bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mechanical, thermal, and dielectric properties of polyvinylidene fluoride nanocomposites fabricated by introducing functional MWCNTs/barium titanate compounding dielectric nanofillers
Authors: Chen Lin , Huang Jiao , Yan Lei , Lin Hai Lan , Guo Yi , Zhang Zhao Xin , Zhang Xun Tao , Bian Jun
Published: December 2020

A facile strategy through incorporating barium titanate (BT)/multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) compounding dielectric nanofillers into polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) via melt‐processing was proposed. Benefiting from the strong interfacial interactions between BT and MWCNTs, as well as oxygen‐containing groups of BT/MWCNTs and fluorine atoms of PVDF, the sandwiched structure was constructed and thus tailoring the microstructure and enhancing the mechanical, thermal and dielectric properties of resultant nanocomposites. The effects of BT/MWCNTs multiscale dielectric nanofiller on the mechanical properties, heat resistance and dielectric properties of nanocomposites were investigated by infrared spectra, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis, field emission scanning electron microscope, tensile and dielectric tests. XRD and DSC analysis indicated that compared with neat PVDF, BT/PVDF and MWCNTs/PVDF nanocomposites, the BT/MWCNTs/PVDF nanocomposites showed higher crystallinity and thermal properties. The dielectric performance tests showed that the BT/MWCNTs/PVDF nanocomposites had better dielectric performance than those of BT/PVDF and MWCNTs/PVDF nanocomposites. At 100 Hz, the dielectric constant of BT/MWCNTs/PVDF nanocomposites reached 119, which was 14 times that of neat PVDF, and the dielectric loss was only 0.051. The BT/MWCNTs/PVDF nanocomposites showed the tensile strength of 57.7 MPa and the tensile modulus of 1226 MPa, respectively. This work provides a novel strategy for the fabrication of PVDF based dielectric nanocomposites, inspiring the research and development of PVDF in the energy‐related areas in the future.
Protein Interaction Network Biology in Neuroscience
Authors: Basu Avik , Ash Peter EA , Wolozin Benjamin , Emili Andrew
Published: December 2020

Mapping the intricate networks of cellular proteins in the human brain has the potential to address unsolved questions in molecular neuroscience, including the molecular basis of cognition, synaptic plasticity, long‐term potentiation, learning, and memory. Perturbations to the protein–protein interaction networks (PPIN) present in neurons, glia, and other cell‐types have been linked to multifactorial neurological disorders. Yet while knowledge of brain PPINs is steadily improving, the complexity and dynamic nature of the heterogeneous central nervous system in normal and disease contexts poses a formidable experimental challenge. In this review, the recent applications of functional proteomics and systems biology approaches to study PPINs central to normal neuronal function, during neurodevelopment, and in neurodegenerative disorders are summarized. How systematic PPIN analysis offers a unique mechanistic framework to explore intra‐ and inter‐cellular functional modules governing neuronal activity and brain function is also discussed. Finally, future technological advancements needed to address outstanding questions facing neuroscience are outlined.
Respiratory outcomes of “new” bronchopulmonary dysplasia in adolescents: A multicenter study
Authors: Pérez‐Tarazona Santiago , Rueda Esteban Santiago , García‐García Maria L. , Arroyas Sanchez Maria , de Mir Messa Inés , Acevedo Valarezo Tatiana , Mesa Medina Orlando , Callejón Callejón Alicia , Canino Calderín Elisa M. , Albi Rodriguez Salome , Ayats Vidal Roser , Salcedo Posadas Antonio , Costa Colomer Jordi , Domingo Miró Xavier , Berrocal Castañeda Montserrat , Villares Porto‐Dominguez Ana ,   the Working Group of Perinatal Respiratory Diseases of the Spanish Society of Pediatric Pulmonology
Published: December 2020

Objective

Long‐term respiratory consequences of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in preterm infants born in the post‐surfactant era (“new” BPD) remain partially unknown. The present study aimed to evaluate the respiratory outcomes of “new” BPD in adolescents who were born preterm.

Methods

This multicenter, cross‐sectional study included 286 adolescents born between 2003 and 2005 (mean age: 14.2 years); among them, 184 and 102 were born extremely preterm (EP; <28 weeks' gestation) and moderate–late preterm (32 to <37 weeks' gestation), respectively. Among EP adolescents, 92 had BPD, and 92 did not. All participants underwent lung function tests, skin prick testing, and questionnaires on asthma symptoms and quality of life.

Results

EP adolescents with BPD had significantly lower forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), FEV1/FVC ratio, and forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75% of FVC than other included adolescents. FEV1/FVC ratios were below the lower limit of normal (z‐score <−1.645) in 30.4% of EP adolescents with BPD, 13.0% of EP adolescents without BPD, and 11.8% of adolescents who were born moderate–late preterm. Bronchodilator response and air‐trapping were significantly higher in BPD adolescents than in other adolescents. Diffusion capacity was significantly lower in EP adolescents than in moderate–late preterm adolescents. Asthma symptoms and quality‐of‐life scores were similar among groups.

