bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The posterior fibulotalocalcaneal ligament complex: a forgotten ligament
Authors: De Leeuw Peter A. J. , Vega Jordi , Karlsson Jon , Dalmau-Pastor Miki
Published: January 2021

Purpose

The purpose of the present anatomical study was to define the exact morphology of the posterior fibulotalocalcaneal ligament complex (PFTCLC), both for a better orientation and understanding of the anatomy, especially during hindfoot endoscopy.

Methods

Twenty-three fresh frozen specimens were dissected in order to clarify the morphology of the PFTCLC.

Results

In all specimens, the ligament originated from the posteromedial border of the lateral malleolus between the posterior tibiofibular ligament (superior border) and the calcaneofibular ligament (CFL), (inferior border). This origin functions as the floor for the peroneal tendon sheath. The origin of the PFTCLC can be subdivided into two parts, a superior and inferior part. The superior part forms an aponeurosis with the superior peroneal retinaculum and the lateral septum of the Achilles tendon. From this structure, two independent laminae can be identified. The inferior part of the origin has no role in the aponeurosis and ligamentous fibres run obliquely to insert in the lateral surface of the calcaneus, in the same orientation as the CFL, but slightly more posterior, which was a consistent finding in all examined specimens. The PFTCLC is maximally tensed with ankle dorsiflexion and is located within the fascia of the deep posterior compartment of the leg.

Conclusions

The PFTCLC is part of the normal anatomy of the hindfoot and therefore should be routinely recognized and partly released to achieve access to the posterior ankle anatomical pathology, relevant for hindfoot endoscopy. The origin of the ligament complex forms the floor for the peroneal tendon sheath. The superior part of the origin plays a role in the formation of an aponeurosis with the superior peroneal retinaculum and the lateral septum of the Achilles tendon.
Natural convection heat transfer performance of additively manufactured tube bundle heat exchangers with novel fin design
Authors: Unger Sebastian , Beyer Matthias , Pietruske Heiko , Szalinski Lutz , Hampel Uwe
Published: January 2021

We studied the heat transfer of finned heat exchanger configurations with a novel design. These novel fin designs use integrated pins to enhance the heat conduction from the fin base to the fin tip as well as the air-side heat transfer on the fin surface. Oval tubes with conventional circular plain fins (CPF) as well as novel circular integrated pin fins (CIPF) and serrated integrated pin fins (SIPF) were additively generated by a Selective Laser Melting (SLM) process and installed at the bottom of a 6.5 m long chimney. All heat exchanger designs were tested in a 2-row and 3-row configuration with Rayleigh numbers between 25,000 and 120,000. We found the average Nusselt number of SIPF to be higher and the Nusselt number of the CIPF to be lower than for the CPF. Moreover, the 2-row configuration achieved a higher Nusselt number compared to the 3-row configuration for all heat exchanger designs. The analysis of the individual tube rows showed the highest Nusselt numbers at the first tube row and the lowest one at the last tube row for both configurations. However, for the SIPF the difference between the first and second tube row is smaller compared to the CPF and CIPF. In order to evaluate the compactness of the heat exchanger, the volumetric heat flux density was considered. Similar to Nusselt number the volumetric heat flux density enhanced for the SIPF and reduced for the CIPF compared to the conventional design. Also the 2-row configuration reached greater thermal performance compared to the 3-row configuration. Additionally, the volume and the surface area of the heat exchanger are 6.9% and 30.7% lower for the SIPF compared to the CPF. The experimental data were used to develop an empirical heat transfer correlation between Nusselt number, Rayleigh number, fin design and tube row number.
Optimal Evolution of the Standard Genetic Code
Authors: Yarus Michael
Published: January 2021

The Standard Genetic Code (SGC) exists in every known organism on Earth. SGC evolution via early unique codon assignment, then later wobble, yields coding resembling the near-universal code. Below, later wobble is shown to also create an optimal route to accurate codon assignment. Time of optimal codon assignment matches the previously defined mean time for ordered coding, exhibiting ≥ 90% of SGC order. Accurate evolution is also accessible, sufficiently frequent to appear in populations of 103 to 104 codes. SGC-like coding capacity, code order, and accurate assignments therefore arise together, in one attainable evolutionary intermediate. Examples, which plausibly resemble coding at evolutionary domain separation, are characterized.
The R4U Planes for the Zonal Demarcation for Safe Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy
Authors: Gupta Vishal , Jain Gaurav
Published: January 2021

Post‐cholecystectomy bile duct injury is a serious complication. Usually, it results from structural misidentification and can be avoided by adopting the critical view of safety. The biliary, vascular, and other visceral injuries can also occur during the dissection to achieve the critical view of safety. To avoid such complication, identification of the safe area for dissection is important during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. It is imperative to start the dissection in a safe area and remain there during the procedure. Fixed anatomical landmarks can help in proper orientation to ascertain the surgical anatomy correctly during surgery. The Rouviere's sulcus is one of such anatomical landmarks. Utilizing this sulcus, we describe a technique of zonal demarcation based on the concept of one line (the R4U line), two planes (the R4U planes), and four zones to identify a “safe area” for dissection during laparoscopic cholecystectomy to perform the procedure safely.
Metal exposure of workers during recycling of electronic waste: a cross-sectional study in sheltered workshops in Germany
Authors: Gerding Johannes , Peters Claudia , Wegscheider Wolfgang , Stranzinger Johanna , Lessmann Frederik , Pitzke Katrin , Harth Volker , Eickmann Udo , Nienhaus Albert
Published: January 2021

