bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Seed transmission of ‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’ is unlikely in carrot
Authors: Fujikawa Takashi , Yamamura Kohji , Osaki Kohei , Onozuka Nobuya , Taguchi Mariko , Sasaki Akane , Sato Masatoshi
Published: May 2020

The gram-negative bacterium ‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’ (Lso) causes potato zebra chip disease and carrot Lso disease, which resembles a physiological disorder, and has raised concern on its impact on carrot production and whether the pathogen can be transmitted via carrot seeds. Here, we evaluated the possibility of carrot seed transmission of the bacterium using grow-out tests and probability analyses. On the basis of the tests, we concluded that transmission is unlikely in practice. Therefore, this finding will help to promote the international trade of carrot seeds.
Unesco Global Geoparks (I) – Idee und Anerkennungsvoraussetzungen
Authors: Köck Wolfgang , Wolf Rainer
Published: May 2020

UNESCO-Geoparks sind neben den Weltnaturerbestätten und den Weltkulturerbestätten eine weitere
Kategorie der internationalen Anerkennung besonders qualifizierter Stätten und Landschaften. Die Voraussetzungen
für die Anerkennung von Global Geoparks sind in den “Operativen Leitlinien für Globale Geoparks
der UNESCO” geregelt. Der Beitrag befasst sich mit dem Konzept der UNESCO Global Geoparks und deren
Anerkennungsvoraussetzungen. In einem zweiten Teil, der im nächsten Heft veröffentlicht wird,
werden die Unterschutzstellungsoptionen für Geoparks untersucht, die das deutsche Recht zur Verfügung
stellt. Dabei wird der Blick insbesondere auf die Frage gerichtet, ob Erneuerbare Energien-Projekte in
Geoparks Einfluss auf die Anerkennung haben können.
Climate change attribution and the economic costs of extreme weather events: a study on damages from extreme rainfall and drought
Authors: Frame David J. , Rosier Suzanne M. , Noy Ilan , Harrington Luke J. , Carey-Smith Trevor , Sparrow Sarah N. , Stone Dáithí A. , Dean Samuel M.
Published: May 2020

An important and under-quantified facet of the risks associated with human-induced climate change emerges through extreme weather. In this paper, we present an initial attempt to quantify recent costs related to extreme weather due to human interference in the climate system, focusing on economic costs arising from droughts and floods in New Zealand during the decade 2007–2017. We calculate these using previously collected information about the damages and losses associated with past floods and droughts, and estimates of the “fraction of attributable risk” that characterizes each event. The estimates we obtain are not comprehensive, and almost certainly represent an underestimate of the full economic costs of climate change, notably chronic costs associated with long-term trends. However, the paper shows the potential for developing a new stream of information that is relevant to a range of stakeholders and research communities, especially those with an interest in the aggregation of the costs of climate change or the identification of specific costs associated with potential liability.
An approach to reduce energy consumption and performance losses on heterogeneous servers using power capping
Authors: Ciesielczyk Tomasz , Cabrera Alberto , Oleksiak Ariel , Piątek Wojciech , Waligóra Grzegorz , Almeida Francisco , Blanco Vicente
Published: May 2020

Rapid growth of demand for remote computational power, along with high energy costs and infrastructure limits, has led to treating power usage as a primary constraint in data centers. Especially, recent challenges related to development of exascale systems or autonomous edge systems require tools that will limit power usage and energy consumption. This paper presents a power capping method that allows operators to quickly adjust the power usage to external conditions and, at the same time, to reduce energy consumption and negative impact on performance of applications. We propose an optimization model and both heuristic and exact methods to solve this problem. We present an evaluation of power capping approaches supported by results of application benchmarks and experiments performed on new heterogeneous servers.
Analysis of unsteady mixed convection of Cu–water nanofluid in an oscillatory, lid-driven enclosure using lattice Boltzmann method
Authors: Valizadeh Ardalan Mostafa , Alizadeh Rasool , Fattahi Abolfazl , Adelian Rasi Navid , Doranehgard Mohammad Hossein , Karimi Nader
Published: May 2020

The unsteady physics of laminar mixed convection in a lid-driven enclosure filled with Cu–water nanofluid is numerically investigated. The top wall moves with constant velocity or with a temporally sinusoidal function, while the other walls are fixed. The horizontal top and bottom walls are, respectively, held at the low and high temperatures, and the vertical walls are assumed to be adiabatic. The governing equations along with the boundary conditions are solved through D2Q9 fluid flow and D2Q5 thermal lattice Boltzmann network. The effects of Richardson number and volume fractions of nanoparticles on the fluid flow and heat transfer are investigated. For the first time in the literature, the current study considers the mechanical power required for moving the top wall of the enclosure under various conditions. This reveals that the power demand increases if the enclosure is filled with a nanofluid in comparison with that with a pure fluid. Keeping a constant heat transfer rate, the required power diminishes by implementing a temporally sinusoidal velocity on the top wall rather than a constant velocity. Reducing frequency of the wall oscillation leads to heat transfer enhancement. Similarly, dropping Richardson number and raising the volume fraction of the nanoparticles enhance the heat transfer rate. Through these analyses, the present study provides a physical insight into the less investigated problem of unsteady mixed convection in enclosures with oscillatory walls.
Non-linear dynamic response of a cable system with a tuned mass damper to stochastic base excitation via equivalent linearization technique
Authors: Weber Hanna , Kaczmarczyk Stefan , Iwankiewicz Radosław
Published: May 2020

