bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A review of the pesticide MCPA in the land‐water environment and emerging research needs
Authors: Morton Phoebe A. , Fennell Chris , Cassidy Rachel , Doody Donnacha , Fenton Owen , Mellander Per‐Erik , Jordan Phil
Published: December 2019

Due to its high solubility and poor adsorption to the soil matrix, the post‐emergence herbicide 2‐methyl‐4‐chlorophenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) is susceptible to transport into surface and groundwater bodies, where it can result in compromised water quality and breaches of legislative standards. However, there is still poor understanding of catchment scale dynamics and transport, particularly across heterogeneous hydrogeological settings. While it is known that MCPA degrades under aerobic conditions, negligible breakdown can occur in anaerobic environments, potentially creating a legacy in saturated soils. Fast runoff pathways post application are likely transport routes, but the relative contribution from the mobilization of legacy MCPA from anaerobic zones has yet to be quantified, making the delineation of MCPA sources encountered during monitoring programs challenging. While ecotoxicological effects have been examined, little is known about the interaction of MCPA (and its degradation products) with other pesticides, with nutrients or with colloids, and how this combines with environmental conditions to contribute to multiple stressor effects. We examine the state of MCPA knowledge, using case study examples from Ireland, and consider the implications of its widespread detection in waterbodies and drinking water supplies. Research themes required to ensure the sustainable and safe use of MCPA in an evolving agricultural, social and political landscape are identified here. These include the need to identify mitigation measures and/or alternative treatments, to gain insights into the conditions governing mobilization and attenuation, to map pathways of migration and to identify direct, synergistic and antagonistic ecotoxicological effects.

This article is categorized under:

Water and Life > Stresses and Pressures on Ecosystems

Science of Water > Water Quality
Room for Compulsory Product Liability Insurance in the European Union for Smart Robots? Reflections on the Compelling Challenges
Authors: Bugra Aysegul
Published: December 2019

The twenty-first century has seen the exponential rise of machines capable of assisting people in all sorts of areas and which are placed in use in, inter alia, agricultural, medical, industrial and domestic contexts. These machines gradually becoming ‘smart’ and beginning to operate with self-learning tools has given rise to concerns as to liability in respect of losses arising from their use. The need to safeguard the rights of the parties harmed by their use (victims) without disturbing the policy of fostering innovation in the European Union has recently paved the way for the initiative of the European Parliament Committee on Legal Affairs towards the proposal of a set of rules on civil liability for robotics. The chapter provides an analysis of various potential risks that may emerge from applying the current product liability rules to new technologies, as well as focus on the challenges posed by the adoption of a compulsory product liability insurance scheme, as proposed. As the requirement of a duty to insure may bring along intricate problems of moral hazard, the chapter considers the efficiency of tools such as the monitoring of the insured’s behaviour and the introduction of deductibles into policies in alleviating this problem. It also assesses to what extent the protection of victims may be disturbed because of certain practices of the insurance framework such as the use of claims-made policies in product liability insurance. Overall, the chapter seeks to highlight the advantages and drawbacks of the proposed compulsory product liability insurance scheme.
Modelling the Dynamic Relationship Between Mining Induced Seismic Activity and Production Rates, Depth and Size: A Mine-Wide Hierarchical Model
Authors: Martinsson J. , Törnman W.
Published: December 2019

The dynamic properties of mining induced seismic activity with respect to production rate, depth and size are studied in seven orebodies in the same underground iron ore mine. The objective is to understand the relationship between the measured seismic activity and the: seismic decay time, planned production rate, production size and mining depth. This relationship is the first step to individually customise the production rate for each orebody in the mine, make short-term predictions of future seismicity given planned productions, and to find out in what way the available predictors affect the seismicity. The seismic response with respect to the dependent variables is parametrised and the estimated decay times for each orebody, which are of particular interest here, are compared. An autoregressive model is proposed to capture the dynamic relationship between the induced seismic activity, the current production rate and the past seismic activity. Bayesian estimation of the parameters is considered and parameter constraints are incorporated in the prior distributions. The models for all orebodies are tied together and modelled hierarchically to capture the underlying joint structure of the problem, where the mine-wide parameters are learnt together with the individual orebody parameters from the observed data. Comparisons between the parameters from the hierarchical model and independent models are given. Group-level regressions reveal dependencies on size and mining depth. Model validation with posterior predictive checking using several discrepancy measures could not detect any model deficiencies or flaws. Posterior predictive intervals are evaluated and inference of model parameters are presented.
Predictors of 30-day mortality in orthogeriatric fracture patients aged 85 years or above admitted from the emergency department
Authors: Schuijt Henk Jan , Bos Jelle , Smeeing Diederik Pieter Johan , Geraghty Olivia , van der Velde Detlef
Published: December 2019

Purpose

Orthogeriatric trauma patients are at risk for functional decline and mortality. It is important to identify high-risk patients in an early stage, to improve outcomes and make better informed treatment decisions. The aim of this study was to identify independent risk factors for 30-day mortality in patients aged 85 years or above admitted from the emergency department with a fracture.