Objectives

In Germany, the initial step of electronic waste (e-waste) recycling frequently takes place in sheltered workshops for physically and mentally handicapped workers (Werkstätten für behinderte Menschen (WfbM), in german language). E-waste recycling involves a potential risk of exposure to toxic metals. Therefore, we assessed the occupational exposure of recycling workers to toxic metals to identify potential health risks and insufficient protective measures.

Methods

We used a combined air- and bio-monitoring approach to determine exposure of recycling workers to toxic metals. Air and urine samples were collected in five sheltered workshops in Germany and were analysed for their content of aluminium, antimony, arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, mercury and nickel. Results were compared to German and international occupational limit values and to metal exposures of workers in conventional e-waste recycling firms.

Results

Exposure of recycling workers in five German sheltered workshops to the studied metals and their compounds was below German and international occupational limit values across all facilities studied considering both air and urine samples. Workers in the present study were not exposed to higher amounts of toxic metals than workers in conventional e-waste recycling firms.

Conclusion

This is the first study on toxic metal exposure of recycling workers in sheltered workshops. The results of this study revealed a low occupational exposure of e-waste recycling workers to toxic metals in this type of enterprises. Current work methods and safety measures provide the workers with adequate protection.
Selective attention to stimulus representations in perception and memory: commonalities and differences
Authors: Kizilirmak Jasmin M. , Glim Sarah , Darna Margarita , Khader Patrick H.
Published: January 2021

It has been proposed that the deployment of selective attention to perceptual and memory representations might be governed by similar cognitive processes and neural resources. However, evidence for this simple and appealing proposal remains inconclusive, which might be due to a considerable divergence in tasks and cognitive demands when comparing attentional selection in memory versus perception. To examine whether selection in both domains share common attentional processes and only differ in the stimuli they act upon (external vs. internal), we compared behavioral costs or benefits between selection domains. In both domains, participants had to attend a target stimulus from a set of simultaneously presented stimuli or simultaneously active memory representations, respectively, with set, target, or both, being repeated or changed across trials. The results of two experiments delineated principal similarities and differences of selection processes in both domains: While positive priming from stimulus repetition was found in both selection domains, we found no consistent effects of negative priming when shifting the focus of attention to a previously to-be-ignored stimulus. However, priming in the perception task was mainly due to repetitions of the target feature (here: color), whereas for the memory task, repetition of the same set of stimulus representations was most important. We propose that the differences can be attributed to a reduced cognitive effort when the now relevant memory representation had already been pre-activated (even as a distractor) in the previous trial. Additionally, our experiments both underscore the importance of taking stimulus–response associations into account, which may be a hidden factor behind differences between domains. We conclude that any attempt of comparing internal versus external attentional selection has to consider inherent differences in selection dynamics across representational domains.
Hygroscopic contributions to bark water storage and controls exerted by internal bark structure over water vapor absorption
Authors: Ilek Anna , Siegert Courtney M. , Wade Adam
Published: January 2021

Key message

Hygroscopicity is a crucial element of bark water storage and can reach >60% of water holding capacity of bark depending on tree species

Bark forms the outer layer of woody plants, and it is directly exposed to wetting during rainfall and reacts to changes in relative humidity, i.e., it may exchange water with the atmosphere through absorption and desorption of water vapor. A current paradigm of bark hydrology suggests that the maximum water storage of bark empties between precipitation events and is principally controlled by bark thickness and roughness. We hypothesize that (1) the ability of bark to absorb water vapor during non-rainfall periods (i.e., hygroscopicity) leads to partial saturation of bark tissues during dry periods that may alter the rate of bark saturation during rainfall, and (2) the degree of bark saturation through hygroscopic water is a function of internal bark structure, including porosity and density, that varies among species. To address these questions, we conducted laboratory experiments to measure interspecific differences in bark physical structure as it relates to water storage mechanisms among common tree species (hickory (Caryaspp.), oak (Quercusspp.), sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), and loblolly pine (Pinus taeda)) in the southeastern United States. Furthermore, we considered how these properties changed across total bark, outer bark, and inner bark. We found a distinct difference between hickory and oak, whereby hickory had 5.6% lower specific density, 31.1% higher bulk density, and 22.4% lower total porosity of outer bark resulting in higher hygroscopicity compared to oaks. For all species, hygroscopicity increased linearly with bulk density (R2 = 0.65–0.81) and decreased linearly with total porosity (R2 = 0.64–0.88). Overall, bark hygroscopicity may constitute an average of 30% of total bark water storage capacity. Therefore, in humid climates like those of the southeastern USA, the proportion of bark that remains saturated during non-storm conditions should not be considered negligible.
Global existence and convergence of a flow to Kazdan–Warner equation with non-negative prescribed function
Authors: Sun Linlin , Zhu Jingyong
Published: January 2021

