bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Towards sustainable development: A multi‐country persistence analysis of forest products footprint using a stationarity test with smooth shifts
Authors: Solarin Sakiru Adebola
Published: July 2020

The human demand on forest products has been getting more significant over time as people increasingly continue to convert forests to agricultural and urban uses. The consequence of these human activities is the loss of forest resources through deforestation and forest degradation as exemplified by the continued degradation of the Amazon rainforest, which has implication for sustainable development. However, several economic aspects of forestry have not been adequately investigated in the existing literature including the persistence of forest products footprint. The importance of examining the persistence or nonstationary of forest products footprint is that it tells us whether blueprints to address the rising forest products footprint will be effective or not. The aim of this paper is to examine the nonstationarity of forest products footprint in 89 countries using a new panel stationarity test that provides for gradual breaks, heterogeneity across cross‐sectional units and cross‐sectional dependency. The results suggest significant evidence for nonstationarity of the forest products footprint. The policy implications of the results are elaborated in the body of the paper.
Nanocharacterization, Materials Modeling, and Research Integrity as Enablers of Sound Risk Assessment: Designing Responsible Nanotechnology
Authors: Xiarchos Ioannis , Morozinis Athanasios K. , Kavouras Panagiotis , Charitidis Costas A.
Published: July 2020

Nanotechnology, as a mature enabling technology, has great potential to boost societal welfare. However, nanomaterials' current and foreseen applications raise serious concerns about their impact on human health and the environment. These concerns emerge because a reliable risk assessment in nanotechnology is yet to be achieved. The reasons for such a shortcoming are the inherent difficulties in characterizing nanomaterials properties. The interaction of characterization with modeling is an open issue and, due to overarching concerns about the reliability of research results, usually framed within the context of research integrity. This essay explores the connection between these different, but deeply intertwined concerns and the way they enable the production of responsible nanotechnology, i.e., nanotechnology devoted to societal welfare.
Probing the pH Microenvironment of Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Cultures on Additive‐Manufactured Scaffolds
Authors: Moldero Ivan Lorenzo , Chandra Anil , Cavo Marta , Mota Carlos , Kapsokalyvas Dimitrios , Gigli Giuseppe , Moroni Lorenzo , del Mercato Loretta L.
Published: July 2020

Despite numerous advances in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, monitoring the formation of tissue regeneration and its metabolic variations during culture is still a challenge and mostly limited to bulk volumetric assays. Here, a simple method of adding capsules‐based optical sensors in cell‐seeded 3D scaffolds is presented and the potential of these sensors to monitor the pH changes in space and time during cell growth is demonstrated. It is shown that the pH decreased over time in the 3D scaffolds, with a more prominent decrease at the edges of the scaffolds. Moreover, the pH change is higher in 3D scaffolds compared to monolayered 2D cell cultures. The results suggest that this system, composed by capsules‐based optical sensors and 3D scaffolds with predefined geometry and pore architecture network, can be a suitable platform for monitoring pH variations during 3D cell growth and tissue formation. This is particularly relevant for the investigation of 3D cellular microenvironment alterations occurring both during physiological processes, such as tissue regeneration, and pathological processes, such as cancer evolution.
Bayesian and frequentist testing for differences between two groups with parametric and nonparametric two‐sample tests
Authors: Kelter Riko
Published: July 2020

Testing for differences between two groups is one of the scenarios most often faced by scientists across all domains and is particularly important in the medical sciences and psychology. The traditional solution to this problem is rooted inside the Neyman–Pearson theory of null hypothesis significance testing and uniformly most powerful tests. In the last decade, a lot of progress has been made in developing Bayesian versions of the most common parametric and nonparametric two‐sample tests, including Student's t‐test and the Mann–Whitney U test. In this article, we review the underlying assumptions, models and implications for research practice of these Bayesian two‐sample tests and contrast them with the existing frequentist solutions. Also, we show that in general Bayesian and frequentist two‐sample tests have different behavior regarding the type I and II error control, which needs to be carefully balanced in practical research.

This article is categorized under:

Statistical and Graphical Methods of Data Analysis > Bayesian Methods and Theory

Statistical and Graphical Methods of Data Analysis > Monte Carlo Methods

Statistical and Graphical Methods of Data Analysis > Markov Chain Monte Carlo
Characterisation of ancient Roman wall‐painting fragments using non‐destructive IBA and MA‐XRF techniques
Authors: Vadrucci Monia , Mazzinghi Anna , Sorrentino Beatrice , Falzone Stella , Gioia Claudia , Gioia Patrizia , Loreti Ersilia M. , Chiari Massimo
Published: July 2020