Methods

All orthopaedic trauma patients 85 years or above admitted from the emergency department were included. After a 30-day follow-up, mortality was determined by consulting the patient records. Multivariable logistics regression analysis generated odd ratios for mortality risk factors. A subgroup analysis was performed for patients undergoing hip fracture surgery.

Results

The 30-day mortality in geriatric fracture patients admitted to the hospital was 12%. Risk factors for 30-day mortality were: increased age, male sex, decreased hemoglobin levels, living in an institutional care facility and a decreased BMI. For geriatric patients undergoing hip fracture surgery 30-day mortality was 11%. Independent risk factors for this group were: increased age, male sex, and a decreased BMI.

Conclusion

Orthopaedic trauma patients aged 85 years or above who are admitted to the hospital with a fracture are at high risk for mortality. This study identified older age, male sex, and decreased BMI as predictors of 30-day mortality in admitted geriatric fracture patients and in geriatric hip fracture patients undergoing surgery.
Women in radiology: gender diversity is not a metric—it is a tool for excellence
Authors: Kubik-Huch Rahel A. , Vilgrain Valérie , Krestin Gabriel P. , Reiser Maximilian F. , Attenberger Ulrike I. , Muellner Ada U. , Hess Christopher P. , Hricak Hedvig
Published: December 2019

Women in Focus: Be Inspired was a unique programme held at the 2019 European Congress of Radiology that was structured to address a range of topics related to gender and healthcare, including leadership, mentoring and the generational progression of women in medicine. In most countries, women constitute substantially fewer than half of radiologists in academia or private practice despite frequently accounting for at least half of medical school enrolees. Furthermore, the proportion of women decreases at higher academic ranks and levels of leadership, a phenomenon which has been referred to as a “leaky pipeline”. Gender diversity in the radiologic workplace, including in academic and leadership positions, is important for the present and future success of the field. It is a tool for excellence that helps to optimize patient care and research; moreover, it is essential to overcome the current shortage of radiologists. This article reviews the current state of gender diversity in academic and leadership positions in radiology internationally and explores a wide range of potential reasons for gender disparities, including the lack of role models and mentorship, unconscious bias and generational changes in attitudes about the desirability of leadership positions. Strategies for both individuals and institutions to proactively increase the representation of women in academic and leadership positions are suggested.

Key Points

• Gender-diverse teams perform better. Thus, gender diversity throughout the radiologic workplace, including in leadership positions, is important for the current and future success of the field.

• Though women now make up roughly half of medical students, they remain underrepresented among radiology trainees, faculty and leaders.

• Factors leading to the gender gap in academia and leadership positions in Radiology include a lack of role models and mentors, unconscious biases, other societal barriers and generational changes.
Neutrality and relative acceptability in judgment aggregation
Authors: Terzopoulou Zoi , Endriss Ulle
Published: December 2019

One of the fundamental normative principles in social choice theory is that of neutrality. In the context of judgment aggregation, neutrality is encoded in the form of an axiom expressing that, when two possible judgments enjoy the same support amongst the individuals, then either both or neither of them should be accepted. This is a reasonable requirement in many scenarios. However, we argue that for scenarios in which individuals are asked to pass judgment on very diverse kinds of propositions, a notion of relative acceptability is better suited. We capture this notion by a new axiom that hinges on a binary “acceptability” relation Abetween propositions: if a given coalition accepting a proposition pentails the collective acceptance of p, then the same should be true for every other proposition qrelated to pviaA. Intuitively,pAqmeans thatpis at least as acceptable asq. Classical neutrality is then a special case where all propositions are equally acceptable. We show that our new axiom allows us to circumvent a classical impossibility theorem in judgment aggregation for certain scenarios of practical interest. Also, we offer a precise characterisation of all scenarios that aresafe, in the sense that any aggregation rule respecting the relative acceptability between propositions will always return logically consistent outcomes.
Resilience of beach grasses along a biogeomorphic successive gradient: resource availability vs. clonal integration
Authors: Reijers Valérie C. , Lammers Carlijn , de Rond Anne J. A. , Hoetjes Sean C. S. , Lamers Leon P. M. , van der Heide Tjisse
Published: December 2019

Coastal ecosystems are often formed through two-way interactions between plants and their physical landscape. By expanding clonally, landscape-forming plants can colonize bare unmodified environments and stimulate vegetation–landform feedback interactions. Yet, to what degree these plants rely on clonal integration for overcoming physical stress during biogeomorphological succession remains unknown. Here, we investigated the importance of clonal integration and resource availability on the resilience of two European beach grasses (i.e.Elytrigia junceaandAmmophila arenaria) over a natural biogeomorphic dune gradient from beach (unmodified system) to foredune (biologically modified system). We found plant resilience, as measured by its ability to recover and expand following disturbance (i.e. plant clipping), to be independent on the presence of rhizomal connections between plant parts. Instead, resource availability over the gradient largely determined plant resilience. The pioneer species,Elytrigia,demonstrated a high resilience to physical stress, independent of its position on the biogeomorphic gradient (beach or embryonic dune). In contrast, the later successional species (Ammophila) proved to be highly resilient on the lower end of its distribution (embryonic dune), but it did not fully recover on the foredunes, most likely as a result of nutrient deprivation. We argue that in homogenously resource-poor environments as our beach system, overall resource availability, instead of translocation through a clonal network, determines the resilience of plant species. Hence, the formation of high coastal dunes may increase the resistance of beach grasses to the physical stresses of coastal flooding, but the reduced marine nutrient input may negatively affect the resilience of plants.
Multi-platform model assessment in the Western Mediterranean Sea: impact of downscaling on the surface circulation and mesoscale activity
Authors: Aguiar Eva , Mourre Baptiste , Juza Mélanie , Reyes Emma , Hernández-Lasheras Jaime , Cutolo Eugenio , Mason Evan , Tintoré Joaquín
Published: December 2019