Conclusion

EP adolescents with “new” BPD had poorer pulmonary function than EP adolescents without BPD or moderate–late preterm adolescents. Further studies are needed to determine whether “new” BPD is associated with early‐onset chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in adulthood.
Quantum Semantic Learning by Reverse Annealing of an Adiabatic Quantum Computer
Authors: Rocutto Lorenzo , Destri Claudio , Prati Enrico
Published: December 2020

Restricted Boltzmann machines (RBMs) constitute a class of neural networks for unsupervised learning with applications ranging from pattern classification to quantum state reconstruction. Despite the potential representative power, the diffusion of RBMs is quite limited since their training process proves to be hard. The advent of commercial adiabatic quantum computers (AQCs) raised the expectation that the implementations of RBMs on such quantum devices can increase the training speed with respect to conventional hardware. Here, the feasibility of a complete RBM on AQCs is demonstrated, thanks to an embedding that associates the nodes of the neural networks to virtual qubits. A semantic quantum search is implemented thanks to a reverse annealing schedule. Such an approach exploits more information from the training data, mimicking the behavior of the classical Gibbs sampling algorithm. The semantic training is shown to quickly raise the sampling probability of a subset of the set of the configurations. Even without a proper optimization of the annealing schedule, the RBM semantically trained achieves good scores on reconstruction tasks. The development of such techniques paves the way toward the establishment of a quantum advantage of adiabatic quantum computers, especially given the foreseen improvement of such hardware.
Clinical characteristics of anti‐MDA5 antibody‐positive interstitial lung disease
Authors: Kaenmuang Punchalee , Navasakulpong Asma
Published: December 2020

Clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis (CADM) with anti‐melanoma differentiation‐associated gene 5 antibody is associated with rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease (RP‐ILD) which results in up to 50% mortality, especially within six months of diagnosis. However, limited data are available on this disease. This is the first case series of six patients in Thailand diagnosed with CADM with ILD. All patients presented with respiratory symptoms, such as progressive dyspnoea, dyspnoea on exertion, or cough. High‐resolution computed tomography of the chest showed predominantly subpleural and peripheral consolidation in both lower lungs. Four patients had RP‐ILD and three of the RP‐ILD patients died within seven weeks of diagnosis. These cases illustrate the clinical characteristics, chest imaging, treatments, and clinical outcomes of the patients diagnosed with CADM and ILD.
Hydro‐physical soil properties as influenced by short and long‐term integrated crop–livestock agroecosystems
Authors: Dhaliwal Jashanjeet K. , Kumar Sandeep
Published: December 2020

Integration of cover crops and livestock (ICLS) in an existing corn (Zea mays L.)–soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] cropping system can be an effective strategy to improve soil physical and hydrological properties. Three on‐farm long‐term (≥30 yr) sites (Sites 1, 2 and 3) and one short‐term (3 yr) experimental site (Site 4) with a randomized block design in eastern South Dakota were selected to evaluate the impacts of ICLS on soil physical and hydrological properties. At Sites 1, 2, and 3, the following long‐term management systems were compared: ICLS (corn/grazing–soybean/grazing–cover crop/grazing), control (CNT, corn–soybean with no cover crop and no grazing), and a grazed pasture (GP). At Site 4, the treatments included ICLS (corn/grazing–soybean/grazing–oat [Avena sativa L.]–cover crop/grazing], cover crop (corn–soybean–oat–cover crop with no grazing), CNT (corn–soybean–oat without cover crop and grazing), and GP. Data showed that soil organic carbon (SOC) was higher by 20–26% and bulk density was lower by 18–37% in long‐term ICLS compared with CNT. Long‐term ICLS also improved soil water retention, macroporosity, infiltration rate, and total porosity compared with the CNT. However, these properties were not affected by short‐term ICLS at Site 4. The GP had the lower soil bulk density and higher SOC and infiltration rate compared with ICLS and the CNT except at Site 4. This study showed that long‐term integration of cover crops and livestock grazing under ICLS can be beneficial in enhancing soil physical and hydrological properties. However, whether such integration improves other soil quality parameters and crop yield requires further investigation.
Ru‐Catalyzed Cross Dehydrogenative Coupling Leading to Si−O and Si−S Bond Formations and Also Stimulating an Alternative Scope for Hydrogenation of C=O, C=N and N=N Bonds
Authors: Ghosh Avik , Debnath Tanay , Ash Tamalika , Banerjee Soumadip , Das Abhijit K.
Published: December 2020