We consider an evolution problem associated to the Kazdan–Warner equation on a closed Riemann surface $$(\Sigma ,g)$$

(
Σ
,
g
)

$$\begin{aligned} -\Delta _{g}u=8\pi \left( \dfrac{he^{u}}{\int _{\Sigma }he^{u}\mathop {}\mathrm {d}\mu _{g}}-\dfrac{1}{\int _{\Sigma }\mathop {}\mathrm {d}\mu _{g}}\right) \end{aligned}$$

-

Δ
g

u
=
8
π

h

e
u

∫
Σ

h

e
u

d

μ
g

-

1

∫
Σ

d

μ
g

where the prescribed function $$h\ge 0$$

h
≥
0

and $$\max _{\Sigma }h>0$$

max
Σ

h
>
0

. We prove the global existence and convergence under additional assumptions such as $$\begin{aligned} \Delta _{g}\ln h(p_0)+8\pi -2K(p_0)>0 \end{aligned}$$

Δ
g

ln
h

(

p
0

)

+
8
π
-
2
K

(

p
0

)

>
0

for any maximum point $$p_0$$

p
0

of the sum of $$2\ln h$$

2
ln
h

and the regular part of the Green function, where K is the Gaussian curvature of $$\Sigma $$
Σ
. In particular, this gives a new proof of the existence result by Yang and Zhu (Pro Am Math Soc 145:3953–3959, 2017) which generalizes existence result of Ding et al. (Asian J Math 1:230–248, 1997) to the non-negative prescribed function case.
Multiobjective dynamic programming in bipolar multistage method
Authors: Trzaskalik Tadeusz
Published: January 2021

The multicriteria Bipolar method can be extended and used to control multicriteria, multistage decision processes. In this extension, at each stage of the given multistage process two sets of reference points are determined, constituting a reference system for the evaluation of stage alternatives. Multistage alternatives, which are compositions of stage alternatives, are assigned to one of six predefined hierarchical classes and then ranked. The aim of this paper is to show the possibility of finding the best multistage alternative, using Bellman’s optimality principle and optimality equations. Of particular importance is a theorem on the non-dominance of the best multistage alternative, proven here. The methodology proposed allows to avoid reviewing each multistage alternative, which is important in large-size problems. The method is illustrated by a numerical example and a brief description of the sustainable regional development problem. The problem can be solved by means of the proposed procedure.
New method of FACS analyzing and sorting of intact whole ovarian fragments (COPAS) after long time (24 h) cooling to 5 °C before cryopreservation
Authors: Wang Wanxue , Salama Mahmoud , Todorov Plamen , Spitkovsky Dimirtry , Isachenko Evgenia , Bongaarts Rico , Rahimi Gohar , Mallmann Peter , Sukhikh Gennady , Isachenko Vladimir
Published: January 2021

As recently announced by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), human ovarian tissue cryopreservation is an established option for fertility preservation in prepubertal girls and young women undergoing gonadotoxic treatments for cancer as well as some autoimmune diseases. Proper ovarian tissue assessment before and after cryopreservation is essential to increase success rates. Ovarian fragments from 16 patients were divided into small pieces in form of cortex with medulla, and randomly divided into the following two groups. Pieces of Group 1 (n = 16) were frozen immediately after operation, thawed and just after thawing their quality was analyzed. Group 2 pieces (n = 16) after operation were cooled to 5 °C for 24 h, then frozen after 24 h pre-cooling to 5 °C, thawed and just after thawing their quality was analyzed. The effectiveness of the pre-freezing cooling of tissue was evaluated by the development and viability of follicles (Calcein-AM and Propidium Iodide) using complex object parametric analyzer and sorter machine (COPAS). Positive effect of cooling of cells to low supra-zero temperatures on their future development after re-warming has been observed. New flow cytometry- technique is suitable for the evaluation and sorting of cryopreserved whole human whole intact ovarian fragments. Long time (24 h) cooling of ovarian tissue to 5 °C before cryopreservation has a trend of a cell viability increasing.
Genetic predisposition to prostate cancer: an update
Authors: Ni Raghallaigh Holly , Eeles Rosalind
Published: January 2021