Scientific investigation is very important in studies addressing issues of archaeological and historical objects. Ion beam analysis (IBA) and macro X‐ray fluorescence (MA‐XRF) spectroscopy are remarkable tools to obtain information about elemental composition and imaging of historical artefacts with a non‐invasive character. These investigation techniques were employed in the framework of a project aimed at supporting the characterization of materials and techniques related with the Roman wall painting. The archaeological excavations at Villa della Piscina in Rome have revealed a luxury building with a large pool (about 50 m long) and thermal baths and numerous fragments of plaster, coming from intentional demolitions referable to two distinct architectural contexts of the Villa during the imperial age, have been found. This work deals with studying the interesting wall pictorial apparatus of great cultural value of the heritage inherited from the Roman age in the area of the ancient city of Rome. The colour palette of the pigments investigated, in particular, by MA‐XRF and particle‐induced X‐ray emission (PIXE) and has revealed Fe, Cu, Pb, Si and Hg as main elements. Traces of other constituents uncover the choice of the different colours chosen by the artists who had embellished the rooms of the Villa.
Three New Ln‐Decavanadates Materials:Synthesis, Structure, and Photoluminescent Sensing for Detection of Zn2+ and Co2+
Authors: Kang RunKun , Cao JiaPeng , Han YeMin , Hong YaLin , Yang MuXiu , Xu Yan
Published: July 2020

Three new compounds, [Ln(H2O)8]2[V10O28]·8H2O [Ln = Ho (1), Tb (2)] and [Eu(H2O)8]2[V10O28]·9H2O (3), were successfully synthesized by evaporating the mixture of K6V10O28·10H2O and LnCl3·6H2O. Notably, three vanadates are composed of [Ln(H2O)8]3+ cation, decavanadates ([V10O28]6–) anion. Meanwhile, free water molecules generate different type water clusters to connect [V10O28]6– anions and coordination cations to form 3D supramolecular structure. The fluorescence measurements reveal that characteristic photoluminescence of TbIII and EuIII is quenched in presence of [V10O28]6–, then the impacts of variational decavanadates ions concentration on the fluorescence intensities of LnCl3 (Ln = Tb, Eu) systems and different acetate solution [M(CH3COO)2; M = Ni, Cr, Cu, Co, Zn] on fluorescence intensities of Ln‐decavanadates (Ln = Eu, Tb) systems are investigated.
Erratum to: Singlet night in Feynman-ville: one-loop matching of a real scalar
Authors: Haisch Ulrich , Ruhdorfer Maximilian , Salvioni Ennio , Venturini Elena , Weiler Andreas
Published: July 2020

Due to an oversight, in the original paper we did not give the one-loop matching correction to the (non-hermitian) operator.
Maps stemming from the functional calculus that transform a Kubo–Ando mean into another
Authors: Nagy Gergő
Published: July 2020

In this paper, we investigate maps on sets of positive operators which are induced by the continuous functional calculus and transform a Kubo–Ando mean$$\sigma $$σinto another$$\tau $$τ. We establish that under quite mild conditions, a mapping$$\phi $$ϕcan have this property only in the trivial case, i.e. when$$\sigma $$σand$$\tau $$τare nontrivial weighted harmonic means and$$\phi $$ϕstems from a function which is a constant multiple of the generating function of such a mean. In the setting where exactly one of$$\sigma $$σand$$\tau $$τis a weighted arithmetic mean, we show that under fairly weak assumptions, the mentioned transformer property never holds. Finally, when both of$$\sigma $$σand$$\tau $$τare such a mean, it turns out that the latter property is only satisfied in the trivial case, i.e. for maps induced by affine functions.
On the convergence of the Laplace approximation and noise-level-robustness of Laplace-based Monte Carlo methods for Bayesian inverse problems
Authors: Schillings Claudia , Sprungk Björn , Wacker Philipp
Published: July 2020

The Bayesian approach to inverse problems provides a rigorous framework for the incorporation and quantification of uncertainties in measurements, parameters and models. We are interested in designing numerical methods which are robust w.r.t. the size of the observational noise, i.e., methods which behave well in case of concentrated posterior measures. The concentration of the posterior is a highly desirable situation in practice, since it relates to informative or large data. However, it can pose a computational challenge for numerical methods based on the prior measure. We propose to employ the Laplace approximation of the posterior as the base measure for numerical integration in this context. The Laplace approximation is a Gaussian measure centered at the maximum a-posteriori estimate and with covariance matrix depending on the logposterior density. We discuss convergence results of the Laplace approximation in terms of the Hellinger distance and analyze the efficiency of Monte Carlo methods based on it. In particular, we show that Laplace-based importance sampling and Laplace-based quasi-Monte-Carlo methods are robust w.r.t. the concentration of the posterior for large classes of posterior distributions and integrands whereas prior-based importance sampling and plain quasi-Monte Carlo are not. Numerical experiments are presented to illustrate the theoretical findings.
The Impact of Surgical Team Familiarity on Length of Procedure and Length of Stay: Inconsistent Relationships Across Procedures, Team Members, and Sites
Authors: Parker Sarah Henrickson , Lei Xue , Fitzgibbons Shimae , Metzger Thomas , Safford Shawn , Kaplan Seth
Published: July 2020

Background

Team familiarity has been shown to be important for operative efficiency and number of complications, but it is unclear for which types of operations and for which team members familiarity matters the most. The objective of this study is to further our understanding of familiarity in the OR by quantifying the relative importance of familiarity among all possible core team dyads, and defining the impact of team level familiarity on outcomes.

Materials and methods

Using a retrospective chart and administrative data review, five years of data from two health systems (14 hospitals) and across two procedures, (knee arthroplasty and lumbar laminectomy) were included. Multilevel modeling approach and a dominance analysis were conducted.