Non-linear dynamic model of a cable–mass system with a transverse tuned mass damper is considered. The system is moving in a vertical host structure therefore the cable length varies slowly over time. Under the time-dependent external loads the sway of host structure with low frequencies and high amplitudes can be observed. That yields the base excitation which in turn results in the excitation of a cable system. The original model is governed by a system of non-linear partial differential equations with corresponding boundary conditions defined in a slowly time-variant space domain. To discretise the continuous model the Galerkin method is used. The assumption of the analysis is that the lateral displacements of the cable are coupled with its longitudinal elastic stretching. This brings the quadratic couplings between the longitudinal and transverse modes and cubic nonlinear terms due to the couplings between the transverse modes. To mitigate the dynamic response of the cable in the resonance region the tuned mass damper is applied. The stochastic base excitation, assumed as a narrow-band process mean-square equivalent to the harmonic process, is idealized with the aid of two linear filters: one second-order and one first-order. To determine the stochastic response the equivalent linearization technique is used. Mean values and variances of particular random state variable have been calculated numerically under various operational conditions. The stochastic results have been compared with the deterministic response to a harmonic process base excitation.
Point-of-care testing of coagulation in patients treated with edoxaban
Authors: Härtig Florian , Birschmann Ingvild , Peter Andreas , Hörber Sebastian , Ebner Matthias , Sonnleitner Matthias , Spencer Charlotte , Bombach Paula , Stefanou Maria-Ioanna , Kuhn Joachim , Mengel Annerose , Ziemann Ulf , Poli Sven
Published: May 2020

Edoxaban, alongside other direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC), is increasingly used for prevention of thromboembolism, including stroke. Despite DOAC therapy, however, annual stroke rate in patients with atrial fibrillation remains 1–2%. Rapid exclusion of relevant anticoagulation is necessary to guide thrombolysis or reversal therapy but, so far, no data exists on the effect of edoxaban on available point-of-care test systems (POCT). To complete our previous investigation on global coagulation-POCT for the detection of DOAC, we evaluated whether CoaguChek®-INR (CC-INR) is capable of safely ruling out edoxaban concentrations above the current treatment thresholds of 30/50 ng/mL in a blood sample. We studied patients receiving a first dose of edoxaban; excluding subjects receiving other anticoagulants. Six blood samples were collected from each patient: before drug intake, 0.5, 1, 2 and 8 h after intake, and at trough (24 h). CC-INR and mass spectrometry for edoxaban concentrations were performed for each time-point. One hundred and twenty blood samples from 20 patients contained 0–302 ng/mL of edoxaban. CC-INR ranged from 0.9 to 2.3. Pearson’s correlation coefficient showed strong correlation between CC-INR and edoxaban concentrations (r = 0.73, p < 0.001). Edoxaban concentrations > 30 and > 50 ng/mL were ruled out by CC-INR ≤ 1.0 and ≤ 1.1, respectively, with high specificity (> 95%), and a sensitivity of 44% (95%-confidence interval: 30–59%) and 86% (74–93%), respectively. Our study represents the first evaluation of coagulation-POCT in edoxaban-treated patients. CC-POCT is suitable to safely exclude clinically relevant edoxaban concentrations prior to thrombolysis, or guide reversal therapy in stroke patients.
Wingwave®-Coaching bei Flugangst – eine Fallserie
Authors: Niebuhr F. , Naumenko K. , Steinhäuser J.
Published: May 2020

Hintergrund

Flugangst ist ein häufiges Phänomen. Unter Coaching werden klientenbezogene Prozesse subsummiert, die darauf abzielen, vom Klienten definierte Ziele zu erreichen. Daher wird die Beeinflussung von Flugangst auch im Bereich des Coachings häufig nachgefragt.

Ziel der Arbeit

In diesem Beitrag stellen wir Ergebnisse von 10 Klienten mit Flugangst, die gecoacht wurden, dar und diskutieren diese auf dem Boden der aktuellen Literatur.

Material und Methoden

Alle Fälle von Klienten, die das Thema Flugangst angegeben haben und nach den definierten Kriterien der Wingwave®-Methode vom Erstautor zwischen 2014 und 2018 gecoacht wurden, wurden in die Betrachtung mit einbezogen. Die Klienten wurden mündlich befragt, die Dokumentation erfolgte papierbasiert.

Ergebnisse

Von den 10 Klienten konnte während des Coachings bei 8 unmittelbar eine (erhebliche) positive Beeinflussung der Flugangst erreicht werden. Bei 4 Klienten war diese positive Beeinflussung dauerhaft, zu den 6 anderen Patienten gibt es hierzu keine Informationen, da es nach dem Coaching keinen Routinekontakt mehr gab. Es wurden im Schnitt 1,8 Coaching-Stunden von je 50 min benötigt.

Diskussion

Im Rahmen dieser Fallserie gab es keine Hinweise darauf, dass die Klienten durch die Wingwave®-Methode einem Risiko ausgesetzt sein könnten. Inwieweit diese Methode einen Stellenwert bei Flugangst haben könnte, sollte Gegenstand zukünftiger Studien sein.
Obesity and Cardiovascular Risk in the Arab Gulf States
Authors: AlAbdulKader Assim M. , Tuwairqi Khaled , Rao Goutham
Published: May 2020

Purpose of Review

Rapid economic growth in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states over the last half-century has been associated with a rise in obesity and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. In this review, we shed some light on the factors driving the obesity epidemic, promising interventions to overcome this public health crisis, and challenges precluding a successful public health impact.