Improvements in DNA sequencing technology and discoveries made by large scale genome-wide association studies have led to enormous insight into the role of genetic variation in prostate cancer risk. High-risk prostate cancer risk predisposition genes exist in addition to common germline variants conferring low-moderate risk, which together account for over a third of familial prostate cancer risk. Identifying men with additional risk factors such as genetic variants or a positive family history is of clinical importance, as men with such risk factors have a higher incidence of prostate cancer with some evidence to suggest diagnosis at a younger age and poorer outcomes. The medical community remains in disagreement on the benefits of a population prostate cancer screening programme reliant on PSA testing. A reduction in mortality has been demonstrated in many studies, but at the cost of significant amounts of overdiagnosis and overtreatment. Developing targeted screening strategies for high-risk men is currently the subject of investigation in a number of prospective studies. At present, approximately 38% of the familial risk of PrCa can be explained based on published SNPs, with men in the top 1% of the risk profile having a 5.71-fold increase in risk of developing cancer compared with controls. With approximately 170 prostate cancer susceptibility loci now identified in European populations, there is scope to explore the clinical utility of genetic testing and genetic-risk scores in prostate cancer screening and risk stratification, with such data in non-European populations eagerly awaited. This review will focus on both the rare and common germline genetic variation involved in hereditary and familial prostate cancer, and discuss ongoing research in exploring the role of targeted screening in this high-risk group of men.
The Effect of Participation in Adult Education on Life Satisfaction of Immigrants and Natives: A Longitudinal Analysis
Authors: Granderath Julia S. , Martin Andreas , Froehlich Laura
Published: January 2021

Beyond formal education, continuing adult learning and education (ALE) is considered as successful means for supporting immigrants’ integration into the receiving society. Although recently, subjective parameters of immigrants’ integration (e.g., life satisfaction) have received increasing academic attention, research on the impact of education on subjective integration indicators is still rare. To address this, the present study contributes to the literature by investigating the effect of ALE participation on life satisfaction in a longitudinal design. The study compares the effect for the group of immigrants with the group of natives in order to estimate whether the potential education effect on life satisfaction is equally strong for both groups or stronger for the group of immigrants (interaction effect). For this, the study uses seven waves of panel data from the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS) with N = 6386 individuals, of which N = 1002 individuals have a migration background. Methodologically, a Random Intercepts Cross-Lagged Panel Model is applied. This allows distinguishing within-person fluctuations from trait-like between-person differences. On the between-person level, we find a significant link between ALE participation and life satisfaction for both immigrants and natives. However, on the within-person level, no significant cross-lagged effects are observed. Moreover, we find no support for an immigrant-native gap in life satisfaction.
Exploring Emotion Recognition and the Understanding of Others’ Unspoken Thoughts and Feelings when Narrating Self-Experienced Emotional Events
Authors: Flykt Anders , Hörlin Tina , Linder Frida , Wennstig Anna-Karin , Sayeler Gabriella , Hess Ursula , Bänziger Tanja
Published: January 2021

Emotion decoding competence can be addressed in different ways. In this study, clinical psychology, nursing, or social work students narrated a 2.5–3 min story about a self-experienced emotional event and also listened to another student’s story. Participants were video recorded during the session. Participants then annotated their own recordings regarding their own thoughts and feelings, and they rated recordings by other participants regarding their thoughts and feelings [empathic accuracy, EA, task]. Participants further completed two emotion recognition accuracy (ERA) tests that differed in complexity. The results showed that even though significant correlations were found between the emotion recognition tests, the tests did not positively predict empathic accuracy scores. These results raise questions regarding the extent to which ERA tests tap the competencies that underlie EA. Different possibilities to investigate the consequences of method choices are discussed.
Scaling up cycling or replacing driving? Triggers and trajectories of bike–train uptake in the Randstad area
Authors: Nello-Deakin Samuel , Brömmelstroet Marco te
Published: January 2021

The combined use of the bicycle and the train in the Netherlands has risen steadily over the past decade. However, little is yet known about the underlying processes driving the growth of bike–train use in the Netherlands. Are new bike–train trips replacing car trips, or are they primarily an extension of existing train travel and cycling practices? The present study investigates this question by exploring the main trajectories of bike–train uptake in the Randstad area. Following a mobility biographies approach, our study seeks to identify the triggers or “key events” which lead to the uptake of bike–train use, and explores their relationship with existing travel behaviour. To this end, we carried out an online survey aimed at people who started commuting regularly by bike–train. Our results show that trajectories of uptake are varied, with a similar proportion of respondents starting to commute by bike–train in order to replace cycling, driving and public transport. While in some cases people shifted to bike–train on their existing commuting trip, most respondents started travelling by bike–train following a change in work or residential location. Overall, our findings suggest that most people do not start commuting by bike–train out of particular preference, but merely because they consider it provides the best available option. Nevertheless, the large proportion of respondents with access to a car suggests that the bike–train system is able to provide an attractive alternative to car-based interurban mobility.
Comparison of whole genomes of tick-borne encephalitis virus from mountainous alpine regions and regions with a lower altitude
Authors: Lemhöfer G. , Chitimia-Dobler L. , Dobler G. , Bestehorn-Willmann M.
Published: January 2021