Results

For each previous surgery that any two members of the core surgical team had participated in together, the length of surgery decreased significantly. The familiarity of the scrub and the surgeon was the most significant relationship for knee arthroplasty across the two hospitals, and laminectomies at one hospital.

Conclusions

The relationship between familiarity of the surgical team and surgical efficiency may be more complex than previously articulated. Familiarity may be more important for certain types of procedures. The familiarity of certain dyads may be more important for certain types of procedures.
Prognostic Factors of Preoperative Examinations for Non‐occlusive Mesenteric Ischemia: A Multicenter Retrospective Project Study Conducted by the Japanese Society for Abdominal Emergency Medicine
Authors: Suzuki Shuji , Kondo Hiroshi , Furukawa Akira , Kawai Kentaro , Yukaya Takafumi , Shimazui Takashi , Tani Masaji , Yamamoto Masakazu
Published: July 2020

Background

Non‐occlusive mesenteric ischemia (NOMI) has a high mortality rate, but the analyses of preoperative prognostic factors for improving survival in patients suspected of having NOMI are scarce. We aimed to analyze the prognostic factors of preoperative examinations for NOMI.

Methods

The clinical data of 224 patients with NOMI were retrospectively collected for a multicenter survey. Clinicophysiological factors were compared between the survivors and non‐survivors (N = 107/117) and between the operative and non‐operative cases (N = 180/44) by univariate analysis using chi‐square test and multivariate analysis using Cox proportional hazard models. In the operative cases, the prognostic operative factors were also analyzed.

Results

The overall mortality rate for NOMI was 52.2%. There were 129 male and 95 female patients. The mean age was 71.23 (14–94) years. Univariate analysis showed that cardiovascular complication, shock, abdominal pain, average blood pressure, systemic inflammatory response syndrome, aspartic aminotransferase, alanine transaminase, creatine phosphokinase, lactate dehydrogenase, base excess, prothrombin time‐international normalized ratio, D‐dimer, and fibrinogen degradation products were independent prognostic factors. Multivariate analysis showed that average blood pressure and base excess were independent prognostic factors. Among patients undergoing surgery, those with bowel resection had better prognosis than those without bowel resection, but those with long bowel resection had worse prognosis than those with short resection. Additional postoperative treatment was not effective compared with operation alone (P = 0.011).

Conclusions

Prognostic factors of preoperative examinations for NOMI were average blood pressure and base excess. Patients with long bowel resection should be carefully monitored owing to their poor prognosis.
Association Between the Frequency of Glove Change and the Risk of Blood and Body Fluid Exposure in Gastrointestinal Surgery
Authors: Kobayashi Minako , Tsujimoto Hironori , Takahata Risa , Einama Takahiro , Okamoto Koichi , Kajiwara Yoshiki , Shinto Eiji , Kishi Yoji , Hase Kazuo , Ueno Hideki
Published: July 2020

Background

Surgical gloves are used to prevent the transmission of microorganisms from the surgeon's hands to the patient and vice versa. Little is known on the optimal frequency of glove changing. Therefore, we aimed to examine the optimal frequency of glove change during surgery by assessing the glove perforation rate in gastrointestinal surgery.

Methods

In this observational prospective cohort study, we investigated the incidence of perforation of 5,267 gloves during gastrointestinal surgeries.

Results

The overall glove perforation rate was 10.1%. There was no significant difference between single gloving (10.2%) and double gloving (10.0%; p = 0.8491). However, the perforation rate of the inner glove (5.7%) was found to be significantly lower than that of the outer glove (11.6%) (p < 0.0001). A significant difference in perforation rate was observed after wearing inner gloves for 240 min (< 240 min, 4.4%; ≤ 240 min, 7.2%; p = 0.0314), and outer gloves for 60 min (< 60 min, 7.1%; ≤ 60 min, 12.6%; p < 0.0001). We found cumulative perforation rate to rapidly increase until the wear time was 90 min.

Conclusion

The inner gloves and outer gloves have a higher perforation rate as the wear time increased. To reduce the risk of intraoperative blood and fluid exposure and prevent healthcare‐associated infection, gloves should be changed for approximately every 60–90 min for outer gloves and approximately every 240 min for inner gloves.
Preterm birth and sustained inflammation: consequences for the neonate
Authors: Humberg Alexander , Fortmann Ingmar , Siller Bastian , Kopp Matthias Volkmar , Herting Egbert , Göpel Wolfgang , Härtel Christoph ,   German Neonatal Network, German Center for Lung Research and Priming Immunity at the beginning of life (PRIMAL) Consortium
Published: July 2020

Almost half of all preterm births are caused or triggered by an inflammatory process at the feto-maternal interface resulting in preterm labor or rupture of membranes with or without chorioamnionitis (“first inflammatory hit”). Preterm babies have highly vulnerable body surfaces and immature organ systems. They are postnatally confronted with a drastically altered antigen exposure including hospital-specific microbes, artificial devices, drugs, nutritional antigens, and hypoxia or hyperoxia (“second inflammatory hit”). This is of particular importance to extremely preterm infants born before 28 weeks, as they have not experienced important “third-trimester” adaptation processes to tolerate maternal and self-antigens. Instead of a balanced adaptation to extrauterine life, the delicate co-regulation between immune defense mechanisms and immunosuppression (tolerance) to allow microbiome establishment is therefore often disturbed. Hence, preterm infants are predisposed to sepsis but also to several injurious conditions that can contribute to the onset or perpetuation of sustained inflammation (SI). This is a continuing challenge to clinicians involved in the care of preterm infants, as SI is regarded as a crucial mediator for mortality and the development of morbidities in preterm infants. This review will outline the (i) role of inflammation for short-term consequences of preterm birth and (ii) the effect of SI on organ development and long-term outcome.
Multiple change point detection and validation in autoregressive time series data
Authors: Ma Lijing , Grant Andrew J. , Sofronov Georgy
Published: July 2020