Recent Findings

Overweight and obesity rates have nearly tripled in the GCC countries over the past four decades. Cardiovascular morbidity and mortality have been rising in parallel. Several sociodemographic, environmental, and behavioral factors have been correlated with sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy diet habits, and ultimately the rise in overweight and obesity rates. Numerous studies have documented factors unique to the population of the Arab Gulf states, but high-quality data is scarce. Despite the growing awareness of the extent of the problem, several barriers to weight loss and physical activity need to be addressed. A few interventions to combat obesity at different levels have been reported with some promising outcomes. Using the social-ecological model (SEM), we review recently published interventions and discuss some challenges to overcome in order to make progress in fighting the obesity epidemic in the GCC.

Obesity prevalence has been mounting worldwide, and the Arab Gulf states are no exception. This public health crisis is drawing the attention of policymakers and several stakeholders. However, a lot needs to be done to reduce the burden of obesity and improve cardiovascular risks in the Arab Gulf states.
Accounting for Unexpected Risk Events in Drinking Water Systems
Authors: Bergion Viktor , Lindhe Andreas , Sokolova Ekaterina , Rosén Lars
Published: May 2020

Unexpected risk events in drinking water systems, such as heavy rain or manure spill accidents, can cause waterborne outbreaks of gastrointestinal disease. Using a scenario-based approach, these unexpected risk events were included in a risk-based decision model aimed at evaluating risk reduction alternatives. The decision model combined quantitative microbial risk assessment and cost–benefit analysis and investigated four risk reduction alternatives. Two drinking water systems were compared using the same set of risk reduction alternatives to illustrate the effect of unexpected risk events. The first drinking water system had a high pathogen base load and a high pathogen log10 reduction in the treatment plant, whereas the second drinking water system had a low pathogen base load and a low pathogen Log10 reduction in the treatment plant. Four risk reduction alternatives were evaluated on their social profitability: (A1) installation of pumps and back-up power supply, to remove combined sewer overflows; (A2) installation of UV treatment in the drinking water treatment plant; (A3) connection of 25% of the OWTSs in the catchment area to the WWTP; and (A4) a combination of A1–A3. Including the unexpected risk events changed the probability of a positive net present value for the analysed alternatives in the decision model and the alternative that is likely to have the highest net present value. The magnitude of the effect of unexpected risk events is dependent on the local preconditions in the drinking water system. For the first drinking water system, the unexpected risk events increase risk to a lesser extent compared to the second drinking water system. The main conclusion was that it is important to include unexpected risk events in decision models for evaluating microbial risk reduction, especially in a drinking water system with a low base load and a low pathogen log10 reduction in the drinking water treatment plant.
The marble sculptures of General Bülow and Scharnhorst in Berlin: comparative, non-destructive analysis of the weathering state after 12 years of exposure
Authors: Menningen J. , Siegesmund S. , Krompholz R. , Rieffel Y.
Published: May 2020

After almost 200 years of exposure, the monuments of General Scharnhorst and Bülow have been analysed by means of ultrasound. Both sculptures are made of Carrara marble, both sculptures have been exposed to the same environmental influences and both sculptures are, based on the results of the ultrasonic measurements, in alarming conditions. This statement can be made because of the data of three different measurement investigations within the last 12 years. In this short exposure time, the already low velocities have been reduced by 16.2% and 14.7%. The very low average velocity of 2.8 km/s for the sculpture of General Bülow and a slightly higher average velocity of 3.2 km/s for the Scharnhorst sculpture indicate that both sculptures are in a poor condition, even though a protective winter shelter has been used since 2004. Comparing tomographic velocity measurements performed in 2006 with the measurements made in 2018 was possible and showed that even areas with a thickness up to 90 cm show alarming low ultrasonic velocities down to 2.6 km/s. Even if the circumstances for both sculptures have been the same, they differ in their weathering state. The careful and transparent documentation of all measurements was in this context the most important aspect for the comparative studies. Irregularities in their weathering behaviour of the two statues can be distinguished, allowing an in-depth analysis of the deterioration of the marble.
Imagination in Scientific Practice
Authors: French Steven
Published: May 2020

What is the role of the imagination in scientific practice? Here I focus on the nature and role of invitations to imagine in certain scientific texts as represented by the example of Einstein’s Special Relativity paper from 1905. Drawing on related discussions in aesthetics, I argue, on the one hand, that this role cannot be simply subsumed under ‘supposition’ but that, on the other, concerns about the impact of genre and symbolism can be dealt with, and hence present no obstacle to regarding imagination as appropriately belief-like. By applying the framework of ‘semi- propositional representations’ and ‘quasi-truth’ to this case I thereby offer a new unitary framework for understanding the epistemology of scientific imagination.
Physicochemical properties, oxidative stability and antioxidant capacity of clean label meat-based sauces: effects of phenolic extracts addition and cold storage
Authors: Bortnowska Grażyna , Przybylska Sylwia , Iwański Robert
Published: May 2020