Reaction pathways involved in catalytic Cross Dehydrogenative Coupling (CDC) reactions leading to formation of Si−O and Si−S bonds have been formulated and explored theoretically using Density Functional Theory (DFT). The advantage of the weak Si−H bond has been exploited to carry out coupling with water, alcohol and thiol, along with H2 release. Ru complex, [K(dme)2][Ru(H)(trop2dad)] when reacts with water generates a neutral complex, [Ru(trop2dad)]. This neutral complex has been employed to act as a catalyst in CDC reactions. It has also been found that the complex, [Ru(H2)(trop2dad)] formed within the catalytic cycle may also be used for hydrogenation of C=O, C=N and N=N bonds. The optimized geometries of all the complexes and transition states have been obtained using wB97xd functional in conjunction with 6‐31++G(d,p) basis set. The whole assisting phenomena in solvent medium has been investigated through the implementation of conductor‐like screening solvation model (COSMO) considering tetrahydrofuran as the bulk solvent medium. The Turnover frequency (TOF) has been calculated by Energetic Span Model. The theoretical investigation extends the role of the ruthenium catalyst to the regime of ‘element to element’ bond formation, along with H2 release, which may be significant in the field of energy storage, and also triggers an alternative possibility of hydrogenation of carbonyls, imines and diazo compounds.
Graphene‐Driven Metadevice for Active Microwave Camouflage with High‐Efficiency Transmission Window
Authors: Huang Cheng , Yang Jianing , Ji Chen , Yuan Liming , Luo Xiangang
Published: December 2020

The general method to achieve electromagnetic (EM) invisibility is to use absorbing materials that can reduce the backscattering microwave signals. However, they will influence the transmission of useful signals, and their passive operation mode also blocks the realization of active camouflage systems. Here, the authors propose an electrically tunable metadevice which can dynamically manipulate the reflection magnitude and realize high‐efficiency transmission at two distinctive frequency bands. Such a metadevice is driven by graphene sandwich structure integrated with multi‐layer metasurface. By electrically controlling the sheet resistance of graphene, the authors have experimentally verified that the metadevice can tune the reflection magnitude from −5 to −20 dB over a wide frequency band of 5–15 GHz, and meanwhile realize a high transparent EM window with 3‐dB transmission band covering from 23 to 25 GHz. The operation mechanism is discussed by examining the electric field distribution and also employing an equivalent circuit model to analyze the input impedance. Furthermore, using the developed metadevice, the authors still demonstrate its dynamical camouflaging performance and application potential as an antenna radome by experiment. The finding in this study is expected to trigger great interest in adaptive camouflage, stealth radome, and multifunctional EM manipulation fields.
Tetralogy of Fallot—A literature review
Authors: Muirhead Sarah‐Joy
Published: December 2020

Tetralogy of Fallot is a combination of four specific cardiac abnormalities. (a) A ventricular septal defect (VSD), (b) pulmonary valve stenosis/right ventricular outflow tract obstruction, (c) aorta overriding the VSD, and (d) right ventricular hypertrophy. This review attempts to outline the current literature regarding embryology, morphology, pathophysiology, ultrasound appearances and the current treatments/outcomes of infants with Tetralogy of Fallot. Tetralogy of Fallot is the most commonly occurring conotruncal anomaly. Here, the aim is to present the ultrasound features, with examples of Tetralogy of Fallot along with the story post birth in terms of surgical treatment. This information was gathered doing a literature search using PubMed and the University of South Australia library database, as well as through information provided by the Royal Children's Hospital Cardiology department, via fact sheets. With early diagnosis under ultrasound, preparations can be made and counseling provided to organize for intervention and further assessment after birth. With current surgical intervention, the survival rate past the age of 10 is now over 92%, when, 50 years ago, it was only 50%.
Small carbonaceous fossils (SCFs) from North Greenland: new light on metazoan diversity in early Cambrian shelf environments
Authors: Wallet Elise , Slater Ben J. , Willman Sebastian , Peel John S.
Published: December 2020

The Sirius Passet Lagerstätte of North Greenland is one of the oldest records of soft‐bodied metazoan‐dominated ecosystems from the early Cambrian. The Lagerstätte site itself is restricted to just a singlec. 1‐km‐long outcrop located offshore from the shelf margin, in an area affected by metamorphic alteration during the Ellesmerian Orogeny (Devonian – Early Carboniferous). The recent recovery of small carbonaceous fossils (SCFs) to the south, in areas that escaped the effects of this deformation, has substantially expanded the known coverage of organic preservation into shallower water depositional settings in this region. Here, we describe additionalSCFassemblages from the siliciclastic shelf succession of the Buen Formation (Cambrian Series 2, stages 3–4;c. 515 Ma), expanding the previously documentedSCFbiota. Newly recovered material indicates a rich diversity of non‐mineralizing metazoans, chiefly represented by arthropod remains. These include the filtering and grinding elements of a sophisticated crustacean feeding apparatus (the oldest crustacean remains reported to date), alongside an assortment of bradoriid sclerites, including almost complete, 3D valves, which tie together a number ofSCFs previously found in isolation. Other metazoan remains include various trilobite cuticles, diverse scalidophoran sclerites, and a range of metazoan fragments of uncertain affinity. This shallower water assemblage differs substantially from the Sirius Passet biota, which is dominated by problematic euarthropod stem‐group members and sponges. Although some of these discrepancies are attributable to taphonomic or temporal factors, these lateral variations in taxonomic composition also point to significant palaeoenvironmental and/or palaeoecological controls on early Cambrian metazoan communities.
Aromaticity of nucleic acid bases
Authors: Szatylowicz Halina , Stasyuk Olga A. , Solà Miquel , Krygowski Tadeusz M.
Published: December 2020