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) has been a notifiable disease in Germany since 2001. Its causative agent, the TBE virus (TBEV), is the most important arbovirus in Europe and Northern Asia. The illness, caused by the European Subtype usually displays flu-like symptoms, but can result in sequelae and, in 2 % of all cases, in death. Over the last few decades, the virus has spread into new habitats, such as higher altitudes in the Alpine region. For this study, it was hypothesized that the environmental challenges that the virus might be exposed to at such altitudes could lead to the selection of viral strains with a higher resilience to such environmental factors. To determine whether strains identified at higher altitudes possessed different genetic traits compared to viruses from lower altitudes, an analysis of viral genomes from higher Alpine altitudes (> 500 m above sea level) (n = 5) and lower altitudes (< 500 m above sea level) (n = 4) was performed. No common phylogenetic ancestry or shared amino acid substitutions could be identified that differentiated the alpine from the lowland viral strains. These findings support the idea of many individual introductions of TBEV into the alpine region and the establishment of foci due to non-viral specific factors such as favorable conditions for vector species and host animals due to climate change.
Nonconforming Dirichlet boundary conditions in implicit material point method by means of penalty augmentation
Authors: Chandra Bodhinanda , Singer Veronika , Teschemacher Tobias , Wüchner Roland , Larese Antonia
Published: January 2021

In many geomechanics applications, material boundaries are subjected to large displacements and deformation. Under these circumstances, the application of boundary conditions using particle methods, such as the material point method (MPM), becomes a challenging task since material boundaries do not coincide with the background mesh. This paper presents a formulation of penalty augmentation to impose nonhomogeneous, nonconforming Dirichlet boundary conditions in implicit MPM. The penalty augmentation is implemented utilizing boundary particles, which can move either according to or independently from the material deformation. Furthermore, releasing contact boundary condition, as well as the capability to accommodate slip boundaries, is introduced in the current work. The accuracy of the proposed method is assessed in both 2D and 3D cases, by convergence analysis reaching the analytical solution and by comparing the results of nonconforming and classical grid-conforming simulations.
Towards climate resilient peace: an intersectional and degrowth approach
Authors: Nicoson Christie
Published: January 2021

How can peace be climate resilient? How can peace and environmental sustainability be advanced simultaneously? To address these questions, I develop a new conceptual and theoretical framework for climate resilient peace through degrowth. This paper calls for stronger consideration of positive conceptualizations of peace and of intersectionality and degrowth in pursuit of peace and resilience. Not only does climate change make planetary limitations more salient, but it also highlights rising inequalities. In light of this, peace necessitates transforming societal power structures that are both driving climate change and influencing people’s experiences of climate impacts. Addressing imbalanced power structures then is key to understanding and fostering climate resilient peace. This paper conceptualizes climate resilient peace based on an intersectional understanding of positive peace, highlighting that peace depends on the negation of structural violence experienced at the intersection of political and social identities. In relation to this, I argue that a process of climate resilient peace must address underlying power structures influencing people’s experience of climate harms, and driving climate change so as to mitigate further damage. This paper demonstrates such a process through degrowth, wherein growth is no longer the central economic goal, exemplifying social and ecological means for disrupting structural violence within climate limitations. I discuss and give examples of three key degrowth processes—redistribution, reprioritized care economies, and global equity—as opportunities to foster peace in a changing climate. This framework, thus, contributes a new approach to climate resilient peace that addresses challenges of both social and environmental sustainability.
School Dropout Intention and Self-esteem in Immigrant and Native Students Living in Poverty: The Protective Role of Peer Acceptance at School
Authors: Bianchi Dora , Cavicchiolo Elisa , Lucidi Fabio , Manganelli Sara , Girelli Laura , Chirico Andrea , Alivernini Fabio
Published: January 2021

The psychological well-being at school of immigrant students living in poverty is currently an understudied topic in developmental psychology. This is an important shortcoming because this population, which is rapidly increasing in many western countries, is in a double minority condition and has a greater risk of experiencing psychological distress at school, in comparison with their native peers. In order to improve our understanding on this issue, the present two-wave study investigated the prospective relationships between peer acceptance and two aspects of well-being at school—intention to drop out of school and negative self-esteem—specifically focusing on the differential effect of having (vs. not having) an immigrant background. The participants were 249 preadolescents and adolescents living in poverty (Mage = 12.76; SDage = 2.34; 41.8% girls; 19.3% immigrants) who were attending educational centres for disadvantaged minors. The poverty status of the participants was an inclusion criterion. A multilinear regression model with multigroup analysis was tested. As expected, the results showed that peer acceptance had a significant negative association with school dropout intentions and negative self-esteem only for immigrants, but not for natives. For immigrant students, the protective effect of peer acceptance was comparable to the stability over time of dropout intention and self-esteem, a result that has promising implications for prevention programs. The applied implications of the study for educational and clinical contexts are discussed.
Evaluation of diosgenin content from eleven different Indian varieties of fenugreek and fenugreek leaf powder fortified bread
Authors: Paramesha Mahadevappa , Priyanka Nagbhushan , Crassina Kasar , Shetty Nandini Prasad
Published: January 2021