Physicochemical properties, oxidative stability and antioxidant capacity (AC) of clean label meat-based sauces (MBSs) were investigated with reference to cold storage time (ST) and addition of phenolic extracts (PEs): green coffee bean (GCE), green tea (GTE), knotweed rhizome (KRE). All parameters determined were compared to a control sample (CS), prepared without extracts. MBSs enriched with GCE or KRE were stable during the whole ST (90 days), while the CS and samples containing GTE, showed descending trend regarding physical stability after 10 days of storage. MBSs prepared with PEs (90 days storage) demonstrated: peroxide value (PV) < 8.5 mEq O2/kg lipids, TBARS < 5.6 mg MDA/kg lipids, carbonyl content < 4.7 nmol/mg protein, and the values were significantly (p < 0.05) smaller than those found in CS. Irrespectively of the applied measurements (ABTS, DPPH, FRAP) the values of AC (trolox equivalent, TE) decreased with ST, and regarding ABTS assay were in ranges: 0.73–0.42 mM TE (CS), 3.54–2.75 mM TE (GCE), 4.89–3.29 mM TE (GTE) and 3.86–2.25 mM TE (KRE). ANOVA revealed that rheological parameters obtained from Herschel–Bulkley′s and Bohlin′s models were predominantly (p < 0.001) affected by ST. After 90 days of storage, values of the desirability index were significantly (p < 0.05) higher for GCE-fortified MBS than for samples prepared with GTE and KRE. The results of this study can be useful to optimize composition of meat-based sauces containing bioactive ingredients and exhibiting desired by the consumer sensory features.
Assessment of groundwater potential using geophysical data: a case study in parts of Cross River State, south-eastern Nigeria
Authors: Ekwok Stephen E. , Akpan Anthony E. , Kudamnya Ebenezer A. , Ebong Ebong D.
Published: May 2020

Groundwater potential of some parts of Cross River State, Nigeria, was assessed involving vertical electrical sounding (VES) and high-resolution aeromagnetic methods (HRAM). The VES and HRAM dataset were used to delineate the hydro-lithostratigraphic units and map the spatial distributions of geologic structures, respectively. The electro-stratigraphic sections revealed the various hydro-lithostratigraphic units composed of fractured/weathered crystalline basement, sandstones, siltstones, sandy shales, and highly baked and fractured shales occurring at different depths. Generally, the unsaturated top layer is composed of shales, marl, clay, silt, gravel and lateritic materials with resistivity ranging from ~ 3.0 to ~ 550 Ω m. This layer is underlain by various aquifer units like sandstones, siltstones, fractured shales and limestone/marl, and fractured/weathered basement occurring at different depths (~ 30 to ≤ 100 m) as revealed by the electro-stratigraphic sections obtained in the study area. In the Calabar Flank (CF), Oban Massif (OM) and Ikom-Mamfe Embayment (IME), the apparent resistivity for these hydro-lithostratigraphic units varied between ~ 8.50 and ~ 59.50 Ω m, ~ 120.2 and ~ 1562.6 Ω m and ~ 30.8 and ~ 277.2 Ω m, respectively. The enhanced total magnetic intensity maps and source parameter imaging result showed that the OM and IME are characterized by high concentration of short-wavelength anomalies, while the CF is dominated by relatively undisturbed thick sedimentation (~ 6217 m). HRAM results show that such areas are predominated by geologic structures like faults, fractures, fissure, dyke swamps, etc. caused by tectonics. Such geologic structures create secondary porosity and enhance permeability. From all the results obtained, OM and IME represent areas with moderate groundwater potential. The CF dominated by argillites with no significant tectonic activity is observed to have low groundwater potential.
Lusin and Suslin properties of function spaces
Authors: Banakh Taras , Wang Leijie
Published: May 2020

A topological space isSuslin(Lusin) if it is a continuous (and bijective) image of a Polish space. For a Tychonoff spaceXlet$$C_p(X)$$Cp(X),$$C_k(X)$$Ck(X)and$$C_{{\downarrow }{\mathsf {F}}}(X)$$C↓F(X)be the space of continuous real-valued functions onX, endowed with the topology of pointwise convergence, the compact-open topology, and the Fell hypograph topology, respectively. For a metrizable spaceXwe prove the equivalence of the following statements: (1)Xis$$\sigma $$σ-compact, (2)$$C_p(X)$$Cp(X)is Suslin, (3)$$C_k(X)$$Ck(X)is Suslin, (4)$$C_{{\downarrow }{\mathsf {F}}}(X)$$C↓F(X)is Suslin, (5)$$C_p(X)$$Cp(X)is Lusin, (6)$$C_k(X)$$Ck(X)is Lusin, (7)$$C_{{\downarrow }{\mathsf {F}}}(X)$$C↓F(X)is Lusin, (8)$$C_p(X)$$Cp(X)is$$F_\sigma $$Fσ-Lusin, (9)$$C_k(X)$$Ck(X)is$$F_\sigma $$Fσ-Lusin, (10)$$C_{{\downarrow }{\mathsf {F}}}(X)$$C↓F(X)is$$C_{\delta \sigma }$$Cδσ-Lusin. Also we construct an example of a sequential$$\aleph _0$$ℵ0-spaceXwith a unique non-isolated point such that the function spaces$$C_p(X)$$Cp(X),$$C_k(X)$$Ck(X)and$$C_{{\downarrow }{\mathsf {F}}}(X)$$C↓F(X)are non-Suslin.
Immunotherapy as an Antifungal Strategy in Immune Compromised Hosts
Authors: Posch Wilfried , Wilflingseder Doris , Lass-Flörl Cornelia
Published: May 2020

Purpose of Review

IFIs cause high morbidity and mortality in the immunocompromised host worldwide. Although highly effective, conventional antifungal chemotherapy faces new challenges due to late diagnosis and increasing numbers of drug-resistant fungal strains. Thus, antifungal immunotherapy represents a viable treatment option, and recent advances in the field are summarized in this review.

