bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
3D numerical analysis of pile response due to soil movements induced by an adjacent deep excavation
Authors: Amari Tamir , Houhou Mohamed Nabil
Published: July 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate single pile and pile group responses due to deep braced excavation-induced soil movement in soft clay overlying dense sand. The analysis focuses first on the response of vertical single pile in terms of induced bending moment, lateral deflection, induced axial force, skin resistance distribution and pile settlement. To better understand the single pile behaviour, a parametric study was carried out. To provide further insights about the response of pile group system, different pile group configurations were considered.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the explicit finite element code PLAXIS 3 D, a full three-dimensional numerical analysis is carried out to investigate pile responses when performing an adjacent deep braced excavation. The numerical model was validated based on the results of a centrifuge test. The relevance of the 3 D model is also judged by comparison with the 2 D plane strain model using the PLAXIS 2 D code.

Findings

The results obtained allowed a thorough understanding of the pile response and the soil–pile–structure interactions phenomenon. The findings reveal that the deep excavation may cause appreciable bending moments, lateral deflections and axial forces in nearby piles. The parametric study showed that the pile responses are strongly influenced by the excavation depth, relative pile location, sand density, excavation support system and pile length. It also showed that the response of a pile within a group depends on its location in relation to the other piles of the pile group, its distance from the retaining wall and the number of piles in the group.

Originality/value

Unlike previous studies which investigated the problem in homogeneous geological context (sand or clay), in this paper, the pile response was thoroughly studied in a multi-layered soil using 3 D numerical simulation. To take into account the small-strain nonlinear behaviour of the soil, the Hardening soil model with small-strain stiffness was used in this analysis. For a preliminary design, this numerical study can serve as a practical basis for similar projects.
Nitrogen fixation and crop productivity enhancements co‐driven by intercrop root exudates and key rhizosphere bacteria
Authors: Hu Heng‐Yu , Li Hong , Hao Min‐Min , Ren Ya‐Nan , Zhang Meng‐Kun , Liu Ru‐Yue , Zhang Yin , Li Geng , Chen Jian‐Sheng , Ning Tang‐Yuan , Kuzyakov Yakov
Published: July 2021

Crop diversity management is widely used to increase agricultural productivity and sustainability. Recent studies have demonstrated that maize root exudates can drive interspecific facilitation to enhance N2 fixation of bean in intercropping systems. However, the mechanisms of N2 fixation enhancement stimulated by root exudates in the intercropping systems remain unclear.

Four experiments were designed to provide a progressively deeper understanding of how root exudates stimulate microbial‐mediated N2 fixation. First, the effects of faba bean/maize intercropping on yields and soil microbial communities were determined in a field experiment. Second, root‐derived interspecific facilitation was evaluated using a root partitioning approach. Third, the key microbial taxa in the faba bean rhizosphere were traced using 13C‐labelled maize root exudates. Fourth, the co‐driven mechanism of maize root exudates and micro‐organisms in the faba bean rhizosphere were explored.

Faba bean/maize intercropping with maize residue return increased the yields of faba bean (26%), maize (27%) and broccoli (9.1%) compared to that under monocropping. Nodulin‐like 4 (NODL4), chalcone‐flavanone isomerase (CFI) and early nodulin‐like (ENODL2) gene expression in faba bean roots intercropped with maize increased by 1.5–2.3‐fold compared to that observed under monoculture. More than half of the N2 fixation of faba bean increase under intercropping was due to interactions with micro‐organisms. Nine key bacterial genera in the faba bean rhizosphere were identified by 13C‐DNA‐based stable isotope probing analysis. Among them Agromyces, Arthrobacter, Bacillus, Lysobacter and Paenibacillus directly fix N2, while Gemmatimonas, Heliobacillus, Natronocella and Sorangium increase the N2 fixation capacity of Azotobacter by providing additional carbon sources. These key bacteria triggered by maize root exudates played an important role in the rhizosphere facilitation of intercropping.

Synthesis and applications. We demonstrated a novel root–root facilitation of N2 fixation and increased crop yields co‐driven by root exudates and rhizosphere bacteria under faba bean/maize intercropping, and nine key bacteria associated with this process were identified by 13C‐DNA‐based stable isotope probing. We recommend the adoption and optimization of intercropping systems with residue return to reduce the shortcomings of continuous cropping and to increase the sustainability of crop production.
Circulating CD4+ FoxP3– CXCR5– CXCR3+ PD‐1hi cells are elevated in active rheumatoid arthritis and reflect the severity of the disease
Authors: Zhao Lei , Li Zhenxue , Zeng Xingyue , Xia Changsheng , Xu Lijuan , Xu Qinzhu , Song Ying , Liu Chen
Published: July 2021

Objective

To examine the expression and clinical significance of circulating CD4+ FoxP3– CXCR5– CXCR3+ PD‐1hi cells in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods

CD4+ FoxP3– CXCR5– CXCR3+ PD‐1hi cells in peripheral blood of 35 patients with active RA, 17 with RA in stable remission, and 24 healthy controls were analyzed by flow cytometry. Serum IgG and circulating plasmablast percentages were measured and correlations with CD4+ FoxP3– CXCR5– CXCR3+ PD‐1hi cells were systematically analyzed. Disease Activity Scale 28 (DAS28) scores were also calculated and correlation analysis with CD4+ FoxP3– CXCR5– CXCR3+ PD‐1hi cells was conducted. The levels of CD4+ FoxP3– CXCR5– CXCR3+ PD‐1hi cells were compared before and after disease‐modifying anti‐rheumatic drug treatment. Cytokine levels in plasma and cytokine secretion in CD4 cells were measured and their correlations with CD4+ FoxP3– CXCR5– CXCR3+ PD‐1hi cells were further analyzed.