In numerical ocean modeling, dynamical downscaling is the approach consisting in generating high-resolution regional simulations exploiting the information from coarser resolution models for initial and boundary conditions. Here we evaluate the impacts of downscaling the 1/16o(~ 6–7 km) CMEMS Mediterranean reanalysis model solution into a high-resolution 2-km free-run simulation over the Western Mediterranean basin, focusing on the surface circulation and mesoscale activity. Multi-platform observations from satellite-borne altimeters, high-frequency radar, fixed moorings, and gliders are used for this evaluation, providing insights into the variability from basin to coastal scales. Results show that the downscaling leads to an improvement of the time-averaged surface circulation, especially in the topographically complex area of the Balearic Sea. In particular, the path of the Balearic current is improved in the high-resolution model, also positively affecting transports through the Ibiza Channel. While the high-resolution model produces a similar number of large eddies as CMEMS Med Rea and altimetry, it generates a much larger number of small-scale eddies. Looking into the variability, in the absence of data assimilation, the high-resolution model is not able to properly reproduce the observed phases of mesoscale structures, especially in the southern part of the domain. This negatively affects the representation of the variability of the surface currents interacting with these eddies, highlighting the importance of data assimilation in the high-resolution ocean model in this region to constrain the evolution of these mesoscale structures.
Assessing the impacts of the main river and anthropogenic use on the degree of metal contamination of oxbow lake sediments (Tisza River Valley, Hungary)
Authors: Babcsányi Izabella , Tamás Margit , Szatmári József , Hambek-Oláh Beáta , Farsang Andrea
Published: December 2019

Purpose

Oxbow lakes, reaches that were cut off from a river during river straightening works, can accumulate during flooding metal-rich suspended sediments transported by a river from mining-impacted source areas and other anthropogenic sources. Additionally, the anthropogenic use of oxbow lakes may significantly impact the sediment-bound metal concentrations. The aim was to determine the dominating effect in the sediments’ enrichment in heavy metals.

Materials and methods

We collected surface sediments (< 10-cm depth) from seven oxbow lakes once connected to the Tisza River (a transboundary river in Central and Eastern Europe). Four of the oxbows were located on the active floodplain, while three oxbows were at the reclaimed side (i.e., outside the flood defense levee). The sediment samples were subjected to total metal analyses (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) and sequential chemical extractions.

Results and discussion

Contamination indices (geoaccumulation index (Igeo) and pollution load index (PLI)) show a moderate but significant metal pollution of oxbow lakes situated on the active floodplain (Igeo (Pb) 0.95–1.25, PLI 2.1–2.8) and an overall unpolluted to slightly polluted status of those at the reclaimed side (Igeo (Pb) − 0.36–0.51, PLI 1.3–1.7). Additionally, the geochemical fractionation of the target metals showed that Cd and Zn were the most labile (Cd 29–48%, Zn 18–37% of non-residual proportions), indicating their environmental significance.

Conclusions

Canonical discriminant analysis of the sediment-bound metal concentrations revealed the prevalent role of the river connection over the anthropogenic use in controlling the metal enrichment of oxbow sediments.
On Heidegger’s Sofa: Some Remarks on Psychotherapy from Historical and Philosophical Points of View
Authors: Sampolahti Timo , Laitila Aarno
Published: December 2019

Our starting point in this article is that the question of the essence of psychotherapy has to some extent been neglected. Its medical context has strengthened the tendency to interpret psychotherapy in general from a technical and overtly rationalistic standpoint. Instead, we would underline the importance of the philosophical and historical roots of all psychotherapies. In our view, it is imperative to acknowledge the antirationalistic underpinnings that have always informed the discipline. We show how speculative mysticism and the late philosophy of Martin Heidegger have proved to be indispensable tools in setting psychotherapies in their philosophical and historical context. Robert Stolorow has also recently emphasised that Heidegger’s philosophy in Time and Being can be used to both understand and develop thinking in psychotherapies. We find it surprising that Heidegger’s late philosophy has not previously been considered a promising standpoint for theoretical research and show how Heidegger’s concepts of twofold thinking and Gelassenheit are useful conceptual tools in understanding various dimensions of psychotherapies.
Correlation between the PROMIS Pediatric Mobility Instrument and the Hospital for Special Surgery Pediatric Functional Activity Brief Scale (HSS Pedi-FABS)
Authors: Adjei Joshua , Schachne Jonathan M. , Green Daniel W. , Fabricant Peter D.
Published: December 2019

Background

Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are an important resource for clinicians wishing to provide high-quality, patient-centered care. Finding PROMs to use in a pediatric clinical practice that are reliable, age appropriate, succinct, and not redundant is challenging.