3D shape and the resulting physicochemical properties of double‐helical DNA/RNA structures are determined not only by individual nucleobases, but also by their additive intermolecular interactions. Energetic contribution from aromatic π–π stacking to the stabilization of DNA/RNA is not small and sometimes even comparable to that from H‐bonding. The basis of the stacking interactions lies in the π‐electron structure of individual nucleobases, which can be described by various aromaticity indices. Heteroatoms and exocyclic functional groups make the electronic structure of nucleobases different from aromatic hydrocarbons. Consequently, the cyclic π‐electron delocalization is not the only factor responsible for the relative stability of their tautomers. This review puts the spotlight on interplay between aromaticity of purine and pyrimidine nucleobases and their tautomeric preferences, as well as on the effects of different noncovalent interactions (hydrogen bonding, metal ion coordination, and π–π stacking) on π‐electron delocalization of five‐ and six‐membered rings in individual nucleobases and their complexes.

This article is categorized under:

Structure and Mechanism > Molecular Structures

Electronic Structure Theory > Density Functional Theory
Nanotechnology‐based approaches for treating lysosomal storage disorders, a focus on Fabry disease
Authors: Abasolo Ibane , Seras‐Franzoso Joaquin , Moltó‐Abad Marc , Díaz‐Riascos Vanessa , Corchero José Luis , Pintos‐Morell Guillem , Schwartz Simó
Published: December 2020

Lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs) are a group of rare diseases in which the defect of a lysosomal protein results in a pathogenic accumulation of nonmetabolized products within the cells. The main treatment for LSDs is enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), consisting in the exogenous administration a recombinant protein to replace the defective one. Although several diseases such as Gaucher, Fabry, and Pompe are treated following this approach, ERT is limited to LSDs without severe neuronal affectation because recombinant enzymes do not cross the blood–brain barrier. Moreover, ERT shows additional drawbacks, including enzyme low half‐life, poor bioavailability, and immunogenic responses. In this scenario, nanotechnology‐based drug delivery systems (DDS) have been proposed as solution to overcome these limitations and improve the efficacy of ERT. The present review summarizes distinct approaches followed by our group and collaborators on the use of DDS for restoring lysosomal enzymes in disease‐affected cells. During the last decade, we have been exploring different synthetic nanoparticles, from electrolytic complexes, to liposomes and aggresomes, for the delivery of α‐galactosidase A (GLA) enzyme. Studies were mainly conducted on Fabry disease models, but results can be also extrapolated to other LSDs, as well as to other diseases treated with alternative therapeutic proteins. The advantages and disadvantages of different DDS, the difficulties from working with very labile and highly glycosylated enzymes and the relevance of using appropriate targeting moieties is thoroughly discussed. Finally, the use of natural DDS, namely extracellular vesicles (EVs) is also introduced.

This article is categorized under:

Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Neurological Disease

Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Cardiovascular Disease

Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Emerging Technologies
Gendered Tradeoffs
Authors: Hook Jennifer L. , Li Meiying
Published: December 2020

In this chapter we review the research linking national-level family policies on childcare services and parental leave to women’s labor market outcomes. We review the state of the literature in answering two primary questions: (1) Do generous family policies perpetuate gender inequality in the labor market? That is, do family policies have unintended consequences or promote women’s inclusion into the labor force at the expense of gender equality within it? (2) Do generous family policies promote gender equality for certain groups of women at the expense of other groups of women? In answering this second question we focus on how policies differentially affect women by social class. We conclude with directions for future research.
How Well Do European Child-Related Leave Policies Support the Caring Role of Fathers?
Authors: Bartova Alzbeta , Keizer Renske
Published: December 2020

Our chapter analyses the extent to which European countries (1) recognize the caring responsibilities of fathers toward their children and (2) value fathers’ caring role. To do so, we analyze the designs of individual leave policies and reflect on them by assessing available data on leave uptake by fathers in 13 European countries. Our results show that there is great variation in child-related leave designs across Europe. Our findings, in line with previous work, underscore the importance of generous individual non-transferable leave entitlements. Moreover, our findings bring forward aspects of leave designs that are rarely discussed when considering fathers’ leave uptake. Our results indicate that generous non-transferable leave rights should be paired with (a) clearly defined leave periods for fathers, (b) individual entitlement to benefits, and (c) greater scope for flexibility to increase the attractiveness of child-related leave and to strengthen fathers’ position when negotiating their childcare leave.
Private Childcare and Employment Options: The Geography of the Return to Work for Mothers in the Netherlands
Authors: Emery Tom
Published: December 2020