Recent Findings

Antifungal immunotherapies include application of immune cells as well as the administration of cytokines, growth factors, and antibodies. Novel strategies to treat IFIs in the immunocompromised host target intracellular signaling pathways using SMTs such as checkpoint inhibitors.

Studies using cytokines or chemokines exerted a potential adjuvant role to conventional antifungal therapy, but issues on toxicity for some agents have to be resolved. Cell-based immunotherapies are very labor-intense and costly, but NK cell transfer and CAR T cell therapy provide exciting strategies to combat IFIs. Antibody-mediated protection and checkpoint inhibition are additional novel immunotherapeutic approaches.
Coalfield structure and structural controls on coal in China
Authors: Cao Daiyong , Wang Anmin , Ning Shuzheng , Li Huantong , Guo Aijun , Chen Limin , Liu Kang , Tan Jieqing , Zheng Zhihong
Published: May 2020

The occurrence of coal-bearing strata in a variety of coal-bearing basins of China is characterized by late tectonic deformation and remarkable spatial and geochronologic differences. The main controlling factors, which determine the tectonic framework of coalfields, include the geodynamic environment, tectonic evolution, deep structures, tectonic stress, and lithologic combination of the coal measures. The Chinese continent has experienced multi-stage tectonic movements since the Late Paleozoic. The spatial and temporal heterogeneity of its continental tectonic evolution, the complexity of its basement properties, and its stratigraphic configurations control the tectonic framework of its coalfields’ present complex and orderly patterns. The concept of coal occurrence structural units is proposed in this paper and is defined as the structural zoning of coal occurrence. China’s coalfields are divided into five coal occurrence structural areas, and the structural characteristics of the coalfields in five main coal occurrence areas throughout the country are summarized. Based on the analysis of the relationship between the structure characteristics and occurrence of coal in these coalfields, the coal-controlling structures are divided into six groups: extensional structural styles, compressional structural styles, shearing and rotational structural styles, inverted structural styles, sliding structural styles, and syn-depositional structural styles. In addition, the distribution of coal-controlling structural styles is briefly summarized in this paper.
Contextual Sentiment Neural Network for Document Sentiment Analysis
Authors: Ito Tomoki , Tsubouchi Kota , Sakaji Hiroki , Yamashita Tatsuo , Izumi Kiyoshi
Published: May 2020

Although deep neural networks are excellent for text sentiment analysis, their applications in real-world practice are occasionally limited owing to their black-box property. In this study, we propose a novel neural network model called contextual sentiment neural network (CSNN) model that can explain the process of its sentiment analysis prediction in a way that humans find natural and agreeable and can catch up the summary of the contents. The CSNN has the following interpretable layers: the word-level original sentiment layer, word-level sentiment shift layer, word-level global importance layer, word-level contextual sentiment layer, and concept-level contextual sentiment layer. Because of these layers, this network can explain the process of its document-level sentiment analysis results in a human-like way using these layers. Realizing the interpretability of each layer in the CSNN is a crucial problem in the development of this CSNN because the general back-propagation method cannot realize such interpretability. To realize this interpretability, we propose a novel learning strategy called initialization propagation (IP) learning. Using real textual datasets, we experimentally demonstrate that the proposed IP learning is effective for improving the interpretability of each layer in CSNN. We then experimentally demonstrate that the CSNN has both the high predictability and high explanation ability.
Achieving Fairness with Decision Trees: An Adversarial Approach
Authors: Grari Vincent , Ruf Boris , Lamprier Sylvain , Detyniecki Marcin
Published: May 2020

Fair classification has become an important topic in machine learning research. While most bias mitigation strategies focus on neural networks, we noticed a lack of work on fair classifiers based on decision trees even though they have proven very efficient. In an up-to-date comparison of state-of-the-art classification algorithms in tabular data, tree boosting outperforms deep learning (Zhang et al. in Expert Syst Appl 82:128–150, 2017). For this reason, we have developed a novel approach of adversarial gradient tree boosting. The objective of the algorithm is to predict the output Y with gradient tree boosting while minimizing the ability of an adversarial neural network to predict the sensitive attribute S. The approach incorporates at each iteration the gradient of the neural network directly in the gradient tree boosting. We empirically assess our approach on four popular data sets and compare against state-of-the-art algorithms. The results show that our algorithm achieves a higher accuracy while obtaining the same level of fairness, as measured using a set of different common fairness definitions.
Maintenance Therapy with Nebulizers in Patients with Stable COPD: Need for Reevaluation
Authors: Terry Paul D. , Dhand Rajiv
Published: May 2020