The present study designed to establish the diosgenin profile from eleven different Indian varieties of fenugreek, and subsequently develop powder from the best stage and variety to prepare diosgenin fortified bread. The seeds, sprouts and leaves of different fenugreek varieties were analyzed for the diosgenin using HPLC. The content of phenolics and flavonoids also estimated and assessed for its antioxidant capacity using phosphomolybdate, DPPH and FRAP. Among eleven varieties screened for diosgenin and the other compounds, tender leaf of Kasuri methi (KS) variety showed the highest content of diosgenin (466.89 ± 0.32 mg/100 g FW), phenolics (58.54 ± 2.70 mg/100 g FW) and flavonoids (1104.16 ± 43.70 mg/100 g FW) followed by Pusa Early Bunching (PEB) (444.18 ± 0.36 mg/100 g FW) and Early Bunching (EB) (409.45 ± 0.42 mg/100 g FW). Among three stages, seeds found to be a better total antioxidant, DPPH scavenging, and reducing ability. Further, based on the results, bread fortified with 1.5% KS leaf powder is found to be optimal which also has significant diosgenin content (268.91 mg/100 g DW). And the effect of KS leaf powder on amylograph and farinograph characteristics of wheat flour and quality characteristics of bread showed promising results of acceptance.
Adhesion and friction in hard and soft contacts: theory and experiment
Authors: Popov Valentin L. , Li Qiang , Lyashenko Iakov A. , Pohrt Roman
Published: January 2021

This paper is devoted to an analytical, numerical, and experimental analysis of adhesive contacts subjected to tangential motion. In particular, it addresses the phenomenon of instable, jerky movement of the boundary of the adhesive contact zone and its dependence on the surface roughness. We argue that the “adhesion instabilities” with instable movements of the contact boundary cause energy dissipation similarly to the elastic instabilities mechanism. This leads to different effective works of adhesion when the contact area expands and contracts. This effect is interpreted in terms of “friction” to the movement of the contact boundary. We consider two main contributions to friction: (a) boundary line contribution and (b) area contribution. In normal and rolling contacts, the only contribution is due to the boundary friction, while in sliding both contributions may be present. The boundary contribution prevails in very small, smooth, and hard contacts (as e.g., diamond-like-carbon (DLC) coatings), while the area contribution is prevailing in large soft contacts. Simulations suggest that the friction due to adhesion instabilities is governed by “Johnson parameter”. Experiments suggest that for soft bodies like rubber, the stresses in the contact area can be characterized by a constant critical value. Experiments were carried out using a setup allowing for observing the contact area with a camera placed under a soft transparent rubber layer. Soft contacts show a great variety of instabilities when sliding with low velocity — depending on the indentation depth and the shape of the contacting bodies. These instabilities can be classified as “microscopic” caused by the roughness or chemical inhomogeneity of the surfaces and “macroscopic” which appear also in smooth contacts. The latter may be related to interface waves which are observed in large contacts or at small indentation depths. Numerical simulations were performed using the Boundary Element Method (BEM).
Opening of the Fram Strait led to the establishment of a modern-like three-layer stratification in the Arctic Ocean during the Miocene
Authors: Hossain Akil , Knorr Gregor , Jokat Wilfried , Lohmann Gerrit
Published: January 2021

The tectonic opening of the Fram Strait (FS) was critical to the water exchange between the Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic Ocean, and caused the transition from a restricted to a ventilated Arctic Ocean during early Miocene. If and how the water exchange between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic influenced the global current system is still disputed. We apply a fully coupled atmosphere–ocean–sea-ice model to investigate stratification and ocean circulation in the Arctic Ocean in response to the opening of the FS during early-to-middle Miocene. Progressive widening of the FS gateway in our simulation causes a moderate warming, while salinity conditions in the Nordic Seas remain similar. On the contrary, with increasing FS width, Arctic temperatures remain unchanged and salinity changes appear to steadily become stronger. For a sill depth of ~ 1500 m, we achieve ventilation of the Arctic Ocean due to enhanced import of saline Atlantic water through an FS width of ~ 105 km. Moreover, at this width and depth, we detect a modern-like three-layer stratification in the Arctic Ocean. The exchange flow through FS is characterized by vertical separation of a low-salinity cold outflow from the Arctic Ocean confined to a thin upper layer, an intermediate saline inflow from the Atlantic Ocean below, and a cold bottom Arctic outflow. Using a significantly shallower and narrower FS during the early Miocene, our study suggests that the ventilation mechanisms and stratification in the Arctic Ocean are comparable to the present-day characteristics.
Small and negative correlations among clustered observations: limitations of the linear mixed effects model
Authors: Nielsen Natalie M. , Smink Wouter A. C. , Fox Jean-Paul
Published: January 2021