The Netherlands provides extensive and flexible support for young parents and met the Barcelona targets for childcare provision even before they were set. Yet childcare isn’t evenly distributed, and provision is better for some than for others. We use the NKPS to examine childcare availability and its association with maternal employment. To enrich this analysis, respondents are geocoded and this enables them to be linked to the Landelijk Register Kinderopvang en Peuterspeelzalen (Register for Childcare and Toddler Groups; www.landelijkregisterkinderopvang.nl). In linking this data, three often neglected dimensions of childcare provision are captured. First, at the most basic level the geographic proximity of childcare services is captured (i.e. distance to nearest provider). Second, the intensity or availability of choice is measured (i.e. number of providers within 2 kms). Third, the diversity of options is measured (i.e. the ratio of different types of providers).
The Educational Gradient in Company-Level Family Policies
Authors: Begall Katia , van der Lippe Tanja
Published: December 2020

In this chapter, the educational gradient in access to different organizational work-family policies is examined using unique multilevel survey data from the European Sustainable Workforce Survey covering nine European countries. A total of six different work-family policies are studied, representing working-time arrangements, leaves, and services. By combining information provided by the organization, the direct supervisor, and the employee we show that for all policies, access reported by employees is substantially lower than provision reported by the team managers, which in turn is lower than the provision reported by the HR managers. This points to complex processes in the distribution of information in organizations. Moreover, at the organizational as well as the employee level, higher skilled employees have more access to working-time arrangements. We conclude that the skill gaps in the access to organizational work-family policies identified in this chapter form an important dimension of social inequality in today’s labor market.
Do International Organizations Influence Domestic Policy Outcomes in OECD Countries?
Authors: White Linda A.
Published: December 2020

This chapter examines to what extent policy ideas and norms promoted at the transnational and international level around gender and family policy are influential at the domestic policy level in OECD countries. Existing research demonstrates a mixed record in terms of transnational and international non-state actors’ influence on domestic policy in the Global North. This chapter argues that international norms are diffusing to domestic policy actors and processes rather unevenly. While international organizations (IOs) and transnational advocates can facilitate the spread of ideas of best practices around gender equality in general and family policy in particular, for liberal welfare states (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, UK, USA), IOs are still less authoritative than the national level when it comes to on-the-ground policymaking.
Conceptualizing National Family Policies: A Capabilities Approach
Authors: Javornik Jana , Yerkes Mara A.
Published: December 2020

Comparative family policy research has advanced significantly in recent years. The growing availability of more and better data have improved our understanding of cross-national similarities and differences in family policies, as well as how they shape the lives of different families. Despite these advancements, comparative family policy research continues to face difficulties. The multifaceted nature of family policies makes cross-country comparisons complex. Conceptualizing our theoretical understanding of which policy aspects matter and why as well as operationalizing them into measurable indicators, often remains problematic for comparative analyses. Using examples of British and Swedish policies on childcare, a policy area particularly prone to conceptual challenges, we discuss the difficulties involved in conceptualizing family policies in comparative research. We argue that taking a capabilities approach provides a useful way forward in the field and show how such a conceptual framework allows us to more meaningfully analyze both work-family policies and their outcomes.
Family Policies and Family Outcomes in OECD Countries
Authors: Adema Willem , Clarke Chris , Thévenon Olivier
Published: December 2020

Families in OECD member countries have changed dramatically in recent decades. Across almost all OECD countries, couples are marrying and starting a family later than ever before. Fertility rates are low. Divorce and re-partnering have become much more common, giving rise to a diversity of new family forms. The (male) single-earner family model, previously dominant, is now largely a thing of the past. This chapter examines how families and family policies have changed in OECD countries in recent decades. It starts with an overview of changes in families, in partnering behaviours, in family living arrangements, and in family work arrangements. The chapter then turns to the evolution of family policy and the policy response to changing families, such as increases in public Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) support and the provision of fathers-only paid parental leave. It concludes by highlighting important key challenges ahead, including how policy must adapt to growing inequalities between families.
Social Security: The Career of a Contested Social Idea in China During the Reform Era, 1978–2020
Authors: Shi Shih-Jiunn
Published: December 2020

The idea of “social security” in the reform-era China characterises the changing collective perception of social questions and the shifting state’s responsibility for social provision. In the 1980s, when welfare retrenchment started in the name of “socialising welfare”, “social security” experienced substantive contestation. The first semantic turn took place during the 1990s when the state resumed its commitment to social policy. Thereafter, “social security” underwent yet another semantic shift to “social governance” under the Xi-Li leadership. “Social security” has become part of the grandiose, statist project to promote the rise of the Chinese nation on the global stage. Given the unchecked predominance of the state in all societal domains, the very nature of “social security” remains contested—and its meaning transitory—in the Chinese context.
Assessing Potassium Mass Balances in Different Countries and Scales
Authors: Majumdar Kaushik , Norton Robert M. , Murrell T. Scott , García Fernando , Zingore Shamie , Prochnow Luís Ignácio , Pampolino Mirasol , Boulal Hakim , Dutta Sudarshan , Francisco Eros , Tan Mei Shih , He Ping , Singh V. K. , Oberthür Thomas
Published: December 2020