Patients with stable COPD rely heavily on inhaled bronchodilators and corticosteroids to control symptoms, maximize quality of life, and avoid exacerbations and costly hospitalizations. These drugs are typically delivered by hand-held inhalers or nebulizers. The majority of patients are prescribed inhalers due to their perceived convenience, portability, and lower cost, relative to nebulizers. Unfortunately, poor inhaler technique compromises symptom relief in most of these patients. In contrast to one or two puffs through an inhaler, nebulizers deliver a drug over many breaths, through tidal breathing, and hence are more forgiving to poor inhalation technique. To what extent susceptibility to errors in their use may influence the relative effectiveness of these two types of inhalation device has received little attention in COPD research. In 2005, a systematic review of the literature concluded that nebulizers and inhalers are equally effective in patients who are adequately trained to use their inhalation device. This conclusion was based on two small clinical trials that only examined objective measures of lung function. Since then, additional studies have found that maintenance therapy administered by nebulizers could improve patients’ reported feelings of symptom relief, quality of life, and satisfaction with treatment, compared to therapy administered by inhalers. Because it has been 15 years since the publication of the systematic review, in this article we summarize the results of studies that compared the effectiveness of inhalers with that of nebulizers in patients with stable COPD and discuss their implications for clinical practice and need for future research.
SEMILINEAR CALDERÓN PROBLEM ON STEIN MANIFOLDS WITH KÄHLER METRIC
Authors: MA YILIN , TZOU LEO
Published: May 2020

We extend existing methods which treat the semilinear Calderón problem on a bounded domain to a class of complex manifolds with Kähler metric. Given two semilinear Schrödinger operators with the same Dirchlet-to-Neumann data, we show that the integral identities that appear naturally in the determination of the analytic potentials are enough to deduce uniqueness on the boundary up to infinite order. By exploiting the assumed complex structure, this information allows us to apply the method of stationary phase and recover the potentials in the interior as well.
QUANTITATIVE REASONING AND COMMERCIAL LOGIC IN REBUILDING PLANS AFTER THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON, 1666
Authors: LAHAV AVITAL
Published: May 2020

Rebuilding plans submitted after the Great Fire of London in 1666 have been widely treated by historians of the Great Fire and in wide-scope histories of London and modern city planning. However, few attempts have been made to assign an overarching logic to all of them, while paying attention to their texts as well as to their maps. The following article highlights certain common features in these abortive efforts to plan London, assigns a common logic to all of them, and traces the origins of this logic. Such an analysis illuminates the economic principles in plans that are usually examined for their architectural features, and places them in a different historical context. Rather than seeing them as manifestations of contemporary architectural trends, or as a continuation of ongoing attempts to regulate London's cityscape, the plans are presented here as a response to emerging ideas in mid-seventeenth-century England about the nature of value and the economic function of cities within the world of commerce. Such a view reveals the complex interplay between London's early modern growth and the emergence of new forms of knowledge in seventeenth-century England and reasserts the importance of these plans as forerunners of present-day city planning.
Ruminal epithelium: a checkpoint for cattle health
Authors: Baaske Lisa , Gäbel Gotthold , Dengler Franziska
Published: May 2020

The reticulorumen, as the main fermentation site of ruminants, delivers energy in the form of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) for both the animal as well as the ruminal wall. By absorbing these SCFA, the ruminal epithelium plays a major role in the maintenance of intraruminal and intraepithelial acid–base homoeostasis as well as the balance of osmolarity. It takes up SCFA via several pathways which additionally lead to either a reduction of protons in the ruminal lumen or the secretion of bicarbonate, ultimately buffering the ruminal content effectively. Nutrition of the epithelium itself is achieved by catabolism of the SCFA, especially butyrate. Catabolism of SCFA also helps to maintain a concentration gradient across the epithelium to ensure efficient SCFA uptake and stability of the epithelial osmolarity. Furthermore, the ruminal epithelium forms a tight barrier against pathogens, endotoxins or biogenic amines, which may emerge from ruminal microorganisms and feed. Under physiological conditions, it reduces toxin uptake to a minimum. Moreover, the epithelium seems to have the ability to degrade biogenic amines like histamine. Nonetheless, in high performance production animals like dairy cattle, the reticulorumen is confronted with large amounts of rapidly fermentable carbohydrates. This may push the epithelium to its limits, even though it possesses a great capacity to adapt to varying feeding conditions. If the epithelial limit is exceeded, increasing amounts of SCFA lead to an acidotic imbalance that provokes epithelial damage and thereby elevates the entrance of pathogens and other potentially harmful substances into the animal's body. Hence, the ruminal epithelium lays the foundation for the animal's health, and in order to ensure longevity and high performance of ruminant farm animals, it should never be overburdened.
A case series and literature review on patients with rhinological complications secondary to the use of cocaine and levamisole
Authors: Green R J , Gardiner Q , Vinod K , Oparka R , Ross P D
Published: May 2020

Background

Levamisole is an increasingly common cutting agent used with cocaine. Both cocaine and levamisole can have local and systemic effects on patients.

Methods

A retrospective case series was conducted of patients with a cocaine-induced midline destructive lesion or levamisole-induced vasculitis, who presented to a Dundee hospital or the practice of a single surgeon in Paisley, from April 2016 to April 2019. A literature review on the topic was also carried out.

Results

Nine patients from the two centres were identified. One patient appeared to have levamisole-induced vasculitis, with raised proteinase 3, perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies positivity and arthralgia which improved on systemic steroids. The other eight patients had features of a cocaine-induced midline destructive lesion.