Questions/Purposes

We sought to determine the degree of correlation between two pediatric PROMs, the Hospital for Special Surgery Pediatric Functional Activity Brief Scale (HSS Pedi-FABS) and the PROMIS Pediatric Mobility (PROMIS PM) instrument, when administered at patients’ initial visit. We hypothesized that there would be a positive correlation between the two questionnaires because of their focus on physical function.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional review of 294 pediatric patients (mean age, 13.7 years) with localized lower-extremity joint pathologies at our high-volume urban pediatric sports practice. The patients had been asked to complete both PROMs on a computerized platform.

Results

We found a positive and statistically significant—albeit modest—correlation between the scores obtained on the HSS Pedi-FABS and the PROMIS PM. Neither instrument significantly correlated with patient age, nor were floor and ceiling effects observed.

Conclusion

The study shows that although both PROM instruments provide valuable information about pediatric physical function, they are not redundant because they measure slightly different constructs. Future studies should further investigate the correlation between these questionnaires in specific subpopulations of pediatric patients with lower-extremity pathology.
Why do Ministers Ask for Policy Evaluation Studies? The Case of the Flemish Government
Authors: Pattyn Valérie , De Peuter Bart , Brans Marleen
Published: December 2019

Policy evaluations can be set up for multiple purposes including accountability, policy learning and policy planning. The question is, however, how these purposes square with politics itself. To date, there is little knowledge on how government ministers present the rationale of evaluations. This article is the first to provide a diachronic study of discourse about evaluation purposes and encompass a wide range of policy fields. We present an analysis of evaluation announcements in so-called ministerial policy notes issued between 1999 and 2019 by the Flemish government in Belgium. The research fine-tunes available evidence on catalysts for conducting evaluations. The Flemish public sector turns out to be a strong case where New Public Management brought policy evaluation onto the agenda, but this has not resulted in a prominent focus on accountability-oriented evaluations. We further show that policy fields display different evaluation cultures, albeit more in terms of the volume of evaluation demand than in terms of preferences for particular evaluation purposes.
Microstructure Evolution During Hot Deformation of REX734 Austenitic Stainless Steel
Authors: Kulakov Mykola , Huang Jianglin , Ntovas Michail , Moturu Shanmukha
Published: December 2019

Mechanical properties of a REX734 austenitic stainless steel were examined through compression testing over a wide range of temperatures (1173 K to 1373 K (900 °C to 1100 °C)) and strain rates (0.1 to 40 s−1) that cover deformation conditions encountered in different metalworking processes. The evolution of microstructure was studied using electron microscopy combined with electron backscatter diffraction and energy-dispersive spectroscopy. Partially recrystallized microstructures were obtained after compression testing at 1173 K (900 °C), while after deformation at 1273 K and 1373 K (1000 °C and 1100 °C), the material was fully recrystallized almost in all examined cases. The role of dynamic and metadynamic restoration processes in the formation of final microstructure was investigated. Σ3 twin boundaries lost their twin character and transformed into general high-angle grain boundaries as a result of deformation, while during recrystallization new Σ3 twin boundaries formed. The evolution of precipitates during compression testing and their role in the recrystallization process was also discussed.
High Purity Nickel Recovery from an Industrial Sidestream Using Concentration and Liquid–Liquid Extraction Techniques
Authors: Hu Fang , Wilson Benjamin P. , Han Bing , Zhang Jianxin , Louhi-Kultanen Marjatta , Lundström Mari
Published: December 2019

This article outlines an alternative flowsheet for the purification of a multi-metal industrial sidestream (16.3 g/l Ni, 0.7 g/l Co, 0.6 g/l Ca and 1.6 g/l Mg) to allow high-purity nickel recovery. The methodology comprises an initial evaporation step to achieve Ca removal followed by impurity (Ca, Mg) and valuable (Co, Ni) element separation via two-step solvent extraction with organophosphorus extractants. Results indicate that > 80% of Ca is selectively removed as CaSO4·2H2O by evaporation with a concentration degree > 6. In the following treatment, ~ 90% of residual Ca (0.6 g/l) can be selectively extracted with Na-D2EHPA. The subsequent solvent extraction step with Na-Cyanex 272 separates Co (> 99%) and Mg (> 95%). The resultant nickel sulfate solution (61.7 g/l Ni, 0.3 g/l Mg and Co 0.007 g/l) of > 99.5% purity can be directly integrated into state-of-the-art nickel recovery processes.
Proteinkomplexe an inhibitorischen Synapsen in psychiatrischen Störungen
Authors: Krueger-Burg Dilja
Published: December 2019

Organizational protein complexes at inhibitory postsynapses in the brain play a key role in regulating the flow of information through neuronal networks, and accordingly, abnormalities in these complexes can contribute to the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders. Recent research indicates that the molecular composition of these complexes is highly diverse and synapse-specific, posing major challenges for basic research but also offering opportunities for potential clinical applications.
Small-Molecule Protein Kinases Inhibitors and the Risk of Fungal Infections
Authors: Bechman Katie , Galloway James B , Winthrop Kevin L
Published: December 2019

Purpose of Review

This review discusses fungal infections associated with licenced small-molecule protein kinase inhibitors. For each major drug class, the mechanism of action and targeted pathways and the impact on host defence against fungi are described.