Estimating nutrient mass balances using information on nutrient additions and removals generates useful, practical information on the nutrient status of a soil or area. A negative input–output balance of nutrients in the soil results when the crop nutrient removal and nutrient losses to other sinks become higher than the nutrient inputs into the system. Potassium (K) input–output balance varies among regions that have different climates, soil types, cropping systems, and cropping intensity. This chapter illustrates the farm-gate K balances in major production areas of the world and their impacts on native K fertility and crop yields. On-farm and on-station research examples show significant negative K balances in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, while China, the USA, Brazil, and countries of the Latin America Southern Cone highlighted continued requirement of location-specific K application to maintain crop yields and soil K fertility status at optimum levels.
Considerations for Selecting Potassium Placement Methods in Soil
Authors: Bell Michael J. , Mallarino Antonio P. , Volenec Jeff , Brouder Sylvie , Franzen David W.
Published: December 2020

Placement strategies can be a key determinant of efficient use of applied fertilizer potassium (K), given the relative immobility of K in all except the lightest textured soils or high rainfall environments. Limitations to K accessibility by plants caused by immobility in the soil are further compounded by the general lack of K-stimulated root proliferation in localized soil zones enriched with K alone, compared with root proliferation due to concentrated N and P. Further, effects of K fixation reactions in soils with certain clay mineralogies and the declining concentration and activity of soil solution K with increasing clay content can also limit plant K acquisition. Variation in root system characteristics among crops in a rotation sequence and fluctuating soil moisture conditions in fertilized soil horizons in rain-fed systems increase the complexity of fertilizer placement decisions to ensure efficient K recovery and use. This complexity has resulted in extensive exploration of fertilizer K application strategies, with this chapter focusing on K applications to the soil. Issues discussed include comparisons of broadcast versus banded applications, depth of fertilizer placement, and the impacts of co-location of K with other nutrients. While research findings are often specific to the crop, soil, and seasonal conditions under which they are conducted, we attempt to identify strategies that most consistently deliver improved crop recovery and utilization of fertilizer K.
Outputs: Potassium Losses from Agricultural Systems
Authors: Goulding Keith , Murrell T. Scott , Mikkelsen Robert L. , Rosolem Ciro , Johnston Johnny , Wang Huoyan , Alfaro Marta A.
Published: December 2020

Potassium (K) outputs comprise removals in harvested crops and losses via a number of pathways. No specific environmental issues arise from K losses to the wider environment, and so they have received little attention. Nevertheless, K is very soluble and so can be leached to depth or to surface waters. Also, because K is bound to clays and organic materials, and adsorbed K is mostly associated with fine soil particles, it can be eroded with particulate material in runoff water and by strong winds. It can also be lost when crop residues are burned in the open. Losses represent a potential economic cost to farmers and reduce soil nutritional status for plant growth. The pathways of loss and their relative importance can be related to: (a) the general characteristics of the agricultural ecosystem (tropical or temperate regions, cropping or grazing, tillage management, interactions with other nutrients such as nitrogen); (b) the specific characteristics of the agricultural ecosystem such as soil mineralogy, texture, initial soil K status, sources of K applied (organic, inorganic), and rates and timing of fertilizer applications. This chapter provides an overview of the main factors affecting K removals in crops and losses through runoff, leaching, erosion, and open burning.
Patient Safety in Orthopedics and Traumatology
Authors: Barneschi Guido , Raspanti Francesco , Capanna Rodolfo
Published: December 2020

Orthopedics is a clinical branch considered to be at a high risk for medical malpractice claims. The aim of this work is to analyze the clinical risk and alleged malpractice in order to map professional risk and identify recurrent pitfalls.
Shiftwork Organization
Authors: Costa Giovanni , Tommasi Eleonora , Giovannini Leonardo , Mucci Nicola
Published: December 2020

In healthcare companies, shiftwork organization is fundamental to ensure continuous 24-h patient care. This chapter gives an overview of health-related problems associated with shift work and the preventative actions that can be taken to protect workers’ health and well-being. Shift work, in particular night work, results in a disruption of biological circadian rhythms with serious social and psychophysical ramifications for the worker. The adverse health effects of shift work can be both in the short-term (sleep, digestive, mental, and menstrual disorders) and in the medium- to long-term (increased gastrointestinal, neuropsychic, metabolic, and cardiovascular diseases). In 2007, the IARC classified shift work as “probable carcinogen” for humans due to the destructive effects on the circadian rhythm. The modification of the sleep/wake cycle also negatively influences worker’s vigilance and performance (“jet-lag syndrome”) leading to a consequently greater risk of accidents and errors. Shift work can be harmful to the safety of both the worker and the patient. Appropriate shift scheduling that respects ergonomic criteria is important to protect worker and patient health and well-being. Medical residents should be conscious of the legislation and rights regarding shift work to ensure they provide appropriate assistance to patients and to preserve their own social and psychophysical well-being.
Non-technical Skills in Healthcare
Authors: Prineas Stavros , Mosier Kathleen , Mirko Claus , Guicciardi Stefano
Published: December 2020