Results

The levels of CD4+ FoxP3– CXCR5– CXCR3+ PD‐1hi cells in the peripheral blood of patients with active RA were significantly increased compared with healthy controls. CD4+ FoxP3– CXCR5– CXCR3+ PD‐1hi cells in patients with active RA were positively correlated with serum IgG and DAS28 scores. CD4+ FoxP3– CXCR5– CXCR3+ PD‐1hi cells were significantly decreased in patients after treatment. Plasma interleukin‐10 concentrations and interleukin‐10‐positive CD4 cell percentages were significantly positively correlated with CD4+ FoxP3– CXCR5– CXCR3+ PD‐1hi cell levels.

Conclusion

Circulating CD4+ FoxP3– CXCR5– CXCR3+ PD‐1hi cells in patients with active RA are increased and could reflect the severity of the disease, which may play a potential role in the pathogenesis of RA.
Integrated population models poorly estimate the demographic contribution of immigration
Authors: Paquet Matthieu , Knape Jonas , Arlt Debora , Forslund Pär , Pärt Tomas , Flagstad Øystein , Jones Carl G. , Nicoll Malcolm A. C. , Norris Ken , Pemberton Josephine M. , Sand Håkan , Svensson Linn , Tatayah Vikash , Wabakken Petter , Wikenros Camilla , Åkesson Mikael , Low Matthew
Published: July 2021

Estimating the contribution of demographic parameters to changes in population growth is essential for understanding why populations fluctuate. Integrated population models (IPMs) offer a possibility to estimate the contributions of additional demographic parameters, for which no data have been explicitly collected—typically immigration. Such parameters are often subsequently highlighted as important drivers of population growth. Yet, accuracy in estimating their temporal variation, and consequently their contribution to changes in population growth rate, has not been investigated.

To quantify the magnitude and cause of potential biases when estimating the contribution of immigration using IPMs, we simulated data (using northern wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe population estimates) from controlled scenarios to examine potential biases and how they depend on IPM parameterization, formulation of priors, the level of temporal variation in immigration and sample size. We also used empirical data on populations with known rates of immigration: Soay sheep Ovis aries and Mauritius kestrel Falco punctatus with zero immigration and grey wolf Canis lupus in Scandinavia with near‐zero immigration.

IPMs strongly overestimated the contribution of immigration to changes in population growth in scenarios when immigration was simulated with zero temporal variation (proportion of variance attributed to immigration = 63% for the more constrained formulation and real sample size) and in the wild populations, where the true number of immigrants was zero or near‐zero (kestrel 19.1%–98.2%, sheep 4.2%–36.1% and wolf 84.0%–99.2%). Although the estimation of the contribution of immigration in the simulation study became more accurate with increasing temporal variation and sample size, it was often not possible to distinguish between an accurate estimation from data with high temporal variation versus an overestimation from data with low temporal variation. Unrealistically, large sample sizes may be required to estimate the contribution of immigration well.

To minimize the risk of overestimating the contribution of immigration (or any additional parameter) in IPMs, we recommend to: (a) look for evidence of variation in immigration before investigating its contribution to population growth, (b) simulate and model data for comparison to the real data and (c) use explicit data on immigration when possible.
Addicted to smoking or addicted to nicotine? A focus group study on perceptions of nicotine and addiction among US adult current smokers, former smokers, non‐smokers and dual users of cigarettes and e‐cigarettes
Authors: Loud Emily E. , Duong Hue Trong , Henderson Katherine C. , Reynolds Reed M. , Ashley David L. , Thrasher James F. , Popova Lucy
Published: July 2021

Background and Aims

In 2017, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed to reduce nicotine in cigarettes to minimally or non‐addictive levels. This study qualitatively explored perceptions of nicotine and addiction, both independently and in response to messages communicating about nicotine reduction.

Design

Qualitative study using focus groups. Participants described their perceptions of nicotine and addiction and their responses to messages about the nicotine reduction.

Setting

Atlanta, GA and San Francisco, CA, USA. Semi‐structured focus groups were conducted virtually in Spring 2020.

Participants

Exclusive smokers (n = 27), dual users (of cigarettes and electronic cigarettes) (n = 25), former smokers (n = 32) and young adult non‐smokers (n = 31).

Measurement

Inductive thematic analysis of transcripts was conducted, and results were compared across smoking status groups.