Recent Findings

Protein kinase inhibitors are successfully used in the treatment of malignancies and immune-mediated diseases, targeting signalling pathways for a broad spectrum of cytokines and growth-stimuli. These agents predispose to fungal infections by the suppression of integral components of the adaptive and innate immune response.

The greatest risk of fungal infections is seen with bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors, e.g. ibrutinib. Infections are also reported with agents that target mTOR, Janus kinase and break point cluster (Bcr) gene–Abelson (Abl) tyrosine kinase (BCR-ABL). The type of fungal infection fits mechanistically with the specific pathway targeted. Infections are often disseminated and present soon after the initiation of therapy. The pharmacokinetic profile, possibility of off-target kinase inhibition, and underlying disease pathology contribute to infection risk.
A model-based exploration of farm-household livelihood and nutrition indicators to guide nutrition-sensitive agriculture interventions
Authors: Estrada-Carmona Natalia , Raneri Jessica E. , Alvarez Stephanie , Timler Carl , Chatterjee Shantonu Abe , Ditzler Lenora , Kennedy Gina , Remans Roseline , Brouwer Inge , den Berg Karin Borgonjen-van , Talsma Elise F. , Groot Jeroen C. J.
Published: December 2019

Assessing progress towards healthier people, farms and landscapes through nutrition-sensitive agriculture (NSA) requires transdisciplinary methods with robust models and metrics. Farm-household models could facilitate disentangling the complex agriculture-nutrition nexus, by jointly assessing performance indicators on different farm system components such as farm productivity, farm environmental performance, household nutrition, and livelihoods. We, therefore, applied a farm-household model, FarmDESIGN, expanded to more comprehensively capture household nutrition and production diversity, diet diversity, and nutrient adequacy metrics. We estimated the potential contribution of an NSA intervention targeting the diversification of home gardens, aimed at reducing nutritional gaps and improving livelihoods in rural Vietnam. We addressed three central questions: (1) Do ‘Selected Crops’ (i.e. crops identified in a participatory process) in the intervention contribute to satisfying household dietary requirements?; (2) Does the adoption of Selected Crops contribute to improving household livelihoods (i.e. does it increase leisure time for non-earning activities as well as the dispensable budget)?; and (3) Do the proposed nutrition-related metrics estimate the contribution of home-garden diversification towards satisfying household dietary requirements? Results indicate trade-offs between nutrition and dispensable budget, with limited farm-household configurations leading to jointly improved nutrition and livelihoods. FarmDESIGN facilitated testing the robustness and limitations of commonly used metrics to monitor progress towards NSA. Results indicate that most of the production diversity metrics performed poorly at predicting desirable nutritional outcomes in this modelling study. This study demonstrates that farm-household models can facilitate anticipating the effect (positive or negative) of agricultural interventions on nutrition and the environment, identifying complementary interventions for significant and positive results and helping to foresee the trade-offs that farm-households could face. Furthermore, FarmDESIGN could contribute to identifying agreed-upon and robust metrics for measuring nutritional outcomes at the farm-household level, to allow comparability between contexts and NSA interventions.
Influence of HfO2 alloying effect on microstructure and thermal conductivity of HoTaO4 ceramics
Authors: Chen Lin , Feng Jing
Published: December 2019

HfO2 alloying effect has been applied to optimize thermal insulation performance of HoTaO4 ceramics. X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy are employed to decide the crystal structure. Scanning electronic microscopy is utilized to detect the influence of HfO2 alloying effect on microstructure. Current paper indicates that the same numbers of Ta5+ and Ho3+ ions of HoTaO4 are substituted by Hf4+ cations, and it is defined as alloying effect. No crystal structural transition is introduced by HfO2 alloying effect, and circular pores are produced in HoTaO4. HfO2 alloying effect is efficient in decreasing thermal conductivity of HoTaO4 and it is contributed to the differences of ionic radius and atomic weight between Hf4+ ions and host cations (Ta5+ and Ho3+). The least experimental thermal conductivity is 0.8 W·K−1·m−1 at 900 °C, which is detected in 6 and 9 mol%-HfO2 HoTaO4 ceramics. The results imply that HfO2–HoTaO4 ceramics are promising thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) due to their extraordinary thermal insulation performance.
PZT–NZF/CF ferrite flexible thick films: Structural, dielectric, ferroelectric, and magnetic characterization
Authors: Bobić J. D. , Teixeira G. Ferreira , Grigalaitis R. , Gyergyek S. , Petrović M. M. Vijatović , Zaghete M. Ap. , Stojanovic B. D.
Published: December 2019