It is quite common that the structure of a time series changes abruptly. Identifying these change points and describing the model structure in the segments between these change points is of interest. In this paper, time series data is modelled assuming each segment is an autoregressive time series with possibly different autoregressive parameters. This is achieved using two main steps. The first step is to use a likelihood ratio scan based estimation technique to identify these potential change points to segment the time series. Once these potential change points are identified, modified parametric spectral discrimination tests are used to validate the proposed segments. A numerical study is conducted to demonstrate the performance of the proposed method across various scenarios and compared against other contemporary techniques.
Time course of brain activity during the processing of motor- and vision-related abstract concepts: flexibility and task dependency
Authors: Harpaintner Marcel , Trumpp Natalie M. , Kiefer Markus
Published: July 2020

Grounded cognition theories assume that conceptual processing depends on modality-specific brain systems in a context-dependent fashion. Although the relation of abstract concepts to modality-specific systems is less obvious than for concrete concepts, recent behavioral and neuroimaging studies indicated a foundation of abstract concepts in vision and action. However, due to their poor temporal resolution, neuroimaging studies cannot determine whether sensorimotor activity reflects rapid access to conceptual information or later conceptual processes. The present study therefore assessed the time course of abstract concept processing using event-related potentials (ERPs) and compared ERP responses to abstract concepts with a strong relation to vision or action. We tested whether possible ERP effects to abstract word categories would emerge in early or in later time windows and whether these effects would depend on the depth of the conceptual task. In Experiment 1, a shallow lexical decision task, early feature-specific effects starting at 178 ms were revealed, but later effects beyond 300 ms were also observed. In Experiment 2, a deep conceptual decision task, feature-specific effects with an onset of 22 ms were obtained, but effects again extended beyond 300 ms. In congruency with earlier neuroimaging work, the present feature-specific ERP effects suggest a grounding of abstract concepts in modal brain systems. The presence of early and late feature-specific effects indicates that sensorimotor activity observed in neuroimaging experiments may reflect both rapid conceptual and later post-conceptual processing. Results furthermore suggest that a deep conceptual task accelerates access to conceptual sensorimotor features, thereby demonstrating conceptual flexibility.
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition in undifferentiated carcinoma of the pancreas with and without osteoclast-like giant cells
Authors: Mattiolo Paola , Fiadone Giulia , Paolino Gaetano , Chatterjee Deyali , Bernasconi Riccardo , Piccoli Paola , Parolini Claudia , El Aidi Mouad , Sperandio Nicola , Malleo Giuseppe , Salvia Roberto , Brosens Lodewijk A. , Wood Laura D. , Scarpa Aldo , Lawlor Rita T. , Luchini Claudio
Published: July 2020

Undifferentiated carcinoma (UC) and undifferentiated carcinoma with osteoclast-like giant cells (UCOGC) are peculiar variants of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), characterized by hypercellularity and absence of glandular patterns. The inflammatory microenvironment is peculiar in UCOGC, since it is dominated by macrophages and osteoclast-like giant cells. However, from a molecular point of view, both UC and UCOGC are very similar to conventional PDAC, sharing alterations of the most common genetic drivers. Clinically, UC usually show a worse prognosis, whereas UCOGC may show a better prognosis if it is not associated with a PDAC component. To highlight potential biological differences between these entities, we investigated the role of the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) in UC and UCOGC. Specifically, we analyzed the immunohistochemical expression of three well-known EMT markers, namely Twist1, Snai2, and E-cadherin, in 16 cases of UCOGC and 10 cases of UC. We found that EMT is more frequently activated in UC (10/10 cases) than in UCOGC (8/16 cases; p = 0.05). Furthermore, in UCOGC, EMT was activated with a higher frequency in cases with an associated PDAC component. Snai2 was the most frequently and strongly expressed marker in both tumor types (10/10 UC, 8/16 UCOGC), and its expression was higher in UC than in UCOGC (mean immunohistochemical score: 4.8 in UC vs. 2.1 in UCOGC, p < 0.01). Our results shed new light on the biology of UC and UCOGC: EMT appeared as a more important process in UC, and Snai2 emerged as a central EMT effector in this setting.
Prelimbic cortical targets of ventromedial thalamic projections include inhibitory interneurons and corticostriatal pyramidal neurons in the rat
Authors: Sieveritz Bianca , Arbuthnott Gordon W.
Published: July 2020