Conclusion

As the use of cocaine increases, ENT surgeons will see more of the complications associated with it. This paper highlights some of the diagnostic issues and proposes a management strategy as a guide to this complex patient group. Often, multidisciplinary management is needed.
Resource partitioning among juvenile snappers in a semi-arid estuary in north-eastern Brazil
Authors: Yasmin Lustosa-Costa Silvia , Nascimento Duarte Maria Rita , Vasconcelos Araújo Priscila Rocha , Pessanha André Luiz Machado
Published: May 2020

Resource partitioning is important for species coexistence. Species with similar ecomorphological characters have a high potential for competition, especially when close phylogenetically. The diet and resource partitioning of four snappers (Lutjanus alexandrei,L. analis,L. jocuandL. synagris) was studied in the Tubarão River, north-eastern Brazil, between March and November 2012. Specimens were caught using a beach seine, and a total of 731 stomachs were analysed. The highest abundance of snappers was found near to vegetated habitats in the middle estuary. Crustaceans were dominant in the diet of all four species, being found in over 90% of the stomachs, followed by fish and molluscs. The species did not appear to compete for common resources, probably because there was not always spatial overlap, and differences in the proportions of consumption of items were observed. Ontogenetic comparisons of dietary compositions suggested differences among species, with changes in the diet related to changes in the mouth area as the body size increased. The changes were more evident inL. analisandL. synagriswhere microcrustaceans (Calanoida, Cyclopoida and Amphipoda) were dominant in the diet of the smaller size classes, and benthic crustaceans (Brachyura) and fish in the diet of larger individuals. The intra- and inter-specific differences in the dietary compositions, differences in the mouth area and feeding strategy contribute to allow the co-existence of these snappers in the study area.
Review of doctoral research in language education in Germany (2014–2018)
Authors: Heine Lena , Marx Nicole , Schädlich Birgit , Wilden Eva
Published: May 2020

This article reviews a purposive sample of 16 doctoral dissertations in second language (L2) education, completed between 2014 and 2018 and published in German, in Germany. Among the 103 relevant dissertations found from this period, a total of 12 thematic strands were identified, of which five were chosen as being particularly common and thus warranting a more in-depth review: (1) learning and teaching about culture in the language classroom, (2) literary texts in L2 education, (3) bilingual models of learning and teaching, (4) plurilingual teaching and learning, and (5) language teacher education and teacher training. We identify relevant topics and relate these to trends in research methodology (qualitative/quantitative/mixed-methods). We also discuss the depth and breadth of these dissertations and situate their scholarly contributions within German and international research on language education.
Frontal Behavior Syndromes in Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus as a Function of Alzheimer’s Disease Biomarker Status
Authors: Niermeyer Madison , Gaudet Chad , Malloy Paul , Piryatinsky Irene , Salloway Stephen , Klinge Petra , Lee Athene
Published: May 2020

Objectives:

Cognitive impairment and apathy are well-documented features of idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH). However, research examining other neuropsychiatric manifestations of iNPH is scant, and it is unknown whether the neuropsychiatric presentation differs for iNPH patients with comorbid Alzheimer’s disease (AD) versus iNPH without AD. This study aims to advance our understanding of neuropsychiatric syndromes associated with iNPH.

Methods:

Fifty patients from Butler Hospital’s Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus Clinic met inclusion criteria. Caregiver ratings on the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (FrSBe) were examined to appraise changes in apathy, executive dysfunction, and disinhibition. Patients also completed cognitive tests of global cognition, psychomotor speed, and executive functioning. AD biomarker status was determined by either amyloid-beta (Aβ) positron emission tomography (PET) imaging or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) total tau to Aβ-42 ratio.

Results:

Results revealed clinically significant elevations on the FrSBe’s apathy and executive dysfunction scales and modest correlations among these scales and cognitive measures. Of the 44 patients with available neuroimaging or CSF draw data, 14 presented with comorbid AD. Relative to the iNPH-only group, the iNPH + AD group showed a larger increase from pre-illness to current informant ratings on the executive dysfunction scale, but not the apathy or disinhibition scales.

Conclusions:

These results replicate and extend prior research by identifying apathy and executive dysfunction as prominent neuropsychiatric symptoms of iNPH and suggest comorbid AD exacerbates dysexecutive behaviors. Future research is warranted to examine the effects of comorbid AD pathology in response to shunt surgery for iNPH, neuropsychiatric symptom changes, and resultant caregiver burden.
When Poor Students Attend Rich Schools: Do Affluent Social Environments Increase or Decrease Participation?
Authors: Mendelberg Tali , Mérola Vittorio , Raychaudhuri Tanika , Thal Adam
Published: May 2020

College is a key pathway to political participation, and lower-income individuals especially stand to benefit from it given their lower political participation. However, rising inequality makes college disproportionately more accessible to high-income students. One consequence of inequality is a prevalence of predominantly affluent campuses. Colleges are thus not insulated from the growing concentration of affluence in American social spaces. We ask how affluent campus spaces affect college’s ability to equalize political participation. Predominantly affluent campuses may create participatory norms that especially elevate low-income students’ participation. Alternatively, they may create affluence-centered social norms that marginalize these students, depressing their participation. A third possibility is equal effects, leaving the initial gap unchanged. Using a large panel survey (201,011 students), controls on many characteristics, and tests for selection bias, we find that predominantly affluent campuses increase political participation to a similar extent for all income groups, thus leaving the gap unchanged. We test psychological, academic, social, political, financial, and institutional mechanisms for the effects. The results carry implications for the self-reinforcing link between inequality and civic institutions.
Functional Somatic Syndromes (FSS) in Children and	Adolescents
Authors: Kangas Maria , Kallesoe Karen Hansen , Rask Charlotte Ulrikka
Published: May 2020