The preparation and properties of thick flexible three-phase composite films based on lead zirconium titanate (PZT) and various ferrites (nickel zinc ferrite (NZF) and cobalt ferrite (CF)) were reported in this study. Properties of three-phase composite films were compared with pure polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and PZT–PVDF films. X-ray diffraction data indicated the formation of well crystallized structure of PZT and NZF/CF phases, without the presence of undesirable phases. Scanning electron micrographs showed that the ceramic particles were dispersed homogeneously in the PVDF matrix and atomic force microscopy confirmed that the size of the particles is around 30 nm. Non-saturated hysteresis loops were evident in all samples due to the presence of highly conductive ferrite phases. Under magnetic field of 10 kOe, composite films exhibited a typical ferromagnetic response. Dielectric properties were investigated in the temperature range from −128 to 250 °C and frequency range of 400 Hz–1 MHz. The results showed that the value of dielectric constant of the PVDF/PZT/ferrite composites increased about 25% above the one obtained for pure PVDF.
Additive manufacturing with the lightweight material aluminium alloy EN AW-7075
Authors: Langebeck Anika , Bohlen Annika , Freisse Hannes , Vollertsen Frank
Published: December 2019

As a widely used additive manufacturing technique, the laser metal deposition process (LMD) also known as direct energy deposition (DED) is often used to manufacture large-scale parts. Advantages of the LMD process are the high build-up rate as well as its nearly limitless build-up volume. To manufacture large-scale parts in lightweight design with high strength aluminium alloy EN AW-7075, the LMD process has a disadvantage that must be considered. During the process, the aluminium alloy is melted and has therefore a high solubility for hydrogen. As soon as the melt pool solidifies again, the hydrogen cannot escape the melt and hydrogen pores are formed which weakens the mechanical properties of the manufactured part. To counter this disadvantage, the hydrogen must be successfully kept away from the process zone. Therefore, the covering of the process zone with shielding gas can be improved by an additional shielding gas shroud. Furthermore, the process parameters energy input per unit length as well as the horizontal overlapping between two single tracks can be varied to minimize the pore volume. Best results can be achieved in single tracks with an elevated energy input per unit length from 3000 to 6000 J/cm. To manufacture layers, a minimal horizontal overlapping will lead to lowest pore volume, although this results in a very wavy surface, as a compromise of low pore volume and a nearly even surface a horizontal overlapping of 30 to 37% leads to a pore volume of 0.95% ± 0.50%.
Is Motorized Treadmill Running Biomechanically Comparable to Overground Running? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Cross-Over Studies
Authors: Van Hooren Bas , Fuller Joel T. , Buckley Jonathan D. , Miller Jayme R. , Sewell Kerry , Rao Guillaume , Barton Christian , Bishop Chris , Willy Richard W.
Published: December 2019

Background

Treadmills are often used in research, clinical practice, and training. Biomechanical investigations comparing treadmill and overground running report inconsistent findings.

Objective

This study aimed at comparing biomechanical outcomes between motorized treadmill and overground running.

Methods

Four databases were searched until June 2019. Crossover design studies comparing lower limb biomechanics during non-inclined, non-cushioned, quasi-constant-velocity motorized treadmill running with overground running in healthy humans (18–65 years) and written in English were included. Meta-analyses and meta-regressions were performed where possible.

Results

33 studies (n = 494 participants) were included. Most outcomes did not differ between running conditions. However, during treadmill running, sagittal foot–ground angle at footstrike (mean difference (MD) − 9.8° [95% confidence interval: − 13.1 to − 6.6]; low GRADE evidence), knee flexion range of motion from footstrike to peak during stance (MD 6.3° [4.5 to 8.2]; low), vertical displacement center of mass/pelvis (MD − 1.5 cm [− 2.7 to − 0.8]; low), and peak propulsive force (MD − 0.04 body weights [− 0.06 to − 0.02]; very low) were lower, while contact time (MD 5.0 ms [0.5 to 9.5]; low), knee flexion at footstrike (MD − 2.3° [− 3.6 to − 1.1]; low), and ankle sagittal plane internal joint moment (MD − 0.4 Nm/kg [− 0.7 to − 0.2]; low) were longer/higher, when pooled across overground surfaces. Conflicting findings were reported for amplitude of muscle activity.

Conclusions

Spatiotemporal, kinematic, kinetic, muscle activity, and muscle–tendon outcome measures are largely comparable between motorized treadmill and overground running. Considerations should, however, particularly be given to sagittal plane kinematic differences at footstrike when extrapolating treadmill running biomechanics to overground running. Protocol registration CRD42018083906 (PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews).
Fact-checking strategies to limit urban legends spreading in a segregated society
Authors: Tambuscio Marcella , Ruffo Giancarlo
Published: December 2019

We propose a framework to study the spreading of urban legends, i.e., false stories that becomepersistentin a local popular culture, where social groups are naturally segregated by virtue of many (both mutable and immutable) attributes. The goal of this work is identifying and testing newstrategiesto restrain the dissemination of false information, focusing on the role of network polarization. Following the traditional approach in the study of information diffusion, we consider an epidemic network-based model where the agents can be ‘infected’ after being exposed to the urban legend or to its debunking depending on the belief of their neighborhood. Simulating the spreading process on several networks showing different kind of segregation, we perform awhat-if analysisto compare strategies and to understand where it is better to locateeternal fact-checkers, nodes that maintain their position as debunkers of the given urban legend. Our results suggest that very few of these strategies have a chance to succeed. This apparently negative outcomes turns out to be somehow surprising taking into account that we ran our simulations under a highly pessimistic assumption, such that the ‘believers’, i.e., agents that accepted as true the urban legend after they have been exposed to it, will not change their belief no matter of how much external or internal additional informational sources they access to. This has implications on policies that are supposed to decide which strategy to apply to stop misinformation from spreading in real world networks.
Association Among Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms, Erectile Function, and Sexual Satisfaction: Results from the Brazil LUTS Study
Authors: Gomes Cristiano Mendes , Averbeck Marcio Augusto , Koyama Mitti , Soler Roberto
Published: December 2019

Introduction

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) affect ≥60% of adult men and are associated with erectile dysfunction (ED) and sexual dissatisfaction.