Ventromedial thalamic axons innervate cortical layer I and make contacts onto the apical dendritic tuft of pyramidal neurons. Optical stimulation of ventromedial thalamic axon terminals in prefrontal cortical areas in mouse brain slices evokes responses in corticocortical, corticothalamic and layer I inhibitory interneurons. Using anterograde tracing techniques and immunohistochemistry in male Sprague–Dawley rats, we provide anatomical evidence that ventromedial thalamic axon terminals in prelimbic cortex make contacts onto pyramidal neurons and, in particular, onto corticostriatal neurons as well as layer I inhibitory interneurons. Using stereology, we made quantitative estimates of contacts in uppermost prelimbic layer I onto dendrites of pyramidal neurons, corticostriatal neurons and layer I inhibitory interneurons. Prefrontal cortex has long been associated with decision making. Specifically, corticostriatal neurons in rat prelimbic cortex play an important role in cost–benefit decision making. Although recent experiments have detailed the physiology of this area in thalamocortical circuits, the extent of the impact of ventromedial thalamic input on corticostriatal neurons or layer I inhibitory interneurons has not been explored. Our quantitative anatomical results provide evidence that most ventromedial thalamic input to pyramidal neurons is provided to corticostriatal neurons and that overall more contacts are made onto the population of excitatory than onto the population of inhibitory neurons.
Perioperative outcomes after laparoscopic cholecystectomy in elderly patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Kamarajah Sivesh K. , Karri Santhosh , Bundred James R. , Evans Richard P. T. , Lin Aaron , Kew Tania , Ekeozor Chinenye , Powell Susan L. , Singh Pritam , Griffiths Ewen A.
Published: July 2020

Background

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is increasingly performed in an ever ageing population; however, the risks are poorly quantified. The study aims to review the current evidence to quantify further the postoperative risk of cholecystectomy in the elderly population compared to younger patients.

Method

A systematic literature search of PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library databases were conducted including studies reporting laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the elderly population. A meta-analysis was reported in accordance with the recommendations of the Cochrane Library and PRISMA guidelines. Primary outcome was overall complications and secondary outcomes were conversion to open surgery, bile leaks, postoperative mortality and length of stay.

Results

This review identified 99 studies incorporating 326,517 patients. Increasing age was significantly associated with increased rates of overall complications (OR 2.37, CI95%2.00–2.78), major complication (OR 1.79, CI95%1.45–2.20), risk of conversion to open cholecystectomy (OR 2.17, CI95%1.84–2.55), risk of bile leaks (OR 1.50, CI95%1.07–2.10), risk of postoperative mortality (OR 7.20, CI95%4.41–11.73) and was significantly associated with increased length of stay (MD 2.21 days, CI95%1.24–3.18).

Conclusion

Postoperative outcomes such as overall and major complications appear to be significantly higher in all age cut-offs in this meta-analysis. This study demonstrated there is a sevenfold increase in perioperative mortality which increases by tenfold in patients > 80 years old. This study appears to confirm preconceived suspicions of higher risks in elderly patients undergoing cholecystectomy and may aid treatment planning and informed consent.
In silico analysis of a chimeric fusion protein as a new vaccine candidate against Clostridium perfringens type A and Clostridium septicum alpha toxins
Authors: Haghroosta Ali , Goudarzi Hossein , Faghihloo Ebrahim , Ghalavand Zohreh , Ranjbar Mohammad Mahdi , Langroudi Reza Pilehchian
Published: July 2020

In silico analysis is the most important approach to understand protein structure and functions, and the most important problem for designing and producing a fusion construct is producing large amounts of functional protein. Clostridium perfringens type A and Clostridium septicum produce alpha (plc) and alpha toxins respectively. C. perfringens can cause gas gangrene and gastrointestinal diseases. C. septicum can cause traumatic and non-traumatic gas gangrene. The aim of current research was in silico analysis of a chimeric fusion protein against C. perfringens type A and C. septicum alpha toxins. Firstly, the chimeric fusion gene was designed according to nucleotide sequences of C. perfringens type A alpha (KY584046.1) and C. septicum alpha (JN793989.2) toxin genes and then its fusion protein is constructed by amino acid sequences of C. perfringens type A and C. septicum alpha toxins. Secondly, online software was used to determine prediction of secondary and tertiary structures and physicochemical characteristics of the fusion protein. Finally, the validation of the fusion protein was confirmed by Rampage and proSA program. The designed fusion protein has 777 amino acids in length. TASSER server and physicochemical parameters are showed: C-score = − 2.68 and molecular weight = 87.9 KD respectively. Rampage and proSA software revealed the fusion protein is valid. Deposited accession number for the sequence of the fusion gene in the GenBank is MK908396. The designed fusion protein is valid and functional. Thus, the fusion gene could be used for clone and expression in a proper prokaryotic cell and also as a recombinant vaccine candidate.
Testing cardiovascular autonomic function in the COVID-19 era: lessons from Bologna’s Autonomic Unit
Authors: Guaraldi Pietro , Barletta Giorgio , Baschieri Francesca , Calandra-Buonaura Giovanna , Provini Federica , Cortelli Pietro
Published: July 2020