Non-technical Skills (NTS) are a set of generic cognitive and social skills, exhibited by individuals and teams, that support technical skills when performing complex tasks. Typical NTS training topics include performance shaping factors, planning and preparation for complex tasks, situation awareness, perception of risk, decision-making, communication, teamwork and leadership. This chapter provides a framework for understanding these skills in theory and practice, how they interact, and how they have been applied in healthcare, as well as avenues for future research.
The Everyday World and Intersubjectivity
Authors: Müller Francis
Published: December 2020

We have learned through processes of socialization how to name and identify things, which helps us continually reduce complexity and bring order to the contingent world around us in our everyday life. At the same time, we move within many “small” social lifeworlds, or “multiple realities,” that are disconnected from one another and each have a particular cultural grammar in which “things” are loaded with quite a variety of meanings that impact and alter our identities. Design ethnographers also move within these small social lifeworlds. They should neither judge these morally nor overwrite them with their own values, but rather meet them with openness and sensitivity.
Representation and Reporting
Authors: Müller Francis
Published: December 2020

Design needs language and text so that it can be negotiated intersubjectively and become capable of connection to other academic disciplines. Texts, however, do not objectively reflect realities but rather bring them forth through their own medium: academic, journalistic, essayistic, and literary texts afford very particular ways of viewing the world. Scientific truths are produced narratively as well—at least from the constructivist perspective. This is particularly the case for the texts of design ethnography, in which a story-telling quality is inherent and which may take on subjectivist perspectives. These aspects of design ethnography must be consciously reflected in the process.
Creating Trust in Collaborative Embedded Systems
Authors: Akili Samira , Cioroaica Emilia , Kuhn Thomas , Schlingloff Holger
Published: December 2020

Effective collaboration of embedded systems relies strongly on the assumption that all components of the system and the system itself operate as expected. A level of trust is established based on that assumption. To verify and validate these assumptions, we propose a systematic procedure that starts at the design phase and spans the runtime of the systems. At design time, we propose system evaluation in pure virtual environments, allowing multiple system behaviors to be executed in a variety of scenarios. At runtime, we suggest performing predictive simulation to get insights into the system’s decisionmaking process. This enables trust to be created in the system part of a cooperation. When cooperation is performed in open, uncertain environments, the negotiation protocols between collaborative systems must be monitored at runtime. By engaging in various negotiation protocols, the participants assign roles, schedule tasks, and combine their world views to allow more resilient perception and planning. In this chapter, we describe two complementary monitoring approaches to address the decentralized nature of collaborative embedded systems.
Modeling and Analyzing Context-Sensitive Changes during Runtime
Authors: Wehrstedt Jan Christoph , Brings Jennifer , Caesar Birte , Daun Marian , Feeken Linda , Hildebrandt Constantin , Klein Wolfram , Malik Vincent , Wirtz Boris , Wolf Stefanie
Published: December 2020

For collaborative embedded systems, it is essential to consider not only the behavior of each system and the interaction between systems, but also the interaction of systems with their often dynamic and unknown context.

In this chapter, we present a solution approach based on process building blocks— describing both the modelling approach as well as the model execution approach—for engineering and operation to achieve the goal of developing systems that deal with dynamics in their open context at runtime by re-using the models from the engineering phase.
Constructing Antidictionaries of Long Texts in Output-Sensitive Space
Authors: Ayad Lorraine A.K. , Badkobeh Golnaz , Fici Gabriele , Héliou Alice , Pissis Solon P.
Published: December 2020

A wordxthat is absent from a wordyis calledminimalif all its proper factors occur iny. Given a collection ofkwordsy1, … ,ykover an alphabetΣ, we are asked to compute the set$\mathrm {M}^{\ell }_{\{y_1,\ldots ,y_k\}}$M{y1,…,yk}ℓof minimal absent words of length at mostℓof the collection {y1, … ,yk}. The set$\mathrm {M}^{\ell }_{\{y_1,\ldots ,y_k\}}$M{y1,…,yk}ℓcontains all the wordsxsuch thatxis absent from all the words of the collection while there existi,j, such that the maximal proper suffix ofxis a factor ofyiand the maximal proper prefix ofxis a factor ofyj. In data compression, this corresponds to computing the antidictionary ofkdocuments. In bioinformatics, it corresponds to computing words that are absent from a genome ofkchromosomes. Indeed, the set$\mathrm {M}^{\ell }_{y}$Myℓof minimal absent words of a wordyis equal to$\mathrm {M}^{\ell }_{\{y_1,\ldots ,y_k\}}$M{y1,…,yk}ℓfor any decomposition ofyinto a collection of wordsy1, … ,yksuch that there is an overlap of length at leastℓ− 1 between any two consecutive words in the collection. This computation generally requiresΩ(n) space forn= |y| using any of the plenty available$\mathcal {O}(n)$O(n)-time algorithms. This is because anΩ(n)-sized text index is constructed overywhich can be impractical for largen. We do the identical computation incrementally using output-sensitive space. This goal is reasonable when$\| \mathrm {M}^{\ell }_{\{y_1,\ldots ,y_N\}}\| =o(n)$∥M{y1,…,yN}ℓ∥=o(n), for allN∈ [1,k], where ∥S∥ denotes the sum of the lengths of words in setS. For instance, in the human genome,n≈ 3 × 109but$\| \mathrm {M}^{12}_{\{y_1,\ldots ,y_k\}}\| \approx 10^{6}$∥M{y1,…,yk}12∥≈106. We consider a constant-sized alphabet for stating our results. We show thatall$\mathrm {M}^{\ell }_{y_{1}},\ldots ,\mathrm {M}^{\ell }_{\{y_1,\ldots ,y_k\}}$My1ℓ,…,M{y1,…,yk}ℓcan be computed in$\mathcal {O}(kn+{\sum }^{k}_{N=1}\| \mathrm {M}^{\ell }_{\{y_1,\ldots ,y_N\}}\| )$O(kn+∑N=1k∥M{y1,…,yN}ℓ∥)total time using$\mathcal {O}(\textsc {MaxIn}+\textsc {MaxOut})$O(MaxIn+MaxOut)space, where MaxIn is the length of the longest word in {y1, … ,yk} and$\textsc {MaxOut}=\max \limits \{\| \mathrm {M}^{\ell }_{\{y_1,\ldots ,y_N\}}\| :N\in [1,k]\}$MaxOut=max{∥M{y1,…,yN}ℓ∥:N∈[1,k]}. Proof-of-concept experimental results are also provided confirming our theoretical findings and justifying our contribution.
A real or apparent decrease in glomerular filtration rate in patients using olaparib?
Authors: Bruin M. A. C. , Korse C. M. , van Wijnen B. , de Jong V. M. T. , Linn S. C. , van Triest B. , Rosing H. , Beijnen J. H. , van den Broek D. , Huitema A. D. R.
Published: December 2020