Findings

Participants across all smoking status groups associated nicotine with tobacco products, but consistently misperceived that nicotine caused disease. Perceptions of addiction were largely negative and varied by smoking status. Experienced smokers (exclusive smokers, former smokers and dual users) differentiated tobacco use from other addictions and minimized their own experiences of addiction. Perceptions of addiction across experienced smokers included not only the chemical properties of nicotine, but also the behavioral aspects of tobacco use, including oral fixation, having a smoking routine and response to internal and external cues. In response to messages, many believed that removing the nicotine would not make cigarettes less addictive because of the multi‐factorial nature of smoking addiction that includes non‐pharmacological cues.

Conclusions

Perceptions of nicotine and addiction among non‐smokers, former smokers, exclusive smokers and dual users of cigarettes and e‐cigarettes vary based on smoking status, but there is a common tendency to believe that nicotine is addictive, that addiction results from more than just nicotine, and that very low nicotine cigarettes will not necessarily reduce the addictiveness of cigarettes.
Niche modelling identifies low rainfall, but not soil type, as an important habitat requirement of the fossorial Australasian trapdoor spider genus Cantuaria (Hogg, 1902)
Authors: Smith Victoria R. , Vink Cor J. , Fountain Emily D. , Cruickshank Robert H. , Paterson Adrian M.
Published: July 2021

Habitat loss is one of the greatest drivers for extinction worldwide. Understanding a taxon’s habitat requirements is crucial in being able to protect it from decline. The Australasian trapdoor spider genus Cantuaria (Idiopidae) is widespread and diverse within the islands of New Zealand, but little is known of its ecology. We studied the habitat requirements of Cantuaria, using niche modelling, to inform conservation efforts and predict how the genus may fare under future climate conditions. Two data sets were employed. A fine‐scale data set used hand‐collected data from the vicinity of individual burrows for localised soil, vegetation, and human disturbance data directly inside and adjacent to Cantuaria populations. A spatial GIS data set at the landscape level mapped presence/absence of populations, as well as general environmental and soil conditions, and vegetation type. The two data sets were analysed separately, using linear models for the fine‐scale data set (17 presences, 17 absences). General linear models were used to analyse the spatial data set (72 presences, 17 absences), with variables selected using a random forest analysis in R. In the fine‐scale data set, no significant variables were found. In the spatial data set, rainfall explained most (71.4%) of the variation, according to the random forest analysis, followed by soil group (33.71%) and elevation (27.12%). Some variation was explained by more than one factor. The two models with the lowest AICC numbers included rainfall (P < 0.01) and elevation (P = 0.06), or rainfall only (P < 0.01), as variables. We conclude that low rainfall is desirable for populations of most Cantuaria spp., although some have been found where rainfall is up to 3000 mm/year. Climate change may cause challenges for Cantuaria conservation, particularly in areas with increased rainfall, such as Southland, Tasman, the West Coast, and Central Otago. Elevation and soil type may also be important factors in Cantuaria habitat selection, but further research with gene flow analysis, captive studies, more structured sampling, and/or a greater sample size may reveal more about the effects of elevation and soil type on Cantuaria populations.
Early melanoma invasivity correlates with gut fungal and bacterial profiles
Authors: Vitali F. , Colucci R. , Di Paola M. , Pindo M. , De Filippo C. , Moretti S. , Cavalieri D.
Published: July 2021

Background

The microbiome is emerging as a crucial player of the immune checkpoint in cancer. Melanoma is a highly immunogenic tumour, and the composition of the gut microbiome has been correlated to prognosis and evolution of advanced melanoma and proposed as a biomarker for immune checkpoint therapy.

Objectives

We investigated the gut fungal and bacterial compositions in early-stage melanoma and correlated microbial profiles with histopathological features.

Methods

Sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA and the fungal internal transcribed spacer region was performed on faecal samples of patients with stage I and II melanoma, and healthy controls. A meta-analysis with gut microbiota data from patients with metastatic melanoma was also carried out.

Results

We found a combination of gut fungal and bacterial profiles significantly discriminating patients with melanoma from controls. In patients with melanoma, we observed an abundance of Prevotella copri and yeasts belonging to the order Saccharomycetales. We found that the bacterial and fungal community correlated to melanoma invasiveness, whereas the specific fungal profile correlated to melanoma regression. Bacteroides was identified as general marker of immunogenicity, being shared by regressive and invasive melanoma. In addition, the bacterial communities in patients with stage I and II melanoma were different in structure and richer than those from patients with metastatic melanoma.