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has changed the way most medical procedures are performed. Autonomic units, as well as other healthcare sectors, are required to undergo a thorough reorganization of the protocols in order to guarantee the safety of patients and healthcare staff. Cardiovascular autonomic function testing (CAFT) is necessary in certain situations; however, it poses several concerns which need to be addressed. Here, we provide some practical advice based on current national and international health authorities’ recommendations and our experience about how to perform CAFT during the COVID-19 emergency. We examine aspects regarding patients, healthcare staff, laboratory preparation, and test performance.
CO2-Fußabdruck indischer Tafeltrauben auf dem Weg zum deutschen Konsumenten – Analyse und Ansätze zu seiner Verminderung
Authors: Golombek Sabine , Blanke Michael
Published: July 2020

Tafeltrauben sind aus den Supermärkten bei uns nicht mehr wegzudenken. Zum Ende des Winters und Frühlingsbeginn – zu einer Zeit, in der noch keine frischen heimischen Früchte zur Verfügung stehen, ist Indien der Hauptlieferant. Ziel dieses Beitrages ist es, den Weg dieser Tafeltrauben aus Indien nach Bonn zurückzuverfolgen und seinen ökologischen CO2-Fußabdruck im Vergleich zu südafrikanischen Trauben zu ermitteln sowie Ansätze zu ihrer Minderung aufzuzeigen.

Nach Herunterkühlen, Verpacken in PET Schalen und Transport der Tafeltrauben aus dem Hauptanbaugebiet Maharashtra in Mittelindien über 400 km nach Mumbai werden sie per Reefer-Containerschiff bei 0 °C über ca. 11.700 km (6317 Seemeilen) durch den Suezkanal nach Antwerpen verschifft, von dort per Kühl-Lkw ca. 235 km über das jeweilige Verteilungszentrum zum LEH gefahren, wo der Konsument sie mit seinem PKW erwirbt.

Den größten Anteil am CO2-Fußabdruck vom Feld bis zum Verbraucher (B2C) von ca. 333 (297–379) g CO2eq/500 g-Schale Trauben hatte der Schiffstransport mit 108 (89–131) g CO2, gefolgt von der PET-Schale mit Deckel (mit Anlieferung innerhalb Indiens) mit ca. 66 g CO2eq/Schale und der Einkaufsfahrt des deutschen Verbrauchers (20 kg, 5 km) und damit Mitverantwortung des Konsumenten von ebenfalls ca. 66 g CO2eq/500 g Trauben, einem Einsparpotenzial neben der Verwendung von R‑PET Schalen, Folienbeuteln statt PET Schalen oder Kartons.

Aufgrund des vergleichbaren Seewegs lag der CO2-Fußabdruck von Tafeltrauben aus Indien mit 333 g CO2eq in der gleichen Größenordnung wie Tafeltrauben aus Südafrika mit ca. 11.400 km (6155 Seemeilen) auf dem Reefer-Containerschiff und 309 (260–340) g CO2eq pro 500 g Schale.
Existence and characterisation of magnetic energy minimisers on oriented, compact Riemannian 3-manifolds with boundary in arbitrary helicity classes
Authors: Gerner Wadim
Published: July 2020

In this paper we deal with the existence, regularity and Beltrami field property of magnetic energy minimisers under a helicity constraint. We in particular tackle the problem of characterising local as well as global minimisers of the given minimisation problem. Further we generalise Arnold’s results concerning the problem of finding the minimum magnetic energy in an orbit of the group of volume-preserving diffeomorphisms to the setting of abstract manifolds with boundary.
Employment, Education, and Income for Canadians with Developmental Disability: Analysis from the 2017 Canadian Survey on Disability
Authors: Berrigan Patrick , Scott Craig W. M. , Zwicker Jennifer D.
Published: July 2020

This study assessed needs and outcomes for people with developmental disability (DD) to understand the socioeconomic status of this group prior to implementation of the Accessible Canada Act in June 2019. The 2017 Canadian Survey on Disability (CSD) was used to analyze data for a sample of individuals with self-reported disability. Data related to employment, education, income, housing, caregivers, and use of government benefits is reported. Compared to the general Canadian public, persons with DD are less likely to: finish high-school or post-secondary education; participate in the labor force or be employed; and earn on average less/year in total income. To align with recent accessibility legislation, significant progress is needed to address disparities for people with DD.
Towards PDE-Based Video Compression with Optimal Masks Prolongated by Optic Flow
Authors: Breuß Michael , Hoeltgen Laurent , Radow Georg
Published: July 2020

Lossy image compression methods based on partial differential equations have received much attention in recent years. They may yield high-quality results but rely on the computationally expensive task of finding an optimal selection of data. For the possible extension to video compression, this data selection is a crucial issue. In this context, one could either analyse the video sequence as a whole or perform a frame-by-frame optimisation strategy. Both approaches are prohibitive in terms of memory and run time. In this work, we propose to restrict the expensive computation of optimal data to a single frame and to approximate the optimal reconstruction data for the remaining frames by prolongating it by means of an optic flow field. In this way, we achieve a notable decrease in the computational complexity. As a proof-of-concept, we evaluate the proposed approach for multiple sequences with different characteristics. In doing this, we discuss in detail the influence of possible computational setups. We show that the approach preserves a reasonable quality in the reconstruction and is very robust against errors in the flow field.
Estimation of microbiological contamination of maize seeds using isothermal calorimetry
Authors: Skoczowski Andrzej , Przemieniecki Sebastian W. , Oliwa Jakub , Kula-Maximenko Monika , Rys Magdalena , Stawoska Iwona , Karpiński Stanisław
Published: July 2020