Aim

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship among male LUTS, ED, and sexual satisfaction.

Methods

This was a secondary analysis of the Brazil LUTS study, a cross-sectional, epidemiological survey conducted by telephone interview in 5 cities in Brazil. This analysis included men aged ≥40 years.

Main Outcome Measure

LUTS were identified using International Continence Society definitions. LUTS severity was assessed using the International Prostate Symptom Score questionnaire. Erectile function was assessed using the International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) questionnaire and sexual satisfaction was rated on a 5-point scale.

Results

2,433 men participated in the study. Of 2,183 men reporting data on LUTS, 873 (40%) had LUTS “about half the time” or more. The prevalence of ED and sexual dissatisfaction was 14.4% and 7.8%, respectively. The proportion of men reporting ED and sexual dissatisfaction was higher among men with LUTS (24.6% and 13.8%, respectively) than men without LUTS (8.7% and 4.5%, respectively; P < .001). LUTS severity was negatively correlated with IIEF-5 scores (r = –0.199; P < .001); we estimated a 0.431-point decrease in IIEF-5 score per 3-point increase in International Prostate Symptom Score. Increased age and the presence of LUTS were associated with a greater chance of ED and sexual dissatisfaction; depression/anxiety and diabetes were associated with a greater chance of sexual dissatisfaction only. Among men with LUTS, urgency with fear of leaking, urgency urinary incontinence, and nocturnal enuresis were associated with a greater chance of ED, whereas slow stream and urgency urinary incontinence were associated with a greater chance of sexual dissatisfaction.

Conclusion

These results demonstrate that the presence of LUTS is associated with an increased chance of ED and sexual dissatisfaction in Brazilian men and reinforce the importance of a comprehensive assessment of these conditions.
Machine Learning to Detect Alzheimer’s Disease from Circulating Non-Coding RNAs
Authors: Ludwig Nicole , Fehlmann Tobias , Kern Fabian , Gogol Manfred , Maetzler Walter , Deutscher Stephanie , Gurlit Simone , Schulte Claudia , von Thaler Anna-Katharina , Deuschle Christian , Metzger Florian , Berg Daniela , Suenkel Ulrike , Keller Verena , Backes Christina , Lenhof Hans-Peter , Meese Eckart , Keller Andreas
Published: December 2019

Blood-borne small non-coding (sncRNAs) are among the prominent candidates for blood-based diagnostic tests. Often, high-throughput approaches are applied to discover biomarker signatures. These have to be validated in larger cohorts and evaluated by adequate statistical learning approaches. Previously, we published high-throughput sequencing based microRNA (miRNA) signatures in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients in the United States (US) and Germany. Here, we determined abundance levels of 21 known circulating miRNAs in 465 individuals encompassing AD patients and controls by RT-qPCR. We computed models to assess the relation between miRNA expression and phenotypes, gender, age, or disease severity (Mini-Mental State Examination; MMSE). Of the 21 miRNAs, expression levels of 20 miRNAs were consistently de-regulated in the US and German cohorts. 18 miRNAs were significantly correlated with neurodegeneration (Benjamini-Hochberg adjusted P < 0.05) with highest significance for miR-532-5p (Benjamini-Hochberg adjusted P = 4.8 × 10−30). Machine learning models reached an area under the curve (AUC) value of 87.6% in differentiating AD patients from controls. Further, ten miRNAs were significantly correlated with MMSE, in particular miR-26a/26b-5p (adjusted P = 0.0002). Interestingly, the miRNAs with lower abundance in AD were enriched in monocytes and T-helper cells, while those up-regulated in AD were enriched in serum, exosomes, cytotoxic t-cells, and B-cells. Our study represents the next important step in translational research for a miRNA-based AD test.
GEOMETRIC BIJECTIONS FOR REGULAR MATROIDS, ZONOTOPES, AND EHRHART THEORY
Authors: BACKMAN SPENCER , BAKER MATTHEW , YUEN CHI HO
Published: December 2019