Abstract. Unspecific somatic health complaints and symptoms are common in children and adolescents, varying on a continuum of severity. When persistent and impairing, they are often referred to as functional somatic syndromes (FSS). The overarching objective of this paper is to provide an overview of the pediatric literature in relation to conceptual, assessment, and treatment issues for youth presenting with FSS. Clinical recommendations are outlined including addressing potential feasibility and barrier issues for families presenting to medical and mental health services. Assessment and treatment issues are further discussed in context of two recent psychotherapy trials conducted with children and older age adolescents (aged from 7 to 19 years). Finally, we address ongoing research gaps in this field with view to strengthen the evidence base in the assessment and treatment of youth presenting with FSS.
Somatic Symptom Perception and Interoception
Authors: Witthöft Michael , Bräscher Anne-Kathrin , Jungmann Stefanie M. , Köteles Ferenc
Published: May 2020

Abstract. Models of chronic somatic symptoms assume that abnormalities in interoception are related to the development and maintenance of symptom distress. Different models, however, disagree on the exact nature of the assumed abnormality: cognitive-behavioral models stress a hypervigilant cognitive style (predicting higher interoceptive accuracy) whereas predictive processing models assume a less detailed sensory processing (predicting lower interoceptive accuracy). This study aimed at testing the relationship between interoception and symptom perception. Using structural equation modeling, associations between cardiac interoception and symptom perception were tested in a sample of students ( n = 316) and a second heterogeneous sample ( n = 340, including 63 patients with either pathological health anxiety or a somatoform disorder according to DSM-IV). Stronger sensory symptom perceptions in the cardiorespiratory system were associated with lower interoceptive accuracy in sample 2. The findings are more in line with the predictive processing approach, suggesting less detailed and more biased interoception being associated with chronic somatic symptom distress.
Cyberchondriasis
Authors: Pollklas Melanie , Widemann Lavinia , Lochschmidt Mirjam , Plakhuta Anna , Gerlach Alexander L.
Published: May 2020

Abstract. Studies show a rising trend that individuals who worry about their health regularly search the internet. Recently, potentially negative effects of doing so have been highlighted. Illness anxiety and negative affectivity may influence these effects. We tested if searching the internet about a personal symptom leads to increased health concerns and if these traits have an impact. Data from 79 students were collected. Participants were asked to name and evaluate a symptom of personal concern and to research that symptom using the Internet for 5 min. Searching the internet resulted in a significant increase in health concerns and this was significantly moderated by negative affectivity but not by illness anxiety. A replication of these findings, possibly with an older sample scoring higher on illness anxiety will help to better understand the relations described above, and to point consumers and health professionals into the right direction regarding media usage.
Efficacy of a Psychological Single-Session Intervention in	Non-Cardiac Chest Pain
Authors: Schroeder Stefanie , Achenbach Stephan , Martin Alexandra
Published: May 2020

Abstract. Despite medical reassurance, non-cardiac chest pain (NCCP) frequently persists. Psychological interventions seem promising, but single-session interventions (SSI) are under-studied. To analyze the efficacy of a SSI focusing on chest pain perceptions in a randomized controlled trial (RCT), and to identify predictors of pain persistence. Individuals presenting with NCCP to a cardiology unit were randomly assigned to SSI ( N = 54) or treatment as usual ( N = 59). Follow-up assessments were 1 month (FU1) and 6 months (FU2) later. Primary outcome measures were chest pain (German Pain Questionnaire) and chest pain perceptions (IPQ-B, Reassurance Scale). Two by Three ANOVAs revealed significant improvements over time, but against expectation no significant interaction with group. Health concern and cardiac attribution following cardiac testing predicted FU2 chest pain ( p’s ≤ .018). These predictors could serve as markers to identify individuals with a risk for persisting complaints, a group that may benefit from interventions addressing dysfunctional illness perceptions.
Changes in Deep‐Sea Oxygenation in the Northeast Pacific Ocean During 32–10 ka
Authors: Saravanan Ponnusamy , Gupta Anil K. , Zheng Hongbo , Rai Santosh K. , Panigrahi Mruganka K.
Published: May 2020

Climatic variations in the northeastern (NE) Pacific Ocean have been related to the strength of intermediate water‐driven productivity and global ocean circulation. Productivity variations and ocean circulation during the late Quaternary may have caused changes in the intensity of the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ). To understand these changes in productivity and resultant OMZ fluctuations, we analyzed benthic foraminiferal assemblages from the Cascadia margin which reveal major faunal and ecological shifts associated with the millennial‐scale climate changes during ~32–10 ka. The intermediate waters were highly variable during ~20–14 ka with increased productivity and nutrient supply to the subsurface during circa 15.5–14.5 ka. Our results suggest that suboxic environmental conditions occurred during the warm interstadials, and the Bølling‐Ållerød event was favorable for the dysoxic species. Our results further indicate that paleoclimate variations in the northeast Pacific region were mainly driven by the Pacific Intermediate Water Current.