Conclusions

The composition of the gut microbiota in early-stage melanoma changes along the gradient from in situ to invasive (and metastatic) melanoma. Changes in the microbiota and mycobiota are correlated to the histological features of early-stage melanoma, and to the clinical course and response to immune therapies of advanced-stage melanoma, through direct or indirect immunomodulation.
Albendazole induces the terminal differentiation of acute myeloid leukaemia cells to monocytes by stimulating the Krüppel‐like factor 4‐dihydropyrimidinase‐like 2A (KLF4‐DPYSL2A) axis
Authors: Noura Mina , Morita Ken , Kiyose Hiroki , Okuno Yukiko , Matsuo Hidemasa , Koyama Asami , Nishinaka‐Arai Yoko , Kamikubo Yasuhiko , Adachi Souichi
Published: July 2021

Differentiation therapy is a less toxic but still a very effective treatment for a subset of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) cases. With the goal to identify novel compounds that can effectively and safely induce the terminal differentiation of non‐acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL) AML cells, we performed a chemical screening and identified albendazole (ABZ), a widely used anti‐helminthic drug, as a promising lead compound that can differentiate non‐APL AML cells by stimulating the Krüppel‐like factor 4‐dihydropyrimidinase‐like 2A (KLF4‐DPYSL2A) differentiation axis to the monocytes. Our in vitro and in vivo findings demonstrate that ABZ is an attractive candidate drug as a novel differentiation chemotherapy for patients with non‐APL AML.
Holding and Visceral Attention: Bodily Concentration of an Analyst under COVID‐19 Lockdown
Authors: Kirchkheli Maia
Published: July 2021

This essay emerged from my clinical experience of working psychoanalytically by remote means due to the pandemic of COVID‐19. During analytic listening, in the absence of bodily togetherness and in the presence of heightened anxiety about survival, I turned my attention inwardly towards the interior of my own body and made a spontaneous gesture of doodling. These two moves, mental and bodily, both unintentional and unconventional to my analytic training, restored my psychic aliveness and facilitated the process of analytic holding. I will reflect on this particular experience using Milner's concepts: framed gap and the analyst's concentration of the body, which I further conceptualize as ‘visceral attention’. I consider it as a corporal counterpart of ‘free‐floating attention’. It is my contention that the concept of visceral attention has a wider implication for analytic technique in the ordinary psychoanalytic setting when uncertainty prevails in psychoanalytic treatment and with patients whose predicament is marked by body–mind split. The essay explores an analogy between visceral attention and doodling to hold the analytic process at a non‐verbal level. The blank paper and blank inside of the body stand for the ‘framed gap’, the negative space for a new symbol to emerge.
‘Now the Letters are All Back to Front and Upside Down’: Teaching and Learning in the Context of Life‐Threatening Illness
Authors: Morgan Emily
Published: July 2021

This paper considers education in the context of life‐threatening illness from a psychoanalytic perspective and is an edited and shortened version of a dissertation written for a Master's Degree in Psychoanalytic Observational Studies. Informed by the Work Discussion module, this paper uses observational material of a single case study during the author's time working as a learning mentor in a hospital school. The case study, with its participant observation method, considers the complexity of engaging a 4‐year‐old girl in learning while she undergoes treatment for cancer. The defences this child used against anxiety, such as a muscular rigidity as a form of protection against the trauma she was experiencing, will be explored. The author also suggests that with the consistent daily presence and available mind of the observer/mentor, who was able to think about Poppy's experience, the child began to let go of her ‘second‐skin’ defences and showed the beginnings of an interest in learning. The way in which the staff group struggle to manage the intense anxieties stirred up by their everyday work will also be discussed.
The impact of social networking on labor market participation
Authors: Horváth Gergely , Zhang Rui
Published: July 2021

We study the impact of social networks on the workers' labor market participation. We assume that individuals are heterogeneous with respect to the value of home production, which determines who participates in the labor market. Active individuals strategically form social links to obtain job information where the opportunity cost of networking is the value of home production. We find that social networking increases the labor market participation because it raises the probability to find a job. However, the equilibrium level of participation is lower than the socially optimal level. Social networking creates negative externalities, if social policies fix these externalities, the labor market participation rate will increase. Further, we show that when social networking becomes more efficient, the inequality between active individuals increases.
Stock return predictability: Evaluation based on interval forecasts
Authors: Charles Amélie , Darné Olivier , Kim Jae H.
Published: July 2021

This paper evaluates the predictability of monthly stock return using out‐of‐sample interval forecasts. Past studies exclusively use point forecasts, which are of limited value since they carry no information about intrinsic predictive uncertainty. We compare the empirical performance of alternative interval forecasts for stock return generated from a naïve model, univariate autoregressive model, and multivariate model (predictive regression and VAR), using U.S. data from 1926. It is found that neither univariate nor multivariate interval forecasts outperform naïve forecasts. This strongly suggests that the U.S. stock market has been informationally efficient in the weak form as well as in the semistrong form.
Habitat alteration facilitates the dominance of invasive species through disrupting niche partitioning in floodplain wetlands
Authors: Wang Yuyu , Tan Wenzhuo , Li Bin , Wen Li , Lei Guangchun
Published: July 2021

Aim

Exotic species invasion often leads to declines in local and regional biodiversity, particularly in freshwater ecosystems. This biodiversity loss is generally facilitated by human activities such as land cover change and hydrological alternation. Recent advances in stable isotope analysis (SIA) have been highlighted in many studies addressing fundamental issues in invasion ecology, especially in quantifying competition for resources between native and exotic species. However, how anthropogenic disturbance influences trophic relationships among invasive and native species remains poorly understood.

Location

Middle‐lower Yangtze River Region, China.