The linear mixed effects model is an often used tool for the analysis of multilevel data. However, this model has an ill-understood shortcoming: it assumes that observations within clusters are always positively correlated. This assumption is not always true: individuals competing in a cluster for scarce resources are negatively correlated. Random effects in a mixed effects model can model a positive correlation among clustered observations but not a negative correlation. As negative clustering effects are largely unknown to the sheer majority of the research community, we conducted a simulation study to detail the bias that occurs when analysing negative clustering effects with the linear mixed effects model. We also demonstrate that ignoring a small negative correlation leads to deflated Type-I errors, invalid standard errors and confidence intervals in regression analysis. When negative clustering effects are ignored, mixed effects models incorrectly assume that observations are independently distributed. We highlight the importance of understanding these phenomena through analysis of the data from Lamers, Bohlmeijer, Korte, and Westerhof (2015). We conclude with a reflection on well-known multilevel modelling rules when dealing with negative dependencies in a cluster: negative clustering effects can, do and will occur and these effects cannot be ignored.
The CMS monitoring infrastructure and applications
Authors: Ariza-Porras Christian , Kuznetsov Valentin , Legger Federica
Published: January 2021

The globally distributed computing infrastructure required to cope with the multi-petabyte datasets produced by the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN comprises several subsystems, such as workload management, data management, data transfers, and submission of users’ and centrally managed production requests. To guarantee the efficient operation of the whole infrastructure, CMS monitors all subsystems according to their performance and status. Moreover, we track key metrics to evaluate and study the system performance over time. The CMS monitoring architecture allows both real-time and historical monitoring of a variety of data sources. It relies on scalable and open source solutions tailored to satisfy the experiment’s monitoring needs. We present the monitoring data flow and software architecture for the CMS distributed computing applications. We discuss the challenges, components, current achievements, and future developments of the CMS monitoring infrastructure.
Implementing an Integrated Large-Scale Clinical Information System for ISSSTE’s Hospital Network in Mexico
Authors: Cervantes Trejo Arturo , Domenge Treuille Sophie , Castañeda Alcántara Isaac
Published: January 2021

The Institute for Security and Social Services for State Workers (ISSSTE) is a large public provider of health care services that serve around 13.2 million Mexican government workers and their families. To attain process efficiencies, cost reductions, and improvement of the quality of diagnostic and imaging services, ISSSTE was set out in 2019 to create a digital filmless medical image and report management system. A large-scale clinical information system (CIS), including radiology information system (RIS), picture archiving and communication system (PACS), and clinical data warehouse (CDW) components, was implemented at ISSSTE’s network of forty secondary- and tertiary-level public hospitals, applying global HL-7 and Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) standards. In just 5 months, 40 hospitals had their endoscopy, radiology, and pathology services functionally interconnected within a national CIS and RIS/PACS on secure private local area networks (LANs) and a secure national wide area network (WAN). More than 2 million yearly studies and reports are now in digital form in a CDW, securely stored and always available. Benefits include increased productivity, reduced turnaround times, reduced need for duplicate exams, and reduced costs. Functional IT solutions allow ISSSTE hospitals to leave behind the use of radiographic film and printed medical reports with important cost reductions, as well as social and environmental impacts, leading to direct improvement in the quality of health care services rendered.
Discrete element simulation of the charge in the hopper of a blast furnace, calibrating the parameters through an optimization algorithm
Authors: Degrassi Gabriele , Parussini Lucia , Boscolo Marco , Petronelli Nicola , Dimastromatteo Vincenzo
Published: January 2021

The purpose of this study is to simulate the distribution of a coarse granular material discharged in a hopper via a conveyor belt. This simulation is intended to be a model calibration for an optimization that will be later performed to obtain a proper material distribution device. From the hopper, the material is discharged in a blast furnace. Hence, achieving an adequate distribution in the hopper is crucial, since that distribution is directly linked to how the material spreads in the blast furnace, and this heavily influences the efficiency of the whole steel-making process. The apparatus is modeled by online three dimensional Computer-Aided Design software Onshape. Rocky DEM, a Computer-Aided Engineering software based on Discrete Element Method, is used to simulate the charge. The parameters of the numerical model are calibrated through an optimization algorithm. This phase is realized thanks to the optimization platform modeFRONTIER, using an algorithm that exploits meta-models to reduce the computational time of the optimization. By comparing the simulated results with the visual data obtained from blast furnace plant, the goal is to validate the model and to better understand the behavior of the whole charging process.
The Impact of Psychosis on Sexual Functioning: A Systematic Review
Authors: Vargas-Cáceres Sebastián , Cera Nicoletta , Nobre Pedro , Ramos-Quiroga J. Antoni
Published: January 2021

Background

Sexual dysfunction among psychotic patients is highly prevalent. However, most research has focused on antipsychotic side effects on sexual functioning.

Aim

To provide evidence by means of a systematic review of the literature about the impact of psychosis on sexual functioning among unmedicated patients.

Methods

Systematic search of MEDLINE (PubMed), Scopus, and Google Scholar for studies that reported sexual functioning among psychotic patients, who were drug-naïve or drug-free for at least 3 weeks before the study. Studies were published in English language between January 1994 and October 2019. We used the approach recommended by PRISMA, and the selection process was carried out by 2 reviewers.

Outcomes

The outcome measures were sexual function and sexual dysfunctions.