Let$M$be a regular matroid. The Jacobian group$\text{Jac}(M)$of$M$is a finite abelian group whose cardinality is equal to the number of bases of$M$. This group generalizes the definition of the Jacobian group (also known as the critical group or sandpile group)$\operatorname{Jac}(G)$of a graph$G$(in which case bases of the corresponding regular matroid are spanning trees of$G$). There are many explicit combinatorial bijections in the literature between the Jacobian group of a graph$\text{Jac}(G)$and spanning trees. However, most of the known bijections use vertices of$G$in some essential way and are inherently ‘nonmatroidal’. In this paper, we construct a family of explicit and easy-to-describe bijections between the Jacobian group of a regular matroid$M$and bases of$M$, many instances of which are new even in the case of graphs. We first describe our family of bijections in a purely combinatorial way in terms of orientations; more specifically, we prove that the Jacobian group of$M$admits a canonical simply transitive action on the set${\mathcal{G}}(M)$of circuit–cocircuit reversal classes of$M$, and then define a family of combinatorial bijections$\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D70E},\unicode[STIX]{x1D70E}^{\ast }}$between${\mathcal{G}}(M)$and bases of$M$. (Here$\unicode[STIX]{x1D70E}$(respectively$\unicode[STIX]{x1D70E}^{\ast }$) is an acyclic signature of the set of circuits (respectively cocircuits) of$M$.) We then give a geometric interpretation of each such map$\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}=\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D70E},\unicode[STIX]{x1D70E}^{\ast }}$in terms of zonotopal subdivisions which is used to verify that$\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}$is indeed a bijection. Finally, we give a combinatorial interpretation of lattice points in the zonotope$Z$; by passing to dilations we obtain a new derivation of Stanley’s formula linking the Ehrhart polynomial of$Z$to the Tutte polynomial of$M$.
Supplementation with cod protein hydrolysate in older adults: a dose range cross-over study
Authors: Jensen Caroline , Dale Hanna F. , Hausken Trygve , Lied Einar , Hatlebakk Jan G. , Brønstad Ingeborg , Lied Gülen A. , Hoff Dag Arne L.
Published: December 2019

A large proportion of older adults are affected by impaired glucose metabolism. Previous studies with fish protein have reported improved glucose regulation in healthy adults, but the evidence in older adults is limited. Therefore, we wanted to assess the effect of increasing doses of a cod protein hydrolysate (CPH) on postprandial glucose metabolism in older adults. The study was a double-blind cross-over trial. Participants received four different doses (10, 20, 30 or 40 mg/kg body weight (BW)) of CPH daily for 1 week with 1-week washout periods in between. The primary outcome was postprandial response in glucose metabolism, measured by samples of serum glucose and insulin in 20 min intervals for 120 min. The secondary outcome was postprandial response in plasma glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1). Thirty-one subjects aged 60–78 years were included in the study. In a mixed-model statistical analysis, no differences in estimated maximum value of glucose, insulin or GLP-1 were observed when comparing the lowest dose of CPH (10 mg/kg BW) with the higher doses (20, 30 or 40 mg/kg BW). The estimated maximum value of glucose was on average 0·28 mmol/l lower when the participants were given 40 mg/kg BW CPH compared with 10 mg/kg BW (P = 0·13). The estimated maximum value of insulin was on average 5·14 mIU/l lower with 40 mg/kg BW of CPH compared with 10 mg/kg BW (P = 0·20). Our findings suggest that serum glucose and insulin levels tend to decrease with increasing amounts of CPH. Due to preliminary findings, the results require further investigation.
Phylogenetic relationships between genera Dorcadion, Lamia, Morimus, Herophila and some other Lamiinae (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) based on chromosome and CO1 gene sequence comparison
Authors: Giannoulis Themis , Dutrillaux Anne-Marie , Sarri Constantina , Mamuris Zissis , Dutrillaux Bernard
Published: December 2019

A dual molecular and cytogenetic study was performed with the aim to improve the controversial systematic classification of some species of Lamiinae (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). The karyotypes of species belonging to genera Morimus, Herophila, Dorcadion, Neodorcadion and Lamia share a number of characters, which differentiate them from other species, belonging to genera Phytoecia, Parmena and Monochamus. The karyotypes of the last three species comprise 20 chromosomes, mostly metacentric or sub-metacentric, as in the presumed Cerambycidae ancestors. The karyotypes of the former species share many characters derived from the Lamiinae ancestors by a number of chromosome fissions and inversions indicating their monophyly. Comparisons of the CO1 gene sequence also show the monophyly of Morimus, Lamia, Herophila and Dorcadion and their distant relationship with others. These convergent results allow us to propose a phylogenetic classification of these genera, which places the monospecific genus Lamia close to Dorcadion, clearly separates Dorcadion and Neodorcadion and places Herophila closer to Morimus than to Dorcadion/Lamia. The genus Morimus is the most derived. CO1 mutations loosely separate the forms M. asper and M. funereus, which have similar karyotypes and behaviour and copulate in captivity. The form M. ganglebaueri may have a funereus X asper hybrid origin.
RECONCEPTUALISING THE LEGAL RESPONSE TO FOREIGN FIGHTERS
Authors: Ip John
Published: December 2019

The Syrian civil war has highlighted the phenomenon of foreign fighting, in which individuals leave their home State to join an armed conflict overseas. The predominant paradigm for regulating foreign fighting, centred on United Nations Security Council Resolution 2178, is based on counterterrorism, which in essence treats foreign fighting as a form of terrorism. This paradigm is largely reflective of the domestic legislation of the United Kingdom, United States, Canada and Australia. This article argues that this approach is problematic, and that an alternative paradigm based on the international law of neutrality and related domestic legislation provides a better means for regulating foreign fighting.