Methods

To investigate the effects of human disturbance on interspecific trophic interactions, this study compared isotopic niche space and overlap of the introduced red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) and the native oriental river shrimp (Macrobrachium nipponense) and freshwater snail (Bellamya aeruginosa) in natural and modified wetlands.

Results

Based on carbon and nitrogen SIA, we found ubiquitous niche shifts in macroinvertebrates with increased competition, which might lead to significant niche contraction in modified habitats at both community and population scales. Moreover, the isotopic niche width of the exotic crayfish was twice as larger as that of natives at both habitats, suggesting that the exotic P. clarkii had great competitive superiority over the native species. However, the effects of habitat modification on niche overlap were inconsistent. While the niche overlap between crayfish and shrimp was significantly higher in modified habitats than in natural open waters, niche overlap between crayfish and the snail was significantly reduced.

Main conclusions

Collectively, our findings highlight that the competitive outcomes of interspecific trophic interactions can be dependent on the prey availability and diversity, which embraces both the classic optimal foraging theory and competition theory to understand how environmental change, such as habitat alternation, affects the biological invasion processes.
Effectiveness of a closed‐loop control system and a virtual educational camp for children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes: A prospective, multicentre, real‐life study
Authors: Cherubini Valentino , Rabbone Ivana , Berioli Maria Giulia , Giorda Sara , Lo Presti Donatella , Maltoni Giulio , Mameli Chiara , Marigliano Marco , Marino Monica , Minuto Nicola , Mozzillo Enza , Piccinno Elvira , Predieri Barbara , Ripoli Carlo , Schiaffini Riccardo , Rigamonti Andrea , Salzano Giuseppina , Tinti Davide , Toni Sonia , Zanfardino Angela , Scaramuzza Andrea E. , Gesuita Rosaria ,   vEC Study Group, Tiberi Valentina , Savastio Silvia , Pigniatiello Ciro , Trada Michela , Zucchini Stefano , Redaelli Francesca Chiara , Maffeis Claudio , Bassi Marta , Rosanio Francesco Maria , Delvecchio Maurizio , Buzzi Patrizia , Ricciardi Maria Rossella , Carducci Chiara , Bonfanti Riccardo , Lombardo Fortunato , Piccini Barbara , Iafusco Dario , Calandretti Michela , Daga Federico Abate
Published: July 2021

Aim

To evaluate the impact of a virtual educational camp (vEC) on glucose control in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes using a closed‐loop control (CLC) system.

Materials and Methods

This was a prospective multicentre study of children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes using the Tandem Basal‐IQ system. Insulin pumps were upgraded to Control‐IQ, and children and their parents participated in a 3‐day multidisciplinary vEC. Clinical data, glucose metrics and HbA1c were evaluated over the 12 weeks prior to the Control‐IQ update and over the 12 weeks after the vEC.

Results

Forty‐three children and adolescents (aged 7‐16 years) with type 1 diabetes and their families participated in the vEC. The median percentage of time in target range (70‐180 mg/dL; TIR) increased from 64% (interquartile range [IQR] 56%‐73%) with Basal‐IQ to 76% (IQR 71%‐81%) with Control‐IQ (P < .001). After the vEC, more than 75% of participants achieved a TIR of more than 70%. The percentage of time between 180 and 250 mg/dL and above 250 mg/dL decreased by 5% (P < .01) and 6% (P < .01), respectively, while the time between 70 and 54 mg/dL and below 54 mg/dL remained low and unaltered. HbA1c decreased by 0.5% (P < .01). There were no episodes of diabetic ketoacidosis or severe hypoglycaemia.

Conclusions

In this study of children managing their diabetes in a real‐world setting, more than 75% of children who participated in a vEC after starting a CLC system could obtain and maintain a TIR of more than 70%. The vEC was feasible and resulted in a significant and persistent improvement in TIR in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes.
Impacts of tillage and nutrient management on soil porosity trends in dryland agriculture
Authors: Mateo‐Marín Noemí , Bosch‐Serra Àngela D. , Molina Maria G. , Poch Rosa M.
Published: July 2021

In dryland Mediterranean semi‐arid areas, the use of slurries and no‐till are encouraged to reduce costs. This paper evaluates the effect of such practices in terms of morphological changes of the topsoil porosity. The experiment had seven fertilization strategies (five of them including pig slurries applied at cereal sowing or at tillering) combined with no‐till or tillage by disc‐harrowing at sowing. Soil was classified as a Typic Xerofluvent. Texture was silt loam. Pores in the apparent pore diameter (APD) intervals higher than >15 μm and at intervals up to 400 μm were studied with a micromorphological approach plus image analysis. Fifty‐four undisturbed and surface soil samples (0.06 m deep) were analysed. Samples were collected in the third year after the establishment of tillage treatments and throughout the cereal growing season: just before tillage, at cereal tillering and at grain maturity. The incorporation of slurry at pre‐sowing (~2 Mg ha−1 of organic matter ha−1) enhanced porosity (>15 μm) by 33% in the cropping season but mainly in the 200–400‐μm class. Similar behaviour was observed in plots without topdressing fertilization, when till was compared with no‐till. Thus, the potential movement of water and nutrients due to bypass flow was increased. When slurries were only applied at cereal tillering, only the tillage treatment increased topsoil porosity at grain maturity in the 15–100‐μm class by 22% and, thus, increased those pores responsible for soil and water storage. Temporary changes in pore shape after tillage can be explained by microstructure collapse and compaction followed by a partial porosity recovery by faunal activity at grain maturity.

