit-rock interface temperature and wear rate of the tungsten carbide drill bit during rotary drilling
Authors: Shankar Vijay Kumar , Kunar Bijay Mihir , Murthy Chivukula Suryanarayana , Ramesh M. R.
Published: April 2020

Rock drilling is an essential operation in mining industries. Temperature at the bit-rock interface plays a major role in the wear rate of the drill bit. This paper primarily focuses on the wear rate of tungsten carbide (WC) drill bit and the interrelationship between temperature and wear rate during rotary drilling operations conducted using a computer numerical control (CNC) machine. The interrelationship between the temperature and wear rate was studied with regard to three types of rock samples, i.e., fine-grained sandstone (FG) of uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) that is 17.83 MPa, medium-grained sandstone (MG) of UCS that is 13.70 MPa, and fine-grained sandstone pink (FGP) of UCS that is 51.67 MPa. Wear rate of the drill bit has been measured using controlled parameters, i.e., drill bit diameter (6, 8, 10, 12, and 16 mm), spindle speed (250, 300, 350, 400, and 450 rpm), and penetration rate (2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 mm/min), respectively. Further, a fully instrumented laboratory drilling set-up was utilized. The weight of each bit was measured after the bit reached 30 mm depth in each type of the rock sample. Furthermore, effects of the bit-rock interface temperature and operational parameters on wear rate of the drill bits were examined. The results show that the wear rate of drill bits increased with an increase in temperature for all the bit-rock combinations considered. This is due to the silica content of the rock sample, which leads to an increase in the frictional heat between the bit-rock interfaces. However, in case of medium-grained sandstone, the weight percentage (wt%) of SiO2 is around 7.23 wt%, which presents a very low wear rate coefficient of 6.33×10−2 mg/(N·m). Moreover, the temperature rise during drilling is also minimum, i.e., around 74 °C, in comparison to that of fine-grained sandstone and fine-grained sandstone pink. In addition, this paper develops the relationship between temperature and wear rate characteristics by employing simple linear regression analysis.
Preparation, characterization, and tribological properties of silica-nanoparticle-reinforced B-N-co-doped reduced graphene oxide as a multifunctional additive for enhanced lubrication
Authors: Xiong Sang , Zhang Baosen , Luo Shuai , Wu Hao , Zhang Zhen
Published: April 2020

Microwave-synthesized SiO2-reinforced B-N-co-doped reduced graphene oxide (SiO2-B-N-GO) nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray photon spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared (IR) spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray (TEM/EDX) analysis. The tribological properties of the SiO2-B-N-GO prepared as anti-wear additives for enhanced lubrication were studied using a four-ball tester. The experiment results indicated that SiO2-B-N-GO exhibits excellent load-carrying, anti-wear, and anti-friction properties in a base oil, especially at the optimal concentration of additives at 0.15 wt%. The wear scar diameter decreased from 0.70 to 0.37 mm and the coefficient of friction was reduced from 0.092 to 0.070, which reductions are attributed to the formation of B-N and graphene layer tribofilms of several tens of nanometers in thickness that prevented direct contact between metals.
Negative weights in network time model
Authors: Vattai Zoltán A. , Mályusz Levente
Published: April 2020

Time does not go backward. A negative duration, such as “time period” at first sight is difficult to interpret. Previous network techniques (CPM/PERT/PDM) did not support negative parameters and/or loops (potentially necessitating recursive calculations) in the model because of the limited computing and data storage capabilities of early computers. Monsieur Roy and John Fondahl implicitly introduced negative weights into network techniques to represent activities with fixed or estimated durations (MPM/PDM). Subsequently, the introduction of negative lead and/or lag times by software developers (IBM) apparently overcome the limitation of not allowing negative time parameters in time model. Referring to general digraph (Event on Node) representation where activities are represented by pairs of nodes and pairwise relative time restrictions are represented by weighted arrows, we can release most restraints in constructing the graph structure (incorporating the dynamic model of the inner logic of time plan), and a surprisingly flexible and handy network model can be developed that provides all the advantages of the abovementioned techniques. This paper aims to review the theoretical possibilities and technical interpretations (and use) of negative weights in network time models and discuss approximately 20 types of time-based restrictions among the activities of construction projects. We focus on pure relative time models, without considering other restrictions (such as calendar data, time-cost trade-off, resource allocation or other constraints).
Word Replaceability Through Word Vectors
Authors: Taraba Peter
Published: April 2020