The storage of maize seed intended for industrial purposes in foil silo bags is associated with microbiological contamination of the material by bacteria and fungi. This results in the loss of a part of the raw material or its deterioration and causes financial losses. In this paper, the relationship between the number of microorganisms colonizing maize seeds as well as changes in heat flow has been proved. For this purpose, the heat flow and total metabolic heat emission values (total heat) were analyzed. Calorimetric measurements of seed samples were made using the TAM III isothermal calorimeter. The seed samples with the same heat flow curves shape were homogenized, and microbial DNA was isolated from them. The quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was performed for detecting the main group of microorganisms colonizing maize seeds. It has been shown that in the case of seeds less affected by Bacillus and fungi (including yeast), the heat flow (in the range of 0–360 min) has a falling shape, while for more infected it grows almost linearly. The more infected maize seeds also show significantly higher values of total heat emission. The described research can be used to quickly assess the degree of seed contamination.
Contactless Vibrational Analysis of Transparent Hydrogel Structures Using Laser-Doppler Vibrometry
Authors: Schwarz S. , Hartmann B. , Sauer J. , Burgkart R. , Sudhop S. , Rixen D. J. , Clausen-Schaumann H.
Published: July 2020

Background

Investigating the mechanical properties of biological and biocompatible hydrogels is important in tissue engineering and biofabrication. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and compression testing are routinely used to determine mechanical properties of tissue and tissue constructs. However, these techniques are slow and require mechanical contact with the sample, rendering in situ measurements difficult.

Objective

We therefore aim at a fast and contactless method for determining the mechanical properties of biological hydrogels and investigate if an optical method, like Laser-Doppler vibrometry (LDV), can accomplish this task.

Methods

LDV is a fast contactless method for mechanical analysis. Nonetheless, LDV setups operating in the visible range of the optical spectrum are difficult to use for transparent materials, such as biological hydrogels, because LDV relies on reflected or back-scattered light from the sample. We therefore use a near-infrared (NIR) scanning LDV to determine the vibration spectra of cylindrical gelatin discs of different gelatin concentration and compare the results to AFM data and unconfined compression testing.

Results

We show that the gelatin test structures can be analyzed, using a NIR LDV, and the Young’s moduli can be deduced from the resonance frequencies of the first normal (0,1) mode of these structures. As expected, the frequency of this mode increases with the square root of the Young’s modulus and the damping constant increases exponentially with gelatin concentration, which underpins the validity of our approach.

Conclusions

Our results demonstrate that NIR wavelengths are suitable for a fast, contactless vibrational analysis of transparent hydrogel structures.
Dynamics modeling of multicomponent metal ions’ removal onto low-cost buckwheat hulls
Authors: Tomczak Elwira , Kaminski Wladyslaw
Published: July 2020

The process of adsorption from water solutions containing a ternary system of Cu (II), Zn (II), and Ni (II) ions onto buckwheat hulls as a biosorbent was considered. The sorption capacity for buckwheat hulls was determined in sorption equilibrium batch experiments. The sorption kinetics equation corresponding to the mechanism of metal ions with the adsorbent was assumed. A new method for modeling sorption in a packed column was presented. A system of partial differential equations describing the mass balance, due to the assumption of a properly defined variable, was transformed into a system of ordinary nonlinear equations, which enables the identification of object parameters. The sorption capacity of the sorbent, sorption isotherms, and kinetics equations were used in dynamics modeling.
Cost analysis and environmental assessment of recycling paint sludge in asphalt pavements
Authors: Ruffino Barbara , Farina Angela , Dalmazzo Davide , Blengini Gianandrea , Zanetti Mariachiara , Santagata Ezio
Published: July 2020

Paint sludge (PS) is a waste product coming from spray application of paints in automotive industry. For the first time, this work assessed the economic costs and environmental impacts connected to recycling PS in bituminous binders for asphalt pavement applications. Previous works have demonstrated that PS could be used as a replacement of up to 20% (w/w) of neat bitumen in the production of hot mixture asphalts (HMAs), without worsening the technical performances of pavements. The annual production of PS from Italian automotive plants (3000 t/year) could be accommodated in a paved area of 1.64 km2 that, when employed in local roads, with an average width of 5 m, corresponds to approximately 330 km. Costs for treating PS to be prepared for recycling resulted in 144 €/t raw PS. This cost was of the same order, or even less, of that required for PS incineration or disposal in a landfill for hazardous waste (250–300 €). The LCA analysis revealed that the production of HMAs by employing a binder that contains 20% (w/w) of PS, reduced the gross energy requirement (GER) and global warming potential (GWP) indexes by 15% and 39%, respectively, compared to an HMA produced with the traditional process.
Breast imaging and cancer diagnosis during the COVID-19 pandemic: recommendations from the Italian College of Breast Radiologists by SIRM
Authors: Pediconi Federica , Galati Francesca , Bernardi Daniela , Belli Paolo , Brancato Beniamino , Calabrese Massimo , Camera Lucia , Carbonaro Luca A. , Caumo Francesca , Clauser Paola , Girardi Veronica , Iacconi Chiara , Martincich Laura , Panizza Pietro , Petrillo Antonella , Schiaffino Simone , Tagliafico Alberto , Trimboli Rubina M. , Zuiani Chiara , Sardanelli Francesco , Montemezzi Stefania
Published: July 2020