Purpose

Olaparib is a poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor indicated for ovarian and metastatic breast cancer. Increased serum creatinine levels have been observed in patients taking olaparib, but the underlying mechanism is unknown. This study aimed to investigate if patients receiving olaparib have increased creatinine levels during olaparib treatment and whether this actually relates to a declined glomerular filtration rate (GFR).

Methods

We retrospectively identified patients using olaparib at the Netherlands Cancer Institute – Antoni van Leeuwenhoek (NKI-AVL) from 2012 until 2020. Patients with at least one plasma or serum sample available at baseline/off treatment and during olaparib treatment were included. Cystatin C levels were measured, creatinine levels were available and renal function was determined by calculating the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) using the Creatinine Equation (CKD-EPI 2009) and the Cystatin C Equation (CKD-EPI 2012).

Results

In total, 66 patients were included. Olaparib treatment was associated with a 14% increase in median creatinine from 72 (inter quartile range (IQR): 22) μmol/L before/off treatment to 82 (IQR: 20) μmol/L during treatment (p < 0.001) and a 13% decrease in median creatinine-derived eGFR from 86 (IQR: 26) mL/min/1.73 m2 before/off treatment to 75 (IQR: 29) mL/min/1.73 m2 during treatment (p < 0.001). Olaparib treatment had no significant effect on median cystatin C levels (p = 0.520) and the median cystatin C–derived eGFR (p = 0.918).

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that olaparib likely causes inhibition of renal transporters leading to a reversible and dose-dependent increase in creatinine and does not affect GFR, since the median cystatin C–derived eGFR was comparable before/off treatment and during treatment of olaparib. Using the creatinine-derived eGFR can give an underestimation of GFR in patients taking olaparib. Therefore, an alternative renal marker such as cystatin C should be used to accurately calculate eGFR in patients taking olaparib.
Enhanced representation of natural sound sequences in the ventral auditory midbrain
Authors: González-Palomares Eugenia , López-Jury Luciana , García-Rosales Francisco , Hechavarria Julio C.
Published: December 2020

The auditory midbrain (inferior colliculus, IC) plays an important role in sound processing, acting as hub for acoustic information extraction and for the implementation of fast audio-motor behaviors. IC neurons are topographically organized according to their sound frequency preference: dorsal IC regions encode low frequencies while ventral areas respond best to high frequencies, a type of sensory map defined as tonotopy. Tonotopic maps have been studied extensively using artificial stimuli (pure tones) but our knowledge of how these maps represent information about sequences of natural, spectro-temporally rich sounds is sparse. We studied this question by conducting simultaneous extracellular recordings across IC depths in awake bats (Carollia perspicillata) that listened to sequences of natural communication and echolocation sounds. The hypothesis was that information about these two types of sound streams is represented at different IC depths since they exhibit large differences in spectral composition, i.e., echolocation covers the high-frequency portion of the bat soundscape (> 45 kHz), while communication sounds are broadband and carry most power at low frequencies (20–25 kHz). Our results showed that mutual information between neuronal responses and acoustic stimuli, as well as response redundancy in pairs of neurons recorded simultaneously, increase exponentially with IC depth. The latter occurs regardless of the sound type presented to the bats (echolocation or communication). Taken together, our results indicate the existence of mutual information and redundancy maps at the midbrain level whose response cannot be predicted based on the frequency composition of natural sounds and classic neuronal tuning curves.