RESULTS

A total of 734 articles were obtained, 658 were obtained after duplicates were removed, 612 were excluded after reading the title and abstract, and 46 were included for a complete review of the articles. 5 papers were finally included. A total of 770 cases were included in the systematic review. The prevalence of sexual dysfunction in psychosis varied from 16.8% to 70% and in ultra-high state was 50%. It is noteworthy that those ultra–high-risk (prodromal) patients who develop psychosis had higher rates of sexual impairment. Therefore, we found higher rates of sexual dysfunction among untreated patients, both psychotic and ultra-high risk patients, than healthy controls.

Clinical Implications

The assessment of sexual behavior should be a part of routine psychiatric examination not only in psychotic but also in ultra–high-risk patients.

Strengths & Limitations

This is the first systematic review about the impact of psychosis on sexual functioning among unmedicated patients. However, scarce and heterogeneous studies were identified.

CONCLUSIONS

Impaired sexual functioning is common in the onset of psychosis (or during ultra–high-risk state) and prior to the beginning of treatment. This suggests that psychotic symptoms and sexual dysfunction may have common etiological pathways at the psychosocial and neurobiological levels.
The Reform of Bismarckian Pension Systems
Authors: Schludi Martin
Published: January 2021

Sluggish economic growth, rising unemployment, and a rapidly aging population all exert financial pressure on public pension systems and highlight the need for major reform. Martin Schludi traces the political process of pension reform in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, and Sweden from the 1980s onward and skillfully analyzes the various political and economic factors in pension reform, such as gaining public support for policy initiatives. Schludi also considers case studies that range from successfully restructured pension arrangements to complete policy failures. This volume is an essential and valuable resource that demystifies the complex factors involved in social policy reforms driven by fiscal concerns.
Soldiers and Civil Power
Authors: Brocades Zaalberg Thijs W.
Published: January 2021

An incisive study of policy issues and practice of the civil-military interface in the twentieth-century military operations from World War II to Kosovo.
Nabokov and the Art of Painting
Authors: Vries Gerard de , Johnson D. Barton , Ashenden Liana
Published: January 2021

'Sounds have colors and colors have smells.' This sentence in Ada is only one of the many moments in Nabokov's work where he sought to merge the visual into his rich and sensual writing. This lavishly illustrated study is the first to examine the role of the visual arts in Nabokov's oeuvre and to explore how art deepens the potency of the prominent themes threaded throughout his work.

The authors trace the role of art in Nabokov's life, from his alphabetic chromesthesia - a psychological condition in which letters evoke specific colors - to his training under Marc Chagall's painting instructor to his deep admiration for Leonardo da Vinci and Hieronymus Bosch. They then examine over 150 references to specific works of art in such novels as Laughter in the Dark, The Real Life of Sebastian Knight, Pnin, Lolita, Ada, and Pale Fire and consider how such references reveal new emotional aspects of Nabokov's fiction.

A fascinating and wholly original study, Nabokov and the Art of Painting will be invaluable reading for scholars and enthusiasts of Nabokov alike.
AGN evolution as seen in spectral lines: The case of narrow-line Seyfert 1s
Authors: Berton Marco
Published: January 2021

Line profiles can provide fundamental information on the physics of active galactic nuclei (AGN). In the case of narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies (NLS1s) this is of particular importance since past studies revealed how their permitted line profiles are well reproduced by a Lorentzian function instead of a Gaussian. This has been explained with different properties of the broad-line region (BLR), which may present more pronounced turbulent motions in NLS1s with respect to other AGN. We investigated the line profiles in a recent large NLS1 sample classified using SDSS, and we divided the sources into two subsamples according to their line shapes, Gaussian or Lorentzian. The line profiles seem to separate all the properties of NLS1s. Black hole mass, Eddington ratio, [OIII] luminosity, and Fe II strength are all very different in the Lorentzian and Gaussian samples, as well as their position on the quasar main sequence. We interpret this in terms of evolution within the class of NLS1s. The Lorentzian sources may be the youngest objects, while Gaussian profiles may be typically associated to more evolved objects. Further detailed spectroscopic studies are needed to fully confirm our hypothesis.
The origin of X-ray emission in Low-Excitation Radio Galaxies
Authors: Li Shuang-Liang
Published: January 2021

In previous works, the radio-X-ray slope in FRI radio galaxies is found to be steeper compared with that in low-luminosity AGNs, indicating different origin of the X-ray emission. Here we reinvestigate this point by compiling a sample of 13 low-excitation radio galaxies (LERG) from 3CR radio catalog of galaxies, where the central engine in LERG is accepted to be a radiatively inefficient accretion flow (RIAF). The core radio and X-ray emissions in all the objects of our sample are detected by VLA/VLBI/VLBA and Chandra/XMM-Newton, respectively. Surprisingly, a shallower slope of Lr – Lx relation () is given by our sample, which demonstrates that the X-ray emission in LERG may come from accretion disk rather than a jet as suggested by previous works. In addition, the slope in the fundamental plane ((log LR = 0.52 log LX + 0.84 log MBH + 10.84) of LERG is found to be well consistent with that reported by Merloni et al. (2003).