The Italian College of Breast Radiologists by the Italian Society of Medical Radiology (SIRM) provides recommendations for breast care provision and procedural prioritization during COVID-19 pandemic, being aware that medical decisions must be currently taken balancing patient’s individual and community safety: (1) patients having a scheduled or to-be-scheduled appointment for in-depth diagnostic breast imaging or needle biopsy should confirm the appointment or obtain a new one; (2) patients who have suspicious symptoms of breast cancer (in particular: new onset palpable nodule; skin or nipple retraction; orange peel skin; unilateral secretion from the nipple) should request non-deferrable tests at radiology services; (3) asymptomatic women performing annual mammographic follow-up after breast cancer treatment should preferably schedule the appointment within 1 year and 3 months from the previous check, compatibly with the local organizational conditions; (4) asymptomatic women who have not responded to the invitation for screening mammography after the onset of the pandemic or have been informed of the suspension of the screening activity should schedule the check preferably within 3 months from the date of the not performed check, compatibly with local organizational conditions. The Italian College of Breast Radiologists by SIRM recommends precautions to protect both patients and healthcare workers (radiologists, radiographers, nurses, and reception staff) from infection or disease spread on the occasion of breast imaging procedures, particularly mammography, breast ultrasound, breast magnetic resonance imaging, and breast intervention procedures.
Reframing Histological Risk Assessment of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma in the Era of UICC 8th Edition TNM Staging
Authors: Rahman Naomi , MacNeill Morna , Wallace William , Conn Brendan
Published: July 2020

Objectives

To assess whether application of the risk model originally proposed by Brandwein-Gensler, influences survival and disease progression in patients treated for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCCs)

Materials and Methods

Tumours from 134 T1 and T2 OSCC resections (7th edition) were scored independently by 3 histopathologists according to worst pattern of invasion (WPOI), lymphocytic host response (LHR) and perineural invasion (PNI) and categorised according to risk score. Local recurrence, locoregional recurrence, disease progression and overall survival were study endpoints. Interobserver variability of pathologist scoring was also assessed.

Results

Seventy-two patients (54%) were classified with low or intermediate risk and 62 (46%) patients were ‘high risk’. The inter-observer agreement was in moderate to strong agreement with the consensus scores (k range = 0.45–0.82). There was statistical significance between distant metastasis and ‘high risk’ tumours. Thirty tumours were upstaged to T3 in the 8th edition TNM staging, of which 83% had high risk scores. Overall risk score and TNM8 T stage has significant correlation with overall survival in comparison to the TNM 7 T stage.

Conclusion

‘High risk’ tumours were significantly associated with distant metastasis possibly due to the greater likelihood of aggressive features such as WPOI and PNI. Primary tumours are more likely to express high risk features with increasing T stage. None of the patients classified as ‘low risk’ died perhaps suggesting these tumours represent a rare variant of OSCC with excellent prognosis.
Correlation Anxiety, Stress, and Depression with Perceived Social Support Among the Elderly: A Cross-Sectional Study in Iran
Authors: Hosseini Fatemeh Sadat , Sharifi Nader , Jamali Safieh
Published: July 2020

One of the common psychological problems of the elderly is depression, anxiety and stress, and dementia. Social support is one of the variables associated with the elderly lifestyle that can be considered as a product of the social dimension of lifestyle. The present study was conducted to investigate the association of anxiety, stress, and depression with perceived social support among elderly people in Jahrom city. This is an analytical cross-sectional study that was conducted on elderly people in Jahrom city in Iran. The sample size in this study was 210 people and was selected through cluster sampling and random selection of clinics located in Jahrom. Data were collected from two questionnaires: Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) and perceived social support. After completing the questionnaires, the data were analyzed using SPSS software version 21 with descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation. The results of Spearman’s correlation coefficient showed significant relationships between social support for the elderly and depression (r = −0.627, p < 0.001), also observed between social support for the elderly and stress (r = −0.535, p < 0.001). However, no significant relationship was determined between social support for the elderly and anxiety (r = −0909, p > 0.05). Depression and stress can be reduced by improving social support in the elderly. More attention should also be given to social support for oldermen.
Experimental study of multi-timescale crack blunting in hydraulic fracture
Authors: Dong Jing-Nan , Yuan Guang-Jie , Wang Xiang-Yang , Chen Mian , Jin Yan , Zeng Chao , Zaman Musharraf
Published: July 2020

Hydraulic fracture is important in unconventional oil and gas exploration. During the propagation of the hydraulic fracture, the crack tip is blunted due to the development of the process zone in the near-tip area. In this study, the blunting of the hydraulic fracture in polymethyl methacrylate specimens due to multi-timescale stress concentration is investigated. The ratio of the initiation toughness to the arrest toughness of the blunted hydraulic fracture is measured using both the dynamic and the static methods. Results show that a hydraulic fracture can be blunted with the time span of stress concentration from 1 ms to 600 s. It is also shown that the blunting of hydraulic fracture is a highly localized process. The morphology of the blunted crack depends on the stress distribution in the vicinity of the crack tip.