Highlights

Slurry at pre‐sowing, combined with tillage, increases topsoil coarse pores

Tillage increases mesoporosity at grain maturity regardless of the slurry fertilization strategy

Pore shape changes after tillage are not further visible at grain maturity

No‐till tends to compact silty topsoils, creating platy structures later counteracted by fauna
Insular interictal positron emission tomography hypometabolism in patients with ictal asystole
Authors: Lagarde Stanislas , Singh Rinki , Bartolomei Fabrice , Guedj Eric
Published: July 2021

We aimed to explore brain area(s) involved in the generation of ictal asystole (IA) by analyzing the interictal positron emission tomography (PET) metabolism of patients with IA recorded by video‐electroencephalography or video‐stereo‐electroencephalography. We identified in our cohort of focal epilepsy patients who had undergone presurgical evaluation those who had a recorded period of IA of more than 3 s. We investigated the anatomometabolic changes (interictal 18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose PET) of these patients in comparison with (1) healthy subjects with similar age and sex distribution (n = 19) using whole‐brain voxel‐based analysis (p‐voxel < .001, p‐cluster < .05, uncorrected) and (2) patients without IA with similar age and seizure onset zone (n = 55). We found 12 patients with IA. Epilepsy was mainly temporal (four right temporal mesial, four bitemporal, two left temporal lateral, one right temporal lateral, and one right temporal “plus”). Seven patients had negative magnetic resonance imaging. Whole‐brain statistical analysis of PET imaging was performed at the voxel level, showing that in comparison to healthy subjects and to epileptic patients without IA, a hypometabolism in the right posterior insula characterized epileptic patients with IA. Our study suggests involvement of the right posterior insula—a part of the central autonomic network—in the pathophysiological mechanism of IA.
Dan S. Tawfik (1955 to 2021)
Authors: Pecht Israel , Martin Seamus J.
Published: July 2021

Dan Tawfik, a leading protein biochemist known for his work on enzyme evolution, recently passed away in a tragic climbing accident. In addition to his many other activities, Dan served on the Editorial Board of The FEBS Journal for many years. This issue contains an obituary for Dan written by Amir Aharoni and Sarel Fleishman.
Physicochemical, sensorial and rheological characterisation of whole‐fat or low‐fat milk jams as influenced by calcium chloride, sodium bicarbonate and sucrose content
Authors: Sulejmani Erhan I. , Boran Osman S. , Coşkun Aysegul , Hayaloglu Ali A.
Published: July 2021

Rheological properties of sixteen milk jam treatments produced from commercial full‐fat (3 g/100 g) and skimmed (0.15 g/100 g) cow milk by the addition of sucrose, sodium bicarbonate and CaCl2 were examined. pH, titratable acidity, total solids and ash contents in the milk jam samples ranged from 6.2 to 6.8, 1.3 to 3.3 g/100 g, 56.7 to 70.5 g/100 g and 1.7 to 3 g/100 g, respectively, with a significant variability (P < 0.05). The flow behaviour and consistency indices ranged from 0.7 to 0.9 and 2.7 to 208 Pa.sn, respectively. Rheological measurements showed that the maximal G' × 102 value showed considerable variation (5–932 Pa). As sucrose content increased, pH and total solid content increased, whereas ash content and the L value decreased. Also, a negative correlation between pH and L* (lightness) was found (P < 0.05). Dynamic rheology showed that the jam from skimmed milk with full sucrose and without sodium bicarbonate exhibited more solid‐like behaviour than the ones prepared with full sucrose and with sodium bicarbonate. In conclusion, the increase in milk fat caused a decrease in resistance of the mixture subjected to the deformation, which is very important for production of quality milk jam.
Loneliness and cravings for sugar‐sweetened beverages among adolescents
Authors: Doan Stacey N. , Xie Bin , Zhou Yutong , Lei Xiaomeng , Reynolds Kim D.
Published: July 2021

Purpose

The consumption of sugar‐sweetened beverages (SSBs) is associated with weight gain in both children and adults. In addition to environmental factors, such as food availability, psychological variables, including mood states, also impact intake. In the current study, we focus on momentary associations between feelings of loneliness and craving for SSBs among adolescents and explore the moderating role of family functioning. Loneliness has been associated with a wide range of health outcomes, but to date, few studies have examined its association with cravings for SSBs.

Methods

Using an ecological‐momentary assessment design, data were collected on 158 (males = 68, mean age = 15.13 ± 2.27 years) participants. Multilevel mixed‐effects models were used to examine the relations between the main and interactive effects of loneliness and family functioning on cravings for SSBs, independent of other negative emotions.