There have been many numerical methods developed recently that try to capture the semantic meaning of words through word vectors. In this study, we present a new way to learn word vectors using only word co-appearances and their average distances. However, instead of claiming semantic or syntactic word representation, we lower our assertions and claim only that we learn word vectors, which express word’s replaceability in sentences based on their Euclidean distances. Synonyms are a subgroup of words which can replace each other, and we will use them to show differences between training on words that appear close to each other in a local window and training that uses distances between words, which we use in this study. Using ConceptNet 5.5.0’s synonyms, we show that word vectors trained on word distances create higher contrast in distributions of word similarities than was done with Glove, where only word appearances close to each other were engaged. We introduce a measure, which looks at intersection of histograms of word distances for synonyms and non-synonyms.
Short-term associations between Legionnaires' disease incidence and meteorological variables in Belgium, 2011–2019
Authors: Braeye T. , Echahidi F. , Meghraoui A. , Laisnez V. , Hens N.
Published: April 2020

The number of reported cases with Legionnaires' disease (LD) is increasing in Belgium. Previous studies have investigated the associations between LD incidence and meteorological factors, but the Belgian data remained unexplored. We investigated data collected between 2011 and 2019. Daily exposure data on temperature, relative humidity, precipitation and wind speed was obtained from the Royal Meteorological Institute for 29 weather stations. Case data were collected from the national reference centre and through mandatory notification. Daily case and exposure data were aggregated by province. We conducted a time-stratified case-crossover study. The ‘at risk’ period was defined as 10 to 2 days prior to disease onset. The corresponding days in the other study years were selected as referents. We fitted separate conditional Poisson models for each day in the ‘at risk’ period and a distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) which fitted all data in one model. LD incidence showed a yearly peak in August and September. A total of 614 cases were included. Given seasonality, a sequence of precipitation, followed by high relative humidity and low wind speed showed a statistically significant association with the number of cases 6 to 4 days later. We discussed the advantages of DLNM in this context.
The Social Construction of Historical Traumas: The Polish Experience of the Uses of History in an Intelligentsia-dominated Polity
Authors: Zarycki Tomasz , Warczok Tomasz
Published: April 2020

The article argues that Poland’s mainstream national historical narrative, at least as far as the last two centuries of history of the country is concerned, is full of ‘traumatic’ motives which are regularly used and developed in diverse current political and intellectual contexts. Polish history is imagined to a large extent as an endless chain of 200 years of suffering, caused, among other things, by occupations, wars and exploitation, which are usually seen as not fully recognized in other countries, in particular in the West. The article attempts first of all to explain this specific nature of Poland’s historical identity by the privileged role of the intelligentsia, understood as a specific type of elite based on possession and control of cultural capital. It reconstructs the historical rise of the intelligentsia and its impact on the mainstream narrative in question, pointing to a selective choice of potential ‘traumas’ which are assigned a national status. They may be seen as tools to build positions in what can be called the Polish ‘field of power’, to use the notion coined by Pierre Bourdieu. The particular configuration and recent history of the field of power in Poland is reconstructed in order to explain different strategies of what can be called the social and political construction of historical traumas in Poland.
Eddies in the Hawaiian Archipelago Region: Formation, Characterization, and Potential Implications on Larval Retention of Reef Fish
Authors: Lindo‐Atichati David , Jia Yanli , Wren Johanna L. K. , Antoniades Andreas , Kobayashi Donald R.
Published: April 2020

Here we present an assessment of eddy activity in a 3,500 × 2,000 km region of the North Pacific. Eddies were identified and tracked within a numerical simulation that used the Massachusetts Institute of Technology general circulation model and an eddy characterization algorithm. Spatially, eddy births were more frequent: (1) nearshore (cyclones) and offshore (anticyclones) on the windward side of the main Hawai‘ian Islands; (2) in patches of cyclones and anticyclones that resembled the dipole structure of wind stress curl along the islands’ leeward side; and (3) in zonal patches of eddies of both polarities west and north of the islands. Temporally, high eddy activities occurred in spring. There was a meridional distribution of eddy lifespans, which increased northward. Cyclones were more abundant, longer‐lived, smaller, and more nonlinear. Reef fish spawning locations in Hawai‘i coincide with the regions of high eddy activity, with nonlinear eddies responsible for high larval retention.