Results

Results suggest that loneliness in adolescents was associated with a small increase in craving for SSBs. Importantly, the relationship held after controlling for negative emotions, suggesting the unique role of loneliness. However, positive family functioning did not mitigate the relations between loneliness and craving for SSBs.

Conclusions

Loneliness uniquely contributes to cravings for SSBs. At the same time, family functioning did not buffer the influence of loneliness on cravings for SSBs among adolescents.
Policy Change in Times of Politicization: The Case of Corporate Taxation in the European Union*
Authors: Roland Aanor , Römgens Indra
Published: July 2021

EU corporate tax policy has long consisted solely in eliminating fiscal barriers. This changed after the financial and Eurozone crises when the European Commission proposed ‘market‐correcting’ provisions to increase tax transparency and ‘fairness’, which were partially adopted by the Council. Analyses of EU responses to the crisis have largely ignored taxation issues. This article fills this gap and explains the substantive re‐orientation of EU corporate tax policy through the concept of politicization. Based on 19 expert interviews, it details the politicization process of corporate taxation resulting from changes in global governance, media tax scandals, and the work of non‐governmental organizations (NGOs). Through the politicization dynamic, new institutional and discursive opportunities were exploited by the European Commission, Parliament and NGOs to induce policy change. We explore this reciprocal interaction between social forces and supranational actors to demonstrate that ‘politicization at the top’ can facilitate a more progressive deepening of European integration.
Decline in renal function associated with cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy positively coordinated with proteinuria in patients with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Muramatsu Taichi , Takahashi Masahiro , Kakinuma Rena , Sato Tomoyo , Yamamoto Mitsuyo , Akazawa Manabu , Tanaka Kentaro , Kikuchi Takako , Kushiyama Akifumi
Published: July 2021

Aims/Introduction

To investigate the association between cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (CAN) assessed by the coefficient of variation of the R‐R interval and the reduction in the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Materials and methods

This retrospective observational cohort study enrolled type 2 diabetes patients who had their coefficient of variation of the R‐R interval measured on an electrocardiogram from January 2005 to December 2018. CAN was defined using the reference coefficient of variation of the R‐R interval value based on age and sex. The primary outcome was set as a 40% eGFR decline from baseline. Regression analyses using the Cox proportional hazards model were carried out to evaluate the association.

Results

Of the 831 patients, 118 (14.2%) were diagnosed with CAN. In the analysis of the primary outcome, the median follow‐up period was 5.3 years, and 25 (21.2%) patients with CAN and 78 (10.9%) patients without CAN developed a 40% eGFR decline. In the univariate regression analysis, CAN was significantly associated with a 40% eGFR decline (hazard ratio 2.42, 95% confidence interval 1.54–3.80). In the multivariate analysis, CAN remained almost significant after adjusting for the prognostic risk factors for CAN and the decline in the renal function, and an interaction with proteinuria was found. In analyses for the interaction effect between CAN and proteinuria, the presence of CAN synergistically increased the risk of an eGFR decline in patients with macroproteinuria.

Conclusions

CAN strongly increased the risk of a 40% eGFR decline from baseline, especially in type 2 diabetes patients with macroproteinuria.
The feasibility of laparoscopically assisted, hysteroscopic removal of interstitial pregnancies: A case series
Authors: Niu Xiaocen , Tang Yibo , Li Songyue , Ni Shanshan , Zheng Wanren , Huang Lili
Published: July 2021

Objective

The study objective was to assess the feasibility of the management of interstitial pregnancy by laparoscopically assisted hysteroscopic removal.

Methods

This retrospective study included a case series of 17 patients who were diagnosed interstitial pregnancy with dilated proximal tubal ostium by transvaginal ultrasonography at the Women's hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University between August 2017 and October 2020. Laparoscopically assisted hysteroscopic removals of the products of conception were performed. Various data were collected including age, surgical and obstetric history, gestational age, preoperative symptoms, human chorionic gonadotropin level and ultrasonography results. The outcomes measured were intraoperative bleeding, pathologic findings, conversions.

Results

Eleven cases were successfully resected the interstitial gestational products with laparoscopically assisted hysteroscopy. There were four cases failed of hysteroscopic removal, for the proximal tubal ostia were too small for the surgical instruments to enter. Then cornual wedge resections were performed. Two cases were identified as intramural pregnancy by hysteroscopic and laparoscopic view. Most of the intramural pregnancy tissue of one patient was removed by hysteroscopy. The other one converted to laparoscopy.

Conclusion

Laparoscopically assisted hysteroscopic management could be a feasible surgical option to interstitial pregnancies. Further clinical studies are needed to establish detailed criteria to select the appropriate cases for hysteroscopic management.
A Q Methodology Study Into Vision of Italian L2 University Students: An Australian Perspective
Authors: CARUSO MARINELLA , FRASCHINI NICOLA
Published: July 2021

This study explores language learners’ motivation from the perspective of vision, a concept that has specifically been identified as one of the next challenges for motivation research. Having conceptualized vision as a powerful motivational component of the language learning process, and focusing on the learner's individual perspective, we employed Q methodology to identify the visions, as imagined here and now, of students’ second language (L2) selves. While Q methodology is becoming increasingly popular in applied linguistics, thanks to its ability to offer a scientific and holistic investigation of subjectivity, no study has previously employed it to gain in‐depth understanding of how learners of Italian in an Anglophone context envision themselves as future bilingual or multilingual speakers. Students from an Australian university ranked statements related to imagined scenarios of L2 selves, and factor analysis of these ranks exposed 3 motivational profiles: ‘the multilingual fan with an edge,’ ‘the mobile and linguistically competent,’ and ‘the lover of the Italian culture.’ By engaging in new and fresh ways to understand language students and their self‐visions, this study contributes to the understanding of motivation and provides a useful tool for comparison for other languages, as well as other institutional and geographical contexts.
Broadcasting good news and learning from bad news: Experimental evidence on public managers' performance information use
Authors: Mikkelsen Maria F. , Petersen Niels B. G. , Bjørnholt Bente
Published: July 2021

This article argues and shows that performance narratives affect how and for what purposes managers use performance information independently of other known drivers of performance information use, such as the external environment and individual intra‐ and interorganizational characteristics. Using a survey experiment on 514 Danish public school managers, we find an asymmetrical effect of “decline narratives” (declining performance) and “increase narratives” (improving performance). In line with expectations drawing on literature on negativity bias and blame‐avoidance, we find that “decline narratives” lead to higher internal use (learning and control purposes) of performance information. In contrast, “increase narratives” lead to higher external use (giving account and building support purposes) of performance information. Further exploratory analysis suggests that internal use is not affected by narratives when managers are skeptical of the performance measure. More skeptical managers are, however, willing to use performance information with an “increase narrative” for external use.
The heartbeat evoked potential does not support strong interoceptive sensibility in trait mindfulness
Authors: Verdonk Charles , Trousselard Marion , Di Bernardi Luft Caroline , Medani Takfarinas , Billaud Jean‐Baptiste , Ramdani Céline , Canini Frédéric , Claverie Damien , Jaumard‐Hakoun Aurore , Vialatte François
Published: July 2021

The enhancement of body awareness is proposed as one of the cognitive mechanisms that characterize mindfulness. To date, this hypothesis is supported by self‐report and behavioral measures but still lacks physiological evidence. The current study investigated relation between trait mindfulness (i.e., individual differences in the ability to be mindful in daily life) and body awareness in combining a self‐report measure (Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness [MAIA] questionnaire) with analysis of the heartbeat evoked potential (HEP), which is an event‐related potential reflecting the cortical processing of the heartbeat. The HEP data were collected from 17 healthy participants under five minutes of resting‐state condition. In addition, each participant completed the Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory and the MAIA questionnaire. Taking account of the important variability of HEP effects, analyses were replicated with the same participants three times (in three distinct sessions). First, group‐level analyses showed that HEP amplitude and trait mindfulness do not correlate. Secondly, we observed that HEP amplitude could positively correlate with self‐reported body awareness; however, this association was unreliable over time. Interestingly, we found that HEP measure shows very poor reliability over time at the individual level, potentially explaining the lack of reliable association between HEP and psychological traits. Lastly, a reliable positive correlation was found between self‐reported trait mindfulness and body awareness. Taken together, these findings provide preliminary evidence that the HEP might not support the increased subjective body awareness in trait mindfulness, thus suggesting that perhaps objective and subjective measures of body awareness could be independent.
The socio‐economic impact of running‐related injuries: A large prospective cohort study
Authors: Sleeswijk Visser Tjerk S. O. , van Middelkoop Marienke , Fokkema Tryntsje , de Vos Robert‐Jan
Published: July 2021

Objectives

To evaluate the impact of running‐related injuries (RRIs) on activities of daily living (ADL), work, healthcare utilization, and estimated costs.

Design

Prospective cohort study with data from a randomized controlled trial.

Methods

Adult recreational runners who registered for a running event (distances 5 to 42 km) were included in this study. Minimum follow‐up duration was 3 months (preparation, event participation, and post‐race period). Injuries were registered using a standardized definition. Primary outcome measure was a standardized 5‐item survey on limitations in ADL. The survey data were categorized to the number of injured runners with complete/moderate/no limitations. This outcome was expressed as the percentage of injured runners with any limitation (complete or moderate limitations amalgamated). Secondary outcomes were work absenteeism, the number of healthcare visits per injured runner, and estimated direct medical and indirect costs per participant and per RRI.

Results

1929 runners (mean [SD] age 41 [12] years, 53% men) were included in this study and 883 runners (46%) sustained a RRI during the course of the study. Injured runners reported the highest limitations (% with any limitation) of RRIs during the first week of injury on sports and leisure activities (70%) and transportation activities (23%). 39% of the injured runners visited a healthcare professional. Work absenteeism due to the RRI was reported in 5% of the injured runners. The total mean estimated costs were €74 per RRI and €35 per participant.

Conclusions

Injured runners are mainly limited in their transportation activities and during sports and leisure. While the estimated costs of RRIs are not high when expressed per participant, the absolute costs may be substantial due to the popularity of running.